TLC Review

 This past week, the WWE championship was not defended because of a knee injury that required surgery for champion, CM Punk, but despite the lack of a title defense, the WWE booked one of their most solid pay-per-view events of 2012 and set the stage for an interesting start to next year. The show opener was the tables match, which featured Rhodes Scholars vs. the team of Rey Mysterio and Sin Cara. First, Cody Rhodes deserves major credit for being back in the ring less than a month after suffering multiple injuries after taking a back drop during a tag match. The match showcased both teams well and had good psychology to use an unpredictable finish that saw Sin Cara sail from the ring through a table. As far as the teams go, as I mentioned before, the Rey/Cara team is an attempt to give Cara creditably among the Mysterio fans, which might not work because there's only one Mysterio, but it makes sense and Cara has improved since teaming with Mysterio. Obviously, Sandow and Rhodes have main event potential outside of a tag team, but at this point, it gives them a platform to be pushed while CM Punk is the champion. Rhodes Scholars won the match to become the number one contenders, which could be an indication that they will win the tag titles.

Antonio Cesaro defeated R Truth to retain the US title and it was a decent match. Cesaro is getting a solid run as US champion, but if you've seen his work on the independent scene prior to his WWE debut, you know he has a lot more to bring to the table, which will probably be displayed as his character evolves. That being said, I don't understand why the WWE had Cesaro job to Ryback on Smackdown because it doesn't help push Cesaro or the US title. I get that they want to make Ryback look strong after TLC, but isn't Tensai the standard jobber on Raw? Despite the defeat on Smackdown, I think Cesaro will continue to have a successful run as US champion.

The Intercontinental title match was solid and picked up the tempo of the show to lead into the TLC match. Kofi retained the title and seems to be a solid performer for the company, but I don't think he will jump to the main event scene because while he's improved on the mic, he just doesn't have the mic skills of a main event star. Anything is possible, but it seems as though Kofi is in the IC title spot, where he has decent match and is over with the crowd, but not exactly a main event level performer. However, Wade Barrett has evolved his character since his return from an injury earlier this year and it will be interesting to see if he is pushed to the main event after the botched Nexus storyline a few years ago.

The Shield vs. Daniel Bryan, Kane, and Ryback was a great match. It was definitely match of the night and The Shield proved they are ready for the main stage of the WWE. It's also good to see The Shield get the win because it gives them credibility and they are an established stable in the WWE. Seth Rollins, who completed in Ring Of Honor, is thought by many to eventually be the emerging star of the faction and he certainly has the skills to be a major star for the company, but I think Dean Ambrose will be the biggest star to debut in The Shield. Ambrose has already shown his tremendous promo ability on WWE TV and the TLC match showed he can go in the ring so don't under estimate Ambrose. Roman Reigns shouldn't be over looked either because while he has the least hype prior to his debut, many think there's a bright future for him. The comparison to the NWO makes sense, but The Shield is definitely a more current for the hostile takeover angle, which is what the WWE needs right now, considering one of the main criticisms for WWE is they need a more current product. The storyline gives people a reason to tune into Raw and it will be extremely interesting to see how the storyline evolves the next few months.

Eve Torres defeated Naomi in a Divas title match and it was booked to properly pace the show after the crazy spot in the TLC match, which it did well. There's not much to say about the match because it was just a random match booked to pace the show without a storyline. That being said, Eve has some decent matches as champion, but there's not too many storylines in the divas division.

The Big Show and Sheamus added another good match to their series at TLC and The Big Show retained the title. The match had good psychology and some good spots, but the finish with the giant chair was tacky. However, it was a good title match and Big Show is  getting a good run as World Heavyweight champion, which is something most fans probably didn't think would happen at this point in his career. Since Big Show retained and Sheamus has already had a few matches for the title, you have to wonder, who is the next challanger for The Big Show? Randy Orton might be the next contender, considering that Smackdown is low on star power and there are rumors that he would be in the title picture for Wrestlemania.

The Miz, Alberto Del Rio, and The Brooklyn Brawler vs. 3MB was another random match that was booked more to pace the show than anything else, but it was kept short and it was entertaining to see the Brawler get a win in his hometown so it accomplished the goal of getting the crowd ready for the main event. Some fans have speculated that it could be a face turn for Del Rio, but he stated on twitter that he's not a "good guys" so he might have been booked in the match just to be added to the card. However, The Miz has actually turned face of the past few weeks and despite some of the promos, it just doesn't seem like The Miz is going to be an effective "good guy" not because of a lack of mic skills, but because he's a better heel in the WWE.

The main event was a solid match and it proved Dolph Ziggler can main event a show. The AJ heel turn was predictable, but it worked well and since Dolph won the match for the money in the bank contract, I think he will eventually win the title when he cashes in the title shot. Ziggler has all the skills to be the champion and it would be interesting if he wins the title.

Kenta Kobashi Announces Retirement

Last week, the Japanese wrestling world was shocked when Pro Wrestling NOAH announced that the legendary, Kenta Kobashi, was released from his contract, which prompted several other wrestlers to announce that they wouldn't resign with the company out of respect for Kobashi. While Kobashi is without a doubt one of the greatest wrestlers to step into a ring, he's had several injuries over the past few years and it would probably be a wise decision for him to retire, but he deserves a better conclusion to his career than to be released without a retirement show, which is why in some ways it's good to see the rest of the roster show respect for him to announce they wouldn't resign if he was released because NOAH can't afford the contract. However, this is just the latest in a laundry list of problems for the promotion in the past few years, as the company has declined since the death of the founder, Mitsuhara Misawa, who formed the company in 2000 after several stars left All Japan because of a disagreement with management. After Misawa's death, the promotion had their TV slot moved to a smaller network and has sporadic TV spots since the show was canceled from the Nippon network. The lack of new stars has been the least of the company problems, as earlier this year, it became public that the was a yakuza ties in the promotion, which lead to the dismissal of some NOAH officials and new rules were enforced to prevent further dealings with the yakuza. An organized crime scandal itself can be enough to cause an organization to shut down, which is evident in the damage it did to Pride a few years ago in Japan, but NOAH survived and continued to promote shows.

Following the news that several wrestlers wouldn't resign because of Kobashi's release, the NOAH officials went into damage control and made an agreement that Kobashi could finish his career in a NOAH ring in February of next year, which would allow the promotion to cut costs, while also giving Kobashi the proper retirement that he deserves after a stellar career. With the organization looking to cut expenses and rumors of possibly shutting down after the Yakuza incident, it could be an indication that the promotion might close, which would be a statement about not just the current state of the industry in Japan, but it would also impact the business from a historical stand point as well. As I mentioned earlier, NOAH was formed using much of the roster of All Japan Pro Wrestling, which was started when the legendary, Giant Baba promoted shows and All Japan showcased some of the greatest matches in pro wrestling history, including many NWA world title matches. If NOAH closes, it would be the conclusion of the last link to the classic All Japan that Giant Baba promoted. From a modern prospective, it shows the over saturation of the pro wrestling market in Japan, which is mostly because many wrestlers will form their own company when there's no reason for it and much of the land scape of the business in Japan is an alphabet soup of promotions that don't have any major impact on the business. New Japan Pro Wrestling, which is now under new ownership after it was sold a few months ago, is the only promotion that is garnering moderate success at the moment because they are doing what the business in Japan has needed for years, the new stars are used to draw for the promotion.

As great as the legends are, they can't continue to main event shows when they are past their prime or injuries begin to pile up, which has been the case for Kobashi, as he's had several injuries over the past few years. If Ric Flair was still a main event wrestler in the WWE, it wouldn't have the same draw as if there was a current star and while Japan featured more of the history of the business, there needs to be a new generation of stars for the company to be profitable. Just an example of this is in the 80s All Japan had Baba as one of the main event stars as well as several foreign wrestlers, including Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, Terry Funk, and others. While All Japan had the foreign stars, New Japan founder, Antonio Inoki was the top draw for NJPW and then there was a transition to the new stars. All Japan passes the torch to Misawa, Kobashi, and Kawada while New Japan used The Great Muta, Chono, and Hashimoto in the main event in the 90s. Since then, there hasn't been a real next generation promoted in Japan to draw crowds comparable to previous years. New Japan has the right idea and recently started running Internet pay-per-views, which actually gives them a better way to distribute shows, as not nearly the amount of people in Japan have access to traditional PPV channels as people in the United States so iPPV for New Japan gives more people the chance to see the product.

The point being here, the entire NOAH situation could be an indication of what could take place in the other major companies in Japan if new stars aren't featured in the main event. Specifically, the only major draw All Japan has in recent years is The Great Muta, who will probably retire soon so again, it's another company that could scramble to rebuild themselves if they don't promote new stars. It will be interesting to see if NOAH continues to promote shows after Kobashi's retirement and it will also be interesting to see the direction of Japanese wrestling in a few years.

The Steelers' QB Scramble

If there was ever a time that emphasized the importance of the quarter back for the Pittsburgh offense, it would be this week, as the Steelers get ready to play the Ravens for the second time in just three weeks, possibly without the injured Ben Rothlisberger, who was sidelined with a sprained shoulder and a dislocated rib a few weeks ago. Traditionally, Pittsburgh's strategy consisted of a solid running game to manage the clock and a top notch defense. However, times in the National Football League are changing and even the legendary black and gold franchise recognize it. As quarter backs are more protected (sometimes over protected) with a series of new rules and even more penalty flags, the NFL has become more about an air show that racks up record points than a smash mouth running game that can dictate the direction of a contest. If that does the game justice is another matter for another time, but the fact remains, the NFL is more profitable than ever and the QBs putting up the big numbers are what draws the ratings, which is why the "pass first" mind set is not just a trend in the NFL, but rather part of the evolution of the game.

So, what does this mean for the black and gold? Simply put, if they want to make any type of playoff run this season, Rothlesburger will have to find a way to suit up this Sunday and presumably stay healthy for the rest of the season because judging from the past two weeks, the Steelers can't win  close  or even games they should win easily with their current back up QB situation. Does this mean Ben gets rushed back before he's 100% ready to go? Possibly. Does this mean Ben should have to rush back? Absolutely not. Pittsburgh has enough of a running game and a defensive that could limit the opposing team's scoring drives that a back up should be able to at least manage the game to a Steelers' win. Without a solid back up as an option, Pittsburgh, a team that can be a contender during any season, is one injury away from the season becoming worthless. Granted, any hit is all it takes to ruin any team's season in the NFL, but given the weapons the Steelers have in other aspects, a OB injury shouldn't doom their season. Plus, as Colin Kaepernick showed the past two weeks, not every back up has to be some wash up that couldn't get it done on another team.

When Rothlisberger went down, the former Jaguars' QB, Bryon Leftwich stepped in and then hastily exited with an injury of his own after just one game, which is basically the same thing that happened a few years ago when the Steelers requested his services. Leftwich is decent, but he's injury prone and he has been basically useless for the team so he should be released so the team can look for a more reliable option as a back up. Speaking of back ups, the 38 year old Charlie Batch replaced Leftwich last week, for a game against the Cleveland Browns and threw three interceptions in the process. It's difficult to say this because I've met Charlie and the Pittsburgh native is very polite and does a tremendous amount of charity work, but it's time for him to retire. He should unquestionably have a spot with the Steelers because he's a good representative for the team and his association with the black and gold allows him to get a further reach with charity efforts, but the spot Batch should have is in the front office, not on the field.

That being said, those situations are for the off season, but what the direction for the Steelers going forward in the next few weeks is anyone's guess. Opinions vary on Rothlisberger, but he proved his value to the team without even being on the field and if he can't return for the Ravens game this week, The Steelers could be bumped from the wild card spot, as Cincinnati could surpass Pittsburgh in the rankings. Hopefully, The Steelers will eventually draft a solid back up and improve the offensive line so that a season won't collapse if Ben is injured again. Even if Rothlisberger is back on the field that doesn't guarantee a victory against the Ravens, but it certainly improves the chances of a Pittsburgh win.

Disney/Star Wars

October 30 2012

Disney Buys Up More Gen X Properties

Lucas-films for 4.05 Billion dollars!!!

by A T Folino

I feel a strong disturbance in the Force are the words on the minds of many members of Generation X today. It was announced that the Walt Disney Company has bought Lucas-films for four billion dollars and with that the rights to all owned properties including “Star Wars” and “Indiana Jones”. To me this situation is truly a double edged light saber as this can be a bad thing or a great for the fans. In this article I will state my opinion on the good and bad but first lets look at the Walt Disney Company.

The Walt Disney Company has been a media powerhouse since the late 1920's and their mascot Mickey Mouse has been a pop culture icon for over 80 years. From movies and television to video games and theme parks the Disney name is known worldwide for being the cream of the crop when it comes to family entertainment. This is where the paradox lies over the past fifteen years or so Disney has bought up many major media outlets and franchises from ESPN to the Muppets and Marvel Comics. As a child of the 1980's these outlets have been a major part of my childhood and adulthood.

Let me compare the good and the bad the way I see it.

1. The Bad

I don't know about the rest of you fans out there but the day I see Darth Vader in mouse ears is the day I revolt and start the revolution. Just Kidding but I am worried about two of my favorite movie franchises going the way of Disney and being simplified for today's movie goers. We could be one step away from seeing “A New Hope” remade with Justin Bieber as Luke and Chewbacca acting like Jar Jar Binks. Even worse Indiana Jones fighting undead pirates and looking for the golden Mickey Idol I got a chill just thinking about that. With that being said I was wrong about the Muppet’s the new movie was as funny and enjoyable as it was when I was a kid. For the most part the new Marvel Comic movies have been good I am a major fan of the Avengers movies. But that was puppets and comic books not the damn Sith and Jedi. Enough ranting now on to the good.

2. The Good /Awesome

For a second I will suspend my nerd hate and I think you should to. Imagine this “Star Wars the Clone Wars” a Pixar production tell me that does not sound cool. Indiana Jones adventures backed by Disney Imagineering and ILM. The Rocketeer fighting the likes of his bounty hunting doppelganger Boba Fett. Most of all we may finally get a Star Wars theme park where it would be like the Celebration weekends all the time. For the crossover appeal with the rest of the Disney owned properties makes this a very interesting time to be a fan of the works of George Lucas. But if Disney does completely mess things up we will always have Warner Brothers/DC and their great movies like the Batman movies. In closing I just hope my childhood heroes don't get disneyfied too badly. Do you agree? please comment

Super Wheels

Throwback Theater

Super Wheels 1975

Throwback Theater

Super Wheels 1975

By A T Folino

Today’s review is for the 1975 comedy “Super Wheels” starring the Herbie the love bug of Germany Dudu. Let me say right from the start this movie is bad with more bad acting and special effects than you can shake a bratwurst at. Our star Dudu is a banana yellow talking VW superbug that can talk, fly and perform basic dentistry. Dudu is driven by Jimmy Bondi the eastern European Dean Jones. Rounding out the cast we have two bumbling henchmen, an evil monarch, orphans, nuns and worlds cheapest Burt Reynolds impersonator.

Super Wheels begins like any other movie with Jimmy Bondi driving and old steam powered train into the local train station that doubles as the local orphan home. Jimmy is greeted by a whole slew of badly dubbed kids and worse dubbed nuns. From here we meet the star of the movie Dudu the gadget loaded VW bug that tells corny jokes and tries to run over nuns for a hobby witch is fun for those of us who went to catholic school. Next we meet the local evil monarch and his stupid henchmen who will stop at nothing to close the orphan home. Back at Jimmy’s garage we meet the cheap German Burt Reynolds whom is sneaking around to see what makes Dudu tick.

From the outside Dudu looks like the standard VW bug but under the hood he is a technical marvel with a computer built from an Erector set, an Super 8 camera and the super deluxe 8track player. If this movie was made south of the border it would have been an EL Cheepo production. Dudu is what you would get if Pops Racer was hit on the head and made to build the World’s cheapest super car with gadgets. Another car to watch for is the double front ended Nun Mobile that can split into 2 separate cars.

Dudu and the Nun Mobile both enter as quoted in the movie and not by me “The Goofiest Rally Race in the World” that as far as I can tell is made up of Le Mans racing stock footage and RC Cars. This movie has it all bad acting, bad effects, bad dubbing and the worst plot I have seen in years. One saving grace is the beautiful Evelyn Kraft as one of the rally driving nuns. Cannonball Run anyone? Please do not watch this movie if you do please seek mental help because you are crazy!!!!

Things to Avoid

1. The Whole movie.

2. Jimmy Bondi’s mountain top death dive.

3. Dudu removing one of the henchmen’s teeth.

4. Dudu can fly.

Elvis Found Alive

Roku Theater

Midnight Pulp Channel

“Elvis Found Alive” 2012

By A T Folino

Did you know that after 35 years Elvis Presley has been found alive and well in California? He has spent the years since his “death” as a DEA agent battling the likes of the Weather Underground, Mafia, Drug Cartels, and terrorism at home and abroad. After so many years Elvis has decided to give this first tell all interview about his life, death and return to the public eye after so many years.

“Elvis Found Alive” is a movie I had no expectations from what so ever and I am happy to say I was wrong. Found on the Roku box under the Midnight pulp free channel I decided to watch this movie one night on a whim and I enjoyed every second of it. Our movie begins at a small studio near LA with a group of filmmakers doing research on the death of Elvis when a package arrives from the FBI containing all the declassified files on Elvis Aaron Presley. When they open the package they can smell wet ink the FBI attempted to use to keep some information secret. The film crew goes to work on cleaning off the ink the best they can. As they clean the pages one name keeps coming up John Barrows witch was a well know alias Elvis used to book hotel rooms when he was on the road. Eventually they find a local address for John Barrows so they decide to go and look Mr. Barrows up.

The film crew travels to the address of John Barrows and are greeted by a late 1950’s pink Cadillac convertible full of Elvis 8 track tapes. Upon knocking at the door they are greeted by “Mr. Barrows” whom we quickly can deduce is Elvis Presley alive and well. After a few minutes of chit chat Elvis grants the crew an interview the next mourning. From here the Docudrama gets interesting as we are treated to an interview that blends the truth and fiction to give insight on what might have happened if Elvis did fake his death. Hearing Elvis talk of the parallels between his life and that of Captain Marvel Jr. down to faking his own death. Hear stories of his time in the US Army and meeting a young Priscilla. Also hear of his lost loves and battles with extremists and criminals. Hear about the origins of TCB, and all of the details of how he faked his own death right under the public’s noses.

Overall “Elvis Found Alive” is a fun watch for fans of Elvis and fans of conspiracy theorists alike. Watch this movie and more for free using the Midnight Pulp channel on Roku.

Gear Review

October 16, 2012

Gadgets on a Budget

The Aeropress Coffee Maker

By A T Folino

Once in a while here at Steel City Underground we sometimes get thirsty and tired and that is what this review is all about. When I was in my early twenty’s I worked as a barista for a local coffee company and was taught how to make coffee using professional brewers and espresso makers. Over the years I have used every type of home brewer under the sun from a percolator to a coffee pod system. My personal favorite was the French press while yielding a strong cup of coffee it was also a gritty cup of coffee. Just when I was about to give up on finding a good affordable coffee brewer I saw an ad for the Aeropress manual coffee press and at fewer than Thirty dollars I figured what the heck and took a chance and ordered one.

The Aeropress was the invention from the same man who brought us the Aerobie Flying Disc. Consisting of 2 plastic cylinders and a filter holder it looks more like a syringe than a coffee maker. It also works like a coffee syringe using gravity and pressure to make a clean rich tasting cup of coffee. With that being said this is the best single serve coffee maker I have ever used and gives the best tasting cup.

Contrary to what you may read online this is not an espresso maker the downward pressure is not enough to brew true espresso, but it does come close. With the Aeropress and inexpensive milk frothier from a certain Swedish store you can have your own portable inexpensive coffee bar. By dong this you can save some money by making your own coffee drinks. I recommend this product 100 percent to anyone who likes a great cup of coffee. When using the Areopress I like to brew a fresh ground medium roast coffee slightly finer than drip. Café Bustello espresso is always another great choice for the maker. For a price under thirty dollars you can’t go wrong.

For Y'ur Height Only

Throwback Theater

9/24/2012

Weng Weng as his bad self!!!

“For Y’ur Height Only” 1981

By A T Folino

“Hmm what if James Bond was a three foot tall Filipino kung fu expert?” Yes my friends I to have pondered this question myself until one day I came across and watched “For Y’ur Height Only” and all my questions were answered. On that day I knew I could die a happy man!!!! If this over dramatic and silly start to this paragraph made you chuckle just a little then you are in the proper mindset to watch this cult classic starring the ever popular Weng Weng in his first lead role as the dashing Agent 00 an Interpol agent fighting the likes of the evil Mr. Giant.

I have to say right off the bat this is one of my favorite movies if for nothing else just the sheer weirdness of it. Shot in the Philippines in the late 1970”s “For Y’ur Height Only” blends slapstick and parody into a must see action comedy. Agent 00 is smooth as glass weather fighting or chatting with the ladies he is always just the man. That is also where most of the comedy comes from seeing a three foot tall spy smooth talking the ladies. The action scenes are also so surreal and crazy watching Agent 00 hit his patented move of ducking between a villain’s legs and then kicking them in the groin is a sight to see.

This was followed up by a 1983 sequel called “The Impossible Kid” that contains more of the same silliness. Unfortunately Weng Weng died in 1992 at the age of 32.

We as fans can always watch his cult classic movies and wonder what might have been.

Please watch and enjoy!!!

Look Ma I can fly!!!!

Things to watch for!!!

1 Weng Weng's use of his spy issue straw hat.

2 The fight at the bakery.

3 The creative use of an umbrella.

4 The unveiling of Mr. Giant.

5 Dwarf fu!!!!!!

ROH Booking

Recent reports suggest that legendary manager and one of the most outspoken people in the wrestling business, Jim Cornette, will not continue to assist booking the Ring Of Honor promotion with the head trainer of the ROH, Delirious. The decision comes after much criticism towards ROH for the direction of the promotion and backlash because of technically problems for a recent Internet pay-per-view. So, what does this mean for Cornette and ROH?

Cornette has proved to be one of the most brilliant and insightful minds in the wrestling industry, while sounding bitter with an unrealistic view of what he thinks the wrestling business should be. His tirades against Vince Russo, TNA, and the WWE have been completely over done. His once informal interviews have become bitter rants towards some of his former employers and in some ways, I think it tarnishes his legacy, as he's become more known for his hatred of main stream wrestling than his outstanding career. Yes, Russo is an idiot and yes, TNA booking can be ridiculous, (although it has improved drastically in recent months) but those statements from Cornette have been heard multiple times while he suggest an old school style should be used today. As far as that goes, wrestling has been exposed as entertainment and the bottom line is the wrestling that Cornette praise from the territory days does not translate to the main stream of today. Does that mean everything the WWE does to attempt to seem current works? Absolutely not, but wrestling evolves and judging from interviews, Cornette seems to think you can present an 80s product to an audience in 2012 and draw money. Proof of this not working is Cornette's own Smokey Mountain Wrestling promotion from the early 90s that ran old school shows in small towns and only survived a few years. I'm not claiming to have the answer to ROH's problems, even though much of their die hard fan base makes such claims, but obviously, SMW showed you have to stay current for a promotion to expand. Cornette's dismissal from the ROH booking staff does not speak well of him, as even the promotion he claims uses his booking philosophy, seems to have realized Cornette is too far behind the times to know how to expand a fan base. However, Cornette will remain apart of the company in a production aspect, which is great considering they need a major production upgrade for the product. Don't get me wrong, this isn't an attempt to bury Jim Cornette and I think he's probably the second greatest manager all of time, just behind the legendary Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who Cornette has said is the greatest manager in the history of wrestling. That being said, Cornette working on production, while not booking is probably a good decision for the promotion.

As far as what ROH needs going forward is really anyone's guess. They have a tremendous talent roster, in terms of in ring action, but they don't promote or book those stars effectively. For example, Eddie Kingston was brought in to challenge for the ROH title a few months ago and I think Kingston is one of the most underrated talents in wrestling today. His matches are good and his promos are great, but he was booked in the main event of an iPPV with almost no build up and he hadn't wrestled in ROH for years so the match was actually minimized compared to what it could have been if it was given the chance to build to a decent storyline. It seems as though ROH just doesn't know how to make stars and the lack of overall promotion for the company doesn't help either. Sinclair Broadcasting, a TV network, owns ROH, yet there's not many advertisements for the company during network shows. The iPPV debacles haven't helped matters and again, how does such a thing happen when a TV network owns the promotion? Further more, how does ROH expect people to pay to watch the show online when there has been numerous incidents where fans that paid to watch the stream of the event couldn't watch it because of technically difficulties? Hopefully, the shift in booking direction will help improve the ROH product, but considering they've struggled since WWE and TNA signed many of the wrestlers that helped built ROH, it seems like Sinclair Broadcasting will have to improve the production before fans will pay to watch another ROH Internet PPV.

Low Ki Music Video

From The Vault:William Regal vs. Marty Jones

Too Many "B shows?"

Despite just adding an extra hour of Raw just a few months ago, the WWE has added two new shows to their TV schedule recently, Saturday Morning Slam and Main Event, which debuted this past Wednesday on the Ion channel. The debut show featured a champion vs. champion match, which was obviously booked to get people to tune into the premiere of the show, but within a few weeks you will probably see a cast of mid carders that don't get TV time on Raw. So, what's the problem with that this? Underutilized talent getting the chance to showcase their skills on TV is usually a good thing, but when you consider the overall landscape of the WWE, another hour of WWE programming is completely unnecessary.

This experiment of a mid week, one hour show was tried before and it made air for two years before being demoted to WWE.com, "WWE Superstars." The show debuted on the WGN network in April of 2009 and was moved to WWE.com in 2011 after not doing much to elevate the talent that was featured on the show. Similar to Main Event, when "Superstars" debuted, it featured some top talent, including The Undertaker, but it seems to be a matter of time before  the top talent that were featured this week, CM Punk and Sheamus, won't wrestle on Main Event, while being replaced with Drew McIntyre and Brodus Clay. The point being, Main Event will eventually become a pointless show with a few mid card matches that do nothing to actually establish the talent or advance storylines. The argument could be made that another show gives more talent the chance to wrestle on TV, but why not add those competitors to Raw? The three hour show has been rather lackluster, mostly because of the amount of video packages and pointless promos that have been used to take up the extra time so why exactly does the WWE need another hour of TV? Don't get me wrong, the tag team tournament match that was featured was a good way to show case the tag division, but when there's a three hour show, why not put the match on Raw where more of an audience will watch it?

The Saturday Morning Slam show has it's own agenda and is something different than Raw or Smackdown, but what's exactly the point of Main Event? The bottom line here is that WWE just has too much TV time on their schedule and in some ways they could be shooting themselves in the foot if there are too many shows on WWE TV. Just on TV, the WWE has nearly 7 hours of programming a week and that is while the ratings have dipped because of Monday Night Football. There's also a few shows that are Internet exclusive shows on WWE.com so how many people are really going to watch B-level shows when there are low ratings for Raw? It's great to see Zack Ryder, Justin Gabriel, and Santino to get some TV time, but it makes more sense for them to be seen on Raw because Raw has an extra hour and more of an audience than the Main Event show.

From The Vault:Vader vs. Necro Butcher

Night of Champions Review

A pre show battle royal determined  that Zack Ryder would wrestle for the United States championship and it was a solid match. I want to discuss the preshows that have been featured on Youtube the past few months as well as the US champion, Antonio Cesaro. When Cesaro defeated Santino on a recent pre show match, I think it accomplished a few different things, most importantly, it gave the fans a reason to go to Youtube prior to the PPVs because it gives the perception that anything can happen with a title changing hands. Secondly, it established Cesaro as someone to watch, after he was beginning to get lost in the shuffle on Smackdown. Cesaro, who wrestled on the independent scene as Claudio Castagnoli, has all the tools to be a major star in the WWE, if given the opportunity. He's a very good technical competitor and he has some very impressive strength, which is why it doesn't really make sense that the WWE has him using a face plant finisher when it doesn't really showcase his skills. Regardless, it's good to see Cesaro getting a push and hopefully he will be more prominently featured on WWE TV as his reign as US champion continues on Smackdown. As for the Youtube pre shows, I think it's great because it adds something extra to the actual PPV and makes it seem more like a major show. That's one of the major problems with the amount of PPVs, especially a few years ago when in some cases the WWE would throw together a rather pointless card if they had two PPVs in the span of just two weeks. Obviously, the key to selling a $45 show is to make it seem like a major event and something as simple as a 30 minute pre show can help sell the show. During the Attitude era when the WWF was competing for both ratings and PPV buy rates, the Free for Fall show would hype the story lines and it would also feature a match. The WWE is trying to get people to pay $45 to watch an event so anything that helps sell the show could improve the buy rates.

The four way match provided some great action and emphasizes the wrestling aspect of the IC title. The Rey Mysterio/Sin Cara team of recent weeks seems to be a way for Rey to lend credibility to Cara and in the process add more fans for him, which is a great idea, but I don't think it will be effective for a variety of reasons. While Mysterio is one of the most solid in ring talents on the roster and can make anyone look good in the ring, Cara seems to need someone to camouflage some of the botches that he's become known for during his run in the WWE. Rey also knows how to incorporate the lucha style into a WWE match, where as Cara seems to continue to struggle with adapting to the WWE style, which isn't exactly his fault considering he went directly to the main roster after he signed with the WWE. Despite, Rey and Cara being luchadors that wear masks, that doesn't automatically transfer Mysterio fans to also cheer for Cara. Ironically, it might be that Rey and Cara are too different for the fans to buy into Cara as the next Mysterio. That being said, it's unfair to even make the comparison because Rey is near legend status and Cara has only being in the WWE for a year and a half. The other opponent for the title, Cody Rhodes continues to have good matches and I wouldn't be surprised if he's eventually the World Heavyweight champion. During his run as IC champion, Cody made the title important again and while another run as IC champion wouldn't hinder his push, he could also transition to the main event picture as a legitimate challenger for the World Heavyweight title. Speaking of the main event scene, it should be interesting to see who is the next competitor to wrestle for the title after the Sheamus/Alberto Del Rio feud concludes and Cody could be a good decision for the next challenger. I think The Miz will retain the title and his character has evolved well thus far since he returned to the WWE after filming a movie. The time away from WWE TV gave The Miz a chance to evolve his character and he's had a good run as IC champion since his return.

The Daniel Bryan/Kane storyline would probably be terrible if anyone else tried such an angle, but they have made it work and it's been some entertaining TV the past few weeks, which shows how great both of them are on the mic and in the ring. Speaking of Kane, I've said it before and I'll say it again, he's an extremely under rated talent that doesn't get the credit that he deserves considering how entertaining he's been on a consistent basis during his career. Many people doubted that Bryan would be successful but the versatility he's shown from a character perspective proves that he can be entertaining in any scenario. Bryan and Kane won the tag titles at the PPV, which isn't a surprise considering that the WWE rushes most angles, especially the tag division when there's actually a storyline.

The Randy Otron/Dolph Ziggler match was decent, but it doesn't make sense that Ziggler did the job when Orton is scheduled to take time off to film a movie and Ziggler is the money in the bank winner so it would make sense for Ziggler to get the win to further the push. Some have speculated that Orton will turn heel when he returns to the WWE, which will help his character since it's been stale for the past few months, but evolving his in ring style might be considered since he's been boring the past few years.

The Divas title match had a very obvious storyline, but the actual in ring action was decent. Since Raw expanded to three hours, the Divas division has been practically non existent, which might be the reason that Beth Phoenix will exit the WWE when her contract expires in October. Speaking of Beth Phoenix, she might not be regarded on the same level as a Trish or Lita, but she is still one of the best woman wrestlers to be featured on WWE TV in the past five years. Eve as the new champion could actually do a lot to showcase the Divas division again, which is certainly possible with an extra hour of Raw because she's done well as a heel. She gets heat from the crowd, which could be used for some decent story lines if the Divas division is actually given some TV time on Raw.

The World Heavyweight title match was probably the best in the Alberto Del Rio/Sheamus series so far, but that doesn't say much, considering their previous bouts were rather lack luster. Despite being in main event matches, Del Rio just seems to lack in the ring compared to his initial push and his continuous main event spot might be a case of lack of challengers for Sheamus, rather than the momentum of Del Rio as a main event star, which seems to have stalled after a series of injuries and a direct elevation to the main event after his return to WWE TV. That being said, hopefully the WWE has a new direction for Smackdown and we see some fresh matches for the World Heavyweight title.

The WWE title match had some great back and fourth action and told a great story in the ring. Usually, I would say that a non finish at a PPV is a rip off because the fans pay to see a winner, but the swerve finish worked for the match. It should be extremely interesting to see who is the next challenger for the WWE title and how the storyline continues to evolve on Raw.

Dynamite Kid vs. Alan Dennison

From The Vault Eddie Guerrero vs. Genghis Khan 12/30/89

Paul Heyman Returns

During a really good falls count anywhere match on Raw, CM Punk, reappeared after walking out of his hometown earlier in the night and assisted Alberto Del Rio to get the win. As his opponent for Night Of Champions, John Cena was on the concrete, Punk returned to the same car that he used to exit the building earlier in the show. As the car was leaving, former ECW owner and Smackdown writer, Paul Heyman was revealed as the driver of the car. There appears to be an alliance between the champion and Heyman, which can only translate into some very interesting WWE TV over the next few weeks.

When CM Punk created main stream buzz for the WWE nearly a year and a half ago, he became an antihero that wasn't the traditional baby face and his promos had people tuning in each week because of their content. The WWE decided to down play much of the buzz Punk created when Triple H pinned him less than a month later. Punk has since won the WWE title and has had one of the most memorable title runs in recent history, partially because he's actually being given a decent run instead of dropping the title in a few months. However, from a character prospective, it became stale, as the once rebellious CM Punk was trying to stop AJ from jumping through a table. That's why Punk hitting The Rock with the GTS at Raw 1000 was almost necessary for the evolution of his character. Although, it hasn't been quite a heel turn because the crowd still cheers Punk, probably because they agree that the WWE title should be in the main event, which hasn't been the case for most of Punk's title run. That being said, the WWE has tried to get heat for Punk and while most complained that the cage match with Jerry Lawler was terrible, it was an attempt to get Punk heat. Usually attacking a Hall of Fame wrestler can work, but despite that and refusing to wrestle in his hometown, Punk is still cheered, which actually creates a more intriguing storyline. The bottom line is Punk is one of the reasons to tune into Raw, which has been lackluster since expanding to three hours a month and a half ago.

So what does Heyman add to this equation? As he showed during the Brock Lesnar storyline, Heyman still does better promos than most of the roster, despite not appearing on WWE TV for years. Heyman adds a completely new dimension to the storyline and can provide a reason to tune into Raw on a weekly basis. More directly, the Heyman reveal actually gives people a reason to watch a complete episode of Raw because it was a complete surprise and not the generic finishes that you usually see on Raw. One of the reasons the Attitude era was so successful was because you never knew what could happen and while wrestling has evolved, the element of surprise can still be used to create interesting TV. Heyman adds a sizzle to the product and the Punk/Heyman storyline could provide some memorable moments. It will be extremely interesting to see the direction of the storyline and if it improves the ratings.

Throwback Theater 5

John Woo's “The Killer” 1989

By A T Folino

So far up to this point every movie I have reviewed has always had an underlining silliness to it. This is not one of those movies. “The Killer” is a 1989 classic gangster movie with some of the greatest action sequences ever committed to film. John Woo and Chow Yun Fat are one of the greatest actor director pairs of all time. So sit back and enjoy the review.

Chow Yun Fat plays Jeffery a hit-man with a heart of gold whom is seeking redemption after blinding Jennie a nightclub singer with the muzzle flash from one of his guns. When not working Jeffery is a nice guy but when he has a contract he is pure bad ass. He is an ambidextrous lone gunfighter with twin 45's of fury. On the other side of the coin we have Danny Lee playing in a stretch Inspector Lee Jeffery's equal in every way except he is a by the book Hong Kong cop. When Jeffery is turned on after a botched assassination he and Lee team up to take their enemies down in a hailstorm of bullets.

In 1989 Woo and Fat were hot off the heels of their 1987 gangster masterpiece “A Better Tomorrow” witch will be reviewed here soon. For “The Killer” Woo upped the drama and the bullets. Believe me when I say this movie is a classic in every way it has been in my personal top ten list of movies for almost 20 years. “The Killer” gets the highest possible recommendation every action fan should see this movie. The final showdown in a church is the second greatest action sequence ever filmed in my opinion. Enjoy the movie.

Things to watch for!!!!

The whole damn movie!!!!!

Throwback Theater 4

“The Story of Ricky” AKA Riki-Oh

 

By A T Folino

Here it is the grandaddy of all over the top bloody kung fu movies “The Story of Ricky” and yes it is everything that you have heard. Set in the year 2001 the prison system has been privatized by big corporations it is behind the walls of one of those prisons we meet Ricky Ho a former music student turned superhuman kung fu expert. Ricky is serving 10 years for killing the drug dealer that killed his girlfriend in a fit of rage. After Ricky is processed in the prison we are treated to 91 minutes of the most over the top craziness ever committed to film. Over the course of the film we see people get punched in half, intestines used as a garrote, the musical stylings of Ricky playing the opium leaf and a rubber suited monster turned into ground beef.

Ricky is a master of Qigong kung fu I guess this means Cuisinart in Chinese being that he rips people apart like a human food processor. When released in 1991 “Story of Ricky” was infamous for being the first movie to gain a Category III rating purely based on violence and mayhem. By today's standards the movie is tame as the violence is like watching a human cartoon or comic book with blood and violence taken to silly levels. Case in point during his fight with Oscar a tattooed member of the prison gang the ligaments in Ricky's arm are severed and he is forced to tie them back together using his teeth. The mayhem plus the silly dubbing makes this movie a b grade epic for the ages. A rare piece of cinema to find on DVD it is now readily available to watch on Netflix in all its uncut glory.

Things to watch for!!!!!

The head squish!!!!

Ricky's surgery on his own arm.

The Warden monster!!!

The fat, one eyed and hook handed assistant warden (Pure Comic Genius)

The Gang of Four

Kung Fu graveyard training.

The Dragon Lives Again

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kSytEMiyKjY

Throwback Theater 3

“The Dragon Lives Again”

By A T Folino

Bruce Lee has died and descended into Hell. Though his psychical body has changed but he still retains all of his skill in Jeet Kune Do. Bruce must try to battle his way out of Hell with the help of new found allies the One Armed Swordsman, Kane from “Kung Fu” and the greatest martial artist of all time Popeye the sailor man. See Bruce Lee battle the likes of James Bond, Zatoichi, Clint Eastwood and Count Dracula and his pajama wearing zombies. Will Bruce Lee escape the Underworld?

By reading this you are probably wondering what your humble movie critic has been smoking and thinking maybe this is made up. This is the plot for the all time craziest Brucesploitation extravaganza “The Dragon Lives Again”. The plot reminds me of a conversation I would have had with my buddies during a session of drinking arguing who would win in complete fights of fantasy. The movie opens with the text proclaiming “This film is dedicated to the millions who love Bruce Lee” after reading this the viewers are treated to 90 minutes of head scratching weirdness that you will never forget. Starring as Bruce Lee we have Bruce Leong who recently played the beast in “Kung Fu Hustle” .

This movie is highly recommended to watch with a bunch of smart-asses and an endless supply of beer. Seeing a fake Bruce Lee training Popeye is worth the the time to watch the movie for itself. SCU recommended and approved.

Don't Miss

} A group of ladies finding Bruce's “special weapon”

} Bruce meeting an evil Zatoichi in a Tea house

} James Bond and the Chinese Clint Eastwood

} Dracula and the most pathetic minions of all time

} The whole movie!!!!!!

Photo of the week 8/26/2012

Frankenburger!!!

Today’s photo comes from the Clifton Hill section of Niagara Falls. Joined in the same building you have a Burger King and the House of Frankenstein haunted attraction. In a great example of cross promotional marketing we have a giant fiberglass Frankenstein’s Monster eating a Whopper with cheese. This photo was taken in late September 2003 on a weekend getaway with someone special. Every time I look at this photo I smile and let out a little chuckle to myself while remembering better times.

Thank You for Looking!!!!

Throwback Theater presents a review of

“I Like to Hurt People” 1985

By A T Folino

In the late 1970’s the years before the WWF took over the world of wrestling. In the years before Hulkamania ruled “Brother!!!!.” There was the territory system of professional wrestling leagues all around the United States. One of the most violent territories at the time was in Detroit. 15 years before we would hear the chant of ECW there was Big Time Wrestling the local NWA affiliate. Most of the carnage was caused by one man one madman the Sheik and his arsenal of pencils, spikes and fireballs. His exploits are that of legend. For decades the Detroit wrestling scene was scarred with his legacy like the bodies and heads of his rivals.

.

By reading the above paragraph I have helped to put you in the proper mindset to sit back and watch the cult wrestling classic “I Like to Hurt People”. Filmed in various locations over the course of 2 years in the late 1970’s the movie serves as a time capsule look at the territory system and wrestling at the time. Filmed as a quasi documentary about a group of concerned citizens trying to get the Sheik banned from wrestling and TV because of his violent and crazy antics. Also starring are some of the biggest names in wrestling from the 1970’s including Andre the Giant, Dusty Rhodes, Terry Funk, Abdullah the Butcher and Dick the Bruiser. It is great fun to see these legends take on the Sheik and one by one get bloodied by him. This film is a must watch for the so called hardcore wrestling fan or just a fan of classic wrestling. This movie is a SCU high recommendation.

The Sheik’s real name was Ed Farhat the owner and booker of Big Time Wrestling. He had a great mind for business and kayfabe or making it look as if his antics as the Sheik were real. To make things seem legit he would speak quasi Arabic in public and if fans bothered him on the street he would toss flash paper fireballs at them.

Today’s so called stars could learn a lesson about the psychology of wrestling from him.

Things to watch out for!!!!

) Andre the Giant with the Jeep.

) The Sheik and Dick the Bruiser brawl.

) A great look at a young Terry Funk and Dusty Rhodes

As Always enjoy the movie!!!!

Throwback Theater Movie Reviews #1

Throwback Theater Review of the week.
8/19/2012

“The Street Fighter” 1974

Starring Sonny Chiba.

 

 

By A T Folino

    With the advent of streaming broadband video being available 24/7 by way of
YouTube or Video on Demand movie fans like me can watch many classic cult movies that a few years ago were not available at the local video store.  Every week we will give a spoiler free review of a different cult classic movie.  They will run the entire spectrum from Comedy to Kung Fu.  With that being said I am proud to give you my first review of a movie close to my heart the 1974 Kung fu classic “The Street Fighter”.  Starring the Japanese patron Saint of ass kicking Sonny Chiba.

    Chiba plays Terry Tsurugi a half Chinese half Japanese master of Karate and just an all around badass.  The movie opens with Terry dressed as a Taoist Priest giving last rights to a convicted killer Jungo whom his family has paid to be set free.  As the guards leave we get our first glimpse of how much of a BMF Tsurugi is as he hits Jungo with a coma punch to get him out of his execution.  From there the movie just gets more exciting as Terry and his sidekick Ratnose set out on a series of bloody adventures fighting everyone along the way including the police, mafia, yakuza, and an entire karate dojo. 

    “The Street Fighter” is a must watch for any fan of grind house or drive in movies.  The movie is a throwback to a time before everyone became so damn sensitive about everything.  It is politically incorrect and proud of it.  “The Street Fighter” has SCU’s highest recommendation.  In closing if you have an hour and a half to kill kick back turn your brain off and watch this martial arts classic.


Things to watch for!!!

The prison fight a great intro to Terry.
The apartment building high dive.
Terry fighting the short and chubby master of the Karate dojo.
X ray skull crush!!!!
Painful appendage rip.
The fight on the oil tanker in the rain
The Voice box!!!!!


Please enjoy the movie!!!

Steel City Snapshot of the Week

Week of 8/19/2012

    Standing at 25 ft tall,  crouched in the classic football 3 point stance,  and made up of the many local bridges in the metro Pittsburgh area here is Arch.  The Steel City’s
own giant transforming robot.  Bringing back memories of “Tranformers” cartoons and
the giant monster movies from Japan I watched as a kid.  I had to snap a picture of him
in all his glory.  With that being said Arch is no longer at his spot near the downtown
Pittsburgh Goodyear tire store he was taken down to have some work done.  Hopefully
soon enough the Steel City will once again have its giant robot protector back!

A T Folino

Hardcore Justice Review

The Hardcore Justice Pay-Per-View opened with Hernandez/Chavo Guerrero vs. Kid Kash/Gunner, which was an average match that was more suited for Impact than a PPV event. From a booking prospective, the match itself showcased Hernandez, which was a good decision because despite TNA fumbling his initial push, Hernandez could be a star for the promotion. Chavo used the frog splash to get the pin, which helps establish him in TNA, but that being said, I don't know how much Chavo really brings to the table at this point in his career. However, if teaming with Chavo can help establish Hernandez then it's effective booking.

The Falls Count Anywhere match was a triple threat match, as Deangelo Dinero was attacked prior to the contest. It was a good match that emphasized the falls count anywhere stipulation with Rob Van Dam getting the pin on the ramp. Magnus deserves credit as he stepped up his game and was on par with RVD and Ken Anderson during the match. Speaking of Ken Anderson, after the conclusion of the Bound For Glory series, TNA might want to shift gears and give him a run as TNA TV champion since he's been lost in the shuffle so to speak in the main event picture. Despite winning twenty points for the win, I doubt RVD will go to Bound For Glory to challenge for the title since he already had a title run.

I didn't expect much from the TV title match, but it was a really solid match and Devon retained the title. The match really helped Devon's run as TV champion, considering it's been rather lackluster thus far, but Devon didn't get too much help as his recent PPV opponent include Robbie E the past few months. Kazarian, who is one half of the tag champions, gave Devon someone to work with and it helped present a solid match. Some speculated that Devon would drop the title since it was reported that his contact, along with Bully Ray's contact would be expiring soon, but considering Devon is still TV champion and Bully won a match at the PPV, it seems as though both of them could resign with the company.

The Knockouts title match was nothing special and again, it was more of a match for Impact rather than a PPV. Madison Rayne won the title, but I don't think it help jump start the knockouts division, which was once one of the highlights of TNA shows. The major problem with the knockouts division is that TNA destroyed most of the credibility of the division when they had Eric Young and ODB win the knockouts tag team titles because it made the division seem like a joke. Velvet Sky, who was a former knockouts champion, was recently released from the company so the division seems to be lacking some talent, compared to when it was one of the highlights of TNA shows. Both Gail Kim and Tara are being underutilized at the moment so hopefully they will be given a chance to have more featured matches on TNA TV. Speaking of Tara, she's really underrated in my opinion and although she didn't get a Trish or Lita type of push in the WWE, she deserves to be mentioned with them as some of the best woman's wrestlers in WWE history because she has the skills in the ring.

The tables match was a really good match and it built well to the table spot at the conclusion of the match. There was a botched spot where Robbie E didn't move a table fast enough as Bully Ray was getting suplexed and Bully clipped the edge of the table, which looked brutal. Just a few things to mention about some of the competitors and the storylines in the match. Bully Ray won the match, but I don't think he will win the series. However, Bully deserves a lot of credit for completely reinventing himself during the past few months and he's become one of the better heels on the TNA roster. Despite completely botching his initial title run, I think James Storm has the potential and the skills to be a major star for the company. Originally, it seemed like TNA was building towards a Storm vs. Bobby Roode match at Bound For Glory, but after Aries defeated Roode at Hardcore Justice, it will be interesting to see if Storm actually wins the series to get a title shot or if there will be a Storm vs. Roode match at Bound For Glory. Jeff Hardy has had a better run in TNA the past few months and hopefully he continues on the right path because despite his laundry list of problems, Jeff Hardy is a talented performer and it would be sad to see him not use the talent.

The X Division title match was a great technically and aerial match. It was a great performance that both Zema Ion and Kenny King needed, as they are still establishing themselves in TNA. While he's the X Division champion, Ion still hasn't been featured too much on TNA TV since his debut, but the match at Hardcore Justice really showcased his skills. Ion is great in the ring and hopefully, there will be more opportunities for him to show his skills on PPV. Similar to Ion, Kenny King was relatively unestablished in TNA, and despite not winning the title, he proved he deserves to be on the TNA roster. There was some controversy surrounding King's debut in TNA because he signed with the organization while he was still one half of the Ring of Honor tag team champions. That being said, King wasn't under contract to ROH and he got an opportunity in TNA. You can't really blame King for signing with TNA because it gives him a chance to appear on national TV and PPV on the same show as some of the legends of the sport. That compared to an ROH product that has been struggling for years and a syndicated TV show as well as internet pay per view that is notorious for technical problems during shows. That isn't intended to be a jab at ROH because they have some great talent on the roster, but it's understandable that King opted for TNA.

The ladder match was insane and there were some crazy spots, including AJ Styles being face planted into the canvas during a muscle buster/german suplex combination. AJ Styles and Christopher Daniels deserve alot of credit for taking most of the crazy spots during the match, but Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle also added to the match. This was probably the match of the night and there was too much action to describe, but a few side notes about some of the wrestlers in the match. AJ Styles won the match, but considering the storyline during the past few weeks on Impact, it doesn't seem like he is going to win the series. That being said, the whole AJ storyline is ridiculous and really unnecessary, considering he doesn't need a storyline that attempts to use shock value. Styles is great in the ring and he can get over with the crowd using his wrestling ability. Styles is a tremendous athlete and that should be the focus of the storyline. There's a reason that Styles has the credibility to be put into the main event picture at anytime and it's because he's one of the best wrestlers in the history of TNA. Christopher Daniels' current heel turn is probably the best of his career and he has had some improvement on the mic, which has really helped the heel character. Daniels is one half of the tag champions and it will be interesting to see what direction the heel character goes in the next few months. It's great to see Samoa Joe getting a push, after floundering in the company for months and despite TNA fumbling his initial main event push, I think he could still be a major star for the company.

The main event built to a great match and Austin Aries as the TNA World champion has really benefit the company. I think one of the main reasons TNA has seen such an improvement in the product is because they are finally creating their own brand and they aren't presented as a second rate WWE product. TNA doesn't have the appearance of a WWE retirement home, where stars of the 90s or every recently released WWE star go just to get a pay check. It will be interesting to see the next few challengers for the TNA title and hopefully the product will continue to improve the next few months.

The State of The NWA

The National Wrestling Alliance was the top promotion in the United States at one point and it’s history was decorated with some of the best champions to ever step into a ring. Lou Thez, Karl Gotch, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, and Terry Funk were just some of the competitors that wore the historic NWA world title. So, what happened? How did an organization that was once at the top of the wrestling world plummet to mostly independent promoters leeching off the history of the promotion? For those that are unaware, there has been a recent shift in power in the NWA, as a result of a lawsuit where former president, Bob Trobich was being sued for insurance fraud. Other NWA board members brought the suit to Trobich and as a settlement, they will take control of the NWA with board member, Bruce Thrape leading the group. So, leeching off the history will continue and the name of the National Wrestling Alliance will be tarnished, just as its been tarnished for nearly two decades.

That being said, the legitimate National Wrestling Alliance closed when Jim Crockett sold his promotion to Ted Turner and the name was changed to World Championship Wrestling. Since the sell to Turner, the remaining board members have leeched off of anything they could in an attempt to rebuild the NWA. In my opinion, the “NWA” has lacked credibility and legitimacy since Turner bought Jim Crockett promotions and there has been a pattern of the “NWA” trying to leech off of other promotions than trying to rebuild itself. Perhaps the most famous example is when ECW was gaining momentum in 1994 and the NWA board attempted to use the platform for a tournament to decide a new champion. Shane Douglas threw down the belt, did one of the more memorable promos in wrestling history, and it showed that the NWA was still irrelevant. When Total Nonstop Action debuted in 2002, the promotion used the NWA title as a way get the product recognized by the fans, but when they decided to create their own titles a few years later, it actually helped the company in my opinion because they were no longer scene as a company trying to use the NWA legacy and at the same time, the NWA couldn’t claim to have a national presence leeching off of TNA exposure. The trend continued in recent years as Adam Pearce, who made a noble attempt to reestablish the title, revealed the title at a Ring Of Honor show in 2008 but ROH has struggled itself in the past few years so it wasn’t a launching pad for the NWA title. Don’t get me wrong, some promoters have tried to showcase the title, but after the world title tournament generated some talk last year, Joey Machete, who uses a rip off Sheik gimmick, refused to drop the title to Adam Pearce and was subsequently stripped of the belt.

The point being here, the legitimate NWA closed two decades ago and the current “NWA” is not only irrelevant, but also a joke considering the recent lawsuit for insurance fraud. The ONLY places that the NWA titles have any credibility are Japan and Mexico, which is more so because of their respect for the history of pro wrestling than the credibility of the modern NWA. The legitimate NWA that was Jim Crockett promotions had some of the best wrestling in the history of the sport so enjoy the old VHS tapes or DVDs of the classic Terry Funk, Ricky Steamboat, Midnight Express, and other matches, but the modern “NWA” is a completely different entity, despite using the same letters so don’t let it tarnish the classic legacy.