Wrestling with Emotion -- Previewing the Ring of Honor World Championship Tournament

Wrestling with Emotion – Previewing the Ring of Honor World Championship Tournament

For the first time in company history, the Ring of Honor World Championship is vacant after the injury / rumored walkout by current champion Jay Briscoe. Ring of Honor matchmaker Nigel McGuiness stripped Briscoe of the championship shortly after the Best in the World event and ROH TV taping on June 22nd and 23rd. On July 27th in Providence, Rhode Island, the first opening round matches of a 16-man single elimination tournament take place. This tournament will ultimately culminate with a new Ring of Honor World Champion crowned on September 20th and 21st during Death Before Dishonor XI Weekend in Chicago, Illinois. 

 

In looking at the bracket, the tournament looks like one of the best pure wrestling tournaments in a long time. Almost every opening round match has the potential to be a classic. Considering the time for recuperating between tournament matches, everyone should enter each match at 100% and be able to deliver a classic. The Ring of Honor World Championship Tournament has the potential to be something truly amazing for the promotion. With that said, that does not mean the tournament is completely unpredictable either. A few entrants clearly do not intend to stay long in Ring of Honor. A few entrants do not have “world champion” qualities. In addition, the tournament itself is missing some huge names on the ROH roster that could have made a great tournament into something even greater. 

In the opening round, one match stands out above all others as the premiere contest of the opening round – Mark Briscoe vs. Adam Cole. Adam Cole is currently in the midst of a heel turn and is on the verge of doing great things in Ring of Honor. Meanwhile, Mark Briscoe appeared to walk out on the promotion alongside his brother Jay in June. Therefore, his entry into the tournament puts doubt into the talks that both Briscoes left ROH. Both Cole and Briscoe are among the most talented and most worthy of a world championship reign in the field. Why they are meeting in the opening round is a complete mystery to me. 

The opening round matches between Paul London and Michael Elgin, Brian Kendrick and Kevin Steen, and Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal all have potential to be outstanding contests. In addition, all three are so easily predictable even Stevie Wonder could see the outcome in advance. London, Kendrick, and Dutt are all tremendous wrestlers who will not stay in Ring of Honor long-term. I cannot see any of these three picking up a victory in the opening round over one of ROH’s biggest and brightest stars. In fact, the only competitor in the tournament field making a cameo appearance to get out of the opening round will be “Machine Gun” Karl Anderson. Facing ACH – a competitor I question being in the tournament in the first place – Anderson will easily advance and set up a rematch from ROH TV in April between Anderson and Elgin. 

In mentioning ACH’s seemingly undeserved spot in the 16-man field, I believe he is not alone in not deserving a spot in the tournament when so many talents are not in the tournament. Despite contract issues possibly leading to the end of their time in Ring of Honor, I do not understand why former ROH World Champions Davey Richards or Eddie Edwards are both on the outside of the bracket looking in. ACH, the winner of a play-in match between Adam Page and Silas Young, and the four above-mentioned competitors who are not ROH roster members are a part of the tournament while two of the best performers in the world are not. In addition, both Bobby Fish and Kyle O’Reilly of the World Tag Team Champions reDRagon, QT Marshall, Cedric Alexander and Caprice Coleman are all not a part of the tournament. I just do not understand the logic behind some of the performers booked to be in and left out of the tournament. It does not make sense to me how essentially bring in higher guns for a match sounds better than using the talent on the current every day roster. 

Over the next two months, this single-elimination tournament has the potential to deliver some of the best wrestling matches of 2013. Even in losing efforts, some men potentially can reestablish themselves as elite competitors while others can breakout as stars on the rise. By the time Death Before Dishonor happens in Chicago, I believe the final four in the tournament will be Adam Cole, Tommaso Ciampa, Michael Elgin, and Kevin Steen. The tournament appears to be a long showcase for “Unbreakable” Michael Elgin to show himself as the best wrestler in Ring of Honor today. A long showcase but a worthy showcase as Michael Elgin is currently the man Ring of Honor needs to put the strap on heading into a new era in ROH. The complete wrestler, Elgin brings a combination of power, speed, skills, and intensity second to none into the ring every time he laces his boots. 

 

The Ring of Honor World Championship Tournament is Michael Elgin’s tournament to lose.

The Highlight Reel presents This Week's Recap for July 22nd

THIS WEEK’S RECAP…

Superstar of the Week: Chris Sabin

 

At the Destination X edition of TNA Impact on Thursday night, Chris Sabin did the unthinkable when he defeated champion Bully Ray to win the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. Sabin, coming off back-to-back reconstructive knee surgeries and the majority of two years on the injured list, scored the biggest win of his 13-year career with arguably the biggest upset in TNA Wrestling history. With the win, Sabin became the sixth man to win the Triple Crown (World, X-Division, and Tag) in TNA Wrestling.

Personally, I did not think TNA would pull the trigger on this title change and put the world championship on Chris Sabin - a man with the personality of stale garbage. However, fans were positive towards the title change with many thrilled to see one of the longest-tenured employees in TNA reach the top of the mountain. Ultimately, I believe Chris Sabin’s title reign will be similar to those of Tommy Rich in 1981 and Ronnie Garvin in 1987 in the NWA or the World Heavyweight Championship reigns of Jeff Hardy in 2008 and Dolph Ziggler in 2013. Sabin’s TNA World Heavyweight Championship reign is going to be meaningless in the grand scheme of things. If Sabin holds the championship longer than two months or has any successful championship defenses, I will be greatly surprised. 

Still, Chris Sabin did the unimaginable on Thursday night. Chris Sabin is now the TNA World Heavyweight Champion. That is a tremendous accomplishment for one of the hardest working men in TNA.

Jerk of the Week: Rolling Stone Magazine

The August 1st issue of Rolling Stone magazine features Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev on the cover. The magazine features a story on the downfall of the young man from a promising student to a radical Muslim terrorist. In the aftermath of putting Tsarnaev on the cover, multiple major retailers pulled the magazine from their shelves while widespread criticism came as the magazine glamorized terrorism. Instead of apologizing for the inappropriate cover, Rolling Stone wrote a letter stating how inappropriate a boycott of their publication was. 

I believe Rolling Stone deserves a permanent boycott from these major retailers because of this cover and their callous, egotistical, “any publicity is good publicity” mindset handling the controversy. Rolling Stone irresponsibly publicized a terrorist and not-so-subtly encouraged more troubled youth to commit similar horrible acts too in order to gain fame and attention. In addition, Rolling Stone thrived on the attention to a point where they turned a blind eye to their own misdeed because the attention justified everything. 

Tsarnaev did not land on the cover of Time, Newsweek, or another news-based publication to create this controversy. Those publications, in reporting the news, have to include the vilest of human scum on the cover occasionally. However, Rolling Stone is not one of those publications; it is an entertainment-based publication. There is nothing entertaining about glamorizing one of America’s most recent monsters. Then again, nothing about Rolling Stone has been entertaining in a long time either. 

Babe of the Week: Jana Kramer

 

A Melancholy Happy Trails to…
- Dennis Farina, 69 - American actor best known for Law and Order, Get Shorty, and Midnight Run (July 22nd)
- Helen Thomas, 92 - American journalist, author, and long-time White House correspondent (July 20th) 

A Special Congratulations to… Hillary Scott

Hillary in April at the ACMs;
the footprints tweeted by Hillary along with the birth announcement.

Congratulations are in order for Hillary Scott of Lady Antebellum and her husband Chris Tyrrell as their first child, a daughter named Eisele Kaye Tyrrell, was born on July 22nd in Nashville. 

The Highlight Reel presents This Week's Recap for July 16th!

This Week’s Recap…

Superstar of the Week: Scott Dixon

 

There is no more dominant athlete right now in his or her respective sport than Scott Dixon. In the last week, Dixon has emerged as a contender for a third IndyCar Series Championship with three consecutive victories. On Sunday July 7th, Dixon headed a one-two-three finish for Target Chip Ganassi Racing as Dixon won in the IndyCar Series’ first event at Pocono Raceway in 24 years. Then, Dixon swept the doubleheader of race action on the street circuit in Toronto with a hard-fought victory on Saturday, July 13th over Sebastien Bourdais and a dominant performance on Sunday, July 14th.  

Dixon currently sits second in the championship standings, 29 points behind points leader Helio Castroneves, with six races remaining in the season. While I would love to see Helio finally win an IndyCar Series Championship – something the Brazilian has never accomplished, I believe the man to beat in the series currently is Dixon. “The Iceman” from New Zealand is running with a quiet confidence defining of his career. Three victories in a row appear to be just the beginning of Scott Dixon’s run to glory in 2013.

Jerk of the Week: The Jury at the George Zimmerman Trial

I am not going to spend much time or effort on this case; much like George Zimmerman when given the case to either ignore 17-year-old Trayvon Martin or racially profile him on a February night in 2012. 

Late Saturday night, after 16 hours of deliberation, a jury of six Florida women determined that George Zimmerman was not guilty on the charges of manslaughter or second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. By this point, we all know the story – Zimmerman, a neighborhood watch volunteer, encountered Martin as the teenager walked home after stopping at a convenience store for Skittles and a drink. A fight ensued. Martin overpowered his older counterpart in the physical fight. Zimmerman shot Martin in the aftermath of the fight at point blank range.

The jury said Zimmerman is innocent. Some said innocent and others said guilty in the court of public opinion. Personally, I think Zimmerman was guilty of creating an unwarranted situation through racial profiling that ultimately ended Martin’s life and altered his own life forever. Did that fit into the definition of second-degree murder or manslaughter? I doubt it. However, the idea that George Zimmerman is getting off without some form of punishment for the death of Trayvon Martin is just mind-numbingly stupid. The 911 phone call between Zimmerman and a 911 operator clearly showed Zimmerman defied orders when he confronted Martin after calling for help. George Zimmerman was the instigator in this situation. Therefore, he is ultimately responsible for Martin’s death. Since this was no tragic accident, Zimmerman should face some form of punishment other than simple notoriety.

I know many say the prosecution did a poor job of proving George Zimmerman’s guilt. However, I have always believed in the notion: “where there is smoke, there is fire.” Zimmerman smells like smoke because he’s been through fire. I think there was a level of accountability Zimmerman needed to face and this not guilty verdict skirts it. Sadly, the American Legal System played out perfectly and a man who shot a 17-year-old boy – an act nobody doubts happened – is getting away without any form of punishment. Somebody is a jerk in this. I am blaming the jury and giving them the Jerk of the Week dishonor. However, the reality in the matter is this case is a shining example of why the whole bloody system needs an overhaul.

Babe of the Week: Gail Kim

 

A Melancholy Happy Trails to…
- Cory Monteith, 31 – Canadian-born actor best known as Finn Hudson on Glee (July 13th)
- Chase, 13 – American golden retriever best known as the bat dog and mascot for the Trenton Thunder AA baseball team (July 8th)
- Jim Kelly, 67 – American martial artist and actor (June 29th)
- Matt Osborne, 55 – American professional wrestling best known as Doink the Clown (June 28th)

A Sign The End is Upon Us… Royal Baby Mania!



If you are anything like Crazy Ralph and me, you are already sick of the hype job performed by the global media in anticipation of the greatest thing since Sliced Bread: the Royal Baby. 

 

I do not get why America feels any need to talk about or even address these people. Say what you want about Kim Kardashian and the Kimye but at least Kim Kardashian gave us a sex tape before her lady business was ruined pushing out the spawn of ego and undeserved self-worth. What has Kate Middleton gave us? Nothing! What has the Royal Family given us? Nothing! Our forefathers got on ships and fled to America to escape these people. Why does our media and why do so many Americans care about the Royal Family or William and Kate’s Royal Baby? This nonsense is making national news. When Brian Williams is talking about a silver spoon using, snot dripping, British poster child of absurdity on the NBC Nightly News, something is seriously freaking wrong with the system!  Crazy Ralph is right: we are doomed!

Wrestling with Emotion -- Bits and Pieces around the Wrestling World

Wrestling with Emotion – Bits and Pieces around the Wrestling World…

The Final Days of TNA Wrestling… 

 

Last week, TNA Wrestling released five performers from their contracts: Madison Rayne, Crimson, Joey Ryan, Taeler Hendrix, and Christian York. This week, TNA Wrestling announced the release of Matt Morgan as well. Rumors accompanied these roster moves that TNA Wrestling was struggling to pay talent and vendors. With these rumors, the most popular story in TNA Wrestling’s 11-year history gained a new life as the IWC all resumed digging the grave for the anti-WWE they started digging in 2002. 

I did not like some of the roster moves. I did not like them but I could understand some of them. Madison Rayne is currently on maternity leave as she expects her first child. More important though, Madison Rayne dedicated herself more to bodybuilding pageants in the last year than her professional wrestling career. I love Madison Rayne. The “Queen Bee” of TNA was one of my favorite characters in all of professional wrestling at one time in 2011. However, Madison seemed burned out and that is why she was more motivated to paint herself orange and pimp supplements than work inside the squared circle. In all honesty, I think her release was a long time coming. 

The Gut Check contestants released – Joey Ryan, Taeler Hendrix, Christian York – all are testaments to the complete worthlessness of TNA Gut Check. What started as an outstanding idea to discover new talent has turned into a complete bust that is none of the talent’s fault. TNA obvious has little to no interest in using these new talents. Joey Ryan developed a cult following (the 87%) and a fun gimmick based on sleaze. Instead of pushing Ryan, especially in the X-Division, TNA paired Ryan with Matt Morgan for no reason and ultimately failed miserably. York received a solid push for three months before the company cast York aside for no reason. Taeler Hendrix worked two matches in TNA – both well received – and got the axe. What was the point of Gut Check if these young talents were never going to get a fair chance to be a star? 

The two moves that annoyed me the most though were the releases of Crimson and Matt Morgan. Crimson went undefeated for 462 days in TNA, lost one match to James Storm at Slammiversary 2012, lost one match to Devon on Impact, disappeared for over a year, returned to lose a match to Joseph Park, and disappeared again. What kind of booking is that for a man who was supposed to be the “future of TNA Wrestling?” Still, that is better than the last 18 months of Matt Morgan’s career in TNA. Morgan went from a main event star and future TNA World Heavyweight Champion to a disgruntled employee gimmick that saw Morgan “fired,” “rehired,” aligned with Joey Ryan, bullying Hulk Hogan, harassing Sting, losing in matches against mid-carders, and ultimately his contract termination. 

As surprising as it was to see TNA release multiple performers so quickly, it was equally surprising (though it should have been) to see the IWC putting the finishing touches on TNA Wrestling’s obituary because of the above releases. WWE releases performers all of the time. For a long time, the massive release became an annual event known as Black Friday. Nobody ever said WWE was going out of business. Then again, when dealing with the IWC, nobody wants the WWE to go out of business. On the other hand, it will be one of the greatest days in the collective IWC’s life when TNA Wrestling finally closes its doors forever because “TNA isn’t WWE so it is bad.”

These were roster moves and nothing more. I refuse to believe that seven roster moves of seven talents, misused or not, being paid for nothing signify the end days of the premiere professional wrestling company in America today. None of the IWC clowns suckling on the sports entertainment teat of blind WWE love will get their wish of a TNA-free world anytime soon.

What the hell, Ring of Honor… 

The last events of June – Best in the World and the subsequent TV taping – changed the course of Ring of Honor Wrestling forever. However, I do not believe the course changed in a good way at all. 

At Best in the World, ROH World Champion Jay Briscoe defeated Mark Briscoe in an outstanding match that left both men injured. Rumors are that after that event, both men got into an altercation with ROH Management and vowed to leave the company at the end of the weekend. The following day, Briscoe successfully defended the ROH World Championship against Matt Hardy. ROH Management removed Mark Briscoe from a Steel Cage Warfare showdown between ROH and S.C.U.M. ultimately won by ROH. In the aftermath of this, S.C.U.M. assaulted Jay Briscoe as a way to write him off television. The Briscoe Brothers are gone from ROH television. However, Jay is leaving with possession of the ROH World Championship.

For the first time, the Ring of Honor World Championship is vacant. Storyline reasoning states Jay Briscoe is injured. Briscoe even participated in the angle with a vulgar, drunken rant of a promo released on ROH’s website. A sixteen-man tournament begins at the end of July culminating in a new ROH World Champion crowned in September. 

I am left wondering what in the hell is going on in Ring of Honor because this is not the company that pulls crazy angles like this off. WWE officials have shown interest in signing both Jay and Mark Briscoe since Triple H gained his role backstage. The Briscoe Brothers attended a house show last weekend as fans – something I do not believe they would have done as Ring of Honor contracted employees. I think there is lot more to the Briscoe story than merely both men are recovering from injuries. 

On top of that, ROH is also dealing with the expiring contracts of Davey Richards and Eddie Edwards. Neither man is in the ROH World Championship tournament despite both men being exponentially better than half the current tournament field. It is no secret that both men have shown frustration with becoming a tag team again in ROH after both reached main event and world champion status a year earlier. Two of the fixtures of ROH could be out the door soon.

Then, there is a laundry list of people currently without something to do thanks to the end of the ROH/S.C.U.M. angle. Despite being under contract to ROH, Rhett Titus appeared on RAW this past week backstage as he works on getting a job with the WWE. Performers like Matt Hardy, Rhino, Steve Corino, Cliff Compton, and Jimmy Jacobs have nothing on the horizon for them. Considering the tournament field for the Ring of Honor World Championship is loaded with performers who will not remain in the company full-time (Karl Anderson, Brian Kendrick, Paul London, Sonjay Dutt), the company appears to have no plans for these workers either. I do not have a clue what Ring of Honor is thinking right now. All I know is ROH better get a clue quickly before they lose all of their talent to WWE developmental deals or a better life with steady work on the Indy circuit.

Here Comes the Wyatt Family…

The biggest story in the WWE currently does not revolve about the WWE Championship. John Cena is not the movie star the company needs to garner the spotlight. It is not about the World Heavyweight Championship. Alberto Del Rio, the Latino version of Lex Luger with his random and senseless face/heel turns, cannot draw interest on solid in-ring work alone. It is damn sure not about the McMahon Family and each member’s desire for ultimate power in the company – despite Vince, Stephanie, and Triple H’s belief that this angle should continue through and headline WrestleMania XXX. It is not about CM Punk and his stupid Wolverine chops, Daniel Bryan and his mind-numbingly stupid “I am not the weakest link” obsession, or even the skipping temptress known as AJ Lee. The biggest story in the WWE is the debut of these men.

The sons of "Lumberjack" Jos Le Duc, Waylon Mercy, & Duke "the Dumpster" Droese

After weeks of vignettes on television ranging from creepy 1970s horror film to possible Southern TV televangelist, the Wyatt Family debuted on RAW this week with an attack on Kane. Taking their act from NXT to the main roster, Bray Wyatt leads a team of two towering behemoths in Luke Harper and Erick Rowan into the thick of the WWE wilderness with a buzz and anticipation not seen since the debut of The Shield in late 2012. After watching their debut and having no knowledge of their NXT exploits, all I can say upon their arrival is “meh.” 

I have seen plenty of young upstarts debut on WWE television by targeting one major star, beating him down, and cutting a promo on him. The Shield did it. The Nexus did it. The Spirit Squad did it. The list goes on. For all of the hype and praise showered upon these three before their debut, I was expecting something of grandiose proportions. Instead, I got a run of the mill debut that I will not remember in three months. I say that, not to trash the Wyatt Family, to only stress that the sky is the limit for these three young talents because my opinion of them could not be any lower or apathetic. Bring it, Wyatt Family, and bring it hard.

The Best in the World at What SHE Does…

For my money right now, there is no better performer in professional wrestling today than Mickie James is. That is not an error. Right now, Mickie James is better than Bobby Roode, Austin Aries, Davey Richards, Eddie Edwards, Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan, or even the IWC’s almighty Lord and Savior of professional wrestling CM Punk.

  

Since turning heel in late May and winning her third TNA Knockouts Championship (ninth world championship overall), Mickie James has been on fire; both with entertaining matches and promos truly highlighting just how outstanding Mickie is as a heel. Her series of matches against Velvet Sky have brought out the best in Velvet. Her promo work has turned one of wrestling’s most beloved and charismatic faces into a self-absorbed, egotistical diva (no pun intended) the likes of which wrestling hasn’t seen truly done well since Trish Stratus’ awesome heel run of mid-2004 through early 2005. The fact that Mickie has also turned heel without aligning herself with fellow heel Knockouts Gail Kim or Tara has only added to her egotistical persona and created an opportunity for both Kim and Tara to work as “tweeners” against the champion. I love her work right now and truly believe there is no more entertaining performer in the entire business today than Mickie James. Not only did a heel turn freshen up her character; it rejuvenated her career and added another chapter to her illustrious career. Mickie James is doing what the Bella Twins only wish they could do – get genuine heel heat while entertaining the crowd, not just get X-Pac heat.

The Most Overrated People in Professional Wrestling History

Wrestling with Emotion – The Most Overrated People in Professional Wrestling History

Overrated - Adjective. (of something) considered to be better than it really is.

To say one is overrated is truly a statement based on personal preference. There are no set criteria which clearly defines one as underrated, overrated, or accurately recognized by the masses. Personal preference and bias are what define this list. I say this in advance because I know that someone somewhere will read the following and get angry when I determine one of their favorite people in the business as overrated. Get angry all you want though because the truth is that everyone on this list is vastly overrated and not close to being worthy of the praise heaped upon him or her.

The following are the five most overrated people in the history of professional wrestling according to me. In addition to my thoughts, I am including the thoughts of many additional fans on this subject. This list has the potential to be one of the most controversial editions of The Highlight Reel yet. With controversial comes fun, as this should lead to a great deal of discussion, debate, and deliberation. Without further ado, it is time to criticize some of the “greats.”

5. Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon (TIE) – You read that right. I am opening up this list by blasting two of the most important figures in the history of professional wrestling. However, I have a specific reason for calling Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon overrated and why I am calling them overrated together. 

 

In 1984, Vince McMahon started the meteoric rise of World Wrestling Entertainment from another regional wrestling company to the global juggernaut it is today. McMahon started the rise with the blood, sweat, and physical prowess of Hulk Hogan inside the ring as his biggest star. McMahon needed the charismatic Hogan to draw fans to watch his programming and attend his live events. Hulk Hogan was the spark that lit World Wrestling Entertainment’s fuse and launched the company to heights never imagined before by any other wrestling promoter. With that said, Hulk Hogan was the same performer who worked for Verne Gagne’s AWA in the early 1980s and became a regional power at best. Hulk Hogan needed Vince McMahon’s marketing genius and capital backing him to turn Hulkamania from a regional act into a worldwide phenomenon. Today, Vince McMahon owns World Wrestling Entertainment – the largest sports entertainment company in the world while Hulk Hogan is the biggest name in the history of the business. Ask anybody in the world what a wrestler is and you will get a description of or the name Hulk Hogan more times than not. That is a fact. Another fact is that neither man would be the important figure in wrestling history he is without the other.

So, how can I consider either man overrated? Both Hogan and McMahon believe they reached their levels of success without the other’s assistance. Both Hogan and McMahon have supporters who also believe this. The worst offense of all though is that both Hogan and McMahon believe they are still the end all, be all of professional wrestling even though their best days are long behind them. Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon both have a God complex when it comes to professional wrestling and are killing their respective companies’ potential because of their own inflated egos. TNA Wrestling would have more time to dedicate to their young talent and incredible wrestling action without Hulk Hogan making the main storylines revolve around himself or his family. Meanwhile, Vince McMahon allowed greed to turn World Wrestling Entertainment into a shell of its former glory. In addition, McMahon still finds time to appear on television alongside his daughter and son-in-law in tedious angles that have fans either turning the channel or going to the bathroom instead of watching. Neither man is the almighty wrestling God he believes himself to be. Professional wrestling was alive long before Hulk Hogan and Vince McMahon and it will be alive after them regardless of what both men and their millions of sycophant supporters believe. 

“Bret ‘Hitman’ Hart was the greatest transition title holder of all-time. With an average moveset and poor mic skills, his claim to fame is getting ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin over when he was already over and the Montreal Screw Job. Hart may be the first long-term champion with midcard skills - followed by CM Punk, Mark Henry, John Cena, various celebrities, Randy Orton, and any Hulk Hogan world title reign post-n.W.o.. I’ll give him credit for holding the WWF together in its transition to the Attitude Era. But if I never see a replay of his sh*tty entrance and sunglasses again, I'll be okay.” - Terry Sligar

“The internet treats Chris Jericho like he is the best in-ring wrestler, most charismatic wrestler, and biggest draw in history. Chris Jericho is a good wrestler. He can make any match watchable. However, guys like Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Kurt Angle, and Bret Hart were better in the ring. He is a charismatic figure and is great on the mic. However, he is not as good as The Rock or even a Shawn Michaels. Finally, Chris Jericho is not a draw. People tend to think WWE needs Jericho, which is false. Guys like Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin, and The Rock were draws. Finally, how big would Fozzy be if WWE didn’t promote it?” - Michael Jay Smith

4. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper – This pains me because I really like Roddy Piper. He is one of the most entertaining men in professional wrestling history on the microphone. Everybody who is a true fan of wrestling’s history can recite at least one “Hot Rod” quote. However, I believe that is not enough to consider Roddy Piper anywhere near worthy of the hype and praise he receives.

 

Many consider Piper to be among the all-time greats in wrestling history. Can anyone name a great match Roddy Piper match though? Piper is an early pioneer of something I believe to be a major problem with today’s professional wrestling: a mediocre wrestler who lives on the catchy sound bite. We all remember Piper’s Pit when Piper hit Jimmy Snuka with a coconut. However, does anyone remember a Piper-Snuka match? Did Piper’s Pit with Morton Downey, Jr. at WrestleMania V ever lead to anything meaningful? In a career spanning 45 years, one can argue Roddy Piper had two great matches on big stages – the Dog Collar match against Greg Valentine at Starrcade 1983 and the Intercontinental Championship match against Bret Hart at WrestleMania VIII. His feud with Hulk Hogan and Mr. T in the mid-1980s was memorable but not for great wrestling. His feud with Hogan and Ric Flair in the late 1990s was more embarrassing than great. Roddy Piper’s weaknesses in the ring negated any greatness he showed on the microphone.

“Randy ‘Macho Man’ Savage is nowhere close to as great as people make him out to be. You could not understand a damn thing he was saying in those pointless promos. His matches were good but a lot of that can be contributed to his opponents. Also, Savage was not that interesting. Fans cheered Miss Elizabeth, not Randy Savage. Fans booed Sensational Queen Sherri, not the Macho King. He was a leech off their crowd responses. Savage’s Slim Jim commercials and untimely death made him much larger star status than he truly earned.” - June Goins

“John Morrison is one of the most overrated wrestlers ever. All he has going for him is being athletic. However, on the independent wrestling scene, there are 10,000 guys who can do the same moves. Melina was the draw of MNM, not Morrison. If he was as good as the internet fans say he is, Morrison would be the top guy somewhere. Anywhere. Evolve and Ring of Honor would be begging for him to be in their company. But, they are not.” - Roy Zambrano

“Dusty Rhodes - the American Dream, son of a plumber from Texas. Rhodes had average in-ring skills but a ton of charisma to back it up. The problem with Rhodes, however, is that charisma and the character it was channeled into. I have never been a fan of listening to Dusty Rhodes because of the silly dialect he tried to use in his promos. He was truly John Cena before John Cena in terms of a white man trying to be a black man.  Yet, he was beloved for doing this. Beyond the annoyance of his character, Rhodes is widely regarded as one of the greatest in the ring of all-time when honestly, he shouldn’t make a Top 100 list. He could go in the ring but he couldn’t carry a match in the way that you would expect a 3-time world champion to be able to. He lacked the ability to elevate anyone and make them look good in the manner that most NWA champions pre-1980 were capable of doing. I realize it contributed to his popularity as the ‘common man’ but he looked like total sh*t, especially later in his career. I simply wouldn’t believe Dusty Rhodes could handle himself in a pure athletic competition against people like Ric Flair, Nikita Koloff, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Magnum TA, or most any of the other major players of the NWA at that time. In short, Dusty Rhodes was certainly the American Dream because you’d have to be asleep to believe he was anything special.” - Doug Smith

3. The Fabulous Moolah – The Fabulous Moolah is one of the most decorated female performers in professional wrestling history. She is also one of the most overrated champions of all-time.

 

The Fabulous Moolah won the vacant NWA Women’s Championship in a battle royal in 1956. Promoted by Vince McMahon as holding the championship for 28 years, Moolah remained champion for the majority of those 28 years before losing the championship to Wendi Richter in 1984. Twenty-eight years in the thick of the championship picture is incredible on paper. However, the reality is that Moolah defended the championship rarely during that period and only maintained possession of the title because she physically owned the title and controlled the bookings of many female performers during this era. Moolah did not have to worry about new talent when she controlled the women’s wrestling scene.  

In addition, Moolah was a dominant champion in an era where women in wrestling were practically non-existent. Moolah did not pioneer the way for the likes of Trish Stratus, Mickie James, Tara, and Lita in any way except for gender. The Fabulous Moolah worked with a limited move-set consisting of hair pulling, forearm smashes, snap mares, and stomps. Athleticism was secondary. The reality is that Moolah, in her prime, would never receive a developmental deal in any company – let alone be the dominant figure people remember her as being. I am not saying this because she was a rather unattractive woman either. Unattractive women – ODB, Jacqueline Moore, Tori, and the late Luna Vachon – all worked throughout the last 20 years and none of them was a pin-up in a teenage boy’s bedroom. They could work in the ring though; something the Fabulous Moolah simply could not do. The Fabulous Moolah was a great ambassador for the wrestling industry in her final years. However, to say she was one of the greatest of all-time based on her dominance in an era of mediocrity would be to continue elevating one of the most overrated (and false) records in professional wrestling history.

“Lex Luger. He never made me excited for anything he did in the ring. His finisher was putting a guy on his shoulders and jumping up and down. I mean, really? Luger was worthless on the mic as he’d just  yell and yell. Thank the Lord for ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund or I’d never know what the hell he was trying to say. He benefited in the 1980s from his physique since that was wrestling’s bread and butter. I still can’t believe he was ever allowed into the Four Horsemen since they were wrestlers and brawlers while he was just a cardboard champion. Poor Miss Elizabeth never should have been around this user. God knows how many other lives from that era were shortened because Luger was a locker room pharmacist prescribing death and depression to go along with their worn-down joints and broken bodies.” - Jeremy M. Johnston

“Brock Lesner: the Next Big Thing that Never Was. Brock was a quitter in every sense of the word, especially if he could get paid for quitting. He turned his back on WWE in 2004 to go play football, where he would have disappeared. After failing in the NFL to even play a preseason game, he went to Japan. He left New Japan Pro Wrestling to go to the UFC for a big paycheck. For once, Brock didn’t quit something for more money or fame. Instead, he got his ass kicked and quit due to injury. He returned to the WWE and is viewed as an automatic veteran working a couple times a year for the same money as 15 guys combined who all work 340 days a year. That’s crap and Lesnar is not worthy of any of the special treatment he receives.” - Brian McNail

2. Bill Goldberg – In 1998, Bill Goldberg was the biggest star in World Championship Wrestling. His streak of 173 victories became the story of legends. Goldberg’s run from rookie to United States Champion to WCW World Champion overshadowed the WCW vs. n.W.o. war of that time. However, to believe Bill Goldberg was anything outside of a benefactor of hype during wrestling’s biggest boom in popularity would be giving him too much credit.

 

After his initial streak ended at the hands of Kevin Nash’s egotistical booking and Hulk Hogan’s power plays / God complex earlier described, Bill Goldberg never came close to reaching the same levels of in-ring success. Nobody seemed to notice though. Goldberg either spent time injured or in pointless angles throughout the remainder of WCW’s existence. When he finally joined the WWE in 2003, Goldberg received another major push that culminated in a World Heavyweight Championship reign in late 2003. However, Goldberg was never the same dominant force as in WCW. Some, including Goldberg himself, blame Triple H and backstage politics. I blame Goldberg being shown up working with superior talents including Triple H, Chris Jericho, and Kane in the WWE. In addition, I blame Goldberg himself. Bill Goldberg believed his own hype then and still believes it now. Bill Goldberg is anything but a main event draw and a man who can carry a company. He is a mediocre in-ring performer, even worse on the microphone, and lives solely on intense brawling and manufactured fan chants piped into an arena. Bill Goldberg is the Ultimate Warrior without the face paint and crazy. 

“Even copper will look like it has some value when surrounded by gold and platinum. That’s the exact reason why Triple H has gotten over while with WWE. Granted the backstage politics and friends did help… A LOT. But, Triple H is the perfect example of ‘in the right place at the right time.’ Triple H was surrounded by some of the greatest wrestlers of all-time in The Rock, Chris Jericho, Kurt Angle, and ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin just to name a few. Because of that, they made him look good. He paid his dues - including punishment for a year after the ‘Curtain Call’ debacle. He does love the business and is a very tough man. However, he fails time and time again when looking at many different factors. His ring work is average unless he is burying someone. His microphone skills are average. His ‘story telling’ ability is so bad it comes off as comical (look at him in the whole concussion angle recently). He cannot control the audience in the palm of his hands like the greats and lacks the ‘It Factor’ that guys like Austin, The Rock, and even Hulk Hogan possessed. Triple H is popular because of the wrestlers he worked with. When you think of his feuds, it is never with the thought of how Triple H managed to keep that angle going; it is always the exact opposite. His opponents got things moving and made the feud something to remember, not Triple H. He was in the right place at the right time, simple as that.” - James Walsh

“John Cena is an overrated hack. Cena is a walking billboard for the WWE. He is the best ‘Yes’ man in the company today. But, what has John Cena done for the sport of professional wrestling other than make a joke of it? I can't say I don't like The Rock because he successfully crossed over from wrestling to acting and then back again (albeit with too much hype) or Hulk Hogan because he is the face of professional wrestling. However, I can proudly say I do not like John Cena. All he has done is help usher in the PG era, make a few movies that went straight-to-DVD (or DVD after a two-day theatrical release), and a rap album that no one - save for the hardcore Cena fans - bought. While a majority of the men, and some of the women, in the WWE have a wide variety of moves, Cena has five. When an opponent puts him in an actual wrestling hold, you can see the panic on Cena’s face because he doesn't know what to do or how to counter it. How he is a 13-time world champion is beyond me. If anyone can tell me how and why John Cena isn't overrated, let me know so I can get a good laugh.” - Stacey Holt

“CM Punk is a guy I like as a wrestler a lot. Truth be told, he is my favorite active wrestler in any promotion. That said, he is VASTLY overrated by the majority of people that follow this sport. The people of the Internet Wrestling Community (something I claim zero allegiance to) hail Punk as the greatest technical wrestler and speaker of all-time - something that is just not true. Is he good? Yes. Hell, there is evidence that he is borderline great. But ask yourself a question: How many promos can you remember outside of his initial ‘Pipebomb’ promo from 2011? How many big matches of his can you remember that are more than a year old? Take whatever number you get as a ‘diehard’ wrestling fan and cut it in half. That number is what any casual fan would remember. It is that fact to the greatest degree that makes him one of the most overrated individuals in all of professional wrestling. The greatest entities of all-time will never be forgotten. At this point in his career, CM Punk would be.” - Steak Sauce 

1. Paul Heyman – In my opinion, there has never been and may never be a more overrated person in professional wrestling than Paul Heyman.

 

Members of the IWC (Internet Wrestling Community) scream weekly of how glorious and magical professional wrestling would be if Paul Heyman were allowed to be the head booker for either World Wrestling Entertainment or TNA Wrestling because ECW was the greatest promotion in the history of wrestling. Many wear t-shirts reading, “I’m a Paul Heyman Guy” and put Heyman on a pedestal as the greatest booker and judge of talent in wrestling history because of his history with Extreme Championship Wrestling in the 1990s. If these fans would remove the rose-colored glasses they use to look back on ECW with, they would see that Paul Heyman was a horrible booker who misused talent and catered to a niche audience at best. 

Throughout the nine-year existence of Eastern / Extreme Championship Wrestling with Paul Heyman as the head booker, Heyman had the following amazing talent under contract: Steve Austin, Mick Foley, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Dean Malenko, Rey Mysterio, Rob Van Dam, Tommy Dreamer, Bam Bam Bigelow, Chris Candido, Jerry Lynn, Al Snow, Lance Storm, and Yoshihiro Tajiri. They combined for a grand total of three ECW World Championship reigns – one for Bigelow, Lynn, and Dreamer – for a total of 80 days. In contrast, The Sandman held the ECW World Championship five times for a total of 446 days. The Sandman did not deserve a job for 446 days – let alone get to hold a world championship multiple times or for that long. Paul Heyman can cry that Eric Bischoff raided his company of talent but the truth is that he was never going to push Benoit, Guerrero, or Jericho – all multi-time world champions – to the top so they left for more money and better opportunities. Paul Heyman had all the talent a promoter needs to provide an amazing wrestling program and pissed it away pushing something only drunken Philadelphia locals craving blood and sex wanted. Then, you have to factor in that Paul Heyman probably still owes every one of those men mentioned earlier money. Paul Heyman cannot run a business unless that business is to be run into the ground. 

Now, fans see Paul Heyman as this magical orator alongside Brock Lesnar, CM Punk, and Curtis Axel and think of Heyman as one of the all-time great managers and personalities in the business. Please! Heyman is mediocre on the microphone. Yeah, I said it. Standing next to Brock Lesnar though, a farting donkey would cut epic promos by comparison so, of course, Heyman looks great. 

There is nothing about Paul Heyman that makes him close to being worthy of the hype and praise heaped upon him by the IWC. Nothing at all. He was a mediocre booker and horrible with talent… almost as horrible as he was with money. He was is a mediocre manager and average on the microphone. The only thing Paul Heyman is good at is being able to brainwash the simple into believing he is anything special.

Even Paul knows it is true...

There you have it. From so-called booking geniuses to so-called wrestling legends, those are my picks as the most overrated people in the history of professional wrestling. I would love to thank the wrestling fans – my friends and family – who contributed with their contributions to the list of overrated people in the history of professional wrestling. This is sure to encourage some debate amongst readers of The Highlight Reel. One thing is certain though – Paul Heyman sucks. 

Sexism in Auto Racing -- Enough is Enough

Women in Racing – It is 2013, Guys... Enough with the Sexism 



“She is a marketing machine. … She is not a race car driver.”

Recently on the Speed Channel program Race Hub, NASCAR analyst and former driver Kyle Petty made the above statement regarding current Sprint Cup driver and rookie Danica Patrick. Those criticisms are nothing new. Since entering the NASCAR world, Patrick has heard those comments from fans, fellow competitors, and members of the media. Even I said something similar upon Patrick’s entry full-time into NASCAR as Patrick’s first comments upon the announcement to switch from open-wheel racing to stock car racing centered more on promoting her “brand” than being successful on the track. Where I find issue with Kyle Petty’s statement is that Danica Patrick has actually proven all of the naysayers – myself included – wrong in the sense that she has stayed even in the face of adversity. Danica has improved her performances on the track. In fact, Danica Patrick has shown she is indeed a race car driver.

This latest gender-based controversy in auto racing comes off the heels of controversial statements made by Formula One legend Sir Stirling Moss in April. In an interview with the BBC, Moss said, “I think they have the strength but I don’t know if they’ve got the mental aptitude to race hard, wheel-to-wheel.” He added, “The mental stress I think would be pretty difficult for a lady to deal with in a practical fashion. I just don’t think they have aptitude to win a Formula One race.”

The statements from Petty and Moss echo comments from many males in the world of auto racing. While many males involved in the sport are evolved enough to have lost that Cro-Magnon caveman mindset, it seems that not enough have lost it because this is a topic that comes up too often and is a criticism tossed around too much. Apparently, women cannot drive. 

I will agree with the notion that we have yet to see a truly successful female driver in motorsports reach a championship level. However, I do not believe for a second that the reason for this is that women are inferior to their male counterparts. Instead, I believe the reason for this lack of success stems from a lack of opportunities. 

Danica Patrick in Victory Lane after winning the pole for the 2013 Daytona 500.

The most popular female driver in the world today is Danica Patrick. In her first full season at the Sprint Cup level, Patrick has won the pole for and scored a Top 10 finish at the Daytona 500, drove from 42nd and a lap down after an early spin to a 12th place at the demanding Martinsville Speedway, and has shown improvement on her starting position in 13 of 17 career starts. While people may expect more from Patrick, the truth is Patrick is still a rookie. Danica Patrick is a rookie driver competing under a tremendous amount of pressure – pressure she did not ask for and would not receive as a male. In addition, Patrick is driving in third-tier equipment for a second-tier Chevrolet team. Look no farther than the struggles of both Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman in 2013 to realize that expansion has only weakened Stewart-Haas Racing. Chauvinistic fans and men in the sport criticize Patrick for not setting the world on fire when the truth is that another driver – a male driver – would not have done any better than Patrick has with the opportunity she has received.

Auto racing is one of the few sports where men and women can compete on an even playing field. Let me repeat that for the slow children: Men and women CAN COMPETE ON AN EVEN PLAYING FIELD. With the advent of power steering in cars and requirements making it so that crews add weights to cars to allot for driver sizes, the physical differences are nonexistent in 2013. In addition, there is no specific function of a car performed by a penis. Therefore, women can drive them.

The reality is that this issue is not about women being unable to drive. The issue is that men in these levels of auto racing, particularly NASCAR and Formula One, are scared to allow women into their club. Women can serve champagne in Victory Lane or present the trophies to the winner while in a skin-tight outfit. However, these men do not want women competing for those trophies. It is a damn shame. Thankfully, it is also a narrow-minded viewpoint slowly disappearing, as seen in other forms of auto racing.

Simona de Silvestro is one of the bright young stars in the IndyCar Series. 

In the IndyCar Series, where Patrick rose to fame and won a race in 2008 for Andretti Autosport, this chauvinistic attitude seems to be non-existent. Simona de Silvestro, one of the most popular drivers on the circuit, recently finished 6th in the season opener at St. Petersburg and collected another Top 10 at Long Beach. Fans and competitors both celebrate her accomplishments. IndyCar Series analysts speak about de Silvestro, not as a female driver, as one of the sport’s bright stars alongside male counterparts Charlie Kimball, Graham Rahal, Simon Pagenaud, and Takuma Sato. Simona de Silvestro is not the only female driver to currently compete in the IndyCar Series either as she is joined often by journeywomen drivers Ana Beatriz, Pippa Mann, and Milka Duno. Former driver Sarah Fisher is currently one of the more popular and well-respected owners in the garage as well. The gender debate – and discriminatory viewpoint – just does not exist as much in the IndyCar Series as in NASCAR or Formula One.

The NHRA is another form of auto racing where gender bias seems to be nonexistent. In 1977, Shirley Muldowney became the first woman to win a championship of any kind when she won the first of her three Top Fuel championships. Over the years, many women have competed with various levels of success. Ashley, Brittney, and Courtney Force – daughters of 15-time Funny Car Champion John Force – have all achieved levels of success on the quarter-mile in Funny Cars and Top Fuel Dragsters while Erica Enders is a successful Pro Stock driver. Fans and analysts view all of the female drivers in the NHRA as equal competitors to their male counterparts without any of the discriminatory comments or chauvinistic viewpoints attached to them.

Courtney Force celebrates after a victory in Seattle.

Without a constant voice of chauvinistic masculine bravado constantly saying “women can’t drive” in the NHRA, many females have achieved great success. In addition, drivers in that series have received the one thing women in NASCAR, Formula One, and even the more progressive IndyCar Series have not – opportunities to drive winning equipment. 

As I alluded to earlier with Danica Patrick, women drivers have never gotten the chance to drive in the same championship-caliber equipment as their male counterparts. Danica Patrick is currently in the third-string equipment for a second-tier team. Simona de Silvestro drives the second-string equipment for one of the less-powerful teams in the IndyCar Series; the same said for Beatriz when she drives at all. Meanwhile, Mann and Duno drive for even lesser teams in IndyCar Series action while Jennifer Jo Cobb, Johanna Long, and the Cope Twins – Amber and Angela do the same in various divisions of NASCAR. Analysts cite inferior equipment as the reason for driver failings for male drivers all the time. So, why do analysts like Kyle Petty never acknowledge this when addressing the struggles of female drivers? Could Sir Stirling Moss be correct in accessing women are mentally inferior to their male counterparts? On the other hand, it could be these men are part of a group of sexist, chauvinistic jerks envious of any females able to succeed in the same field as themselves. Yeah, that sounds more likely.

“I don’t really care. There’s going to be people who believe in you and people who don’t. Plenty of people say bad things about me. I see it on Twitter. Some people want me to die. But at the end of the day, you get over that stuff and trust you’re doing a good job for the people who believe in you.”

Danica Patrick said that in the aftermath of Kyle Petty’s comments. It was a classy response from a woman who could have cited that Kyle Petty – an eight-time winner at the Cup level in 829 career starts over 30 years – only received competitive rides because of his last name in an era when being the son of Richard Petty meant something. It sounds like something Kyle would have said. Patrick did not say that though because it would have gotten her nowhere. Many female open-wheel drivers could have spoken up after Moss’ idiotic statements about females in Formula One but did not because it would have did nothing but provide more spotlight to a Neanderthal and his archaic viewpoint.

I do not think we will see a female driver break the proverbial glass ceiling in NASCAR or Formula One within our lifetimes. It is not, I repeat NOT, because women are mentally sub-par to their male counterparts or cannot drive a race car. It is because of the same reasons we will not see an African-American, Hispanic, or Asian driver succeed in NASCAR in our lifetimes either – women will never receive the opportunity to drive anything more than scrub equipment while their competitors drive championship-caliber equipment. Put Danica Patrick in Jimmie Johnson or Kyle Busch’s car and she will run up front. Hell, even Kyle Petty could run up front.