This week marked 12 years since the untimely passing of Chris Candido, who passed away after complications from surgery to repair a broken ankle that he suffered at the TNA Lockdown pay-per-view in 2005. Candido was an underrated talent that spent nearly his entire life in the wrestling business, earning praise among peers and fans.
However, long before "No Gimmicks Needed" strutted down the apron to the tune of ACDC's "Back in Black," professional wrestling was a family tradition. His grandfather, Chuck Richards worked as a preliminary wrestler in the early 70s for the WWWF, allowing Candido early access to the industry. As a youth, while some played basketball or baseball, he decided to follow his wrestling heroes. Through being a fan, he became friends with John Rechner, who went on to become Balls Mahoney in ECW. The two wrestling enthusiasts staged their own version of backyard wrestling, drawing a crowd in the process. Eventually, the two friends began to set up rings around the New Jersey independent scene to find a way into the business. Larry Sharpe, a competitor that often worked WWF house shows in the 70s and early 80s, gave the pair of young grapplers a chance to learn the craft. At just 14, Candido began training at The Monster Factory, the school that introduced Raven, Bam Bam Bigelow, and many others.
Within just a few years of wrestling the regional circuit around his hometown, Candido was invited to work a tour for Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling in Japan as "The Blonde Bomber," preforming nearly a dozen matches in 1992. The international exposure boosted his career, as he won the NWA championship during one of the organization's attempts to relaunch itself, and was signed to Jim Cornette's Smokey Mountain Wrestling in 1993. SMW became somewhat of an unofficial developmental system for the World Wrestling Federation when several of the talents that Cornette discovered went on to sign national contracts. After three years of working SMW nearly full-time, Candido signed a WWF deal with Sunny in 1995. The real-life pair formed The Body Donnas, a fitness type gimmick, and Candido went under the name "Skip" for the duration of his WWF run. The following year, Dr. Tom Prichard joined the team and the duo won the tag team titles.
An injury led to his departure, but he soon returned to ECW, where he worked previously, and it lead to arguably the best run of his career. A multiple time tag team champion, Candido was also a member of the Triple Threat stable with Shane Douglas and Bigelow. The group was a staple of the promotion and he was featured for many pay-per-view matches. Quite simply, Candido delivered bell-to-bell and always performed quality matches, which made him a valuable asset to the company.
After two years as one of the most well rounded and solid performers on the roster, rumors of drug problems surfaced toward the latter of 1998. His appearances in 1999 were sporadic as he only worked a little more than two dozen matches before he left in October of that year. He worked briefly for XPW in early 2000 prior to signing a deal with World Championship Wrestling. The speculation of drug problems persisted and he was released from the Turner contract just three months later in June of 2000.
After ECW folded, Candido worked a few tours of Japan over the next few years and the independent scene. He took most of 2003 off to resolve the drug habit that had affected his career, and resurfaced sober on the indy circuit in 2004. The rejuvenated athlete had overcome the drug problem and returned to the form of the prime of his career. At just 34, the nearly two decade veteran had the experience, but was also young enough to have another major run in his career.
His renewed efforts were noticed and he debuted for TNA in January of 2005. His time in the promotion solidified his status as completely recovered from his previous problems, and many were optimistic about the next chapter of his career. As mentioned, just a few months later, Chris Candido tragically passed away at the age of 33.
I had the chance to meet Chris Candido a few times the year before he passed away and he was extremely polite. It was a major accomplishment that Candido completely turned his life around before he passed away. He left too soon, but he deserves major credit for the comeback he made in his career. Instead of becoming another precautionary tale of the wrestling business, Chris Candido was a success story. Chris Candido proved himself to be as much of a champion outside the ring as he was inside the squared circle. Even more than a decade after he died, Candido is remembered for his stellar in-ring performances and he's undoubtedly an under rated legend.
Friday, April 28, 2017
Wednesday, April 19, 2017
What's next for Bray Wyatt?
In 2010, Husky Harris was literally kicked off of TV after the Nexus angle that started with such stream fizzled out, and as a result, members of the stable eventually got released or repackaged.
Still, Harris was a unique athlete with a big frame that could move for a competitor of his size, but his inexperience showed during his initial tenure on the main roster. While Husky debuted on the second season of NXT, he had only stepped into a ring to begin to learn the craft a year prior to that. In retrospect, it probably wasn't fair to expect Harris to excel on WWE TV, where in ring work is magnified with a global viewing audience, with less than 12 months of matches in his career. The big frame of Harris made him unique, but he didn't look like a superstar and when he was booted off of TV, his future as a WWE talent was in doubt.
The real-life athlete is a third generation sports entertainer, the son of Mike Rotunda and grandson of the late Black Jack Mulligan. The business is in his blood, and when he returned to FCW, the place where he started, in 2011 he spent a year trying to find the right formula of success. He endured injuries and other setbacks before a family friend, the legendary "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, who worked with the younger talents, helped him develop a new persona.
Just prior to when FCW was renamed NXT in 2012, Bray Wyatt, a charismatic cult leader character, debuted with a series of well-produced vignettes. More injuries followed, but Bray remained on NXT TV to cut some great promos and generated hype that created an anticipation for his eventual return to WWE TV. In mid-2012, The Wyatt Family, the trio of Bray, Luke Harper, and Erick Rowan, debuted on Raw to feud with Kane. The presentation worked perfectly and it was a formula that management shouldn't have tampered with, even now. Bray had the promos and the persona to get over with the audience. He also dropped a considerable amount of weight and had crispier in-ring work than when Husky Harris was on the main roster.
Unfortunately, Wyatt's ability to get over and stay off was used more to help other stars instead of elevating him. The examples are numerous, but there are a few key points when management had the chance to put him on a different level, but didn't solidify him as a major star. At WM 30, Wyatt worked a match with John Cena, a workhorse that could lose every match for the rest of his career and would still be as over as he is right now. Cena won the match and it did nothing for his status in the company, but it could've been used to boost the credibility of Bray Wyatt. The following year, the story was exactly the same except this time leader of the Wyatt family was used to help get Roman Reigns over at the HIAC pay-per-view when WWE's anointed champion was struggling to get a baby face reaction. Speaking of PPV events, Wyatt did the job during most of his high profile matches in the past few years, and if not for his remarkable ability to remain a compelling persona through his excellent promo work, it's very possible his character would be stale at this point.
When Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble match, I mentioned that while a star, his popularity plateaued several years ago and it was doubtful that there was much of a demand for another Orton main event run. Plus, after the lackluster WM 25 main event, another title match WM didn't exactly seem like the best possible option. Either way, as I said at the time, if Orton's involvement was used to further establish Bray Wyatt then it could be a useful storyline. Unfortunately, it wasn't too surprising when Orton won the title at WM 33 and Bray was minimized at another major show. Now, Wyatt was put on Raw for presumably a fresh start and Orton is the champion on Smackdown, but there's still a match between the two booked at Payback. Even if Wyatt gets the win before the feud concludes, it won't have the same effect as a victory at the biggest show of the year.
It's very disappointing to see the angle take this path because from a business prospective, where's the logic? The argument could legitimately be made that Orton's time as a main eventer has concluded. He worked the title picture several times and did basically everything a performer can do in the WWE. At this point, his act is repetitive and for him to resurface in the title picture has somewhat of a "been there, done that" atmosphere around it. Make no mistake, Orton has had a great career, but from a character prospective, the presentation for his current run as champion is very similar to the persona from when he was champion 4-5 years ago.
At 29, Bray Wyatt should theoretically be near the prime of his career, but despite the opportunity several times previously, management has yet to really let him run with it. Sure, he won the WWE championship, but dropped it a month later in an angle that seemed to be designed more to give Orton another main event run. The past several years, the WWE has relied on part-timers and nostalgia acts to prop up the bigger shows, and those stars have a place, but the lack of legitimate star power will continue to be a hurdle until the company truly establishes the next generation. Right now, how many competitors on the WWE roster could sell out a stadium for WM in the next five years? The talent is unquestionably there with Nakamura, Wyatt, Zayn, Owens, Balor, etc. but how often are those stars portrayed on the same level as some of the part-timers that worked the main event the past few years. Who will main event the major shows after Brock retires? Roman can't wrestle himself so when will management push younger talent? While the Raw scene provides Bray with a fresh start, the brand is certainly more crowded in terms of star power and considering the previous track record, don't expect the writing team to suddenly make him a priority. I just don't understand how those that make the decisions don't see the potential to draw money on a long-term basis with Wyatt. He's solid in the ring and has some of the best promos on WWE TV, as well as being over with the audience. So, Bray will start over again on Raw with limited options at the moment because Lesnar is Universal Champion and there was already a feud with Dean Ambrose a few year ago while Orton is booked to wrestle Jinder Mahal for a feud that has no steam behind it. That's not a jab at Jinder either, but rather to emphasize that the Wyatt/Orton feud probably won't do anything to elevate either star after the conclusion.
Still, Harris was a unique athlete with a big frame that could move for a competitor of his size, but his inexperience showed during his initial tenure on the main roster. While Husky debuted on the second season of NXT, he had only stepped into a ring to begin to learn the craft a year prior to that. In retrospect, it probably wasn't fair to expect Harris to excel on WWE TV, where in ring work is magnified with a global viewing audience, with less than 12 months of matches in his career. The big frame of Harris made him unique, but he didn't look like a superstar and when he was booted off of TV, his future as a WWE talent was in doubt.
The real-life athlete is a third generation sports entertainer, the son of Mike Rotunda and grandson of the late Black Jack Mulligan. The business is in his blood, and when he returned to FCW, the place where he started, in 2011 he spent a year trying to find the right formula of success. He endured injuries and other setbacks before a family friend, the legendary "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes, who worked with the younger talents, helped him develop a new persona.
Just prior to when FCW was renamed NXT in 2012, Bray Wyatt, a charismatic cult leader character, debuted with a series of well-produced vignettes. More injuries followed, but Bray remained on NXT TV to cut some great promos and generated hype that created an anticipation for his eventual return to WWE TV. In mid-2012, The Wyatt Family, the trio of Bray, Luke Harper, and Erick Rowan, debuted on Raw to feud with Kane. The presentation worked perfectly and it was a formula that management shouldn't have tampered with, even now. Bray had the promos and the persona to get over with the audience. He also dropped a considerable amount of weight and had crispier in-ring work than when Husky Harris was on the main roster.
Unfortunately, Wyatt's ability to get over and stay off was used more to help other stars instead of elevating him. The examples are numerous, but there are a few key points when management had the chance to put him on a different level, but didn't solidify him as a major star. At WM 30, Wyatt worked a match with John Cena, a workhorse that could lose every match for the rest of his career and would still be as over as he is right now. Cena won the match and it did nothing for his status in the company, but it could've been used to boost the credibility of Bray Wyatt. The following year, the story was exactly the same except this time leader of the Wyatt family was used to help get Roman Reigns over at the HIAC pay-per-view when WWE's anointed champion was struggling to get a baby face reaction. Speaking of PPV events, Wyatt did the job during most of his high profile matches in the past few years, and if not for his remarkable ability to remain a compelling persona through his excellent promo work, it's very possible his character would be stale at this point.
When Randy Orton won the Royal Rumble match, I mentioned that while a star, his popularity plateaued several years ago and it was doubtful that there was much of a demand for another Orton main event run. Plus, after the lackluster WM 25 main event, another title match WM didn't exactly seem like the best possible option. Either way, as I said at the time, if Orton's involvement was used to further establish Bray Wyatt then it could be a useful storyline. Unfortunately, it wasn't too surprising when Orton won the title at WM 33 and Bray was minimized at another major show. Now, Wyatt was put on Raw for presumably a fresh start and Orton is the champion on Smackdown, but there's still a match between the two booked at Payback. Even if Wyatt gets the win before the feud concludes, it won't have the same effect as a victory at the biggest show of the year.
It's very disappointing to see the angle take this path because from a business prospective, where's the logic? The argument could legitimately be made that Orton's time as a main eventer has concluded. He worked the title picture several times and did basically everything a performer can do in the WWE. At this point, his act is repetitive and for him to resurface in the title picture has somewhat of a "been there, done that" atmosphere around it. Make no mistake, Orton has had a great career, but from a character prospective, the presentation for his current run as champion is very similar to the persona from when he was champion 4-5 years ago.
At 29, Bray Wyatt should theoretically be near the prime of his career, but despite the opportunity several times previously, management has yet to really let him run with it. Sure, he won the WWE championship, but dropped it a month later in an angle that seemed to be designed more to give Orton another main event run. The past several years, the WWE has relied on part-timers and nostalgia acts to prop up the bigger shows, and those stars have a place, but the lack of legitimate star power will continue to be a hurdle until the company truly establishes the next generation. Right now, how many competitors on the WWE roster could sell out a stadium for WM in the next five years? The talent is unquestionably there with Nakamura, Wyatt, Zayn, Owens, Balor, etc. but how often are those stars portrayed on the same level as some of the part-timers that worked the main event the past few years. Who will main event the major shows after Brock retires? Roman can't wrestle himself so when will management push younger talent? While the Raw scene provides Bray with a fresh start, the brand is certainly more crowded in terms of star power and considering the previous track record, don't expect the writing team to suddenly make him a priority. I just don't understand how those that make the decisions don't see the potential to draw money on a long-term basis with Wyatt. He's solid in the ring and has some of the best promos on WWE TV, as well as being over with the audience. So, Bray will start over again on Raw with limited options at the moment because Lesnar is Universal Champion and there was already a feud with Dean Ambrose a few year ago while Orton is booked to wrestle Jinder Mahal for a feud that has no steam behind it. That's not a jab at Jinder either, but rather to emphasize that the Wyatt/Orton feud probably won't do anything to elevate either star after the conclusion.
Friday, April 14, 2017
Mike Awesome vs. Tazz
Hindsight is 20/20
While yesterday was the 20th anniversary of ECW's Barely Legal, the event that propelled the fledgling promotion onto the national scene, today offers a mark of a completely different sort. The wrestling boom of the 90s, very similar to the surge of the "Rock N Wrestling" era of the previous decade, had its share of causalities. As the demand for pro wrestling reached the main stream, a premium was placed on talent, an element that accelerated the industry in almost every aspect. The contracts offered became further inflated and during the next few years, you really never knew who could show up on any given broadcast, which created even more popularity for the genre. Similar to the way Eric Bischoff bought Kevin Nash and Scott Hall by essentially offering them a deal that Vince McMahon couldn't match, Paul Heyman struggled to compete with the salaries of his multi-million dollar competition.
Hindsight tells the story that the Philadelphia-based group simply wasn't prepared, financially or otherwise, for a national expansion.
While the WWF and WCW had state-of-the-art studios at their disposal, the ECW TV show was produced in the basement of the editor's home. The violent nature of the extreme product was distributed through syndication, often at 1 AM on local affiliates in each market, which helped the organization's live attendance, but offered no major ad revenue. Without the major revenue streams, it became quite a challenge for the hardcore company to keep up with the burden of payroll and production costs. Because of the structure of pay-per-view at the time, ECW had to front all the production expenses for the live event, including the satellite truck to beam the broadcast to providers. After the buy rate was totaled and the distributors took their percentage, Paul Heyman then received the money from the show. The point being, even a successful PPV that generated profit for the company required that ECW had the funds to continue until that revenue was sent to them.
When salaries to keep talent under contract began to skyrocket, Heyman simply couldn't keep up with the expenses required to run a national promotion. In a desperate attempt to secure more ad revenue, Heyman signed a deal with TNN, the channel that became Spike TV a few years later. The contract didn't give ECW a rights fee to distribute the show, while increasing the cost to produce TV that could air on the national platform. Most fans don't realize something as simple as lighting can become a major expense that is necessary for national TV.
Almost immediately after Extreme Championship Wrestling debuted on TNN in 1999, two of its most storied acts, The Dudley Boys and Taz signed deals with the WWF to start there soon. The Dudleys debuted the following month, while Taz worked for ECW until the end of the year, putting over other stars until he debuted at the Royal Rumble in 2000. The departure of "The Human Suplex Machine" was major for ECW, as Paul Heyman promoted an intense athlete under six foot tall to the status of a believable monster. There was nearly a five year building process for Taz, who played his role very well. After he returned from a broken neck in 1995, the Brooklyn native ditched the cartoonish attire he had previous, deciding to base his new persona on his legitimate background in Judo.
Despite the smaller venues and gritty presentation, Taz was one of the competitors in ECW that had a larger than life aura around him. That exit created an opportunity for Heyman to introduce a new main event monster to the audience. Mike Awesome, who worked extensively in Japan prior to his success in the United States, had appeared for ECW sporadically prior to the Anarchy Rulz pay-per-view in 1999. Awesome was a heavyweight that had remarkable agility for his size and could springboard from ropes to launch himself into the third row so he had a style that fit the promotion. When the competitor known as "The Gladiator" in FMW jumped the rail to appear unadvertised at the PPV, he won the ECW title in an impromptu three way dance, which allowed Taz to pass the touch to the next champion.
There wasn't much to celebrate for Mike Awesome after he signed a contract for a full-time job in the United States as he was owed a substantial amount of money within just a few months. At the start of 2000, Awesome continued his feud with longtime rival Masato Tanaka, a series of matches that Heyman imported from Japan after the two had successful bouts there. These were very physical and very dangerous matches, as both competitors took many risks to perform the violent spectacles. Awesome, who suffered a knee injury in 1998 that put him on the sidelines for several months, became concerned about the amount of money he was owed.
During his time in Japan, he worked with Horace Boulder, the nephew of Hulk Hogan. Upon hearing that Awesome wasn't getting paid, Horace talked to Hulk, and eventually he was offered a Turner contract. On April 10, 2000, Mike Awesome, still the ECW heavyweight champion, jumped the rail and attacked Kevin Nash on Monday Nitro. At the time, Awesome was vilified as a "sell out" that tried to destroy ECW by jumping ship to WCW before he dropped the championship.
On April 14, 2000, just days after Awesome was on Nitro, he appeared at an ECW house show to drop the championship. Officially a WCW employee, Awesome showed up in the building for a very tense situation and dropped the belt to then-WWF employee Taz, who dropped the belt the following week to Tommy Dreamer at the ECW arena. So, yes, seventeen years ago, a WCW wrestler worked a match with a WWF wrestler at an ECW house show. As bizarre as situation was, it was one of the reasons that the "Attitude era" entertained millions of fans.
In reality, Mike Awesome made the right decision for himself, mostly because he received a major signing bonus just to show up on WCW TV before he dropped the title to go along with the Turner contract that paid him a few hundred thousand dollars. He went from risking his body for zero dollars to the possibility of financial security. Any fans that criticized him at the time certainly weren't going to pay his bills if he stayed in ECW. Plus, Awesome did the right thing and dropped the belt in the ring. Why did he make the right decision to jump while still champion? Look at the laundry list of performers that were still owned money when ECW folded less than a year later. It's doubtful that Awesome intended to damage the promotion, but rather try to land a job that provided financial security.
Hindsight is 20/20
As history showed, similar to many others on the roster, Awesome was misused in WCW, and when he worked in the WWF, he was minimized along with almost every star that was signed for the Invasion angle. Still, April 14, 2000 was a very unique event in pro wrestling history as it was the only time that all three companies, while still independently owned were involved in a specific match.
While yesterday was the 20th anniversary of ECW's Barely Legal, the event that propelled the fledgling promotion onto the national scene, today offers a mark of a completely different sort. The wrestling boom of the 90s, very similar to the surge of the "Rock N Wrestling" era of the previous decade, had its share of causalities. As the demand for pro wrestling reached the main stream, a premium was placed on talent, an element that accelerated the industry in almost every aspect. The contracts offered became further inflated and during the next few years, you really never knew who could show up on any given broadcast, which created even more popularity for the genre. Similar to the way Eric Bischoff bought Kevin Nash and Scott Hall by essentially offering them a deal that Vince McMahon couldn't match, Paul Heyman struggled to compete with the salaries of his multi-million dollar competition.
Hindsight tells the story that the Philadelphia-based group simply wasn't prepared, financially or otherwise, for a national expansion.
While the WWF and WCW had state-of-the-art studios at their disposal, the ECW TV show was produced in the basement of the editor's home. The violent nature of the extreme product was distributed through syndication, often at 1 AM on local affiliates in each market, which helped the organization's live attendance, but offered no major ad revenue. Without the major revenue streams, it became quite a challenge for the hardcore company to keep up with the burden of payroll and production costs. Because of the structure of pay-per-view at the time, ECW had to front all the production expenses for the live event, including the satellite truck to beam the broadcast to providers. After the buy rate was totaled and the distributors took their percentage, Paul Heyman then received the money from the show. The point being, even a successful PPV that generated profit for the company required that ECW had the funds to continue until that revenue was sent to them.
When salaries to keep talent under contract began to skyrocket, Heyman simply couldn't keep up with the expenses required to run a national promotion. In a desperate attempt to secure more ad revenue, Heyman signed a deal with TNN, the channel that became Spike TV a few years later. The contract didn't give ECW a rights fee to distribute the show, while increasing the cost to produce TV that could air on the national platform. Most fans don't realize something as simple as lighting can become a major expense that is necessary for national TV.
Almost immediately after Extreme Championship Wrestling debuted on TNN in 1999, two of its most storied acts, The Dudley Boys and Taz signed deals with the WWF to start there soon. The Dudleys debuted the following month, while Taz worked for ECW until the end of the year, putting over other stars until he debuted at the Royal Rumble in 2000. The departure of "The Human Suplex Machine" was major for ECW, as Paul Heyman promoted an intense athlete under six foot tall to the status of a believable monster. There was nearly a five year building process for Taz, who played his role very well. After he returned from a broken neck in 1995, the Brooklyn native ditched the cartoonish attire he had previous, deciding to base his new persona on his legitimate background in Judo.
Despite the smaller venues and gritty presentation, Taz was one of the competitors in ECW that had a larger than life aura around him. That exit created an opportunity for Heyman to introduce a new main event monster to the audience. Mike Awesome, who worked extensively in Japan prior to his success in the United States, had appeared for ECW sporadically prior to the Anarchy Rulz pay-per-view in 1999. Awesome was a heavyweight that had remarkable agility for his size and could springboard from ropes to launch himself into the third row so he had a style that fit the promotion. When the competitor known as "The Gladiator" in FMW jumped the rail to appear unadvertised at the PPV, he won the ECW title in an impromptu three way dance, which allowed Taz to pass the touch to the next champion.
There wasn't much to celebrate for Mike Awesome after he signed a contract for a full-time job in the United States as he was owed a substantial amount of money within just a few months. At the start of 2000, Awesome continued his feud with longtime rival Masato Tanaka, a series of matches that Heyman imported from Japan after the two had successful bouts there. These were very physical and very dangerous matches, as both competitors took many risks to perform the violent spectacles. Awesome, who suffered a knee injury in 1998 that put him on the sidelines for several months, became concerned about the amount of money he was owed.
During his time in Japan, he worked with Horace Boulder, the nephew of Hulk Hogan. Upon hearing that Awesome wasn't getting paid, Horace talked to Hulk, and eventually he was offered a Turner contract. On April 10, 2000, Mike Awesome, still the ECW heavyweight champion, jumped the rail and attacked Kevin Nash on Monday Nitro. At the time, Awesome was vilified as a "sell out" that tried to destroy ECW by jumping ship to WCW before he dropped the championship.
On April 14, 2000, just days after Awesome was on Nitro, he appeared at an ECW house show to drop the championship. Officially a WCW employee, Awesome showed up in the building for a very tense situation and dropped the belt to then-WWF employee Taz, who dropped the belt the following week to Tommy Dreamer at the ECW arena. So, yes, seventeen years ago, a WCW wrestler worked a match with a WWF wrestler at an ECW house show. As bizarre as situation was, it was one of the reasons that the "Attitude era" entertained millions of fans.
In reality, Mike Awesome made the right decision for himself, mostly because he received a major signing bonus just to show up on WCW TV before he dropped the title to go along with the Turner contract that paid him a few hundred thousand dollars. He went from risking his body for zero dollars to the possibility of financial security. Any fans that criticized him at the time certainly weren't going to pay his bills if he stayed in ECW. Plus, Awesome did the right thing and dropped the belt in the ring. Why did he make the right decision to jump while still champion? Look at the laundry list of performers that were still owned money when ECW folded less than a year later. It's doubtful that Awesome intended to damage the promotion, but rather try to land a job that provided financial security.
Hindsight is 20/20
As history showed, similar to many others on the roster, Awesome was misused in WCW, and when he worked in the WWF, he was minimized along with almost every star that was signed for the Invasion angle. Still, April 14, 2000 was a very unique event in pro wrestling history as it was the only time that all three companies, while still independently owned were involved in a specific match.
Sunday, April 9, 2017
UFC 210
History repeated itself at UFC 210 in Buffalo, NY when the UFC Light Heavyweight champion, Daniel Cormier defended his title in a rematch with Anthony Johnson, winning via submission in a very similar fashion to the original fight. The result and the aftermath of an event that will probably become known for the NYSAC's incompetence during the Weidman/Mousasi fight provided an indication of what could be next for Cormier.
Anthony Johnson was an intriguing comeback story, released from the UFC in 2012 after missing weight multiple times at 170 LBS, only to return to the promotion two years later at the much heather light heavyweight limit to emerge as a contender. Aside from the pair of losses in title fights, "Rumble" racked up wins over Gustafsson, Nogueira, Bader, Manuwa, and others during his second tenure in the organization. Regardless of the result of UFC 210, you must give credit to Johnson for the accomplishments after he moved up to 205 LBS.
Again, similar to the first bout, "Rumble" clipped the champion with strikes early in the fight, appearing to cause a broken nose, but DC survived the flurry before ultimately using his Olympic-level grappling skills to lead to the submission in the second round.
Post-fight, the challenger emotionally announced his retirement, revealing that he took another job outside of mixed martial arts. He implied that the decision was made prior to the bout, but I would guess that if he would've won the belt, he wouldn't pass up the money to be made defending it. It's possible that the 33-year-old simply decided that if he couldn't reach the level of champion that it was time for him to pursue other career options.
Jimi Manuwa, a competitor with a record of 17-2 was conveniently in attendance, and during an interview with Joe Rogan, the champion addressed Manuwa directly, seemingly to plant the seeds for a possible title fight. Jon Jones, the troubled former champion of the division, was shown on camera, but DC dismissed him, citing Jones' inability to fight because he is still suspended for a PED violation until July.
This is where the "Jon Jones effect" so to speak determines the direction the division.
DC lost the contest when he challenged Jones for the title in January of 2015. Following that bout, it was announced that "Bones" Jones failed an out-of-competition test when he tested positive for cocaine. Just a few months later, he was involved in the infamous hit-and-run incident that led to the UFC stripping him of the championship. DC defeated Anthony Johnson in their previously mentioned initial fight in May of 2015 to claim the vacant belt. "Bones" returned to the cage victorious in April of last year, claiming an intern title, but showed signs of ring rust from the extensive time away from the octagon. Just as the rematch of DC/Jones to unify the division was set to take place at UFC 200, Jones tested positive for PEDs and the match-up was cancelled. Jones was subsequently suspended for a year.
Essentially, there's a perception that DC isn't the "real" champion of the division because he won the belt without beating Jones and lost their previous bout. However, that view point is completely incorrect. You can't blame Cormier or question his status because Jon Jones can't conduct himself as a professional. The bottom line is, Jones took himself out of the game with the laundry list of dumb mistakes so he really shouldn't be in the conversation until he can fight again.
But, Manuwa isn't exactly prime opposition, as he defeated lesser competition in the UFC, while he lost to the upper tier of the division when he fought Johnson and Gustaffson. Did Manuwa really earn a title shot with wins over Corey Anderson and Ovince St. Preux? Furthermore, is Manuwa vs. DC a contest that people will pay to see? It can be disappointing from a purist prospective, but as I said before, the UFC is as much of a business, if not more so as it is a sport.
As much as Jon Jones doesn't deserve to be immediately booked into the main event, that's what the general public will pay to see because of the grudge with DC so that's probably what will happen. But, I wouldn't automatically assume that Jones reclaims the title if/when he steps into the octagon again. The ring rust was apparent when he fought OSP, and there's no direct way to gauge his true status as a fighter until he proves he can compete on a more regular basis. Have the mistakes outside of the cage affected him as an athlete? Are his days as a top-level competitor past him?
Don't get me wrong, I've said it many times, Jon Jones is a tremendous athlete that had the potential to be a legend in the sport. But, he became a case of wasted talent and until otherwise is proven, I wouldn't expect some major turn around in his career. Jones should be setting records in MMA, not sitting on the sidelines AGAIN.
That being said, the cloud of "Bones" will surround the division as long as Cormier is champion until there's a DC/Jones fight. The former champion's mistakes led to a very scrambled 205 weight class. Cormier is 38 years old so you have to wonder how many more years will he continue to fight? That translates to the grudge match being booked as soon as possible since WME isn't going to leave that money on the table. If/when these two clash again remains to be seen, but assuming Jones doesn't cost himself even more opportunities, business dictates that it will happen. As undeserving as Jon Jones might be, the most money to be made for everyone involved would be a title shot when he returns to the octagon. This entire scenario emphasizes that business usually dictates the direction of the sport, and you can't necessarily blame UFC brass for attempting to generate the most revenue possible, especially after the price tag of the UFC sale last year.
Anthony Johnson was an intriguing comeback story, released from the UFC in 2012 after missing weight multiple times at 170 LBS, only to return to the promotion two years later at the much heather light heavyweight limit to emerge as a contender. Aside from the pair of losses in title fights, "Rumble" racked up wins over Gustafsson, Nogueira, Bader, Manuwa, and others during his second tenure in the organization. Regardless of the result of UFC 210, you must give credit to Johnson for the accomplishments after he moved up to 205 LBS.
Again, similar to the first bout, "Rumble" clipped the champion with strikes early in the fight, appearing to cause a broken nose, but DC survived the flurry before ultimately using his Olympic-level grappling skills to lead to the submission in the second round.
Post-fight, the challenger emotionally announced his retirement, revealing that he took another job outside of mixed martial arts. He implied that the decision was made prior to the bout, but I would guess that if he would've won the belt, he wouldn't pass up the money to be made defending it. It's possible that the 33-year-old simply decided that if he couldn't reach the level of champion that it was time for him to pursue other career options.
Jimi Manuwa, a competitor with a record of 17-2 was conveniently in attendance, and during an interview with Joe Rogan, the champion addressed Manuwa directly, seemingly to plant the seeds for a possible title fight. Jon Jones, the troubled former champion of the division, was shown on camera, but DC dismissed him, citing Jones' inability to fight because he is still suspended for a PED violation until July.
This is where the "Jon Jones effect" so to speak determines the direction the division.
DC lost the contest when he challenged Jones for the title in January of 2015. Following that bout, it was announced that "Bones" Jones failed an out-of-competition test when he tested positive for cocaine. Just a few months later, he was involved in the infamous hit-and-run incident that led to the UFC stripping him of the championship. DC defeated Anthony Johnson in their previously mentioned initial fight in May of 2015 to claim the vacant belt. "Bones" returned to the cage victorious in April of last year, claiming an intern title, but showed signs of ring rust from the extensive time away from the octagon. Just as the rematch of DC/Jones to unify the division was set to take place at UFC 200, Jones tested positive for PEDs and the match-up was cancelled. Jones was subsequently suspended for a year.
Essentially, there's a perception that DC isn't the "real" champion of the division because he won the belt without beating Jones and lost their previous bout. However, that view point is completely incorrect. You can't blame Cormier or question his status because Jon Jones can't conduct himself as a professional. The bottom line is, Jones took himself out of the game with the laundry list of dumb mistakes so he really shouldn't be in the conversation until he can fight again.
But, Manuwa isn't exactly prime opposition, as he defeated lesser competition in the UFC, while he lost to the upper tier of the division when he fought Johnson and Gustaffson. Did Manuwa really earn a title shot with wins over Corey Anderson and Ovince St. Preux? Furthermore, is Manuwa vs. DC a contest that people will pay to see? It can be disappointing from a purist prospective, but as I said before, the UFC is as much of a business, if not more so as it is a sport.
As much as Jon Jones doesn't deserve to be immediately booked into the main event, that's what the general public will pay to see because of the grudge with DC so that's probably what will happen. But, I wouldn't automatically assume that Jones reclaims the title if/when he steps into the octagon again. The ring rust was apparent when he fought OSP, and there's no direct way to gauge his true status as a fighter until he proves he can compete on a more regular basis. Have the mistakes outside of the cage affected him as an athlete? Are his days as a top-level competitor past him?
Don't get me wrong, I've said it many times, Jon Jones is a tremendous athlete that had the potential to be a legend in the sport. But, he became a case of wasted talent and until otherwise is proven, I wouldn't expect some major turn around in his career. Jones should be setting records in MMA, not sitting on the sidelines AGAIN.
That being said, the cloud of "Bones" will surround the division as long as Cormier is champion until there's a DC/Jones fight. The former champion's mistakes led to a very scrambled 205 weight class. Cormier is 38 years old so you have to wonder how many more years will he continue to fight? That translates to the grudge match being booked as soon as possible since WME isn't going to leave that money on the table. If/when these two clash again remains to be seen, but assuming Jones doesn't cost himself even more opportunities, business dictates that it will happen. As undeserving as Jon Jones might be, the most money to be made for everyone involved would be a title shot when he returns to the octagon. This entire scenario emphasizes that business usually dictates the direction of the sport, and you can't necessarily blame UFC brass for attempting to generate the most revenue possible, especially after the price tag of the UFC sale last year.
Tuesday, April 4, 2017
The reality of Roman Reigns
Wrestlemania 33 is in the books and will go down as historic, as it
was truly the end of an era in sports entertainment. The Undertaker, the
pale-faced zombie that emerged at the Survivor Series nearly 27 years
ago, retired after one of the most storied careers of the entire sport.
Along with arguably the greatest character of all time, his ability to
be one of the most agile big men ever seen created a presentation that
will never be duplicated. As if that didn't speak enough to his
greatness, The Undertaker behind the scenes was just as iconic. Often
called "The Godfather" of the company, The Undertaker provided an
example through his thirty year career of how a sports entertainer
SHOULD conduct themselves. You NEVER heard of an Undertaker contract
dispute or the "dead man" refusing to put someone over. That's a very
different tone than what some other main event stars used in their
careers, right brother?
Quite simply, The Undertaker ALWAYS did what was right for the business and unselfishly put the business ahead of his own personal gains, which is almost unheard of in this genre. Furthermore, the Texas native dedicated his life and sacrificed his body for the sport. The total sum of everything The Undertaker has contributed to the WWE probably can't be accurately summarized. But, the bottom line is, The Undertaker was what is considered good about the industry. Someone that did business the right way, provided an example of how to be a professional, and unquestionably gave everything he had to give the fans their money's worth. Stories of this are numerous, such as the one told by JBL, as The Undertaker worked an entire European tour with broken ribs by wearing a compression jacket in 1997. Another more infamous example is when Mabel accidentally broke "the phenomenon's" orbital bone with a botched leg drop and instead of taking a few months off, a specially constructed face guard was incorporated into his character so he could continue wrestling while it healed.
Despite the amazing theatrics of the persona that nobody except Undertaker could make work, Mark Calaway is mortal, and just like any other athlete, there was a time when his body finally began to wear down. At 52, Calloway worked an extremely limited schedule the past several years, partially because he had done literally everything there is to do from a character prospect so it made sense to keep his appearances a "special event," but mostly because his body couldn't sustain a full-time schedule any longer. Keep in mind, while The cold-bloodied Undertaker walked into the WWE via the sound of the gong in 1990, Mark Calaway had six years of wrestling to his name prior to that so the sum total of Mark Calaway's career is over thirty years of wear and tear on his frame.
As I said, "The Reaper" of the WWE is probably the greatest character of all time, and Calaway made it work. If anyone else had the gimmick, the audience probably would've rolled their eyes at it, but it was so well done that it reached iconic status. The metamorphosis over the years, including a nearly four year switch to a biker gimmick, kept things fresh. There were different gloves, slight variations of the music, etc. that gave the character the longevity that it had.
At the other end of the spectrum is Roman Reigns, the former undrafted football player that signed a WWE development deal less than seven years ago as a part of the legendary Samoan family. Since that time, the member of the Anoa'i family tree was stamped to be "the guy" when he was built from the ground up in the WWE training system. A little more than two years after he first stepped into a ring, Roman debuted alongside independent standouts Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as The Shield.
Since the conclusion of The Shield, management continuously pushed the narrative that "Big Dawg" Roman is the top star, ultimately to replace the aging John Cena, who carried the company on his back as a workhorse for the past decade. As repetitive as this sounds, Reigns is NOT the next John Cena, and there's only one Cena. IF Roman will ever be as successful as WWE brass continues to push, it will be when he finds a successful formula to be Roman Reigns, not trying to be a duplicate of John Cena. While Cena had some hostile reactions during his prime, you could legitimately say it was 50/50 in terms of crowd support, but that's not the case for Roman, who garnered a 70/30 ratio at best. Again, this will be repetitive, but WWE can't force the audience to support the guy that they want to attend the sponsor conferences. The audience always has and always will make that decision for themselves.
Since Roman defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 33, it's obvious that they are using the retirement as yet another launching pad for him, but it will be as ineffective, if not more so than the previous attempts. During the closing moments of the match, Reigns portrayed the "conflicted baby face" as if he didn't want to inflict anymore damage to his legendary opponent, similar to when Shawn Michaels retired Ric Flair in 2008. The difference is, the audience knows that Roman was anointed this spot and was given the keys to the castle, so why would the crowd feel sympathy toward him? Why be sympathetic toward the performer that didn't have to earn his stripes to get to the main event of WM? Sure, Roman works extremely hard and it's not his fault that WWE brass makes the situation even more difficult for him, but his status as a main eventer was determined long before the audience had a chance to cast a vote.
That is precisely why this WM win will only increase the hostility toward Roman Reigns, his status is essentially the opposite of The Undertaker. Mark Calaway sacrificed his body and earned the respect of everyone through years of dedication to the industry. Roman Reigns was anointed his status because his last name is Anoa'i. Again, you can't blame the real-life Roman for this, he's doing what he's told, and it's truly disappointing that his efforts are virtually ignored because of how WWE brass presents him. The bottom line is, Reigns hasn't "earned" his status among the fans, and they resent him for it. The reason there's so much discussion for a Reigns heel turn is not because the crowd is looking forward to "cool bad guy" Roman, but rather a full-fledged protagonist to cheer against him. I truly believe that Roman would get even more heat as a total heel because the majority of the audience doesn't want to see him as champion. Speaking of which, isn't it ironic that despite not being in the title picture, Roman Reigns was the main event of WM yet again? It's obvious that it was The Undertaker's decision to lose his last match, and 99% of the time that's the right call, but just because that's usually the right decision for a retirement match, that doesn't mean the audience wanted to see it so this scenario might be the exception to the tradition.
To compile this whole situation, the seeds where planted on Raw for Reigns/Lesnar, probably leading to a fourth title win for Reigns. Just as The Undertaker's last match was used to push Reigns, the momentum from the Golberg/Brock feud will be used for the same purpose. Also from that segment, the way that Braun backed away from Lesnar was completely counter productive to his momentum so far on Raw.
So, why won't the WWE truly change their direction?
It's a harsh reality, but they don't have to. WWE brass can basically do whatever they want and force the personas they want toward the audience, because unless it effects revenue, why not? WWE is pro wrestling in the United States and while three hours of Raw every week does have an effect on the ratings, the company is worth several hundred million dollars so they continue to profit. As long as fans are still buying tickets and network subscriptions, why wouldn't the WWE enhance their corporate image? There's no true alternative so if the general public wants to watch wrestling then they will watch WWE. No, I'm not suggesting some type of silly social media boycott that lasts for about 3 days until everyone subscribes to the network again, but rather to point out that Vince McMahon owns professional wrestling and if he wants to push Roman Reigns then the fans will watch him. Sure, they will continue to boo him out of the building, but again, unless people stop buying tickets, does it really matter? If people paid to get into the building, does Vince really care if they boo? They money is made and the promotion profits from several revenue streams so from a business prospective, it's a success.
Quite frankly, "super man Reigns" makes me shake my head, but those within the wrestling bubble need to realize that until there's some type of financial consequence, and there won't be, there's no reason for Vince not to push Roman. There's no national competition to push WWE brass to change their plans so it's doubtful that the organization decides to take another path. Regardless of Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, etc. on the roster, "Big Dawg" Roman is the guy and no amount of booing will change it.
The Undertaker was part of the foundation of the WWE, especially during some of the roughest years in the history of the organization and he's unquestionably one of the greatest of the all time. In some ways, The Undertaker is on a level on his own because of everything he contributed to the industry. The Undertaker earned his status through decades of sacrifice. Roman Reigns didn't because he didn't have to. Reigns was anointed and the company still profits so that's the reality of the current pro wresting market.
Quite simply, The Undertaker ALWAYS did what was right for the business and unselfishly put the business ahead of his own personal gains, which is almost unheard of in this genre. Furthermore, the Texas native dedicated his life and sacrificed his body for the sport. The total sum of everything The Undertaker has contributed to the WWE probably can't be accurately summarized. But, the bottom line is, The Undertaker was what is considered good about the industry. Someone that did business the right way, provided an example of how to be a professional, and unquestionably gave everything he had to give the fans their money's worth. Stories of this are numerous, such as the one told by JBL, as The Undertaker worked an entire European tour with broken ribs by wearing a compression jacket in 1997. Another more infamous example is when Mabel accidentally broke "the phenomenon's" orbital bone with a botched leg drop and instead of taking a few months off, a specially constructed face guard was incorporated into his character so he could continue wrestling while it healed.
Despite the amazing theatrics of the persona that nobody except Undertaker could make work, Mark Calaway is mortal, and just like any other athlete, there was a time when his body finally began to wear down. At 52, Calloway worked an extremely limited schedule the past several years, partially because he had done literally everything there is to do from a character prospect so it made sense to keep his appearances a "special event," but mostly because his body couldn't sustain a full-time schedule any longer. Keep in mind, while The cold-bloodied Undertaker walked into the WWE via the sound of the gong in 1990, Mark Calaway had six years of wrestling to his name prior to that so the sum total of Mark Calaway's career is over thirty years of wear and tear on his frame.
As I said, "The Reaper" of the WWE is probably the greatest character of all time, and Calaway made it work. If anyone else had the gimmick, the audience probably would've rolled their eyes at it, but it was so well done that it reached iconic status. The metamorphosis over the years, including a nearly four year switch to a biker gimmick, kept things fresh. There were different gloves, slight variations of the music, etc. that gave the character the longevity that it had.
At the other end of the spectrum is Roman Reigns, the former undrafted football player that signed a WWE development deal less than seven years ago as a part of the legendary Samoan family. Since that time, the member of the Anoa'i family tree was stamped to be "the guy" when he was built from the ground up in the WWE training system. A little more than two years after he first stepped into a ring, Roman debuted alongside independent standouts Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins as The Shield.
Since the conclusion of The Shield, management continuously pushed the narrative that "Big Dawg" Roman is the top star, ultimately to replace the aging John Cena, who carried the company on his back as a workhorse for the past decade. As repetitive as this sounds, Reigns is NOT the next John Cena, and there's only one Cena. IF Roman will ever be as successful as WWE brass continues to push, it will be when he finds a successful formula to be Roman Reigns, not trying to be a duplicate of John Cena. While Cena had some hostile reactions during his prime, you could legitimately say it was 50/50 in terms of crowd support, but that's not the case for Roman, who garnered a 70/30 ratio at best. Again, this will be repetitive, but WWE can't force the audience to support the guy that they want to attend the sponsor conferences. The audience always has and always will make that decision for themselves.
Since Roman defeated The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 33, it's obvious that they are using the retirement as yet another launching pad for him, but it will be as ineffective, if not more so than the previous attempts. During the closing moments of the match, Reigns portrayed the "conflicted baby face" as if he didn't want to inflict anymore damage to his legendary opponent, similar to when Shawn Michaels retired Ric Flair in 2008. The difference is, the audience knows that Roman was anointed this spot and was given the keys to the castle, so why would the crowd feel sympathy toward him? Why be sympathetic toward the performer that didn't have to earn his stripes to get to the main event of WM? Sure, Roman works extremely hard and it's not his fault that WWE brass makes the situation even more difficult for him, but his status as a main eventer was determined long before the audience had a chance to cast a vote.
That is precisely why this WM win will only increase the hostility toward Roman Reigns, his status is essentially the opposite of The Undertaker. Mark Calaway sacrificed his body and earned the respect of everyone through years of dedication to the industry. Roman Reigns was anointed his status because his last name is Anoa'i. Again, you can't blame the real-life Roman for this, he's doing what he's told, and it's truly disappointing that his efforts are virtually ignored because of how WWE brass presents him. The bottom line is, Reigns hasn't "earned" his status among the fans, and they resent him for it. The reason there's so much discussion for a Reigns heel turn is not because the crowd is looking forward to "cool bad guy" Roman, but rather a full-fledged protagonist to cheer against him. I truly believe that Roman would get even more heat as a total heel because the majority of the audience doesn't want to see him as champion. Speaking of which, isn't it ironic that despite not being in the title picture, Roman Reigns was the main event of WM yet again? It's obvious that it was The Undertaker's decision to lose his last match, and 99% of the time that's the right call, but just because that's usually the right decision for a retirement match, that doesn't mean the audience wanted to see it so this scenario might be the exception to the tradition.
To compile this whole situation, the seeds where planted on Raw for Reigns/Lesnar, probably leading to a fourth title win for Reigns. Just as The Undertaker's last match was used to push Reigns, the momentum from the Golberg/Brock feud will be used for the same purpose. Also from that segment, the way that Braun backed away from Lesnar was completely counter productive to his momentum so far on Raw.
So, why won't the WWE truly change their direction?
It's a harsh reality, but they don't have to. WWE brass can basically do whatever they want and force the personas they want toward the audience, because unless it effects revenue, why not? WWE is pro wrestling in the United States and while three hours of Raw every week does have an effect on the ratings, the company is worth several hundred million dollars so they continue to profit. As long as fans are still buying tickets and network subscriptions, why wouldn't the WWE enhance their corporate image? There's no true alternative so if the general public wants to watch wrestling then they will watch WWE. No, I'm not suggesting some type of silly social media boycott that lasts for about 3 days until everyone subscribes to the network again, but rather to point out that Vince McMahon owns professional wrestling and if he wants to push Roman Reigns then the fans will watch him. Sure, they will continue to boo him out of the building, but again, unless people stop buying tickets, does it really matter? If people paid to get into the building, does Vince really care if they boo? They money is made and the promotion profits from several revenue streams so from a business prospective, it's a success.
Quite frankly, "super man Reigns" makes me shake my head, but those within the wrestling bubble need to realize that until there's some type of financial consequence, and there won't be, there's no reason for Vince not to push Roman. There's no national competition to push WWE brass to change their plans so it's doubtful that the organization decides to take another path. Regardless of Finn Balor, Seth Rollins, etc. on the roster, "Big Dawg" Roman is the guy and no amount of booing will change it.
The Undertaker was part of the foundation of the WWE, especially during some of the roughest years in the history of the organization and he's unquestionably one of the greatest of the all time. In some ways, The Undertaker is on a level on his own because of everything he contributed to the industry. The Undertaker earned his status through decades of sacrifice. Roman Reigns didn't because he didn't have to. Reigns was anointed and the company still profits so that's the reality of the current pro wresting market.
Saturday, April 1, 2017
Second generation Pillman enters pro wrestling
Brian Pillman, a name in professional wrestling lure that maintains an aura and mystique nearly two decades after his untimely passing from a heart condition. The former Cincinnati Bengal went undrafted, but made the team in 1984 through sheer intensity, earning the Ed Block Courage award as voted by his teammates that year. After a stint in the Canadian Football League, Pillman found another outlet for his remarkable athleticism, Stampede Wrestling. "Flyin" Brian learned in the "dungeon" of the legendary Stu Hart, and quickly made a name for himself when he debuted in 1986. Within just a few years, the former football star was offered a national contract in the United States, signing with World Championship Wrestling in 1989. The next seven years for the competitor with the trademark raspy voice as a result of several throat surgeries during his childhood were a time when his career flourished. "Flyin" Brian was true to his name and a pioneer of the American cruiser weight style that later became a staple of Nitro.
Described as a genius by former booker Kevin Sullivan, Pillman knew he had the chance to maximize his earning potential when his WCW deal was nearly expired. "The Loose Cannon" was a revolutionary persona that made everyone, including those backstage, question if the Hollywood Blonde was legitimately unstable. In reality, his antics to create the character that was far ahead of its time allowed him to become the talk of the wrestling world, prompting an offer from the WWF in 1996. Just as Brian was ready to sign a contract for the most money in his professional career, a car accident left him severely injured and in a coma for a week following the devastating wreck. Fusion surgery repaired his shattered ankle, but limited his once high-flying style. Still, Pillman's tremendous promos kept him extremely popular, specifically his famous ECW promos and when he started on WWF TV using a crutch. Not medically cleared yet, Brian began work as a color commentator alongside his close friend, the legendary Jim Ross. A credit to his brilliant mind, the injured grappler incorporated the crutch into his act, often swinging it wildly as he made his way to ringside.
When Brian Pillman passed in October of 1997, it seemed as though he had much more to offer to the industry. He unquestionably would've done well as a commentator, but wanted to wrestle again as soon as possible. During the DVD release on The Loose Cannon's life, Jim Ross speculated that Pillman passed away from a broken heart because he couldn't perform in the ring the way he had previously because of the devastating car accident. Again, Pillman could've excelled at other areas of the business and the underrated legend certainly had more to add to his legacy.
Twenty years after the ten bell salute to "Flyin' Brian," the Pillman legacy will continue in professional wrestling as his son, Brian Pillman Jr., a former football standout in his own right, announced plans to pursue professional wrestling later this year.
The second generation Pillman was just 4 years old when his father passed away, and knew of the larger than life wrestler similar to how many fans saw him on television.
"My father was on the road a lot and most of the time I did see him was when he was on TV. My fondest memory of him would be playing in my Power Rangers tent or the extravagant jungle gym we had as kids, as well as hearing his deep raspy voice. He had that voice that is so iconic it's impossible to forget. It's kind of like how you watch a celebrity on TV for so long, you start to actually feel like you know them, except in this case I should know him because he's my father, but I truly don't. I really only know the personas that he displayed on television and while I'd like to say those are somewhat indicative of his real life character, I have no way of validating that."
Despite his eccentric TV persona, those closest to Brian Sr., including Jim Ross, Steve Austin, and former WCW announcer Mark Madden, as well as many others in industry have spoken fondly of him, something that his son values as a part of his father's legend.
"What I appreciate the most, what brings me a deeper connection to him, is when I hear the behind the scenes stories from my family and his friends growing up both in football and in wrestling. Those stories resonate with me the most because they highlight so many shocking similarities between our personalities," Brian Jr. explained.
This path into sports entertainment isn't the first time the younger Pillman followed in his father's footsteps, as he had a passion for football, playing throughout his youth. A varsity player his senior year of high school, Brian made an all-star team and was awarded the MVP for defense that season. He also played lacrosse during the off-season and eventually played the sport at College of Mt. Saint Joseph before transferring to Northern Kentucky University to complete a degree in Business Information Systems.
In the years that followed his father's passing, Brian endured a very turbulent home life when his mother struggled with substance problems. He knew that an education was his escape and made pursuing a career his top priority.
"Since my home life situation was far from ideal, my main goal was to stay on a steady path and get a college degree like all of my teachers recommended. I didn't want my children to go through the same hardships and suffering that I did. After graduating college, getting a job in the field I studied for, and moving in with my two best friends. I finally got to experience financial independence. I finally succeeded at being normal," he recalled.
Close to his Aunt Linda, Brian found family that bonded with him, and he maintained his own living situation, avoiding further trauma from his mother's problems. Still, he had a calling to his family legacy.
"I would wake up every morning and think of what I could be if I just gave it a shot and took the risk. I wasn't built to sit in a desk I told myself. I am an athlete, an entertainer. So, I finally woke up one morning and forgot about the fear of failure, forgot about the opinion of other people, and the dogmas of society that would try to steer me away from making this decision and I did it."
He was very serious about this new endeavor and did the necessary research about where to start his journey into professional wrestling, choosing an underrated legend with a stellar program, Lance Storm.
"I can't help but think it was simply my father waiting at the door to be let into my life and by making the move to pursue this profession I have opened the door to his legacy. Lance has a reputation of being anti-steroid and anti-drugs. In an industry where those things can run rampant if not kept in check, I knew I would be in good hands with him. All my research including the training regimen, the success rate of his graduates, testimonies from previous graduates and as well as experts in the industry all said it was the absolute best place to start," Loose Cannon Jr. said.
Since his decision to follow his father's work, Brian Jr. continued his weight training program from his football days and dedicated himself to yoga, considering the exercise a stress reliever to go along with its physical benefits. He studies footage regularly and enjoys the presentation of Lucha Underground. Since the public announcement of this new endeavor, Brian received encouragement from fans literally around the globe that enjoyed Pillman Sr.'s career. He also received advice from one of his father's closest friends.
"His legacy in wrestling is so much bigger than I had ever imagined. Growing up, I would have thought that all the old fans would have forgotten him by now and the new kids wouldn't have a way to experience him. My father inspired and entertained millions of people and his work was certainly not finished. Nobody expected him to vanish like that in the middle of his career, what was arguably the peak of his career, and I think those longtime fans are still yearning for something like him, something to fill that void in their hearts. The same void I have had in my heart since as long as I can remember. I will become the champion of my father's legacy and I will restore that level of passion and tenacity that my father had to those fans that believed in him and loved him, because those fans loved him and experienced him more than I ever had the chance to. So, if anybody deserves it, it's them and the only thing I'm seeking out in return is to connect with them and hear those wonderful, unforgettable stories about how he made them feel."
The road in professional wrestling can be rocky and unpredictable so it remains to be seen where Brian Pillman Jr. goes in the sport. However, he has the dedication and the desire, which is certainly the correct formula. Regardless of if Brian works the independent scene or one day walks onto Monday Night Raw, his journey is an intriguing story. Brian Pillman Sr.'s untimely passing in 1997 was a tragedy, but his son following in his father's footsteps to represent the Pillman legacy is a tremendous triumph.
Described as a genius by former booker Kevin Sullivan, Pillman knew he had the chance to maximize his earning potential when his WCW deal was nearly expired. "The Loose Cannon" was a revolutionary persona that made everyone, including those backstage, question if the Hollywood Blonde was legitimately unstable. In reality, his antics to create the character that was far ahead of its time allowed him to become the talk of the wrestling world, prompting an offer from the WWF in 1996. Just as Brian was ready to sign a contract for the most money in his professional career, a car accident left him severely injured and in a coma for a week following the devastating wreck. Fusion surgery repaired his shattered ankle, but limited his once high-flying style. Still, Pillman's tremendous promos kept him extremely popular, specifically his famous ECW promos and when he started on WWF TV using a crutch. Not medically cleared yet, Brian began work as a color commentator alongside his close friend, the legendary Jim Ross. A credit to his brilliant mind, the injured grappler incorporated the crutch into his act, often swinging it wildly as he made his way to ringside.
When Brian Pillman passed in October of 1997, it seemed as though he had much more to offer to the industry. He unquestionably would've done well as a commentator, but wanted to wrestle again as soon as possible. During the DVD release on The Loose Cannon's life, Jim Ross speculated that Pillman passed away from a broken heart because he couldn't perform in the ring the way he had previously because of the devastating car accident. Again, Pillman could've excelled at other areas of the business and the underrated legend certainly had more to add to his legacy.
Twenty years after the ten bell salute to "Flyin' Brian," the Pillman legacy will continue in professional wrestling as his son, Brian Pillman Jr., a former football standout in his own right, announced plans to pursue professional wrestling later this year.
The second generation Pillman was just 4 years old when his father passed away, and knew of the larger than life wrestler similar to how many fans saw him on television.
"My father was on the road a lot and most of the time I did see him was when he was on TV. My fondest memory of him would be playing in my Power Rangers tent or the extravagant jungle gym we had as kids, as well as hearing his deep raspy voice. He had that voice that is so iconic it's impossible to forget. It's kind of like how you watch a celebrity on TV for so long, you start to actually feel like you know them, except in this case I should know him because he's my father, but I truly don't. I really only know the personas that he displayed on television and while I'd like to say those are somewhat indicative of his real life character, I have no way of validating that."
Despite his eccentric TV persona, those closest to Brian Sr., including Jim Ross, Steve Austin, and former WCW announcer Mark Madden, as well as many others in industry have spoken fondly of him, something that his son values as a part of his father's legend.
"What I appreciate the most, what brings me a deeper connection to him, is when I hear the behind the scenes stories from my family and his friends growing up both in football and in wrestling. Those stories resonate with me the most because they highlight so many shocking similarities between our personalities," Brian Jr. explained.
This path into sports entertainment isn't the first time the younger Pillman followed in his father's footsteps, as he had a passion for football, playing throughout his youth. A varsity player his senior year of high school, Brian made an all-star team and was awarded the MVP for defense that season. He also played lacrosse during the off-season and eventually played the sport at College of Mt. Saint Joseph before transferring to Northern Kentucky University to complete a degree in Business Information Systems.
In the years that followed his father's passing, Brian endured a very turbulent home life when his mother struggled with substance problems. He knew that an education was his escape and made pursuing a career his top priority.
"Since my home life situation was far from ideal, my main goal was to stay on a steady path and get a college degree like all of my teachers recommended. I didn't want my children to go through the same hardships and suffering that I did. After graduating college, getting a job in the field I studied for, and moving in with my two best friends. I finally got to experience financial independence. I finally succeeded at being normal," he recalled.
Close to his Aunt Linda, Brian found family that bonded with him, and he maintained his own living situation, avoiding further trauma from his mother's problems. Still, he had a calling to his family legacy.
"I would wake up every morning and think of what I could be if I just gave it a shot and took the risk. I wasn't built to sit in a desk I told myself. I am an athlete, an entertainer. So, I finally woke up one morning and forgot about the fear of failure, forgot about the opinion of other people, and the dogmas of society that would try to steer me away from making this decision and I did it."
He was very serious about this new endeavor and did the necessary research about where to start his journey into professional wrestling, choosing an underrated legend with a stellar program, Lance Storm.
"I can't help but think it was simply my father waiting at the door to be let into my life and by making the move to pursue this profession I have opened the door to his legacy. Lance has a reputation of being anti-steroid and anti-drugs. In an industry where those things can run rampant if not kept in check, I knew I would be in good hands with him. All my research including the training regimen, the success rate of his graduates, testimonies from previous graduates and as well as experts in the industry all said it was the absolute best place to start," Loose Cannon Jr. said.
Since his decision to follow his father's work, Brian Jr. continued his weight training program from his football days and dedicated himself to yoga, considering the exercise a stress reliever to go along with its physical benefits. He studies footage regularly and enjoys the presentation of Lucha Underground. Since the public announcement of this new endeavor, Brian received encouragement from fans literally around the globe that enjoyed Pillman Sr.'s career. He also received advice from one of his father's closest friends.
"Occasionally,
I have the opportunity to speak with Steve Austin. He initially reached
out to me via Twitter so that he could pass down an item onto me that
belonged to my father, a weight lifting belt. It
was a surreal experience getting to talk to him for the first time
since I was just a little kid. I caught him up on the events in my life
growing up and he shared some stories with me about my father that
really warmed my heart. He said they truly were best friends in the
wrestling business. Our talks on the phone since then have never been
short. He
commended me for finishing college and gave me the valuable advice to
keep my eyes peeled for people in the wrestling business who would try
to take advantage of me."
With another six months of preparation ahead of him, Brian plans to enroll at the Storm Wrestling Academy this September, just a few weeks prior to what will be the twentieth anniversary of his dad's unexpected passing. For the second generation Pillman, his inspiration and motivation is to represent the legacy of his family name.
"His legacy in wrestling is so much bigger than I had ever imagined. Growing up, I would have thought that all the old fans would have forgotten him by now and the new kids wouldn't have a way to experience him. My father inspired and entertained millions of people and his work was certainly not finished. Nobody expected him to vanish like that in the middle of his career, what was arguably the peak of his career, and I think those longtime fans are still yearning for something like him, something to fill that void in their hearts. The same void I have had in my heart since as long as I can remember. I will become the champion of my father's legacy and I will restore that level of passion and tenacity that my father had to those fans that believed in him and loved him, because those fans loved him and experienced him more than I ever had the chance to. So, if anybody deserves it, it's them and the only thing I'm seeking out in return is to connect with them and hear those wonderful, unforgettable stories about how he made them feel."
The road in professional wrestling can be rocky and unpredictable so it remains to be seen where Brian Pillman Jr. goes in the sport. However, he has the dedication and the desire, which is certainly the correct formula. Regardless of if Brian works the independent scene or one day walks onto Monday Night Raw, his journey is an intriguing story. Brian Pillman Sr.'s untimely passing in 1997 was a tragedy, but his son following in his father's footsteps to represent the Pillman legacy is a tremendous triumph.
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