I'll be the first to admit that it will take me a while to type "WWE", or at least get used to using it daily. I've known Vince McMahon's product to be the "WWF" for a good while now, so it will take me a while to adjust, especially when typing it!
Lots of good feedback concerning the "No Reason To Panic" Weekend column. I'd say panic if and only if the WWF does low ratings like that for at least 4 consecutive times, especially after May Sweeps occurs.
On to the PDC, mmmk?
I don't really see the name change hurting anything, whatsoever, other than little things like WWF NY, the restaraunt in New York City and some merchandising issues. Fans, by now, tune in on Monday nights for RAW and they tune into Thursday nights for Smackdown. They also buy Pay Per Views named Wrestlemania, Backlash, Judgement Day, etc. All of the names mentioned are very much common for any wrestling fan, so the company's name change won't be affected. Thank God they trademarked Smackdown and RAW, or else they'd be hurting right now. I'm sure some other liberal fundraising group will claim that they were called "RAW"...
-WWF NY is practically worthless now, and the namechange should really add to it. The restaraunt or club can hardly fill up for television shows now, and it doesn't do too well during the regular business hours, especially being on Times Square in NYC. The WWF would be wise to just shut it down and sell off the expensive property for some gain in the whole deal, especially before it really starts to lose some hard earned money.
-I just shake my head at those who say that Bill Goldberg SHOULD NOT be in the WWF. Huh? He could make the company some serious dough, especially in some Pay Per Views against either Steve Austin or Triple H. His last big opportunity to capitalize in American wrestling is NOW because fans are slowly forgetting about him. If Goldberg gets paid $1 Million per year, and brings in $3 Million or so based on Pay Per View buyrates on the shows he's on, then it's well worth the effort to go out there and get him.
Of course, there are PLENTY in the WWF who really hate Bill Goldberg. Firstly, Goldberg has continually bashed the WWF's content in various interviews with the media and from comments made on his website. But the wrestlers, take your pick... During an edition of Nitro, Bill Goldberg fought Lord Steven "William" Regal one night. After mistiming a move sequence, Regal would go on to stretch Goldberg for real during a wear-down hold in the match. Bill Goldberg refused to do any feud with Chris Jericho at the time, stating how Jericho was too small and not a part of the bigtime to even matter. Many WCW wrestlers know how bad Goldberg's temper can become. Goldberg made the open challenge to Steve Austin on one episode the Tonight show. Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan undermined Goldberg's run as champion, especially Kevin Nash, who booked himself to beat Goldberg at Starrcade 1998. Goldberg completely hates Scott Hall... Read his book for that one.
But hey, if a former drug addict and alcoholic Scott Hall can return to the WWF, then Goldberg should be signed. The WWE has a weird sense of forgiving and forgetting certain things, as long as it will draw the almightly dollar. Aside from past experiences and comments made, Goldberg has not done a bad thing to the WWF. Hell, he even made up with Jericho at a charity hockey game. In WCW, some would claim that Goldberg was a menace. True, but when you had idiot bookers, like Russo and Kevin Nash, screwing with you all of the time, you'd be uneasy about things, too. Imagine what Goldberg would do in a successful company?
-An interesting idea was presented about why the much hyped Hulk Hogan vs. Chris Jericho match didn't draw Thursday Night on Smackdown, despite the heavy competition that night. Some are now suggesting and possibly blaming that younger or 1998 fans DO NOT care to see Hulk Hogan on television, as with Smackdown, it was shown that their teen audience dwindled this week. That's a very odd dilemma the WWF now has themselves in.
Go back to 1998... If you remember correctly, Hulk Hogan won the World Title in the Spring of 1998, after beating Randy Savage, AGAIN, on a Nitro following a Pay Per View where Macho just beat Sting for the World Title. Hogan' had a lengthy reign after that, which lasted until Goldberg beat him during the Summer of 1998. During Hogan's title reign, the WWF began to grow in leaps and bounds, and they started to take over the top ratings recognition from WCW.
So is Hulkamania poisoning the WWF? Maybe, or at least bringing back the past to the present, which might not be good for the trendy WWF.
ON RAW TONIGHT: If you try to remember what went on last week, you'd remember that the match of Ric Flair/Steve Austin/Bradshaw versus the New World Order (Hall, X-pac, Big Show). I'm curious to know if Flair will turn or if something weird would occur that would prolong the feud some more between Austin and Flair. I guess we'll just see tonight...
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.
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@That's all. I'll be back, tomorrow, with a FULL RAW review. Mmmmkay?
Take Care, and Thanks for Reading.