Tag: WWE

Scott Hall ESPN E:60 Segment is Awesome, Sad, and Disturbing

I finally got around to watching the Scott Hall segment from ESPN’s E:60. It’s a fantastic look at the turbulent life and career of the man formerly known as WWE’s Razor Ramon. The piece covers Hall’s abuse of alcohol, recreational drugs, and steroids. It’s a hard-hitting look at a pro-wrestler that could have been one of the all-time greats, but succumbed to numerous temptations.

Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Eric Bischoff, PJ Polaco (Justin Credible/Aldo Montoya), Stephanie McMahon, and Sean “X-Pac” Waltman make appearances in the piece. One of the most surprising revelations was made by McMahon; she admitted that WWE has spent more than six-figures on Hall’s various rehab stints. Extensive footage of Hall at an indie show — hopped up on Percocet and Soma — was disturbingly sad.

Here’s a teaser for the segment:

I remember when I first saw Hall in the American Wrestling Alliance as “Big” Scott Hall. I thought, “If this dude gets rid of his white-man afro, he could be huge!” He went onto a successful stint in the WWE as Razor Ramon and one of the hottest runs of all time in WCW as part of the N.W.O. Hall was solid in the ring, killer on the mic, and had a great mind for booking. Like I said before, he could have been one of the best ever.

ESPN did a fantastic job on this piece and I can’t recommend it enough. Check it out hen you get a chance and let me know what you think (please!).

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Claudio Castagnoli Renamed Antonio Cesaro for FCW (WWE)

The age of Claudio is almost upon us! Claudio Castagnoli, my favorite indie wrestler for the past seven years, has been revealed on the Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) site as Antonio Cesaro. FCW is WWE’s developmental division headed up by Steve Keirn (The Fabulous Ones, Doink the Clown).

If you haven’t seen Claudio in action then you owe it to yourself to watch his YouTube clips. He has the size that Vince McMahon loves combined with wrestling ability that Ring of Honor marks like me cherish. His European uppercuts are amazing!

It’s funny that WWE saddled Claudio with a name that sounds even more Italian. Years ago I envisioned Claudio being introduced as Santino Marella’s cousin with a limited knowledge of English. Claudio would play up his “Heeeeeyyyyyyyy” gimmick and Santino would give him the rub by constantly taking advantage of him. Claudio would initially get sympathy from the fans and have the opportunity to win them over for life with his superior wrestling skills. You know, I should write wrestling storylines or something….

So yeah! I’m super psyched that Claudio’s WWE career is progressing. I can’t wait to see him on the big shows soon! He has the talent and charisma to be a top-of-the-card guy. I’m counting on all of you to become Claudio marks too! Heeeeeeeyyyyy!!!

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Coffee Talk #398: Pick Your Personal Entrance Music

I’ve always wanted my own entrance music. You know, like how pro-wrestlers have their own entrance music. When I was a kid, I thought it was awesome that Hulk Hogan used “Eye of the Tiger” (Survivor)…

Welcome to Coffee Talk! Let’s start off the day by discussing whatever is on your (nerd chic) mind. Every morning I’ll kick off a discussion and I’m counting on you to participate in it. If you’re not feelin’ my topic, feel free to start a chat with your fellow readers and see where it takes you. Whether you’re talking about videogames, Mariano Rivera’s 600th save, putting a dollar value on your work, or Dyson’s hot air multiplier, Coffee Talk is the place to do it.

I’ve always wanted my own entrance music. You know, like how pro-wrestlers have their own entrance music. When I was a kid, I thought it was awesome  that Hulk Hogan used “Eye of the Tiger” (Survivor), Junkyard Dog used “Another One Bites the Dust” (Queen), and Kerry Von Erich used “Tom Sawyer” (Rush) as their entrance themes. Of course nothing beats Ric Flair hitting the ring to “Also Sprach Zarathustra“, more commonly known as the intro music to the movie 2001: A Space Odyssey.

Entrance music changed when Vince McMahon realized that he could save money in licensing fees and make money by selling his own music. Awesome songs by established artists were replaced by mediocre songs performed by no-names. Sure there are exceptions. Hulk Hogan’s “Real American” (Rick Derringer) seems completely appropriate for his character. Motorhead is awesome and Triple H is a mark for the band, so “The Game” makes total sense for him. While today’s entrance music isn’t what it used to be, most of it still works.

If I had my wish, I’d borrow “Sexy Boy” for my personal entrance theme. The lyrics are ridiculous and the music is cheesy. Most of you have known me long enough to have figured out that I’m ridiculous and cheesy. I would absolutely abuse my entrance theme (and spend a fortune in background fireworks). I would use it every time I entered groceries, office buildings, restaurants, courtrooms, etc. (I wouldn’t use it at funerals and when entering bathrooms.) The music fits my personality and would be my little tribute to “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels.

If you could have your own entrance music, what would it be? Choose wisely!

All Hail the New TNA X-Division Champion Austin Aries!!!

If you haven’t been watching  Impact Wrestling — and I know that most of you haven’t — then I urge you to give it a go. Yeah, there’s still a bunch of crap like Ric Flair and Sting embarrassing themselves in their advanced age, the uncertainty of whether Jeff Hardy will wrestle or traffic drugs, every segment with Hulk Hogan, and 84 percent of what Vince Russo comes up with. All that aside, there’s one glorious bright spot in all of TNA Entertainment — Austin Aries.

Obviously I’m biased, but Aries is the best thing — by far — about Impact Wrestling. I’m thrilled that he’s the new X-Division Champion. He absolutely deserves this success and more. He’s putting on great matches and cutting great promos. He’s been consistently great since returning to TNA. While other wrestlers in the company are busy trafficking drugs or getting DUIs, Aries has been providing high-quality entertainment in and out of the ring.

So yeah, I’m watching TNA these days…but only to catch Austin Aries matches and promos. Screw Kurt Angle. A-Double is the one that’s that…damn…good.

Inside Out Trailer Starring WWE Triple H (Paul Levesque)

Hot on the heels of his award-winning (not really) performance in The Chaperone, Paul Levesque (Triple H) is set to star in Inside Out. Costarring Michael Rapaport, Parker Posey, and Bruce Dern, Inside Out looks slightly better than Hunter’s last movie…but that’s not saying much, is it?

Anyway, check out the trailer, try not to laugh at the unintentional comedy, and let me know what you think (please)!

The Sad, Sad Tale of “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair

Grantland has posted an outstanding article that chronicles the marital and financial difficulties of “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair. Shane Ryan covers more than 20 years of Flair’s life…and it’s depressing. Keep in mind that I’m a huge Ric Flair mark and consider him to be the greatest of all time, no matter what WWE says. Like most articles on Grantland — the Bill Simmons project that has quickly become one of my favorite sites — it’s a well-written piece, but a lot of the details made me wince.

I already knew some details of Flair’s marital problems, but I had no idea he was so stupid with his money. I was genuinely sad when I read that Flair used his old championship belts as collateral for loans. I was even sadder to learn that he used the Rolex watch that he received from Shawn Michaels — a gift to commemorate their outstanding match at WrestleMania XXIV — for the same purpose. I was at that match and the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony that featured Flair’s induction. The watch represented all the emotion from that weekend — which was supposed to be Flair’s “last” match — and it’s sad that Flair has been reduced to using it for collateral.

Anyway, I highly, highly recommend reading the whole article when you have a chance. If you do, please leave a comment here and let me know what you think!

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Matt Hardy Arrested for DWI, Fired From TNA

Guess who you won’t be seeing on Impact Wrestling anymore? Matt Hardy, that’s who! After being arrested for suspicion of driving while intoxicated, TNA announced that it has released Hardy. The wrestler was arrested on Sunday after wrapping his Corvette around a tree, an uncommon activity for sober people driving around on a summer afternoon. At the very least, his mug shot (courtesy of TMZ) makes him look like he was on something.

If Hardy is found to have been driving while intoxicated then he is one of the dumbest people in the history of North Carolina. Has he learned nothing from his friends and family?!? Most of you know that his brother, Jeff Hardy, has had numerous substance issues and is an accused drug trafficker. His best friend, Shane Helms (The Hurricane, Gregory Helms), was recently in a horrific motorcycle accident and is also being investigated for driving under the influence.

I’ve always liked Matt Hardy and I’m bummed to see what a wreck his life has become. What the hell is he doing?!? Perhaps he’s trying to outdo Jeff??? How do you guys and dolls feel about this incident?

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Watch the CM Punk vs. Kevin Nash Confrontation on Raw

It was interesting to see CM Punk confront Kevin Nash on last night’s episode of Monday Night Raw. For those of you that aren’t up on the current storyline, Punk defeated John Cena on Sunday to retain the WWE Championship. Out of nowhere, Kevin Nash hit the ring and gave Punk a jackknife powerbomb. This opened the door for Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money-in-the-Bank title shot to win the WWE Championship.

Punk was excellent last night, just as he’s been for the last few months. I was surprised that Nash was so flat. He’s usually great on the stick, but seemed a bit uncomfortable last night. It made me wonder if he got too used to the crowds at TNA (only a few hundred people) and forgot what it was like to work the mic in front of thousands.

The storyline is also…interesting. It looks like WWE is going with a , “Who done it?” plot. Nash got a text message from Triple H to pull a schmoz. I’m guessing that the message was sent from Hunter’s phone, but was sent by someone else. Stephanie McMahon is the obvious choice since she obviously has access to her husband’s phone. John Laurinaitis is another possibility. Either way my writing in the last two SmackDown vs. Raw games was much better. Ha!

Let me know what you think of CM Punk, Kevin Nash, and this current storyline when you have a chance. Who do you think sent the text message to Big Daddy Cool?

Hulk Hogan Has the Key to Stopping the London Riots

Former WWE and current Impact Wrestling legend Hulk Hogan is concerned about the recent riots in London and has a solution. No, it’s not training, saying your prayers, and eating your vitamins. The situation in London requires more than the three demandments of Hulkamania. Hogan recent told BBC Radio 5 Live:

I just heard what’s going on in the streets, man, and I thought just maybe Hulkamania should run over there, start dropping legs, start hitting people with big boots and just stop the action.

I will do anything, because I love my UK Hulkamaniacs, brother.

I am so sure that Hogan will not being going to England. Perhaps it’s just me, but I don’t see how sending over an old guy with a bad back, two bad hips, and limited intellect will accomplish anything. Though it would be hilarious to see footage of a lager lout no-selling Hogan’s three moves.

If you want more wisdom from Hogan, be sure to click on the source link. The quotes are…amsuing.

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Three Reasons Why You Should Watch WWE SmackDown

CM Punk has been killing it on WWE Monday Night Raw and has been lauded for making the show the most interesting it’s been in a long, long time. All of the praise is deserved. Punk has been amazing on Raw and deserves credit for carrying the most compelling WWE angle of 2011. While most wrestling fans have their eyes on Raw, SmackDown has been quietly improving. WWE’s Friday show usually has the better wrestling, but lately it has been evolving into a unique and complete show. Here are three reasons why I’ve been marking out for SmackDown.

1) Bryan Danielson: A lot of you know that I’m a big Daniel Bryan fan and have been following his career since his Ring of Honor days. I believe that he’s currently the best mat wrestler in WWE and a phenomenal talent. While he has yet to find his groove on the mic in WWE, he has wrestled some fantastic matches that remind me of classic NWA bouts I loved in the ’80s and ’90s. He has a brilliant style that blends modern moves with old-school technique. I’m looking forward to seeing the build-up to his WrestleMania title shot.

2) WWE Divas That Can Wrestle: The Divas division has been a joke for far too long. That’s changing on SmackDown. They’re actually letting the ladies wrestle — a novel idea, hey?!? Two of my current favorites, AJ Lee and Nattie Neidhart, have taken advantage of their wrestling time, showing that WWE Divas can put on great matches. I love that SmackDown is showcasing women that can actually work a match. I especially love that AJ is getting airtime. She wrestles, plays videogames, and reads comics. All nerds should love and support her.

3) Sheamus vs. Mark Henry: I’m absolutely shocked that this angle is working. I’m amazed that Henry’s “monster” angle has made him the most interesting he has ever been in his career. I’m surprised that the fans took to Sheamus’ face turn so quickly. He was such a great heel and a fantastic villainous champion. The writers didn’t have much for him to do so they turned him face and the fans are loving it. If you had told me two months ago that monster Henry vs. face Sheamus would be a popular SmackDown angle then I would have called you nuts. Eventually, Henry will run out of steam and he’ll revert to the world’s strongest jobber. What’s really fun is watching Sheamus evolve. He has already proven that he can be a great heel and I’m curious to see if he can be a great face.

Raw is the flagship show and that’s never going to change, but don’t ignore SmackDown. There are great things happening on WWE’s “other” show.