Wrestling: In Your Face

Greatest Hits of Eric E. Jenkins

This past Monday night on WWF Raw, Jacqueline defeated Luna Vachon for the WWF Woman's title. After the match, Gangrel, Luna's real life husband picked Jacqueline up by her head and dropped her in a DDT-like move. The action brought to mind the WWF's recent insistence that the federation was "cleaning up its act".

In the past, a woman would use her feminine charms to give her man an advantage in his match. These days, the roles are reversed. Men are interfering on the behalf of women, while at the same time, the federations are insisting that they are toning down the elements that are harmful to children. There is supposed to be less sex, less foul language, and less violence against women in wrestling, but I just don't see it.

There was no need for Gangrel to attack Jacqueline. She defeated Luna fair and square. She is a deserving woman's champion. If Luna couldn't beat Jackie, get in line and get another opportunity. What does having Gangrel attack her accomplish? It just puts the champion in the hospital, and puts the title in limbo. The real issue is the attack on Jacqueline.

We have seen The Dudley Boys power bomb Terri through a table, body slam Mae Young, and Kurt Angle body slam Mae Young. By adding the DDT on Jackie, violence against women in the WWF is increasing at an alarming rate. Is this how a federation "cleans up its act"? I don't think so!

The WWF needs to take a long, hard look at itself. Hypocrisy, thy name is Vince McMahon. If it were supposed to be entertaining to have a 250-pound man attack a 140-pound woman, then I would rather be entertained in some other way.

Last week (March 3, 2000), I wrote a piece regarding how the federations have begun a practice of ruining potentially phenomenal matches with outside interference. I also wrote about how the federations have not been showing (during pay-per-view events) what the fans have grown accustomed to during their weekly-televised wrestling. Somehow, there is a connection between these two situations that allows each to justify the other.

Lately, many televised wrestling matches have ended no-contests, the match having been interfered with by some outside force. Everyone in wrestling has at least one enemy, otherwise there would be no story lines. But is it necessary to have those enemies fighting one another at every turn? In the minds of the creative forces of professional wrestling, yes. The public, they feel, needs to be constantly reminded that person 'A' has a problem with person 'B'. Whenever they are in the same building as one another, the must brawl. Does this make sense, I don't think so, but apparently, it effects the bottom line, and that is all that is important.

Wrestling pay-per-views were originally designed to bring wrestling feuds to a conclusion. Two wrestlers have mini-brawls night after night, leading to the PPV showdown, where the fight for more than twenty minutes before one man achieves victory, thus settling the feud and beginning another on along the way. Therein lies your explanation. But what does this mean?

This means that Raw, Nitro, Thunder, and Smackdown are 2-hour long infomercials. The wrestling on these shows is secondary to publicizing the next BIG event. Once a PPV is concluded, the next 4 weeks will be focused on the next show. One or two matches will be allowed to finish, just enough to set up the mid-card feuds for the PPV. The main event(s) will be promoted without the benefit of a clean match. Once the feuds are established, there will be no more clean matches, except for wrestlers not going to the show (and then, only if they are wrestling someone else who is not going to the show).

While the bookers may feel that constant brawling between competitors who will be meeting at the next PPV creates interest, in is also slowly ruining television wrestling. How much longer before wrestling fans realize that they will not see any matches fought to a conclusion on Monday or Thursday? How much longer before fans simply turn to the lessor shows (Live Wire or WCW Worldwide) for updates on the building feuds. The pay-per-views will still make their money, but the loss felt by the broadcast shows will more than even things out.

Dwayne Johnson, better known as "The Rock" was recently subpoenaed to appear in court in Florida. He is being asked to testify in the trial of a 12-year-old boy who was being accused in the murder of a 5 or 6 year old girl. Apparently, the girl's injuries incurred as the result of wrestling maneuvers utilized by the boy on the girl.

Rocky wasn't chosen because the moves used were moves that The Rock uses in the ring, because allegedly, the child was imitating a soft drink commercial featuring Sting. He also wasn't chosen because he is the most recognizable wrestler in the world. Rocky was chosen because he is a Florida native AND he is the most recognizable wrestler in the world. There is opposition to Rocky testifying, but I disagree. I feel that he has a responsibility to appear on the behalf of the professional wrestling business.

The Rock is a third-generation wrestler. Now, before you say "well, so is Chavo Guerrero, Jr.", when was the last time the Chavo, Jr. did something significant in the wrestling ring. Charles Barkley was wrong, athletes are role models, and they have a responsibility to the fans, in particular the younger ones. Professional wrestling has taken a giant, and much needed step in the right direction by airing public service announcements about the dangers of imitating the things seen in a wrestling ring. This is, however, just a first step. More needs to be done.

Rocky's testimony is supposed to center on the fact that professional wrestling is scripted, carefully rehearsed, and in the end, no one gets hurt. This is where I disagree. The Rock should actually be telling the world that though professional wrestling matches are scripted and rehearsed, the wrestlers DO actually get hurt. He should also say that the parents of children that watch wrestling should instruct their child that the wrestlers actually get hurt, but they are trained as to how to perform the moves correctly in order to minimize injury. Anyone trying these moves without proper training could possibly hurt or kill someone else and quite possibly himself or herself. This is how The Rock should testify. This is The Rock's responsibility to his sport, his profession, his fans, and the entire professional wrestling population. If The Rock is really "The People's Champion", the he should be a champion for the cause of fans not imitating professional wrestling, and he should start with this trial in Florida.

IF YOU SMELL-L-L-L-L-L-L
WHAT WRESTLING: IN YOUR FACE

IS COOKING!!

Tuesday night (April 4, 2000), Shawn Michaels wrestled what was advertised as his last match for his fledgling TWA promotion in his home state of Texas. He defeated Venom to retain the TWA title, and to regain control of the federation. After the match, Shawn thanked the fans and stripped himself of the belt. If this truly is his last match, professional wrestling has definitely lost one of its all time best performers.

Shawn Michaels was the original "tough little guy". At 5'10" and 235 pounds, Shawn was small during a time when wrestlers were growing very large. When wrestling started getting smaller (with guys like Austin and Bret Hart as champion), Shawn was still considered small. A light heavyweight by definition, Shawn was able to use a combination of speed and daring to compete on even terms with the giants, and his "Super kick" was an excellent equalizer. During the 1980's, if a wrestler wanted to compete in a match that had the chance to be chosen as match of the year, they had to wrestle Ric Flair. In the 1990's, they had better wrestle Shawn Michaels.

Though he began his career as a tag team wrestler, Shawn would achieve his greatest success on his own. His feud with former partner Marty Jannetty catapulted Shawn into the limelight, and Shawn never looked back. Overall, Shawn would achieve 2 tag team title reigns, 1 European title reign, and 3 reigns each as Intercontinental champion and as WWF World champion. His nine total titles place him into a tie for second place on the list of most WWF title reigns ever. He shares his spot with Steve Austin, Bret Hart and Billy Gunn, leaving him 3 behind the leader Mick Foley. But in terms of excitement and sheer entertainment value, in the eyes of most fans, Shawn Michaels is the champion!

Many people will point to Shawn's ladder matches against Scott "Razor Ramon" Hall as his greatest performances ever, but I like to remember his flag-to-flag victory at the 1995 Royal Rumble. Though the entrance time was shortened from two minutes between wrestlers to one minute, this does not diminish the accomplishment. Shawn Michaels was never the biggest dog in the fight, but he always found a way to win. Even when he was defeated and lost a title, he was never away from a belt for long.

The styles of wrestlers like X-Pac and Jeff Hardy are just extensions of Shawn Michaels. Shawn had a "don't quit" attitude and the fans appreciated it, whether his character was supposed to be a heel or a face. Injuries slowed Shawn down in his final years as a performer, but his personality was as sharp as ever. I hope that Shawn stays retired, as much as I would love to see him in the ring again. I would rather be able to meet him and have him be able to walk away from the meeting instead of having to be wheeled away because of some debilitating injury caused by wrestling one match too many.

Good Luck Shawn Michaels, we enjoyed seeing you perform in the wrestling ring. Now you enjoy the rest of your life.

George "The Animal" Steele is trying to put together a group so that he can start a wrestling Hall of Fame. There are many wrestlers from the past who will be inducted. There are quite a few active wrestlers; guys like Flair, Funk, Dusty Rhodes and Piper, who are locks for the hall of fame. Guys like Sting, Luger, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart are almost certain hall of famers as well. However, there is one guy that I have questions about.

Tommy Dreamer, how will you be remembered? Before your recent ECW World Title victory over Taz, were you the best wrestler to never hold a world title? No, you weren't even the best wrestler in your federation to hold that distinction. Rob Van Dam is the best wrestler in the world to never hold a world title, which makes him also the best in ECW. Are you the best interview currently competing in ECW? You may be, but I prefer Justin Credible and Raven. Who are you Tommy?

You could be the most creative competitor in the sport, if not for Chris Kanyon. You would be the toughest competitor in the sport, if not for Spike Dudley. Tommy, you are none of those things. But Tommy I will say this, you are the most loyal wrestler in the sport.

All of the guys who claim to have built ECW are gone. Taz, Sabu, Shane Douglas all claim to have helped ECW become what it is today, and none of these men are currently working for ECW. Even Raven and the Sandman have left, only to return. Every time someone talks about the guys who started everything, these men are mentioned, and Tommy is mentioned beside them. Tommy Dreamer has never left. Tommy Dreamer has never wanted to go. Tommy Dreamer IS ECW.

Tommy Dreamer is a man who could have been the biggest star in the sport. He has movie star looks. He has very good interview skills. He is a good "wrestler" skills, and he can brawl with the best of them, and on top of everything else, HE IS LOYAL. Tommy Dreamer is not the type of wrestler who switches federation as the spirit moves him (Sid, Jarrett). Tommy Dreamer is good to people who are good to him. Paul Heyman has been good to Tommy Dreamer, and Tommy will be good to Paul Heyman. Tommy is loyal, and that's how he will be remembered.

Let me get this straight; Crash Holly wins the WWF Hard-core Title, and then he declares that HE will defend the title 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Crash Holly says that HE will defend the title, he doesn't say that the title is defended 24/7. If HE is going to defend the title 24/7, then why is the title treated this way when he doesn't have the title?

No one ever said that the WWF Hard-core Title is defended 24/7, but somehow, it is. Shortly after Crash Holly won the title, I wrote that he was turning it into a joke. Today, I feel even more strongly about this opinion than I did at the time of the writing of that piece. Having wrestlers run into title matches with their own referees so that they can possibly win the title from a wrestler who happens to be distracted by another opponent at the time is absolutely ridiculous. Since when does beating a man who without actually having a match with him makes someone a champion? Sure anyone can lie across a man who may be sleeping and get a three count, but does this make him the better man? I don't think so.

If a man wants to be the champion, then he has to beat the champion. In a match, not just because you happen to catch him off guard and there is a referee following you. The WWF Hard-core Title is a joke, a scam, and a waste of television. Come back Mick Foley, the world needs you. Teach these guys what hard-core means, and bring some respect back to this division.

No, this isn't an article about some wrestler being arrested for drug or alcohol use, though there are some that I COULD discuss. This article is about one of my favorite targets, the insulting of the fans' intelligence.

"Expressed, not implied", you ask any attorney what that means, and they will tell you that something is right out in the open, and there is nothing hidden. Professional wrestling is implying, not expressing, acceptances of the drug culture, while expressing a disdain of drug and alcohol use.

Ask any school-age wrestling fan what the Godfather means when he says, "Roll up a fatty for this pimp daddy", or "Take that blunt out, light it up, and say…" and probably half of them will be able to explain that the Godfather is making references to smoking marijuana. The World Wrestling Federation, as well as the two other major federations, has made it a practice of firing or suspending wrestlers who have been caught using drugs or alcohol. Somehow, talking about drugs, without actually using them, is acceptable. Do the people in power with the WWF really believe that the kids don't understand this line on conversation? If so, then someone needs to drop a few issue of Time Magazine in the corporate offices.

WCW is just as guilty, but they are slightly more deceptive than the Godfather is. I must admit, I was even fooled at first with the introduction of Kronic. It took my seeing them a couple of times, and my finding out that their finishing move was call "High Times" before I made the connection. The fact that they spell "Kronic" with a "k" and not a "c-h" does not fool anyone. The references to marijuana usage are still evident, and quite prevalent within professional wrestling today.

Tammy Lynn Sytch and Chris Candido were nearly blackballed from the sport because of their drug problems. Jake Roberts, Scott Hall and Road Warrior Hawk have all been sidelined by alcohol use. There have been many wrestlers whose dependence on painkillers has cost them their lives, through overdoses or suicide. These are not excusable situations. These situations should never have occurred, but unfortunately, they have.

Professional wrestlers, like any other public figure, have a responsibility to the fans that idolize them. The fans that follow their every move, whether good or bad, will duplicate their actions. Some day, if it hasn't happened already, some young fan might "take out that blunt and light it". Pimpin' may not be easy, but a drug overdose is a simple as breathing. If the wrestlers don't say it, their fans might not do it.

Every wrestling federation has its own personality. Every federation has its own distinctive way of handling its business. The World Wrestling Federation is the federation that fans would look to if they prefer cartoon-like characters and story lines. The titles in the WWF are far less important than the execution of the story. Paul Heyman's ECW is the federation that features the ultra-violent, out of control gimmick matches with plenty of run-ins and interference. All of the matches are fought to definite conclusion, and there is plenty of sex appeal alongside the wrestling action.

For years, World Championship Wrestling was about, well, wrestling. The world's best in-ring performers plied their trade in WCW. The New World Order added a bit of intrigue and interest to the overall picture, but all of the members of the NWO were talented wrestlers, and the titles were still very important. But lately, under the creative direction of Vince Russo & Eric Bischoff, WCW has changed its personality altogether. In an effort to compete with the WWF, while at the same time keeping ECW from surpassing them in terms of popularity, WCW has decided to combine the best attributes of its two main rivals to form a sort of "if you can't beat them, become them" organization.

Currently, the titles in WCW are meaningless. The matches are now fought to definite conclusions, but feature plenty of run-ins, violence, and activity that in the past would have caused the matches to be thrown out as out of control. More of the wrestlers are adopting "personas" instead of letting their talent shine through. There are plenty of arm pieces, and quite a few "hardcore" wrestlers that will push their bodies to unbelievable limits for the sake of the show. In short, WCW has become Extreme Sports Entertainment.

World Championship Wrestling has been reduced to copying its competition. WCW no longer feels that it can compete by offering "wrestling" and compelling story lines. Today's wrestling fan, in their view, cares not about who is champion, as long as there is a title change made with some regularity. Who is the greatest wrestler in the world? It doesn't matter who the greatest wrestler in the world is! As long as you are a great "sports entertainer" that is all that matters in today's professional wrestling, and WCW has grown to accept this.

Valets, managers, wrestlers, and eye candy. Throughout the history of professional wrestling there have many opportunities for women to make a name for themselves. This is not to mention the job of ring announcer. This is not news, but I mention it because there has been some news that has come out of this information.

One of Scott Steiner's "freaks" was recently released from WCW because she refused to spend time at the WCW Power Plant. The WCW brain trust wanted her, as well as all of the women currently employed with the federation, to learn how to take bumps so that they can get further involved in the story lines. Since WCW currently has no woman's division, it is a safe assumption that these women will be taking a majority of their bumps from the men of WCW. This is wrong.

I recently (2/11/00) wrote an article against violence to women. In it I said that there has to be a better way to increase ratings and sell tickets. Valets and women managers have traditionally gotten involved in matches, and on occasion have faced the wrath of their male counterparts, but this was the exception and not the rule. During many of these exchanges, the woman valet was also an accomplished wrestler. In the previous article, the woman who was the topic of the story was a former woman's champion when a male wrestler assaulted her. Lately, the women who are getting involved in the sport are nothing more than glorified models.

Former Nitro Dancers are being transformed into eye candy, but now this eye candy is being asked to transform again, but this time into wrestlers. If these women wanted to get into a physical line of work, then they would have signed on as wrestlers in the beginning. To force these women to accept more physical assignments in exchange for job security is admitting that violence against women is, in the eyes of the promoter, necessary in order to increase ratings. It is not!

If a woman wrestler is doing battle with another woman wrestler, that is acceptable. But as soon as a booker feels it is necessary to have a woman absorb punishment from any man, then it is time for me to be entertained in another way.

While I admire WCW for selecting a deserving "wrestler" to represent the federation as the heavyweight champion, the fact that Booker T IS the champion demonstrates the difference between WCW and WWF. That difference is the reason why the World Wrestling Federation will continue to exceed World Championship Wrestling in terms of universal acceptance.

The night after Booker T defeated Jeff Jarrett to become the WCW World Heavyweight Champion, the new champ defended his title against Mike Awesome in a match that took place at the top of the second hour of Nitro. That means that with what should have been the main event of the show, there was nearly one hour of television time remaining. Essentially, the match took place in the "middle" of the card (hence the name "mid-card match"). This same match would have been the main event on Monday Night Raw.

The World Wrestling Federation takes the time to develop the stars that will eventually hold its top title. The WWF champion is the flag bearer for the entire federation. A good champion keeps the title for a longer period of time than that of a not so good champion (Paul Wight). By the time a wrestler in the WWF is awarded the world title, that wrestler is ready to headline wrestling events. Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit, Chris Jericho, Hardcore Holly and Rikishi are being groomed for their shot at headlining pay-per-views and televised wrestling shows. Booker T was never groomed for this moment. He has the wrestling skills, and the personality, but he was always in the shadow of the more established stars, and he still is.

Booker T may keep the title for a long time, but his matches will never be the main events in WCW. Matches featuring Goldberg, Nash, Hogan, Sting, and Ric Flair when he returns (and he is returning) will be the MAIN events. WCW World title matches will be CO-MAIN events, the match just before the REAL main event. World title matches in WCW have not been the final matches on the cards since Goldberg lost the title, except when Hogan had the belt.

Booker T has the potential to be this century's Bret Hart, a talented wrestler who takes on all comers and emerges victorious, titanic struggle after titanic struggle. But unless World Championship Wrestling puts him in the ring with the top guys, and gives the matches top billing on the wrestling shows, they are wasting a very good performer, and will never catch the WWF.

Search Barnes and Noble.com for Books on Wrestling

Search Barnes and Noble.com for Wrestling Music