I think all wrestlers have a story that really shows how much wrestling means to them. A moment in their lives that they can pinpoint and explain how they emotional connected with wrestling. A son that the only way to bond with his father was by watching wrestling together. Someone new that moved into the neighborhood and found his first friend because they had the same favorite wrestler. The stories I'm sure are endless.
I've talked a few times about how much my grandmother has meant to me as a wrestler. It was her passion for it that drew me to it as a young "golden" boy. Ironic that my favorite wrestler or all time, Ric Flair, was her most hated back then. I wonder what my life would be like today if it wouldn't have been for her fandemonium. I wouldn't have the friends I have today, which in turn means I wouldn't have met my wife which means no second generation wrestlers to debut at a later date. But this isn't my moment.
Since I've lived on my own, I've had a wrestling room. A room in my house or apartment ,at first, that has been dedicated to my wrestling memorabilia. Its kind of taken on a life of its own, alot of the boys hear me or friends talk about it. So when they get a chance to come to town, they almost always want to see what all I have. The process usually involves them saying "Oh, man I had that when I was a kid" or "That is freaking awesome". However most haven't seen my most prized possession. When my grandmother was a kid and watched wrestling in its golden age she kept a little black book were she written down results. This little black book that is close to fifty years old means more to me than anything else in the wrestling room because it holds more sentimental value above all else. But this still isn't my moment.
My friends growing up in school didn't really get into wrestling like I did. But for one year, one glorious year with all the stars in perfect position it became cool to like wrestling. With the NWO, ECW and The Attitude Era it was a marvelous time to be a wrestling fan. We didn't stop with just the major three but we found a local wrestling promotion right here in Dyersburg, Tennessee. Warriors of Wrestling Federation or affectionately WOWF and became a weekly ritual for us. We loved the bad guys and baddest bad guys at WOWF were The Missouri Bad Boys.
We talked all week about going to wrestling that weekend and even took time to make our own homemade Missouri Bad Boys tshirts. That afternoon before the show my mother told me that I couldn't go because we were broke. I was raised by a single mom and it broke her heart to have to tell me. We didn't have $5. I was crushed! I told my mother it was ok and I understood. I called my grandmother and asked if I could borrow $5 dollars so I could go to wrestling and she of course said ok and told me to come get the money. When I arrived my grandfather handed me a $5 bill and I just bursted into tears. I guess it was pride or something. It just meant so much to me to go, not for my friends but for myself. My grandparents consoled me and ended up giving me $40 so I could go to wrestling as much as I wanted. When I got back in the car that when I realized how much wrestling meant to me, that was my moment. I realized it wasn't JUST wrestling, it was WRESTLING and it’s been WRESTLING ever since.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
"Peanut Butter & Jelly"
Can you imagine the last thirty years of pro wrestling without music? No glass breaking for a "Stone Cold" Steve Austin entrance, no unmistakable guitar riffs, no spine rattling drums. Great moments that no longer exist because there wasn't a soundtrack for that moment. Music is truly a universal language and has made its impact on every form of entertainment and pro wrestling is no different.
Now we all know that Michael Hayes is credited with being the first to use rock music in his entrances. From Lynyrd Skynyrd's "Freebird" to one of my all time favorites "Badstreet USA" ,where Mr.Hayes sang lead vocals, his impact on the business in this aspect is legendary. Now look how far we've come with music in pro wrestling. WWE alone has released 22 albums that have done very well commercially.
Now P.S. Hayes wasn't the first to come out to music in general and I don't know if anyone really knows who the first actually was. I remember my grandmother telling me that Gorgeous George use to come out to "Pomp and Circumstance" or the graduation theme as you may know it. Of course it will always be Macho Man's music to me. At the request of Vince McMahon Sr, Sgt. Slaughter used The Marine Corps' Hymn in the late 80s. Music has had as much of impact on wrestling as anything else.
In 2009, music and wrestling are a given. I've had to work shows were the sound equipment breaks or the guy who owns the speakers quit the company. Now to enter without music, it seems like something is missing not just to me but the fans as well. It’s like..... like eating a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich without the jelly, I promise and when "The Golden Boy" Greg Anthony makes a promise it’s as good as gold
"Not Ultimate to Me"
With Brock Lesnar's actions at UFC 100 many people are up at arms in the sports world. Am I? No, I love hearing about controversy especially in sports. What I don't like is article's like this http://sports.yahoo.com/mma/news?slug=dw-lesnar071209&prov=yhoo&type=lgns and Dana White placing blame or judgment on pro wrestling. Lesnar's controversial actions had nothing to do with Vince McMahon or WWE. It had everything to do with a balls to walls competitor who silenced his critics.
I personally am not compelled to watch UFC. It’s like ice cream, it’s just not my favorite flavor. I however am compelled by their achievements in the sports world. Some think that UFC is bigger than pro wrestling but that doesn't matter to me because I'm a wrestling fan, not a MMA fan. I'm just tired of hearing Dana White tell us how his product is better than pro wrestling in general.
I think Dana making Brock apologize is quite simply a bad business decision. Mr. White says and I quote “You don’t have to act like something you’re not. This isn’t the WWE. I don’t ask these guys to act crazy so we get more pay per views. That’s not the business I’m in.” Well if you're not in selling pay per views then what business are you in, Dana? Oh, that’s right.. I'm sorry you run a legitimate MMA promotion. You are creating a level playing field for the best MMA fighters to make it to the top of their profession right? Then why did Brock Lesnar get a UFC title shot in the first place?
Brock lost his debut UFC contest to Frank Mir. Mir had been never actually been beaten when he lost the belt in 2005,so how did Brock Lesnar leapfrog Mir to get a title shot? How did Lesnar with a 1-1 record prove to UFC that he deserved a title shot? I'll tell you how, because Brock Lesnar is a household name. Don't get me wrong a very talented individual but name recognition was the high power in this scenario. Let's not forget why Brock Lesnar is a household name and that's because of pro wrestling. More specifically WWE, Vince McMahon, The Rock, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, John Cena and anyone else who worked with Brock to make sure that he was a household name.
So now you have Brock Lesnar as your UFC champion. A champion whose name is more recognizable than any other UFC champion in history defending his title against a man who defeated him in his debut and never lost the title to begin with. Wow, you couldn't have SCRIPTED it even better. All of this just happen to culminate at UFC 100, how ironic such a historic match taking place at such a historic even. Dana White uses the promoting style and business practices that pro wrestling has used for over a century then acts like he's above it all. Cashing checks and making millions but saying he's not in the business to sell pay per views. He shuns pro wrestling but drooled to capitalize on a guy like Brock Lesnar. That’s the definition of hypocrisy, I promise and when "The Golden Boy" Greg Anthony makes a promise it’s as good as gold
I personally am not compelled to watch UFC. It’s like ice cream, it’s just not my favorite flavor. I however am compelled by their achievements in the sports world. Some think that UFC is bigger than pro wrestling but that doesn't matter to me because I'm a wrestling fan, not a MMA fan. I'm just tired of hearing Dana White tell us how his product is better than pro wrestling in general.
I think Dana making Brock apologize is quite simply a bad business decision. Mr. White says and I quote “You don’t have to act like something you’re not. This isn’t the WWE. I don’t ask these guys to act crazy so we get more pay per views. That’s not the business I’m in.” Well if you're not in selling pay per views then what business are you in, Dana? Oh, that’s right.. I'm sorry you run a legitimate MMA promotion. You are creating a level playing field for the best MMA fighters to make it to the top of their profession right? Then why did Brock Lesnar get a UFC title shot in the first place?
Brock lost his debut UFC contest to Frank Mir. Mir had been never actually been beaten when he lost the belt in 2005,so how did Brock Lesnar leapfrog Mir to get a title shot? How did Lesnar with a 1-1 record prove to UFC that he deserved a title shot? I'll tell you how, because Brock Lesnar is a household name. Don't get me wrong a very talented individual but name recognition was the high power in this scenario. Let's not forget why Brock Lesnar is a household name and that's because of pro wrestling. More specifically WWE, Vince McMahon, The Rock, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle, John Cena and anyone else who worked with Brock to make sure that he was a household name.
So now you have Brock Lesnar as your UFC champion. A champion whose name is more recognizable than any other UFC champion in history defending his title against a man who defeated him in his debut and never lost the title to begin with. Wow, you couldn't have SCRIPTED it even better. All of this just happen to culminate at UFC 100, how ironic such a historic match taking place at such a historic even. Dana White uses the promoting style and business practices that pro wrestling has used for over a century then acts like he's above it all. Cashing checks and making millions but saying he's not in the business to sell pay per views. He shuns pro wrestling but drooled to capitalize on a guy like Brock Lesnar. That’s the definition of hypocrisy, I promise and when "The Golden Boy" Greg Anthony makes a promise it’s as good as gold
"You Don't Watch Wrestling?!"
One of my biggest pet peeves as a wrestler is hearing another wrestler say that they don't watch wrestling. It just doesn't make any sense to me. Would you be in a rock band and say you don't listen to music? Or maybe you're an aspiring professional basketball player but you don't watch the NBA. One of my favorite sayings is "To know where you're going, you have to know where you've been" but by the same token you have to know where you are. You have to know what is going on in the present and if you're not watching then you are behind the curve.
Most of those who utter this phrase give the same excuse. Its not as good as it use to be. What that really means is, its not as good as it was when I was 8 and because I supposedly know the ends and outs of the business the magic is gone. I myself have the opposite opinion because I know the ends and outs it has opened up whole other realm that I didn't know existed when I was 8. However don't misunderstand, nothing is greater now then when even I have suspension of disbelief when watching a great match. Most recently Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV.
When a younger wrestler asks me for advice on how they can get better my first response is always "Watch as much wrestling as you can". Between RAW, Smackdown, Superstars, ECW, TNA there are 8 hours of original wrestling programming a week. If you have satellite then you could possibly watch AAA lucha libra, NWA Showcase or ROH. Although just watching isn't the main goal, its studying it. Whether you're a wrestler, booker, referee, commentator, ring announcer or anything else in between you can learn something from somewhere each week.
Now am I saying that I love everything that is put on television in today's wrestling? Of course not, I have my own opinions just like many do. Just like many within those same companies may not like some aspects. I was working at a wrestling show and I was in the locker room watching the monitor as a match was taking place. Bill Dundee was there that night and he asked me in that unmistakable Bill Dundee accent "What are watching this shit for, kid?" and in a quick witted response I said "Sometimes to know what does work, first you have to know what doesn't." Bill mumbled something and kind of just shuffled off.
The phrase I hear more often than not from past generations, the generations that most were able to make a living at pro wrestling is learn your craft. That means get as much ring time as you possible can but when you can't be in the ring then try to learn from the next best thing and thats studying. Watching Flair, Michaels, Jericho, Ted Dibiase Sr, Arn Anderson(just to name a few) is going to do more for you then working a 10 minute "Blind leading the Blind" match every week.
During one the seasons of WWE's Tough Enough there was a super athletic guy trying out. Physically he could anything you asked him to do. Jim Ross asked him if he could do The Spin-a-roonie. The guy asked "What's a spin-a-roonie?". Jim Ross became frustrated that this guy didn't even watch the product. He wasn't a wrestling fan, he was just an athletic guy. If you're not a fan of wrestling, if you don't love wrestling then you won't last long in wrestling and if you don't watch the product then Jim Ross might ask you do something you've never heard of, I promise and when "The Golden Boy" Greg Anthony makes a promise its as good as gold
Most of those who utter this phrase give the same excuse. Its not as good as it use to be. What that really means is, its not as good as it was when I was 8 and because I supposedly know the ends and outs of the business the magic is gone. I myself have the opposite opinion because I know the ends and outs it has opened up whole other realm that I didn't know existed when I was 8. However don't misunderstand, nothing is greater now then when even I have suspension of disbelief when watching a great match. Most recently Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXV.
When a younger wrestler asks me for advice on how they can get better my first response is always "Watch as much wrestling as you can". Between RAW, Smackdown, Superstars, ECW, TNA there are 8 hours of original wrestling programming a week. If you have satellite then you could possibly watch AAA lucha libra, NWA Showcase or ROH. Although just watching isn't the main goal, its studying it. Whether you're a wrestler, booker, referee, commentator, ring announcer or anything else in between you can learn something from somewhere each week.
Now am I saying that I love everything that is put on television in today's wrestling? Of course not, I have my own opinions just like many do. Just like many within those same companies may not like some aspects. I was working at a wrestling show and I was in the locker room watching the monitor as a match was taking place. Bill Dundee was there that night and he asked me in that unmistakable Bill Dundee accent "What are watching this shit for, kid?" and in a quick witted response I said "Sometimes to know what does work, first you have to know what doesn't." Bill mumbled something and kind of just shuffled off.
The phrase I hear more often than not from past generations, the generations that most were able to make a living at pro wrestling is learn your craft. That means get as much ring time as you possible can but when you can't be in the ring then try to learn from the next best thing and thats studying. Watching Flair, Michaels, Jericho, Ted Dibiase Sr, Arn Anderson(just to name a few) is going to do more for you then working a 10 minute "Blind leading the Blind" match every week.
During one the seasons of WWE's Tough Enough there was a super athletic guy trying out. Physically he could anything you asked him to do. Jim Ross asked him if he could do The Spin-a-roonie. The guy asked "What's a spin-a-roonie?". Jim Ross became frustrated that this guy didn't even watch the product. He wasn't a wrestling fan, he was just an athletic guy. If you're not a fan of wrestling, if you don't love wrestling then you won't last long in wrestling and if you don't watch the product then Jim Ross might ask you do something you've never heard of, I promise and when "The Golden Boy" Greg Anthony makes a promise its as good as gold
"TANK"
I hate when someone passes away and no matter what kind of life they lead people sing their praises. I look at each death with one question "Is the world a better place because they aren't in it?" The world is NOT a better place because of Tank's death. Not a better place for his family, not a better place for our wrestling community and not a better place for me.
Tank and I didn't agree on everything but I liked him. Creatively I needed Tank, his size made him a unique commodity for any show. In New Blood Wrestling, Tank wanted to use the old King Kong Bundy 5-count gimmick. So I came up with The Triple 5 Challenge. He could beat any opponent in under 5 minutes with a 5-count and if he didn't his opposition won $5,000. I really like that one but unfortunately it wasn't given the time to mature and if I'm not mistaken, I think he used it again this year in NBW. I also used him for a few weeks in Lethal Attitude Wrestling leading up to the $10,000 Royale Challenge. A 20 man battle royal whose ending was centered around "The One Man Wrecking Crew" Tank.
I would like to give my deepest sympathies to Tank's family and closest friends. I know you are missing him in a way many of us can't fathom. I urge anyone who has wrestling footage of Tank to give it to his wife. So his children can one day enjoy seeing what Tank enjoyed doing. Tim "Tank" Robertson will never be forgotten, I promise because he was as good as gold
"Desperately Seeking Tommy Young"
Tommy Young was a perfect complement to any match. His reactions were, for lack of a better term, dead on. When most refs are called upon to make a "mistake" they end up burying themselves. Taking all the heat away from the heel. Any mistake Young made in the fans eyes wasn't his fault, it was that dastardly bad guys doing. Yes, he did all of this and did it without taking any attention away from the ones actually competing in the match.
When Flair and Steamboat were creating consistent classics, Tommy's reactions to their chops, drops and pops were just as important as the athleticism themselves. Most importantly his reactions in no way took away from the match, if anything it added to it. That is a lost art in pro wrestling. Subtly being able to make a great match even better. Today refs are used and abused with no authority. Remember when Flair would push Young and Young would push back? Some say that makes Flair look weak. Well after Tommy would push Flair, Flair would begin to chase him. Tommy would take refuge behind the babyface. Leaving Tommy secure with his authority and putting the focus back where it should be on the babyface.
Now Tommy isn't the only great ref. Marc Curtis was another great man in stripes. Heard Marc was actually a hell of worker before he went to being an official. I would love to see some of his matches. Earl Hebner, Charles Robinson and Tim White are others that have done an excellent job. I'm not a fan of heel refs but Nick Patrick is the blueprint for that role. Not too long ago I saw Scott Armstrong DQ a tag team on live television because they didn't get out of the ring by the five count. Which I'm pretty sure wasn't the finish but I loved it. The bottom line is without authority there's anarchy. Even in pro wrestling I promise and when "The Golden Boy" Greg Anthony makes a promise it’s as good as gold
"And in this corner... The Dirty Blondes!!"
When “Trendsetter” Jon Michael and "Girlcandy" Christian Jacobs met they quickly became fast friends. It didn't take long for them to decide to become a tag team. The hard part was picking a name. I was working in Osceola, Arkansas at the time when Trendy and CJ wanted to come in together. Big Daddy LaFonce the owner/operator/wrestler of Mid Southern Championship Wrestling asked me if they had a tag name. Of course they hadn't come up with one just yet but Big Daddy wanted something to plug on the show and print on the posters. So I brainstormed for a few minutes and come up with The Dirty Blondes!
Now let me explain my position on this subject. I'm a huge fan of The Hollywood Blondes, any version really. Buddy Roberts/Jerry Brown, Rip Rogers/Terry Oates and of course Steve Austin/Brian Pillman. I also was a fan of other Blonde gimmicks like The Blonde Bombers, Ray Stevens/Pat Patterson, Larry Latham/Wayne Ferris or Moondog Spot/Honky Tonk Man to those who didn't know. I enjoyed working with Ron Rage and Mickey Ray as The Blonde Bombers when I first broke in. So when I came up with the name for Trendsetter and CJ, it was meant to be a double entendre. The Dirty Blondes, most would think of the hair color meaning but it was actually referring to them being heels.
I was so proud of my creative aspiration but I was soon deflated when I told Jon Michael and CJ. I could see on their faces that they were less than enthused. They really were good sports and they told me as delicately as they could that they didn't like nor would they be using the name THE DIRTY BLONDES. I felt like I had let them down, but I marched on.
We arrived in Osceola together and the tone of the night was set by Big Daddy himself when he pointed to Jon Michael and CJ and asked "Are these The Dirty Blondes?" To which JM and CJ quickly and respectfully replied "No, we're "Trendsetter" Jon Michael and "Girlcandy" Christian Jacobs." I explained the situation to Big Daddy and agreed to let The Dirty Blondes off the hook. The rest of the night played out like a SNL skit with wrestler after wrestler asking "Are you The Dirty Blondes?" I got a nice giggle out of it but you could tell it was wearing thin on JM and CJ. They had a good match with two guys I forget about now but the highlight for me was when the announcer, whom we forgot to tell about our situation, said "And in this corner.... THE DIRTY BLONDES!!!" It took about 8 seconds for Trendsetter to grab the mic and tell everyone that they were not The Dirty Blondes but they were the.... uh.... The Prime Time Players(a gimmick that JM had used with several people in the past including me).
As much as I enjoyed The Dirty Blondes, Jon Michael and CJ would later decide on Picture Perfect. Probably the most recognizable tag team name in this area over the last 5 or 6 years. Chris O'Neal would join the fold and several versions of PP have been a solid asset to any roster. I'll be the first one to admit Picture Perfect is a much better fit than TDB. However The Dirty Blondes may be gone but I promise they'll never be forgotten and when "The Golden Boy" Greg Anthony makes a promise it’s as good as gold
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