Some agreed with my ECW Dudleys video review, with others disagreed. The ones who mainly disagreed were the ECW fans who began watching ECW around in 1998, who don't recall the early Dudley stuff, which in my opinion, was better than the later stuff, wrestling wise. But that's alright, for I have most of ECW television on tape from the year 1997 to appreciate the early Dudley tag team stuff. The real problem I had with the Dudleys tape was for the fact that it's over 2 hours long, and they just skipped over their early career as a tag team like it really meant nothing.
Oh, and by the way, I'm NOT making copies of those ECW tapes, if anybody is asking. Why? Not to be a bastard, but it's about 8 six-hour tapes, filled with all the stuff that occurred on the ECW infomercial for the year 1997, when I actually started to tape them. They are mostly without commercials, or promos for merchandise, too. I probably sound like I'm bragging since I have such a decent ECW video library...
Even better, my brother taped the last few months of 1996 ECW programming, which has the few Eliminators vs. Sabu/Rob Van Dam tables and ladder matches, along with the finishing touches to the very nasty Sandman vs. Raven feud. You'd have to talk to him about getting a copy of that, har har har!
I know that several of you have asked what my wrestling video library contains. Well, any documentary about wrestling, I have, from 1996 and on. I have ALL of the Wrestlemanias, a few other events, like Survivor Series 1991, where Hulk Hogan lost to the Undertaker, Starrcade '89, and more. I don't try to collect Pay Per Views, with the exception of the Wrestlemanias. I have all of the ECW ones, with the exception of Heatwave and Cactus Jack. I have a decent collection of the 1998 and up WWF and WCW videos, as I've reviewed in the PDC for the past 3 years. I have a few older WWF videos, as well, containing matches from the early to mid 1990s. One tape has a good ladder match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, years before they really hated each other. I should just stack all of my videos up and take a digital camera picture for everyone to see.
My brother has a decent overall collection, too. He has nearly all of the Sting and Ric Flair tapes; his two favorite wrestlers. But the biggest video collector of them all, that I've ever seen, is Mrs. Tito's brother. His goal is to have EVERY WWF and WCW/NWA Pay Per View on tape, EVER!!! He's actually close to it, too! If I ever need a past Pay Per View to remember something, I just ask him to let me borrow it. Like when I had my Flair vs. Steamboat fixes... he supplied Chi-Town Rumble, Clash of the Champions, and Wrestle War (all from 1989), and I was set. It's impressive to see how filled up he has a cupboard with those videos. I should take a digital camera picture of that, too.
But enough about videos, for I've digressed further than I probably should have. Oh, and before we go on to the PDC, a simple shout out to SD Bolt. Anyway, on to the column!
Now had the children been watching Pokemon more than wrestling, then somehow the Japanese cartoon would have been blamed. Well maybe not, for wrestling has gained such a horrible reputation as a bad influence on children. Sure, I'll agree that it does some bad things, but to cause such bad behavior among children? Please. Any violent acts by children is the result of bad parenting or just horrible psychological problems with the child. Both aren't treated or taken seriously anymore, since parenting seems to suck lately (as parents give into their child's demands). Wrestling just takes the blame because of bad parenting, instead of having parents look at their own problems.
-Like all of the independents arriving on the scene, I don't know about the XWF. So far, it seems as though they are signing the same old talent that either nobody wants because of age, from ego problems, or for the fact that they are simply a bad fit for the current format of the WWF right now. Only older wrestling fans will want to see them, but note that many long time fans have stopped watching wrestling because of the WWF monopoly and its effects. I highly doubt that it will be any kind of success, unless it develops its own fresh talent or style of wrestling, which it definitely won't do.
-It appears as though the "roster cuts" rumors are going around again for the WWF. Geesh. It will be sad to see many lose their jobs, although some aren't making too much, as it is, with travelling expenses, etc. I bet that the talent cuts wouldn't seem too obvious for the WWF, if they actually used their wrestlers to their full abilities. Many wrestlers just wrestle once a week on television, and stand around in the locker room for the rest of the week. With the WWF having 7 total singles belts to go after, along with 2 sets of tag titles, how can you not utilize that vast roster, especially with 6 hours of television to make a week?
Hey, it's been true for the last 4 weeks!
On the Shockwave filled WWF.com, there's some hype that Smackdown will be "a night of champions", with 4 title matches signed. Will they go for 4 title changes, just like they did on the RAW that scored a 3.9 rating in the ratings 2 weeks ago?
In a match that I figured would someday occur on television, the Undertaker will go after Steve Austin for the World Title. It will be very interesting to see how much the Undertaker will sell for Austin. The Undertaker will actually act like a wrestler tonight! I'd pass on this match up, though, for the Undertaker just sucks so bad in the ring right now. I recommend watching the Summerslam 1998 match, which you could watch instead. I might do that. I give a call to Mrs. Tito's brother to see if he has that event.
And if the ratings couldn't drop even further, we'll see Kurt Angle take on Kane for the US Title. Oh boy, Kurt Angle gets to be tossed around for about 10 minutes. I wonder how it feels to be thrown around like a lawn dart. Something new needs to be badly done with Kane, because as the partner of the Undertaker, he's become very stale in character.
Also, we'll get a rematch of Edge vs. Rob Van Dam, but this time, the Hardcore Title is on the line. This should be very good, especially since RVD and Edge probably learned off each other the night before on how to work well with each other. Edge is no stranger to hardcore, for he can bump and dish out shots with the best of them. I'm very much looking foward to this rematch.
Speaking of rematches, we'll see another Booker T/Test vs. Rock/Chris Jericho battle. I smell a title change for this one, because why would it be booked twice in a row? If Test and Booker T win, it should add conflict on the WWF's side from Jericho and Rock's hatred for each other, which could cause the Alliance to win at Survivor Series. Thus, it would set up an incredibly hot rematch at the December Pay Per View, which SHOULD have been called Starrcade, but the WWF missed out there.
Have you seen this type of match before? The Dudleys/Stacy Keibler will take on the Hardys/Lita in a six man/woman intergender match. Matches like these are done way too often. I'm guessing that the Duds/Stacy will win, since Matt Hardy will do something to Lita. I'm sure LoP's very own Turtle2Hug is just anticipating more problems in the Matt Hardy-Lita relationship. I am too, but just so that the Hardys could do something new in the storylines. I'm tired of seeing the same routine, night in and night out.
5 matches have been announced, with probably a few more developing as the show goes along. I'm hoping to be entertained tonight, as I have with the last few Smackdowns.
WRESTLEPALOOZA.com: Audio Show, news, columns, and more!
KOLTERSHOCK!!!! You KNOW you want to check it out!
@That's all for today's edition. I'll be back, tomorrow, with a Smackdown review, which I usually do on Fridays. Until then, just chill till the next episode!
Take Care, and Thanks for Reading.