Yesterday, I purchased the VHS tape of Wrestlemania 18, thus completing my Wrestlemania collection again. I bought the Box Set of Wrestlemanias 1 through 14, and I've bought the regular copies of each WM ever since. Anyway, I'm going to view Wrestlemania 18 soon and see what kind of opinion I can truly form about the show.
Given the fact that I have to be home to tape stuff off of Digital Cable, I wasn't able to view the Vince McMahon On the Record special with Bob Costas. I really hate Digital Cable.
On to the PDC.
Our first match was Hardcore Holly/Lance Storm vs. Val Venis/Randy Orton. Better-than-average midcard filler match. Holly, Storm, and Venis can carry matches well, and Orton probably looked his best this week. Something just lacks with his personality... Of course, he could continually go back to a Porn Star gimmick like another wrestler, who happened to be in this match.
Odd backstage segments this week. Let me quickly run through them, if you will... Firstly, Maven's meeting with Torrie and Stacy was strange, and he was asking the two hottest WWE ladies in wrestling history out. Don't blame him, whatsoever. By the way, why hasn't Playboy offered Torrie Wilson a deal yet? Very, very messed up scene with Hurricane (or Gregory Helms) interviewing Funaki. Funaki is still in the WWF? What's with the midget? Midgets and wrestling don't usually mix. See the Evil Midget that was from WCW in 1993. Why was Vince McMahon playing the heel against the heel team of Chuck and Billy? Oh man, I'm just fired up for Rikishi's partner (sarcasm). Way to trash the World Tag titles, Vince. I liked the additional backstage confrontation between Triple H and Edge. Could that lead to a hot feud, like the Rock and Jericho feud we saw a while ago?
TESTIFY! D'Von took on Maven next. The WWE should tour Canada more often. D'Von was over as a heel and all of the fans in the arenas actually still cheer Hulk Hogan. D'Von won the match, building up a winning streak over various popular WWF superstars. Man, the WWF must really want everyone to accept the Dudley Boyz break up. Vince McMahon called Leviathan the "Deacon" backstage, possibly ditching the last name of the gimmick. That's a good step... The Deacon attacked poor Al Snow after the match.
Torrie vs. Stacy Keibler was next in their repetitive Bikini Contest. Well, actually, this one was rather different. Tajiri ran down to the ring and ruined everyone's boners, since he covered up Torrie before she could really show anything. Stacy, hot as ever, would declare herself the winner, but wait, Trish Stratus would come down, and strip to her bra and panties. As Howard Stern would say: Smokin'! Not that I can say that Trish vs. Torrie will be a good WRESTLING match, but this was a better storyline type Bikini Contest than any of them before this.
Rico vs. Rikishi was next. The hot Montreal crowd didn't even pop for this. Ha! Rikishi is SOOOOOOOOOO over as a face. There are only a few things the fans will cheer for on Rikishi. First, it's his dancing ending, and even that's questionable now without Too Cool. Secondly, his Stinkface. The WWE should really consider giving Rikishi a better finisher than just sitting on someone, like the tombstone like move he had before the WWE outlawed piledrivers among their wrestlers. Rikishi won this so-called wrestling match. Yay.
Our next bout was a Triple Threat match between Hurricane, Billy Kidman, and Tajiri for the Cruiserweight Title. This is a PERFECT EXAMPLE of how HALF-ASSED the WWE is about the Cruiserweight division. On the Smackdown before the Pay Per View, Hurricane won the Cruiserweight title. Huh? After getting beat up many times by Tajiri, he just wins it out of no where with no build up. I guess this is the Spider-Man push? This match was ridiculously short for a 3 way Cruiserweight match, showing you even less effort given by the WWE towards this division.
Hulk Hogan came out for an in ring promo. As if he doesn't take up enough television time just talking on every WWE television shows. Proof of why the WWF is probably going to tour Canada more often was here, as the Montreal fans cheered their hearts out for Hogan. Hogan did his usual praising of the fans, when Vince McMahon hit the ring. He told Hogan about how Hulkamania was Cancer, etc, etc. I thought the NWO was the Cancer? Oh wait, that was "poison". Still, the same kind of speaking. Vince would eventually slap Hogan, leading to Hogan attacking Vince. Vince vs. Hogan feud? Hmmm... Hogan vs. Vince McMahon at King of the Ring? I happen to be trying to get tickets for that show. It COULD be good, given the many allusions to the past business that both wrestlers could do. If WWF television would bring up the idea of WHO made the WWF in the 1980's, then it could really be good. Time will tell, but with this attack, it looks like the Undertaker will be our next World Champion. Ah shit.
Our Main Event was Chris Jericho/Kurt Angle vs. Edge/Triple H. Solid bout overall. I saw a lot of "going through the motions" though from the wrestlers, although that's just a given before the Pay Per View, since I'd hope the wrestlers would want to rest up before giving their all at Judgment Day. Heels win, telling everyone that Angle will be bald and that Jericho will lose the Hell in the Cell. Man, Jericho winning the Hell in the Cell would be a big deal...
LAST WORD: Solid show overall here from the WWF. Lots of sports entertainment over wrestling, but I guess that's why it's called World Wrestling ENTERTAINMENT now, eh? Despite it's flaws, this was still lightyears better than the crap in the box known as RAW.
Kenny's hopes of winning are likely down. He's a great athlete, but he's a great partier too. He wasn't there one time when Al Snow was wrestling him. He would go out partying another night, and pick up a chick for some humping. Holy Real World, Batman!
The cast would come home, and Holly would say that they became a better group of wrestlers. Gee, that's hard to believe since the show hardly shows them training to be wrestlers now. In the ring, Jackie hurt her knee while wrestling Jake, and that's bad because she was favored to win a spot at this point. Yikes.
LAST WORD: Decent show, although the shows down to the wire from the Last Season were better. Next week, Jackie gets her knee looked at, and Jake could be in trouble from his wrestling ability. Uh oh.
AOL Instant Messenger: BookerTito - It's recommended that you send your questions or feedback as your first message so that it could be answered, instead of saying "hi", "hey", "what's up" or whatever else. Just get to the point, please, to make it easier since I get drilled with messages.
WRESTLEPALOOZA.com - Audio Show, Columns, News, and more!
The Backyard Wrestling Link - Links to many backyard federations and more!
KOLTERSHOCK!!! - A site that you shouldn't view with small children present!
X-Entertainment.com - One of the most entertaining pages on the net!
@That's all for today. Week in Review will pop up sometime this weekend, along with my Judgment Day Predictions. Hmm, looks like I'll have to do 2 columns this weekend.
Take Care, and Thanks for Reading.