Yes or No 10/10/13: John Cena’s Return, Shawn Michaels at Hell in a Cell, More

The ending to the WWE Battleground PPV was an insult to paying customers? NO: People need to remember this is entertainment and it is simulating a sport, not the other way around. They are trying to continue storylines on a television show. There is no specified rule that says “the main event of a PPV most have a decisive finish every time.” And honestly, we’ve seen plenty of non-finishes to end PPV’s before, so this shouldn’t surprise people. I can understand casual fans getting upset enough to ask for refunds because they suspend disbelief a lot more than the more intelligent wrestling fan. I’m not saying we need just accept what happens, but I felt the Night of Champions finish was worse because they just screwed Bryan on RAW the next night. At least with this it became obvious that WWE plans on making Hell in a Cell the definitive end for this storyline, and I for one am happy to get to the finish line already. 

You are shocked that John Cena has been announced as returning to the ring at the Hell in a Cell PPV? NO: John Cena has proven time and again that when it comes to injuries he is super human. You might as well cut any recovery time he’s supposed to take and cut it in half. Nothing shocks me anymore when it comes to John Cena. I actually like this decision by WWE to have Cena wrestle Del Rio for the World Title and try to elevate SmackDown in the process, while WWE continues the Bryan storyline for the WWE Title. If Punk can hold his own in a bubble, I’m sure Cena can do it as well. I wouldn’t mind seeing a Cena vs. Bryan 2, World and WWE Title Unification match at Wrestlemania 30. Who’s with me? 

Having Shawn Michaels as the referee for the Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan Hell in a Cell match has increased your interest in the match? YES: HBK is my favorite of all-time so having his name on the card is enough for me to pay the money to order this show. But having him in a referee capacity gives the main event a good feeling of unpredictability that I like. I could see things going about three different ways right now and that’s just because Shawn Michaels was added to the match. I wouldn’t feel the same way if Booker T would have been the ref. 

Hulk Hogan’s departure angle on last week’s Impact Wrestling made the company look stupid? YES: What a way to kill the “heel GM” thing before it even really got started. I don’t really care who’s fault it is, this was TERRIBLE. It didn’t help anyone and made TNA look bush league. People were chanting “We Want Vince” and “We Want Vickie” I mean seriously? That tells you everything you need to know. Why in the hell would you have the PRESIDENT of your company holding onto a decrepit Hulk Hogan’s leg like a child. Hogan didn’t even act like he cared to be there at all and I hope TNA doesn’t bring him back and put themselves in a bigger hole financially. Dixie should have just said “NO Hulk you aren’t quitting on me, YOU ARE FIRED!!!” and that been it. But of course, they had to give Hogan creative control and have a stupid segment like this. The TNA talent deserve better than this crap. 

Yes or No 10/3/13 Battleground Preview, More

Daniel Bryan will win the WWE Title, again, at WWE Battleground only for it to be taken away from him? YES: WWE really seems to appreciate dangling the carrot both in front of Daniel Bryan, and in front of his fans. The whole point of this feud is that Bryan *IS* in fact as good as Orton (if not better), but he’ll keep getting screwed out of his rightful place by the mean bosses who don’t like him. Sure, it’s possible that Randy Orton might just win through some shenanigans to screw Bryan in a more traditional sense, but I can definitely see another Bryan win wiped away. Though, I guess I should consider that WWE probably doesn’t want to cause more cable companies to lose money in the form of refunds, so maybe they will make the manipulation a bit more transparent this time around. Eh, screw it, and screw the cable companies! 

You are BUYING the WWE Battleground PPV? NO: The last time I was in FoF, I got some grief for short answers. But, seriously now, do you want to read a whole paragraph about why I’m not buying Battleground? I’m just not buying it. Not with monster UFC events and Survivor Series around the corner. Battleground might end up being a fun event, and if so, I’ll grab the DVD or something. But no, I’m not getting the pay per view. I’ll still complain about things I don’t like, which should drive the “you didn’t watch it!” crew bonkers.

The Miz has been a complete failure as a babyface? YES: Another answer I don’t feel the need to stretch out into four paragraphs. The Miz as a babyface has been atrocious from the get go. Worse than Alberto Del Rio, and they had the sense to change him back to heel! The Miz is a smarmy jerk, and not a cool one like The Rock. The whole “Really?” thing is perfect for a heel, because all it shows when you say that is that you have no actual comeback, and would instead like to pause for time by attempting to discredit everything said to you in a sarcastic tone. When a face does it, it just looks like you’re too afraid to just beat up the heel talking junk. Horrible, horrible, horrible. I don’t even consider myself a Miz Hater, but man, the Miz should never, ever be a face. 

Even after all these years, Mean Gene Okerlund is still the best interviewer of all time? YES: Yeah, and there’s nobody even close. I guess by sheer longevity somebody like Josh Matthews or his dad (according to Road Dogg, anyway) Ken Resnick would have to be a distant second. But Mean Gene was not a guy that was sometimes a manager, sometimes a c-show commentator, and also a backstage interviewer. He also didn’t get there by being a failed wrestler. He was an interviewer, plain and simple, and he was damn good at it. He never shied away from criticizing heels, yet even the worst of them would never lay a hand on him. He had an air of absolute confidence and professionalism, even when he was getting flecked by Ultimate Warrior sputum. 

YES or NO 9/27/13: Daniel Bryan as Best Worker, Hogan Out of TNA,

TNA looking to take Impact off the road is another bad sign of the promotion’s financial stability? YES: They’re going to get off the road because it’s not a financially sound business plan. They are, I would assume, losing money because the cost to travel and take the equipment and staging all over the country is more than what they’re making back from ticket sales. It also hasn’t helped the ratings any more than bringing in any of the “big names” that they’re paid shit tons of money to year after year — I don’t know how their deal works with Spike and advertising money, but I’d bet that if they got ratings above 2, for example, instead of barely hovering around 1.1, TNA would make more money from TV advertising. Is leaving the road a sign that TNA is financially unstable? Not necessarily, no. They might just not be seeing the returns they were expecting in the time period they were expecting and they’re packing it in to come up with a new game plan. Based on their history, however, I don’t think that’s the case. I think they realize they made a bad move because suddenly they’re losing much more money than normal and Daddy Carter is telling Dixie she’s going to lose some of his backing if she doesn’t stop it. Something to that effect, at least. 

Jim Ross is correct when he says that Daniel Bryan “is the best in ring performer in the business? YES: He has been since 2006, and he might be even better now than he was then. The man understands the mechanics of wrestling. He got to where he is because of his fundamental grasp of in-ring psychology and pure, technical wrestling. Since he entered WWE three years ago, we’ve all seen him blossom into one of the best babyfaces in the last ten years, honing his now tremendous promo abilities as a heel before that. It isn’t hyperbole when I say he’s one of the most complete packages since Eddie Guerrero walked the earth. I truly believe that there will never be another talent like him. You can call Punk the best in the world, but I wouldn’t put him on the same level as Bryan for a second. 

With reports that TNA is looking to cut costs, it would be the best for business to not re-sign Hulk Hogan when his contract expires in October? YES: It would be best for business if Hogan were let go on October 1st whether TNA was looking to cut costs or not. The man has improved nothing for TNA and him getting a paycheck for doing next-to-nothing is an insult to the guys who bust their asses and kill themselves every night in the ring. That brings down morale and is simply shameful. Dixie got swindled by Hogan and Bischoff, and I think she might finally believe the people who have been telling her that for two years. I know it’s the IWC cliché to bust on Hogan and his ilk for being like cancer, but there’s a reason things become clichés.

Adam Cole was the right choice to win the Title Tournament and become the new ROH World Champion? YES: His character throughout the past 3-4 months has been one of the best things in a middling year for Ring of Honor, so on that basis, he was absolutely the right choice. You could make a valid, valid argument for Michael Elgin as ROH World Champion, and frankly I’d agree with your average fan on a lot of points. For instance, I think Michael Elgin is the better worker. In terms of excitement and excellent matches, not many in North America can match him at the moment. I would be just as supportive if he won the belt. But if there’s one thing he lacks, it’s a definitive personality. Adam Cole has proven throughout his tenure as PWG World Champion that he has an uncanny knack for being a heel. ROH doesn’t have many wrestlers that truly shine gimmick-wise aside from reDRagon, Jay Briscoe, and Kevin Steen, so I think Cole is going to be a very worthy champion in the coming months. Hopefully Ring of Honor lets him cut loose and show what we’ve all been seeing thrive in PWG for a year. 

Yes or No 9/19/13: Night of Champions, Authority Figures, More

Stripping Daniel Bryan of the WWE Title was a great next move in the ongoing angle between Bryan and the Triple H led corporation? YES: The decision to strip Daniel Bryan of his title was definitely what’s “best for business.” The money is always in the chase. This rivalry is basically the entire direction of the company at this point. It encompasses nearly all of the main roster and a lot of them have a pretty solid shot at getting themselves more over than they were before this whole shebang started. Every time Triple H knocks Daniel Bryan down a peg, the crowd will want Bryan to win the big one that much more. Anybody who associates with Bryan is going to be cool with the fans for supporting their boy, D-Bry. That’s not to say this angle is without issues. If they’re trying to tell the underdog story, letting him win the big one twice in a month doesn’t put heat on anybody besides Triple H. I want to watch him scrape and claw his way to the gold. He’s already proven he can beat the two biggest stars in the company now. If they keep giving him the championship and pulling the rug out from under him, not as many people are going to bite when he finally has “the real” title win.

The Night of Champions PPV was one of the worst PPVs of 2013? YES: Without question. They opened up with a 15-minute talky segment that accomplished the same thing a short backstage segment could have. I know it’s been said to death already by everybody else, but don’t make the $45 Pay-Per-View I just ordered feel like an episode of Raw. It’s not much to ask for. So anyways, you have a boring opening, two impromptu matches, and a terrible divas match, all the while almost every other match under-delivered. The only bright spot on the show was Randy Orton vs. Daniel Bryan. Imagine how amazing it could have been if they cut the opening segment and tacked an extra ten minutes onto it though. I stand by this being the worst PPV of the year so far. 2013’s other poor events had more to offer in my opinion. I suppose the silver lining is that the card looked pretty bad going in, so at least I wasn’t too disappointed.

You would be perfectly fine if the authority figure in wrestling disappeared for a while? NO: I would have said yes on this one. The point is that The Corporation 2.0 storyline has proven that it can still feel fresh and be well done though. An authority figure with a little more depth than “make it a tag team match, playa” is still relevant in the landscape of wrestling today and the proof is right in front of our eyes. When creative is actually being, well, creative with their authority figures, they can be used to great effect. Right now, any match on the card booked by Triple H feels just a little more important than it would have if the wrestlers just walked down the ramp and wrestled. With that said, I’m perfectly fine with the “booking crutch” authority figures hitting the bricks. They’re just there to make matches with little to no character investment in why they’re making matches other than their face/heel alignment. The announcers can get those orders over the headset and break the news to us without wasting screen time. Those are the ones that have us clamoring for the demise of the authority figure role.

Was Diesel a bad choice to be a WWF champion? YES: I’m really torn on this one. I don’t see Diesel as one of the great WWF Champions by any stretch of the imagination, but equally I don’t see his reign as being without some redeeming features. He had a cracking battle with Bret Hart at Survivor Series 1995 which also turned out to have some historical value, and prior to that his bout with Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania XI was one of the show’s very few high points. The fact that his title reign coincided with such a dramatic decline for the WWF is, in my eyes, neither here nor there, as the Fed’s issues went far beyond their choice of champion. Despite all that, he can take a fair shame of the blame for some lacklustre matches, and though it lasted almost a year his reign was bereft of anything truly noteworthy until its dramatic ending. I’ll say yes based on the belief that there were better options as WWF Champion. I could be swayed though. 

Yes or No 9/12/13: Edge, Cesaro, More

Edge is one of the greatest WWE superstars of all time? YES: Edge for all intents and purposes as a HOF thru and thru. Heck he is an 11 time champion, now in todays day and age that is not as big as say the Era of Flair but it is impressive nonetheless. His yearbook even declared that he and his mullet were destined to become WWE champion one day and so the cookie crumbled as such…just like his neck (ouch…too soon?). Anyhow, though his career maybe surmised as a slight failure to some because it was cut short you still cannot argue the stats. He won 11 World titles, revitalized tag team wrestling with The Dudleyz and Hardy Boyz with his “Brother” Christian, supplanted himself with mid card belts here and there, Won both the RR and the KOTR and banged Lita on live TV. Also let us not forget the Awesome Mick Foley put me over match that select few get at Wrestlemania and he is the proud owner of being Numero Uno for the biggest craze in town now…that being the original Mr. Money in the Bank. The Rated R Superstar was the most watched WWE champion before Miz coined that term even if he broke the record, Edge set the standard. Now if you were unaware of all of these accomplishments then on paper he is one of the greatest…Superstars of all time. The question said Superstars, not wrestlers, so with matter of opinion being what it is and forever will be, Edge may not be the best wrestler by any stretch but he was by all accounts and purposes a tremendous superstar. Wrestlers, do not need justification and though Edge does have things that could sway people one way or another, when it comes to wrestlers people just like them for what they can do in the ring and what they do for the fan. I like Edge but he is not in my top 5, but I hella respect the guy.

Antonio Cesaro was the wrong person to have lose to Santino Marella in Santino’s comeback match? NO: Stop the presses I got off the “YES” train. Cesaro losing could upset some but its not the most blasphemous thing that could be done to the man. Sure he is well above Santino in every facet in the ring but for his placement, currently, on the card its not really that bad. I mean a few weeks ago on Smackdown he lost to Darren Young, clean in just under two and half minutes. Plus ever since losing the U.S title he has been treading water because of the Swagger stole my gimmick fiasco. Now though it has been rectified and he and Swagger are now basically one and same I am happy to see some sort of direction for him as a chance to make a run for the tag titles is at least something to strive for at this juncture. He is a heel and all the midcard talent champions are heels so the tag ranks is the only real place at the moment to make a splash. Plus if he keeps making others look good, the brass look at him as good and they will find something for him if and when things can play out later on. On the flip side Santino and Antonio have history with Marella getting jankied up by him last year over and over again for the U.S title so Santino could use the rub. And the Cobra was not the culprit in putting Cesaro down for the count, as a man that imposing and strong feigning hurt over that would have made it terrible but this was not the case. And finally, who else was going to be able to pull off that freaking Big Swing for 45 seconds in that match. That alone made the match worth it.

You’d like to see Goldust on WWE TV more often? YES: I always mark out when Goldust shows up as he is an awesome character and has a long pedigree in the promotion. It does not hurt at all that he is a damn fine wrestler even in his waning professional years. True in his interview he has stated that he has burned many bridges in the WWE, time and time again but like most if there is a cause, they will always come back to calling. That is not to say I think they should call him up full time and take over a roster spot that could be used to introduce fans to other people as over the last few years the WWE has relied WAY TOO MUCH on bringing in short order solutions to serious problems. The Rock, Chris Jericho, Brock Lesnar, RVD are all just band aids for their inability to create, legitimate new main eventers. These guys have brought some positives along for the ride as well but in the end other guys need to be able to shine too, an obvious example being Daniel Bryan currently…and pretty much only Daniel Bryan currently. So with that said, Goldust could come in on a short term angle where maybe he and Cody reconcile there differences and form a union to dispose of the Shield over the tag straps, which puts Cody over, gives Goldie one last run and then eventually they crumble and Dustin and Dusty give him the go ahead to be the last Rhodes standing. Short, effective and could be a really good story if booked right in the long run. So if they go this route or another one, focusing on one offs about or over the Rhodes Legacy I see no problem seeing Goldie pop up from time to time.

Chris Jericho should write another autobiography? YES: He is already writing his third autobiography, and I own the first two. I will buy that autobiography when it is released, and I really hope that Jericho writes a fourth one. I would love to see him write one about when he is inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, and maybe include in the book some thoughts on his retirement at some point. I’ve enjoyed both of his books immensely, and would love to see him write more. His stories are always funny (especially the time where he got Jim Cornette so pissed off at a drive thru while at Smoky Mountain Wrestling), and his books provide a great introspective into the world of wrestling. He should write another autobiography, and if he does, I will own it.

Special Yes or No Old School Wrestling Edition 9/8/13: The WrestleRock Rumble, the Million Dollar Corporation, Midnight Rider, More

Before I start off with the questions, I just like to say thank you to all the fans out there that make these yes or no topics wildly popular. Whether it’s on my show The Wrestling Forum, or on this Strictly Sports wordpress, you guys make this article very special.

Given that he was their very first champion and one of the most influential workers of all time, WWE does not do enough to promote the career and legacy of “Nature Boy” Buddy Rogers? YES: Abso-Freaking-Lutely! He was the man Toots Mondt and Vincent J. McMahon wanted as NWA champion back in the 1950’s and 1960’s. When he finally won the title from Pat O’Connor in 1961, it was in front of a crowd at Comiskey Park in Chicago that held the pro wrestling attendance record until 1984. In 1963, it was Rogers’ standing as former NWA champion allowed McMahon and Mondt to separate from the NWA and start a small, scrappy company that still survives 50 years later. Bruno may have taken the title a month later and run with it for almost eight years, but without Buddy Rogers, it would have been a tougher road. Twenty years later, Vincent K. McMahon trusted Rogers to help Jimmy Snuka complete his face turn. Also, if not for “Rogers’ Corner,” who knows if VKM would have allowed Roddy Piper to start “Piper’s Pit?”

Despite having a few high-profile members and a decently long lifespan, the Million Dollar Corporation was one of the most disjointed and ineffective heel stables of all time? YES: The Million Dollar Corporation never really made sense to me. You have a bunch of midcard heels joined together under the aegis of Ted DiBiase, and the dastardly forces of greed managed o instill darkness of the hearts of such top-tier babyfaces as the 1-2-3 Kid and a post-streak Tatanka. And for every worthy member, you had an Underfaker or a Xanta Klaus. So at the end of the day you had a bunch of guys, mostly scrubs, bedeviling the likes of Lex Luger and Diesel for no discernible reason. DiBiase’s master plan was never clear; his whole purpose in coming to the WWF was to get his hands on the world championship, the one thing he couldn’t buy. Now he had retired from active competition but he was sticking around to make sure Nikolai Volkoff continued to win matches well into 1995? Not a smart investment, Ted. And since Ted’s objective was never clear, it’s hard to say how successful his stable was. They certainly didn’t win any championships; the sole honor earned by any of Ted’s warriors was the Million Dollar title, revived and awarded to Steve Austin during his doofy Ringmaster phase.

Yokozuna was the best monster heel that the WWF had in the 1990’s? YES: Yokozuna was not the worker that Vader was. He was not as athletic as Bam Bam Bigelow. He did not have the longevity of the Undertaker. But he won the Royal Rumble, he was the first to parlay that into a world title victory at WrestleMania, and he was the guy who did what Andre the Giant, King Kong Bundy, Sid and the Undertaker had failed to do: eradicate Hulkamania from the WWF. He held the WWF title for a respectable 280 days, and one of his most memorable defenses included the casket match in which he became the first person to put the Undertaker out of action for any extended period of time. Yoko also appeared in the Genesis version of Wrestlemania: Arcade, in which he would drop hams when you punched him, which might cause me to Buy this even if I didn’t already have my rationale laid out above.

The Shockmaster gets unfairly dismissed; had his debut not gone awry, the gimmick was not too ridiculous to work, and dumber things have gotten over? YES: I don’t think that Shockmaster gets remembered in his proper context. A guy with electric powers in a storm trooper helmet is pretty dumb, but not two years before Shockmaster’s debut, a zombie mortician in purple kitchen gloves became one of the biggest stars in the WWF. Before anyone gets upset that I would dare compare Shockmaster with Undertaker, we should also note that both Mark Calloway and Fred Ottman both debuted in 1984, and by the early 90’s only Ottman had demonstrated the ability to get over as a both a heel and face with different gimmicks. Any impartial observer would have told you that the guy who’d gotten over as both a boat and a maritime storm would be more likely to make a superhuman gimmick stick. So no, I don’t think that the Artist Formerly Known as Tugboat was destined to fail, unless angels of the lord descended from the heavens to trip the guy as he powered through that gypsum.

The WrestleRock Rumble is the single worst advertisement ever devised for a major show by a national promotion? YES: The WrestleRock Rumble is the kind of thing that inspires laughter until you remember that the company which produced it was declining rapidly and promoting big shows was of vital importance to them. WrestleRock was clearly designed to be a big annual show a la WrestleMania or StarrCade; this was the first one and they had the gumption to call it WrestleRock ‘86, because who wouldn’t sign up for another year of AWA action after seeing Jerry Blackwell take out his anger on a plank of wood? A lot has already been said over the years about just how bad this video was, and I can’t say anything that Jim Cornette or Puppet H haven’t already said better. But one thing I do need to point out: anyone actually lured to the show by this music video was likely disappointed. There were four (FOUR!) separate DQ finishes, and Jerry Blackwell never got his hands on the Sheik.

 

YES or NO 9/05/13: Bryan, Big Show, AJs,

Daniel Bryan getting laid out every week doesn’t help his cause as top babyface? NO: It’s not so much the laying out itself that’s deleterious to Bryan’s credibility. It wouldn’t be so bad if he were fairly beating his opponents and then getting trounced post-match, even ending the show under Randy Orton’s heel. But DQ wins do not a credible babyface challenger make, and every time that Big Show (a guy who lost clean to top babyfaces approximately 429 times last year) refuses to fight Bryan FOR BRYAN’S OWN SAFETY a little more of the fans’ goodwill gets chipped away. Steve Austin, John Cena, Hulk Hogan, and Bret Hart got beaten up all the time by their foes, but those foes never wept from pity.

Big Show looks weak for siding with the McMahons against Daniel Bryan? NO: I’m saying no because it can’t realistically last much longer. Big Show has been blubbering all over my television for weeks now, and the “Quarter-Ton Crybaby” doesn’t seem like a license to print money. He’s going to snap and turn against Triple H well before Survivor Series, where he might turn yet again because he’s the Big Show. If anything makes Big Show look weak it’s his schizophrenic booking in general, which includes both his alarmingly frequent switching between heel and face and his indecision about whether he can actually win a wrestling match or not.

Cody Rhodes will become a big star when he returns to WWE? YES: All WWE needs to do is constantly remind fans that they want to see Cody Rhodes; have Randy Orton or Triple H constantly gloat about Cody’s loss of livelihood, and the reaction for his return will be huge. Is it too early to call Cody Rhodes as a surprise return to round out Daniel Bryan’s Survivor Series team?This is the moment that his babyface run has so far lacked, and Cody can pull it off, especially if he defeats Orton or HHH in decisive fashion. If he can finally turn that moment into a feud of equals with Randy Orton, all the better.

Eddie Edwards & Davey Richards will get signed by WWE? YES: Ever since CM Punk and Daniel Bryan turned out to be phenomenal successes, WWE seems committed to picking up all of the high-profile stars that they can. If and when Triple H’s tag team revival picks up again, the American Wolves would be an excellent choice to round out the division. The only factor working against them is size, but if Bryan got signed why not them? They’re all former ROH champs of roughly the same size, and as far as WWE can tell that means they’re identical. I will cover my ass by pointing out that I’m saying they’ll get signed, not necessarily that they’ll be used properly or even get called up from developmental, however.

AJ Lee’s “shoot promo” was better than AJ Styles’ “shoot promo”? YES: Yes because it was shorter. If Styles’ promo time had been cut in half, he probably could have eliminated a lot of useless exposition and awkward pauses, and then his would have been better because the Bellas were not standing too close to a live mic and mooing at him to bring it on. As it was, Lee started her promo as a heel and was getting a face reaction by the end, while Styles actually lost a bit of fan support by the time he wrapped things up. Also: anyone else feel a bit bad for Natalya during all this?

Aces & Eights is one of the weakest supergroups in wrestling history? YES: I was ready to dispute the very desgination “supergroup” until I realized that Bully Ray, Mr. Anderson and Taz are all former world champions. That said, man, do these guys ever suck. TNA’s top babyfaces have been spending more than a year trying to beat a group whose muscle consists of Wes Brisco, Garrett Bischoff and the former Mike Knox. Sting’s partnership with RoboCop is more believable than the idea that it’s taken him this long to defeat these slobs. It’s like the nWo b-team all over again, with the same amount of in-fighting drama and a slightly higher count of leather vests.

Eric Bischoff should be given complete control of TNA? NO: Unless you mean in a euthanistic capacity. I mean, if we look at Eric Bischoff’s creative life, he has had exactly four ideas: book cruiserweights; feature Hulk Hogan prominently; create an all-powerful heel stable; compete in primetime with WWE (keep in mind that this first of these can easily be jettisoned in favor of the latter three). TNA has tried all of the above in the past few years to approximately zero success, and Bischoff’s response to these ideas not working is normally to change the shirts the heel stable is wearing. I’m going to have to say that Eric, denied access to the accounts of a billionaire personally invested in defeating Vince McMahon, is not the man for the job.

Could Sting have had a better career in the WWF than WCW? YES: I’m saying yes on this, based upon two single solitary matches: Hogan/Sting at Starrcade 1997 . . . . and Hogan/Sting at SuperBrawl 1998.bThese two matches should have represented the zenith of Sting’s WCW career, the moment when their franchise player unseated the hottest heel of the decade to win the world championship and cement his legacy. However, Sting needed help in BOTH matches, and he lost the title to Randy Savage after a one PPV defense against Scott Hall of all people. And sadly enough, this did wind up being the highlight of his career; with over twenty years in the business. Sting never once had a moment as powerful as the Warrior’s WrestleMania title win. But let’s say that Steve Borden debuts in the late 80’s WWF. The Warrior, who is remembered fondly by casual fans despite being a pretty bad wrestler and kind of a jerk, lasted only a few years. Sting was a guy that could do everything the Warrior could, but better, and be the kind of company man that Undertaker has been. And remember, Sting has never stopped changing with the times; he wouldn’t necessarily looked out of place in any era of the WWF. And we’d also be able to talk about his classic matches with Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Steve Austin, and yes, the Undertaker. But all of that is worth sacrificing out of loyalty to a company that literally used him right once.

Yes or No 08/29/13: Brooke, Bischoff, More

Brooke Tessmacher is a step up from Brooke Hogan for Bully Ray? YES: Remember a little over a year ago when Brooke Hogan signed with TNA Impact Wrestling? Dixie Carter said she made that signing on her own, personally. Well, what a great move. All of that major mainstream media attention and ‘name value’ sure worked out! Those big Aces and 0.Eights ratings are surely very impressive in 2013. Then right as her story line is to pick up steam, he is shown the door. How lovely. Throwing Brooke Tessmacher in her spot is the typical TNA move – no logic, but SWERVE! That is what matters, right? Tricking the audience? Ask AJ Styles about his current story line thrown to the trash after wasting the past year of his career…all for a one night ‘pop’ last week. Wow! Back to the actual question, Bully Ray is the main heel. It could be Brooke Tessmacher or anybody else named Brooke. Anybody is better than Brooke Hogan.

John Cena deserves to be #1 in the PWI 500? YES: The PWI almanac with the 500 in it used to be fun reading because in the pre- and early internet days it uniquely had complete title lineages and PPV results going back years. But with the rise of the internet having the same reading materal and the almost complete destruction of kayfabe, it just doesn’t mean much. One of the last times the PWI really made waves was putting Dean Malenko at the top of the list in 1997 at the height of the Monday Night Wars with Hogan, Piper, Sting, the n.W.o, Austin, Bret, Undertaker, and Shawn headlining every show. But like most symbolic acts, looking back, it seems trivial, inconsequential, and just as attention-craving as Time Magazine making “You” Man of the Year several years ago. It’s nice if you’re an indy wrestler and want to see your name in something you grew up reading as a sign you’ve made it, but that’s about as much stock as the PWI has with me. In regards to Cena and 2013, you could easily flip a coin several times switching between John Cena, Daniel Bryan, CM Punk, The Rock, Bully Ray, and maybe a few worldwide stars like Tanahashi and not come up with a wrong answer. Cena won MITB, the RR, defeated Punk for the first time ever, avenged his loss to the Rock at WM, defeated Ryback several times, Mark Henry, and gutted it out with a torn tricep against Daniel Bryan in arguably the MOTY. Cena’s fine.

Jerry Lawler wrestling Austin Idol on the one-year anniversary of his heart attack is a good idea? REDACTED: I’ll preface by saying that this as far as my answer has nothing to do with the heart attack and everything to do with Jerry having nothing left to prove in a wrestling ring. Even before Lawler’s health issues last year, he didn’t need to step foot in a ring ever again. Save for a few things that are out of reach at this point, Lawler’s accomplished pretty much everything the business has to offer even getting his first shot ever for the WWE Championship just two years ago against The Miz and lacing them up one more time against Idol won’t add or subtract from his legacy. Now, it’s obvious that Lawler loves the business as much as anyone this side of Terry Funk or Ric Flair, and it seems important for him to step through the ropes one more time with an old friend and foe. But judging that is way above my pay-grade and entirely a personal decision for Lawler and his family.

Eric Bischoff is right when he says the IWC hurts wrestlers? NO: We could go down several roads that have been hoed many times in going after this canard. The IWC is not a monolithic entity and doesn’t speak with one voice – it like the rest of the internet is a melting point full of people both good and bad with opinions or ideas both good and bad. So Eric Bischoff might as well be saying that “the public” hurts wrestlers, “the fans” hurts wrestlers, etc. Now, granted, if we’re going to generalize, then the IWC as much as it exists and can be written or spoken about singularly, is a niche community with diehard fans. But really what Bischoff is getting at or should be getting at is that the IWCcanhurt wrestlers… when wrestlers listen and let the opinions of some internet wrestling fans change their approach to working or wrestling. Put another way, bad advice hurts wrestlers when followed. That realization should land with a resounding thud of obviousness that never seems to rattle Bischoff’s echo chamber for hating the internet and part of his fanbase. Bad advice hurts everyone, not just wrestlers, and the blame is placed on the people who listen to it without adding a grain or gallon of salt. The internet, like social media, like the library, like advice columns, like internet wrestling websites and forums, like college, like anything else is a tool and can bring you worlds of knowledge or the depths of ignorance and idiocy. This is something by the way, that Triple H, put much more eloquently and effectively than me or Bischoff in his long sitdown interview with Grantland.

Yes or No 08/22/13: Bryan, Triple H, More

Randy Orton cashing in on Daniel Bryan after his match with John Cena was the perfect move? YES: The perfect move in what regard? In terms of storytelling and setting up future programs in WWE for months down the line? Or if we’re kayfabing, are we talking about the perfect move for Randy Orton and Triple H, in that Daniel Bryan already had been through a grueling match against John Cena AND the emotional high of a huge post-match title-win celebration? In either case, the answer is “YES! YES! YES!” Now, I’m going to go all Triple H from Raw here, but there is a bigger picture that many people, in their frustration over seeing Bryan win and then having that taken away, are not seeing clearly. Over the last year, Daniel Bryan has proven himself to be a top tier player. McMahon and company realize that much, otherwise they would not have continued to position him in the upper echelon of their wrestling promotion. Daniel Bryan has actually worked his way into something greater than becoming WWE champion-he has made it into a top position of the WWE. It could be “the” top position for a while, especially in the wake of John Cena’s injury forcing him out of action for up to six months. All that put together, hell yes executing the Money in the Bank Cash-in was the perfect call. EVERYONE wins with this move.

Daniel Bryan will succeed as a top babyface? YES: Daniel Bryan will succeed at pretty much anything that involved the wrestling business. He generates a massive amount of sympathy due to his perpetual underdog factor, but as opposed to Rey Mysterio’s speed-based style, Bryan brings aggression and intelligence to the table, which I think makes him seem much more imposing than the other resident little man. I’d believe it if Bryan beat The Big Show. I’d believe it if Bryan beat Brock Lesnar. I’d believe it if Bryan beat The Undertaker (not necessarily at WrestleMania, but you get the point). All of that is because I think he has one of the most believable movesets and in-ring styles in a long time. What this really boils down to is that I don’t have to suspend my disbelief when watching Bryan, and I think that’s a huge part of being a top star. It’s unconventional that a guy like Bryan would be at the top of the card, but not impossible. He and Punk are the only two guys of the past 3 years to really break through in the same way as Orton, Cena, and Edge before them. And with the way the fans have taken to Bryan, there’s no reason he can’t be the face of the company.

Triple H will be very effective as a heel authority figure? YES:  I wasn’t sure how Triple H’s newest heel run was going to go considering he had spent the better part of the last five years as a face (whether as a member of D-X or as the counter-point to Mr. McMahon’s corporate craziness). However, his promo and behavior at the very end of this past Monday’s Raw program alleviated much of my concerns. Triple H cut one of his best promos in years. It was filled with perfect heel justification for his actions in screwing Daniel Bryan out of the WWE championship. I was happy to hear him explain how he swallowed his pride and gave Orton the championship despite his long and bitter past with him (Orton did injure horrifically his wife and father-in-law) and he did it for the betterment of the business and because he thought Orton was the best man for the job of WWE champion. The heel heat he created when talking condescendingly about doing it to ensure everyone’s future was second only to Vickie Guerrero and really, no one is ever going to top the walking heat bomb that is Vickie). Even better was his mocking Daniel Bryan as he attempted to enter the ring-a bullying move given emphasis when Bryan made it into the ring finally, only to be met with an RKO by Randy Orton. This was a fantastic first night out as a heel and indicates that Triple H is going to be a very effective heel authority figure in the future. He has taken a rote and clichéd role and for now has put a fresher twist on the proceedings.

CM Punk & Brock Lesnar had the best match on the SummerSlam card? NO: I mean, can we call it essentially a tie between Punk / Lesnar and Cena / Bryan? Both matches were both soooooooooooooo good. It is very difficult to judge either match significantly better than the other. Punk and Lesnar may have been slightly cleaner in that it Cena did have one botch when dropping Bryan from off the top turnbuckle, but both matches had the crowd going banana. Bryan-Cena could end up being the more historically significant of the two when all is said and done because of its role in setting up the McMahon top angle that carries the company forward heading to the rest of 2013 and Wrestlemania XXX next year. Both matches strategically used MMA moves and submissions to set up suspense. Punk / Lesnar were the more brutally violent of the two matches, but Cena / Bryan was action-packed and physical in its own right. From a personal standing, I loved watching both matches equally for all those reasons above and the obvious joy and pride of seeing two of my long-standing favorites contribute in the marquee matches of one of WWE’s biggest shows of the year. So no, I can’t say Punk and Lesnar had the best match on the card, but I can say that they tied for the best match on the card.

Yes or No 07/25/13: D-Bry, More

Daniel Bryan has no chance of beating John Cena at SummerSlam? NO: It’s a long shot, but Bryan has been on quite a hot streak lately, and has the fan base. Granted, booking 101 dictates that the hotter the challenger, the less likely they are to win the first match. Of course, that’s been the rule for so long that fans now expect the hot challenger to lose, so the swerve is actually having them win (there were no swerves in HHH’s 2002 title run). Having said that, “booking” is completely up to Vince McMahon – we can guess, and discuss history, but at the end of the day, our speculation means jack. There’s 3.5 weeks left til SummerSlam – anything can happen. Cena could come out next week and face 10 men in a gauntlet match, making him the strong one who will lose. Or Bryan could be in the dog house for his potential fiance showing a little too much skin on Raw. Or Cena could be in the doghouse for Vince thinking it was his Bella that showed too much skin on Raw. I don’t think Bryan will beat Cena, but I’m not betting against it.

Did I enjoy Chris Jericho’s 2013 run? YES: On one hand, Jericho’s one of my favorites, so I’m always excited when he comes back. On the other hand, his losses to Ryback and Fandango were meaningless – they didn’t hurt him, but they didn’t help his opponents either. I did enjoy the build-up to his match with Punk (and the match itself), and his match with RVD on Raw, but that was it. I’d like to see more stuff like that from his returns in the future, otherwise they’ll become meaningless.

Bully Ray should still be TNA World Champion? NO: I follow TNA – TV, PPVs, house shows. I do not think they are perfect. Quite often, I find myself shaking my head at the things they do, but I do like them. Going into DX, I wanted Sabin to win, but figured there was no chance in hell it would happen. And then Sabin won! TNA finally rewarded me as a fan for putting up with all the stupid things they do! I’m sure Bully will win it back soon enough, and knowing TNA, this little title run of Sabin’s will be forgotten, but for now, I’m glad TNA surprised me and put the strap on Sabin. Having said that, the timing of it could’ve been better – Bully’s leading a bunch of losers against the Mafia, and he’s the top guy right now, and was really benefiting from having the strap, so losing it right now might not have been the best call, but I don’t think it’s going to derail anything TNA has planned for him.

Chris Sabin will have a successful TNA World Title reign? NO: I really hope I’m wrong. I hope Sabin has a good title run, and this ends up being the first of many for him. But TNA’s track-record isn’t all that great with new champs. Bully is an exception, as his first title run has been really good, this loss included. AJ Styles, James Storm, Samoa Joe, Ken Anderson, and RVD were 5 guys whose title reigns I was looking forward to, and none of them had what I would consider “successful” title reigns. I attribute this more to TNA than the wrestlers themselves.