Fastlane Review

   We are now continuing without interruptions on the Road To WrestleMania, as last night's Fastlane PPV was the last pit stop.  Fastlane served its purpose and was a pretty decent event.  Nothing spectacular but for the most part, things went as planned.  We now have clear indications of the WWE Championship match at WrestleMania, as well as the Smackdown Women's Championship program. 

Kick-Off Show - Fashion Police & Tye Dillinger vs. Chad Gable, Shelton Benjamin, & Mojo Rawley

   This match was completely thrown together at the last minute and in fact, I didn't even know about it until after I wrote my predictions blog.  In any event, when I made my prediction for this match, the result was the complete opposite.  Based on who was in the match, I made the assessment that the heels would win.  Much to my surprise, the "Perfect Ten" and the Fashion Police came out on top.  It was a fun match and a good way to get the crowd going before Fastlane began.

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev

   There isn't much back story to this match but it was entertaining.  Since Nakamura's Royal Rumble win, he hasn't had much to do between then and his upcoming WWE Title match at WrestleMania.  I was hesitant about his opponent being Rusev, considering how over he and "Rusev Day" has been getting.  Despite Rusev's new popularity, WWE seems intent on keeping him heel, no matter how much fans resist.  It was a pretty even contest and I'm glad Rusev came out of it looking good, even in a loss.  Nakamura needs all the momentum in the world right now so it was pretty easy to predict his victory.  Even so, there were a few times where it looked like he was about to lose.  After his win was the obligatory pointing to the WrestleMania sign!

US Title - Bobby Roode vs. Randy Orton

   Going in, I was confident about three things.  One, it would be a good match.  Two, Jinder Mahal was likely to get involved somehow.  Three, Roode was going to walk out still the United States Champion.  Well, as Meatloaf once said, two out of three ain't bad!  I am not upset at the result but merely shocked!  Then again, I should have seen it coming!  They were really hammering in the point that the US Title was the last thing Orton needed to join the ranks of Grand Slam Champion.  That should have been a clue!  It was a great match and Roode doesn't lose any status at all.  Jinder Mahal came out to attack Orton after his victory and then Roode cleared the ring of Mahal.  For good measure, Roode nailed Orton with a Glorious DDT.  It seems to me that a Triple Threat Match between these men for the US Championship at WrestleMania is in the works. 

Natalya and Carmella vs. Becky Lynch and Naomi

   This was yet another match of which the result I predicted incorrectly.  I didn't really have any reasoning for choosing Becky and Naomi.  I just figured Nattie and Carmella would take the loss, especially because Carmella could bounce back at any time to cash in her "Money In the Bank" briefcase.  It was pretty good and got a decent amount of time, with three out of the four being good in the ring.  I was really digging Becky's "straight fire" attire and it reminded me of Bam Bam Bigelow.  I'm not sure where these women will be come WrestleMania.

Smackdown Tag Team Titles - The Usos vs. The New Day

   Even though we've seen this match many times over, these teams have such amazing chemistry and always produce classics.  Just as we were getting settled into another one, out walked the Bludgeon Brothers, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, formerly disciples of the Wyatt Family.  Their hideous outfits and cheesy gimmicks aside, they are quite the intimidating presence.  The only problem I had was that the Bludgeon Brothers ruined the match by interfering, causing a no contest ruling.  They viciously attacked both teams and left them laying.  I would have preferred if this attack happened after the match.  It seems to me we're headed to a Triple Threat Match for the Smackdown Tag Team Titles at WrestleMania.

Smackdown Women's Title - Charlotte Flair vs. Ruby Riot

   You'll notice I spelled Riot with one T and not two.  I don't care for WWE's attempt to be hip with an extra T or a Z in place of an S.  Anyway, that's neither here nor there.  This match came together after a pretty decent feud, with Charlotte getting the better of Ruby's "Riot Squad" counterparts Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan, and Ruby getting the better of Charlotte's allies Becky Lynch and Naomi. As important as it was for Charlotte to further establish her dominance and greatness, it was just as important to give the match time and also let Ruby shine on her own as a performer.  As good as the match was, the highlight was afterward when Royal Rumble winner Asuka showed up and without a word, made her intentions known that she's coming after Charlotte and her Championship at WrestleMania.  As excited as I am for this match, and wary of how important it is to separate Asuka from Ronda Rousey for a while, I'm slightly bummed, as I feel that the Raw Women's Championship is the real deal, as opposed to Smackdown's.  I don't like two titles of the same perceived importance as it dilutes the very idea of a Champion in the first place.  Either way, I'm still excited!

WWE Title Six Pack Challenge - AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin vs. John Cena

   I was thinking the match would be predictable and was actually hoping for it.  I chose AJ to retain and I had several near heart attacks thinking someone else could win.  I can't speak for people but I really wanted to see AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura.  This match was really good, especially because it was filled with close calls and moments that I second guessed myself.  It wasn't out of the realm of possibility for John Cena to pick up number 17 last night.  Speaking of John Cena, I really enjoyed that moment when the other five men attacked him because he's John Cena.  He's earned the honor of being the man everyone needs to get rid of first.  I figured Owens and Zayn would cancel each other out.  Though it appeared the best friends were at each other's throats, it's clear Smackdown Commissioner Shane McMahon is not done with either of them.  Who knows where that is going towards Wrestlemania?  The even bigger question is what does Cena do?  I know rumors have been floating around about the Undertaker but I'm not so sure.  If he doesn't show up by tomorrow night's Smackdown, it will be a poor amount of time to build.  Not only that, how do you end WrestleMania last year with Taker not only losing but leaving his gear in the ring, only for him to wrestle again.  I'm not opposed to it but it's somewhat irrelevant now without the streak.  AJ got by five other men and retained the WWE Title. 

   I really hope AJ's match with Nakamura will be the main event!  Despite how much more "mainstream" the Brock/Roman match is, I can't help but think it's a mistake to close the show with that match.  Also, despite how popular Ronda Rousey is, I feel that her mixed tag match should also not close WrestleMania.  If WWE wants WrestleMania to end on a positive note, I'd recommend AJ/Shinsuke!  If given enough time, it could be one of the best matches on the card.  I don't even care who wins, as long as the match gets time.  Even so, it's pretty likely we'll see Shinsuke Nakamura became the first Japanese born WWE Champion.  For those of you about to chime in about Yokozuna, he was Samoan.  

If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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Kid Rock in WWE Hall of Fame - WHY?

   I've made my feelings clear on a previous blog about how I strongly dislike the "Celebrity Wing" of the WWE Hall of Fame.  In general, I've never been much of a fan of celebrity involvement in wrestling.  This particular news has been rumored for months now and it has been made official today.  The next celebrity inductee to the WWE Hall of Fame is Kid Rock.  No matter how I feel about his music or political views are irrelevant.  This is about him in the WWE Hall of Fame.  As far as I'm concerned, there are very few celebrities that have deserved this honor, and Kid Rock is not one of them.

   As for the current celebrity inductees, in my opinion, only 3 make sense.  Mr. T is important for his early contributions to WWE's success and one of the reasons WrestleMania became what it is today. Mike Tyson's involvement during the Attitude Era with the buildup for WrestleMania with Stone Cold Steve Austin and Degeneration X is worthy.  Despite how people feel about our current President, between hosting WrestleMania twice in Atlantic City and his "Hair vs. Hair" challenge against Vince McMahon, Donald Trump has earned his spot.  As far as WWE and wrestling goes, there is one glaring omission and that is Cindy Lauper.  She was the very reason for the rock n' wrestling connection and her contributions to WWE and WrestleMania's success make her worthy. Also, the first celebrity to have great moments in wrestling and put it more on the map was Andy Kaufman.  Another person that deserves the honor would be boxing legend Muhammad Ali.  His role in the first WrestleMania, and especially his match with Antonio Inoki, are enough to get him to the WWE Hall of Fame.

   For the most part, the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame is a joke.  I'll run through it quick! Pete Rose was only inducted as a joke knowing he would never be welcomed in the Baseball Hall of Fame, and although they were entertaining, his attacks from Kane at 3 WrestleMania events were not Hall of Fame worthy.  William "The Refrigerator"  Perry, despite his impressive Football career, only wrestled in the WrestleMania 2 Battle Royal.  Bob Uecker was a guest announcer and was choked out by Andre the Giant.  Drew Carey is just ridiculous, despite how entertaining his 2001 Royal Rumble appearance was.  Arnold Schwarzenegger, despite several appearances on WWE television, doesn't make sense.  The same can be said for Snoop Dogg, who's appearances alone are not enough.  

   To me, Kid Rock falls under the category of undeserving and doesn't make sense one bit.  His musical contributions don't warrant a Hall of Fame induction.  His ZZ Topp cover of "Legs" was used for Stacey Keibler and "American Bad Ass" was used for the Undertaker's biker persona.  First of all, they used his version of "Legs" because it was cheaper than getting ZZ Topp.  "American Bad Ass" was a complete rip off of Metallica's "Sad But True" and was only used for a very short time before Limp Bizkit's Rollin' was the theme.  Not only that, and this may be my opinion, but I absolutely hated this gimmick for the Undertaker.  At WrestleMania 25, Kid Rock performed an extremely long and insufferable concert, which made the female competitors in that night's Battle Royal seem overlooked.  

   He may have appeared once or twice and his friend Joe C had an interaction with Edge and Christian on a random Raw but I cannot get behind this induction whatsoever.  I may not like him as a musician, a politician, or even a human being but all of that is not what I'm talking about.  His involvement with WWE was not Hall of Fame worthy at all.  During that WrestleMania concert, he wasn't relevant anymore and I doubt he has much relevance today either.  My guess is that since WWE is very pro Republican, is friendly with Trump, and Linda McMahon is in Trump's cabinet, WWE decided to add Kid Rock, who also has similar political views.  You can't tell me with a straight face that the things he did for WWE remotely make him worthy of the Hall of Fame.

   I just had to get this off my chest since it was rumored so long and now it is official.  This will be my bathroom break when I watch the Hall of Fame ceremony.  I have no desire to see him and it, along with several others, is an abomination when it comes to the WWE Hall of Fame and its significance.  However, it's not the real pro wrestling Hall of Fame and it's just a propaganda tool to display who is on good terms with Vince McMahon and his company.  Anyway, I've said my peace and now I feel better.  Much like the Undertaker losing at WrestleMania, I'm just going to ignore this and pretend it never happened, so I can go on with my day.

If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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Fastlane Predictions

   Well, it's been three weeks, that means it's time for another WWE event.  For those of you who got my sarcasm, there are frankly way too many PPV's in the year.  That's another topic for another time. For now, we have Smackdown's Fastlane tonight and it's the last brand only special, as well as the last stop on the Road To WrestleMania.  I don't mean to be a Debbie Downer here, but I feel like it's a little predictable, not to mention completely unnecessary.  In fact, I think I thought of another topic for a future blog, no PPV's between the Royal Rumble and WrestleMania!  It should be fairly entertaining, though!  Then again, the main event might have some on the edge of their seats, concerning a certain WrestleMania dream match they want to see.  Let's get started, shall we?

Becky Lynch & Naomi vs. Natalya & Carmella

 I'm not 100% sure but this may be on the Kick-Off show.  With Charlotte Flair defending the Smackdown Women's Championship tonight against Ruby Riot, I thought it might have made more sense for Becky and Naomi to take on the remaining members of the Riot Squad.  Then again, the feud has probably been overdone.  I'm pretty sure Becky and Naomi are taking the win here. Carmella's night may not be over, however, as she is still Miss Money In the Bank.  Should she choose to cash in, it might be a smart idea, especially considering the possibility of Liv Morgan and Sarah Logan's interference on behalf of their leader.  

Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Rusev

   I feel like this was thrown together because they didn't have a match for Nakamura, who we know is going to WrestleMania to face the WWE Champion, as he won the Royal Rumble. Although I feel like despite Rusev's popularity of late that he's forced to remain heel, I'm glad he made it onto the card, as hasn't been used on Smackdown much.  Unfortunately, I don't think it's going to be a Happy Rusev Day, as it seems pretty clear Shinsuke will win.  He certainly does need the momentum to ride into WrestleMania.  I did enjoy Nakamura's interaction with Rusev, with the match coming together due to Nakamura injuring Rusev's singing announcer Aiden English.  Not only that, we found something we didn't know we needed...Nakamura Dayyyyyyyyy!  

Smackdown Tag Team Titles - The Usos vs. The New Day

   In what seems like a never-ending battle between these two fantastic teams, we're at it again.  That said, we're in for a treat!  My gut tells me that the Usos are retaining tonight and will likely collide with the Bludgeon Brothers in the future.  I hope that the Usos finally take their rightful place at WrestleMania's main show.  In the last two years, the Samoan brothers have found themselves and became the best team in the business.  However, if there was one team who can break out of the Uso Penitentiary, it's the New Day.  Although I'm choosing the Usos, a friend brought up something I never thought of. Since it's seems they're running out of teams to challenge The Bar for the Raw Tag Team Titles, would it be out of the realm of possibility for the Usos to lose here and show up the next night on Raw to challenge The Bar?  Stranger things have happened and I'm not opposed to it.

US Title - Bobby Roode vs. Randy Orton

   This should be a great match, as we've never seen these two face off before.  I see Roode retaining and walking into WrestleMania as the Glorious US Champion.  However, let's not rule out interference by Jinder Mahal, who has been getting involved with both Roode and Orton as of late.  Mahal pointed out the difference in stature between the two men on the WWE top ten list.  Both put Jinder in his place, however, and mentioned he wasn't even on the list to begin with.  I see Roode retaining either way, but it's possible be could lose the match by disqualification, which would lead to a possible Triple Threat Match between the three at WrestleMania.

Smackdown Women's Title - Charlotte Flair vs. Ruby Riot

   It's been dead even for these two women, as Flair has handily defeated Morgan and Logan, whereas Riot has defeated Becky and Naomi. It's time to settle this once and for all. With WrestleMania around the corner, it seems to me that WWE will want Charlotte to remain Champion going in.  That's my pick for tonight! If this was any other day after the big one, I might be inclined to possibly choose Riot.  For now, long live the Queen!  Then again, Charlotte still may not escape tonight as Champion with Carmella running around with Money In the Bank.  Also, the deciding factor of this match may determine who Royal Rumble winner Asuka will choose to face.  Lately, it seems as they are going in the direction of an Alexa Bliss/Nia Jax showdown, which might mean Asuka will face Charlotte, in what would be a killer match.

WWE Title - Six Pack Challenge

AJ Styles vs. Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Baron Corbin vs. John Cena

   This is what might be the last chance for the desperate and somewhat entitled Cena to get his WrestleMania opportunity.  As likely as it is that he faces the Undertaker, I'm not sold on that match, especially considering how last year looked like the perfect end for the Dead Man.  In any event, I don't see Cena picking up number 17 tonight.  It's too risky to jeopardize the eminent Styles/Nakamura match and I think the fans would backlash.  Corbin has no chance, as does Ziggler.  Owens and Zayn will cancel each other out.  I hope it doesn't lead to them having a WrestleMania feud and match, as I feel we need more time to see the best friends together.  I would actually like to see the two have a nice long reign as Tag Team Champions before the inevitable happens.  With all that being said, I'm choosing AJ Styles to walk out of Fastlane and walk into WrestleMania as the WWE Champion.

   As predictable as this card feels, you just never know!  Last year, many things happened at Elimination Chamber and Fastlane that we were not expecting.  Could the same happen tonight?  I guess we'll have to tune in and find out.  What are your predictions for tonight?

If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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I Spoke Too Soon - More Championships To Be Added

   In an interesting turn of events since my blog about WWE having too many Titles, it looks like WWE will in fact be introducing more.  While there were rumors of a Women's Tag Team Championship, it's partially true, in that there will be another set of Tag Team Titles.  Only this time, they will be for the Cruiserweight Division on 205 Live.  Also, and this is somewhat of a spoiler, NXT will be introducing a new Title.  I don't want to ruin anything so I'll leave it at that.  My question is; why?  Why more titles?  There are way too many as it is.  I already said this is like having a participation trophy for everyone.  Titles are supposed to be important and prestigious, and only so many people can attain them.  

   I'll start with the new Cruiserweight Tag Team Titles.  This was a concept developed by WCW during their last few months.  To be fair, by that time, there were even more Cruiserweights than ever before.  I believe the first Champions were the tandem of Rey Misterio and Billy Kidman.  It's hard to judge how it will be this time around because WCW happened to go out of business not long after the introduction of those Titles.  Since the Cruiserweight Title has its own show in 205 Live, I can somewhat understand this move.  I may not like it, but I understand it.  

   As much as I liked the Cruiserweight Division in WCW, I don't like it as much in WWE.  The heyday of the Cruiserweights in WCW was in the mid-late 90's.  Chris Jericho, Rey Misterio, Eddie Guerrero, and Dean Malenko were the building blocks of Cruiserweight wrestling.  Along with them were people like Ultimo Dragon, Psicosis, Juventud Guerrera, and many others.  These days, and I hate to say it, but the star power just isn't the same.  Not many of today's Cruiserweights have much personality.  Also, guys like AJ Styles can do all the things the Cruiserweights do, so what makes them stand out?  Jericho, Misterio, and Guerrero eventually broke out and won World Titles in their careers but nine times out of ten, the Cruiserweights will be stuck in their respective division.

   I feel like being a Cruiserweight is almost like being typecast in a movie.  I feel for guys like Cedric Alexander, who's talent I believe exceeds the Cruiseweight Division.  Since there are a lot of Cruiserweights that seem to be a dime a dozen, I think that's why Tag Team Titles are being created for this division.  I don't even like the idea of a Cruiserweight Champion anymore, let alone 205 Live.  I'm pretty sure they'll take any combination of the current Luchadores and put them together. I suppose they could team whatever is left of the dismantled "Zo Train."  Frankly, I just can't take it seriously and it's just one more title they'll have when they can't even handle the other two Tag Team divisions they already have.

   As I mentioned, NXT will be adding another Title to their brand.  Without giving out the name or the competitors involved, let's just say it will likely be used as a mid-card Title for NXT.  That's something I've seen some fans clamor for.  The main reason is because not everyone can ascend to the thrown of the NXT Championship.  In hindsight, it would have been nice for a talent like Tyler Breeze or Apollo Crews to go for during their time in NXT.  It seems there will only be a select few to make it to the NXT Title.  However, I thought they were using the UK Title almost like a mid-card Title for NXT, since Champion Pete Dunne has no brand to call home specifically.  Again, for me, it's a case of having participation trophies.  I was never good at sports as a child but I understood that I wasn't good enough and therefore, why should I win a trophy I didn't earn?

   This also raises another question.  Will NXT's format change or will the amount of time for the show increase?  With just an hour, it's hard enough getting programs in for the NXT Title, the Women's Title, and the Tag Team Titles, as well as other non-title issues.  I like the way NXT is presented.  They get a lot done in one hour's time and in order to get everyone involved, sometimes the same wrestler isn't always on every single show, allowing other talents to shine.  If it increases at all, it should only be by a half hour.  We already have a two-hour Smackdown and a 3-hour Raw, which is way too long.

   Also, the PPV's, although more so Specials since the birth of the WWE Network, are not as special if the same things for the most part can be found on free TV.  If you already saw the same wrestlers have a match on Raw or Smackdown several times, why would you care anymore if they fight on PPV?  Since there are more Championships being added and no sign of any being taken away or unified, I may have a solution.  If they truly want to make people care about the brand split and take it seriously, I say do whatever it takes to make these brands stand out.  In fact, try to make it look like none of the shows except for Raw, are even affiliated with WWE.  Make it look like the Territory system during the days of the NWA's prominence.  WWE can be the new NWA.

   Here's how I would start.  Trade the WWE Title back to Raw and put the Universal Title on Smackdown, since the WWE Title is the original.  Rename the Universal Title and place Smackdown under a banner other than WWE, even though in real life everything will be under it.  They own WCW, AWA, World Class, Mid-South, and many other names that Smackdown could be under.  NXT is almost its own thing as well, so just keep the NXT brand going.  That way, the prestige of the Universal Title, which has none in my opinion, could move up.  We could have WCW Smackdown or rename Smackdown to Nitro, and the Universal Title could be re-branded as the WCW World Title.  The Smackdown Tag Team Titles could be the WCW Tag Team Titles, and now WCW would have a Women's Title, as well as their US Title back.  It doesn't have to be WCW necessarily, but I'm just spit balling here.

   If the Universal Title was renamed the WCW World Title and resembled the big gold belt, its credibility would go up.  They have multiple territories, brands, and logos at their disposal.  Since there's a UK Title, why not finally create a UK Territory?  Guys like Finn Balor, Sheamus, Neville, and several others can go between all of these territories at certain points.  They could create unique rosters and not do drafts.  NXT can be looked at as a brand, rather than the next batch of WWE call-ups.  If they're creating a mid-card Title for NXT, they could give the NXT Championship the status of a World Title.  That's the only way a brand split works, in my opinion.  Everything will be under the WWE umbrella but it couldn't hurt to make it look like these brands are separate entities.  Then they can make a big deal when contracts are up and someone unexpected makes their debut or return to one of the brands.

  Therefore, my opinion is either lower the amount of Championships to make them special or create a much better illusion of separate brands if you're going to add more Titles.   Otherwise, it's just more useless gold for superstars to attain and no one will care anymore.  My problem mainly is they have a hard enough time maintaining prestige of their more original Titles and the more they add, the less prestigious they become.  I'd like to think less is more but if they're going for more, do it right and create a better interpretation of separate brands.



If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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David Arquette: WCW Champion? - Yeah, That Happened!

   People seem to crap on Vince Russo about almost everything imaginable.  When people defend him and mention that he had good ideas in the WWF, others start saying that it was because everything was filtered through Vince McMahon.  There are things I disagree with Vince Russo on and there are things that I agree with him on.  At the end of the day, I still respect the man.  He still contributed to the business of professional wrestling.  I can be okay with most of the things Russo has booked but there is one particular thing that I disagree with him on, and that was the idea of putting the WCW World Title on David Arquette.  It's something I think many fans could wish they forgot!

   I cannot get behind this decision at all!  I'm even more okay with Russo putting the Title on himself, which he did, than putting it on Arquette.  To David Arquette's credit, he did not want to be the Champion and felt weird about it.  The movie Ready To Rumble was coming out around this time and WCW wanted to do some inter-promotional stuff, which I completely understand.  Russo argued that a stunt like this with a celebrity would draw people to WCW.  If it were almost anyone else, I might have been persuaded to be somewhat okay with it, but I'll just say it: David Arquette is a shitty actor!  His celebrity status wasn't as high as people think.  Generally, I'm not fond of much celebrity involvement with professional wrestling but if you're going to put your most prestigious Title on an actor, at least get someone good!  WCW was involved with many celebrities and athletes back then.  I'd have been okay with Dennis Rodman or Karl Malone getting the Title over David Arquette!  

  Again, I may not enjoy his acting, but I respect him for knowing enough to at least question it.  He felt uncomfortable about it and thought it was disrespectful and might lead to a lot of backlash.  At the end of the day, it wasn't his decision.  Also, I'll give credit where credit is due.  Vince Russo may have been head of creative in those days, but he certainly didn't have the authority of having the last say.  The people who approved this are really the ones at fault, more so than Russo and Arquette.  Did it question the WCW World Title's credibility?  Sure, but let's be fair!  This took place in April of 2000.  Before David Arquette's win, the Title had changed hands 6 times already and didn't mean much anymore anyway.  Heck, WCW did many questionable things, a lot of which was way before Russo even worked for them.  It got even worse as by year's end, as the title changed hands well over 20 times, completely diluting the value of the Title.  Therefore, the blame cannot be put on David Arquette.  That being said, I still think it was one of the dumbest ideas I'd ever seen or heard! 

   There's another reason I hated it and it actually had nothing to do with the fact that he of all people won the Title.  The match he won the Championship in was a tag team match featuring David Arquette teaming with the WCW Champion Diamond Dallas Page against Jeff Jarrett and Eric Bischoff.  The stipulation was that whoever scored the pinfall would be the Champion.  Here's the dumb part!  Arquette pinned Bischoff to win his partner DDP's World Title.  The even dumber part is that Page celebrated with the man that just won his Title.  How asinine is that?

    I might get some hate for what I'm about to say but I'm ready for it.  Ready To Rumble was a crappy movie!  There, I said it!  It didn't make wrestling fans look any better than they were looked at.  I'd even go so far as to say it portrayed wrestling fans exactly the way most people that didn't follow wrestling already thought of wrestling fans, or even worse!  For me, it wasn't until The Wrestler came out that a movie did the wrestling business or its fans justice.  Despite the fact that many WCW wrestlers were in this movie and it got WCW a lot of press, I think it was for all the wrong reasons.  The bottom line is, it blows my mind that David Arquette was the WCW Champion. Then again, stranger things have happened!  I mean Drew Carey of all people is in the WWE Hall of Fame for no damn reason!



If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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Undisputed Afterthought

   After the "Invasion" angle ended at the 2001 Survivor Series, with the WWF walking away the victor, there was one more piece of the puzzle left.  There was to be a unification of the WWF and WCW World Titles at Vengeance in December.  Two matches were set up: The Rock vs. Chris Jericho for the WCW Title, and Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle for the WWF Title.  The winners of each Championship match would face off in the main event of Vengeance to decide the Undisputed WWF World Heavyweight Champion.  

   The heavy favorites to win were likely Austin and The Rock, although one could make a case for Angle as well.  At this point in time, not many people pegged Jericho as having a fighting chance.  In April of 2000, it looked like Jericho had defeated Triple H for the WWF Title, only for The Game to make the referee reverse the decision.  It was a big tease and after that, many fans assumed Jericho would never get a real chance.  Vengeance 2001 changed all that, at least on that night!  Jericho defeated The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin in the same night, to become the new Undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Champion!  The underdog Jericho did it!  

   His reign started out just fine.  Jericho retained the Title over The Rock at the 2002 Royal Rumble.  Meanwhile, later that night, Triple H made his triumphant return and won the Royal Rumble match, punching his ticket to WrestleMania.  At No Way Out in February, Jericho retained over Steve Austin due to inference by the nWo.  The official main event for WrestleMania was now set with Chris Jericho defending the Undisputed Title against Triple H.  Under normal circumstances, this would be exciting.  However, bad booking ruined this match.  Not only that, it had the unenviable task of following The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan.  Upon Triple H's return, he turned on and got divorced from his storyline (and now real life) wife Stephanie McMahon.  Stephanie then turned her attention to WWF Undisputed Champion Chris Jericho and would be in his corner at WrestleMania.

   Unfortunately, this is where Jericho, the freakin' Undisputed Champion of all things, became an afterthought. The story revolved more around the Triple H/Stephanie divorce than anything else, and Jericho was just a prop. Stephanie got custody of their dog Lucy, which upset Triple H.  Stephanie then made Jericho take care of the dog, picking up after it and such.  Unfortunately for Lucy, Jericho accidentally ran her over.  Poor Lucy!  All of these petty things came to the forefront, even though Jericho's Undisputed Title was at stake.  When it comes to a Championship match, the feud should always be about the Championship, the Champion, and the Challenger.  Other things can be added but should not take precedence over the important factors.  At WrestleMania, Triple H defeated Jericho to win the Title in a good but forgettable match.  After the spectacle that was Rock/Hogan, not much after that mattered.  However, I'm a stickler for the Royal Rumble winner and the Champion's match being the main event at WrestleMania no matter what or how big other matches are.

   If this storyline had to happen, I would have preferred the match not main event WrestleMania. However, in order for that to happen, both the Champion and challenger would have to be different.  I need to mention what actually happened before I get to how I would change things.  The Survivor Series outcome went to the WWF because it turned out Kurt Angle was a double agent all along, turning on Alliance leader Stone Cold Steve Austin.  The next night on Raw saw two things happen. One was Austin turning babyface once again due to the double-cross by Angle and Angle's partnership with Vince McMahon.  The other was Ric Flair returned and informed McMahon that he was the consortium that bought the WWF stock that both Shane and Stephanie McMahon owned, making him half owner of the WWF with McMahon.  

   Here's my scenario!  The night after Survivor Series, I'd keep the Flair thing and the Austin turn but Angle would still be WWF Champion.  On this night, a still babyface Chris Jericho would defeat Angle to become the WWF Champion, setting up Angle's match with Austin, who at that point I would have as the WCW Champion.  Meanwhile, Jericho would defend his newly won Title against The Rock.  Jericho would still go on to make history at Vengeance by defeating both Rock and Austin in the same night to become the Undisputed Champion.  Now we go to the Royal Rumble, in which I have The Rock winning it.  Also that night was a match between the two owners Vince McMahon and Ric Flair.  Flair won and a distraught McMahon felt that Flair was trying to destroy his creation, the WWF.  McMahon appeared quite off and declared that if anyone was to kill his creation, it would he him...and the nWo.  

   Here's what I would have done differently!  I'd have a stipulation for the Flair/McMahon match where if Vince won, he would get full ownership and if Flair won, he would get a Title shot at No Way Out 2002.  Since Vince brought the nWo to the WWF to kill it, he would unleash the trio of Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash onto the WWF superstars.  Since Vince still had half ownership, he would appoint Hogan to be added to the Title match between Jericho and Flair, making it a Triple Threat Match.  Hogan would pin Flair to win his sixth WWF Title.  I would then turn Jericho into a whiny heel, angry about losing the Title without being pinned, and then put him into his program with Triple H.  Meanwhile, the next night on Raw, they set up the Rock/Hogan WrestleMania match that would now be for the Undisputed Title in the main event.

   It was going to be hard enough to follow a match the caliber of Rock/Hogan.  There was no reason for the Jericho/Triple H rivalry over the WWF Title to be overshadowed by a lover's quarrel.  If you're going to take Jericho and make him the focus of the company as the first Undisputed WWF World Heavyweight Champion, then you must have him take center stage.  Otherwise, take the Title off him before WrestleMania so the main event can be focused on fully.  Also, since the very idea of Rock/Hogan was so huge, this might have been the way to go in the first place.  The bottom line is, I feel Chris Jericho was not given the platform to succeed and was cheated.

   Fortunately, Chris Jericho is the best at what he does.  No matter the obstacle, no matter the challenge, Jericho has always risen above.  Time and time again Chris Jericho has reinvented himself.  Lion Heart, Y2J, The Ayatollah of Rock n' Rolla, one bad mamajama, whatever you want to call him.  We can all be thankful of the Gift of Jericho.  Drink it in, maaaaaaaan!




If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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Welcome to the Hall of Fame, Hillbilly Jim!

   If you grew up in the 80's like I did and watched professional wrestling, you may remember larger than life performers, especially in the WWF.  Obviously, names like Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and "Macho Man" Randy Savage were up there.  There was a cast of colorful characters back then, such as the Junkyard Dog, Iron Sheik, and Rowdy Roddy Piper.  You'd have George "The Animal" Steele, Nikolai Volkoff, and Big John Studd, among others, entertaining the fans.  One such character was Hillbilly Jim.  In kayfabe, he was a member of the audience and watched as Hulk Hogan was attacked by members of the Heenan Family.  This bushy bearded big man in overalls jumped the rails and saved the Hulkster.  From then on, he was known as Hillbilly Jim and he hailed from Mudlick, Kentucky.  Much like Hogan, Jim was a mountain of a man, standing well over 6'6 and weighing over 300lbs.  Hogan took a liking to Jim and trained him for in-ring action.

   Hillbilly Jim was immensely popular with people of all ages.  He was a gentle giant and was just a good natured human being.  His theme song was the very catchy "Don't Go Messin' With a Country Boy," which was a spot on description of his character.  It was one of many songs featured on the WWF's Wrestling Album, along with classics like JYD's "Grab Them Cakes" and Jimmy Hart's "Eat Your Heart Out, Rick Springfield." Hillbilly Jim would always get the crowd on their feet and they'd happily clap along with him. Soon, other members of the Hillbilly clan soon made their way to the WWF. There was Cousin Junior, Cousin Luke, and Uncle Elmer, known for his legitimate marriage on an episode of Saturday Night's Main Event, that was disrupted by Roddy Piper.

   Hillbilly Jim was a very popular performer, and even though he was a lower card act, he almost always stood among the more legendary wrestlers, often teaming with Hogan or Andre against Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's men. Hillbilly got his WrestleMania moment when he battled King Kong Bundy and the two men were seconded by midget wrestlers.  At the 1988 Survivor Series, he was one of the men selected to be on the Mega Powers' team, along with Koko B. Ware and Hercules.  That year, they took on Twin Towers, the Million Dollar Man, Red Rooster, and Haku.  Hillbilly was always around and in prominent roles, despite not having an impressive win/loss record.  He always made sure fans went home happy.

   He retired from the ring in the early 90's and by 1992, he became a member of the panel for Prime Time Wrestling. He came back in 1995 and soon after started managing the Godwinns. The two hog farmers came to the ring with him to the tune of his theme song.  He was even around when they won the WWF World Tag Team Titles.  After the Godwinns turned heel in 1997, he left the company.  He came back years later for WrestleMania XVII's Gimmick Battle Royal, of course adorned in his famous overalls.

   It was just announced that he will be the latest to be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Already, I started to see many people scoff at this idea, likening it to when Koko B. Ware or the Bushwhackers got inducted.  There is no criteria set for the Hall of Fame and you didn't necessarily have to be a main event performer or World Champion. Besides, it's a little different than the Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame.  In the grand scheme of things, if you are making a big stink about him in the Hall of Fame, that's pretty sad, as there are many things in the real world people should be more concerned with.  Also, since there is a "Celebrity Wing" of the Hall of Fame including people that did absolutely nothing in wrestling like Drew Carey, Hillbilly Jim doesn't come off that bad by comparison.  At least he was a wrestler!  And a popular one at that!  

   I have been lucky enough to represent my company TagMeADate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans, at different events and conventions.  One of the people I got to meet in person a year ago was Hillbilly Jim, himself.  I have to say, he couldn't have been nicer!  He was awesome to meet, very personable and humble.  As you can see in the picture, he's a massive individual and is still in great shape.  He now has become the last of the cast members of WWE Legends House to get a Hall of Fame ring.  Congratulations, Hillbilly Jim!  Welcome to the Hall of Fame!

If you have any further thoughts on this topic, let me know in comments.  Heck, let us all know on The WAR Report podcast, every Tuesday at 7PM EST on YouTube, brought to you by tagmeadate.com, the first and only dating site for wrestling fans.  Go to askthewarreport@gmail.com or #askthewarreport.  For TagMeADate members, our Android and Apple apps are vastly approaching so stay tuned!
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