The Steel Cage

WWE Survivor Series preview and predictions

2008-11-23T06:19:38Z

I have to say, the Undertaker shoving Eddie Guerrero's widow into a casket three years almost to the day after his death was one of the most classless displays I've ever seen on WWE programming. Say what you want -- I'm being overly sensitive, it was just a storyline, whatever -- but it's garbage like this that blurs the line to the point where it makes a tragic death seem more in line with a title switch or a heel turn. A guy DIED. You claim to be a "creative" team. Surely there's a different way to promote a Casket Match. Say what you want about "If Vickie was OK with it, then so am I," or "Eddie would have been fine with it." I have HUGE issues with both of those statements (both of which are bull), which I'll get into at some point. But that's a rant for another time. This is a Survivor Series preview. You know, Survivor Series is in Boston this year, and at one point I was thinking about driving over and enjoying the show in person. But when I read this SmackDown spoiler the other week, it killed any interest I might have even had in the show. That's not a good thing. Storylines are supposed to draw money, not make me want to hold onto mine. Anyway, here's some thoughts on what's actually a pretty lackluster Survivor Series card: World Title: Chris Jericho vs. John Cena. I see Batista getting involved and no title switch. I really think they're headed for Cena-Batista II at WrestleMania and I think this could be a way to get the ball rolling again in Cena's return match. WWE Title: HHH vs. Hardy vs. Vlad. I would LOVE to see HHH lose the title already. I mean, let's be honest, HHH has been champ for seven months now and his reign has been completely and utterly forgettable. I could just hear the conversation that happened back then: HHH: You know, Vince, to get some buzz for the move to my Network TV, we should have a top guy as champion to really bring in the people, say me perhaps? Never mind the fact that the title reign has been a huge pile of boring so far. That being said, though I haven't had a chance to see SmackDown in a few weeks, I would love to see a title switch to the new Jeff Hardy character. Though I will say that putting a world title on a guy who's already got two strikes in the wellness program and Jeff's track record is a huge, huge mistake from a business standpoint. But that never stopped 'em before ... Team Batista vs. Team Orton: I would love to see Orton and Rhodes survive here to finally, finally, finally set up some kind of third-generation faction. Team HBK vs. Team JBL: I know nothing of this feud. Would love to see MVP get back on track with a win here. The guy is money. Divas match: Don't care. And as it relates to the Casket Match with Big Show and Undertaker, I just don't care at all. What a shame that they couldn't think of one other way to build the match besides so disrespecting a deceased legend. ]]>

"The Wrestler" Movie Trailer

2008-11-21T23:22:13Z

Sorry for the infrequent posts this week. It's been a nutty few days on the transportation beat. I was thrilled to finally the trailer for Darren Arnovsky's upcoming flick, "The Wrestler," which is already being talked about as an Oscar favorite - especially for Mickey Rourke's performance as Randy "The Ram" Robinson. You can check out the trailer here. After years of suffering through wrestling movies like "No Holds Barred," and "Ready to Rumble," it's so satisfying to have a movie that - apparently - does justice to the uniquely compelling story of the life of a pro wrestler. It may not be an overstatement to say that "The Wrestler" may do more for mainstream acceptance of pro wrestling than anything Vince McMahon or any other promoter has ever done. I've kicked myself for missing the showing of the film at the NY Film Festival, and later at the Hamptons FF. If anybody has any line on how to watch the movie, please let me know.

Video Interview With Chris Jericho

2008-11-17T20:40:41Z

I already posted the entire transcript of my recent interviw with Chris Jericho, but here are some video excerpts from the same interview. Here, Chris talks a little about his reality show on the Fuse network, "Redemption Song," as well as his return to the ring after a two year hiatus, and his amazing feud with Shawn Michaels. A couple notes: . Yes, I framed the shot incredibly poorly. I'm sure you're all dying to see the entirety of my handsomeness, but you'll have to settle for the left half. At least I had the microphone on this time. . To maximize hits, my editors suggested a thumbnail featuring the lovely ladies of Redemption Song rather than one of Jericho. We both agreed that a photo of me would totally overload our servers and shut down Newsday.com, so we decided against it. Enjoy.

Brock Lesnar wins the UFC Championship

2008-11-16T22:36:49Z

Here's the wire story for ya: LAS VEGAS (AP) — Brock Lesnar stopped heavyweight champion Randy Couture in the second round of their fight at UFC 91 on Saturday night, earning a technical knockout when the referee stepped in as he kept punching after Couture went to the ground. Lesnar, a former NCAA wrestling champion and WWE star, overwhelmed the 45-year-old Couture in just his fourth pro fight. Lesnar sent him to the canvas in the second round with a glancing blow that landed behind the ear and wasted no time in landing numerous hammer fists. Couture was never able to recover and the fight was stopped at 3:07. “It sounds really good,” Lesnar said after being introduced as the new heavyweight champion. “I can’t believe it. I just believe in hard work and it pays off.” The 6-foot-2, 220-pound Couture was at a decided physical disadvantage against the 6-3, 275-pound Lesnar (3-1), who is 31 and at the start of his pro career. Couture (16-9) also had hadn’t fought for 15 months, stepping away when he became fed up with contract squabbles and his inability to land the big fights he really craved. Couture wasn’t sure about his future after the bout. “I still feel like I’m getting better as a fighter so we’ll see,” said Couture, who has two fights remaining on his contract. In the co-main event, Kenny Florian moved one step closer to a title shot when he forced Joe Stevenson to submit in the first round. “This is exactly what I wanted,” Florian said. “I wanted to come out and make a statement.” Florian almost immediately shifted his focus to lightweight champion B.J Penn. “I want B.J.’s belt,” he said. “I consider you a master and now it’s time to kill the master.” Also on the card, Dustin Hazelett defeated Tamdan McCrory via arm-bar at 3:59 of the first round. Gabriel Gonzaga, the last man to face Couture, earned a TKO over Josh Hendricks, dropping him with a hard right before the referee stopped the fight at 1:01 of the first round. Demian Maia made short work of Nate Quarry to remain undefeated, getting him to submit at 2:13 of the first round. In the preliminary bouts, Aaron Riley beat Jorge Gurgel in an unanimous decision. Jeremy Stephens knocked out UFC newcomer Rafael dos Anjos 39 seconds into the third round. Mark Bocek got Alvin Robinson to submit in the third and Matt Brown forced Ryan Thomas to tap with an arm-bar 57 seconds into the second round.

Memo to ROH: Enough Already

2008-11-15T03:16:33Z

So I just plunked down $15 for what I am sure will be another solid pay per view offering from Ring of Honor tonight. And, as "Driven" came on the air, I naively hoped against hope that I would not be once again blinded by the glowing white skin of poorly filmed wrestlers. Alas, I was wrong. And so, I say this: Enough is enough, Ring of Honor. Your product looks like absolute crap. I would not hire your production team to film my wedding, much less put them on pay per view available in millions of homes. As a matter of fact - quite literally - the majority of wedding videos I've seen over the years look considerably better than what is on my TV right now. It's inexcusable in 2008 for a national wrestling product to look as low rent as ROH does. By not investing the necessary money and attention into its production, ROH is becoming its own worst enemy. And it's simply absurd that Cary Silkin, worried about ROH's financial struggles, would take the drastic step of firing a more-than-capable booker in the form of Gabe Sapolsky before he would pump a few thousand dollars into some real cameras and audio that doesn't sound like its coming through a tin can. And before I drive home my next point, let me emphasize that I hate, hate, hate when people use all caps and exclamation points to make their point. That said: ROH, GET SOME DECENT LIGHTING! My God, some of the most rinky dink of independents don't look this bad. Their faces are so washed out in light that you can't see details in wrestlers' faces. You know, little things like their noses. Add to that cheap-looking graphics, sloppy editing, and a bush league ringside set up, and I just can't believe that Cary doesn't notice how bad his product looks nor realize the perception of so many fans. ROH is the woman with the thick mustache that either doesn't realize how bad she looks, or is too lazy to do something about it. As for the die-hard ROH-bots who say, "We don't care about production quality. All we care about is the wrestling!." To them I say this: Get real. The fact is, ROH's sub-par production is one of the major obstacles keeping the company from growing. And if ROH doesn't reverse its fortunes relatively soon, it could conceivably go out of business. It won't matter how talented the wrestlers are if you won't be able to see them anymore. So, ROH, I implore you. Address this problem as soon as possible, whatever it takes. If it means running fewer shows, raising prices on merchandise, or even cutting some talent - do it. I've bashed WWE, WCW and TNA a lot over the years. But I've never said this: In the age of high definition televised wrestling, ROH is becoming, quite literally, unwatchable.

Wrestling's Best Entrance Music

2008-11-14T14:50:17Z

While watching TNA iMPACT! last night and bobbing my head to A.J. Styles theme song, I got to thinking about one small, but significant, area where TNA has been competitive with WWE – ring entrance music. For me, a good entrance song isn’t necessarily radio-friendly, as WWE too often tries to accomplish, but rather captures the essence of a wrestler, immediately grabs the attention of fans, and gets them on their feet. That’s why Steve Austin’s “glass breaking” entrance was one of the best. That said, there are plenty of songs that fit a performer well (The Undertaker’s, Kane’s ) but don’t really do much for me. Again, WWE is too concerned with trying to appear hip and featuring music that sounds similar to Top 40 modern rock songs. But, too often, the end result is bland, familiar sounding songs that are interchangable among most wrestlers (Jeff Hardy’s, Randy Orton’s, etc.) By not abiding by copyright laws, Ring of Honor should have a unique advantage in being able to showcase commercial music. But there are only a couple that I think really get the fans out of their seats. Here’s a sampling of some of my favorites. Feel free to offer your picks for best and worst: 1. A.J. Styles Seemingly inspired by P.O.D's "Alive," the song builds slowly as “The Phenomenal One” makes his way down the aisle with his face obscured by a hood. Just as the music really kicks in, the hood comes off and Styles poses for the crowd. It’s youthful, energetic, and exciting and fits Styles to a T. ]]> 3. Christian Cage If the rumors are true, I’m excited about Cage returning to WWE. But sure will miss his TNA “Evanesence”-inspired TNA theme song. The countdown clock might be a rip off of Y2J, but it’s catchy nonetheless. 4. Bryan Danielson There’s no doubt Europe’s “Final Countdown” is one of the cheesiest songs to come out of a very cheesy era for music, but if you’ve ever attended an ROH show, you know how excited fans get when those first few familiar synthesizer chords ring out. And when the chorus kicks in, you can be sure nearly everyone in the building is singing along. Plus, let’s admit it, there’s something wonderfully cheesey about the American Dragon himself. 5. John Cena I’m not saying it’s not played out, but few things get the fans on their feet like the opening bass line of “My Time is Now.” Written by Cena himself, the song is different than anything else in wrestling, and quite frankly, isn’t a half bad rap. Especially for a white guy. 6. C.M. Punk With its grinding guitars and death metal screams,“This Fire Burns” by Kill Switch Engage is a lot grittier than anything else in WWE, and fits its tatooed, pierced “Punk” perfectly. 7. Edge Alter Bridge’s “Metalingus” was originally remixed for Edge when he was a babyface, but it’s become so much a part of “The Rated R-Superstar’s” act, that it would be hard to imagine him emerging from the smoke to any other tune. 8. The Briscoe Brothers – Lynyrd Skynyrd “Gimme Back My Bullets” is raw, rough and just a little bit trashy, just like Mark and Jay – wrestling’s most exciting tag team. 9. Kurt Angle – After bobbing our heads to his cartoonish “You Suck” WWE music (actually a remake of The Patriot’s WWF theme), TNA did a nice job of coming up with a song that captured Angle’s no-nonsense approach to his matches. Rap music has traditionally not fared well in wrestling, but Angle’s brooding rap-rock mix is a hit. 10. Triple H – Yes, we’ve been hearing it for some eight years now, but Motorhead’s “The Game” remains a blueprint for wrestling theme songs. It builds somewhat slowly, but when it kicks into overdrive, it’s quite a rush. Not unlike a Triple H match. Honorable mentions: Beer Money, Abyss, Jeff Jarrett, Miz & Morrison, Jesse & Festus, Mark Henry, Austin Aries (Personal Jesus), Shawn Michaels

Equally Quick Survivor Series Thoughts

2008-11-13T22:02:29Z

. I'm glad WWE has announced a couple "Classic Survivor Series" tag team elimination matches for the upcoming show. After WrestleMania, Survivor Series is WWE's longest running pay per view show, and it's worth honoring the event's history, if only with a couple matches. It's also a good way to get some talent on the show that would otherwise be left off. But more than that, WWE has actually provided some terrific drama in recent years with the elimination matches, including last year's unlikely duo of Triple H and Jeff Hardy standing victorious. I'm looking forward to this year's show. . But, of course, Survivor Series will be all about one match, and really, one man - John Cena. With WWE's ratings falling to ten year lows, its clear they're banking on Cena to carry this company on his back like never before. Frankly, I think it's a solid strategy. More than anybody in WWE, Cena has broken through as a top star and one half of most any "dream match." The women and kids adore him. The guys love to boo him. And, perhaps most importantly, he's developed into a fine worker, more than capable of putting on a solid main event. WWE writers need to be doubly careful not to stall his momentum with promos and angles that make him look like a dork. And for his own part, Cena needs to be careful in the ring so as not to suffer yet another injury that will sideline him when WWE can least afford it.

Quick TNA Thoughts

2008-11-13T21:43:25Z

. If TNA got a little bit of press for inviting Sarah Palin to its next pay per view show, then that's fine. Obviously, a $50,000 donation to a youth hockey league shouldn't be enough for Palin to further damage her already shaky image. I don't have a problem with publicity stunts, as long as they don't interfere with the actual wrestling product (see McMahon's Million Dollar Mania) but I hope TNA realizes the answer to growing its audience isn't headline-grabbing gimmickry. . While on the subject of TNA, the company deserves a little bit of praise for taking some important steps in recent weeks. The new HD-friendly Impact Zone set looks terrific, and really makes the most of a small space. And I have to admit to being intrigued by the company's main storyline between the Main Event Mafia and the Young Lions - especially if it is a legitimate vehicle toward pushing some of the younger talent. Of course, we've seen this feud before in the form of the New Blood vs. The Millionaire's Club during the dying days of WCW, but at least they've got the roles right this time with the old, rich guys playing the heels and the young, hungry guys playing babyface.

Thoughts on Recent Cuts in WWE and TNA

2008-11-10T23:09:09Z

Aah, future endeavors. In wrestling vernacular, they are best defined as wrestling matches in front of 250 fans at the Podunk Community Center, where you'll do your best to come up with a name that kinda, sorta, not really resembles your WWE moniker without infringing on any copyrights (Super-Duper Crazy?) Sadly, several WWE talents have been wished well on such endeavors over the last week - as have been a couple TNA agents. Here are my thoughts on the recent cuts: Paul London: For me, London's is the biggest shame of all the names that have surfaced on the chopping block. I've long thought that London was the very most underutilized performer in all of wrestling. He had a good look, could do some innovative high spots, could wrestle a believable "heavyweight style," could bump like a mad man, and had an untapped charisma behind the mic. If you want a taste of what London could have done had WWE got behind him, look no further than his 2004 feud with Billy Kidman, which climaxed in their fantastic match at that year's No Mercy. I've heard some rumblings that London may have had some personality issues that limited his push, and, honestly, I hope they are true. Otherwise, what we're left with is another immensely talented performer held back because of his size. Of all of the recent cuts, he's the one I most hope lands on his feet, although his options are few. I'm sure ROH would love to have him back for a show here or there, but it sounds like they’re not exactly in the position to go on a spending spree these days. Elijah Burke: This one's also very disappointing. A year ago, Burke was on course to be one of the breakout stars of ECW, where he delivered some of the best heel promos in the whole brand. I remember being tremendously impressed by his crowd work at a fan event in Detroit over WrestleMania weekend. His ring work was only OK, but he definitely had some star power that WWE chose not to tap into. Too bad. Lena "Yada-Yada" Yada: Good riddance. I couldn't pick her out of a line up. Yada represented the very worst in WWE's hiring practices when it comes to women. She was absolutely nothing more than a pretty face and brought zero to the table other than good looks, which have become a dime a dozen in WWE. Super Crazy: If published reports are right, Crazy's departure was by his own request. Crazy was a good enough worker, but for what he brought to the table - namely daredevil high spots - there are wrestlers far younger, more relevant and capable of more innovative offense. No big loss. My favorite memories of Super Crazy will be sitting near him at this year's Hall of Fame banquet, and watching him be overwhelmed by his two pre-teen kids acting up. He finally got up and left the ceremony. Kenny Dykstra: I was never blown away by Dykstra's work, but there were definitely some redeeming qualities there. Like every other member of the Spirit Squad, his high profile, highly goofy first WWE gimmick may have done irreparable damage. His "repackaging" was about as creatively bankrupt as any gimmick I've ever seen, although he did show some sparks of solid heel arrogance behind the mic in recent weeks. I always thought WWE missed the boat on the perfect gimmick for him - the 1980's teen movie bully, ala Billy Zabka's "Johnny" in the Karate Kid. Chuck Palumbo: I've got mixed feelings on Palumbo. I've always found him to be one of the least charismatic performers in all of wrestling, with an awful name and equally awful look. But Palumbo definitely showed some glimpses of something more in his feud with Jamie Nobel and subsequent heel turn. Overall, though, I won't miss him. And in TNA. Pat "Simon Diamond" Kenny: It was kind of sad seeing the former darling of the independents (1998's Super 8 tournament winner) relegated to taking fans' money for in-ring photos with Kurt Angle. I know his duties as an agent were far more important than that, but that's all many fans got to see in recent years. If you want to know how fickle the wrestling business could be, look no further than the story of wrestling's former power couple Kenny and Dawn Marie, who was canned from WWE for being pregnant. Glenn "Disco Inferno" Gilbertti: With all due respect for Gilbertti, who I've never met, his employment in TNA reeked of the worst of wrestling nepotism. With all the great wrestling minds standing on the unemployment line these days, I can't believe Disco Inferno, of all people, was tapped for an office job in a national wrestling company. Buh-bye. And so what lesson is there to be learned from all these releases? Val Venis must know something horrific about the McMahon family.

WWE's Last "Surviving" Dream Matches

2008-11-10T16:22:17Z

In a panic to boost ratings and buyrates, WWE has squandered a few of its last remaining so-called "dream matches" in recent months. At SummerSlam, the WrestleMania-main event worthy first-time showdown between John Cena and Batista was relegated to mid-card fair. Then, just a few weeks ago, WWE astoundingly gave away the first match in more than seven years between Triple H and the Undertaker as a Smackdown main event. Other big money matches have been thrown together with little fanfare in recent weeks, including the second-only battle among the world champions of all three brands. So what's left? With Survivor Series just around the corner, I thought I'd examine what so-called "dream matches" have survived WWE's shortsighted matchmaking in recent months. I'd like to hear some of your picks too. Keep in mind, I am only including matches possible with WWE's current active roster (including those on the DL) and not including matches involving retired stars like Hulk Hogan, the Rock and Steve Austin. 1. The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels: It's been more than ten years since HBK and the Deadman last mixed it up at 1998's Royal Rumble. Since then, the legend of both superstars has only grown - as has each's in-ring ability. Fans got a taste of how amazing a match between the two icons could be when battled it out as the last two men in 2007's Royal Rumble match. In a recent interview, Michaels suggested that the long-awaited showdown could happen at WrestleMania 25 - and it could be HBK's retirement match. The WrestleMania streak vs. Mr. WrestleMania. I can hardly wait. Hopefully, WWE will have the common sense to keep this match on ice at least until the big show in Texas - the home state of both competitors. 2. John Cena vs. The Undertaker: Not surprisingly, there is quite a drop off from what I consider WWE's hottest dream match above, to this distant second place. As is the case with nearly every match on this list, we've seen it before. But a lot has changed since a mid-card heel Cena feuded with 'Taker back in 2003. Cena has grown to become the company's biggest star, while Taker has cemented his place as one of the company's resident legends. Thanks to the brand split, these two have been mostly kept apart, except for some tag team matches leading up to WrestleMania 23. I think these two would mesh well together in the ring, and be capable of a WrestleMania main-event worthy match. 3. John Cena vs. Jeff Hardy Again, this is not so much a "dream match" as it is a fairy big money match for WWE. I'm fairly certain these two's paths have crossed on Raw over the last couple of years. But never have Cena and Hardy - arguably the number one and number two "hot" acts in the company - had a meaningful match together. Just listening to the crowd reaction in this one would be a blast. 4. Randy Orton vs. Batista Here's one match that WWE has been fairly disciplined about keeping special, despite having a lot of interplay between the two men in recent years. The backstory is compelling. After the collapse of Evolution in 2005, Batista got the WrestleMania main event feud with Triple H and subsequent babyface world title run that was originally reserved for Orton. Since then, both men have achieved similar heights, but the question remains: Who really represented the future of wrestling in Evolution? 5. Shawn Michaels vs. Jeff Hardy These two actually went at it in a spectacular match on a taped edition of Raw in February of this year. Hardy got the clean pin in that one. While WWE may have blown being able to bill it as a "first time ever" match up, I think there's still intrigue in seeing these two battle it out on a meaningful show. For years observers have remarked about the similarities in the careers of Michaels and Hardy. Both were the standout members of highflying tag teams. Both found tremendous success and fan support in their later singles careers. And both, at times, have been their own worst enemies thanks to their behavior outside the ring. It's right out of a movie. 6. Shawn Michaels vs. Rey Mysterio Here's one that I don't think we've ever seen before, although I may be wrong. Quite simply, this would be WWE's two most exciting in-ring performers going at it. Athletically, they should be capable of a classic. 7. Batista vs. Rey Mysterio WWE has done a very nice job over the years in establishing the friendship between Batista and his little buddy Rey Mysterio. That will pay off in dividends when Batista one day blindsides Mysterio (or, theoretically, vice versa) setting up a battle of former friends. Take note TNA: Turns work best when you establish a friendship over more than just one night. 8. John Cena vs. Rey Mysterio Two of WWE's most popular babyfaces (at least with kids) going at it.

What Will Pres. Obama Mean For Wrestling Fans?

2008-11-05T17:13:50Z

Now that America has chosen its new president, what, if any impact, could Barack Obama have our pro wrestling? Here are a few thoughts on how Obama's ideas could trickle down into the ring: The economy: Obama says he'll spark the economy by offering tax cuts that will help low and middle income families. WWE says that 86 percent of its fans are male, with the mean age being 24. It's a good bet that a lot of WWE's fans and their families could benefit from Obama's tax cuts, perhaps meaning more money to buy pay per views, wrestling tickets, and T-shirts. But, by raising taxes on the wealthy, large corporations like WWE and Panda Energy (TNA's corporate backer) could take a hit, and look to cover their losses by cutting jobs. If it means Vince McMahon will no longer be able to afford "McMahon's Million Dollar Mania," then I'm all for it. The War: Obama has opposed the war on Iraq and says he is committed to ending it. However, he also says he would refocus America's efforts in fighting terrorism in Afghanistan. What does that mean for wrestling fans? For one, we can count on having more WWE Christmas with the Troops specials in the foreseeable future - perhaps hosted in Afghanistan rather than Iraq. But whether we are in Iraq or Afghanistan, as long as we're at war in the Middle East, I guess we'll keep getting stereotypical Arab heels, ala Muhammad Hassan and Sheik Abdul Bashir. Education: Obama is in favor of pumping money into early childhood education, as well as making college more affordable by giving aid to students who commit to providing community service after graduating. With WWE's core audience being the college age crowd, that could mean more educated wrestling fans. In turn, that could mean stronger demand for more sophisticated storylines instead of toilet humor. And maybe fans will start spelling better on the signs they take to live shows. Also, with Obama supporting better wages for quality teachers, maybe Matt Striker goes back to his old job. Healthcare: Obama says he'll provide accessible, affordable healthcare for all Americans and reduce healthcare costs $2,500 for a typical family by investing in health information technology, prevention and care coordination. That could mean that uninsured pro wrestlers may be able to take better care of themselves and their families - thereby increasing morale in locker rooms. Also, with Obama saying that a key to reducing the country's healthcare costs if fighting obesity fans may be more comfortable at arenas. And maybe the Manu gets in better shape. Race: Obama's presidency may do more to bridge racial divides than any other singular event in recent history. Broader tolerance in the country as a whole could lead to fewer racial gimmicks (Bye bye Cryme Tyme.) Fortunately, there are few "firsts" left in wrestling, as long before Obama broke the color barrier in the White House, Ron Simmons, wrestling's first black world champion, did so in the wrestling ring. Women's rights: Obama supports a woman’s right to choose, equal pay for equal work, expanding the childcare tax credit and paid sick leave for parents. That could make for a better workplace for WWE's Divas and TNA's Knockouts. It could discourage employers from firing women once they get pregnant, as WWE did to Dawn Marie. It could also encourage promoters to pay their female wrestlers the same as their male ones, perhaps preventing a situation like TNA had when Gail Kim refused their low-ball contract renewal offer last summer. Labor: Obama says he believes that workers should have the freedom to join a union without harassment or intimidation from their employers. Uh oh, Vince.

Interview With Chris Jericho

2008-11-03T21:43:29Z

Last week, I had the opportunity to sit down with Manhasset's own Chris Jericho in New York City - just hours before the premiere of his reality show, "Redemption Song," which airs Wednesday nights at 11 p.m. on the Fuse network. Check your local listings. You can read more about the show here. While I should disclose that Fuse and Newsday are both owned by Cablevision, I can honestly give "Redemption Song" a confident thumbs up. While the formula may be familiar (a group of 11 women competing for a recording contract with one contestant being eliminated each week) the show has enough unique twists - including the full-out beligerant tyrades of a few young ladies who would likely be clinically diagnosed as alcoholics - to make it an entertaining watch. And, as host, Jericho brings his usual wit and charm. But I'd be lying if I said I was most interested in talking to Chris Jericho - the reality show host. In a time when WWE seems as stale as it has in recent memory, one of the few conistent nright spots has been the work of Jericho, who for my money, is the very best thing in WWE today. In this interview, Jericho discusses his historic feud with Shawn Michaels, the truth about WWE writers' involvement in it, why it stood out from everything else on WWE, what it meant to win a world title at this stage in his career, and how he got his smile back - literally - after his particularly violent ladder match with HBK. AC: Explain a little about your new show, “Redemption Song,” and how you were intrigued by the concept. CJ: It was an interesting concept when it was first brought to me, because it's different from the typical reality show fare. You have 11 girls who are all singers, but they’ve all had checkered pasts, troubled pasts, whether it be addictions to different chemicals or sexual issues, or bad relationships or bad decisions that they've made. So this is their chance to kind of redeem themselves, and in some cases, the last chance to really use this talent and try to make it in the music business. The winner of the show gets a contract with Geffen, which is one of the biggest record companies in the world. So there was real prize at stake. It wasn’t just a matter of 11 girls fighting it out to win a date with Jericho. This was not “Jericho of Love.” It was more than that. And even more than that, there was a real heart to the show in the fact that these girls were getting a chance to pull themselves out of this hole they found themselves in and to change their lives and do more positive things. I think that, to me, was the secret to it. There was a real heart behind it and I was really attracted to that. ]]> AC: What was the range of talent you saw in some of these women? CJ: They could all sing. I think there was maybe five of them that were really great singers. And there were a couple who were good singers, a couple that were OK. But they all had chops. They could all be performing somewhere. Some of them could be performing on arena stages. Some of them could be performing in a lounge somewhere. But they all could sing. And you could see that right away. Some of the lesser singers were weeded out, and when it got down to the nitty gritty dogfight towards the last four episodes or so, any one of these girls could win. You could see any one of them being on MTV, or being on Fuse, or being on VH1 or whatever, or having a hit video and having a song that you could hear on the radio. And that, to me, was exciting, because you could see them develop – see their confidence develop, see their abilities develop, see their attitudes change from just wanting to go get drunk, to actually want to make it and be a star. They could actually start to taste it, and when they started to taste it, all the bad habits sort of drifted away and the real them came out. Some of the real people that came out weren’t all that pleasant. You see some of the conflict that comes from some of these different personalities, as well. AC: With your schedule in WWE, how were you able to fit this in? CJ: We were able to work it out. I got permission from WWE, but they actually wouldn’t give me any shows off to do it. So we kind of had to do a little juggling and then make sure that over the course of the three or four weeks that we filmed it, I would go to LA and do the show, fly back to wherever the WWE shows were, fly back to LA. And it just so happened that there were some empty spaces in our schedule during that time. So it was really easy to figure it out and make it roll. AC: So this theme of redemption, I wanted to kind of ask you about. I imagine it’s something that you’ve felt in your career. In the last couple years of your career you’ve gone a lot of different places. You left wrestling to pursue acting, to pursue some of your music, and then came back to wrestling. Have you felt that sort of need for redemption anywhere in your own career, whether it was making it as a musician and showing that you could be a musician, or returning to wrestling after taking a few years off and showing that you still had a passion for wrestling? CJ: Well, I didn’t leave wrestling to pursue those things. I did those things because I had the time to do it. I left wrestling because I was just mentally burned out. It didn’t matter if I had anything else to pursue or not. I was just fried after 15 years straight. And there were other opportunities that were on the table that I wanted to look into, especially with the band. There was a lot of touring overseas that we did, and writing the book that I did, and doing some of the roles that I played and just studying acting, which is something I enjoyed – just studying the craft of it. I did that stuff because I’m a creative person, but it didn’t matter if I had that on the table or not. I still would have taken a break from the WWE and I always knew that I’d come back. I just wasn’t sure when. My mission when I was ready to come back was to come back and be better than ever. So it was nothing that I was taking lightly. And it was great to get that break to kind of clear my mind, to work on some of these other things. And it was great with the band. We got a lot of success, especially overseas. We did great in the UK – England, Ireland, Scotland and Wales. We went back there over, and over again. They kept bringing us back. And we were doing 90 percent sell-outs in all the tours we did. And that was really, really fun – to be able to say that, after just starting the band as just a fun project and then taking it to a serious level and having people get into tunes that we were playing. And then writing the book and seeing that go on the New York Times bestseller list was also another feather in my cap, because that was a big goal for me, as well. And all those things were made possible by the fact that I stepped back from wrestling. But also, my return to wrestling was made possible by the fact that I did these other things. So, when it was time to come back, I was ready and I knew it, and my mindset was there. And it was really kind of easy to step back in. So I don’t think I really needed any redemption. It was just more that I needed a break. AC: I think people are surprised for somebody who admittedly was burned out on the business to come back so strong. People talk about some of the stuff you’ve done with Shawn Michaels being the best that wrestling has seen in many, many years. What do you think was behind it? Why did that stand out from everything else that wrestling is seeing? CJ: Shawn and I, we worked a program back in 2003 for WrestleMania, which worked out great, but there was still so much untapped potential in what we could do. We had great chemistry as friends, as promo adversaries, and especially in the ring. I mean, I’ve never had a bad match with Shawn Michaels and I’ve had, probably, actually four classics in a row for this. I think there’s just great chemistry – both of us just on the same wavelength of, “Let’s just do the best we can in making each other look good.” And we put a lot of thought, a lot of time, and a lot of effort in this storylines. And I think people got into it so much because it was real to them. They weren’t quite sure exactly what was going, because we played it off so differently. I made a real conscious effort to change my entire character, to reinvent myself, to use some of the things that I’d learned over the years, form acting and from all these things that I’ve done, to really drop into this character that I had created that was very different from what I’ve done before, which a lot of people didn’t like. They wanted me to just be Y2J – the fun guy, the jokes. And it was like, I was done with that. It was the new Chris Jericho. No more Y2J. And I was very specific – Take all the Y2J’s out of my “Tron,” don’t ever call me Y2J on a broadcast again. I told Lawler and Michael Cole, don’t ever call me that. Y2J is dead. And as far as I was concerned, he’s gone. He’s dead. This is Chris Jericho in 2008. And I was very specific in playing it a very certain way and never taking my eye off the ball of what this character would do, and really feeling this character. And as a result, the people in the audience really felt it as well, and didn’t like it. I mean, it’s very hard to get true heat as a heel. I think I’ve achieved that. People legitimately don’t like this character, Chris Jericho, which is mission accomplished for me. AC: Some people have suspected that one of the reasons that this has gone over so well – what you did with Michaels – is that you guys really took this by the reigns and handled it yourself and maybe took the writers out of it a bit. What’s the truth behind that? How much of it was you and Shawn behind this yourself? CJ: Well, we were behind a lot of it, but to be honest with you, Brian Gewirtz and Ed Kosky – the writers in WWE that I work with the most, especially Brian – were very, very into it, and very helpful. And we couldn’t have done it without those guys, without Brian. He was awesome for it. I think the writers a lot of time get bad ink. It’s like, “Well, take the writers out the equation and let the wrestlers do it.” That’s not the case. I always work with the writers. They never tell me what to do. I never tell them what to do. We work together. We’re co-writing a song, co-writing it together. And Brian is a great writer. Once he tapped into what we were doing, he’d come up with stuff, and I would come up with stuff, and Shawn would come up with stuff, and we’d go over stuff together and Vince would get involved. Everybody was on board because it was working so well. And the more collaborators you could have who understand what you need to do, the better it is. So we had a lot of input into it, but we were still very open into receiving input from the guys whose job it is to do that. And I was very happy with the team effort we came up with. It would be nice to say that I thought of everything 100 percent and I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread, but that’s not the case. It was a real team effort that really showed on screen. Everybody hit a home run on every single segment that we did for seven months. In my opinion there wasn’t one bad part of that entire seven-month angle. And if I was WWE I’d put that all on a DVD and release it “Jericho vs. Michaels.” You want to know how to put on a story, here’s the DVD. Check it out from beginning to end. AC: Is it sort of bittersweet that it’s come to an end? CJ: No, because, I mean the last thing we had was the ladder match. Jericho vs. Michaels in a ladder match. What else could you do? We beat the crap out of each other in an unsanctioned match. We had classic wrestling matches. We had technical wrestling. We had street fighting. Everything you could do with it, we did. And so there comes a time. You can’t stay with it forever, because then you jump the shark and it’s like, “OK, more of this?” But I think we kept it exciting all the way through, culminating in the ladder match, which a lot of people say was the best ladder match they had ever seen. And to me, that’s a pat on the back, too – especially in this day and age when you’ve seen every single thing you can do in that type of match. We went the opposite way – How can we tell a story? What kind of finish can we do that’s never been done that doesn’t involve one of us setting ourselves on fire and falling through a plate glass window with spikes underneath it? AC: After you mentioned the ladder match, I couldn’t help but look at your teeth and make sure they were all there. What was the story there? Did you go to the dentist the next day? CJ: I went to the dentist later that week and got the cap put in there and got it done. I mean, I think that’s one of the reasons people enjoyed that match. It was apropos. It was real. I lost a tooth. People ask me, “Was that real?” Yeah, it was real. I lost a tooth. Watch it. I should have lost four of them, according to the dentist. It’s not something that I’d ever want to go through again, but the fact that a month later I have all my teeth, everyone’s happy, and everything’s cool – it just adds to the whole intensity of it. AC: Is it some sort of an indictment on WWE that that stood out so much – your whole feud with Shawn? I mean, you talk about releasing a DVD. On one hand, you’re right – it was that good. But why isn’t everything else that good? CJ: Because you can’t teach experience. You have two guys with 35, 40 years experience between us that know how to tap into a story, know how to get a crowd involved in it, know how to engage the people. You just don’t have a lot of guys who know how to do that just from the fact that there aren’t a lot of experienced guys. That’s nothing against the young guys. That’s just the way it is. It’s true. He and I have been around for many years, and have a lot of different places to draw from. And I think that’s the reason why it worked out so good. We had a lot of different attitudes, and mindsets, and ideas – constantly batting ideas back and forth – and were completely confident in each other’s abilities. And also the boss being completely confident in what we could do. There’s not a lot of trust for the younger guys because they haven’t proven themselves to be able to carry something like that. And we did. It started just as one-month side angle that ended up being a seven-month cornerstone of the show that ended with me winning the world title. So, I mean anytime that happens it’s kind of a pat on the back to all of us involved. AC: Six years after you last wore a world title and after taking a couple of years off from the business and wanting to come back better than ever – what did it to you to have a world title around your waist again? CJ: It meant a lot. Any time you can win a world title, it’s like winning an Oscar or something like that. It’s a very important thing because you’re carrying the show. You’re the champion. And the first time I had the title, it was cool. But this time, I really felt like I was the top heel on the show. Nobody could touch me – in the ring, promo-wise outside the ring. And that was a good position to be in – knowing that nobody else should be holding this other than me. And I still feel that way. And the big picture will show. Will I win it again? I don’t know, but I think that I probably will, and when I do, it’ll be the exact same thing as when I had it last. And if I don’t win it again, I’ll still be the most hated heel in the company because I know how to play it at this point in time. AC: You’ve talked about your success as a musician, do you feel that among the 11 contestants [of Redemption Song] and really among the public, that you have been accepted a musician separate from your wrestling job? CJ: I think, like I’ve said, it depends where you go. I did Opie and Anthony this morning and they were raving about “Enemy” being a big hit. “Enemy’s a big hit. Enemy’s a bit hit.” It’s a song from our last record. To me, I think there’s more people who dig what we do than I even realized. And, it’s like I said, we’d go to the UK and we were playing in front of 2,000-seat places, man. Find me some bands who could do that here that are at the level that we’re at. I don’t know that there’s a lot that do. The music industry’s a tough industry. So I think I have a little less expectations of what people know about my band or really think about my band than I really get. I constantly have people coming up and saying, “I love Fozzy. I love Fozzy.” And it’s cool. So I think, if nothing else, just to be the host of Redemption Song, I could always go back to the fact that I have three records in record stores, three records on iTunes. [Cell phone rings.] This might even be David Geffen calling me right now as a matter of fact… No it’s not. AC: It’s Shawn Michaels. CJ: Yeah, he’s telling me to shut up. But it’s one of those things. The proof is in the pudding. We have three records in stores. We’ve sold a couple hundred thousand records worldwide. We’ve played to sold out places around the world. And that, to me, gives us credibility. And even if you’ve never heard of Jericho the singer, you can go on Youtube and check it out. But on top of that there’s 18 years of experience in show business, from wrestling to music, to acting, to writing, to radio shows. So I’m not talking like these girls, these singers couldn’t blow me out of the water. But I’m not talking about vocal ability. I’m talking about what you need to have inside to really, really make it as a musician, as an entertainer or whatever you want to do. AC: Do you ever think about how much bigger your music career could have been? Obviously, you can only focus so much attention on it with your wrestling job, which is kind of all-consuming. Have you thought of, as much success as you’ve had, how much more you could have had? CJ: It’s interesting because you can’t really think of things that way. I’m always really happy with the success that we did have – that we do have. If you said, when we’re overseas especially playing to these crowds that are ranging from sell-outs of 500 people to sell-outs of 2,000 people, a sell-out is a sell-out – to where other bands are buying on to our tour – A.K.A giving us money so they could tour with us because they want the exposure. And we could use that money to get a nice big tour bus, or whatever it is. The whole climbing the ladder in the business was great. And could we have been huge? It’s hard to say. I mean, if we had hit this off at 19 years old, maybe we could be like Metallica. But I started when I was like 29 years old. I already had another career, another life. But I’m very happy with the success that we achieved. And I don’t think you could ever look at it like, “What could we have been?” It’s like, what we are. We’ve played in front of 50,000 people on the same stage as Black Sabbath and Slipknot. That’s pretty cool to be able to say that. And still to be living my dream of what I started out when I was a kid of wanting to be a wrestler and wanting to be a rock star. I’ve gotten a chance to do both of those things – at different levels, but still successful at both. Wrestling’s obviously at the top of the ladder that I can ever be. In the band, we’re successful within the band. And that’s very gratifying for me. AC: You mentioned your childhood. Being in New York, and working for Newsday, I’d be remiss if I didn’t ask you what, if any, memories you have of growing up on Long Island, or, since, we’re right across the street from where your father played, Madison Square Garden. CJ: Yeah, I remember more about the actual Garden than I do about Long Island. I remember we lived by the beach. Manhasset… Oswego Park or Oswego Beach. I just remember playing Wizard of Oz with the kids on my block. That’s it. And there was an old lady who lived next door called Mrs. Beckman. And she was my babysitter and she had a son called Georgie. And Georgie used to give me comic books. So I don’t remember much more about Long Island than that. But I remember going to the Garden and sitting there and thinking it was so loud. “It’s just too loud,” and I’d put my jacket over my ears. I was always really mad when my dad was skating around the ice and he wouldn’t look up and wave at me, like when he was on a break. It was always, “Dad!” So, that’s why it’s always really cool to be able to work at the Garden, and even to be involved with the Fuse network, which is kind of owned by the Garden, right across the street from the Garden. And the Garden is such the epicenter of the entertainment world. Across the entire world, everybody knows the Garden. To be involved once again and working them – like almost being in business with the Garden – is very cool. Actually, we have a show in December there with WWE. So any time I can go there to wrestle or to like be involved with Redemption Song, to be involved with Fuse, it’s almost like it’s my lineage, because I grew up in the Garden, basically. AC: So is there talk of a second season of Redemption Song? A third? CJ: I hope so. I know that they’re very excited about this show. There’s a lot of expectations. There’s a lot of buzz about it. There’s a lot of great reviews. We got a great review in the Post today – three our of four stars. They said I was the greatest host in the history of shows. AC: I don’t think that’s quite what it said. CJ: It was something like that. AC: You’re paraphrasing. CJ: Paraphrasing, of course. I read between the lines. So I hope so. If anything, if Fuse can get more awareness of what the Fuse network is and get more people to check it out, I think that’s going to be a success right there. And if they want to do a second season, I’d be more than happy to negotiate for that.

Ah, memories -- Cena, HHH, Undertaker, and more ...

2008-11-01T01:09:47Z

So it was six years ago -- on the Halloween episode of SmackDown in 2002 -- that this happened. (Yes, that's me dressed as Dudley Do-Right sitting next to Cena as Stephanie's talking). I've blogged before about my role in John Cena's first appearance as the white-boy rapper that ultimately led to his rise to superstardom. But given the day's festivities, I thought I'd retell the story -- along with some other fun backstage tidbits and thoughts inspired by recent events. Enjoy ... ]]> ... Speaking of that 2002 episode, here's another story I wrote about back in April about the Bischoff/Stephanie kiss that night ... Happy Halloween!

Sapolsky On His Firing

2008-10-29T03:48:08Z

I corresponded with former ROH booker Gabe Sapolsky about his firing before I put up my last post, but waited until I had his OK to release the following comment he gave me. Asked for his side of the story, Sapolsky told me, "There really isn't a side to my story. There was no fight or hard feelings. I understand Cary's decision . I love ROH and hopefully everyone will give the new direction a chance." Short and simple. If what Sapolsky is saying is true, it's even more puzzling why the decision was made to let him go. I'd have an easier time accepting that there was some kind of personal falling out between he and Silkin. But it sounds like it's as simple as Silkin not being happy with the job Sapolsky was doing.

My Thoughts on ROH's Creative Shake-Up

2008-10-29T00:08:03Z

Although I wasn’t watching ROH much in the days of the CM Punk-Rick Steamboat rivalry, the war with CZW, and some of the other creative high points of the company, I’ve thought some of the storylines the company has offered in the last year have been among the strongest I’ve seen since I started really following ROH about two years ago. The feud between the Age of the Fall and Austin Aries has produced some incredibly dramatic angles. The rise of Larry Sweeney’s Sweet N’ Sour Inc has been fun to watch. And the evolution of ROH Champion McGuinness into one of the most hated heels in wrestling has been dynamite to witness. What’s more, the storyline with Danielson being forced to beat on pay per view everyone that McGuinness has beat on pay per view before getting a title shot has been brilliant, and will no doubt culminate in another spectacular match between the two longtime rivals. It’s not surprising that Sapolsky would have such a gift for booking, considering he honed his craft in the glory days of ECW under Paul Heyman. Hopefully he’ll land on his feet. I would think he would be an especially good fit in TNA, where his creative input is desperately needed and where a lot of his former ROH colleagues (Samoa Joe, Homicide, Alex Shelly, Jimmy Rave, etc.) could put in a good word for him. More than signing away and aging WWE cast-offs, TNA’s best bet to close the gap between it and WWE may be hiring Sapolsky, and putting WWE’s lackluster booking to shame. As for ROH's future, after achieving some milestones between 2007 and 2008 with the pay per view deal, expanding into new markets including Japan, Canada and Mexico, and playing the Hammerstein ballroom, it’s somewhat apparent that ROH’s progress has stalled. The brass ring for ROH has long been a TV deal, and although there were indications several months ago that such a deal might be close, it never realized. What’s more, although ROH’s athletic quotient has long been its bread and butter, it’s been a while since we’ve heard the kind of buzz over ROH’s talent pool as we did in past years for the likes of Bryan Danielson, Nigel McGuinness, the Briscoes, Takeshi Morishima and Jack Evans. The closest thing the company has had to a breakout star in recent months has been Tyler Black, who is, indeed, awesome to watch, but, by himself, is not enough to get people talking about ROH like they were a few years back. I’m intrigued about the direction in which Sapolsky's replacement, “Scrap Iron” Adam Pearce will take the company. He’s made a name for himself for being a throwback to wrestling’s gritty 1970’s era, and God knows there was no shortage of good booking back then, especially in the NWA territories. I wish him luck in what could be a thankless job. But again, I hope Silkin sees the big picture and realizes that ROH’s booking is not what’s holding the company back. I’ve long said that ROH’s number one priority – before expanding to new markets, discovering new talent, and getting a TV deal – should be improving its production quality. I’ve got to think that every time a prospective TV distributor samples the ROH product, the first thing they notice is the low-rate production – just as many wrestling fans do. I regularly see independent wrestling promotions far smaller than ROH with a far more major league looking product. Nobody is expecting the kind of sleek, million dollar production we get from WWE or even TNA, but ECW circa 1996 looked better on TV than ROH does, with its high school football lighting, handheld camcorder video, public access television editing, and wedding DJ sound system. Regardless of the quality of its booking or its in-ring product, ROH needs to step up its presentation if it wants to be taken seriously. Unfortunately, that may be easier said than done.