Steve Corino takes on his former managee, "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri who turned his back on Corino's dastardly faction, The Network. Steve Corino looks to extend the olive branch at first to Tajiri - by making racial remarks, a move that leads to Tajiri kicking Corino's head off. The assault on Steve Corino doesn't stop there though as Tajiri pretty much just decimates the "King of Old School" from beginning to bloody end. A very convincing win is an understatement.
Showing posts with label 2000. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2000. Show all posts
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Match of the Day - Tajiri destroys the "man who made him", Steve Corino
Yoshihiro Tajiri vs. Steve Corino - ECW Hardcore Heaven (2000)
Steve Corino takes on his former managee, "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri who turned his back on Corino's dastardly faction, The Network. Steve Corino looks to extend the olive branch at first to Tajiri - by making racial remarks, a move that leads to Tajiri kicking Corino's head off. The assault on Steve Corino doesn't stop there though as Tajiri pretty much just decimates the "King of Old School" from beginning to bloody end. A very convincing win is an understatement.
Steve Corino takes on his former managee, "The Japanese Buzzsaw" Yoshihiro Tajiri who turned his back on Corino's dastardly faction, The Network. Steve Corino looks to extend the olive branch at first to Tajiri - by making racial remarks, a move that leads to Tajiri kicking Corino's head off. The assault on Steve Corino doesn't stop there though as Tajiri pretty much just decimates the "King of Old School" from beginning to bloody end. A very convincing win is an understatement.
Tuesday, February 4, 2014
Match of the Day - Scotty 2 Hotty upsets Dean Malenko again! + Taka Michinoku!
Scotty 2 Hotty vs. Dean Malenko vs. Taka Michinoku - Light Heavyweight title match - WWF Sunday Night Heat (2000)
This little gem occurs just on the heels of Scotty 2 Hotty winning his first title in WWF. Along with the former Light heavyweight champion looking to win back what he had lost almost a week prior on Raw, Taka Michinoku (the first Light Heavyweight champion in WWF), is also thrown in the mix to try to capture the gold once more. Unfortunately for both challengers, Scotty 2 Hotty was not ready to lose the title on this Sunday night C-show, and successfully defends it against his worthy opponents.
After the match though, Dean Malenko, shades of Alberto Del Rio today, 'sends a message' to Scotty by knocking him out with the Light Heavyweight title and locking in the Texas Cloverleaf on the defenseless champion.
This little gem occurs just on the heels of Scotty 2 Hotty winning his first title in WWF. Along with the former Light heavyweight champion looking to win back what he had lost almost a week prior on Raw, Taka Michinoku (the first Light Heavyweight champion in WWF), is also thrown in the mix to try to capture the gold once more. Unfortunately for both challengers, Scotty 2 Hotty was not ready to lose the title on this Sunday night C-show, and successfully defends it against his worthy opponents.
After the match though, Dean Malenko, shades of Alberto Del Rio today, 'sends a message' to Scotty by knocking him out with the Light Heavyweight title and locking in the Texas Cloverleaf on the defenseless champion.
Saturday, January 25, 2014
Match of the Day - The first ever tag team tables match in WWE history
The Hardy Boyz vs. The Dudley Boyz - Tag Team Tables match - Royal Rumble (2000)
From my favorite Royal Rumble comes the double tables match between the red-hot team of The Hardy Boyz and Big Daddy Dudley's baby boys, The Dudley Boyz. These two teams along with Edge and Christian were redefining the tag division like no one else during this time and the desire to put each others' bodies on the line seemed to be the theme that went along with every match. This match was also an early precursor to the teams unforgettable TLC series as all three types of hardware was used during this non stop car crash.
I would also like to point out that the Swanton Bomb spot Jeff Hardy performs at the end of the match was later used again in another tag team tables match that was this time a six-man elimination with Jeff Hardy on the same team as Bubba Ray. The match also happened to take place at Madison Square Garden just as this match did three years prior.
From my favorite Royal Rumble comes the double tables match between the red-hot team of The Hardy Boyz and Big Daddy Dudley's baby boys, The Dudley Boyz. These two teams along with Edge and Christian were redefining the tag division like no one else during this time and the desire to put each others' bodies on the line seemed to be the theme that went along with every match. This match was also an early precursor to the teams unforgettable TLC series as all three types of hardware was used during this non stop car crash.
I would also like to point out that the Swanton Bomb spot Jeff Hardy performs at the end of the match was later used again in another tag team tables match that was this time a six-man elimination with Jeff Hardy on the same team as Bubba Ray. The match also happened to take place at Madison Square Garden just as this match did three years prior.
Monday, January 13, 2014
Match of the Debut - Tony Mamaluke's catastrophic ECW debut!
Tony Mamaluke vs. Mikey Whipwreck - ECW on TNN (2000)
Taking the name of his former Italian family he managed in WCW, The Mamalukes, post-Tony Marinara made a surprising debut on ECW TV where he quickly joined the ECW mob squad, FBI (Full Blooded Italians) and wrestled Mikey Whipwreck. During the match, Mamaluke decides to take a dive head first into the laps of the front row before getting put away by Whipwreck back in the ring. After the match, Mamaluke gets sidewalk slammed by the blinded giant FBI manager, Big Sal and then thrown once more into the crowd... this time three or four rows back.
Taking the name of his former Italian family he managed in WCW, The Mamalukes, post-Tony Marinara made a surprising debut on ECW TV where he quickly joined the ECW mob squad, FBI (Full Blooded Italians) and wrestled Mikey Whipwreck. During the match, Mamaluke decides to take a dive head first into the laps of the front row before getting put away by Whipwreck back in the ring. After the match, Mamaluke gets sidewalk slammed by the blinded giant FBI manager, Big Sal and then thrown once more into the crowd... this time three or four rows back.
Thursday, January 9, 2014
Match of the Day - Lance Storm looks to become a grand slam champion in WCW
Lance Storm vs. Booker T - WCW Heavyweight title match - Monday Nitro (2000)
Lance Storm takes on the WCW Heavyweight champ, Booker T in hopes to become a four title champion.
Storm at the time held the WCW Crusierweight title (which he renamed the 100 kg and Under title), the WCW United States Heavyweight title (renamed the Canadian Heavyweight title), and the WCW Hardcore title (renamed the Saskatchewan Hardcore International title AKA S.H.I.T.) - all he needed was the Heavyweight title and, after less than a year into WCW, the Canadian native would have had possession of all the singles titles in the company.
Despite this match being mostly a warm-up for Booker T as he headed into the New Blood Rising PPV to defend the title against Jeff Jarrett, this is still a pretty good match and far better than said match with Jeff Jarrett that summer.
Lance Storm takes on the WCW Heavyweight champ, Booker T in hopes to become a four title champion.
Storm at the time held the WCW Crusierweight title (which he renamed the 100 kg and Under title), the WCW United States Heavyweight title (renamed the Canadian Heavyweight title), and the WCW Hardcore title (renamed the Saskatchewan Hardcore International title AKA S.H.I.T.) - all he needed was the Heavyweight title and, after less than a year into WCW, the Canadian native would have had possession of all the singles titles in the company.
Despite this match being mostly a warm-up for Booker T as he headed into the New Blood Rising PPV to defend the title against Jeff Jarrett, this is still a pretty good match and far better than said match with Jeff Jarrett that summer.
Monday, September 23, 2013
Match of the Debut - The man, the myth, The Machine.
Diamond Dallas Page vs. The Machine - WCW Thunder (2000)
In 2000, WCW debuted one of their least remembered one-hit wonders in the form of a big masked strongman named, The Machine. Apparently, this masked man was brought in as the next big thing by Jimmy Hart... but after one match against the veteran, pre-yoga DDP, he disappeared without a trace.
The man behind the mask was the late Emory Hail, who exactly had a few jobber matches previously in WCW. As for the "Machine" gimmick, Wikipedia says that the mask he wore was apparently inspired by a mask worn by a sadist character in the snuff film mystery flick starring Nicolas Cage, 8MM. Yep, you read that right: a wrestler was based off a Nic Cage film!
Now that's something.
In 2000, WCW debuted one of their least remembered one-hit wonders in the form of a big masked strongman named, The Machine. Apparently, this masked man was brought in as the next big thing by Jimmy Hart... but after one match against the veteran, pre-yoga DDP, he disappeared without a trace.
The man behind the mask was the late Emory Hail, who exactly had a few jobber matches previously in WCW. As for the "Machine" gimmick, Wikipedia says that the mask he wore was apparently inspired by a mask worn by a sadist character in the snuff film mystery flick starring Nicolas Cage, 8MM. Yep, you read that right: a wrestler was based off a Nic Cage film!
Now that's something.
Wednesday, September 4, 2013
Match of the Day - Stone Cold seeks revenge on the man who ran him over!
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Rikishi - No Holds Bared match - WWF No Mercy (2000)
Almost a year went by where the WWF fans (now known as the WWE Universe, of course) did not see Stone Cold Steve Austin from late 1999 to 2000. The reason for this, in reality, was that Stone Cold's neck injury he had sustained from a botched piledriver in 1997 (which ultimately shortened his career) had worsened, forcing Austin to take some time off to recover. So how did the WWF write off the Texas Rattlesnake from television? Simple. They ran him over with a car.
But who done it? Well, that was a little more complex. As a full time watcher of all things WWF around this time, I was glued to the TV every week waiting to find out just who ran Stone Cold over. And while I had my suspensions (Triple H), I had no idea that the driver of the black car that hit Stone Cold in the parking lot at Survivor Series would be... Rikishi?
Rikishi admitted to taking out Austin almost a year later on Raw after his match that night. But why Rikishi why? Thus, the Rikishi meme was born... 'Kishi admits that "he did it for the Rock" and for all the Samoans who had been held down since the Rock's grandfather was in the business. Rikishi then admitted that, if he had the chance, he would easily run Austin over again!
In Stone Cold's first match to the ring in almost a year, he got his chance at revenge on the man who ran him down.. in a no holds barred, anything goes match at No Mercy in 2000. The match gets so heated that Stone Cold shoves Rikishi in the back on his beat-up pick up and drives him outside where he leaves the 400 pound man in a bloody mess laying on the side of the building. In the final eye for an eye confrontation, it looks like Stone Cold will run his truck into the lifeless Rikishi. But as he revs up the Stone Cold mobile, he instead runs into a police car! The match ends there with Stone Cold getting arrested and put in a police car.
Vintage Austin.
Theme Results
Returner: Stone Cold Steve Austin to get his revenge after being put on the shelf for almost a year via attempted vehicular manslaughter.
Almost a year went by where the WWF fans (now known as the WWE Universe, of course) did not see Stone Cold Steve Austin from late 1999 to 2000. The reason for this, in reality, was that Stone Cold's neck injury he had sustained from a botched piledriver in 1997 (which ultimately shortened his career) had worsened, forcing Austin to take some time off to recover. So how did the WWF write off the Texas Rattlesnake from television? Simple. They ran him over with a car.
But who done it? Well, that was a little more complex. As a full time watcher of all things WWF around this time, I was glued to the TV every week waiting to find out just who ran Stone Cold over. And while I had my suspensions (Triple H), I had no idea that the driver of the black car that hit Stone Cold in the parking lot at Survivor Series would be... Rikishi?
Rikishi admitted to taking out Austin almost a year later on Raw after his match that night. But why Rikishi why? Thus, the Rikishi meme was born... 'Kishi admits that "he did it for the Rock" and for all the Samoans who had been held down since the Rock's grandfather was in the business. Rikishi then admitted that, if he had the chance, he would easily run Austin over again!
In Stone Cold's first match to the ring in almost a year, he got his chance at revenge on the man who ran him down.. in a no holds barred, anything goes match at No Mercy in 2000. The match gets so heated that Stone Cold shoves Rikishi in the back on his beat-up pick up and drives him outside where he leaves the 400 pound man in a bloody mess laying on the side of the building. In the final eye for an eye confrontation, it looks like Stone Cold will run his truck into the lifeless Rikishi. But as he revs up the Stone Cold mobile, he instead runs into a police car! The match ends there with Stone Cold getting arrested and put in a police car.
Vintage Austin.
Theme Results
Returner: Stone Cold Steve Austin to get his revenge after being put on the shelf for almost a year via attempted vehicular manslaughter.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
Match of the Day - "The match is called Judy Bagwell on a pole"
Buff Bagwell vs. "Positively" Kanyon - Judy Bagwell on a pole match - New Blood Rising (2000)
...But it's Judy Bagwell on a forklift.
...But it's Judy Bagwell on a forklift.
When I think of mothers in wrestling, since it's Mother's Day here in the states, two particular incidents come to my mind. The first mother/wrestler gimmick would have to be Shelton Benjamin and the short period of time when his mother showed up on Raw to help him win some matches including one for the intercontinental title, and the other is Buff Bagwell and his mother, Judy.
Judy Bagwell first came on the scene in WCW when she was revealed to be the mystery partner of tag team champion, Rick Steiner one night on Nitro in 1998. Judy would return in 2000 via Buff Bagwell's feud with "Positively" Chris Kanyon (a DDP rip-off) which eventually culminated into this match... the Judy Bagwell on a pole match. A match that turned out to be "the foul mouth" Judy Bagwell strapped to a forklift match because, for some odd reason, Kanyon could not find such a pole that could hold Mrs. Bagwell anywhere in Canada.
Why did Buff Bagwell's mom even need to be put on a pole during this match in the first place? Answer: WCW 2000.
Judy Bagwell has actually been known to get involved in Buff Bagwell's work so much that rumor has it she got her son fired from the WWF after continually calling in to WWF headquarters complaining that Buff was getting mistreated and needed time off to heal from his injuries sustained at the hands of the APA.
Whether or not the accusations of Buff getting future endeavored by WWF are true, it is well documented how much his mother loved him. Happy Mother's Day, Judy!
Saturday, March 16, 2013
Match of the Day - Super Crazy finds himself a tag team partner to face The Unholy Alliance!
Sinister Minister's Unholy Alliance (Mikey Whipreck & Yoshihiro Tajiri) vs. Super Crazy & Kid Kash - ECW Massacre on 34th Street (2000)
Sorry for my absence... Once you start playing catch-up it's easier to just give up. I'm not back now though and trying to clean up this place.
Despite almost on their way out the door as a company at this time (this was their second to last PPV), ECW still had a lot of young talent that were trying their best to put on a show. An ECW show even for that matter. Some can argue and say that once ECW hit the limelight on Television, it was no longer cool. But as a kid hearing about ECW for the first time at this point and actually getting to watch it at some obscure time for a couple Friday nights, it was still awesome to me.
Though I never watched this match on the few occasions that I got to watch ECW, this is still a really well worked match from right around that time. It's the Unholy Alliance of Tajiri and Mikey Whipwreck led by their Sinister Minister, James Mitchell, taking on Super Crazy and a partner of his choosing. And who did he choose? No one. But as soon as the match kicks off, Kid Rock starts playing from the speakers and out comes Kid Rock himself!
Just kidding it was Kid Kash.
Sorry for my absence... Once you start playing catch-up it's easier to just give up. I'm not back now though and trying to clean up this place.
Despite almost on their way out the door as a company at this time (this was their second to last PPV), ECW still had a lot of young talent that were trying their best to put on a show. An ECW show even for that matter. Some can argue and say that once ECW hit the limelight on Television, it was no longer cool. But as a kid hearing about ECW for the first time at this point and actually getting to watch it at some obscure time for a couple Friday nights, it was still awesome to me.
Though I never watched this match on the few occasions that I got to watch ECW, this is still a really well worked match from right around that time. It's the Unholy Alliance of Tajiri and Mikey Whipwreck led by their Sinister Minister, James Mitchell, taking on Super Crazy and a partner of his choosing. And who did he choose? No one. But as soon as the match kicks off, Kid Rock starts playing from the speakers and out comes Kid Rock himself!
Just kidding it was Kid Kash.
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
Match of the Day - Insane Clown Posse challenge Mike Awesome and his bus to a hardcore match... and lose
Hardcore Wednesday:
Insane Clown Posse vs. That 70's Guy Mike Awesome - Hardcore handicap match - Monday Night Nitro (2000)
While I'm on the subject of shitty handicap matches...
It's 2000, my mark meter is off the charts, I didn't miss a Hardy Boyz match, and I'm pro-WWF through and through, but for some reason one Monday night I decide to switch the channel over to the competition - WCW and their Monday night wrestling product, Nitro. I'm not sure why I did it, probably curiosity or some shit like that, but I did it. And guess what I just so happened to stumble upon? Ding ding! This very match...
Now to be fair, before getting into WWF and The Hardyz, I actually watched quite a bit of WCW. But when I tuned into Nitro again for the first time in some time, it didn't look like I remembered it... No, this time, there were two clowns, a guy dressed like the 70's, and the Partridge Family bus. No ring, no NWO, no nothing.
Then it happened, Mike Awesome 'Awesome Bombed' Shaggy 2 Dope on top of the bus and 2 Dope slides off and takes a nasty splat onto the ground. Thanks to this unforgettable match, I believed for some time that handicap matches were matches where someone ends up handicap like that stupid-looking clown on Nitro in 2000.
Theme Results
Non-ring: Mike Awesome's "That 70's" bus.
Insane Clown Posse vs. That 70's Guy Mike Awesome - Hardcore handicap match - Monday Night Nitro (2000)
While I'm on the subject of shitty handicap matches...
It's 2000, my mark meter is off the charts, I didn't miss a Hardy Boyz match, and I'm pro-WWF through and through, but for some reason one Monday night I decide to switch the channel over to the competition - WCW and their Monday night wrestling product, Nitro. I'm not sure why I did it, probably curiosity or some shit like that, but I did it. And guess what I just so happened to stumble upon? Ding ding! This very match...
Now to be fair, before getting into WWF and The Hardyz, I actually watched quite a bit of WCW. But when I tuned into Nitro again for the first time in some time, it didn't look like I remembered it... No, this time, there were two clowns, a guy dressed like the 70's, and the Partridge Family bus. No ring, no NWO, no nothing.
Then it happened, Mike Awesome 'Awesome Bombed' Shaggy 2 Dope on top of the bus and 2 Dope slides off and takes a nasty splat onto the ground. Thanks to this unforgettable match, I believed for some time that handicap matches were matches where someone ends up handicap like that stupid-looking clown on Nitro in 2000.
Theme Results
Non-ring: Mike Awesome's "That 70's" bus.
Tuesday, February 19, 2013
Match of the Day - WWF Champion Triple H vs. ECW Champion Tazz
Triple H vs. Tazz - Champion vs. Champion - WWF Smackdown! (2000)
Only a couple of days after defeating WCW's Mike Awesome for the ECW heavyweight championship in about 3 minutes in Indianapolis, Tazz appears on Smackdown! to take on WWF's champion at the time, Triple H.
Though no titles were on the line and Tommy Dreamer appears only to be left looking like a fool with his silly suspender pants on the ground, Tazz puts up a good fight againt Triple H.
Anyways, here's the ECW champion, Tazz taking on the champion of the McMahon/Helmsley era, Triple H.
Only a couple of days after defeating WCW's Mike Awesome for the ECW heavyweight championship in about 3 minutes in Indianapolis, Tazz appears on Smackdown! to take on WWF's champion at the time, Triple H.
Though no titles were on the line and Tommy Dreamer appears only to be left looking like a fool with his silly suspender pants on the ground, Tazz puts up a good fight againt Triple H.
Anyways, here's the ECW champion, Tazz taking on the champion of the McMahon/Helmsley era, Triple H.
Friday, February 8, 2013
Match of the Day - Hulk Hogan wrestles as himself to take on younger wrestlers trying to get over
Hulk Hogan as Terry Bollea vs. Mike Awesome - WCW Nitro (2000)
Would you like the long version or the short version?
Short version it is.
In 2000, WCW had a big brain idea to pit young up-and-comers with seasoned vets and well past-their-primers. Though the intention was to get the new guys over, WCW management made the god awful decision of putting the two biggest wrestling personality heels, Eric Bishoff and Vince Russo, in charge of the young talent. Combine that with the fact that the veterans were known as The Millionaire's Club and led by Hulk Hogan, a man who supposedly passed the torch on in 1990 but still needed the spotlight every year he wasn't making terrible movies in Hollywood (sound familiar), made the chances of the young guys getting over a lot harder. Like WCW hard.
I understand that sometimes a company already has solid top guys and don't need green competitors getting a push, but this was WCW 2000; the top guys of the past were gone and it was time for the top guys to carry the weight of the company.
So, in the mist of the New Blood (the young guys looking for a break) versus the Millionaire's Club (the guys who needed to step down from their pedestals , Hulk Hogan decided that he needed to take matters into his own hands and fight as himself, Terry Bollea, to take on Mike Awesome, an up-and-comer with high potential to keep the power of WCW to the old guys.
Hulk Hogan also had a running feud with Billy Kidman, a kid who was never big enough to be a main eventer, as well as his own nephew, Horace Hogan, who was always just destined to be in a B-list NWO. Soon after he would feud with Jeff Jarrett before leaving the company after the Vince Russo shoot/work incident at Bash at the Beach. A story for another day.
As for Awesome, he was never given the main event status push he really deserved and was repackaged numerous times starting with the "Career Killer" gimmick, then the "Fat Chick Thrilla" gimmick, then "That 70's Guy" gimmick, and then finally the "Canadian Career Killer" gimmick after joining Team Canada in the dying days of WCW. It should also be noted that his gimmick as the Career Killer was because he could kill careers but in an ironic turn of events is what killed his career.
Theme Results:
Jeans: Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea
Would you like the long version or the short version?
Short version it is.
In 2000, WCW had a big brain idea to pit young up-and-comers with seasoned vets and well past-their-primers. Though the intention was to get the new guys over, WCW management made the god awful decision of putting the two biggest wrestling personality heels, Eric Bishoff and Vince Russo, in charge of the young talent. Combine that with the fact that the veterans were known as The Millionaire's Club and led by Hulk Hogan, a man who supposedly passed the torch on in 1990 but still needed the spotlight every year he wasn't making terrible movies in Hollywood (sound familiar), made the chances of the young guys getting over a lot harder. Like WCW hard.
I understand that sometimes a company already has solid top guys and don't need green competitors getting a push, but this was WCW 2000; the top guys of the past were gone and it was time for the top guys to carry the weight of the company.
So, in the mist of the New Blood (the young guys looking for a break) versus the Millionaire's Club (the guys who needed to step down from their pedestals , Hulk Hogan decided that he needed to take matters into his own hands and fight as himself, Terry Bollea, to take on Mike Awesome, an up-and-comer with high potential to keep the power of WCW to the old guys.
Hulk Hogan also had a running feud with Billy Kidman, a kid who was never big enough to be a main eventer, as well as his own nephew, Horace Hogan, who was always just destined to be in a B-list NWO. Soon after he would feud with Jeff Jarrett before leaving the company after the Vince Russo shoot/work incident at Bash at the Beach. A story for another day.
As for Awesome, he was never given the main event status push he really deserved and was repackaged numerous times starting with the "Career Killer" gimmick, then the "Fat Chick Thrilla" gimmick, then "That 70's Guy" gimmick, and then finally the "Canadian Career Killer" gimmick after joining Team Canada in the dying days of WCW. It should also be noted that his gimmick as the Career Killer was because he could kill careers but in an ironic turn of events is what killed his career.
Theme Results:
Jeans: Terry "Hulk Hogan" Bollea
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Match of the Day - America's Dream vs. wrestling's original worst nightmare
Steve Corino vs. Dusty Rhodes - Bullrope Match - ECW Living Dangerously (2000)
In one of ECW's last hooray's, a rising star named Steve Corino came on board much like CM Punk had with WWECW and quickly began making a name for himself during a time when Extreme Championship Wrestling was on its last leg and had lost most of its original talent. Corino, a wrestler who often criticized hardcore wrestling and called himself "The King of Old School", would find himself in a surprising feud with a true old school competitor in the one and only... "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes.
Steve Corino and Dusty Rhodes's feud for "who's the most old school" would eventually be contested at Living Dangerously 2000 in one of Dusty Rhodes's signature matches: the unforgiving Bullrope match. A match that can be called one of, if not thee best matches of TV-era ECW.
In good fashion while getting into the part, Steve Corino would rock the jean plus cowboy boot look that Dusty Rhodes would often sport when going into such a brutal environment whether it be a street fight, a Bullrope match, or any match after the 90's.
Corino may not have won this match after falling victim to The Dream's killer Bionic Elbow, but his feud with Dusty Rhodes that we see displayed here is really what got him over in ECW and eventually led him to Extreme gold.
Their feud would resume once more in 2004 when they faced off in a one on one match for the Japanese promotion, HUSTLE.
Theme results:
Jeans: Dusty Rhodes and Steve Corino
In one of ECW's last hooray's, a rising star named Steve Corino came on board much like CM Punk had with WWECW and quickly began making a name for himself during a time when Extreme Championship Wrestling was on its last leg and had lost most of its original talent. Corino, a wrestler who often criticized hardcore wrestling and called himself "The King of Old School", would find himself in a surprising feud with a true old school competitor in the one and only... "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes.
Steve Corino and Dusty Rhodes's feud for "who's the most old school" would eventually be contested at Living Dangerously 2000 in one of Dusty Rhodes's signature matches: the unforgiving Bullrope match. A match that can be called one of, if not thee best matches of TV-era ECW.
In good fashion while getting into the part, Steve Corino would rock the jean plus cowboy boot look that Dusty Rhodes would often sport when going into such a brutal environment whether it be a street fight, a Bullrope match, or any match after the 90's.
Corino may not have won this match after falling victim to The Dream's killer Bionic Elbow, but his feud with Dusty Rhodes that we see displayed here is really what got him over in ECW and eventually led him to Extreme gold.
Their feud would resume once more in 2004 when they faced off in a one on one match for the Japanese promotion, HUSTLE.
Theme results:
Jeans: Dusty Rhodes and Steve Corino
Friday, February 1, 2013
Match of the Day - The Stinger fights his past, present, and future selves at Halloween Havoc 2000
Sting vs. Jeff Jarrett - WCW Halloween Havoc (2000)
Jarrett and Sting have had a long running history together not just in TNA but also in WCW. And while Sting was still the cornerstone and backbone of WCW after all the NWO business settled and WCW was running out of steam, Jeff Jarrett, who was always jumping ship sort of just rose to the top in 2000 - now all the sudden was WCW's "Chosen One". Jarrett's main eventing status at this time may have merely been do in part by the lack of talent, talent that WWF and its impending Monday Night War victory was picking up by the truck loads. Don't get me wrong, Jeff Jarrett is one of the greatest heels in professional wrestling, but it took him forever to get over and when he did, he didn't even have to do anything for it. I mean, now that I think about it, did Jeff Jarrett really ever get anything in his career by actually earning it? And yet here he is in 2000; the king of the mountain while Sting is at the bottom of the barrel trying to earn US title shots and doing gimmick matches with Vampiro.
So what better way to honor Sting and his amazing commitment to a company that was once on top of the world and now on its way out the door faster than a Flair blade job? By making him face impostors of himself from better times than 2000. Yep, instead of wrestling Jeff Jarrett in this match which would have been decent at best, Sting really ends up fighting five guys who dressed up like him during different points of his career.
The first Stinger we see is a light green pants-ed late 90's Sting (Tenay says he's the sting from Halloween Havoc 1989 but Sting wore black that year) who gets a Scorpion Death Drop delivered to him on the entrance way. The next Sting is the 1990 World Heavyweight Champion Sting in bright pink who also receives the Scorpion Death Drop on the entrance way. After that we get Wolfpac Sting with red face-paint who, yep, gets Scorpion Death Dropped on the entrance way (I'm guessing to dispose of them faster?), and then when we think that all the Stings are gone, we get Crow Sting, maybe circa '97, who cuts his way through the mat and drags Sting down into the hole to "hell". Luckily our hero, the real Sting, makes short work of this black and white Sting as he throws him out of the ring to get back to Jarrett. But wait! Here comes another black and white Sting - this time it's rafter-repelling Sting who gets his wig taken off to reveal that he is actually "Sting from the year 2525"; 70 year old Sting is then Scorpion Death Dropped on the announce table.
"Where's the Black Scorpion, we need him now!" - Mark Madden
Taking out what Sting thought was the last of his mirror-image impostors was not the end of the match, however. Sting tries to go back in to finish Double J off with the Scorpion Deathlock, but the Sting from under the ring reappears and smashes a guitar over real Sting's real head. Luckily though, Sting no-sells the guitar shot and Scorpion Death Drops the fourth Sting, who now has blood all over his face. Sting putting away bloody Stinger gives Jeff Jarrett time to find another guitar to use on Sting. Jarrett succeeds in smashing the guitar over Sting's head, all the while, the ref (Slick Johnson, of course) is off somewhere looking for more Stings and doesn't notice the shards of wood in the ring as he returns to give Jarrett the three count.
So yeah, this was a clusterfuck. A big heaping pile of Vince Russo shit clusterfuck.
The best - I say best because it's funny to me - part of this whole bad idea gimmick is that Jeff Jarrett, whose grudge with Sting was a combination of Sting losing his heart (a classic feud saying which means nothing at all except to bring in heat), refusing to retire, and not being as good as he was in his hey-day, is the fact that Jeff Jarrett would do this again in TNA (when Sting was returning to action in 2006) with Eric Young as 90's Sting (he also portrayed The Great Muta against Mr. Anderson Sting 5 years after), knock-knock who's there? Braden Walker (Chris Harris) as the black and white Sting with James Storm (a man who would eventually be champion of the company 6 years later) in a chicken suit as The Crow, Sting's mascot, and last but definitely not least, Monty Brown as the black daddy Sting with a little Stinger baby. Boy oh boy, do I love when history repeats itself...
A bonus to the 2006 TNA Sting impersonation gag was that Chris Harris, who portrayed a very spot-on black and white Sting, was also one of the impostor Stings in the match above. I'm not sure exactly which Sting he played but I'm almost positive it was bloody black and white Sting.
That's all I got.
Jarrett and Sting have had a long running history together not just in TNA but also in WCW. And while Sting was still the cornerstone and backbone of WCW after all the NWO business settled and WCW was running out of steam, Jeff Jarrett, who was always jumping ship sort of just rose to the top in 2000 - now all the sudden was WCW's "Chosen One". Jarrett's main eventing status at this time may have merely been do in part by the lack of talent, talent that WWF and its impending Monday Night War victory was picking up by the truck loads. Don't get me wrong, Jeff Jarrett is one of the greatest heels in professional wrestling, but it took him forever to get over and when he did, he didn't even have to do anything for it. I mean, now that I think about it, did Jeff Jarrett really ever get anything in his career by actually earning it? And yet here he is in 2000; the king of the mountain while Sting is at the bottom of the barrel trying to earn US title shots and doing gimmick matches with Vampiro.
So what better way to honor Sting and his amazing commitment to a company that was once on top of the world and now on its way out the door faster than a Flair blade job? By making him face impostors of himself from better times than 2000. Yep, instead of wrestling Jeff Jarrett in this match which would have been decent at best, Sting really ends up fighting five guys who dressed up like him during different points of his career.
The first Stinger we see is a light green pants-ed late 90's Sting (Tenay says he's the sting from Halloween Havoc 1989 but Sting wore black that year) who gets a Scorpion Death Drop delivered to him on the entrance way. The next Sting is the 1990 World Heavyweight Champion Sting in bright pink who also receives the Scorpion Death Drop on the entrance way. After that we get Wolfpac Sting with red face-paint who, yep, gets Scorpion Death Dropped on the entrance way (I'm guessing to dispose of them faster?), and then when we think that all the Stings are gone, we get Crow Sting, maybe circa '97, who cuts his way through the mat and drags Sting down into the hole to "hell". Luckily our hero, the real Sting, makes short work of this black and white Sting as he throws him out of the ring to get back to Jarrett. But wait! Here comes another black and white Sting - this time it's rafter-repelling Sting who gets his wig taken off to reveal that he is actually "Sting from the year 2525"; 70 year old Sting is then Scorpion Death Dropped on the announce table.
"Where's the Black Scorpion, we need him now!" - Mark Madden
Taking out what Sting thought was the last of his mirror-image impostors was not the end of the match, however. Sting tries to go back in to finish Double J off with the Scorpion Deathlock, but the Sting from under the ring reappears and smashes a guitar over real Sting's real head. Luckily though, Sting no-sells the guitar shot and Scorpion Death Drops the fourth Sting, who now has blood all over his face. Sting putting away bloody Stinger gives Jeff Jarrett time to find another guitar to use on Sting. Jarrett succeeds in smashing the guitar over Sting's head, all the while, the ref (Slick Johnson, of course) is off somewhere looking for more Stings and doesn't notice the shards of wood in the ring as he returns to give Jarrett the three count.
So yeah, this was a clusterfuck. A big heaping pile of Vince Russo shit clusterfuck.
The best - I say best because it's funny to me - part of this whole bad idea gimmick is that Jeff Jarrett, whose grudge with Sting was a combination of Sting losing his heart (a classic feud saying which means nothing at all except to bring in heat), refusing to retire, and not being as good as he was in his hey-day, is the fact that Jeff Jarrett would do this again in TNA (when Sting was returning to action in 2006) with Eric Young as 90's Sting (he also portrayed The Great Muta against Mr. Anderson Sting 5 years after), knock-knock who's there? Braden Walker (Chris Harris) as the black and white Sting with James Storm (a man who would eventually be champion of the company 6 years later) in a chicken suit as The Crow, Sting's mascot, and last but definitely not least, Monty Brown as the black daddy Sting with a little Stinger baby. Boy oh boy, do I love when history repeats itself...
A bonus to the 2006 TNA Sting impersonation gag was that Chris Harris, who portrayed a very spot-on black and white Sting, was also one of the impostor Stings in the match above. I'm not sure exactly which Sting he played but I'm almost positive it was bloody black and white Sting.
That's all I got.
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Match of the Day - Shane McMahon: which way did he go? Answer: Down part 1
Shane McMahon vs. Steve Blackman - Hardcore Championship match WWF Summerslam (2000)
This Hardcore Wednesday match has the claim to fame as that match were Shane McMahon, being the spot junky that he is, gets caned off the titantron via "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman and his lethal kendo stick (it's really a singapore cane but whatever). A year later we saw the same drop at Backlash (McMahon vs. Big Show) but this time it was Shane-O-Mac jumping off the titantron rather than falling. The latter gets remembered a bit more while this match is really only remembered as that one match were Shane McMahon had the Hardcore title and the 24/7 rule was suspended so these two "marvelous athletes" could actually have a real (hardcore) match.
The contrast or Steve Blackman's use of weapons with his martial arts background and Shane McMahon's never-stay-down underdog attitude is also very fun to watch.
This Hardcore Wednesday match has the claim to fame as that match were Shane McMahon, being the spot junky that he is, gets caned off the titantron via "The Lethal Weapon" Steve Blackman and his lethal kendo stick (it's really a singapore cane but whatever). A year later we saw the same drop at Backlash (McMahon vs. Big Show) but this time it was Shane-O-Mac jumping off the titantron rather than falling. The latter gets remembered a bit more while this match is really only remembered as that one match were Shane McMahon had the Hardcore title and the 24/7 rule was suspended so these two "marvelous athletes" could actually have a real (hardcore) match.
The contrast or Steve Blackman's use of weapons with his martial arts background and Shane McMahon's never-stay-down underdog attitude is also very fun to watch.
Saturday, January 19, 2013
Match of the Day - just Booker takes on fat Ahmed Johnson for the letter T
Booker vs. Big T - WCW SuperBrawl X (2000)
The story behind this ill-advised match between Booker T and a larger-than-I-remembered Ahmed Johnson was that Stevie Ray, Booker's brother and long-time tag team partner, decided to turn his back on his own flesh and blood. Apparently Stevie Ray felt that Booker T wasn't the man that he used be and a bigger, fatter version of the Harlem Heat - Harlem Heat 2000 - had to be created.
Along with introducing his new tag team partner, Big T (Ahmed Johnson, now 300 pounds), Stevie Ray also introduced J. Biggs (Clarence Mason from the Nation of Domination) as Harlem Heat's new lawyer. Mr. Biggs then used his lawyer magic to get the T in Booker T removed since Big T was the only one aloud to use a single T in his name. Along with Booker's T, he also lost his entrance music and the rights to Harlem Heat.
Soon though, Booker T - now just "Booker" - got a chance to win it all back in the match above against Big T at the 10th Anniversary of SuperBrawl. And while Booker looked to be getting his T back in no time, all of a sudden the lights go out in the arena and when the lights kick back on, is this even bigger guy than Ahmed Johnson standing there on the apron . At first, it looks like it's Mabel - seeing as the lights went out for that big man a year or so before this in the WWF when he made his transformation into Viscera, but nope. Turns out it was just a really big guy no one had ever seen before.
Or had we?
The man we see become the third member of this huge new Harlem Heat revamp was also that ridiculously huge chested man (who was never used) in the No Limit Soldiers, another poor angle that WCW felt was necessary to cram down our throats.
The aftermath to this match is pretty awful as well; from what I know, Booker never got his T back and Harlem Heat with all their potential and beef to them never went anywhere (no shocker there). Booker later would join the Misfits in Action (MIA) as "GI Bro" just long enough for people to forget about Harlem Heat 2000 so he could return as Booker T again and get his long overdue push before WCW went bankrupt.
This angle and match wouldn't have been that bad by itself but then Mark Madden, the worst wrestling commentator of all time (Mike Adamle doesn't count since he knew nothing about wrestling), decides that he'll mention that he once lived in Harlem with Stevie Ray and Booker T along with the legendary black civil rights activist, Malcolm X who was assassinated in 1964. Yeah...
The story behind this ill-advised match between Booker T and a larger-than-I-remembered Ahmed Johnson was that Stevie Ray, Booker's brother and long-time tag team partner, decided to turn his back on his own flesh and blood. Apparently Stevie Ray felt that Booker T wasn't the man that he used be and a bigger, fatter version of the Harlem Heat - Harlem Heat 2000 - had to be created.
Along with introducing his new tag team partner, Big T (Ahmed Johnson, now 300 pounds), Stevie Ray also introduced J. Biggs (Clarence Mason from the Nation of Domination) as Harlem Heat's new lawyer. Mr. Biggs then used his lawyer magic to get the T in Booker T removed since Big T was the only one aloud to use a single T in his name. Along with Booker's T, he also lost his entrance music and the rights to Harlem Heat.
Soon though, Booker T - now just "Booker" - got a chance to win it all back in the match above against Big T at the 10th Anniversary of SuperBrawl. And while Booker looked to be getting his T back in no time, all of a sudden the lights go out in the arena and when the lights kick back on, is this even bigger guy than Ahmed Johnson standing there on the apron . At first, it looks like it's Mabel - seeing as the lights went out for that big man a year or so before this in the WWF when he made his transformation into Viscera, but nope. Turns out it was just a really big guy no one had ever seen before.
Or had we?
The man we see become the third member of this huge new Harlem Heat revamp was also that ridiculously huge chested man (who was never used) in the No Limit Soldiers, another poor angle that WCW felt was necessary to cram down our throats.
The aftermath to this match is pretty awful as well; from what I know, Booker never got his T back and Harlem Heat with all their potential and beef to them never went anywhere (no shocker there). Booker later would join the Misfits in Action (MIA) as "GI Bro" just long enough for people to forget about Harlem Heat 2000 so he could return as Booker T again and get his long overdue push before WCW went bankrupt.
This angle and match wouldn't have been that bad by itself but then Mark Madden, the worst wrestling commentator of all time (Mike Adamle doesn't count since he knew nothing about wrestling), decides that he'll mention that he once lived in Harlem with Stevie Ray and Booker T along with the legendary black civil rights activist, Malcolm X who was assassinated in 1964. Yeah...
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
Song of the Day - Tobacco's Accidental Crash With The Girl From Sisela
Tobacco - Tobacco's Accidental Crash With The Girl From Sisela from Don't Deny Your Weakness (2000)
Here's a little find I uncovered the other night from the German Tobacco, not to be confused with Tom Fec's Black Moth Super Rainbow solo/side project of the same name.
I'd explain the song but there's a voice in the beginning that does it for me.
Here's a little find I uncovered the other night from the German Tobacco, not to be confused with Tom Fec's Black Moth Super Rainbow solo/side project of the same name.
I'd explain the song but there's a voice in the beginning that does it for me.
Wednesday, January 2, 2013
Match of the Day - Road Dogg gets his a-double-crooked-letter handed to him by Bradshaw
The new Age Outlaws (c) vs. The Acolytes - WWF Royal Rumble (2000)
Speaking of tag teams in 2000, here's two of the all time greatest tag teams, The New Age Outlaws and The Acolytes (soon to be starting their own protection agency as APA). With Road Dogg and Badd Ass Billy Gunn and their charismatic attitudes and The Acolytes with their brute strength, these two teams didn't need tables, ladders, and chairs to prove they were great. Dogg and Gunn did need the help of their friend X-Pac to win this match however.
This match is mostly memorable for the fact that Bradshaw, a competitor who didn't know his own strength, supposedly knocked out The Road Dogg not once but twice during this match. The New Age Outlaws would still retain the titles after the ref bump and interference by Pac, but just to watch Bradshaw and Faarooq manhandle James and Gunn like they were The Roadie and Rockabilly again, man, really made The Acolytes look tough.
Maybe I'm just bias because this was about the time I really started to get into the WWF but RR 2000 has to one of the most memorable Royal Rumbles in the history of Royal Rumbles. And that's tough for even me to say because I've seen every Royal Rumble until RR 2009.
This Royal Rumble as featured the debut of Tazz in WWF, The spot hungry Hardy Boyz taking on the wood hungry Dudley Boyz in the first-ever tag team tables match, the swimsuit contest where Mae Young flashes her "puppies", the forgettable Chris Jericho vs. Chyna feud moment when Hardcore Holly was also involved, The unforgettable return of Cactus Jack 2000 vs. Triple H in the street fight where Hunter gets a piece of plywood stuck in his leg, and the Royal Rumble match that The Rock wins and Taka Michinoku takes a hilariously painful looking bump.
Speaking of tag teams in 2000, here's two of the all time greatest tag teams, The New Age Outlaws and The Acolytes (soon to be starting their own protection agency as APA). With Road Dogg and Badd Ass Billy Gunn and their charismatic attitudes and The Acolytes with their brute strength, these two teams didn't need tables, ladders, and chairs to prove they were great. Dogg and Gunn did need the help of their friend X-Pac to win this match however.
This match is mostly memorable for the fact that Bradshaw, a competitor who didn't know his own strength, supposedly knocked out The Road Dogg not once but twice during this match. The New Age Outlaws would still retain the titles after the ref bump and interference by Pac, but just to watch Bradshaw and Faarooq manhandle James and Gunn like they were The Roadie and Rockabilly again, man, really made The Acolytes look tough.
Maybe I'm just bias because this was about the time I really started to get into the WWF but RR 2000 has to one of the most memorable Royal Rumbles in the history of Royal Rumbles. And that's tough for even me to say because I've seen every Royal Rumble until RR 2009.
This Royal Rumble as featured the debut of Tazz in WWF, The spot hungry Hardy Boyz taking on the wood hungry Dudley Boyz in the first-ever tag team tables match, the swimsuit contest where Mae Young flashes her "puppies", the forgettable Chris Jericho vs. Chyna feud moment when Hardcore Holly was also involved, The unforgettable return of Cactus Jack 2000 vs. Triple H in the street fight where Hunter gets a piece of plywood stuck in his leg, and the Royal Rumble match that The Rock wins and Taka Michinoku takes a hilariously painful looking bump.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)