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http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-night-the-world-lost-owen/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-night-the-world-lost-owen/#comments Wed, 27 May 2015 00:41:29 +0000 Gregory Iron Blogs Wrestler Blogs Bret Hart Jesse Ventura Owen Hart http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11988 This past weekend marked sixteen years since the tragic passing of Owen Hart. It’s one of those events in wrestling history that if you’re a life long fan of the sport, you remember exactly where you were, and what you were doing.   On May 23rd, 1999, I was just twelve years old. Because my […]

This past weekend marked sixteen years since the tragic passing of Owen Hart. It’s one of those events in wrestling history that if you’re a life long fan of the sport, you remember exactly where you were, and what you were doing.

On May 23rd, 1999, I was just twelve years old. Because my family was low, low,В lower middle class, we couldn’t afford cable. Yes, during a time period in which wrestling was it’s absolute hottest, with the World Wrestling Federation battling rival World Championship Wrestling for rating supremacy opposite each other every Monday night, I was without cable television. Internet was still in it’s infancy (and regardless, I didn’t have a conputer), so the only way I could keep up with what was happening on Raw and Nitro every week was through my friends at school, who would give me a detailed report Tuesday morning at school. If I was able to, I’d take $5 out of my bi-weekly $10 allowance, along with an extra $3 for a blank vhs tape, and give it to my buddy Shawn, who would tape Raw and Nitro for me.

Leading up to the May 23rd WWF pay per view, Stone Cold Steve Austin was set to defend his WWF Heavyweight Championship against The Undertaker. Vince and Shane McMahon, along with The Corporate-Ministry, had been a thorne in Austin’s side for weeks. IВ needed to see this pay per view.

My pal Shawn was ordering the event. I begged my dad to allow me to ride my bicycle the few blocks to his house to watch the event, entitled “Over The Edge.” Dad objected, his reason being that I had to get up at 7 a.m. the next morning for school. In my mind, that reason sucked. I begged and pleaded, annoying my father to the point where he threatened to ground me for the next month if I didn’t shut up. I was disappointed. To avoid spending the next thirty days imprisoned in my room, I kept my mouth shut.

That Sunday evening, dad found something to watch that he felt would be on par with “Over The Edge.” It was a wrestling made-for-TV-movie airing on NBC, entitled “The Jesse Ventura Story.” I was sort of excited. I had always enjoyed The Body’s work, and his story was white hot, due to him becoming Minnesota’s Governor just a few months earlier.

If you have ever seen “The Jesse Ventura Story,” you know what a trainwreck of a film that was. The actor that played Jesse looked and sounded nothing like him. Furthermore, the facts were highly inaccurate. Even being twelve years old, I questioned why, for whatever reason, Jesse spent his whole wrestling career in WCW, commentating with Gorilla Monsoon— who has never worked at WCW. I wonder why, for some reason, guys wwre getting put through tables throughout the 70’s and 80’s, and why Goldberg, Kanyon and Raven were active members of the roster. The icing on the cake was Raven going into business with the evil promoter, who screwed a local wrestler out of a match that he was told he was going to win in his hometown, by putting him in a Sharpshooter submission.

Sound familiar? I’m not kidding… it’s in the movie.

The NBC original film went on for two hours, from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. It seemed like an eternity. When the end credits began to roll, I was relieved that it was over. As I tried to read the names of the writers of that picture, so as to know who I should blame for such an embarrassing movie, the screen split in half, with the NBC 11 O’Clock News team cutting in to preview what was coming up next on the local news.

“ Coming up tonight on Channel 3 News , find out which WWF pro wrestler died live on pay per view during a stunt gone wrong. The details up next at 11.”

A cold shiver traveled down my spine. ‘A wrestler had died during the pay per view?,’ I thought. I was in disbelief. As I was mentally preparing to find out just which wrestler had passed, my dad put me in a playful headlock. I struggled to get free, and the more I struggled, the tighter he locked on the hold, to the point where my hearing became muffled. I saw the newscaster talking, but they were showing no photographs. By the time my dad released the hold, the story was over.

“What wrestler did they say died, dad?”

“Owen Hart. Said he fell from the rafters or something.”

I was so confused and saddened. When I was younger, I absolutely hated Owen. He actually main evented the first ever house show I ever attended, wrestling his brother Bret for the WWF Championship in Cleveland’s Richfield Coliseum. I tried to boo Owen out of the building that night because of how much I loathed him. As I was growing older, I began to understand just how good the bad guys worked to get you to truly hate them.В Not only was Owen a great bad guy, but he was an incredible wrestler, and I learned to appreciate more as the years has passed.

The next day at school, all the kids talked about was Owen passing away. My teacher, Mr. Lasecki, was a huge wrestling fan, and I remember him stopping whatever lesson he was teaching so that the boys in class could share Owen memories out loud. I thought that was really cool.

Owen Hart was a one of a kind wrestler. He’s one of the few guys that as more and more behind the scenes stories from the past come out, I’ve yet to read one bad story about Owen. He was a once in a lifetime athlete, but more importantly, he was a loving family man with an incredible sense of humor. Selfishly, I wish he was still around, so that we could have gotten more amazing matches and moments with “The King of Harts.”

Rest in power, Owen. You’ll never be forgotten.

-Greg

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-iron-side-of-the-stories-5715/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-iron-side-of-the-stories-5715/#comments Thu, 07 May 2015 20:46:50 +0000 Gregory Iron Blogs Wrestler Blogs Chris Jericho Global Force Wrestling Owen Hart http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11621 Hello again, and welcome to the cleverly named “Iron Side of the Stories,” where I run through some of the big stories of the week, with my thoughts. Let’s get right to it.   WWE Produced Owen Hart Documentary In The Works Just announced today at www.wrestlingdvdnews.com, on what would have been the 50th birthday […]

Hello again, and welcome to the cleverly named “Iron Side of the Stories,” where I run through some of the big stories of the week, with my thoughts. Let’s get right to it.

WWE Produced Owen Hart Documentary In The Works

Just announced today at www.wrestlingdvdnews.com, on what would have been the 50th birthday of the late Owen Hart, WWE is working on the long awaited Owen Hart documentary. Perhaps even more shocking than the creation of the DVD is the fact that Owen’s widow Martha Hart has given her blessing to the WWE to go forward in creating the documentary.

Finally. Since his tragic passing in May of 1999, wrestling fans worldwide have been waiting for a documentary that would pay tribute to one of the most beloved wrestlers in the history of WWE. We are finally going to get it. No release date has been announced. I personally cannot wait, and I’m going to go out on a limb and say that the DVD will drop sometime near the beginning of 2016– right around WWE Hall of Fame induction announcement time. After waiting far too long, not only will we get an in depth feature on “The Rocket,” but we just may get that final “must have” induction into the H.O.F.

Chris Jericho Announced As The Host of WWE Tough Enough

Y2J has just been revealed as the host of the new incarnation of WWE’s Tough Enough series. In my opinion, that decision is just as good as the previous one that saw Stone Cold Steve Austin host the show. Jericho has been with the WWE on and off for nearly twenty years, not to mention time he spent in WCW, ECW, WAR, as well as many independents across the U.S. and Canada. Jericho was also trained in Stu Hart’s infamous Dungeon. When you talk credible training and experience, the front man of Fozzy is a great choice to host this season of T.E.

Sami Zayn Injured

Monday on Raw, Sami Zayn had the opportunity of a lifetime, taking on John Cena has part of Cena’a United States Championship Open Challenge in front of a rabid hometown crowd Montreal, Canada. Zayn was so excited that before he even entered the ring, it appeared that he injured his right shoulder. Despite this, Zayn went on to wrestle an excellent match with one of the biggest stars in wrestling history.

Unfortunately, the rumor going around is that Zayn’s injury may put him on the shelf for two or three months. Sami had just returned from an injury to the same shoulder. Will this halt his momemtum? I don’t think so. NXT is the “in” thing in wrestling right now, and between the following that he’s amassed while competing for NXT and his incredible performance this past Monday night, I think it’s safe to say that if Sami needs time off, he’ll be greeted with open arms from the WWE Universe upon returning.

Global Force Announces Roster

After much anticipation the first names for Jef f Jarrett’s Global Force has been announced. The names include the likes of Justin Gabriel, D.H. Smith, Lance Hoyt, and Bullet Club’s Karl Anderson and Luke Gallows. It seems as though the promotion has grabbed a hold of quite a few talents that have been cutting their teeth in Japan for a while now (Gabriel the only exception, as he recently left WWE). I can dig it, especially the addition of two Bullet Club members, arguably the most popular group in pro wrestling at this moment. I’m excited to see who else gets named!

That’s it for this week. If you’re near north east Ohio, come see me at Olde Wrestling in Lakewood, Ohio tomorrow. I’ll have a mustache. That in itself should sell you on the show.

www.oldewrestling.com

-Greg

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-ocho-wrestlers-i-miss/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-ocho-wrestlers-i-miss/#comments Wed, 15 Apr 2015 20:49:41 +0000 Scott Hayes Top Lists Brian Pillman CM Punk ECW Eddie Guerrero Edge Extreme Championship Wrestling Hall of Fame HBK Hollywood Blondes Kurt Angle MMA New Japan Pro Wrestling NJPW Owen Hart Ring of Honor ROH Shawn Michaels Shelton Benjamin Tajiri The Ocho UFC WCW World Championship Wrestling World Wrestling Entertainment Wrestle Kingdom 9 WWE WWF http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=11141 In this 2015 the "Year of the List", I sat down and figured… Why not ME? Why not MY LIST?! SO? Ladies, and Gentlemen, Cheap-Heaters of all literacy levels? Welcome to: I am Pepper Brooks… or at the very least I AM wearing sunglasses and haven't combed my hair, but do lack the neck tattoos […]

In this 2015 the "Year of the List", I sat down and figured… Why not ME? Why not MY LIST?!

SO? Ladies, and Gentlemen, Cheap-Heaters of all literacy levels? Welcome to:

I am Pepper Brooks… or at the very least I AM wearing sunglasses and haven't combed my hair, but do lack the neck tattoos of the above pictured, fictitious Dodgeball color commentator. Tonight I'm bringing you a simple list and I urge you to share yours.

The OCHO: Wrestlers I Miss

This is vague, and in a couple instances these wrestlers might still be active, but I don't see their work (My #1 definitely falls under this umbrella… BOOM! TEASERS!)

Edge rose through the ranks during the Attitude Era, debuting as something of a Vampire Slayer and feuding with WWE's resident Vampire, Gangrel. Eventually he worked his way out of that, was one half of one of the Era's greatest tag teams, in Edge and Christian, and showed a lot of versatility both in the ring and on the mic. He was wildly entertaining and as the "Rated R Superstar" reached new levels of popularity and success. Unfortunately a neck injury forced him to hang up the boots. He also was part of the greatest era of Smackdown which also leaned heavily on THIS man…

Similar to Edge in that he was a total package. Debuted in the WWE with the "Radicalz", after having lots of success in both ECW and WCW. In WWE was part of so many memorable stories and segments. Be it tagging with Chavo in Los Guerreros, or the genesis for "Latino Heat". His win over Brock Lesnar and celebration is something I'll always remember. In ring he was damn near peerless, and something that stood out to me, is when he was out there in an arena? He seemed to enjoy the hell out of everything he did. Of course Eddie was in ECW and so was he!

Okay… when I started this I wasn't thinking it'd be THIS heavy. Pillman was one of my favorites when I became a wrestling fan in the early to mid 90s, watching WCW. Hollywood Blondes are one of my favorite tag teams of all time. Then his stuff in ECW and eventually bringing the Loose Cannon to WWF was spectacular. I think any of us during that time will remember the manic eyes, and of course Pillman pointing a gun at Stone Cold. Injuries kept him out of a WWE ring for most of his time there, before his untimely death in October of 1997. Pillman was part of a stable with…

I swear… I really wasn't supposed to be like this. The theme going so far for me is talented in ring competitors and guys who could entertain in any segment they were involved in. Owen was my Hart family member of choice. I always felt like he got lost in the shuffle during that era. After the Montreal Screwjob and basically the entire Hart Foundation had left and it seemed uncertain as to WHAT Owen would do, he returned and attacked….

YAY! This one isn't sad! Shawn Michaels is arguably the greatest in ring competitor this business has ever seen. He is a WWE Hall of Famer, and I can't recall a bad match the man was in. His ego was on par with his talent, and in both cases he was many times head and shoulders above everyone around him. You don't get nicknames like "The Showstopper", and "Mr. Wrestlemania" to stick without having the chops to back it up. I still hope for one more match from Michaels, though I'm guessing that is not going to happen. Michaels really could have great matches with anyone, but put him in the ring with someone like this?

And it would be magical. Stop screaming. I KNOW Shelton is still active. Hell, I saw his match at Wrestlekingdom 9. I know he has been involved with RoH, but I don't follow Ring of Honor close enough to know if that is still an ongoing place of employment for Benjamin. Doesn't mean I see him regularly. Also doesn't mean I can't miss him. One of the greatest athletes the WWE has ever had in their ring. One of a generation of performers they brought in from the world of Amateur wrestling, and a guy who was close friends with Brock Lesnar… so why not bring him in too to make sure Brock was happy? Introduced to us as a "Tag Team" presented to Kurt Angle (Team Angle… eventually "Worlds Greatest Tag Team") Shelton could do anything in the ring. He could do it smoothly. He could do it powerfully. If I'd do an OCHO of "guys they dropped the ball with"? He'd be at or near the top of the list. And he had some good matches in the WWE with…

I'm not alone in missing CM Punk. So many different ways he could have been used the last year. Especially with Lesnar being the WWE World Heavyweight Champion. A guy who was valuable and memorable in any segment on the show. One of the best promos in wrestling. One of the best wrestlers. Not having him around, stinks. But… ladies and gentlemen? Just because we miss him doesn't mean we have to chant for him whenever for whatever reason his name pops into his head… just something to keep in mind. You know who WOULDN'T randomly chant "CM PUNK"?

Yes, Like Shelton I'm acutely aware that he's still active. Well I THINK he's still active. I'm not positive of such things. But Tajiri is one of my favorites. From his arrival in ECW through his WWE run, I was always entertained by him. Super underrated. He could be a standout in backstage segments, and wouldn't speak a word. His non verbals were spectacular. While the rest of the list was set up so I could loosely tie them together? Tajiri is the top of the list for me.

So what about you? Who are the wrestlers you miss the most?

http://www.cheap-heat.com/hall-of-fame-hopefuls-part-five-headliners/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/hall-of-fame-hopefuls-part-five-headliners/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2015 21:44:45 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Bill Goldberg Chris Jericho Goldberg Hall of Fame HHH HOF JBL John Bradshaw Layfield Kurt Angle Owen Hart Sting The Rock Triple H Undertaker Vince McMahon Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10727 Hall of Fame Hopefuls Part Five: Headliners Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the fifth and final chapter of "Hall of Fame Hopefuls," exclusively available at Cheap-Heat.com. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and over the past month I've had the chance to chat about some of the most iconic talents […]

Hall of Fame Hopefuls
Part Five: Headliners
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the fifth and final chapter of "Hall of Fame Hopefuls," exclusively available at Cheap-Heat.com. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and over the past month I've had the chance to chat about some of the most iconic talents to ever be featured in-or-around a professional wrestling ring. We began with tag teams, moved on to the celebrity wing, then to managers and broadcasters, and last week I named the most deserving Divas whom I believe belong in the WWE Hall of Fame. For this ultimate edition, we're listing ten possible headliners for future Hall of Fame classes. These are the men who will fill the same sort of role as Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, the Ultimate Warrior, and of course the "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Let's kick things off with the only Olympic Gold Medalist on the countdown.

Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle is among the greatest technicians in the history of professional wrestling, and might be the greatest active competitor inside a squared—or six-sided—circle. After taking home top honors at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Kurt Angle was at a loss for how to continue his athletic career. After much soul-searching he decided to try his hand at professional wrestling and made his in-ring debut for the National Wrestling Alliance on October 24, 1998. Angle was spotted by the WWE immediately and first appeared for the �Federation at the Survivor Series the following year. Angle enjoyed a dominant winning streak lasting over two months and made history when he won the WWE Championship from the Rock at No Mercy 2000, just eleven months after debuting. A former King of the Ring, Kurt went on to achieve unprecedented honors including the WWE, WCW, and World heavyweight championships—in addition to secondary belts like the U.S., Intercontinental, European, Hardcore, and tag team titles. Although the "Wrestling Machine" has been absent from World Wrestling Entertainment for nearly a decade, it's safe to assume his seat will always be ready, should he decide to take his place amongst the "Immortals."

Triple H
The man that would one day become Triple H started his career in 1992 after training with the legendary Killer Kowalski. He debuted for World Championship Wrestling in 1994 as Terra Ryzing, but was soon repackaged as "Jean-Paul Levesque"—a French nobleman with a finishing maneuver known as the "Pedigree." He signed with the WWE in 1995 and brought his aristocratic act to a whole new audience as the "Connecticut Blue Blood" Hunter Hearst-Helmsley. Triple H teamed with Shawn Michaels in 1997 to form D-Generation X, which Hunter continued to lead clear into the new millennium. Triple H won his first world title on an episode of Raw following Summerslam 1999 and has since become one of the most decorated performers in WWE history. A 13-time world heavyweight champion, Triple H is also a former King of the Ring, Royal Rumble winner, and a member of BOTH the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame and the International Sports Hall of Fame.Triple H has scaled back on in-ring competition since taking a job in Titan Towers in 2010, where his main focus has been on creative and talent relations. Triple H is a lock for the WWE Hall of Fame—the only uncertainly is when we might see it happen.

The Rock
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been igniting the box office for 15 years, but got his start in entertainment by "electrifying millions—and millions" of people around the world. The Rock debuted for the WWE in 1996 at the Survivor Series as "Rocky Maivia"—a name created by combining Rocky Johnson with Peter Maivia—in honor of his father and grandfather. Audiences didn't take to the Jerri-curled babyface and soon began to greet the future "Great One" with chants of "Rocky Sucks" and "Die, Rocky, Die." The Rock found himself in the driver's seat of the Nation of Domination after ejecting their former leader Farooq, and by 1998 was well on his way to world heavyweight title. The Rock became the WWE champion at the Survivor Series that year when he "screwed" Mick Foley in the "Deadly Games Tournament." The Rock held numerous championships during his time with the WWE, but made his greatest mark in ways that no previous Superstar could have imagined. The December 1998 pay-per-view—Rock Bottom—was named for the champ, but that was only the beginning. In 1999 the WWE debuted Smackdown—a phrase made popular by the Rock—which led to an enormously popular video game series by the same name. The Rock returned to the WWE in 2011 to host Wrestlemania XXVII, and went on to win the WWE championship for an 8th time at the Royal Rumble in 2013. If the Rock isn't worthy of the WWE Hall of Fame—then why does it exist?

Sting
Steve Borden began his wrestling career much the same as fellow Hall of Famers Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels—as part of a tag team. Borden was originally one-half of the Blade Runners with the man who would one-day be known as the Ultimate Warrior. Originally referred to as "Blade Runner Flash," Borden would ultimately change his name to Sting. He debuted for Jim Crockett Promotions in 1987 and quickly engaged in a heated rivalry with Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen. Sting won his first world title on July 7, 1990 from the "Nature Boy," and by 1991 was considered the "Franchise" of World Championship Wrestling. When the New World Order started to take over WCW during the summer of �96, Sting went into hiding and returned in the rafters where he proceeded to watch the events of �97 unfold. Sting finally met "Hollywood" Hogan for the WCW championship at Starrcade 1997, where he defeated the former Hulkster and regained the title on behalf of WCW. Over the next several years, Sting's character would evolve and alternate allegiances, even aligning with Kevin Nash and the NWO Wolf Pac. Sting had the privilege of performing in the main event of the final Monday Nitro in March of 2001 against his longtime nemesis, Ric Flair. When the company closed, Borden opted not to join the competition and instead signed with the WWE alternative Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2003. Sting's induction seems all-but-imminent now that the "Vigilante" has signed with the WWE—14 years removed from the Monday Night War. Sting is also a longtime resident of the "Lone-Star State"—the site of next year's potential record-breaking Wrestlemania—so now seems like a perfect time to consider him for the WWE Hall of Fame.

Chris Jericho
The self-professed "Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla" is one of the most diverse performers to ever lace-up a pair of wrestling boots. Chris Jericho started his journey toward the WWE Hall of Fame in 1990 when he began training under the highly-acclaimed Hart Brothers. Jericho traveled the world and learned various nuances of the business during his time in Mexico and Japan, and eventually debuted stateside for Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1995. It wasn't long before national promotions started to take notice of young "Lionheart" and in 1997, Chris Jericho signed with WCW. He achieved mild-success while employed by Turner, engaging in memorable rivalries with high profile talents such as Dean Malenko and even Bill Goldberg. Jericho joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1999 and made his long-awaited debut by interrupting the Rock on Monday Night Raw. Chris Jericho holds the record for most intercontinental title reigns at nine, and is further renowned for being the very first Undisputed Champion in WWE history. Jericho is the WWE's 4th Grand Slam Champion, coming in just behind Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, as well as current "Authority Figures" Triple H and Kane. Chris Jericho has been able to withstand the test of time by reinventing himself and relying on the number one rule of showmanship—"always leave them wanting more." Chris is an aspiring actor, a successful podcast host, and most notably—he is the lead singer for the hit heavy metal band FOZZY. Hopefully Y2J will "save us" from boring speeches when he inevitably accepts the honor of being added to the WWE Hall of Fame.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John "Bradshaw" Layfield signed with the WWE in 1995 and has remained involved with the company to some degree ever since. He began as the Texas roughneck Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw, an homage to clichéd Sports Entertainment cowboys such as Stan Hansen and Black Bart. Bradshaw found much of his early success in the tag team ranks, both with Barry Windham as the "New Blackjacks," and later with his longtime partner Ron Simmons in the APA. Bradshaw and Simmons won the WWE tag titles on three separate occasions before finally separating in 2004. By this time, Bradshaw's real-life role on Wall Street started to seep into the storyline, and the JBL character was born. John "Bradshaw" Layfield formed his "Cabinet" and took the WWE Championship from Eddie Guerrero in a bloody Bull Rope Match at the Great American Bash. His record-breaking streak as champion came to an end at Wrestlemania 21 when he dropped the coveted title to John Cena. JBL remained adamant about regaining his gold, but failed to do so, instead choosing to focus on secondary singles titles such as the United States and Intercontinental Championships. Today Bradshaw is a color commentator on Monday Night Raw and hosts a daily radio segment with Michael Cole. If Jerry Lawler and Booker T are going to flash their Hall of Fame jewelry at ringside, then so too should John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Goldberg
Bill Goldberg was an Atlanta Falcon who entered the world of professional wrestling in 1997 after training at WCW's Power Plant. Goldberg immediately turned heads with a physical presence unlike anything wrestling fans had ever seen. His matches might have been short, but they added up to an astounding 173-0 winning streak lasting until Starrcade 1998. Goldberg lost the title but maintained his winning edge, only losing to a select few individuals such as Kevin Nash and Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Goldberg was loyal to World Championship Wrestling until its dying day, and opted to sit-out the remainder of his contract, rather than sign with World Wrestling Entertainment. Goldberg made his WWE debut on the Monday Night Raw following Wrestlemania XIX in Seattle, where the former-Falcon warned the Rock: "You're Next!" Goldberg was featured prominently on the WWE's Raw brand during his year with the company, and won the world heavyweight championship from Triple H in a "Title vs. Career Match" at Unforgiven 2003. Goldberg's final match with the company would be a polarizing affair featuring Brock Lesnar with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as the guest referee. While the match left a lot to be desired, Bill Goldberg walked away victorious and even shared a ceremonial beer with the "Rattlesnake" before getting 'Stunned himself. Goldberg might not have been the most technically proficient superstar in wrestling history, but he sold tickets and remains a household name almost 20 years after his debut.

Owen Hart
There are a variety of reasons why Owen Hart has yet to be added to the WWE Hall of Fame; his widow Martha is adamant that he not be included, although his brother Bret seeks closure and continues to pressure Martha into changing her mind. The logistics of the situation aside, Owen Hart is one of the most deserving professional wrestlers who's yet to receive a WWE Hall of Fame acknowledgment. Owen began learning his craft under the tutelage of his famed father Stu Hart. His wrestling career was hindered as his debut in 1983 came during a time that Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation was acquiring Stu's Stampede territory. Owen wasn't afforded the chance to learn on his family's home turf and instead made a name for himself on the independent circuit before being signed to the WWE in 1988. Owen competed as the Blue Blazer and was even featured at Wrestlemania V against Mr. Perfect. Owen left the WWE and spent time back at home in Calgary, as well as in WCW, before returning to the �Federation in 1993. Beginning in the autumn of '93, Owen entered into what would become a defining program in his career—a bitter year-long rivalry with his older brother Bret. The two first met at �Mania X where Owen got the best of Bret, and then again at Summerslam in a 5-star championship cage match wherein the "Hitman" emerged victorious. Owen became a celebrated tag team specialist alongside partners like Yokozuna, the British Bulldog, and Jeff Jarrett. In addition to numerous tag team accolades, Owen is a former intercontinental champion, European champion, King of the Ring, and 3-time Slammy Award Winner. Sadly however, Owen lost his life in a tragic accident at the Kemper Arena on May 23rd, 1999; Owen Hart was a world-class performer who most certainly deserves one final "Wrestlemania Moment" as his memory is honored in the WWE Hall of Fame.

The Undertaker
Mark Calaway stood nearly seven feet tall and was originally brought to the mainstream by WCW in 1989 as "Mean Mark Callous." He replaced Sid Vicious as one-half of Teddy Long's "Skyscrapers" along with Dan Spivey, but soon embarked on a singles career that would introduce him to a wider audience. Calaway signed with the WWE in 1990, leaving wrestling fans flabbergasted when Ted DiBiase introduced his otherworldly team mate at the Survivor Series. The Undertaker was a sinister heel during his first two years in the �Federation, and captured the WWE Championship from Hulk Hogan one year after his debut at the �Series in �91. By the time the "New Generation" was taking over from the "Old Guard," the Undertaker transitioned from fearsome freak to beloved babyface. He introduced the "Casket Match" to the WWE Universe against Kamala and later the world champion Yokozuna. He regained the WWE belt at Wrestlemania 13 against the man he originally replaced in WCW— Psycho Sid—and started down a championship path that would ultimately include 7 world titles. The Undertaker's contributions to the WWE are innumerable and impossible to list in one paragraph, but include match types such as "Buried Alive," the "Last Ride Match," and "Hell in a Cell." The Undertaker's Kayfabe brother Kane was introduced to compliment the �Taker character, but has since gone on to achieve a mythical status of his own. The Undertaker is one of the most inventive Superstars in the history of the WWE; whether he's the Phenom of the World Wrestling Federation or the American Badass, it's hard to argue with success. I think it's safe to say the Undertaker is a guaranteed future-Hall of Famer, so I'll stop here and patiently await next year's Wrestlemania in the Dead Man's home state of Texas.

Vince McMahon
The WWE Hall of Fame would cease to be had it not been for the vision of one global entrepreneur. Vince McMahon took his father's New York-based wrestling promotion and developed it into a worldwide entertainment conglomerate, currently trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Vince became a focal point on �Federation broadcasts beginning in the early 1970s, and by the end of the decade would be the driving force within his father's company. Vince's distribution outfit—Titan Sports—acquired the World Wrestling Federation in 1982, just a few years shy of Hulk Hogan and the advent of Wrestlemania. Vince remained dedicated to the announce desk throughout the 1980s and �90s, forming lasting bonds with color commentators such as Jess "The Body" Ventura and Jerry "The King" Lawler. In 1997 Vince stepped outside his comfort zone and into the spotlight, where he would become the diabolical "Mr. McMahon" character that audiences love-to-hate. McMahon feuded with main event talents from numerous generations including Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Triple H, and most famously "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. In addition to his countless honors outside of professional wrestling, Vince is a 2-time world champion—having held both the WWE and ECW world heavyweight championships. Vincent J.—Mr. McMahon's father—was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996, so there's certainly room for more McMahons should the opportunity someday arise. Vince McMahon has received his share of criticism throughout the years from both industry insiders and outsiders alike, but few can debate whether Vince McMahon belongs in his OWN Hall of Fame.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read "Hall of Fame Hopefuls." This was a fun way to highlight some of the biggest names in wrestling history that haven't yet found their place in the "Pantheon of the Immortals." In five weeks I've named sixty different Superstars from various eras and countless generations, all of whom deserve recognition for their contributions to the industry. 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 "The B+ Players."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-2-top-13-years-of-the-past-2-decades/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/lucky-thirteen-2-top-13-years-of-the-past-2-decades/#comments Tue, 13 Jan 2015 02:16:40 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Top Lists 2 Cold Scorpio Adrian Neville AJ Styles Austin Aries Batista Bill Goldberg Bobby Lashley Booker T Bret Hart British Bulldog Bryan Danielson Chris Benoit Chris Jericho Christian Christian Cage Christopher Daniels CM Punk CZW Daniel Bryan Darren Young Dave Batista Davey Boy Smith Davey Richards David Arquette Dean Malenko Degeneration X Dwayne Johnson Eastern Championship Wrestling ECW Eddie Guerrero Edge Elimination Chamber Eric Bischoff Extreme Championship Wrestling Four Horsemen Goldberg Hell in a Cell HHH Hollywood Hogan Impact Jake Roberts Jeff Jarrett Jerry Lawler Kane Ken Shamrock Kevin Nash King Booker King of the Ring Kurt Angle Latino Heat Mankind Matt Sydal Mick Foley Money in the Bank Montreal Screwjob Mr. Perfect New World Order Nigel McGuinness Nitro NJPW NWA NXT One Night Stand Owen Hart Paul Bearer Paul Heyman Perry Saturn Phil Brooks Psycho Sid Radicalz RAW Razor Ramon Ready 2 Rumble Rey Mysterio RF Video Ric Flair Ring of Honor Rob Feinstein Rocky Maivia Roddy Piper ROH Royal Rumble Ryback Sami Zayn Samoa Joe Scott Steiner Sean Waltman Shane Douglas Shane McMahon Shawn Michaels Smackdown Starrcade Stephanie McMahon Steve Austin Stone Cold SummerSlam Survivor Series TAKA Michinoku Ted DiBiase The Alliance The Rock TNA Todd Gordon Total Nonstop Action Triple H UFC Ultimate Warrior Undertaker Vampiro Vince McMahon Vince Russo Wade Barrett WCW Wolfpac Wrestlemania Wrestling Society X WSX WWE WWF XFL http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8812 Lucky Thirteen #2 Top 13 Years of the Past 2 Decades Written by Mark Adam Haggerty I can’t remember back to a time before I was a wrestling fan. I can recall being six-years-old and thumbing through my parents modest little library of movies, suddenly stumbling upon a set of black Disney-like big boxes that […]

Lucky Thirteen #2
Top 13 Years of the Past 2 Decades
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

I can’t remember back to a time before I was a wrestling fan. I can recall being six-years-old and thumbing through my parents modest little library of movies, suddenly stumbling upon a set of black Disney-like big boxes that contained the first five Wrestlemanias. From that day I was hooked. I began tuning into WWF Superstars and WCW Saturday Night every single week, and by the spring of 1993 I was begging my parents to order Wrestlemania 9 on pay-per-view. Over the past 20 years I’ve had my share of favorite moments, but I often ask myself, what was the best year in professional wrestling? Maybe not best, but how about the most influential? Most impactful? Okay here it is: What was the Most Important Year since I Became a Fan? When other sites limit their lists to Top Ten, we take it a Step Further with the Lucky Thirteen—counting down the Top Years of the Past 2 Decades.

13. 2003
The list had to start somewhere and after cutting away seven years of nonsense I thought, what better place to begin than with 2003. Looking back I feel as though the year felt much bigger than it really was. Momentous occasions like Wrestlemania XIX and Stone Cold's retirement drew considerable attention but it's hard to isolate many other memorable moments. By this point Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and Ring of Honor were both open and doing business, although nowhere near the level of success that they'd each see within a few short years. WCW had been closed since 2001, so WWE was slowly filtering out the Turner-holdovers and rebranding wrestlers like Booker T and Rey Mysterio as WWE Superstars. Twenty-oh-Three was the year Bill Goldberg made his long-awaited debut on Monday Night Raw where he famously told Dwayne Johnson, "You're next Rock!" In addition to a handful of interesting gimmicks and storylines scattered across the calendar, 2003 featured must-see-TV for anyone curious as to what lurked beneath the red and black mask of "The Devil's Favorite Demon" Kane. While it may appear dull in hindsight, 2003 was a fun time featuring the sex and violence of the Attitude Era, mixed with the incredible in-ring action so many of us value today.

12. 2010
Twenty-Ten proved to be an auspicious time for all wrestling organizations. Wrestlemania 26 featured the final match in the venerable career of "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels when he failed to defeat The Undertaker in Glendale. But as one man's career ended, eight more were just getting started; the initial NXT program was a far cry from the extraordinary show we see each week on the WWE Network, but it did introduce the WWE Universe to Superstars such as Ryback, Wade Barrett, Darren Young, and even the future WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan. Twenty-Ten was the year in which the unimaginable happened when Bret "The Hitman" Hart made his return to WWE television after a thirteen year hiatus. But 2010 was big for the competition as well. Not only were independent promotions the world-over hitting their stride due to the added exposure brought-on by social media, but TNA was enjoying one of its most visible years to date thanks to signing Hulk Hogan, Eric Bischoff and a number of other established talents. In addition to inflating their roster, TNA made several changes to their product; they would begin to implement a traditional four-sided ring, and even attempted to compete live on Monday's with WWE Raw. The year 2010 was an exciting time for wrestling fans across the planet, and is the most modern year on my countdown.

11. 2007
It’s true that 2007 can hardly be considered a great year for professional wrestling, let alone the WWE. For a while it seemed that active wrestlers appeared on Nancy Grace more than they ever did on Raw or Smackdown. But if I'm here to countdown the most important years in wrestling, this certainly had its share of newsworthy events. In the summer of 2007, the WWE suspended more than half of its active roster in response to a litany of wellness violations for a variety of substances, most notably Human Growth Hormone. This year was historic for being the official end of "The Ruthless Aggression Era"—a period of time significant for exposing younger talent and transitioning the product out of the overtly controversial Attitude Era. In 2007 TNA expanded its flagship show IMPACT to two hours and embarked on what would be a defining age for the promotion. One of my favorite events in history happened in 2007, "The King of Europe Cup." The �Cup was a one-off event that took place over a two day period in the United Kingdom. A must-watch event that is readily available on YouTube and features well-known workers such as Adrian Neville, Sami Zayn, Matt Sydal, Davey Richards and a man who won the ROH World title in 2007—Nigel McGuinness. Sadly it's safe to say the most infamous moments of 2007 occurred between June 22nd and June 25th as the world became aware of the chilling circumstances surrounding Nancy, Daniel, and of course "The Crippler" Chris Benoit. Unfortunately for all of the positives, 2007 will forever be marred by the heinous actions of a troubled man that led to irreparable changes across the industry and what has been dubbed, "The PG Era."

10. 2006
It would appear as though 2006 was the last year representing any semblance of what was once regarded as a pop culture phenomenon. The ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view the previous year was such a success that WWE officials opted to resurrect Extreme Championship Wrestling complete with a one-hour timeslot on the Sci-Fi Channel. Edge and Rey Mysterio each made history in 2006 by becoming world champion; first Edge at New Years' Revolution and then Rey at Wrestlemania 22 in Chicago. Poised to be a contributing factor in the �New ECW', former champion Kurt Angle shocked the world in 2006 when he signed with TNA Wrestling. This year was famous for launching the career of current TNA Champion Bobby Lashley, as well as helping to define that of former Ring of Honor World Champion CM Punk. There were over a dozen debuts throughout the year due to ECW on Sci-Fi and Smackdown's "New Superstar Initiative." In Ring of Honor, the world title picture was dominated by Bryan Danielson who secured his spot atop the card from September 2005 until December 2006. In addition to WWE and TNA, MTV delivered an over the top unreal wrestling experience known as "Wrestling Society X." WSX only lasted one short season but familiarized fans with future names such as Matt Sydal and reintroduced established stars like Sean Waltman and Vampiro. Twenty-oh-Six was a great year for good storytelling that included Vince McMahon's rivalry with Shawn Michaels, Booker T becoming King Booker, and the continuing drama between Edge and John Cena. Rounding out the top ten, 2006 was an enjoyable year without much in the way of defining moments but never short on excitement.

9. 2000
When the new millennium dawned on the world of professional wrestling, so too did a number of landmark milestones and controversial occurrences. WCW released the unsuccessful "Ready 2 Rumble," starring a variety of World Championship Wrestling athletes and the man who would soon become WCW Champion—David Arquette. Not only was 2000 the year all WCW titles would be stripped and reassigned, it was also the year in which the World Championship was devalued and strapped to a B-list Hollywood celebrity. But not all was bad in the world of sports and entertainment as 2000 marked the first time Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson hosted Saturday Night Live, which he did to rave reviews. While Eric Bischoff returned to WCW, a new set of "Radicalz" debuted in the WWF; Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko all jumped ship and began appearing on WWF TV in the early months of the new millennium. The Year Two-Thousand was a defining era for the Undertaker who chose this year to swap his demonic demeanor for the apparel of the "American Badass." Hulk Hogan would say his final goodbye to his WCW fans thanks to a scenario gone wrong involving the Hulkster, Jeff Jarrett, and head-writer Vince Russo. An exciting year for wrestling of course with Kurt Angle capturing his first of many world titles, but perhaps the biggest thing to happen in 2000 was the debut of Vince McMahon's now defunct football league—The XFL. Whether you're a football fan or an admirer of the "Scream" film franchise, 2000 had something for everybody to get excited about.

8. 2005
If ever a year signaled things to come it was 2005. For fans of the WWE, 2005 was the year Monday Night Raw returned home to the USA Network after a five year run on Spike TV. Two first-time world champions were crowned at Wrestlemania—John Cena and Dave Batista. But TNA had its own share of successes in 2005: the company made its highly anticipated debut on Spike TV; Christopher Daniels, AJ Styles, and Samoa Joe had the only 5-Star Triple Threat Match in history; and Christian Cage signed a deal, opening the gates to a deluge of ex-WWE Superstars. ECW was in the midst of a resurrection that would culminate in 2006, but 2005 was the year the WWE hosted the first "ECW One Night Stand," in New York City. On the independent scene, a former backyard wrestler named Phil Brooks won the ROH World Heavyweight Championship from the highly decorated Austin Aries, thus placing CM Punk on WWE's radar. Later that year another future WWE Champion would capture the ROH World Title and hold it for over four hundred days—"The American Dragon" Bryan Danielson. Back in the WWE, six daring individuals were getting ready to introduce the world to "Money in the Bank," and later that year Shawn Michaels faced Hulk Hogan for the first time ever at Summerslam. Chris Jericho was fired by Eric Bischoff and then Bischoff himself was released resulting in Eric leaving the arena in the back of a garbage truck. But even in the silliest of times, sadness rears its ugly head and it was in 2005 that the world was forced to say goodbye to the former WWE Champion, "Latino Heat" Eddie Guerrero. From the highs to the lows, 2005 was an important year that no one will ever forget.

7. 1994
Not such an enormous year for the industry-leading WWF, but a landmark time period for much of the competition. Having survived his battle with the US Government, Vince McMahon was back in full control of his company; 1994 was the year of Wrestlemania X and the infamous bout between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels that would set the bar for ladder matches to come. The Undertaker mysteriously disappeared at the Royal Rumble and come Summerslam, the WWF fans were privy to not one—but TWO Undertakers! Of course this was the year that the Hart Family rivalry between Bret and Owen kicked into high gear, including a match of the year contender at Wrestlemania and a championship cage match at Summerslam. But outside the confines of the WWF, events began to take place that would lay the foundation for the Attitude Era. The NWA was the longstanding governing body of professional wrestling in the United States and Japan for several decades. In 1994 the NWA title was to be decided in Philadelphia at Todd Gordon's Eastern Championship Wrestling, with Shane Douglas set to win the gold. Instead Douglas disregarded the title, disgracing the NWA in the process by claiming he would not represent a company that, "died, R.I.P. seven years ago!" ECW broke away from the NWA and declared themselves Extreme Championship Wrestling with "The Franchise" as their champion. Down in WCW, Eric Bischoff was moving ahead by leaps and bounds thanks to an array of positive changes in production, including the debut of WCW Saturday Night at Disney's MGM Studios in Orlando. But perhaps there was nothing in '94 as monumental as when WCW signed Hulk Hogan. Bischoff wasted no time in booking the dream contest WWF refused to feature at Wrestlemania VIII two years earlier. In his debut match alongside Mr. T and Shaquille O'Neil, Hulk Hogan defeated "The Nature Boy" Ric Flair for the WCW Title. Who's to say if things had gone differently in �94, the industry of today might be something else entirely.

6. 1998
The Attitude Era might have started in �97, but 1998 was the year in which the world was introduced to the brand new World Wrestling Federation. WCW turned up the heat on the competition by introducing a brand new Thursday night program on TBS titled, "Thunder." This was the year that saw The Four Horsemen reunite on Monday Nitro including Ric Flair who had since left the company. The NWO was continuing to grow and would eventually split into two entities: NWO Hollywood with Hulk Hogan, and NWO Wolfpac lead by Kevin Nash. WCW cornered the video game market in �98 with one of the most prolific wrestling games in history—WCW/NWO Revenge for the Nintendo 64. Over in the �Federation, Superstars were beginning to get "hardcore" and a new title with a 24/7 stipulation was introduced on TV. Not only were the �falls' taking place backstage and in the audience, but from on top of the Hell in a Cell as Mick Foley was launched from the structure, and then drilled through it at the 1998 King of the Ring. WCW continued to beat the WWF in the Monday Night War due to a consistent strategy based on booking their top matches on cable, rather than pay-per-view. Bill Goldberg, who had already made a name for himself by maintaining an unprecedented winning streak made history when he became the WCW World Heavyweight Champion. But Bill was far from the only bald-headed badass to win gold in 1998. Earlier that year, Stone Cold Steve Austin captured his first world title after defeating Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XIV in Boston. It was a profitable year for all wrestling companies including ECW, but 1998 would be the last year WCW would succeed in dominating the WWF in the ratings.

5. 1996
Maybe it's because Shawn Michaels' boyhood dream came true at Wrestlemania XII; or the initial formation of the NWO at Bash at the Beach; even the insane rivalry between "The Excellence of Execution" and "The Texas Rattlesnake." Whatever it was, my personal favorite year in professional wrestling was 1996. The spring began with a bang as Scott Hall made his first appearance on Turner Television, joined just a few weeks later by Kevin Nash. In June of 1996, Stone Cold Steve Austin broke from Ted DiBiase and became the King of the Ring; during his royal coronation, Stone Cold uttered a phrase that would change his career forever—"Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!" But just as heels began to turn face, so did longtime heroes turn to the dark side. Along with the debut of the New World Order was the introduction of the evil Hollywood Hogan, who won the WCW title in August 1996 and held it just six days shy of one year. The Survivor Series that fall was famous for memorable main event matches as well as a number of debuts including that of the first ever third generation WWF Superstar, Rocky Maivia. Paul Bearer made the turn on �Taker in favor of the far more deranged Mankind; The Ultimate Warrior and Jake Roberts returned for a short period, each feuding with Jerry Lawler; Roddy Piper was featured on both WWF Wrestlemania and WCW Starrcade; ECW was beginning to break out nationwide. But most importantly—the Monday Night War was just getting underway. WCW debuted Nitro on TNT in the autumn of �95, and it was in 1996 that WCW finally succeeded in stealing Vince McMahon's spotlight.

4. 2001
In terms of the industry changing forever, 2001 might have been the most cataclysmic year in wrestling history. It was this year that WCW fans became aware of what was to become of their preferred promotion. Although many familiar faces were involved in negotiating the resurrection of WCW, it was Vince McMahon who purchased his competition for a mere $2.2 million dollars—a price that included licensing, tape libraries, and the contracts belonging to twenty-two WCW performers. In addition to the end of World Championship Wrestling, Paul Heyman signed a deal with Vince McMahon in 2001 some months after ECW was unseated by the WWF as Spike TV's premier wrestling program. The World Wrestling Federation was the winner of the Monday Night War and the Attitude Era was at an end. The summer of 2001 was highlighted by the Invasion storyline featuring an enormity of former WCW and ECW talents rallying together against the WWF with Shane and Stephanie McMahon leading the charge. This would be the year that Stone Cold Steve Austin would turn heel twice, first by joining forces with Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania and then by turning on the WWF and joining the Alliance. Speaking of Wrestlemania, Houston hosted the Seventeenth annual extravaganza—an event like none other that included the highly revered TLC triple threat tag match won by Edge and Christian. On September 13th, Vince McMahon and the WWF Superstars set a national precedent by appearing in Texas just days removed from the World Trade Center attacks in what Vince called, "the largest public gathering of its size since the events of Tuesday." In December of 2001 the two world titles were unified in a competition that would see Chris Jericho beat The Rock as well as Steve Austin in the same night to become the first ever Undisputed WWF Champion in history. The year 2001 was a peculiar period for the wrestling industry as it was the only year in which the WWF was faced with no immediate competition.

3. 1999
With the Attitude Era in full swing, 1999 was an enormous year for the WWF both inside the squared circle as well as on Wall Street. The WWF became the first wrestling promotion in history to go public in 1999, and followed the success with a series of groundbreaking business decisions still in effect today. The company introduced Smackdown on the UPN Network on Thursday Nights as competition to WCW's Thunder on the TBS Superstation. The Rock was enjoying his inaugural championship title reign and would face Steve Austin for their first of three �Mania encounters at Wrestlemania XV in Philadelphia. Unfortunately the good can often be overshadowed by the tragic; on May 23, 1999 the world of professional wrestling lost one of its favorite stars when Owen Hart fell to his death in Kansas City, Missouri. Owen will never be forgotten as his passing was one of the most earth-shattering moments in history—wrestling or otherwise. Behind the scenes, longtime WWF head writer Vince Russo had become disenfranchised by the �Federation and jumped ship to rival WCW where Eric Bischoff was forcibly removed from his post as president. As WCW struggled during turbulent times, the WWF continued to prosper with the continuation of the McMahon/Austin saga, the further explored escapades of Degeneration X, and the debuts of The Big Show and Chris Jericho. The WWF would experience its first Monday night ratings victory since 1996 when Mick Foley defeated The Rock for the WWF Heavyweight Championship on a taped episode of Raw airing January 4th 1999. Titles changed hands that same night on TNT when Hollywood Hogan won the WCW title from Kevin Nash for a fifth time thanks to a booking misstep nicknamed "The Finger Poke of Doom." The Land of Extreme was also abuzz in �99 as this was the year ECW would debut on national cable television thanks to The Nashville Network, soon-to-be-known as Spike TV. The last year of the 20th Century was a period of growth for the WWF, but proved to be an unpredictable era for WCW, making it difficult to compete in the coming years of the new millennium.

2. 2002
If 2001 was the end of an era, 2002 was the dawning of a new age across the varied landscape of professional wrestling. The WWF began by changing its name to World Wrestling Entertainment in light of a conflict regarding the World Wildlife Fund. The campaign was dubbed "Get the �F' Out" and would help introduce audiences to an entirely new breed of "Ruthless Aggression," in the now-WWE. Two new promotions would rise from the ashes of the fallen WCW and ECW. There was former WCW Champion Jeff Jarrett's Southern-based Total Nonstop Action Wrestling—a subsidiary of the National Wrestling Alliance. TNA was originally intended to be a pay-per-view only promotion hosting ten dollar events once a week. In 2002 they crowned their very first Heavyweight Champion, former UFC and WWF competitor "The World's Most Dangerous Man" Ken Shamrock. Meanwhile RF Video—a pro wrestling video distribution company, was looking for a new promotion now that ECW was gone. Rather than working with established groups such as CZW, RF owner Rob Feinstein founded Ring of Honor and ran their first event, "The Era of Honor Begins" in April 2002. Back in the WWE, the entire roster was split into two warring halves—one set for Smackdown and the other relegated to Raw. The year was infamous for the seemingly relentless parade of surprise appearances that lasted the entirety of 2002. Former Superstars like Mr. Perfect and Scott Steiner became part of the current roster once more; Eric Bischoff debuted as the new General Manager of Monday Night Raw; the NWO opened No Way Out; but perhaps most surprising of all was the return of Shawn Michaels after more than four years away from the ring. Michaels captured the World Heavyweight Championship in the first ever Elimination Chamber Match when he defeated five other superstars including Triple H. Maybe one of the greatest years in the past two decades, but not quite number one.

1. 1997
The Number One Year of the Past Two Decades is 1997, and it shouldn’t be hard to see why. This year was the official launch of The Attitude Era in the WWF, signifying Vince McMahon's intention to compete with WCW on a whole new level. The competition didn't waiver however, as World Championship Wrestling was eager to meet the demand of audiences across the world. The "New Generation" made way for D-Generation X, a heel group similar to the NWO featuring Shawn Michaels and Triple H at the forefront. It was DX at the center of one of the most scandalous nights in wrestling—"The Montreal Screwjob." WCW was having its best year since Eric Bischoff took control of the company and bested their direct competition every week thanks to compelling storylines and the introduction of a former Atlanta Falcon named Bill Goldberg. The NWO storyline had yet to run its course and was complimented by the slow-build and impending confrontation between Hollywood Hogan and Sting at Starrcade. The Undertaker would become the WWF Champion for the first time in nearly six years when he defeated Psycho Sid at Wrestlemania XIII in Chicago, the same night Bret Hart and Steve Austin would wrestle their Match of the Year to a stunning conclusion. Paul Heyman's third party promotion dubbed Extreme Championship Wrestling would present their first ever pay-per-view event Barely Legal thanks in part to the promotion they received during the ECW Invasion of Monday Night Raw. The WWF became far more innovative during this period and introduced audiences to the Hell in a Cell and by circumstance the demonic younger brother of the Dead Man, Kane. It was also in 1997 that a hapless play-by-play announcer named Vince McMahon became one of the most detestable villains in professional wrestling history. The WWF would also begin debuting a number of midcard titles including the European Championship first held by The British Bulldog, and the Light Heavyweight Championship won by Taka Michinoku. WCW continued to maintain their edge in the ratings due to quality in-ring performances as well as plot twists and surprise appearances from WWF Superstars-turned-WCW Big Boys. It's not really a question: when asked about the single most action-packed and influential year from the past two decades of wrestling, I don't hesitate when I say 1997.

Conclusion
This list is ripe for discussion and debate, just as any other countdown featured in The Lucky Thirteen. You might agree, you probably disagree, I may have even listed your favorite year toward the bottom. It’s nothing personal, I promise. This list lives outside of the WWE Universe, but is of course greatly influenced by it. In regards to not including 2014, I didn’t want to include a year that hadn't yet concluded when I began compiling my information. I will say however with NJPW, the birth of the WWE Network, the salvation of TNA, and the first ROH Classic PPV, 2014 is sure to climb higher than any other year of the “Reality Era.” Whatever your feelings may be, I hope to see you again next week for another exciting countdown exclusively at Cheap-Heat. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and this has been—The Lucky Thirteen.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw-2/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw-2/#comments Thu, 08 Jan 2015 04:55:42 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Adam Rose Andre the Giant Bad News Barrett bellator Big E BNB Bray Wyatt Brock Lesnar Bunny Cesaro Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Erick Rowan HHH Hulk Hogan John Cena Kane Leo Kruger NXT Owen Hart Papa Shango RAW Rosebuds Ryback Seth Rollins Shawn Michaels Stephanie McMahon The Authority Triple H Tyson Kidd UFC Vince McMahon Wade Barrett WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=8620 Highlight of the Night The Top Moments from Raw Written by Mark Adam Haggerty If the devil is in the details then I'd like to meet the sanctimonious show-runner responsible for keeping up continuity. After last week's landmark effort I was convinced the WWE had turned a creative corner, but unfortunately I was again too […]

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

If the devil is in the details then I'd like to meet the sanctimonious show-runner responsible for keeping up continuity. After last week's landmark effort I was convinced the WWE had turned a creative corner, but unfortunately I was again too quick to jump the gun. Let me first preface this week's edition of "The Highlight of the Night" by saying I had to scour tonight's card in order to find Five Moments that weren't utter disappointments. The in-ring action was scarce to say the least, however the matches we did see were ripe with staged high-spots and sensational desperation. Why would the WWE book an entire three-hour broadcast around The Authority? I fear the Creative Powers might be attempting to swerve the WWE Universe on an incredibly lofty scale—of which the size might prove too much to balance, thus alienating a large segment of long-time fans. Whatever the case may be it's my job to report on the events as they happen, and if this episode of Monday Night Raw did anything—it happened. Let's get right to it and break down The Top Five Moments that I didn't completely hate.

5. A Triple Threat Saves the Day

Ironically enough my Fifth Moment of the Night might have actually been the most important thing that happened during the entire broadcast. The second Raw hit the airways, we the viewer were privy to an enormous sea of WWE Superstars flooding the twenty-by-twenty squared circle. They stood shoulder-to-shoulder inside the ring and of course the first thing I thought was, "Oh I hope Vince McMahon is coming out to give a �Ruthless Aggression' speech." But it was the King of Kings and The Billion Dollar Princess set to regale the guys and gals with the new law of the land. I'm not so keen on segments depicting heroes and villains intermingling like average employees working in some office building. The human-resource skits in which Triple H scolds Superstars in front of one another are entirely too reminiscent of "Office Space" and makes me see the members of the main roster as human beings which can prove to be problematic to the product. People use to see Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant as Super Heroes and that's where hyperbolic terms like "Superstar" came from. Nobody ever fired Andre the Giant and made him cry; nobody ever beat up Hulk Hogan's dad; nobody ever wrangled an entire locker room of WWF athletes and lifted the curtain for the world to watch. Call me old fashioned, I just think there are ways to evolve without sacrificing key fundamentals. However though it may be dim, there is some sun peeking out from behind that cloud, in the form of Triple H announcing the WWE World Heavyweight Title match at The Royal Rumble will now be a Triple Threat—with Seth Rollins. Huge news no matter how you feel because this will be the first major opportunity for Rollins to take home the gold. And if you recall, Seth is currently in possession of the Money in the Bank briefcase meaning he could conceivably lose the match and then try for a second pin after incapacitating the winner. It's also important because it breaks up the monotony of Cena versus Lesnar which I, for one, am sick of seeing. I think Lesnar will more than likely retain when the night is at an end, but anything is possible considering The Beast Incarnate is said to already be in talks with both UFC and Bellator.

4. Party Time All the Time

During what amounted to an all-around impressive outing between Big E and Adam Rose, I couldn't help but think, "Wouldn't it be funny if I put this match on my list." I've been convinced for weeks now that Adam Rose is but a guise constructed for Leo Kruger to gain the trust of the WWE Universe. His attitude and mannerisms have been completely-Kruger and I was sincerely impressed with what he offered during this matchup with the New Day's resident Powerhouse. I wasn't actually planning to list them as a Top Moment of the Night though, are you crazy? But then something spectacular happened when two faceless Rosebuds entered the ring and proceeded to demolish Big E and The New Day on behalf of Adam Rose. Despite ongoing reports of NXT talent debuting as The Bunny, these Rosebuds were none other than Tyson Kidd and Cesaro. I don't know what this means for the two highly-skilled singles stars, and question whether it's the beginning of an alliance with Rose or rather retaliation against The New Day. If the team of Kidd and Cesaro can absorb this momentum and continue forward at a top rate of speed I have no doubts that we could be looking at the next WWE Tag Team Champions. Finally, I think it could be time for Adam Rose to ditch the rest of the Party Posse and send them back to the Exotic Express. Unless he insists upon fixing his gimmick soon, I fear it may be too late and he will forever be relegated to Santino Marella Territory.

3. The Ambulance That Looked Like Papa Shango

Okay let's put the brakes on and address the inconspicuous voodoo shaman in the room—am I the only one who thought the ambulance looked like Papa Shango? I know I'm not because there were a ton of tweets regarding the same exact Magic Eye that I seemed to be drawn to—and it wasn't a sailboat! Anyway, let's discuss this match. There was a lot of WWE-hate going into this contest as all across Twitter, smarks rang out with their collective complaint: "They're billing this as the first ambulance match but there have been ambulance matches before." Oh Internet Wrestling Community how quick you are to disregard what's right in front of you! This match was in fact billed as the, "First-ever Ambulance Match on Monday Night Raw." Now as far as that being true I have no idea, it's just been bugging me since the match was first announced. Uh—not much to say except what a waste of time and an utter detriment to both Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose, not just as men but as enthralling TV characters. I guess I shouldn't be surprised as we here in The �States see Raw on the USA Network, known for their �Characters' and the absurd situations in which they find themselves. I was just hoping the bogusness of Barely Legal wouldn't bleed through into something I treat like a religion. I thought they went to the ambulance a little too fast, although in a �shoot' Ambulance Match I assume the number one priority would be getting to the Ambulance so no logistical qualm with that. I refuse to believe there are any white folding tables with big red crosses painted on the top being used in the world of legitimate medicine. What the hell purpose would they serve, other than to maybe hand out vaccines but the TRUCK-LOAD? But that can't be what they're for because this was taped in The United States of Vaccinations, not Azerbaijan! So once again, I want to know what's up with these painstakingly comical pieces of furniture. Perhaps they're commonplace among the colleagues of Dr. Amman, but I think it's more likely they were spray painted white as an afterthought, and then Vince saw them and said, "Put a big red cross on �em, that'll look official." Though the match itself was overly-scripted and saturated with weaponry, the feud between Ambrose and Wyatt appears to be reaching a boiling point and I'm happy Bray walked away victorious. I assume the two will meet once more at The Royal Rumble, although to what end I cannot predict. Maybe there's a bigger match on the horizon or even some sort of spot in the �Rumble itself. I just hope Dean gets a singles win on pay-per-view in 2015.

2. Bad News for Dolph Ziggler Fans

Don't be a jerk and ask me to pick a match of the night because it would have to be a default drawing and the winner would likely be Bad News Barrett versus Dolph Ziggler for the Intercontinental Championship. What is up with the IC belt nowadays, I mean does anybody give a damn about it anymore? It's been passed around more freely than an unmarked orange bottle of pills at E.D.C. and once again a new champion has been crowned "King of the Inter-continents." The WWE has become unquestionably predictable and as soon as this one-fall matchup was kicked back into gear as a two-out-of-three falls contest, I knew we'd see Bad News Barrett walk away champion. The best fall was the third as the first was rushed in an apparent effort to have Kane come down to announce the added stipulation. And the second was a squash serving only to tie the score at one victory-a-piece. WWE Superstars are such peculiar character specimens, just as I mentioned before with Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose. Take Bad News Barrett for example: he was a heel who went away due to injury and garnered an impressive following, he returned on Raw last week to seemingly defend the WWE Universe against Cesaro, and now he's being pushed like any brute-force bad guy doing the bidding for The Authority. It goes back to what I said initially about consistency and this company's inability to monitor its own program. I'm extremely happy for Bad News as I consider him a far more deserving champion and a more lucrative team player than Ziggler. I thought the match was well contested despite the twists that made the action nearly impossible to follow. I've said it before and I'll say it now with a little bit more conviction: the WWE needs to get rid of Glen "Kane" Jacobs as soon as they can get him on a plane to Stanford. He's outlived his usefulness and it's only a matter of time before he starts costing more money than he's bringing in. Plus there was so much Kane on this show, especially during matches such as this that should only rely on the chemistry between those involved. An earnest effort on behalf of Dolph Ziggler and the New Intercontinental Champion, but hardly worth a re-watch.

1. Let's Get to Those Consequences

The WWE never ceases to amaze me in their segmented approach to storytelling. I can't remember the last time I listed anything other than the final moments of Raw as Number One here on "The Highlight of the Night." It's consistently the most compelling piece of business on the card which isn't a good thing when there are barren pockets of airspace in every single episode of TV. However, as much as I'd like to see a contract signing or hostage negotiation placed somewhere else on the show, tonight's finale was fitting and couldn't have happened at any other time aside from the final fifteen minutes of Raw. Let's get the cringe-worthiness out of the way right now: "You're fired." Okay is everybody done shaking out the shudders? I think it's a safe bet we'll see all three Superstars by the time the Rumble gets here in less than a month. So either they're going to spin this program in a way that makes no sense, or they're going to keep three rising stars off the second-maybe-third biggest show of the year. It was far too goofy for what I'd like to see from the WWE in 2015, and made an otherwise humorous few moments feel awkward. As for "Cena Appreciation Night"—I love John Cena so in my house, every night is John Cena Appreciation Night! I've heard some rather harsh criticisms regarding Mr. Cena's acting in the waning moments of television, but I thought he was as good as ever. If you're really setting aside time to take shots at a wrestler's acting ability on Monday Night Raw, then perhaps you'd better assess what you actually enjoy about pro wrestling because your priorities seem to be a bit skewed. I loved the final seconds of Raw, and laughed like a lunatic during the initial music cue that brought hundreds of balloons down upon the WWE Universe. Just as John Cena's friends are fired, Stephanie and Triple H present the Doctor of Thuganomics with the big thumbs up and a rousing rendition of Stars and Stripes Forever—What a brilliant moment in wresting comedy that didn't need to be edited or altered. It was perfect and helped to add an exclamation point to an otherwise boring string of sentences.

When I can't come up with anything to say as relates to the matter at hand I usually cop out and share a personal anecdote. The first time I was allowed to "stay up late" and watch Monday Night Raw was the episode in which Shawn Michaels collapsed after receiving an educated kick care of "The King of Harts" Owen Hart. What a captivating way to engage an audience, especially younger viewers such as myself who were far more convinced of Kayfabe. I'm not asking the WWE to send "Stone Cold" into someone's house with a gun or to blow up another limousine, I'm simply yearning for the same unpredictability that had me hooked as a third grader in 1995. I think I sold everyone on my disdain for tonight's Raw already, so I don't see a need for any sort of snappy send-off. This episode was atrocious and I'm only hoping it was some sort of seat-filling train wreck that needn't be referenced going forward. The Royal Rumble is less than three weeks away and nothing has been announced other than a Triple Threat Title match and a few entries in the �Rumble itself. Can the WWE pick up the pace in promoting one of the Big Four Events, or will they fall flat just as they did with the Survivor Series? Ladies and gentlemen my name is Mark Adam Haggerty, join me next week to discuss what I'm hoping against hope shan't be another abysmal failure on behalf of the "Leader in Sports Entertainment."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/thinksojoes-thoughts-what-i-want-from-wwe/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/thinksojoes-thoughts-what-i-want-from-wwe/#comments Tue, 02 Dec 2014 09:32:32 +0000 bored wrestling fan Blogs "Stone Cold" Steve Austin Bret Hart Dave Batista Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler Jack Tunney Luke Harper Owen Hart Professional Wrestling Randy Savage Ricky Steamboat Royal Rumble Steve Austin the United States Championship Twitter Vince McMahon World Wrestling Entertainment Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=7866 Monday night after RAW, the WWE Network aired a special “Stone Cold Podcast,” where Steve Austin’s guest was WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. В At the end of the show, Austin asked Mr. McMahon where people could go to offer suggestions for WWE. В Vince claims he listens to his audience, referring to the live audience, but Austin […]

What?

Monday night after RAW, the WWE Network aired a special “Stone Cold Podcast,” where Steve Austin’s guest was WWE Chairman Vince McMahon. В At the end of the show, Austin asked Mr. McMahon where people could go to offer suggestions for WWE. В Vince claims he listens to his audience, referring to the live audience, but Austin insisted that they could send their thoughts to the WWE and Vince McMahon’s Twitter accounts. В I saw a great post from @KellettFilm В on Twitter with a list of things he would like to see, and I agreed with a lot of his list, and some of his things, in my own words, may show up here. В That said, here is my idea of what I’d personally like to see from World Wrestling Entertainment.

First and foremost, I think Monday Night RAWВ needs to revert back to two hours. В Or even 90 minutes. В Quite frankly, it is extremely difficult for the current product to hold my attention for that much time every week, sometimes twice a week. В Three hours should be reserved for Pay Per View events every few months.

Yes, every few months. В I think we need far less than 13 Pay Per View events per year. В We did just fine with just four or five. В The fact that they’re changing the Elimination Chamber event in February to something else is indicative of the fact that it’s very difficult to make the Royal Rumble mean something if five other guys thatВ didn’t win the Rumble are getting a shotВ before WrestleMania inside the Chamber.

I’d love to have more long term story arcs. В I’ve been watching the early Monday Night RAWs on the WWE Network, and you could see the seeds planted for WrestleMania X back before even Survivor Series in November of 1993. В SummerSlam 1994 angles were developing by the Royal Rumble of that year. В And I never had to watch Owen Hart wrestle Bret Hart during their year long angle except during those Pay Per View events they had matches on (the debut of WWE Action Zone notwithstanding).

I’d like for WWE SmackDown to go back to being a show where angles continue, like it was when it first started in 1999. В Which is another reason we don’t need three hours for RAW. В If we have something booked for RAW;В for example, the debut of The New Day; don’t put it on SmackDown three days earlier. В And stop having matches on SmackDown for the sake of having a rematch on RAW the next Monday. В I don’t watch SmackDown now because I don’t feel like I’m missing anything.

I’d like the Intercontinental Championship to mean more. В Randy Savage and Ricky Steamboat made that title feel just as important, if not moreso, than the WWE Championship in 1987. В At one point, the title was considered a springboard to the WWE Championship, a platform that in their current roles I can’t see Dolph Ziggler or Luke Harper attaining anytime in the near future (though, both of them should certainly be future WWE World Heavyweight Champions).

I feel the United States Championship should either be defended more often or disbanded altogether. В What did Dean Ambrose have, 5, maybe 6 defenses in his record setting title reign?

No more authority figures, especially heels.  I’ve written at length about the subject before, and I still feel as strongly about it then as I do now.  It was suggested that maybe a more Jack Tunney-like authority figure, who rules from his office and only speaks on issues when absolutely necessary may be a way to go, and I agree with that.

While we’re at it, how about less talking altogether? В Austin mentioned in the Network podcast that he feels the opening segments of RAW go on far too long. В I get we’re trying to establish characters and rivalries in an effort to make the fans care more. В I feel it can be done quicker. В And on the subject, no more promos to open a Pay Per View. В I don’t care if I only paid $9.99, or if I paid the full $65, this isn’t Monday Night RAW, I paid for wrestling. В WRESTLING.

WRESTLING. В It’s not a dirty word. В It’s what these guys and girls who have made it here have worked their asses off to do. В Yes, I get that it’s “sports entertainment,” and I don’t have an issue with the term. В I have an issue with the fact that we’ve somehow made “wrestling” something we’re not allowed to say. В And I’m not a Universe, I’m a fan, dammit!

Look, I understand the point of being a publicly traded company and that seven hours of original programming is a lot for any writing staff, but can we hire some writers who are wrestling fans and may actually agree with some of these ideas? В I understand that competition is any other form of entertainment, but you’re not any other form of entertainment, you are wrestling.

And the final thing that I’d like to ask of WWE is to please notВ screwВ up NXT. В Keep doing what you’re doing there.