http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Mon, 21 Sep 2015 06:33:35 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

http://www.cheap-heat.com/best-of-bash-at-the-beach/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/best-of-bash-at-the-beach/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:27:08 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Blogs Reviews Top Lists Bash at the Beach Beach Blast Cage Match Chris Jericho Dave Meltzer DDP DDP Yoga Dennis Rodman ECW Hulk Hogan Karl Malone Randy Savage Rey Mysterio Ric Flair Rick Rude Star Ratings Sting The Giant Top Matches Ultimo Dragon Vader WCW wrestling WWE WWE Network http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13305 Summer is in full swing so let's celebrate with a WCW Classic—Bash at the Beach! The Bash—formerly known as Beach Blast—was a wrestling tradition for nine years and hosted some of the most definitive moments in World Championship Wrestling history. The NWO formed, Hulk Hogan debuted, the late Roddy Piper wrestled Ric Flair! I've been […]

Summer is in full swing so let's celebrate with a WCW Classic— Bash at the Beach! The Bash—formerly known as Beach Blast—was a wrestling tradition for nine years and hosted some of the most definitive moments in World Championship Wrestling history. The NWO formed, Hulk Hogan debuted , the late Roddy Piper wrestled Ric Flair! I've been doing a ton of research for an upcoming analysis I think you'll all really enjoy, and have thus been paying particularly close attention to Dave Meltzer's Star Ratings. Instead of writing about why you should watch each Bash at the Beach extravaganza, I've listed Dave's highest rated match and my favorite match, to give you an idea of what kind of action went down at these particular shows.

Note: The "Combined Star Rating" is the average for each show based on match ratings and number of bouts.

Beach Blast 1992 – Mobile Alabama 6/20/92
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Sting versus Cactus Jack – Falls Count Anywhere – 4 ½ Stars
Mark's Favorite Match: Rick Rude versus Ricky Steamboat – Iron Man Match – 3 ½ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 3 Stars

Beach Blast 1993 – Biloxi Mississippi 7/18/93
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: TIED

Mark's Favorite Match: Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham – NWA World Heavyweight Title – 2 ½ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1994 – Orlando Florida 7/17/94
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Steve Austin vs. Ricky Steamboat – U.S. Title– 3 ¾ Stars
Mark's Favorite Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair – WCW World Heavyweight Title – 3 ¼ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1995 – Huntington Beach California 7/16/95
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Ric Flair vs. Macho Man – Lifeguard Match – 2 ¾ Stars
Mark's Favorite Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Vader – Cage Match World Title – 2 ½ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 1 Star

Bash at the Beach 1996 – Daytona Beach Florida 7/7/96
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psychosis – 4 ¼ Stars
Mark's Top Match: The Outsiders & Hulk Hogan vs. Sting, Macho Man, & Lex Luger – 3 Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 Вј Stars

Bash at the Beach 1997 – Daytona Beach Florida 7/13/97
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: TIED

Mark's Top Match: Roddy Piper vs. Ric Flair 3 ¼ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1998 – San Diego California 7/12/98
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero – Hair vs. Hair – 3 ¼ Stars
Mark's Top Match: Hulk Hogan & Dennis Rodman vs. DDP & Karl Malone –   -1 ¼ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 1 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1999 – Fort Lauderdale Florida 7/11/99
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: The Triad vs. Chris Benoit & Perry Saturn – 3 ½ Stars
Mark's Top Match: Hardcore Junkyard Battle Royal – N/A
Combined Star Rating: ВЅ Star

Bash at the Beach 2000 – Dayton Beach Florida 7/9/00
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Mike Awesome vs. Scott Steiner – U.S. Title – 3 ¼ Stars
Mark's Top Match: Booker T vs. Jeff Jarrett – World Heavyweight Title – 3 Stars
Combined Star Rating: 1 Вѕ Stars

Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook , and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News !

http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-9-wcw-success-in-wwe/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-9-wcw-success-in-wwe/#comments Thu, 12 Mar 2015 02:51:32 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Top Lists Bill Goldberg Billy Kidman Booker T Chavo Guerrero Chuck Palumbo Dave Finlay DDP Diamond Dallas Page Eric Bischoff Finlay Fit Finlay Goldberg Gregory Helms Hurricane Helms Jamie Noble Kidman Lance Storm RAW Rey Mysterio Shane Helms Smackdown Stacy Keibler The Hurricane WCW WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10331 Lucky Thirteen #9 WCW Success in WWE Written by Mark Adam Haggerty I had an epiphany this evening that really struck me—at 28 years old, I've lived half of my life without WCW. It was fourteen years ago that World Championship Wrestling closed, and WWE immediately assumed 25 new talent contracts. While most WCW wrestlers […]

Lucky Thirteen #9
WCW Success in WWE
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

I had an epiphany this evening that really struck me—at 28 years old, I've lived half of my life without WCW. It was fourteen years ago that World Championship Wrestling closed, and WWE immediately assumed 25 new talent contracts. While most WCW wrestlers experienced little in the way of �Federation' success, there were certainly those who managed to make an indelible impression. From the King of the Ring, to the world title, to the WWE Hall of Fame—my name is Mark Adam Haggerty with you again for another Lucky Thirteen. This week we're counting down the most successful WCW Talents-turned-WWE Superstars.

Note: This list ONLY includes WCW wrestlers who never competed for Vince McMahon prior to 2001, so there is no mention of Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Scott Steiner, etc. Furthermore, Superstars such as the Big Show, Chris Jericho, and Eddie Guerrero are not included as they signed with the WWE while WCW was still in business.

13. Lance Storm
We begin with a man who learned his craft under the tutelage of the famed-Hart Family, and earned his reputation in the dilapidated territory system of the 1990s. Lance Storm arrived in WCW in 1999, where his U.S., Hardcore and Cruiserweight championship victories cemented him as the only man in history to hold three singles belts simultaneously. When the WWE acquired WCW in 2001, Lance Storm was immediately cast as part of the Alliance. Shortly after his debut, Storm became the WWE Intercontinental champion by defeating current NXT commentator Jason Albert. Storm aligned himself with Christian, Test, and William Regal as the "Un-Americans"—a heel faction made of Canadian and, in Regal's case, European wrestlers. After a successful tag title run with Christian, Lance Storm faded from television and eventually became a trainer for Ohio Valley Wrestling. He stayed with OVW from 2004 until 2005 when he decided to open his own school, the now-very prominent "Storm Wrestling Academy."

12. Chuck Palumbo
Before Chuck Palumbo "looked so good" to Billy Gunn, he was a part of the "Natural Born Thrillers," a youthful stable that also included Sean O'Haire. The duo of Palumbo and O'Haire was so dominant in the final months of WCW, that when it came time to debut for the WWE, they did so as WCW World Tag Team champions. After the Invasion angle subsided, Palumbo was paired with another tag team specialist—Billy Gunn. The two entered into a "homo-erotic" program that featured questionable stretching exercises and culminated with a civil union ceremony on Smackdown. After two tag team title reigns, Billy and Chuck went their separate ways and Chuck soon found himself attached to the Full Blooded Italians. He was subsequently repackaged in 2006 and returned as a bike mechanic, inspired by his own real-life affinity for motorcycles. Although his time as a WWE Superstar was short-lived, Palumbo is not-yet done with the spotlight; in 2014, Chuck Palumbo began starring in his own reality series, "Lords of Car Hoards" on the Discovery Channel.

11. Billy Kidman
When Billy Kidman debuted for WCW in 1996, it was as part of the up-and-coming Cruiserweight division. But by the end of his tenure, Kidman was a main event talent who engaged in momentous feuds with industry icons such as Hulk Hogan. Shortly after debuting for the WWE as part of the Invasion, Kidman defeated Shane Helms for the WCW Cruiserweight championship in the first WCW match on WWE television. Kidman defeated X-Pac at the Invasion pay-per-view to symbolically retired Sean Waltman's Lightheavyweight Championship, in favor of the Cruiserweight—a belt that Kidman would wear on four separate occasions while under WWE contract. Kidman joined forces with Paul London in 2004 to win the tag team championship from the prolific title holding Dudley Boyz. Kidman left the WWE for a short while following his in-ring career, but returned in 2010 and continues to work as a producer to this day.

10. Stacy Keibler
Stacy Keibler was one of just two WCW women whom the WWE was interested in hiring, and along with Torrie Wilson, managed to make an impact from the start as part of the Invasion. Following her initial debut, Stacy found herself in cahoots with a variety of dastardly heels, as well as a few benevolent babyfaces. She was the self-proclaimed "Duchess of Dudleyville," accompanying tag team champions Bubba Ray and Devon to the ring on many of their successful title defenses. She would also participate in a very provocative storyline as "personal assistant" to Mr. McMahon, a job she earned by performing a spirited "table dance." After getting RKO'd by her Kayfabe boyfriend Randy Orton, Stacy became less-and-less visible on WWE programming. Stacy left the company in 2006, but returned in 2011 for a cameo on WWE's reality series "Tough Enough."

9. Diamond Dallas Page
Diamond Dallas Page entered the wrestling business at a late age, but that wouldn't stop the future "Lord of the Ring" from living his dream and winning the world championship. Dallas was a 3-time WCW champion, living on top of the roster for most of the late 1990s. After weeks of tormenting the Undertaker and his wife Sara, Diamond Dallas Page debuted as part of the Invasion. Once making landfall on �Federation shores, the innovator of the Diamond Cutter made quick work in reestablishing his partnership with Chris Kanyon, with whom he won the tag team titles. After suffering a series of defeats, Diamond Dallas Page was repackaged as a motivational speaker who insisted that, "It's not a bad thing—it's a good thing!" Dallas won the European Championship on January 31st 2002 and proceeded to successfully defend it at Wrestlemania X8 in Toronto against Christian. Today Page is responsible for launching "DDP Yoga," a life-changing program that has already saved hundreds of lives and helped otherwise inactive individuals enjoy a far healthier lifestyle.

8. Shane/Gregory Helms
"Sugar" Shane Helms was a staple during the dying days of WCW, and it wasn't until the final few months that the "Vertebreaker" finally broke out on his own. Fortunately the WWE was more than interested in signing the WCW Cruiserweight champion, so Helms was afforded an opportunity to carry his talents over to another roster. After the Invasion, Helms donned a green mask and wrestled as a mysterious "super hero" named The Hurricane. The Hurricane would go on to become a tag team champion along with Rosey, the "Super Hero in Training." After climbing the tag team ranks, Helms grew tired of performing comedy and dropped the Hurricane gimmick. The newly named Gregory Helms soon captured the cruiserweight championship, and held it for 13 months, making him the longest reigning cruiserweight champion in WWE or WCW history. Helms worked as a backstage personality, interviewing Superstars on ECW and Smackdown, but eventually reemerged as The Hurricane, before finally leaving the company in 2010.

7. Finlay
Although Dave "Fit" Finlay only started appearing in the WWE in 2005, the Irishman who "loves to fight" was actually one of the 25 talents acquired in 2001. Finlay was a brawler during his WCW days, earning a reputation for hardcore warfare by winning the one-and-only Junkyard Invitational at Bash at the Beach. The former television champion started working for WWE in 2001 as a trainer in Ohio Valley Wrestling. Aside from shaping future world champions like John Cena and Randy Orton, Dave Finlay was responsible for transitioning the Diva's division out of the "Bra and Panties Era" and into the modern-day. Finlay debuted on WWE TV in 2005 and quickly established himself as a main event contender by winning the United States Championship. He worked several main event storylines, including quite a few alongside King Booker and William Regal. After his return as the "Belfast Bruiser," Finlay moved into more lighthearted segments involving his Kayfabe son "Hornswoggle." Finlay is still a member of the WWE production team, working as an agent and producer, and even appearing on TV from time to time.

6. Chavo Guerrero
From the day Eddie jumped ship to WWE, World Championship Wrestling was left with just one Guerrero. Chavo stayed loyal to the WCW brand until its dying day, holding the coveted Cruiserweight championship until the final pay-per-view when he was bested by "Sugar" Shane Helms. Chavo was one of the twenty-five contracts assumed by Vince McMahon and started like many, as part of the Invasion. Chavo spent time as a trainer and personality on the second season of Tough Enough where he remained until 2002. When he returned to the main roster, Chavo and Eddie formed the championship team "Los Guerreros," and lived by the credo: "Lie, cheat, and steal." After Eddie's passing, Chavo entered into a feud with world champion Rey Mysterio, and was even accompanied by his father, Chavo Sr. for a short period. The villainous Chavo would later become affiliated with world champion Edge and his on-screen fiancé, Chavo's real-life Aunt Vickie Guerrero. During his decade with the WWE, Chavo won the cruiserweight championship four times, and even captured the ECW world title in 2008, making him one of the most decorated WCW wrestlers to set foot in WWE.

5. Jamie Noble
One of the only people on our countdown still featured on a weekly basis is one-half of "J&J Security"—Jamie Noble. Jamie debuted for WCW in 1999 but failed to ever make an impact outside of the cruiserweight division. Noble signed with the WWE in 2001 and was sent to Heartland Wrestling Association for further development. Noble's West Virginian roots resonated with WWE Creative, and in 2002 Jamie Noble debuted as a trailer park hick, alongside WWE Diva Nidia. Noble became the WWE Cruiserweight champion and held the belt for an astonishing 147-days before dropping it. His relationship with Nidia continued until 2004 when the two began their blow-off feud, resulting in the first-ever "Boyfriend versus Girlfriend" match at No Way Out. Noble left the WWE in 2004, and upon his return was repackaged as one-half of the "Pitbulls" with Kid Kash; the team didn't last very long as Kash was soon terminated, leading Noble back to singles competition. Jamie Noble worked in the ring until 2009 when a series of aggravating injuries forced him to retire. Outside of his duties as an agent and producer, Jamie Noble is currently cast alongside Joey Mercury as a bumbling security guard for Seth Rollins.

4. Goldberg
The WCW's most organic creation was the almost-undefeated former-football-playing Bill Goldberg. Goldberg debuted for WCW in 1997 and by 1998 was the world heavyweight champion. His unprecedented 173-0 streak went beyond wins-and-losses and introduced a new breed of competitor. Bill Goldberg is the first person on our countdown that didn't sign with Vince McMahon in 2001, instead opting to start negotiating more than a year later. Goldberg made his WWE debut on the Monday Night Raw following Wrestlemania XIX 2003, when the former WCW champion decided to Spear the Rock. During just one year with the WWE, Goldberg entered into meaningful programs with Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho, and Triple H. He was part of the second-ever Elimination Chamber at Summerslam, and in September of 2003 became the WWE World Champion. Goldberg's exit from the WWE at Wrestlemania XX was wrought with controversy, but did end with a beer bash between "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Goldberg. Who's to say we've seen the last of Bill Goldberg in the WWE?

3. Eric Bischoff
Eric Bischoff made his WCW debut in 1991 and quickly climbed the corporate ladder within Turner Broadcasting, reaching his peak as executive-vice president. Bischoff spent over a year away from the industry following the fall of WCW, but returned in 2002 as General Manager for WWE Raw. As GM, Eric introduced a number of innovations including Raw Roulette and the iconic Elimination Chamber. Although entrusted to a position of power, Bischoff often engaged in feuds with wrestlers and authority figures such as Steve Austin, Stephanie McMahon and Paul Heyman. Bischoff was "fired" by Vince McMahon in 2005 following a "trial" that resulted in Vince slamming Eric in the back of a garbage truck. Bischoff returned to the WWE sparingly since his termination: He was a special guest on Raw in 2006 to promote his WWE-published autobiography, "Controversy Creates Cash"; he received 60% of the vote to become the special guest referee in a match between DX and Rated RKO at Cyber Sunday 2006; and he appeared in 2008 at the very special "Fifteenth Anniversary" show for Monday Night Raw.

2. Rey Mysterio
Rey Mysterio is another WCW performer who decided to take a break following the demise of World Championship Wrestling. After working in Mexico for a year, Rey signed a contract with the WWE and debuted in 2002 by leaping off of a fifteen-foot high cage on Smackdown. During his twelve years under contract, Rey was involved in a number of memorable matches and significant storylines involving a who's who of wrestling talent. Rey made his Wrestlemania debut in 2003 at SafeCo Field in Seattle dressed as the "Flash" and continued his comic book tradition for another seven �Manias. In 2006, Rey Mysterio made history when he entered the Royal Rumble match at number two and lasted more than an hour to earn a championship shot at Wrestlemania 22. Rey Mysterio is a highly decorated performer who's won the Heavyweight, World, Cruiserweight, Intercontinental, and tag team titles to earn his place in history as a WWE Triple Crown champion. At 5'6 and weighing in at just 175, Rey Mysterio is pound-for-pound, the most successful Superstar in WWE history. Regardless of how his tenure might have ended, he will always be remembered as the longest contracted WCW holdover in WWE history.

1. Booker T
It's not hard to see why Booker T is the most successful WCW Talent-turned-WWE Superstar in history. Booker was one of the original members of the Invasion, making his debut just days after the purchase went public. Booker was among only a few main event level stars willing to jump ship immediately—lucky for Vince McMahon, as Booker T was in possession of both the WCW U.S. and World Heavyweight titles. Booker T enjoyed an array of success almost immediately as the in-ring leader of the Alliance. Booker was known for unpredictability which he offered in spades after becoming tag team champions with the bizarre Goldust. Booker won the 2006 King of the Ring tournament which put him in line for a championship push against the world title holder. The newly rechristened "King Booker" captured the WWE World Championship with the help of his loyal court and "Queen Sharmell," and proceeded to preside over Smackdown for the rest of the year. After a storied career working against Hall of Famers such as Steve Austin and Edge, Booker T decided to try his hand at announcing and joined the WWE broadcast team in 2011. Booker is a former Smackdown General Manager as well as a WWE Grand Slam Champion; in addition to his world title reign, Booker has held the U.S., Intercontinental, Hardcore, and Tag Team championships. The King of the "Spin-a-rooni" is currently color-commentating on Monday Night Raw alongside John Layfield and Michael Cole, and is the only WWE Hall of Famer on our countdown.

When Triple H decided that his feud with Sting would stem from old wounds inflicted during the Monday Night War, I was more than skeptical. When he invited Booker T into the ring last week on Raw, my brain started kicking into overdrive, contemplating just how many WCW wrestlers have seen the sort of success Booker T has since signing with the WWE. The answer—as you can tell—is not very many. Will Sting have a year to remember like Bill Goldberg, or will he appear only to vanish like Buff Bagwell? I hope you've enjoyed this week's Lucky Thirteen—until next time, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty, reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and to follow me on Facebook by LIKING "Mark Haggerty's Pro Wrestling."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/legends-house-2-8-potential-names/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/legends-house-2-8-potential-names/#comments Sat, 21 Feb 2015 05:16:48 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs APA Bradshaw Chris Jericho David Von Erich DDP Diamond Dallas Page Dok Hendrix Dusty Rhodes ECW Fabulous Freebirds Farooq Great American Bash Hall of Fame Hillbilly Jim HOF Jake Roberts JBL Jesse Ventura Kerry Von Erich Legends House Macho Man Michael Hayes Million Dollar Man Nation of Domination NWA Pat Patterson Randy Savage Ricky Steamboat Ron Simmons Ted DiBiase TNA Vader War Games WCCW WCW Wrestlemania WWE WWE Network WWF http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9876 Legends House 2: 8 Potential Names Written by Mark Adam Haggerty It's been one year since the world was first introduced to the WWE Network—a 24-hour streaming service featuring the best of WWE's current product as well as unfettered access to wrestling TV from yesteryear. Among the most popular content on the �Network is the […]

Legends House 2:
8 Potential Names
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

It's been one year since the world was first introduced to the WWE Network—a 24-hour streaming service featuring the best of WWE's current product as well as unfettered access to wrestling TV from yesteryear. Among the most popular content on the �Network is the original material, including WWE Legend's House . Originally produced for cable television, Legend's House was the WWE's answer to the "Surreal Life" . Seven Hall of Famers and Hillbilly Jim converged in Palm Springs and proceeded to pull back the curtain like never before. Of course there were an enormity of activities to keep the Legends busy, but the real magic of the show came from the bond between eight brothers of the locker room. Since the show concluded, there's been talk of developing a second season, but the question as to who might make up the cast remains unanswered. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and I'm here to make some predictions and suggestions as to who I'd like to see stuck inside the Legend's House .

"The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase
Starting off our list is a man whose name was synonymous with the WWF during the late 1980s. "The Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase was the top-drawing villain of his day, squaring off against the likes of Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, the Ultimate Warrior, and Dusty Rhodes. He arrived in the WWE where he was outfitted with luxurious tuxedos, extravagant jewelry, and most precious of all—the Million Dollar Championship. Though never officially winning the world title, DiBiase did buy one from Andre the Giant, and even became the 1988 King of the Ring. Ted DiBiase retired from in-ring competition in 1994 and continued to work in the industry as a manager for such Superstars as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the 1-2-3 Kid, the Steiner Brothers, and the NWO. "The Million Dollar Man" would make a fine addition to the Legend's House based solely on his dynamic legacy, but a TV show needs more than famous wrestlers. Everybody involved needs to have a decisive quirk to set them apart—on the first season Tony Atlas was annoying, Roddy Piper was crazy, and Pat Patterson was gay. In addition to being a world-class wrestler, Ted DiBiase is also an ordained minister, and is said to be the one responsible for several wrestlers "finding Jesus." I suggest his calm demeanor could play greatly against some of the more explosive personalities in the wrestling business.

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat
Ricky Steamboat entered the wrestling industry in 1976, traveling the North American territory system while also learning to hone his craft overseas. "The Dragon" earned a sterling reputation specifically in the NWA promotions along the East Coast, and would eventually become an NWA/WCW Triple Crown champion when he won each the U.S., tag team, and world's heavyweight titles. Ricky had a brief stint in the WWF during the 1980s where he was met with minimal success. However it was a match from this time with "Macho Man" Randy Savage that helped make Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat a household name. Ricky returned to his roots and the WCW where he remained until the final days of his in-ring career. In 1994, the "Dragon" received his pink-slip via FedEx—from Eric Bischoff. Ricky has remained loyal to the industry but has only stepped inside the squared-circle on rare occasion, including a pair of bouts against Chris Jericho in 2009. Ricky Steamboat is an incredibly nice guy who won't do much to push buttons while living in the Legend's House. At the same time however, the former NWA champion has a dry wit about him, which could make him the straight man to some of the more outrageous members of the cast.

Michael “PS” Hayes
In 1995 the WWE hired a mustachioed color commentator with sandy-colored hair and a raspy voice. I was only 9-years-old at the time, so I had no reason to think this guy was anybody other than "Dok Hendrix"—boy was I wrong! The legend of Michael "PS" Hayes began long before his time in the broadcast booth, down in the murkiest depths of America in 1977. Hayes learned to work in his home state of Florida, and soon moved on to larger markets in Georgia, North Carolina, and Texas. Hayes and his running-mates dubbed the "Fabulous Freebirds" were proud of their Southern Rock routes and chose to wear the confederate flag no matter where they performed. The �Freebirds engaged in landmark rivalries with the legendary Von Erich Family, most notably against David and Kerry. Over the course of his illustrious 20-year run, Michael Hayes captured tag team gold on a number of occasions in every notable promotion—except the WWF. Hayes has garnered something of a notorious reputation behind the scenes in WWE where he currently works as head-producer. It would seem that every year around Wrestlemania, Michael Hayes gets drunk and says something racist. While I'm certainly not defending racism, I'd like to remind people that he's a sixty-year-old redneck from the Florida panhandle—I think we're lucky he keeps those remarks to himself as often as he does. Regardless, I think a man known to make as many faux pas as Freebird is made for reality TV.

Diamond Dallas Page
Don't knock yoga until you try it—Diamond Dallas Page is helping extend the careers and lives of legendary wrestlers and everyday people through his proven system of "DDP Yoga." Page is an inspiration in more ways than one; after debuting well into his prime, Diamond Dallas Page went on to have an extraordinary career which included every title in WCW as well as the WWF European and tag team championships. Now at the age of 58, Page is still active and in such peak-condition that he entered the 2015 Royal Rumble just last month ago, delivering a Diamond Cutter or two along the way. He is also the man who helped deliver Jake "the Snake" Roberts from "Death's Door" to the WWE Hall of Fame, a near impossible feat, accomplished by an unprecedented individual. Diamond Dallas Page is the most positive person on the planet, to the point where his energy is infectious and could benefit some of the other housemates who don't possess the same sunny disposition as Page. While most members of the Legend's House will probably find the WCW "People's Champion" endearing, there are bound to be a few grumpy guys unwilling to do yoga in the morning, making for some hilarious repartee.

Ron Simmons
There has still never been an African-American WWE champion, unless you count the Rock—which I don't think anybody does. But the first African-American world champion in WCW earned that honor on August 2, 1992 after defeating Big Van Vader—of course I'm talking about Ron Simmons. Unlike other names on the list, Simmons started wrestling after his football career was at an end. He debuted in 1986 and by the early �90s was known the world over as one-half of the dreaded tag team Doom. He and Butch Reed were managed by future Smackdown general manager Teddy Long, and held the WCW world tag titles before disbanding, leaving Simmons to try his hand at singles action. Following his title run and subsequent time with WCW, Ron Simmons moved on to ECW, but eventually arrived in the WWF as the "Modern Day Gladiator" Farooq Asaad. Farooq captained the fearsome Nation of Domination, one of the most revered stables in wrestling history, and alongside John Layfield formed the APA, an equally destructive tag duo. I think Ron Simmons would be an excellent member of the cast because he's a WWE Hall of Famer, he's renowned for his barrier-breaking achievements, and he's been known to drink a beer or two. Plus—if Michael Hayes is going to be around, they'll need somebody to keep him in line.

Jake “The Snake” Roberts
Every Legend's House is going to need a wild card, so unless Roddy Piper wants to return, we've got to find a replacement. Jake "the Snake" Roberts is a fabled character in professional wrestling, whose name echoes in the ears of those who don't even follow the sport. Jake, a second-generation wrestler, debuted in 1975 after being told repeatedly by his father Grizzly Smith NOT to become a wrestler. Jake signed with the WWF in the mid �80s amidst the "Rock �N' Wrestling" campaign. "The Snake" wasn't as family friendly as some of his contemporaries and made his presence felt through much darker means, including cryptic promos and threatening his opponents with fear—fear of his pet snake Damian . Although active for forty years in numerous promotions including WWF, WCW, ECW, TNA, WCCW, and others, Jake "The Snake" Roberts never won a major singles title. Jake is a very interesting character who's managed to defeat several demons, all the while still battling with others. He had some recent health issues, but the 2014 Hall of Famer appears to be getting better than ever. If you thought it was hard keeping "Hot Rod" locked up inside a house, imagine dealing with Jake Roberts. And plus—he'll probably bring the snake!

“The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes
Just like the Hall of Fame or Wrestlemania itself, Legend's House needs a couple of headliners to give the people what they want! And who better than the 3-time NWA world heavyweight champion, the "American Dream" Dusty Rhodes? �Dream made his debut in 1968 and established himself as a cagey tag team competitor. Dusty was a long-time supporter of the National Wrestling Alliance, and remained under its promotional umbrella for most of his career. He made a brief appearance in the WWF during the early 1990s, feuding with the "Macho Man" Randy Savage and the "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase. Dusty is accredited with creating some of the most spellbinding spectacles in wrestling including War Games and the Great American Bash. A highly decorated legend and WWE Hall of Famer like Dusty Rhodes has the potential to steal the show. He's never at a loss for what to say, and seems like he can offer up some poignant knowledge to his fellow cast mates once the final episode rolls along. The Legends are quite often asked to sing and dance and act outrageous—even at 69-years old, nobody gets "funky like a monkey" quite like Dusty Rhodes.

Jesse “The Body” Ventura
I dare say Jesse "The Body" Ventura would be the most entertaining cast member of Legends House: Season 2 POSSIBLE . Jesse started his wrestling career after serving his country during the Vietnam War. He received his training in his home state of Minnesota from the iconic trainer of superstars, Eddie Sharkey. Jesse Ventura's career would only last eleven years, but in that time he managed to create a legacy that would extend more than forty years. In 1986 Jesse joined the announce desk where he was most remembered by people from my generation; he served as color-commentator at the first several WWF pay-per-views such as Summerslam, Royal Rumble, Survivor Series, and Wrestlemania. Jesse moved on to do the same type of work for WCW before leaving the industry all-together. In 1998 Ventura, now known as the "Mind," won the Minnesota gubernatorial election and served from 1999 until 2003. In addition to his public service and professional wrestling careers, the former Navy Seal is also an author, actor, and—oh yeah, he's absolutely insane. Jesse hosts a podcast every week where he describes his life living off the grid, without cell phones or computers, and ridiculing everyone who trusts in technology. I would very much like to see a show where Michael Hayes and Dusty Rhodes, two WWE employees required to carry cell phones, get lectured by the "Body" over government surveillance. Now that's good TV!

Whether you agree with me or not, I think I made some valid arguments as to why these eight individuals belong trapped together in the middle of the Southern California desert. I hope the WWE Network decides to order a second season of Legend's House, or at the very least, introduces a similar behind-the-scenes program to satiate my appetite when I'm not keen on Kayfabe. Until next time, this has been Mark Haggerty, reminding you to check out Cheap-Heat.com for all the latest and greatest news, columns, countdowns and coverage.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/top-5-talking-points-from-royal-rumble-2015/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/top-5-talking-points-from-royal-rumble-2015/#comments Mon, 26 Jan 2015 22:54:43 +0000 Bill Wright Blogs Other Blogs Top Lists Adam Rose Antonio Cesaro Bella Twins Boogeyman Bray Wyatt Brock Lesnar Bubba Ray Dudley Cesaro DDP Dean Ambrose Diamond Dallas Page Dolph Ziggler John Cena Kidd Miz Natalya New Age Outlaws Paige R-Truth RAW Royal Rumble Ryback Seth Rollins Smackdown The Ascension Tyson Kidd WWE Zack Ryder http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9281 The results are in, the Road to Wrestlemania has arrived, and the fans are in a revolt! While some of us greatly enjoyed this yeara event, others are ready to boycott WWE. В So lets dive into the top five talking points and go over the good, bad, and most memorable moments from this years Royal […]

The results are in, the Road to Wrestlemania has arrived, and the fans are in a revolt!

While some of us greatly enjoyed this yeara event, others are ready to boycott WWE. В So lets dive into the top five talking points and go over the good, bad, and most memorable moments from this years Royal Rumble.

#5: Tag Team Undercard
Ok so the New Day faces Cesaro and Kidd for tag team pride, with Adam Rose and his party posse in their corner.

While this match was good, and ended with the better team on top, it was also the best of the Undercard.В The rest is all tag team, and all a weak delivery for the PPV.

PPV starts out with Ascension jobbing out the New Age Outlaws who did not participate in the Rumble (just a wasted opportunity). В Then you get Miz and poor (never gonna live this gimmick down) Damien Mizdow in a complete lack luster match for the tag belts.

And finally another Smackdown level match where Paige teams with Natalya against the Bella Twins for the Diva Tag Team championships… Oh wait, they don’t have Diva Tag belts, guess this match was more filler with out purpose.

While I enjoyed the rumble I am the first to admit the whole undercard lacked substance and purpose.

#4: Ascension Descends
Speaking of purpose, here is a team that could’a had a shot but now WWE has to do damage control.

Starting these guys on Raw and Smackdown as Job Monsters was mistake one, two was making them Egyptian Road Warriors (please get the upside down pyramid eye of Horus reference there), and third was booking this match with no build up. В And No! Raws reunion beating of the Ascension is not a set up for a match taking place on this years first big event!

You better get Ascension a better finisher and some legitimate heat before they have to go for gimmick rehab!

#3: Comeback City
So Diamonds are forever, and so is DDP.В  A big return for a much smaller Page nailing three solid cutters. That is the kind of stuff we watch the Rumble for.

Also Bubba Ray Dudley getting great response, until it sunk in that Devon was being replaced with R-Truth. Sadly half the return it should’a been.

Boogeyman returning to get jobbed by Wyatt was cool for half a second.

And Woowoowoo, even Zack Ryder returns to get his job on.

But with all this surprise talent, so much of our favorite talent got wasted. В There is your source of heat, Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler, Dean Ambrose, and even Ryback had almost as much time as the jobbers did. В Thus taking what could have been the best Rumble ever, and once again showing fans that WWE does what they see as best for business, and only act like they care what fans say.

In fact WWE even surveyed on who in nXt should enter the rumble, and in response blacklist the whole brand. Well done masters of missed opportunity!

#2: Architects Goes All Out
What I can say about the main is… Well a lot, I for one loved every bit of this match. Watched it twice already.В  And while Rollins took a beating, he proved he belongs.

Not only did he put up a good show, some may argue he stole it.В Not only was the Flying Suicide Elbow amazing, but who corkscrews into a 450?!

Well done Seth you looked great in this match, even John Cena was impressive, but one man stands above the rest.

#1: Lesnar as The Beast
This was exactly what WWE needed to solidify the reign of their Beast.

If the rematch with Cena left you curious about who would come out on top, this should have resolved your curiosity.
Lesnar starts the match by taking both challengers apart.В Like a monster he shredded through both men and J&J Security within minutes. В Then after 4 AAs and a Curb stomp, Lesnar is still kicking out while Cena or Rollins make the save. В Then he gets speared through the barricade and driven by an insane elbow drop through the table.

You feel this could end Lesnar’s run as champ but he comes back out of nowhere to destroy both men again.

Rollins using the MITB briefcase twice still gets caught in the F5 tornado that is the unstoppable Beast.

Now the question is, will the plans with Roman Reigns work out or will WWE reconsider in damage control mode?В Either way WWE is building Lesnar a legacy as the most dominant champion ever.

Now let your voice be heard, give us your good, your grievances, and even your suggestions below. В You are the Universe so let your voice be heard!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-royal-rumble-2015-predictions/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-royal-rumble-2015-predictions/#comments Sun, 25 Jan 2015 04:37:38 +0000 Gary Mastriano Blogs Other Blogs Adam Rose Alberto Del Rio Antonio Cesaro Big E Big Show Billy Gunn Bray Wyatt Brie Bella Brock Lesnar Cesaro Chris Jericho Damien Sandow Daniel Bryan DDP Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler HBK Jey Uso Jimmy Uso John Cena Kidd Kofi Kingston Konnor Miz MizDow Natalya New Age Outlaws New Day Nikki Bella Paige Randy Orton Road Dogg Roman Reigns Royal Rumble RVD Seth Rollins Shawn Michaels Sheamus Steve Austin The Ascension The Bella Twins The Miz The New Day The Usos Tyson Kidd Undertaker Viktor Wrestlemania WWE Xavier Woods http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9242 Royal Rumble Predictions   Pre show-Cesaro, Tyson Kidd and Adam Rose vs the New Day There has been a nice little feud developing between the new day and the Party Masters (stable name copyright Gary Mastriano 2015). Not really sure why they are feuding, but it feels like a good old fashioned mid card feud […]

Royal Rumble Predictions

Pre show-Cesaro, Tyson Kidd and Adam Rose vs the New Day
There has been a nice little feud developing between the new day and the Party Masters (stable name copyright Gary Mastriano 2015). Not really sure why they are feuding, but it feels like a good old fashioned mid card feud from the late 90s. I suspect a New Day win, and all that all 6 of these men will show up in the Rumble later on in the night. Adam Rose will have a comedy spot, probably involving the being thrown over the top rope and caught by his posse only to be dropped by the Bunny. And I cannot imagine a Rumble without a crazy Kofi spot.

The Ascension vs the New Age Outlaws
I think this match may open the show with a guaranteed crowd pleasing Outlaws pop. This feud kind of came together last minute last Monday. The Ascension has struggled to get over on the main roster and a feud with the Outlaws may be the way to do it. I don't know about you guys but I thought Billy Gunn looked great on Raw. The Outlaws proved last year that they could still go, so I suspect a fun little match that won't take up much time. The Ascension needs and gets the win here.

The Bellas vs Paige and Natalya
Did TNA have women's tag champions? I wonder if that would ever work in WWE. With the increase in talented ladies I think it may be worth a shot. Paige and Natalya, easily the top workers in the Divas division, make an awesome tag team. Niki Bella's in ring work was a pleasant surprise in the second half of 2014, therefore I think this COULD be a good match. However I don't see this match getting much time either, like most Diva's matches. I am not sure why WWE doesn't give their ladies more time to shine, especially their Total Diva stars who can actually wrestle. The Bellas steal a victory here, possibly leading to Fatal Four way at WrestleMania for the title.

Damien Mizdow and the Miz vs the Usos
I've seen people predicting the demise of the Miz/Mizdow for months. I think the WWE will continue to run with duo until Mania season. I think Miz and Mizdow will have a ton of fun in the Rumble match later on in the night, with the seeds of a break up happening there. I find it interesting that every under card match is a tag match, and not a single match on the entire PPV is a one on one contest.This has been another fun mid card feud. But with the Mizdow break up on the horizon, I cannot see the Usos losing in this one. They will hopefully move on to a well-deserved spot on the WrestleMania card proper.

Royal Rumble Match
I have spent the last week rewatching every Rumble match ever in anticipation of this one. I have noticed there are 2 types of Rumble match- one where the winner is extremely obvious (HBK in 96, Austin in 98, Orton in 09), and another with a much wider field of potential winners (Taker in 07, Del Rio in 11, Sheamus in 12). Obviously the latter is a much more fun match. This year I would say fits into that category. The top 2 choices have to be Reigns and Bryan. Bryan has been getting the most Rumble based storylines heading into Sunday, while Reigns has only mentioned that he wants to win while being occupied with the Big Show. While these two are the front runners, and have the most upside to winning, there are actually a few other candidates.

-Dolph Ziggler has to be considered the #3 choice to win the Rumble. He is on a spectacular roll the past few months, and is finally getting the push that he and many other think he deserves. Ziggler has always connected with the crowd, and delivered in the ring. Now he is finally involved in a main event storyline that has made him one of the top faces in the company. I would not be surprised at all to see him have a surprise Cinderella win.

-Dean Ambrose is another face on the verge of superstardom. Having Ambrose win the Rumble may be a better play than his Shield brother Reigns. Reigns may not be ready to main event WrestleMania yet, nor may Ambrose for that matter. But a failed Ambrose push is easier for WWE, and the Lunatic Fringe himself, to recover from. Pushing Reigns too soon may result in a Randy Orton 2004 situation.

-Bray Wyatt has been rumored to face the Undertaker in March for months. I for one have ZERO interest in seeing that match. Undertaker's in ring career died with the streak, and nor he or Wyatt benefit from a feud together. Wyatt could be a surprise winner of the Rumble leading to a potential rematch at Mania with Cena, this time for the WWE championship?
As for some other Rumble highlights, I think we will see Ziggler and/or Ambrose be the long man this year putting in great work. After Smackdown this week I believe we will see Ambrose be the first entrant. I am sure we will see a few great surprise entrants to delight the Philly crowd. If I had to guess I would say DDP, RVD, and maybe even Jericho show up Sunday.
Needless to say there are a ton of options for potential winners at this year's Royal Rumble. It is really difficult to pick a winner, especially between Bryan and Reigns. I really cannot pick a winner, but I personally want Daniel Bryan to win, so I will go with him.

WWE Title- Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins vs John Cena
Just like the Rumble match, the WWE title match is wide open. I could see any of these three men walk out of Philadelphia with the strap. Cena is always a safe bet to carry the strap into Mania. Seth Rollins has the insurance of the briefcase on his side. But I cannot imagine Brock Lesnar losing anywhere but WrestleMania. Lesnar has been built up like too much of a monster. His victory over Undertaker pretty much assures that whoever beats him will be a made man. Sure fantasy booking can tell you that Lesnar can win the match, only to lose to Seth Rollins, but I see Rollins walking into Mania with the case still intact (although I don't think HE will leave with it…). Lesnar gets the W here in a match I am eagerly anticipating.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/doubleshot-2-in-1-wrestling-ppv-reviews-march-2001-wrestlemania-17-vs-greed/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/doubleshot-2-in-1-wrestling-ppv-reviews-march-2001-wrestlemania-17-vs-greed/#comments Wed, 21 Jan 2015 17:51:15 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Reviews WWE Network Reviews Animal APA Bam Bam Bigelow Big Show Bill Goldberg Billy Kidman Bobby Hennan Booker T Bradshaw Bubba Ray Buff Bagwell Buff Daddy Bull Buchanon Chavo Guerrero Jr. Chris Benoit Chris Jericho Chris Kanyon Christian Chuck Palumbo Chyna DDP Devon Diamond Dallas Page Duke The Dumpster Droese Dustin Rhodes Dusty Rhodes Eddie Guerrero Edge Elix Skipper Eric Bischoff Ernest Miller Farooq Garrett Bischoff Goldberg Greed Hardy Boyz HHH Hugh Morrus Ivory Jason Jett JBL Jeff Hardy Jeff Jarrett Jim Crockett Kane Kevin Nash Kid Romeo Kidman Konnan Kurt Angle Kwee-Wee Lance Storm Lex Luger Macho Man Matt Hardy Mean Gene Michael Hayes Mick Foley Mickey Rourke Mike Awesome Natural Born Thrillers Nature Boy Nick Patrick NWA Paul Heyman Raven Rey Mysterio Jr. Ric Flair Rick Steiner Right to Censor Road Warrior Road Warrior Animal Ron Simmons Scott Hudson Scott Steiner Sean O'Haire Sgt. Slaughter Shane Helms Shane McMahon Shawn Stasiak Stacy Keibler Starrcade Stephanie McMahon Steve Austin Stevie Richards Stone Cold Tazz Team Canada Test The Cat The Dudley Boyz The Iron Sheik The Magnificent Seven The Rock The Undertaker The Wrestler TLC Tony Schiavone Totally Buff Triple H Vince McMahon WCW William Regal World Championship Wrestling Wrestlemania Wrestlemania 17 WWE WWF http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9121 Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews March 2001 – Wrestlemania vs. Greed Featuring Mark Adam Haggerty & Gary Mastriano Welcome to the official premier of Doubleshot, the twice-monthly once-over of some of the best, the worst, and the wildest events in sports entertainment. I'm Mark Adam Haggerty joined as always by Gary Mastriano as we get set […]

Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews
March 2001 – Wrestlemania vs. Greed
Featuring Mark Adam Haggerty & Gary Mastriano

Welcome to the official premier of Doubleshot , the twice-monthly once-over of some of the best, the worst, and the wildest events in sports entertainment. I'm Mark Adam Haggerty joined as always by Gary Mastriano as we get set to discuss the dueling pay-per-view events that made March 2001, perhaps one of the most explosive months in professional wrestling history. I'll kick things off talking about WCW Greed, followed by Gary's thorough examination of Wrestlemania 17. Could WCW's final attempt at drawing a big-money audience even compete with what's been called "the greatest Wrestlemania of all time?" We'll find out in this week's edition of Doubleshot !

"If it's professional wrestling, it's gotta' be GREED!"
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Growing up in New Jersey and living just a quick train ride from Madison Square Garden, I was definitely more inundated with the WWE product than I ever was with WCW. Therefore when the Turner extension of Crockett Promotions collapsed, I felt little sympathy and instead rejoiced for the home team. Fast forward fourteen years to where I'm twice as old at 28, and presumably twice-the-wiser. In 2015 I'm far more concerned with what goes on between the ropes than I am with what happens on the mic, and thanks to the WWE Network I've been able to discover a litany of new moments to treasure from the early days of WCW up until its final hour. Today I'm taking a look at the very last pay per view from WCW, the aptly named Greed. World Championship Wrestling had started straying from its usual set of monthly event titles, and along with January’s Sin, Greed was to be the dawning of a new day in WCW. In fact the plans to reboot the company were much larger than one pay-per-view and didn't even include a March event. But the decision makers demanded a final show and thus Greed was born, perhaps serving as the final nail in the proverbial coffin for WWE's longtime rival.

Once the show hit the air live from the Jacksonville Coliseum, Tony Schiavone proceeded to introduce audiences to the newest tradition in World Championship Wrestling, “Welcome to the first ever Greed!” Alongside Scott Hudson, the perpetual voice of WCW Schiavone wished everyone a belated Saint Patrick’s Day on this March 18th and the show was off and running.

Opening Contest
Kwee Wee vs. Jason Jett
So if you aren’t aware of who Kwee-Wee is, that’s perfectly fine. A Cruiserweight during the dying days of WCW, Kwee-Wee wore loose fitting pink pants and styled his hair in sort of a vertical blowout. His opponent is Jason Jett, an equally unknown yet radically less ridiculous competitor. The match is in Kwee-Wee’s favor for much of the onset until Jett earns the upper hand and delivers an onslaught of impact moves along with an inventive submission described by Hudson as a “pendulum surfboard.” The two battle what becomes a series of reversals that culminate atop the turnbuckle for a suplex reversed into a powerbomb reversed into a hazardous release-hurricanrana that drops both men square in the center of the ring. Various pin attempts on both sides until Kwee-Wee finds himself on the floor; Jason Jett makes a play to the audience, letting them know that he’s going to “play possum.” As Kwee-Wee makes it back into the ring, he goes for an ill-fated high risk maneuver that’s well-scouted by the well aware Jason Jett. Jett lifts Kwee-Wee for the “Crash Landing,” his throwaway suplex finishing move. 1-2-3 and Jason Jett picks up the victory.
Winner: Jason Jett – 12:17
Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Cruiserweight Tag Team Finals
Elix Skipper & Kid Romeo vs. Rey Mysterio Jr. & Billy Kidman
It’s the final match in the tournament to crown the first ever WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions. Only eight days before the company closes, might as well outfit some new guys with some new leather straps. Out first is “Primetime” Elix Skipper who’s teaming with the sensational Kid Romeo against Rey Mysterio sans the mask alongside a much trimmer-than-recent Billy Kidman. Phenomenal contest featuring four high-caliber talents, and yes I’m including the lesser-known Kid Romeo in that lineup. The first thing I noticed was the uncanny teamwork on display from two teams that are comprised of singles competitors. I wish the cruiserweight tag division had the chance to get up and running because some of the double team offense in this match was faster and more fluid than the stale heavyweight tag title scene during the same event. The action in the ring soon spilled onto the floor and down toward the entrance way, where the team of Skipper and Romeo were met with twin cross body attacks courtesy of Mysterio and Kidman. The match returns to the ring where the heels take control before the match turns into utter tornado pandemonium once again and is soon punctuated by a springboard shooting star press by Kidman to his opponents on the outside. Amidst the madness, Rey and Romeo are left alone in the ring. The usual array of rope tricks and high flying tactics win Rey the advantage for a moment, but the future WWE World Champion is soon caught midway through an Asai moonsault and driven head first into the mat by Kid Romeo. He goes for the pin, and we have our inaugural WCW Cruiserweight Tag Team Champions.
Winner: Skipper & Romeo – 13:46
Rating: 3 Stars

Shawn Stasiak vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
We’re first privy to the beautiful Stacy Keibler, who’s appearing under her real name rather than her former alias “Miss Hancock.” She introduces the individual whom she declares “The Mecca of Manhood"—Shawn Stasiak. Stasiak enters the arena and proceeds to insult his opponent Bam Bam Bigelow, as well as the fans in Jacksonville. Stacy and Shawn throw numerous 8″x10” photographs of Stasiak into the crowd, and are soon interrupted by the legendary "Beast from the East." Stasiak works this match just the way any squirrelly heel should, always escaping to the outside so as to avoid confronting the tattooed head butt of Bigelow. Bam Bam dominates the match, minus a few lucky shots from Stasiak. Almost as soon as Stasiak begins to mount a formidable offense, Bam Bam returns fire with more shots to weaken the man formerly known as "Meat." Bigelow hits the flying head butt and signals for the "Greetings from Asbury Park." Just as Bam Bam is ready to finish Stasiak, Stacy Keibler climbs to the apron in an attempt at distracting the Beast. Sean Stasiak seizes the opportunity and a can of hairspray from the diabolically clever Keibler, temporarily blinding Bam Bam Bigelow and winning the match with a hangman's noose neck breaker. A terrible match with enough star power to keep me from hitting fast forward.
Winner: Shawn Stasiak – 5:55
Rating: 1 Вј Stars

Backstage, the newly crowned cruiserweight champions are still celebrating their historic win over Rey Mysterio and Kidman and are just now getting around to strapping the belts around their waists. But whereas 99.9% of professional wrestlers have no trouble in accomplishing this rather mundane task alone, Kid Romeo and Elix Skipper insist upon helping one another. In fact they insist on doing a whole lot of touching. This makes me wonder what kind of program was to develop between these exceptionally talented cruiserweights, considering Romeo's South Beach gimmick and their apparent common penchant to embrace.

Team Canada (Lance Storm & Mike Awesome) vs. Konnan & Hugh Morrus
WCW's Team Canada is comprised of several villainous wrestlers, some of which were even born right here in America. Tampa's own Mike Awesome is one such individual whose imposing ring presence is the perfect addition to Lance Storm's technical workrate. Storm takes the microphone and utters his timeless catchphrase, "If I can be serious for a minute." Storm and Awesome are getting set to deal with a personal problem, but the next thing on Team Canada's agenda are the tag team title belts, according to Lance Storm. They ask that the Canadian national anthem be played and demand the audience stand to show their respect. Rather than "O' Canada," the fans in Jacksonville instead hear the hideous laughter of a perennial mid-carder, signaling the arrival of both Hugh Morrus and Konnan. As the music began to play in lieu of Storm's request, Scott Hudson said the whitest thing in history: "This must be some Puff Daddy remix." While Hudson was being hip, Schiavone was overselling the significance of Bill Demott, referring to him as, "The legendary Hugh Morrus." The match begins with utter chaos but pandemonium soon gives way to a match with Team Canada on the offensive. These were perhaps four of the best workers on the entire roster at this time, every movement was well choreographed without losing any semblance of spontaneity. But much the same as many matches on the card, the contest never hit that climactic point of urgency that makes for dramatic professional wrestling. The end came when Morrus's high risk offense put him in the trajectory of Mike Awesome's most dreaded weapon—the Awesome Bomb. Morrus was drilled into the canvas and Team Canada won the contest.
Winner: Team Canada – 11:28
Rating: 2 Stars

Backstage once again and we see the Rhodes boys, Dusty and Dustin getting set for their tag team encounter with Ric Flair and Jeff Jarrett. Dustin insists on getting ready for the match and strategizing, but the only strategizing Dusty plans on doing involves 240 burritos—his secret weapon in the upcoming, "Kiss My Ass Match." Elsewhere members of the Magnificent Seven are working on Buff Bagwell's "Ric Flair documentary," interviewing Rick Steiner about his match with Booker T later in the night. I would have liked to see the footage Buff compiled while shooting that documentary as it was of course scrapped days later when Vince McMahon took over the promotion.

WCW Cruiserweight Championship
Chavo Guerrero Jr. (c) vs. Shane Helms
It should come as no surprise that Chavo Guerrero and Shane Helms put on what was undoubtedly the match of the night for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship. The cruiserweight division is one of the defining elements that made World Championship Wrestling recognizable, whose legacy can be traced back to the days of Flyin' Brian Pillman and his light heavyweight battles with Jushin Thunder Liger. So it was only fitting that this last WCW pay-per-view feature two of the most talented in-ring performers at the time, competing for perhaps the most prestigious junior heavyweight belt in American wrestling. Shane recently split from his Three Count "bandmates," Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias and had debuted a solo hip-hop themed gimmick dubbed the "Vertebreaker." Vertebreaker was also the name of Helms' crippling finishing hold, a modified back to back double underhook piledriver that he hoped would earn him a victory over the tenacious Chavo Guerrero Jr. The match spills onto the outside, prompting Chavo to execute a beautiful cross-body frog splash onto the floor, showcasing the veteran grace of the young Guerrero at just 30 years old. The tactful rookie from North Carolina was not to be outdone, coaxing the cruiserweight champion into a lengthy bout of chain wrestling ending with Helms on the offensive. Pragmatic execution gave way to innovative submissions by Chavo Guerrero, placing Shane Helms in a precarious spot far away from becoming the new champion. In a moment where confidence gave way to hubris, "Sugar" Shane was able to get the upper hand on Chavo, leading to a death-defying Vertebreaker and a final decision in favor of Helms. Shane Helms would go on to be the final WCW Cruiserweight Champion ever, bringing the title with him to WWE TV in the coming weeks.
Winner: Shane Helms – 13:57
Rating: 4 Stars

The Ric Flair documentary continues backstage with "Double J" and the "Nature Boy" preparing for their no holds barred battle with the Rhodes family in just under an hours' time. Buff should perhaps put the camerawork on hold for a moment as his title match with the WCW Tag Team Champions is up next. Meanwhile the challenger for the US World Heavyweight title is on hand to deliver the most stereotypically 90s rap promo in the history of 2001 professional wrestling. This must be where Scott Hudson is learning how to be cool, because Booker T not only says, "Save the drama for your mama," but also delivers a nice, "Don't hate the player, hate the game." Now, before anyone starts firing away with, "Those were his catch phrases!" No they were not. While Google can't tell me where the �Player' line originated, I can tell you that there was an episode of the Jamie Foxx Show in 1997 called, "Save the Drama for Your Mama." That was 1997; back when nobody let Booker T on the mic for fear that he'd call Hulk Hogan the "n-word" again. Moving on.

WCW Tag Team Championship
Sean O’Haire & Chuck Palumbo (c) vs. Lex Luger & Buff Bagwell
Could this even be called a match? Lex Luger and Buff Bagwell make their way to the ring at their own leisure, in no way prepared for any sort of athletic interaction. Once inside the ring both Lex and Buff cut unbelievably hilarious promos where Lex insists, "Buff is the Stuff." This event took place mere days before the fall of WCW, so I have to assume a main event level talent such as Lex Luger was aware of the impending fate of the company. So what better way to say goodbye to the only promotion willing to outfit you with their world title belt, than to cop out of your final moment in the spotlight—bravo Lex Luger. As funny as "The Total Package" was, I would have much preferred to see Lex show up in peak condition one last time, without a "bro-stitute" like Bagwell reaping the rewards of someone else's career. The members of the Magnificent Seven are soon interrupted by the Tag Team Champions, a team that was soon demolished once they debuted in the WWE—the duo of Sean O'Haire and Chuck Palumbo. At the time I was a WWE fan who watched Nitro on a delay and read what I could at the newsstand, so I'll always remember "The Natural Born Thrillers" as the powerful yet agile tag team who took over the pages in the final issues of WCW Magazine. The tag team champions O'Haire and Palumbo make short work of the Monday Night War veterans Luger and Bagwell, performing a double Swanton attack into a double cover. The �Thrillers retain the titles and subsequently invade the WWE as champions.
Winner: O’Haire & Palumbo – :54
Rating: 1 Star

Chris Kanyon vs. Ernest “The Cat” Miller
Believe it or not both of these dynamic individuals went on to enjoy brief stints as WWE Superstars, but not without first becoming WCW household names. The late Chris Kanyon had become involved in some sort of love-triangle involving Ernest "The Cat" Miller and his valet Miss Jones. Or at least that's the way it would appear, as Kanyon's infatuation with Jones seemed to be his only Achilles heel in this alteration with the "world karate champion." As an outsider watching this match out of context, I had trouble understanding who was playing what role—heel or babyface? Kanyon broke the cardinal rule of "Bros before Hoes," when he turned on his friend M.I. Smooth, otherwise known as Ice Train. Still in attendance, however not alongside Kanyon, Smooth would instead stand in support of Ernest Miller. The brawling would soon segue into blatant chicanery when Ms. Jones hit the apron, directly interfering in the match and thus getting an accidental boot on behalf of the Cat in the process. With the distraction in place, Kanyon would now have time to hit the "Flatliner" face plant on Miller. However it was M.I. Smooth who would turn the tables once more, coming to the Cat's aid and helping the former uh—nothing champion, Ernest Miller never won anything—get the victory! Serious side note though, he was Eric Bischoff's son Garrett's karate instructor and Bischoff was like, "Hey I'm sort of in the business of hiring my friends for more money than their worth, is that something you'd be interested in?" He did appear in the 2008 Oscar-nominated film "The Wrestler" alongside Mickey Rourke, so that's something to be proud of.
Winner: Ernest “The Cat” Miller – 10:31
Rating: 1 Вѕ Stars

Once again in the dressing room the dastardly duo of Buff Bagwell and Lex Luger seemingly implode following their disastrous loss to The Natural Born Thrillers. Speaking of imploding, a certain "American Dream" is set to explode in just a short while as Dusty Rhodes is hard at work devouring 240 burritos.

US World Heavyweight Championship
Rick Steiner (c) vs. Booker T
I feel like if I'm going to make fun of Booker T for his outdated catchphrases, I'd be out-of-line had I failed to mention Rick Steiner's, "You want some, come get some; if you don't like me, bite me!" Geeze Louise, those two lines are the cat's pajamas—absolutely absurd. I admire the way in which WCW remained faithful to the United States championship over the years, always presenting it as a near-main event level title without allowing it to fall into the wrong hands. Rick Steiner is dedicated to defending his championship regardless of what obstacle may lay before him. The intensity of Steiner comes face to face with the bravado of the former WCW World Champion, "You think you can take my belt," Rick asked? "You ain't takin' shit!" And the match is underway. The initial interplay involves the two veterans colliding in a series of no holds barred shots around the ringside area, until finally the action is contained within the squared-circle. Rick Steiner might go forever overlooked as the "other Steiner," but only a week removed from his 40th birthday in 2001, the United States champion still looked as good as he did in 1983. Steiner continued his reign of domination on the former Harlem Heat member with a catastrophic double under hook powerbomb, rattling Booker and leading to a near-three count. Managing to thwart each of Booker's advances, Steiner remained in control by implementing an arsenal of ground-based choke-holds, until the tragically titled "ghetto blaster" bought Book' enough time to catch up to the Dog Faced Gremlin. In a moment of spontaneous action, Booker's educated kick missed Steiner and instead found the face of referee Mickie Jay. Steiner would then capitalize on Booker's concern for the referee, delivering a textbook German suplex, but the referee was in too much pain to make the count. As victory was within sight for the current title holder, Steiner's rival Shane Douglas made a surprise appearance from the audience and attacked Rick with his right arm, sealed inside a rock-solid plaster cast. Steiner fell into the clutches of Booker T and his Rock Bottom knock-off, "The Bookend." By this point, Mickie Jay was back in action and able to count the pin fall for the final WCW US World Heavyweight Champion in history—Booker T!
Winner: Booker T – 7:31
Rating: 2 Вѕ Stars

The Magnificent Seven has been the most visible entity in backstage shenanigans this evening and once again the cameras head toward the dressing room where Road Warrior Animal is screaming for help, and screaming at the floor where his fellow stablemate Buff Bagwell is laid out unconscious. Lex Luger appears on the scene to ascertain that Animal is responsible for whatever happened. Animal argues that he wants to find "this guy" as bad as anybody, which makes me wonder where that angle was going? Let's examine the members of the Magnificent Seven for a Moment: Ric Flair, Jeff Jarrett, Rick and Scott Steiner, Lex Luger, Buff Bagwell, and Road Warrior Animal. By this point Hulk Hogan was gone, Macho Man was gone, Nash had taken his ball back to Detroit. There was only one man left on the WCW roster with enough star power to take down each member of the Magnificent Seven, a man who had been feuding with Lex and Bagwell just two months earlier—Bill Goldberg. The formerly undefeated world heavyweight champion was out for surgery following a questionable loss to "Totally Buffed" at Sin earlier that year. Of course Creative scrapped the surprise attack storyline due to the demise of WCW, but I'm willing to bet it was Goldberg that attacked Buff Daddy at Greed, and Road Warrior Animal just one week before.

“Kiss My Ass” Match
Dusty & Dustin Rhodes vs. Ric Flair & Jeff Jarrett
Dusty Rhodes is an exemplary figure in the wrestling industry having sold-out arenas from Texas to New York City. The "son of a plumber" was an especially vital cog in the intricate machine of World Championship Wrestling from its infancy with Jim Crockett to its last night in Panama City Beach, Florida. He headlined Starrcade and invented The Great American Bash—and Dusty Rhodes goes out in a "Kiss My Ass" match where he prepared by eating 240 burritos. Never mind forcing the man to wearing polka dots, he made it work! This was far more humiliating than anything Vince McMahon ever did, and he did it to himself. What can be said about this match? It featured two of the biggest stars in NWA/WCW history, alongside two of the most revered talents of the 1990s in Dustin Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett. But when it came down to it, this was a match about people farting on one another, and isn't that what really killed WCW? Ric Flair flat out refused to compete in the match, and then joined Jeff Jarrett halfway through only to finish the fight in less than ten minutes when Dusty Rhodes proceeded to humiliate the highly decorated "Nature Boy." This must have really sucked for Jeff Jarrett who left one company after losing his championship in a "Good Housekeeping Match" to a woman, only to finish his tenure with another by kissing Dusty Rhodes' ass.
Winner: Dusty & Dustin Rhodes – 9:58
Rating: 2 Stars

WCW World Heavyweight Championship
Scott Steiner (c) vs. Diamond Dallas Page
The inclusion of internationally renowned ring announcer Michael Buffer has always given WCW's main events a sense of importance. Even in matches such as this, Buffer commands respect for the bout by captivating crowds with a trademark tambour in every word he says. The competitors in contention for the world heavyweight title this evening are both fine wrestlers capable of working within their means but neither DDP nor Scott Steiner were ever quite capable of exceeding expectations. Like almost every other match that came before it, the main event makes use of the ringside surroundings, but these two combatants take it further—into the audience. It's at this point that Tony Shiavone decides to remind the crowd that this is a falls count anywhere match. Steiner pulls a crutch from the crowd that according to Scott Hudson was stolen from a young child in a DDP shirt. The action soon makes its way back to the ringside area where this hardcore collision decelerates to a slow-paced battle of rest holds. Hudson continues to sell this spectacle as the WCW's "last chance against the tyrannical reign of Ric Flair and the monstrous Scott Steiner." Leading into their battle, Steiner has been responsible for defeating everyone from Goldberg to Kevin Nash, with Diamond Dallas Page next on his list of former champions to retire. Steiner raised Page for the running power slam but was reversed, shoved into the turnbuckle and caught by the "Diamond Cutter" on the rebound. Page covered Scott for the win, but referee Nick Patrick was interrupted mid-count when former US Champion and brother to the world title holder Rick Steiner emerged to save Scott's title. Steiner pulled Patrick from the ring, but was soon met by Diamond Dallas Page who leapt over the top rope and onto the �Gremlin below. So much for DDP not exceeding expectations, huh? Back inside the squared-circle, DDP's on the offense and looking for his fourth WCW title, until the raucous pandemonium catches Patrick off guard, giving Steiner the opportunity to hit Page with the belt. DDP's face erupted from the artery, blood flowing from his head into his hair as Steiner made the cover just in time for Nick Patrick to regain his senses. Your winner and still the WCW World Heavyweight Champion—"Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner.
Winner: Scott Steiner – 14:14
Rating: 2 Вѕ Stars

Final Thoughts
When the dust had settled and Greed was at an end, so too was the historic lineage of NWA and WCW. For a final show I would have hoped for more, but that's what the final Nitro in Panama City aimed to be, a "Night of Champions," so it was dubbed which saw Booker T capture the WCW World title from the villainous Scott Steiner. The business-as-usual booking had been abandoned on that final night in Florida, so as absurd as Greed was, it wasn't the last hurrah and therefore has to be judged just as any other pay-per-view event. Like many WCW shows from the late �90s and early 2000s, the highlights came from the midcard matches most notably the cruiserweight title bouts, both the singles match between Chavo and Helms, as well as the finals of the cruiserweight tag tournament. It was matches such as these that went on to help inspire TNA and its X Division the following year, and I think any fan of modern day wrestling might enjoy seeing some of the early �Impact Players' like Elix Skipper in his �rookie year.' Overall not a fantastic show minus the aforementioned bright spots; with ten matches, the average score was around two and a half stars.

"Where it All Begins, and Ends, Again… for real…"
Written by Gary Mastriano

Writing a review of Wrestlemania 17 is an extremely daunting task. I am not going to lie- I have been putting off this review for a few weeks. How can one rate and review what is unanimously viewed at the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, and arguably the single best wrestling card in history. To have this be the first review in our Doubleshot look back at WCW vs WWF PPVs is even more daunting. To start at the end of an era is extremely awkward. And believe me, this is the end of an era. Wrestlemania 17 has an heir of celebration more than any other event put on by Vince and Co. And why not? He won. He took out his biggest competition after a heated rivalry that produced the most financially successful era in pro wrestling history.

The celebration starts right from the insanely good opening video package, a theme you will see throughout the night. As the video package subtly tells us- this is it folks. People around the world are watching Wrestlemania tonight. All eyes are on the WWF. Even homeless couples will be watching this event from the back of their broken down car in a junkyard… somehow. Wrestlemani 17 would go on to be the 5th most purchased PPV of all time. It had almost 100,000 more buys than the �Mania's immediately before and after it. Clearly this was the apex of Pro Wrestling's salad days.

I would be short sighted if I failed to mention what took place just a few short days before Wrestlemania 17- the Purchase of WCW by Vince McMahon. While I won't go into the historical immplications of that event, I will mention that it is something that hangs very awkwardly over the entirety of Wrestlemania 17. It always seems to steal the attention from the card itself. I have always wondered if Vince should have saved that announcement for the night AFTER Wrestlemania 17. If creative was so set on turning Stone Cold heel (more about that decision later), than what better celebration would Vince have on Raw the next night having finally tamed his two biggest enemies- Stone Cold Steve Austin and WCW? Well anyway- on with the show:

WWF Intercontinental Championship
Chris Jericho (c) vs. William Regal
I have already documented my huge man crush on Chris Jericho in other columns. It was a great move to have him start the show. Jericho was red hot as a face, and about to enter the finest year of his first run in WWE. Before the year was up Jericho will have won the WCW title, and go onto defeat Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock in the same night. I have always believed whoever's music you hear first at a Mania will go onto to do big things (ie Cena at Mania 20). The opening contest is almost as important as the main event. This match between Jericho and Regal, while a little too short to be considered a classic, is a terrific match that often gets lost on a stacked card. It is worth a rewatch for sure. Jericho picks up the victory, via Lionsault, which was surprising to me because I never considered that as finishing move.
Winner: Chris Jericho – 7:08
Rating: 3 Stars

Tazz & the APA vs. Right to Censor
Tazz and the APA defeat Right to Censor in 3:52
Tons of talent litter this match. Seriously every wrestler in this match could go, including the underrated Bull Buchanon. What should have been a hard hitting smash mouth match turns out to be… a hard hitting smash mouth match. Very odd booking for Tazz and he plays the face in peril the majority of the match until getting the hot tag to the APA for the win. Did WWF just not know what to do with Tazz? He gets the first huge pop of the night. The WHAT IF scenario's with Tazz are endless in WWE. While this may have been a throwaway match at Mania 17, it is a match that shows how deep the roster was at the time. Right to Censor would be a huge faction if they debuted in 2014, while here they are just relegated to fodder for the incredibly over APA.
Winner: Tazz & the APA – 7:08
Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

WWF Hardcore Triple Threat Match
Kane vs. Raven (c) vs. Big Show
Man this was a weird match. What was Raven doing here? When did Raven arrive in the WWF? Did he ever wrestle another match other than this one? Sorry if I don't remember, but some parts of this era of WWF are hazy to me. My initial interest was waning at the time, and I honestly stopped watching altogether for a while after Mania 17. Some cool moments highlight this match- the glass window spot was cool. Kane legit ran over Raven's leg. And give it to Paul Heyman on commentary (more on him later I promise) with the funniest line of the night- "Peach Snapple, that's my favorite kind!" This match was basically Raven getting his ass kicked for 10 minutes and Kane and Big Show trading off who was dealing the punishment. A very unique match up that spent too much time in the backstage area and not enough time in the ring.
Winner: Kane – 9:17
Rating: 2 Stars

We get a few backstage segments including Kurt Angle hamming it up with Edge and Christian. These guys were just gold together. Jimmy Snuka's at WWF New York. No one cared about Jimmy Snuka in 2001, 2015, or 1985. Sorry. And finally a shot of the Rock "arriving" to the arena. I recall WWE doing a ton of these "arriving" moments- in fact they do one later with Austin, and did one at the start of the show with Shane. I have never been a fan. Do you want me to believe that they started the show without the WWF Champion even being present? And that there are no penalties for being late to work in WWF? Wouldn't the Rock want to be on time for the biggest match of his career?

WWF European Championship
Test (c) vs. Eddie Guerrero
Test never really seemed like he fit in with the WWF/WWE. Of course everyone knows that he was a bodyguard for Motley Crue before being recruited to join the WWF, but I am no sure he belonged. He wasn't offensive in the ring and was a part of some pretty high profile programs. I am not sure if I imagined this or not- but did Test REALLY date Stephanie McMahon? Like in real life? I don't know why I thought I heard that somewhere. Eddie does what Eddie usually does in this match- puts on solid match with whoever he is in there with. Saturn does what Saturn does best- creeps around awkwardly on the outside of the ring. Half a star because I miss the European title.
Winner: Eddie Guerrero – 8:30
Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit
Kurt Angle. Chris Benoit. Two of the greatest in ring performers of all time. I wonder if we will ever see two wrestlers with as much intensity as these two in the same company at the same time. I have always preferred Angle out of the two. Not only do I think he's the better wrestler (and slightly better human being… only slightly though) he also had SO much more personality than Benoit. This match was built all around their respective submission holds. Paul Heyman kicked us off with a terrific line about this match- "I am as excited for this match as a man can be with his clothes on." With these guys together in a ring, you know what you are going to get. Pure athleticism from two masters of sports entertainment. The match starts off exactly how you would expect it to, with mat wrestling and early submission teases. Benoit starts to get the upper hand in these exchanges, so Angle turns this into an Attitude era brawl with some stiff right hands, a table spot, and an Irish whip into the steps. Angle gains the upper hand and then this match turns into a suplex fest, from the two masters of the move. Angle and Benoit trade each other's finishers in a preview of tonight's main event. Heyman sums it up- "I have never in my life seen a better display of hold and counter hold in my life." A ref bump proves to be important as Angle taps while in the crossface. Once the ref is back up (rather quickly) the action picks up even more. Benoit blocks Angle's moonsault (I feel there should be an entire column dedicated to the beauty that is a Kurt Angle moonsault). Benoit connects with the headbutt, but Angle rolls him up with a handful of tights to score a win with a great piece of storyline. Neither man looked weak, and Angle's heel character got more dastardly. JR sells the match by saying "this is not the end of this rivalry." And he was right. This wasn't the last match these two would have, nor was it the best. That distinction goes to their Royal Rumble match a few years later. As it is, this match is a great 4 star match between two ring generals that could have benefited from a few more minutes as well.
Winner: Kurt Angle – 14:04
Rating: 4 Stars

WWF Women's Championship
Chyna vs. Ivory (c)
Again I cannot talk about how cool Right to Censor was. Ivory was the perfect female member of the group and worked so well as a heel. I really enjoyed her mannerisms during her entrance. She really sold the "better than you" female heel. Chyna comes out shooting a bazooka…? Great psychology in this match, with Ivory focusing on Chyna's "injured" neck early on until Chyna takes complete control and squashes Ivory for the remainder of the match. Chyna even picks Ivory up after a huge power bomb only to embarrass her more by casually pinning her. I get the appeal of Chyna as the 9th Wonder of the World, and she deserves her kudos for the surprisingly solid in ring work she did with Chris Jericho and Eddie Guerrero, but Ivory deserved better than this.
Winner: Chyna – 2:39
Rating: 1 Star

Street Fight w/ Mick Foley as Referee
Vince McMahon vs. Shane McMahon
Another terrific video package sums up the feud… Seeing Shane show up on Nitro was so surreal and completely AWESOME that it added another layer to what was already a heated feud. Shane comes out first to the familiar sounds of No Chance in Hell sporting a Mania 17 jersey with "Vince we Have a Problem" on the back. Remember when Shane used to have customized shirts like that? That was really really cool. Shane shouts out to his new WCW employees. The crowd has NO IDEA how to react to the WCW guys. Shane is the face in this feud, as the son standing up to his father, but are we supposed to like the WCW employees? Aren't they the enemy? Again some confusing booking with the WCW angle. Clearly the WWF wasn't sure how to handle the purchase yet, and thinks are awkward accordingly.

As for the match, it is exactly what you would expect if you have ever seen a Shane or Vince match. Shane brings the high spots, Vince gets his ass kicked. And everyone here plays their part to the T. Trish as the scorned mistress finally turning on Vince was a great moment. Stephanie plays it up as the Billion Dollar Princess Daddy's girl character that she had perfected by then. And what can be said about Linda? For someone with no acting/wrestling experience or training, she does a great job being completely catatonic. I don't think anyone gives her enough props for being able to sit still without blinking or moving. And my God that pop she gets when she sits up in the corner. Seriously if you want to hear a GIGANTIC POP, watch that moment on YouTube. Or better yet- watch this match. It is so silly and over booked and fun.
Winner: Shane McMahon – 14:12
Rating: 3 Stars

TLC 2 for the WWF Tag Team Championship
The Dudley Boyz (c) vs. The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian
This match is kind of the elephant in the room when discussing Wrestlemania 17. IGN lists this match #5 on their all- time Wrestlemania matches, and WWE.com ranked it in their top 20 matches ever. I don't think I am going to go that far, as super insane spot fests aren't always for me. Don't get me wrong- I'm not going to hate on this match. Sure it is pretty much 15 minutes of spots with no psychology in between, but it sure is fun as hell. I have always preferred my gimmick matches with a little bit more eb and flow and purpose (see Shawn Razor ladder match, Shawn Taker Cell match, Shawn Jericho ladder match, Shawn Michaels in any gimmick match ever). However one cannot deny how impressive this match is. Who can forget the great moments like Jeff's suicide dive off of the gigantic ladder? How about Edge's spear off the ladder to Jeff Hardy? Or the multiple run ins from Spike Dudley, Rhino, and ultimately Lita that led to some great moments. The exciting conclusion comes when Matt Hardy and Bubba Ray fall through 19 tables stacked high on the outside of the ring in a completely insane spot. Everyone in this match put their bodies on the line to put on a classic that pretty much defined each of their careers afterwards. Other than Edge, I don't think anyone involved in this match has ever stepped out of the shadow of this match. Pure insanity in a gimmick match that hasn't been topped since, despite multiple attempts, that spawned its own PPV.
Winner: Edge & Christian – 15:47
Rating: 4 Stars

The Gimmick Battle Royal
Duke the Dumpster Droese is honestly one of my all-time favorite wrestlers. The New Generation has always been my favorite era of wrestling and the goofy gimmick that came along with it were awesome. This match, while unnecessary, was super fun and goofy. Great to see a lot of fun gimmicks. More of WWF celebrating their past. Having Mene Gene and Bobby Hennan call the match was an absolute treat. I've said it before, but it needs repeating- Bobby Hennan is the SINGLE GREATEST COLOR COMMENTARTOR OF ALL TIME. Fans of today's product will never be able to appreciate how incredible Hennan was. Imagine if Paul Heyman had a bit more comedy in his promo style- that's Hennan. Hennan's cracks on Sgt Slaughter are worth the price of the PPV (or $9.99 for the Network) alone. The Gimmick Battle Royal sums up a lot of what was great about Wrestlemania 17. For all the seriousness of matches like Austin vs Rock and the McMahon family drama, the WWF could still have fun. Was this the only match that Michael Hayes ever wrestled at Wrestlemania? I could be wrong about that, but that would be an interesting fact. And I tell you what—Droese looks like he could still go.
Winner: The Iron Sheik – 3:07
Rating: 2 Stars

The Undertaker vs. Triple H
This was one of my favorite matches for a long time. Time hasn't been fair to this match, especially after these two men topped it 10 and 11 years later, but for a long time this stood as one of my top 5 matches of all time. This was, by far, the best match of Undertaker's career up to this point. Undertaker never had a great in ring performance before the switch to the Biker Taker gimmick. This was also the first time I can remember Taker's undefeated streak being mentioned as well. Triple H was on the tail end of the single best heel run in company history from 1999-early 2001.

It's interesting to note that this feud was very similar to the one they would have 10 years later at Wrestlemania 27- Triple H claimed he had beaten everyone there is to beat, except the Undertaker. Motorhead plays a live version of the best theme song in wrestling and out comes Helmsley. Limp Bizkit ushers in the American Badass, and shit is about to go down. Houston's own Undertaker takes it to Triple H early on the outside. All bets are off in this one, as the action spends little time in the ring. The first great spot happens when Taker lifts HHH up for a monstrous back body drop. A ref bump leads the action to the outside again and into crowd. A lot of brawls during the attitude era spilled into the crowd, but I cannot think of one as memorable as this. The sigh of Triple H and the Undertaker battling on a lighting structure amongst 65,000 is as iconic as they com 28:07 e. Taker chokeslamming Trips right into the crowd is hokey when you see the pads the Hunter lands on, but at first viewing, it is an amazing moment. The action eventually finds its way back to the ring, where the equalizing sledgehammer is brought into play. Triple H goes for a tombstone pile driver, but it is reversed by Undertaker, but unfortunately the referee is still down. A sledgehammer shot by Triple H during a last ride leads to an incredibly close 2 count. Trips fights a bloodied Dead Man into the corner, which leads into a Last Ride for the finish.

Upon viewing this match again for the first time in a while, I can say that it still holds up. It is nowhere near as good as their second and third Wrestlemania chapters, but it is a great semi-main event to this card. Triple H showed once again his versatility by being able to go into an all-out brawl with the Undertaker. Both men seemed incredibly motivated to steal the show. This match, like this overall card, never slows down to breathe. It is incredible that these two would go on to get even better and produce two better matches than this 10 years later.
Winner: The Undertaker – 18:57
Rating: 4 ВЅ Stars

No Disqualification Match for the WWF Championship
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. The Rock (c)
A few months ago Steve Austin did a running commentary of this match on his podcast. If you haven't listened to it yet I strongly recommend it. The amount of insight he provides is amazing. Austin says going into this match that he was more confident than he had ever been. He describes how he and Rock constructed the match. How they called it on the fly. And his only regret of his career being the ending of the match. I highly recommend giving it a listen.

Much has been made of the pre match video package featuring Limp Bizkit's My Way. Many have called it the greatest video package of all time. It would be hard to argue that. WWE consistently produces terrific video packages, and this one is near the top of the list.
As soon as Austin's music hits, the crowd becomes unglued. Another gigantic pop from the 65,000 Houston fans. JR delivers one of my all-time favorite lines calling Austin a "folk hero". Rock hits the ring second, as a champion always should. JR makes me feel bad about myself by reminding me that Rock is only 28 years old at the time of this match, headlining his third Wrestlemania. Overachiever.

When looking back at this match, the conclusion shouldn't have been such a surprise. Austin wrestles the entire match as a heel. I understand the storyline that he needs to win the match and the title back so desperately. But Austin is the constant aggressor. Rock is almost always the face in peril, while he clearly isn't the fan favorite here in Houston. Austin even jaws off to the referee when things aren't going his way. Rock continues to preserve even when all of his offense is booed by the crowd. Such amazing character work done by both men.

Rock is busted open early as much of this match spills outside. The ring bell plays a significant part of the match when both Rock and Austin's faces are painted on it. Both men also taste the exposed turnbuckle, which leads to Austin being busted open. One thing to remember about this match- it isn't pretty. Austin and Rock create a brutal masterpiece. This is the best brawl match the Attitude era ever produced. My favorite spot of the match comes when Austin tries to apply the million dollar dream. That call back was incredible. Rock sloppy delivery of the sharpshooter has never bothered me either. Both spots should be commended for their relationships to Austin's Wrestlemania 13 match with Bret Hart, arguably the match that kick started the Attitude era. Only fitting the Attitude era would come to close in almost a full circle fashion.

Now let's talk about the finish. Turning Austin heel wasn't a terrible move. It made sense to the character's journey. Austin had missed almost a year due to injury, during which he saw the Rock climb to the top of the card and take his spot. Austin's road to redemption had to go through the Rock. And he would do whatever it took to get there. It made sense. Now I am not sure it was the wisest business decision knowing that the Rock was leaving. Essentially there was no number 1 face anymore, with Austin as a top heel, along with Triple H and Kurt Angle right behind him. WWF would try the Invasion angle to mixed results, but one can only wonder how much of that was affected by Austin's heel turn. It also probably wasn't wise to turn Austin heel in Houston, where he was the "folk hero" JR spoke of. Again, I think turning Austin heel was a GOOD move, but the WWF probably wanted more of a reaction than they received.

One thing that has always bothered me about this match is Vince's involvement. I have no problem with him being involved in the finish, he should have. Austin and the Rock were his two greatest adversaries and it is just right that he shows up. However the timing of Vince's involvement is strangely paced. First he shows up and just stands around a bit. Than he saves Austin after the People's Elbow. We should have seen kick to the gut, stunner, new champ. Instead we get an awkward 5 minutes of uncertainty. Instead of one shocking heel turn, we get an awkward slow turn, ref bump, and endless chair shots before it's over. Steve Austin says he regrets turning heel that night. He wishes he would've just called an audible and stunned Vince. I am not sure that was the right move either. Just a spot of Austin selling his soul. I don't think this takes away much from the match, but I do wish it was a clean and obvious heel turn, instead of being a little bit over booked at the end.

As it stands this match is a classic. There have been better matches at Wrestlemania, but this the best final match ever. No one deserved to headline the biggest Wrestlemania ever, or put an end to the attitude era, more than Austin and the Rock. Of their many encounters, and 3 Wrestlemania matches, this is easily the best. It is the darkest, hardest hitting, most brutal title match I can ever remember at Wrestlemania. Part of me wants to knock the awkward ending, but every single moment leading up to the ending is so perfect that it is impossible not to rate this match as five star match.
Winner: Steve Austin – 28:07
Rating: 5 Stars

Final thoughts
Wrestlemania 17 will forever be known as one of the best wrestling cards of all time. Looking at the roster and matches shows how stacked WWF was at the time. After the purchase of WCW, Wrestlemania 17 was Vince McMahon pounding his chest in victory. He had won the Monday Night Wars. He had the top two stars of all time headline a titanic card. He even went out and produced a memorable event that will stand the test of time. I can't decisively call Mania 17 the greatest Mania of all time. I think Mania 19, 22, 24, and 28 can each make an argument for that title. But from top to bottom Wrestlemania 17 delivers. Every person contributes and plays their part perfectly. The video packages are second to none. Every talent seems hungry to prove themselves, especially in light of the coming uncertainty and arrival of WCW talent. And enough cannot be said for the commentary work of JR and Paul Heyman. They sold every match as being important and delivered the best play by play/color commentary for a single event I have ever heard. You can have you iconic JR calls all you want, for my money this was the best work he ever did. And Heyman shows that he is truly one of a kind. Wrestlemania 17 has a few flaws, namely the awkward ending and the strange timing of the WCW purchase hanging over it. It sometimes feels like there is too much going on, and everything is a little too rushed. However it is a great call back to the older Mania cards, with 11 matches and little to no filler. It will certainly be interested recounting our steps through the WWF and WCW PPV history to see how we got to this point- the true highpoint in professional wrestling history "Where it All Begins, and Ends, Again."

Ladies and gentlemen that's it for our premiere edition of "Doubleshot: 2-in-1 Wrestling Reviews." Join us next time as Gary and I head back to 1995 before the Monday Night War had even started. Until then my name is Mark Adam Haggerty alongside Gary Mastriano, reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat, your number one source for original columns, countdowns and coverage of the wide world of professional wrestling.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw/#comments Tue, 30 Dec 2014 23:38:55 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Bad News Barrett BNB Bunny Cesaro CM Punk Colt Cabana Daniel Bryan DDP Diamond Dallas Page Dolph Ziggler Goldust HHH Jey Uso Jimmy Uso John Cena Miz MizDow Naomi RAW Royal Rumble Ryback Seth Rollins Skip Sheffield Stephanie McMahon Talk is Jericho The Authority Trinity Triple H Tyson Kidd Usos Vince McMahon WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8371 Highlight of the Night The Top Moments from Raw Written by Mark Adam Haggerty I feel like a middle aged couple searching for the spark in my marriage, because Ladies and Gentlemen, I am BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS! What better way to segue away from a week off into another years' worth of […]

Highlight of the Night
The Top Moments from Raw
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

I feel like a middle aged couple searching for the spark in my marriage, because Ladies and Gentlemen, I am BACK IN THE SWING OF THINGS! What better way to segue away from a week off into another years' worth of work than with a slightly bawdy joke? I hope everyone has enjoyed their Christmas or Hanukkah or whatever they might be celebrating and is geared up for an amazing 2015! I had the opportunity to visit with family in New Jersey for the first time in nearly three years; it's sad to say goodbye, but I'm more than exciting to get back to my regular writing routine. So how about we all start talking about this week's episode of Monday Night Raw? I might catch some flak for saying so, but I considered this to be one of the best episodes of Raw all year. And I'm delighted to help you decide what's worth watching with my Highlight of the Night: The Top Five Moments from WWE's flagship program.

5. "It's Me! It's Me! It's BNB!"

I've been waiting for Bad News Barrett to come back to TV for some time now as it's appeared he's been cleared to compete for a few months at least. But anticipation is the name of the game and when Wade finally made his return tonight, it was met with much surprise and immediate fanfare. But let's not ignore the rest of the build, as the entire segment was as well-constructed as anything else we saw on Raw. Let's rewind for a moment or two to where we are met with the man with one name who once went by Antonio. In recent weeks Cesaro has formed a powerful alliance with the equally impressive Tyson Kidd and Natalya, so when he was seated CM Punk-style in the corner of the ring, I figured he was just waiting for Goldust or somebody to fill time between some already exciting moments on the final episode of 2014. But then he started dropping what I'll shamelessly call a pipe-bomb and my attitude shifted immediately. He discussed how he should have had a break-out year due to where he started and his impressive victory at Wrestlemania 30 in New Orleans, as well as how the WWE claims he doesn't connect with the WWE Universe. But rather than pointing the finger at anyone backstage, or even turning the focus on himself, Cesaro blamed the WWE Universe itself. The Swiss Superman used his own shoot grievance with Vince McMahon and the WWE Creative Team as ammunition to sling back at the fans who "never wanted him to succeed." Toward the end of his heated promo, he exclaimed that nobody can do what he does when he steps between, "those four ropes." He immediately caught the flub, and joked, "Four sides. It has four sides." Although it was a humorous incident that had the potential to draw some fans away from the importance of the overall occasion, I'm inclined to forgive Cesaro, as it was obviously a loss in translation that he expertly attempted to cover. I think everybody really enjoyed the verbiage Bad News led with, borrowing from Diamond Dallas Page by saying, "It's me, it's me, it's BNB!" The match itself was perfectly paced and didn't appear to aggravate Barrett's recovery, all while displaying both men on a level where they could both be proud.

4. Uso Crazy!

If you'd have told me that there was a title change on Raw and I had to guess I'd probably say, "Oh Dolph Ziggler lost the IC belt again? Shocking." But this turn of events involving some double team maneuvering and two faced tactics caught me off guard, as I was sure I was right all along about Naomi. Earlier in the show, the television audience was privy to Naomi AKA Trinity giving The Miz a great big hug as thanks for the part he played in getting her noticed in the music industry. Or something? To be honest, I tune out around this exact same time every single week. But the point is, Naomi and The Miz appeared to be on good terms with one another which made me think this Wrestlemania season could be sort of sour for The Usos. What better way to build a long term feud than to feature a man's wife alongside his enemy? And then the inevitable Miz and Mizdow blow off could take place in San Francisco. But when the bell sounded and the dust cleared, The Uso's had captured the ugliest belts in all of professional wrestling and Naomi was still standing by her man. I have to say I was just as pleased with this outcome for one very simple reason: I'm tired of the Miz and Mizdow shenanigans. I know everybody loves it, believe me! I know! But at what point does the mimicry get to be too much and borderline on Bunny Suits and "Partying all the Time?" Damian Sandow is de-evolving faster than Toad did in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," and I'm afraid that if he continues falling down whenever The Miz gets hurt, he'll have very few options as far as future roles of any merit. In other words, he is now and will forever be the New Santino Marella. So—I was happy the belts were taken by a far more deserving duo who tend to get a lot of heat from the internet, but as far as I'm concerned are the best tag team on the WWE's main roster. Hopefully now we might begin to see the makings of Mizdow's revolt from the Hollywood A-Lister which could lead to a very entertaining bout for Wrestlemania 31 at Levi's Stadium.

3. The Ryback Promo

I was on the edge of my seat for the entirety of Ryan Reeves' insanely personal accounting of his past and previous experiences. This was of course coming off the heels of Ryback's appearance on Chris Jericho's podcast, where he spoke on many of the same issues. When I was back in Jersey I had a friend who was recommending the Ryback episode of "Talk is Jericho" to everyone because of how much it made him like "The Big Guy" as a person. Well, I guess the WWE Creative Team thought the same thing, because as soon as he began talking about ringing the bell in Las Vegas for the WWF, I knew they were running with something special. This promo happened so far down the card that it was originally my number one moment of the night. Regardless of where it's placed on my list, this 5-7 minute speech and video package is worth a watch, especially when you're given the chance to see not only a young Skip Sheffield, but Ryan Reeves' first venture into the WWE in 2004 as a contestant on "Tough Enough." I'm not sure if Ryback is going to beat "The Pride of the Russian Federation" on his first attempt, but I'd put money on Ryback being the man that finally defeats Rusev and brings the United States Title back to America. I honestly think that if he can stay healthy and not get hurt, 2015 will be a landmark year for Ryback in the WWE.

2. "I'm still going to kill him."

First off, Rollins calls Cena, "John" a lot. Way more than anyone else, ever. Okay—I think there's bound to be some debate over whether the final segment of Raw was any good or not. I had someone tell me that Raw was, "Perfect up until the end." But I disagree. I think Rollins has a tendency to go on a little too long when he's given the microphone. But you have to place some of the blame on John Cena for employing perhaps the wrong amount of poise at inappropriate times. I understand that Cena is probably a far better actor than most of the rest of the roster, but there's a time and a place for dramatic pauses and it's not in the waning seconds of a 3 hour and fifteen minute show. I actually thought Rollins was spot on with everything he did and I was particularly surprised with some of the words he was allowed to get away with. As previously mentioned, this entire episode was eye-opening and seemed to mark the dawning of a new creative direction for the WWE Main Roster. It seems that the overt silliness is starting to take a back-seat to personal plotlines and callbacks to previously establishment stories. Seth Rollins stood over a legitimately injured man and threated, not to end his career, but to end his life. Seth's final words before being thwarted by Cena were, "I'm still going to kill him." Wow! Maybe that's too much for some, but it's just the right amount for me. I've been tentatively excited about Seth Rollins all year; I've really enjoyed him and I've been giving him 80% of my attention when he deserves all I've got. I can't say that I'm all too happy about the return of The Authority, as I figure it's just a bit too soon to bring them back. Especially right after Christmas? Can it be any more obvious that Stephanie and Hunter really just wanted a vacation? I personally would have held off until after The Royal Rumble, if I was going to reinstate The Authority at all. I think the WWE needs some breathing room without a totalitarian general manager or executive parading around on TV acting as the ultimate bad guy. But they're back and there's nothing we can do. I'll agree with my friend, that everything on Raw was perfect until the VERY end when the decision was made and, "The King of Kings" music hit, but to say that this segment with Seth and Cena was anything other than thrilling is to sell both individuals short.

1. Will Daniel Bryan be in the 2015 Royal Rumble?

Yes! Yes! Yes! I had a feeling that Daniel Bryan wasn't going to be retiring as it might appear in bad taste to tease good news when a man's career is actually on the line. I'm very excited to hear that Bryan will be returning to action at The Royal Rumble in Philadelphia, but I can't help but wonder how much of his return is based on medical clearance and how much is his own determination to wrestle regardless of the risks. Since Punk's interview with Colt Cabana, there's been speculation that certain members of Creative and even the medical staff in WWE doesn't take every injury as seriously as they perhaps should. Could it be possible that Bryan just wanted to return, found an obscure doctor who agreed to clear him, and the WWE was willing to look the other way? Worse things have happened and the last I heard, it wasn't looking like Bryan would return at all, let alone any time soon. But even more miraculous things have happened; I was at The Royal Rumble at Madison Square Garden in 2008 when the Number 30 entry was none other than John Cena, returning several months before anyone expected him back. And that was seven years ago. So I guess Bryan's return to the ring isn't so far outside the realm of possibilities that I need dwell on "maybe" and "what if" scenarios. I've spoken with a variety of people recently who feared Bryan might not be as well received when he finally made his return, a notion that I dismissed and I'm glad I did because the fans seem to love Bryan more than ever. I tend to get emotional during wrestling a lot, and when the crowd chanted, "No! No! No!" at the very thought of Daniel hanging it up, I too thought for a moment, "Is this it? Is he retiring?" Thank the Good Wrestling Lord that was not the case. I personally know a few people who decided then and there that they're buying tickets to Wrestlemania. Who knows who will win the rumble or who will be champion come spring time. But the mere mention of Bryan versus Lesnar is enough to put asses in all seventy five thousand seats at Levi Stadium.

Sometimes when I watch an episode of Monday Night Raw that I find especially entertaining, I'll then listen to the Voices of Wrestling or read the Wrestling Observer and realize that I was looking at the program through rose-colored glasses. I really hope that isn't the case this week because I really thought the entire WWE did a great job in producing a watchable three hours of wrestling that I didn't want to end. Granted, the promo-to-workrate ratio was a bit skewed, but the few matches that were squeezed into an otherwise dramatic evening of events were memorable and might directly impact the path of certain Superstars heading into The Royal Rumble. Rumor has it that we can expect even more thrilling programming as the calendar turns to 2015, but that remains to be seen. I hope you didn't miss me too much as I've been gone for a week, but for those of you who even noticed my absence, I appreciate your loyalty and I'm excited to bring you even more articles as the New Year draws closer. Until next time, my name is Mark Adam Haggerty reminding you to bookmark Cheap-Heat.com to keep up with everything I've got going on. Happy New Year everybody!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-top-10-wcw-halloween-havoc-matches-of-all-time-plus-honorable-mentions/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-top-10-wcw-halloween-havoc-matches-of-all-time-plus-honorable-mentions/#comments Sat, 01 Nov 2014 03:59:23 +0000 Cassidy Haynes Top Lists "Stunning" Steve Austin Alex Wright Barry Windham Big Van Vader Billy Kidman Bobby Eaton Brian Knobbs Brian Pillman Cactus Jack Chris Jericho Chuck Palumbo DDP Dean Malenko Diamond Dallas Page Disco Inferno Dr. Death Dustin Rhodes Eddie Guerrero Flyin' Brian Goldberg Halloween Havoc Jerry Skaggs Kidman Lex Luger Muta Natural Born Thrillers NWA Raven Rey Mysterio Rey Mysterio Jr. Ric Flair Rick Steiner Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat Ricky Morton Ricky Steamboat Scott Steiner Shawn Stasiak Sid Vicious Spin the Wheel Make the Deal Stan Lane Steve Austin Steve Williams Sting Syxx Terry Funk The Boogie Knights The Filthy Animals The Great Muta The Midnight Express The Nasty Boys The Perfect Event The Steiner Brothers Thundercage Tommy Rich Vader WCW http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=5758 In the spirit of Halloween I decided that the best way for me to spend my day, was to watch as many Halloween Havocs as possible. As I was bouncing around I started jumping around from one of my favorite matches to the other. This gave me the idea to rank my favorite WCW Halloween […]

In the spirit of Halloween I decided that the best way for me to spend my day, was to watch as many Halloween Havocs as possible. As I was bouncing around I started jumping around from one of my favorite matches to the other. This gave me the idea to rank my favorite WCW Halloween Havoc matches of all time.