WWE Get Out Of Your Own Way

During these times of covid-19 quarantine, many people have taken the opportunity with all this extra time to learn new hobbies, complete projects they’ve been putting off, read more, or learn new things about themselves. At the same while major sports leagues around the world has shut down, professional wrestling has continued to truck along without fans. It’s safe to say WWE has not taken this opportunity to improve their presentation.

WWE was the first company to announce they would continue to produce shows during this pandemic. Due to the circumstances and working with a mostly skeleton crew on a honestly already thin roster, they have not completely failed. Wrestlemania 36 turned out to be quite enjoyable, particularly the cinematic match between AJ Styles and Undertaker. In that, WWE has discovered people like those types of matches even though Lucha Underground and Impact Wrestling has done those type of matches before with great fanfare. Managers seem to be making a comeback with Zelina Vega building a stable, and hints MVP is looking for talent to manage. Some superstars such as Otis have been given opportunities to shine, winning the money in the bank match.

One thing WWE is failing on, and they failed with before the pandemic hit..creating new stars. WWE has had issues creating stars on the level of Hogan, Austin, Rock, and Cena for quite some time. One of the biggest reasons attributed to that by fans is they don’t feel a connection to the talents, and most promos leave a lot to be desired. Which leads to my brief rant.

For the life of me I cannot figure out why WWE is not taking this time to get more guys on the mic. Even talents who are not active due to injuries or have chosen not to wrestle due to safety concerns should be given opportunities. That could be done by having them record mission statements “off the cuff” from home and included in the programs. WWE previously did this with their “Tout” videos and a couple years ago with selfie promos that included graphics. Those promos failed because they were over produced.

If the promos are shot with that grittiness aspect and not so produced, it may be more well received. This give performers more opportunities to improve their promo skills and allows them to come off more “real”. It also leaves them at the forefront of fans minds for when they do return. Prospects that have been recently used on Raw, Smackdown, and NXT should be given insert promos before their matches. Especially the talent they have plans for, this allows that talent to create an identity and promo skills.

If they can’t fit it into the shows, WWE has YouTube and the WWE network where they could play the promos instead. Or maybe have watch parties of matches with wrestlers who can show their personalities by commentating on the matches.

It’s easy to pick on WWE cause they are the biggest pro wrestling organization in the world. Now they are a multi billion dollar corporation and I’m just a fan who has been watching for twenty something years. I have been watching wrestling a long time and can tell many of the issues are from lack of talent connection. AEW and Impact Wrestling have had their downs during this time, but their ups have been better because of their more forward thinking. Using vignettes, skits, and remote promos from talent to help get them over. It’s working because it appeals to the current generation, and proves most of WWE problems are...they can’t get out of their own way.

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Top Ten Pro Wrestling moments of the decade

The 2010’s are coming to an end and a lot can happen in ten years. Especially the fast-paced world of professional wrestling where things change on a whim. Below are ten moments I believe helped define professional wrestling this decade.

10. WWE Network

It's no secret Vince Mcmahon has always aspired to be known as more than just a wrestling promoter, and for his company the WWE to be known as a entertainment entity not just a pro wrestling or 'rasslin organization. In the 2010's those plans begin to come to fruition with reality shows featuring members of the WWE roster, YouTube channels, and more recently podcast. The biggest project that has led to that movement in my opinion is the WWE network. On Februrary 24, 2014 the WWE network debuted as subscription based streaming service. For $9.99 a month viewers could watch old episodes of Monday Night Raw, Monday Night Nitro, documentarys, interviews, and most importantly current monthly pay per views. The WWE network was a game changer taking the model Netflix had and catering to wrestling fans. Since the WWE network debut, other organizations have joined in the streaming game. Ring of Honor with Honor Club, Impact Wrestling with Impact +, New Japan with NJPW World and a assortment of other indepdent streaming services. Changing the way wrestling fans consume content.

9. Impact Wrestling is Reborn

TNA wrestling debuted in 2002 as an alternative to the WWE. For seventeen years despite several failures and near closures, it has continued to chug along as the little engine that could. Experiencing growing pains and mismanagement, from the Carter years, the failed planned merger with Global Force Wrestling, and the Corgan era. In early 2018 new owners Anthem Sports & Entertainment hired industry veterans Don Callis and Scott D’Amore to lead Impact Wrestling, and despite some missteps here and there they have found a core group of wrestlers to build around, and turned Impact around for the better.

8. The Rock returns to WWE

February 14, 2011 Monday Night Raw, the arena blacked out as anticipation mounted for the host of Wrestlemania 27. As the beat dropped and the familiar sound of “If you Smell……” hit the arena, the crowd erupted as one WWE’s biggest stars ever The Rock returned home after 7 years away. The Rocks return as a host led to matches over the next couple years with John Cena, The Miz, CM punk, and winning the WWE championship one more time. All the while continuing to be the most electrifying man in sports entertainment. After initially shying away from the WWE as he transitioned to Hollywood, returning only helped his star rise which he is greatly benefitting from today.

7. Women’s Revolution

For years TNA knockouts division took women’s wrestling seriously and was the forefront of the womens revolution. Showcasing talent such as Gail Kim, Awesome Kong, ODB, and Angelina Love and Velvet Sky. Unfortunately due to the stigma against TNA many folks did not witness some of the great female wrestlers on their roster. Meanwhile indepedent organizations such as Shimmer and Shine were all female promotions highlighting the best female talent in the business.In 2015 after years of squash diva matches and bra and panties match, fans took to social media with #givedivasachance. That sparked WWE to finally give divas a chance, and that has led to women main eventing episodes of RAW, pay per views, and Wrestlemania. An all-female pay per view in 2018, Mae Young Classic, and singles and tag team championships. As WWE built their female talent up, other organizations such as Ring of Honor also built up their female talent. Shows such as the return of Women of Wrestling (WOW) have put a renewed focus on Women’s wrestling. 

6. Daniel Bryan wins WWE championship

Daniel Bryan is one of the best technical wrestlers on the planet. In 2013 his quest to regain the WWE world championship was consistently thwarted by Mr. McMahon and company as he did not fit their “image” of a world champion. That all changed when fan support called for Daniel to be giving a fair shot, and no matter how much the WWE brass tried to resist they finally couldn’t. The Yes Movement was strong and at Wrestlemania 30 April 6, 2014 Daniel Bryan won the WWE world championship.

5. AEW is born

January 1, 2019 on the popular YouTube series Being The Elite standing outside of the Tokyo Dome. Cody, Adam Page, and the Young Bucks officially announced a new wrestling event "Double or Nothing" and with it the formation of All Elite Wrestling. Backed by the Khan family, owners of the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars and with signings of some friends from ring of honor such as SCU, recent WWE release Pac, indy star Britt Baker, and  living legend Chris Jericho, and later on Jon Moxley. AEW was hailed as the first true competition to the WWE, backed by deep pockets and with a television program on cable network TNT debuting in October. AEW has set a solid foundation, it’ll be interesting to see what the next full year in operation will bring. 

4. Alternative wrestling

In the early 2000s as the Attitude era faded, WCW and ECW both folded consumed by the WWE. In their absence TNA was born, as well as a little company out of Philadelphia called Ring of Honor. Entering the 2010’s the same 3 organizations stood, neither TNA or Ring of Honor able to financially compete with the WWE. In 2011 Ring of Honor was purchased by the Sinclair Broadcast Group, and during the later part of the decade off the star power of the Elite (Young Bucks, Cody Rhodes, Marty Scrull, Adam Page etc.), Briscoe Brothers, Jay Lethal, Flip Gordon and SCU among other went to new heights. In the meantime, other organizations that provided an alternative to WWE appeared such as Major League Wrestling (MLW) and overseas juggernaut New Japan Pro wrestling were more accessible due to technology. Financially backed by smashing pumpkins Billy Corgan the prestigious wrestling organization NWA returned. The rise of streaming and social media led to independent organizations such as beyond wrestling, progress wrestling, house of glory and pro wrestling guerilla found their footing and audience in the crowded pro wrestling landscape. 

3. Kofimania

Earlier this year WWE veteran Kofi Kingston was a last-minute replacement in a gauntlet match for Mustafa Ali. What then occurred was a show stealing performance and fan support that led to him winning the WWE championship match against ironically Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania 35. In that two-month span Kofimania ran wild as fan support got louder and louder for Kofi. His win meant so much as the first African born WWE world champion, and leading hope to little Black kids that they one day can be world champions. All over social media you saw joy and industry veterans such as MVP and Shad Gaspard cry tears of joy for the win. Kofi held the championship for 180 days and Kofimania wasn’t just a win for Kofi Kingston it was a win for the culture.

2. CM Punk PipeBomb

The Best in the world, the voice of the voiceless, the second city saint, straight edge as it gets. June 27, 2011 CM Punk ended Monday Night RAW with his infamous Pipe Bomb, that blurred the lines between fiction and reality in the ever-gray area of professional wrestling. The promo had everyone talking "was it real?" did he really go off script? What happens next? That led to the summer of 2011 being the “Summer of CM Punk”, including winning the WWE championship at Money In the Bank and leaving WWE shortly after. His return was much too soon, but thats another article for another day. The pipe bomb cemented his role as the anti-establishment and hopes that a new attitude era was on the rise with CM Punk taking over Stone Cold Steve Austins role. The industry has grown in different ways, but hasn’t gone to the heights in popularity that it did with the attitude era, however CM Punk status as a legend grew that night. 

1. ALL IN

The idea that begin from a comment made by Dave Meltzer to a fan on twitter that Ring of Honor could not sell out a 10,000 seat arena. Cody Rhodes took that bet and sparked the eventual formation of AEW, ALL IN held September 1, 2018 in Chicago, IL. Fully self-funded by Cody Rhodes and the Young Bucks, the event was a wrestling fans dream. After announcments here and there on Being the Elite, the trio held a press conference at Pro Wrestling Tee's store May 13, 2018. The press conference announced talent such as Tessa Blanchard, and lucha legend Rey Mysterio Jr. would be joining the show. Tickets were released later that day and sold out in mere minutes displaying the excitement around this event. Throw in the new wrestling convention founded by wrestling podcast star Conrad Thompson, Starrcast held in conjunction with the event that allowed many fans to really interact with stars and legends.  Independent wrestling store Pro Wrestling Tees held meet and greets at its location. Wrestling panels and after-partys were also apart of the fray. With talent from Ring of Honor, Impact, CMLL, AAA, New Japan,MLW, NWA, and the independent circuit, ALL IN had something for everyone. The card was a success, the ppv buyrate was a success and ALL IN weekend was wildy successful. Being in the atmosphere among pro wrestling fans, and seeing a simple idea grow into this mega success was great. It’s something I’m happy to say I experienced first hand and definitely defined this decade in wrestling in my opinion. When the wrestling culture comes together it's nothing that can stop it.

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You Should Attend Walemania

This Past Weekend was Wrestlemania, the Super Bowl of Wrestling where fans all across the world come to the host city and indulge in all things pro wrestling. From conventions to numerous independent shows, and of course the main show. Right in the middle of the festivities is WaleMania, a annual concert now in it's fifth year held by renowned wrestling fan rapper Wale. I've attended the last two WrestleMania's and this was my first WaleMania, after attending I had to ask myself why the hell did I miss the last couple of WaleManias?

Held at Sony Hall in New York City, The show started as a live podcast from the WrassleRap crew interviewing Joshua Williams of Wrestle N' Flow, Charly Caruso from WWE and ESPN, ROH wrestler Kenny King, legend MVP, WWE commentators Corey Graves and Vic Joseph, WWE wrestlers Richochet and Lio Rush and many many more guests. After a toast was held for the guest of honor 5x Champion Booker T. who showed his support for Kofi Kingston and proclaimed he'd been waiting to pass the torch "For a long motherfucking time.", things went a bit "left" as WrassleRap cohost Kaz mentioned.

From there the tables were removed and the party begin. Featuring performances by Flex Kartel, G4 Boyz, ADE, even former Young Gunner Young Chris made a appearance to spit some bars. Smoke DZA and Westside Gunna who are huge wrestling fans much like Wale also performed. When The New Day made a appearance the crowd went into overdrive with KofiMania.

The party went on until 3 in the morning and it seemed like a who's who of professional wrestlers from various promotions and rap artist were in the building. WaleMania is a perfect combination of the wrestling and hip hop culture, showing both cultures equal love and appreciating everyone in the building, a very diverse crowd that was all bought together by their love of wrestling and hip hop. Despite as both Wale and Wrassle Rap cohost Kaz mentioned the haters and their usual shtick of "that shit fake".

I'm so glad I stepped outside of my comfort zone and attended WaleMania, it definitely was a experience and I can see why it has gotten bigger every year. To be able to party with people who love the same thing you do, as well as mingle with rappers and wrestlers in relaxed settings is worth the price of admission. Hell Wale even showed some wrestling skills hitting Cryme Tyme member Shad Gaspard with a stone cold stunner. It truly is the perfect marriage of Hip Hop and Wrestling even if it's for one night.  WaleMania VI is next year in Tampa and I'm already putting the event in the books to be there, if your planning to be in Tampa you'll want to be there too.

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WrestleMania 34 Experience

    Another WrestleMania is in the books and man did I have a great time. This was my third WrestleMania weekend and I think my experience at WrestleMania 34 trumps my other two experiences. My first Mania experience WrestleMania 27 I didn’t fully know what to expect and how to plan and navigate through the activities. WrestleMania 33 last year I did way more that time around and loved every moment of it. This year WrestleMania 34 was by far my best experience.


    Let’s start my experience off with WrestleMania Axxess and that whole atmosphere. Axxess is the annual fan festival WWE hold’s during Mania weekend. Before Axxess even began I stopped in the Axxess Superstore, which pretty much had every type of WWE merchandise you could think of. Diamond encrusted replica championships that cost $2,000, customized jerseys and hats, slammy awards, authentic turnbuckles, autographed signatures, pop figures, toys, pin collections. If you could think of it they had it, and people bought all that stuff up. I spent wayyyy more than I intended to in that store and WWE knows what they are doing.


    I did 3 of the 6 Axxess events this year and once again it was worth it. In addition to meeting superstars at Axxess, there are replica environments to take photos in, superstar entrances you can replicate, the Axxess staple the foampit, promos, even call a match with a member of the commentary team. The replicas this year included a set of Piper’s Pit along with replica fruit in case you want to smash a coconut over someone’s head. The steel “WCW” letters that were featured on WCW Monday Nitro during its heyday, the ECW entrance included with the brick backdrop and chain link fence. Also included was a trash can in case you needed to smash some heads on your way out. The old school RAW sign was back in addition to the Neon Raw entrance which you could walk through and make your own entrance.


   Every superstar and legend I met this year were all very nice, personable and took a few seconds to be playful or hold small talk to make your interaction memorable. This year I met Bo Dallas and Curtis Axel, Zack Ryder, The Revival, Aiden English, Dolph Ziggler, AJ Styles, Finn Balor, Teddy Long, Jimmy Hart, Cedric Alexander, The Brian Kendrick, Mike Bennett, Tye Dillinger, Tony Nese, Drake Maverick, Gran Metalik, Lince Dorado, Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville who I was shocked were so playful and outgoing, and of course I had to meet Naomi again. As with every Axxess expect long lines and a lot of waiting for autographs, I waited in line for WCW legend DDP Diamond Dallas Page, he was very personable with every person in line which held the line up and unfortunately I didn’t get to meet him. I was also unable to meet the million dollar man Ted Dibiase which I was kind of bummed about. I often wondered why Axxess is held in “sessions” as opposed to all day and after observing all the activities going on, I realized it’s to give the staff and volunteers a break to rest and eat. If I’m tired from standing in line for a while I know those guys are tired, they work hard and are unsung heroes to making this process as smooth as it is.


    I also attended WrestleCon for the first time this go round if you’re use to Axxess, WrestleCon could be a bit of a culture shock. WrestleCon is just that..a traditional convention, you buy the initial ticket to get in the doors and then you walk around the room meeting various wrestlers, but to get a picture or autograph it’s going to hurt your pockets. The prices ranged from $10-$50 or even more for a pic or autograph depending on the wrestler, most of them were very friendly even if you didn’t want a pic or autograph. I heard some didn’t want to be bothered unless you were getting one but I didn’t experience any of that. I allocated some funds for this purpose and met D’Lo Brown, Eli Drake, James Storm, X-pac, and Al Snow. But after those funds were gone I was fine with just seeing what the vendors had to offer and doing some people watching. I would have liked to met some more wrestlers but as I mentioned the pockets talk. Even with having to pay to for autographs or pictures I would attend WrestleCon again.  I skipped the WWE Hall of Fame this year as one time attending was enough for me and I hear it was way to long.


   On the wrestling front I went to Impact vs. Lucha Underground Friday night. I regularly watch Impact Wrestling and hope that the tide turns for them as they have a talented roster, I haven’t watched Lucha Underground regularly but based on the crowd reactions I need to start watching it more. The best match of the night to me was LAX vs. Killshot and The Mack, Killshot and The Mack really impressed me. LAX is the best tag team in Impact and if given more tv time could really show people what they have to offer. The main event was Austin Aries vs. Pentagon Jr and Fenix, Alberto Del Rio was supposed to be included in that match but we all know how that went.  I enjoyed the event and hope people that never watch Impact will give it a chance, as Lucha Underground has a new fan in me.

   Saturday night was NXT Takeover, the six man ladder match with Adam Cole becoming the first N XT North American champion was everything fans were hoping for. Aleister Black vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas was very enjoyable and the right guy won. Roderick Strong joining the Undisputed Era was a complete shock and I look forward to seeing how it goes. Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa told a dope, psychological wrestling story, and was hard hitting and vicious. The story of best friends turned enemies is highly relatable, and had a curve ball ending. I just knew Gargano would lose and show up on Raw or Smackdown, so the next phase in their story should be interesting.

    Which leads to the big day WrestleMania 34, the day started off with the “feeling” in the air. A WrestleMania block party was thrown for fans leading up to the big event. Once inside the atmosphere was restless waiting for WrestleMania and for the most part the show did not disappoint, I give it a B-. The opening Intercontinental championship match was probably the best match on the card, followed by Charlotte vs. Asuka. AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke was a good match but maybe expectations from fans was a little to high.

   Overall it was a good show but ran into the issue I complained and several other fans complained about, WrestleMania is too damn long. Including the pre-show it lasted around seven hours, people cannot sustain energy or interest that long. Especially when you have been up all day enjoying some of the celebrations surrounded around WrestleMania. The WWE has to figure out a way to trim the fat back to a respectable time, making everything bigger does not mean it’s better. It has gotten to bloated.

     The experience of WrestleMania is unmatched and I highly recommend any wrestling fan try to bask in the glory of WrestleMania. There is truly a experience that cannot be replicated, I even was part of a focus group which shows just how much work goes into this event. There is a awful lot to do and you'll feel torn between doing things, fearing you'll miss one thing if you do another. That fear often turns out to be true.  I’ll live off the high I experienced for quite some time.

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WWE Honorable mentions

    I previously wrote an article covering surefire WWE hall of fame omissions, that need to be rectified very soon in the near future. In this article I will cover members of professional wrestling history who deserve an honorable mention, in regards to be inducted into the hall of fame.
  First up Miss Elizabeth, the “Macho Man” Randy Savages valet. While she never wrestled during her career, she was an integral part of storylines involving Macho Man. Her most notable storyline was playing a part in the “rift” between Macho Man and Hulk Hogan. She was also the first “pretty” face in WWF and sole job was to stand by Macho Man and look attractive. She should be inducted solely off being the first true valet, and the first “diva” before WWF started using that term. Sadly the circumstances of her unfortunate death are what I believe are keeping her from being inducted.
   If Miss Elizabeth was the first diva, Sable was the first superstar diva. At the height of the Attitude era Sable was what came to mind, when people thought of WWF Divas. She was attractive, had sex and crossover appeal, and had enough wrestling training to do what was asked of her. She was also the first WWF diva to make the cover of Playboy. She had some mainstream crossover appeal and surely contributed to the popularity of the WWF during the attitude era. It could be debated who was the first diva her or Sunny, but Sunny has been inducted and so should Sable.
   Lex Luger deserves a honorable mention to be in the hall of fame. While never the most technical wrestler, he displayed power moves in his arsenal which made him exciting. He may have failed when WWF gave him the honor of being the “top guy” but that was not his strength.  His strengths were his look, his power moves, longevity, and the ability to be a good bit player in some good moments in wrestling history. He was a Horseman, a WWF and WCW champion, bodyslammed Yokozuna, was a front line player in WCW battle against NWO, and was a member of NWO Wolfpack. He even managed to stay somewhat relevant in WCW dying days, by rebranding as the Total Package. I believe his role in Miss Elizabeth’s death, and his lifestyle before turning it around is holding him back.
    Big Van Vader as he was known in WCW, or simply Vader in WWF is next on the list. He may never be in the conversation as a true legend, but he was just as damn good to be on the next tier. When he was “the mastodon” in WCW, his size made him scary enough when he walked to the ring, throw in the mastodon helmet that breathed smoke he was damn near terrifying. Once he was in the ring he was even scarier, very agile for his size, vicious, and a devasting powerbomb he was unstoppable. He didn’t make much of an impact in WWF, truthfully because they probably didn’t understand him but he deserves consideration based on his body of work in WCW and in Japan.
   WWE has started acknowledging the guys who made ECW what it was by inducting the Dudley Boyz this year, and with that Tommy Dreamer deserves a spot in the hall. Plain and simple he was ECW and what it stood for. His feud with Raven is a classic, and not just the matches but the whole backstory of their history as youths. Their story included childhood bullying, acceptance, and love triangles pretty much one of the greatest and relatable storylines in wrestling history. A bland persona, and ok skill set didn’t stop his determination. He was very loyal to ECW and lived and breathed it, he was also a great teacher of younger wrestlers. To this day there are so many people who give credit to Tommy Dreamer for teaching them so much about the business. With a great mind for the business, and being the epitome of ECW he should be inducted.
   While we’re on ECW you can’t leave out “Mr. Monday Night”, “The Whole F’N show” Rob Van Dam. He had a laid back Mr. Cool demeanor about him, and a Arsenal that had you on your feet, he produced hundreds of exciting bouts in ECW. His five star frog splash, rolling thunder, spilt legged moonsault were just some of his signature moves that had folks anticipating when it would come. Just like Tommy Dreamer, Rob Van Dam was ECW even if people never saw a ECW show they knew Rob Van Dam wrestled for ECW. When you talk about ECW, his name is one of the first that come up. During his heyday he was the personification of a human highlight reel. For that he deserves to be in the hall.

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WWE Hall OF Fame

   It’s that time again where the WWE selects their hall of fame class. While not a physical hall of fame, and some question the authenticity of it, year in and year out there is still consistent debate about who hasn’t been inducted that should. While the WWE has began to announce their inductees for this year, I’m listing my top 5 who need to be inducted sooner rather than later.
   First up Arn Anderson “The Enforcer”, it can be difficult to really shine when your standing next to Ric Flair. Which I believe is a major reason Arn Anderson was so underrated, he wasn’t as charismatic as Naitch but he had enough charisma. He got the job done in the ring, and was responsible for naming the Four Horseman. His spinebuster finisher always looked devastating, and he was a master of the tag team game with Ole Anderson and Tully Blanchard. His work behind the scenes with younger talent shouldn’t go unnoticed either. While a Hall Of Fame member via the Four Horseman, it’s time he’s inducted as a individual.
   The “British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith should be inducted as well. In all honesty he should have been WWEs first UK born world champion. Big, strong, and quite agile, he wasn’t the most technical, but had brute strength and enough charisma to keep folks engaged in his presence . His Summerslam match against Bret Hart for the Intercontinental championship is a classic. Sadly drug abuse held him back, but he was consistent if not spectacular and left a mark on the world of wrestling.
   Paul Heyman...the manager of the Dangerous Alliance, the advisor to the Beast Incarnate, the founder of ECW! One of the greatest talkers in the game, one of the best minds for the business, and a eye for talent Paul Heyman is one of a kind. ECW pretty much was the inspiration for WWEs attitude era, he brought several “smaller” guys like Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and Rey mystero to ECW before WCW swiped them. Along with Brock Lesnar he advocated for and helped groom Stone Cold Steve Austin,Tazz, RVD, and CM Punk among others. When he was the head writer of Smackdown during the first brand spilt, it was consistently better than Raw. His financial management skills of ECW was his biggest downfall, but it’s a crime he hasn’t been honored yet.
    Vince McMahon’s biggest competitor is next on the list, Mr. Eric Bischoff. The guy who challenged McMahon head on and started Monday Night Nitro to go head to head with Monday Night Raw. He turned WCW from a afterthought to the premiere wrestling company in the world at one time. The guy who bought luchador style wrestling to the mainstream. The man who created the NWO and nearly put Vince McMahon out of business. Eric Bischoff deserves a spot in the Hall Of Fame, if for nothing else simply off the intense competition between him and McMahon during the Monday Night Wars. Sadly his letting the inmates run the asylum mentality was his downfall, and lighting could not strike twice when he tried to turn TNA around. However he contributed a great deal to some of the most iconic moments in wrestling history and should be rewarded for that.
    With the divas revolution, the first woman’s hell in the cell, and the first woman’s Royal Rumble, one woman initially broke that ceiling CHYNA. The fact she has not been inducted yet is beyond a crime, and I think it was more of a personal issue than anything else. Chyna evolved from a brooding mute bodyguard of Triple H and DX to a superstar in her own right, making the cover of playboy and a few acting gigs outside of wrestling. Winning the Intercontinental title, being the first female in the Royal Rumble and King of the Ring tournament , she also was a number one contender for the WWF championship where people legit believed she could be the first World Champion. While most of the woman superstars of today credit Lita and Trish Stratus as their inspiration, Chyna really set the standard for Woman being talented wrestlers paving the way for them to be taken seriously. One of a kind, it’s time WWE grows up and gives Chyna her rightful place in the hall.

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My Wrestlemania Weekend

                My Wrestlemania Weekend

               If you know me you know that I am a huge wrestling fan and this past weekend was one of my greatest experience and solidified why I love WWE. This was my second Wrestlemania, I attended Wrestlemania 27 and had a great experience but this time the experience was on another level. The whole aura of Wrestlemania Weekend while not on the level of fandom and anticipation that Super Bowl week gets it’s damn near close.                          My first big experience of Wrestlemania Weekend was Axxess. Axxess is WWE’s fan festival that gives their fan’s a chance to meet some of their favorite wrestlers, take plenty of pics, and pretend to be a wrestler. You could do promos and entrances, jump off the top rope into a foam pit, take a pic inside the elimination chamber or in front of the old school RAW sign. It’s so much to do in  4 hours that you have to pretty much prioritize what you want to do. Honestly you spend a lot of time waiting in time, sometimes half of your time is spent in one line. Especially for the more popular superstars you may stand in line and not get a chance to meet your favorite superstar. I attended 4 out of 6 Axxess sessions and enjoyed every single one. With the exception of an interaction with one former wwe diva everyone else was a pleasure to meet. Even Guys who I wasn’t a fan of I became a fan because they were so nice and humble.There is room for improvement as Axxess could benefit from a longer window to give people more time to do as much as they can in their time there.                        

     At superstar signings there is a regular line and a separate line for disabled people, depending on the handler who is with the superstar to manage the flow of the line the frequent back and forth between the lines can become disruptive and annoying as people are waiting 45 minutes or more for their turn to meet their favorite superstars.  When I went to Wrestlemania in 2011 the handlers were very adamant about not taking pictures with superstars, just get your item signed and move along creating a very rushed atmosphere this time they were there to take pictures of the fans with the superstars which in the end is all everyone wants when they meet superstars.
       The Hall of Fame was another good experience yet it dragged on. All of the inductees were good, Diamond Dallas Page speech was a little long but inspiring, The Rock n Roll express was short and sweet, Rick Rude's family kept it short, Beth Phoenix's speech was good but dragged, she made a point to emphasize the importance of woman, their accomplishments, and their contributions to making WWE the global phenomenon it is. Eric Leguard speech was relatable as just another fan who had a unfortunate circumstance that opened up the doors to other opportunities. Teddy Long speech was typical Teddy Long funny. Kurt Angle showed why he is not only one of the best wrestlers ever but most entertaining. Everyone's speech was good but people’s attention spans get short when listening to people talk back to back. I’ve read the WWE prefers to let everyone take as much time as they want during the hall of fame. I think limiting the inductor's speaking to give more time to the inductees if they choose to use it would be a better option.
     I didn’t attend NXT takeover because I was at axxess during the same time. That leads us to the “Ultimate Thrill Ride” Wrestlemania 33! Which was a decent event, no real bad matches that sucked the air out of everything just draining. The event ran from 530 pm until Midnight which is entirely too long even for die hard wrestling fans. Since their on the WWE network I guess they feel they can go as long as they want but they really need to work on time management. Some of the outcomes such as Randy Orton beating Bray I was against. I left once Roman pinned Undertaker so I didn't see his farewell moment. A few exciting things happened at Wrestlemania that you won't see on tv that was a major part of the experience.  A young man proposed to his girlfriend and a Stone Cold cosplayer battled other cosplayers in the nwo, ultimate warrior, and Ric Flair in a exciting “match” in the stands.
       One important part of the experience I think is overlooked is everyone was there to have a good time. My wife and I met a lot of nice people while waiting in line at the various events. People from all over the world who clearly love sports entertainment. You may have come across a occasional casual fan but the majority of people there were to the core in their blood wrestling fans. I also believe Vince McMahon and the WWE don't get enough credit for the marketing geniuses they are. There was a “Wrestlemania Superstore” with all kinds of merchandise and no shortage of people gobbling it all up. Grown men buying replica title belts like their in a toy store. Families of four and everyone of them having replica belts, cosplaying, people with bags of stuff enough credit is not given to the WWE for the love their fans have for them. All in all I had a very good time and experience and if you are a real wrestling fan and are able to I highly recommend attending a Wrestlemania. Just being in the atmosphere is a experience you’ll always remember.

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