By Scott Bowden
February 10, 2005
The KFR Heat Lamp:
Scott Bowden serves up his thoughts on the latest news in the rasslin’ world, including Vince McMahon’s conquest of Japan, the rise of one WWE Diva & the fall of another and the 2005 WWE Hall of Fame featuring Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling.
Editor’s Note: Scott Bowden humbly requests that you please resend any e-mail correspondence you may have sent him in the last few months or so. He only recently learned that most of the e-mail sent to him via the Poop Shoot’s “Write the Author” link has been going directly into his spam folder. He simply never received them. Thank you.
We’re Ichi Ban, We’re Ichi Ban!: Vince McMahon and Co. should be commended for a very solid RAW show, highlighted by a nice blend of mat wrestling (Benoit/Jericho), showmanship (Flair/Michaels) and home-cooking (Tajiri’s title win) — all while further progressing the company’s main storyline (Triple H/Batista) heading into the company’s biggest show of the year in Los Angeles. This show epitomizes what the WWE product could be — something for everyone.
WWE In Your House: If you cannot wait for the Batista vs. Triple H showdown in LA, you can pick up WrestleMania 21 for your Xbox system beginning March 8.
Funny: Nearly every screenshot of the two Evolution members at IGN (Web site for gamers) has Triple H whipping Batista’s ass. Who’s in charge over there? Stephanie McMahon?
Submitted for your approval: As I stated last week, WWE wisely booked a Submission Match with Benoit and Jericho for the RAW in Tokyo. Solid action all the way through (yeah, all 9 minutes … too short), with both displaying a level of intensity missing in too many matches nowadays. In the WRESTLING GOLD series, Jim Cornette repeatedly points out Jerry Lawler’s body language and facial expressions as the standard by which stories are told inside the ring. Well, Benoit and Jericho have mastered the art as well. OK, don’t snicker at the comparisons of Lawler to either Benoit and Jericho. Yes, they (especially Benoit) are more spectacular wrestlers than Lawler; however, the King was the master at telling a story inside the ring. (But, as Cornette concedes, “Maybe sometimes his stories were a little slow developing, but …. ”) They both looked like they were in a fight for their lives. And who watching the bout didn’t say aloud “Owww!” at the headbutt spot? (Rhetorical.) I understand the reasons for keeping it short, but even only 10 minutes more would have made this a match-of-the-year candidate.
I spit on your awards ceremony: The news broke this week that the Iron Sheik himself, Khosrow Vaziri, will be inducted into this year’s WWE Hall of Fame at the Universal Amphitheatre in Los Angeles the night before WrestleMania. Vaziri (a.k.a. the Great Hossien a.k.a. Hussein Arab) will be honored along with fellow WWF ’80s-expansion allies Paul Orndorff, Bob Orton Jr., Nikolai Volkoff and Jimmy Hart. (Can Hulk Hogan be far behind? Methinks not. And Cyndi Lauper? Nah.) I’m sure they’re planning on releasing another DVD of the event, along with “classic” bouts involving the inductees, though with Volkoff and Hart that won’t be easy. Any recommendations?
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During my Backlund Challenge, some of you wrote in saying that I overlooked a classic title defense in MSG, with Bob defending against Vaziri in 1979. (I believe this bout took place after the future Sheik won a battle royal to determine Backlund’s challenger later that evening.) Orndorff had some pretty good matches with Hogan, so they might kill two birds with one stone by featuring a bout between the two, much like they did with Harley Race and JYD on last year’s DVD. (A doggone shame they didn’t have a better match for those two. Junkyard Dog — perhaps a bout with Terry Funk. Race — with just about anyone else other than the Dog.) Congrats to fellow Memphis manager Hart for his inclusion — I’m sure his will be one speech in which absolutely everyone will be thanked profusely.
Go figure: WWE doesn’t miss a trick. The likenesses of new Hall-of-Famers Orndorff, Sheik and Volkoff are featured on new action figures as part of the WWE Classic Series 5. While the Terry Funk action figure is also featured in the same set, I don’t think that’s necessarily an indication that he’ll be inducted this year, although the Funker is certainly damn worthy. (Actually, an HOF induction would work nicely for Funk at this time, as he has a book out soon.) And Gotch forbid the other two in the set get in: Brutus Beefcake and King Kong Bundy. OK, maybe Bundy was a decent big man, but he went from wrestling Hogan (WrestleMania II) to working with midgets (WrestleMania III) pretty quickly. But with Hogan likely getting in this year, I hope he doesn’t try to bring Ed Leslie with him like he did at nearly every stop in his wrestling career.
Horseplay: Earlier this week, SMACKDOWN Diva Amy Weber left WWE in a huff after some of her WWE colleagues found her picture on a flyer promoting The White Horse, a Japanese strip club. The boys had been unmercifully ragging on her anyway, with this latest incident merely the breaking point. Weber claims the establishment stole her likeness, a claim seemingly supported by the Torch’s Wade Keller, who published an FHM magazine cover with the same photo. PWInsider’s Dave Scherer claims, however, that Weber and WWE are already talking of reconciling.
I certainly think Weber is worth keeping around — more so than, say, RAW Diva Christy Hemme — however, she may have to give up some of her travel perks, which have been a source of irritation for the boys, most of whom are accustomed a tough travel schedule.
Little Daddy’s Diva: Another WWE Diva, Candice Michelle, made headlines this week. (By the way, never trust a buxom woman with two first names. You can sleep with them. Just don’t trust them.) Candice was the well-endowed woman in the GoDaddy.com spot that aired during the SuperBowl, the girl twirling and rasslin’ with her top in front of a censorship committee.
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In an interview with WWE.com, Michelle…Candice…whatever, bragged about her entire routine in the commercial being pure improv. Seems the NFL didn’t appreciate her artistic freedom, as officials from the league called FOX and requested that they not air the scheduled rerun of the spot in the second half of the game. FOX caved to their demands, which only gave GoDaddy.com even more exposure, as the spot suddenly became the topic of conversation around in ad circles and around the water cooler. McMahon must have loved this situation — he’s big on anti-censorship/anti-FCC …and really high on water-cooler talk. While McMahon’s idea and my idea of positive water-cooler talk differ, this did result in some pub for WWE as Candace mentioned her WWE affiliation on a few shows this week. Maybe this is the break Candice has been waiting for all her life.
The Next Big Lawsuit: Brock Lesnar, 27, is suing WWE to get out of a April 2004 settlement agreement that the Next Big Thing signed to break his last contract — one that prohibits him from appearing, participating in or associating with any professional-wrestling, ultimate-fighting or any sports-entertainment enterprise through June 30, 2010. I’ll bet this gets resolved in the form of an angle before it’s all said and done. If I were Lesnar, I’d be more concerned about getting out of that other agreement — the one this spring that ties him up for the rest of his life (or, more likely, three to five years) to Sable.
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