Any true wrestling fan will tell you that nothing gets them more excited for a feud or a match than a well crafted video package. WWE has been doing them for years and are far above any other sport in building hype and anticipation amongst their fans. The four major sports in the United States (NFL, NBA, MLB, NHL) cannot hold a candle to what WWE's video editors do on a consistent basis. They do what any great editor does: they tell a story and connect with their audience through visuals and sound.
There are two different kinds of promos that are typically featured in WWE programming: the career retrospective and the rivalry build up. This particular article will focus on the career retrospective.
This past May, one of the greatest in ring performers of the 1980s passed away in a car accident due to a heart attack. His name was Randy Poffo but we all knew him as the Macho Man Randy Savage. Savage was young in the real world but he was getting up there in years in the wrestling world. He had stopped wrestling (unlike others who desecrate their careers by jumping in the ring. That's right, I'm talking to you Hulk Hogan). Fans have grown accustomed to waking up to news of wrestlers dying of heart attacks (typically from steroid use) and drug overdoses (cocaine and pain killers tend to be the favorites). Randy Savage's death was different. His autopsy claimed he had not been abusing drugs and he died of a rare heart condition. Randy Savage and Hulk Hogan personified professional wrestling in the 1980s and early 1990s. Hulk Hogan was the more popular of the two and ultimately became the bigger superstar, however, Randy Savage was a gifted in ring performer whose style inspired the likes of Shawn Michaels and more recently CM Punk.
On Monday Night Raw this year, Vince McMahon set aside his personal differences and aired a touching tribute to Randy Savage. The video was edited in a two act structure. The first act featured voice over, his Pomp and Circumstance entrance music, and his accomplishments. The second act took a more emotional tone and featured Coldplay's The Scientist. The lyrics took on a whole new meaning when matched with the visuals of Macho Man in his prime. It featured several shots of him and Miss Elizabeth who passed away in 2003 at the age of 43 as a result of a drug/alcohol overdose. The music video told a story of not the character of the Macho Man, but rather the story of the man who we thought of as character but in reality struggled like any human being.
The worst part about a eulogy type video promo is that it is for the fans and not particularly for the individual. This April, Shawn Michaels was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. If you ask this writer who the best in ring performer in history was, it is going to be hard for me to give you the name of anybody else other than Shawn Michaels. This video showcases his 26 year career in WWE with such beauty.
He bled charisma and character in the early part of his career. By the tail end of his career, he sacrificed that character in exchange for putting on a show every time he stepped between those ropes. His career was almost cut short in 1998 due to a back injury but he returned in 2002 and wrestled for eight more years having pantheon level matches with Kurt Angle, Ric Flair, Triple H, and The Undertaker.
On a related note, Shawn Michaels went to the ring at WrestleMania 24 to face Ric Flair. The storyline states that if Flair lost, he would have to retire. Flair knew it would be his last match and the fans knew it too. Flair wanted his final performance to be with the best. They put on an incredible match that left this writer in tears when it finally reached it's conclusion.
Professional wrestling is unlike any other sport. Every professional athlete hopes that his swan song will be winning a championship and then riding off into the sunset on top. Traditionally, in the world of pro wrestling, your final match is always supposed to be a loss. It is your duty and your responsibility to get your opponent over with the crowd for the "greater good of the business". Flair knew this coming into WrestleMania 24. He walked down that aisle in a beautiful robe knowing that this was it. A 59 year old Ric Flair got in the ring with a 43 year old Shawn Michaels. What happened over the course the following twenty minutes was pure magic.
This video is not particularly a career retrospective but rather a curtain call. Ric Flair's farewell on Monday Night Raw the night after WrestleMania 24 was professional wrestling's equivalent of Lou Gehrig's farewell speech at Yankee Stadium. It gave fans the chance to say thank you and it gave Flair the chance to vocalize what his 36 year career meant to him. It was a true display of heartfelt human emotion. Ric Flair's farewell was a rare moment that transcended the fake world of professional wrestling and broke down the fourth wall and gave fans a look at not the "Nature Boy" or the "16 time World Champion" but rather the performer who dedicated his life to his craft and watching him wave goodbye.
The ultimate career retrospective video was done in 2001. Kid Rock's song "Lonely Road of Faith" was the perfect song to accompany this particular video that showcased the evolution WWE. In just a few minutes, we are taken on a journey of Vince McMahon Sr. and his son's dream to make his father's professional wrestling territory something spectacular.
This is the greatest video they have ever edited in my opinion. They told a thirty year history of professional wrestling in just a few short minutes. The bridge to Kid Rock's song served as a brilliant bed to display the Attitude Era of the 1990s. The point where this video transcends other video packages is showing not only the evolution of the business but characters. The quick cuts from the grandfather "High Chief" Peter Maivia, to the son "Soul Man" Rocky Johnson, to the grandson The Rock elicit a sense of tradition that this sport treasures. Another edit that gives me chills is watching Macho Man Randy Savage, Shawn Michaels, and Kurt Angle all perform the same type of in ring spin at the 2 minute and 40 second mark. The video finally ends with a quick series of shots featuring the greatest World Champions in the history of the business. It poetically ends with a shot of Vince McMahon emotionally looking out to the crowd and cuts to a photo of his father. The video is called "WWF Desire" and it still brings chills down my spine. Vince Jr. changed the wrestling business in 1985 with WrestleMania and this video showcases the journey he and hundreds of performers have embarked on to make the art of professional wrestling what it is today.
Next time, I'll go over some of the best rivalry and feud build up promos ever edited by the WWE... and boy oh boy there are some gems.
August 24, 2011
August 15, 2011
The Rise and Fall of the Pay Per View – Is SummerSlam 2011Part of a Bigger Problem?
First Pay Per View ordered: WrestleMania 13, March 23rd, 1997. Price: $30
Last Pay Per View ordered: WrestleMania XXVII, April 3rd, 2011. Price: $65
I understand that times have changed. WrestleMania is now a premiere event that is presented on such a larger scale than all of WWE’s other ppv events. High definition also raises production costs which are transferred to the consumer. Up until 1995, WWE held 4-5 ppv’s a year: Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, King of the Ring, SummerSlam and Survivor Series. In 1995, they went to a 12 ppv format per year. The extra 7 events, dubbed In Your House, were two hours long (as opposed to three) and cost $19.99. In ’97, they made those events three hours long with the 17th installment entitled Ground Zero. Still, they cost $30 per event. The storylines were written better and every month you felt the desire to order the ppv in fear that if you did not, you would miss out on something huge.
Pay per view events used to matter much more to the fabric of storytelling and revenue. Today, WWE is such a powerhouse in the cable television and merchandising world that ppv’s have been put on the back burner. This Sunday, SummerSlam was WWE’s latest victim. We went into SummerSlam with four booked matches. This is touted as the second largest pay per view event of the year second only to WrestleMania. They built up four matches and gave it a price tag of $55. That seems pretty steep for an event that featured only one match that fans really felt a burning desire to witness live (Cena vs. Punk for the title). The opening match for SummerSlam featured a 6-Man Tag Team Match. The actual work done in the match by the performers was above average and it ended up being an enjoyable contest. However, there were no stakes. Any writer of books or movies will tell you to raise the stakes. SummerSlam should be all about stakes as it is one of their biggest shows. A 6-Man Tag Team match used to be a vehicle used on Monday Night Raw to build up to three individual one on one matches at the pay per view event. As we saw with the main event, SummerSlam was used as a vehicle to draw viewers to the USA Network for Monday Night Raw instead of using it as a conclusion to a feud.
I enjoyed the ending to SummerSlam. CM Punk pinned John Cena with a clean win. Triple H not seeing Cena’s foot on the rope allowed both Cena and Punk to get over in the match without either one suffering. The post match shenanigans played on our expectations as wrestling fans. As Cena argued with Triple H, I was waiting for Cena to turn heel… it did not happen. As Triple H raised Punk’s hand in victory, I expected Triple H to clobber Punk turning him heel… it did not happen. Out of nowhere comes Kevin Nash powerbombing Punk and allowing Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money In The Bank contract to finally win the Championship (the title I feel he should have won at WrestleMania). CM Punk recently said in an interview that he is not trying to bring the Attitude era back from 90s but rather create a new reality type era. I will be the first to say that professional wrestling is at its best when the line between fiction and reality is blurred. Kevin Nash and Triple H are the best of friends in real life so the idea of Nash costing Punk his title brings up several questions.
I felt the ending of SummerSlam was well crafted. The writers have an opportunity to do something truly great here. The rumor going around is that they want to build to a match between CM Punk and Triple at Survivor Series.
Nash being thrown into the mix adds an interesting twist to a storyline that looked pretty linear and cookie cutter. I tell people all the time that in the world of television, it is not good enough for people to WANT to watch the next episode of your show. They need to be scared to of missing an episode. SummerSlam made me excited for tonight’s Raw. Will Nash voice his reasons? What is next for Alberto Del Rio as Champion? Is Punk done with Cena and moving onto his next feud? 
Survivor Series is in November emanating from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Three pay per view events lay between now and Survivor Series. Night of Champions is on 9/18, Hell in a Cell is on 10/2 and Vengeance is on 10/23. These pay per view events are so close in proximity that their importance diminishes due to the limited time to build meaningful story lines to matches that people feel they cannot miss. At this rate, all they can hope to be are vehicles working to Survivor Series. I’ll be watching Monday Night Raw tonight. I am hopeful with what could be. However, after fifteen years of being a fan, I am highly skeptical of what probably will be.
Last Pay Per View ordered: WrestleMania XXVII, April 3rd, 2011. Price: $65
I understand that times have changed. WrestleMania is now a premiere event that is presented on such a larger scale than all of WWE’s other ppv events. High definition also raises production costs which are transferred to the consumer. Up until 1995, WWE held 4-5 ppv’s a year: Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, King of the Ring, SummerSlam and Survivor Series. In 1995, they went to a 12 ppv format per year. The extra 7 events, dubbed In Your House, were two hours long (as opposed to three) and cost $19.99. In ’97, they made those events three hours long with the 17th installment entitled Ground Zero. Still, they cost $30 per event. The storylines were written better and every month you felt the desire to order the ppv in fear that if you did not, you would miss out on something huge.
Pay per view events used to matter much more to the fabric of storytelling and revenue. Today, WWE is such a powerhouse in the cable television and merchandising world that ppv’s have been put on the back burner. This Sunday, SummerSlam was WWE’s latest victim. We went into SummerSlam with four booked matches. This is touted as the second largest pay per view event of the year second only to WrestleMania. They built up four matches and gave it a price tag of $55. That seems pretty steep for an event that featured only one match that fans really felt a burning desire to witness live (Cena vs. Punk for the title). The opening match for SummerSlam featured a 6-Man Tag Team Match. The actual work done in the match by the performers was above average and it ended up being an enjoyable contest. However, there were no stakes. Any writer of books or movies will tell you to raise the stakes. SummerSlam should be all about stakes as it is one of their biggest shows. A 6-Man Tag Team match used to be a vehicle used on Monday Night Raw to build up to three individual one on one matches at the pay per view event. As we saw with the main event, SummerSlam was used as a vehicle to draw viewers to the USA Network for Monday Night Raw instead of using it as a conclusion to a feud.
I enjoyed the ending to SummerSlam. CM Punk pinned John Cena with a clean win. Triple H not seeing Cena’s foot on the rope allowed both Cena and Punk to get over in the match without either one suffering. The post match shenanigans played on our expectations as wrestling fans. As Cena argued with Triple H, I was waiting for Cena to turn heel… it did not happen. As Triple H raised Punk’s hand in victory, I expected Triple H to clobber Punk turning him heel… it did not happen. Out of nowhere comes Kevin Nash powerbombing Punk and allowing Alberto Del Rio to cash in his Money In The Bank contract to finally win the Championship (the title I feel he should have won at WrestleMania). CM Punk recently said in an interview that he is not trying to bring the Attitude era back from 90s but rather create a new reality type era. I will be the first to say that professional wrestling is at its best when the line between fiction and reality is blurred. Kevin Nash and Triple H are the best of friends in real life so the idea of Nash costing Punk his title brings up several questions.
I felt the ending of SummerSlam was well crafted. The writers have an opportunity to do something truly great here. The rumor going around is that they want to build to a match between CM Punk and Triple at Survivor Series.
Survivor Series is in November emanating from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Three pay per view events lay between now and Survivor Series. Night of Champions is on 9/18, Hell in a Cell is on 10/2 and Vengeance is on 10/23. These pay per view events are so close in proximity that their importance diminishes due to the limited time to build meaningful story lines to matches that people feel they cannot miss. At this rate, all they can hope to be are vehicles working to Survivor Series. I’ll be watching Monday Night Raw tonight. I am hopeful with what could be. However, after fifteen years of being a fan, I am highly skeptical of what probably will be.
August 9, 2011
SUMMERSLAM - The Top 10 Matches
We are less than a week away from SummerSlam, WWE's touted "Biggest Event of the Summer." SummerSlam is considered to be the second biggest show of the year for WWE second only to WrestleMania. Sure, the past ten years of SummerSlam seems to sort of blur together in a drunken like blackout. Even myself, an encyclopedia of pay per view matches dating back to 1994 cannot even tell you what the main event was at SummerSlam 2003 (just kidding it was the Elimination Chamber match featuring Goldberg). My point is that SummerSlam has not gotten the respect it deserves as of late. Vince McMahon and his writers ignore storyline buildup almost relying heavily on the branded name of SummerSlam to sell the event. Gentlemen, SummerSlam is not the brand that WrestleMania is, so act accordingly. Even with this year's SummerSlam being headlined by Cena/Punk II, WWE would have been screwed if Punk did not re-sign with the company. The under card is being completely ignored, and I for one am very upset about it. The under card sometimes can overshadow the main event. So let's take a look back at the Top Ten Matches in SummerSlam history in no particular order (because ranking matches and ultimately choosing my favorite causes my head to explode).
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
A cop out, yes. Honorable mentions exist for writers who can not settle on a top ten list without mentioning a few extras. Deal with it.
SummerSlam 2002: Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio
SS 2002 was a great event all in itself and is likely the best SummerSlam of the past ten years. It featured four compelling matches including Brock Lesnar defeating The Rock for his first championship, Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels in an emotionally charged street fight, and Chris Jericho facing off against Ric Flair.
Angle and Mysterio was a main event level match that opened the show. It showed how fluid and exciting mixing wrestlers with different styles can be. In less than ten minutes of in ring action, they delivered a classic.
SummerSlam 2005: WWE Championship John Cena (c) vs. Chris Jericho
This is a perfect example of how a crowd can turn a good match into a great match. I saw this match live in person and the arena in Washington D.C. was erupting with half the building chanting for John Cena and the other half chanting for Chris Jericho.
The crowd became an element in the match. The performers fed off of it, even Jericho who was the clear heel. The clip still gives me goosebumps.
SummerSlam 1995: Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Razor Ramon
This is a great match, but it does not make it into the top ten mainly because it relied solely on the fact that it was a rematch from WrestleMania X.
Also, I can think of two SummerSlam matches featuring ladders that are much more memorable.
THE TOP TEN
SummerSlam 1991: Intercontinental Championship: Mr. Perfect (c) vs. Bret Hart
It is always best to start with a classic. Mr. Perfect was one of the few wrestlers in the early 90s that was as talented in the ring as he was on the microphone. He could cut a promo like no other. Bret Hart was still young and trying to make a name for himself in singles competition. The two men had similar styles in the ring and their chemistry worked wonderfully together. The match went back and forth really making audiences believe that either man had a chance to win. That was until Bret Hart kicked out of Mr. Perfect's finishing move called "The Perfect Plex" (aka the fisherman's suplex). Bobby Heenan exclaimed, "I've NEVER seen anybody do that." Bret Hart eventually locked on the Sharpshooter forcing Mr. Perfect to tap out. Hart was the new IC Champ and this match marked the beginning of his Hall of Fame singles career.
SummerSlam 1998: Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship The Rock (c) vs. Triple H
Triple H and The Rock had many classic matches in their career. However, in August of 1998, the two face each other for 26 grueling minutes in a ladder match. The match is exhausting to watch. The two men literally give it their all taking bump after bump bringing the Madison Square Garden crowd to their feet and erupting with cheers. This match was the culmination of several months of build up. This was the match culminating the storyline as Triple H would soon after legitimately injure his knee sidelining him for months.
SummerSlam 1998: WWF Championship Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs. The Undertaker
This is the perfect example of how two fan favorites can go into the ring, put on one hell of a show, and leaving the audience happy no matter who wins. In 1998, there was no bigger fan favorite than Stone Cold, so by default, The Undertaker was the heel. However, both men had similar striking styles in the ring and their characters contributed to the "Win by any means necessary" type tactics used in the match. Austin won the match with a low blow, a heel tactic, but Austin's persona blurred every line and broke every rule. He was the bad guy we all loved to cheer.
SummerSlam 1992: WWF Championship Macho Man Randy Savage (c) vs. The Ultimate Warrior
Macho Man Randy Savage was one of the greatest performers of the late 80s early 90s. He was the type of wrestler who made others look better just because he was so good at selling his opponents' maneuvers. When I think of performers who mastered the craft of "selling", Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels come to mind. That is why when Ric Flair and Macho Man faced off at WrestleMania VIII in '92, they put on a hell of a show. Two sellers going head to head almost always guarantees an incredible match. In this match at SummerSlam, Macho Man had his work cut out for him. However, Savage brought agility to the match which mixed two different styles (if you can call what Ultimate Warrior delivered a "style") and delivering a captivating performance. Make no mistake about it, Savage carried the match for all 28 minutes and made the Warrior look better than he actually was. Unfortunately, the match was booked as a face vs. face match and Vince McMahon felt that a clean victory would weaken either character. Thus, a little interference by the dirtiest player in the game, Savage sells a knee injury and thus gets counted out. Warrior wins, but Macho Man wins the title. Good match, bad finish. Thankfully it was not the main event of the evening.
SummerSlam 1992: Intercontinental Championship Bret Hart (c) vs. The British Bulldog
This was the main event of the evening. Sure, it is a bit weird to book an Intercontinental Championship match as the main event over a World Championship. However, this was smart booking by the hands of McMahon. SummerSlam was being held in England in front of 80,000 fans and having the hometown hero British Bulldog headline the event was definitely the way to go. This was a match that had perfect written all over it. Bret Hart and British Bulldog are real life brothers in law. Davey Smith (Bulldog) married Bret's sister. This added a whole new layer to the plot. Who does she support? Does she root for her brother or does she stand by her husband. The two went at it for 25 minutes and delivered what is regarded by many as the greatest match in SummerSlam history. The roar of the crowd at the end will still give you chills.
SummerSlam 2000: TLC Match for the Tag Team Championship Edge & Christian (c) vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boys
These three teams faced off at WrestleMania of the same year in a Triangle Ladder Match. They had to top it, but how. Why not incorporate the weapons each team was known for? Tables, Ladders, and Chairs... OH MY! This match was brilliantly crafted with so many "Holy Shit" moments. I'm a sucker for a traditional wrestling match, but it's hard not to give credit to these six guys for putting their bodies on the line to perform bumps that will make you cringe. In hindsight, it is fun to watch this match knowing that all six guys walked out with minor scrapes and bruises. Watching this live was a whole other story. Enjoy the good old days when the Tag Team Championship actually meant something... but that's a whole other blog post entirely.
SummerSlam 2005: Hulk Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels
I saw this match live from Washington D.C. The buildup was spectacular and a couple months in the making. The build up was so wonderfully booked and perfectly executed. Watch this promo package:
It was a kick heard around the world. Shawn Michaels turned heel for one match and played so masterfully. You see, a good heel does not need to be necessarily bad. He does not need to cheat. He needs to have some sort of edge. An edge that will make him do anything to get to the top and not care about who he tramples on his way. Michaels played the resentful performer, the one who "reinvents himself every night in that ring" whereas Hogan rests on his laurels. The match was billed as "Icon vs. Legend" and it lived up to the hype. Hogan is not the most gifted performer in the ring. He uses 4-5 moves and that's it. Shawn Michaels showed the world that night in D.C at SummerSlam, that he is arguably the greatest entertainer in the history of professional wrestling and that he could make anybody look good in that ring.
SummerSlam 1994: Steel Cage Match for the WWF Championship Bret Hart (c) vs. Owen Hart
Brother vs. brother for the WWF Championship. A grudge match held inside a steel cage. The young bitter brother angry at his older brother for casting a shadow over his career. It does not get much better than this classic match from SS '94. These two faced off in a WrestleMania classic. Owen surprised the world when he beat his brother Bret one on one, but Bret went on to win the WWF Title later that night. Before May of 1995, the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) only had five pay per view events per year instead of 12. This allowed story lines to build slowly but surely for months and making the impending show down one that actually counted. In November of 1993, Owen betrayed his brother Bret by kicking him in his injured leg at the Survivor Series. This led to a match at WrestleMania in March. Owen beat his older brother and went on to become the King of the Ring that year in June and ending with a title shot at SummerSlam in August. This feud was built up for 8 months before they finally had to settle the score inside a steel cage. The good old days.
SummerSlam 2002: Unsanctioned Street Fight Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H
In March of 1998, I thought I had seen Shawn Michael's final match. He had severe back issues and was in an incredible amount of pain but still went out to perform the main event at WrestleMania. He retired from wrestling. Over four years later, he was able to repair his back to the point where he thought he could perform again. This mixed with a little faith (Shawn became a born again Christian during his hiatus) and a new attitude (due to his faith) he came back to wrestle. At the time, we were not quite sure how long he would be around. Would he injure his back again? Nobody knew. If you knew the real Shawn Michaels, you knew he was not going to come back unless he could perform at 100%. His first match was built against Triple H (his real life best friend) who betrayed him. Shawn and Triple H told a great story in the ring that night. Triple H was the performer in his prime and Shawn was the sick old dog that Triple H was going to put down... for good. But Shawn had more fight left in him than Triple H thought was there. It ended up being a brutal brawl with some great technical wrestling interspersed throughout.
SummerSlam 1997: WWF Championship The Undertaker (c) vs. Bret Hart with Shawn Michael as the Special Guest Referee
I was eleven years old watching this match on pay per view. Bret Hart had recently turned heel a few months earlier for the first time in his career. This match was about as good as a main event could get. The finish built up one of the greatest feuds of the late 90s between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels and the formation of DeGeneration X, the debut of Kane, the Hell in a Cell match, and the Montreal Screwjob. It all stemmed from this match. Bret and Undertaker are as good as anybody in the ring but this was the first time we could really appreciate Undertaker's technical abilities and what he is capable of doing if paired with the right person. Bret played the perfect heel. Shawn played the perfect controversial referee. The Undertaker played the perfect victim. This was a perfect SummerSlam match.
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
A cop out, yes. Honorable mentions exist for writers who can not settle on a top ten list without mentioning a few extras. Deal with it.
SummerSlam 2002: Kurt Angle vs. Rey Mysterio
SS 2002 was a great event all in itself and is likely the best SummerSlam of the past ten years. It featured four compelling matches including Brock Lesnar defeating The Rock for his first championship, Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels in an emotionally charged street fight, and Chris Jericho facing off against Ric Flair.
Angle and Mysterio was a main event level match that opened the show. It showed how fluid and exciting mixing wrestlers with different styles can be. In less than ten minutes of in ring action, they delivered a classic.
SummerSlam 2005: WWE Championship John Cena (c) vs. Chris Jericho
This is a perfect example of how a crowd can turn a good match into a great match. I saw this match live in person and the arena in Washington D.C. was erupting with half the building chanting for John Cena and the other half chanting for Chris Jericho.
The crowd became an element in the match. The performers fed off of it, even Jericho who was the clear heel. The clip still gives me goosebumps.
SummerSlam 1995: Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship Shawn Michaels (c) vs. Razor Ramon
This is a great match, but it does not make it into the top ten mainly because it relied solely on the fact that it was a rematch from WrestleMania X.
Also, I can think of two SummerSlam matches featuring ladders that are much more memorable.
THE TOP TEN
SummerSlam 1991: Intercontinental Championship: Mr. Perfect (c) vs. Bret Hart
It is always best to start with a classic. Mr. Perfect was one of the few wrestlers in the early 90s that was as talented in the ring as he was on the microphone. He could cut a promo like no other. Bret Hart was still young and trying to make a name for himself in singles competition. The two men had similar styles in the ring and their chemistry worked wonderfully together. The match went back and forth really making audiences believe that either man had a chance to win. That was until Bret Hart kicked out of Mr. Perfect's finishing move called "The Perfect Plex" (aka the fisherman's suplex). Bobby Heenan exclaimed, "I've NEVER seen anybody do that." Bret Hart eventually locked on the Sharpshooter forcing Mr. Perfect to tap out. Hart was the new IC Champ and this match marked the beginning of his Hall of Fame singles career.
SummerSlam 1998: Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship The Rock (c) vs. Triple H
Triple H and The Rock had many classic matches in their career. However, in August of 1998, the two face each other for 26 grueling minutes in a ladder match. The match is exhausting to watch. The two men literally give it their all taking bump after bump bringing the Madison Square Garden crowd to their feet and erupting with cheers. This match was the culmination of several months of build up. This was the match culminating the storyline as Triple H would soon after legitimately injure his knee sidelining him for months.
SummerSlam 1998: WWF Championship Stone Cold Steve Austin (c) vs. The Undertaker
This is the perfect example of how two fan favorites can go into the ring, put on one hell of a show, and leaving the audience happy no matter who wins. In 1998, there was no bigger fan favorite than Stone Cold, so by default, The Undertaker was the heel. However, both men had similar striking styles in the ring and their characters contributed to the "Win by any means necessary" type tactics used in the match. Austin won the match with a low blow, a heel tactic, but Austin's persona blurred every line and broke every rule. He was the bad guy we all loved to cheer.
SummerSlam 1992: WWF Championship Macho Man Randy Savage (c) vs. The Ultimate Warrior
Macho Man Randy Savage was one of the greatest performers of the late 80s early 90s. He was the type of wrestler who made others look better just because he was so good at selling his opponents' maneuvers. When I think of performers who mastered the craft of "selling", Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels come to mind. That is why when Ric Flair and Macho Man faced off at WrestleMania VIII in '92, they put on a hell of a show. Two sellers going head to head almost always guarantees an incredible match. In this match at SummerSlam, Macho Man had his work cut out for him. However, Savage brought agility to the match which mixed two different styles (if you can call what Ultimate Warrior delivered a "style") and delivering a captivating performance. Make no mistake about it, Savage carried the match for all 28 minutes and made the Warrior look better than he actually was. Unfortunately, the match was booked as a face vs. face match and Vince McMahon felt that a clean victory would weaken either character. Thus, a little interference by the dirtiest player in the game, Savage sells a knee injury and thus gets counted out. Warrior wins, but Macho Man wins the title. Good match, bad finish. Thankfully it was not the main event of the evening.
SummerSlam 1992: Intercontinental Championship Bret Hart (c) vs. The British Bulldog
This was the main event of the evening. Sure, it is a bit weird to book an Intercontinental Championship match as the main event over a World Championship. However, this was smart booking by the hands of McMahon. SummerSlam was being held in England in front of 80,000 fans and having the hometown hero British Bulldog headline the event was definitely the way to go. This was a match that had perfect written all over it. Bret Hart and British Bulldog are real life brothers in law. Davey Smith (Bulldog) married Bret's sister. This added a whole new layer to the plot. Who does she support? Does she root for her brother or does she stand by her husband. The two went at it for 25 minutes and delivered what is regarded by many as the greatest match in SummerSlam history. The roar of the crowd at the end will still give you chills.
SummerSlam 2000: TLC Match for the Tag Team Championship Edge & Christian (c) vs. The Dudley Boyz vs. The Hardy Boys
These three teams faced off at WrestleMania of the same year in a Triangle Ladder Match. They had to top it, but how. Why not incorporate the weapons each team was known for? Tables, Ladders, and Chairs... OH MY! This match was brilliantly crafted with so many "Holy Shit" moments. I'm a sucker for a traditional wrestling match, but it's hard not to give credit to these six guys for putting their bodies on the line to perform bumps that will make you cringe. In hindsight, it is fun to watch this match knowing that all six guys walked out with minor scrapes and bruises. Watching this live was a whole other story. Enjoy the good old days when the Tag Team Championship actually meant something... but that's a whole other blog post entirely.
SummerSlam 2005: Hulk Hogan vs. Shawn Michaels
I saw this match live from Washington D.C. The buildup was spectacular and a couple months in the making. The build up was so wonderfully booked and perfectly executed. Watch this promo package:
It was a kick heard around the world. Shawn Michaels turned heel for one match and played so masterfully. You see, a good heel does not need to be necessarily bad. He does not need to cheat. He needs to have some sort of edge. An edge that will make him do anything to get to the top and not care about who he tramples on his way. Michaels played the resentful performer, the one who "reinvents himself every night in that ring" whereas Hogan rests on his laurels. The match was billed as "Icon vs. Legend" and it lived up to the hype. Hogan is not the most gifted performer in the ring. He uses 4-5 moves and that's it. Shawn Michaels showed the world that night in D.C at SummerSlam, that he is arguably the greatest entertainer in the history of professional wrestling and that he could make anybody look good in that ring.
SummerSlam 1994: Steel Cage Match for the WWF Championship Bret Hart (c) vs. Owen Hart
Brother vs. brother for the WWF Championship. A grudge match held inside a steel cage. The young bitter brother angry at his older brother for casting a shadow over his career. It does not get much better than this classic match from SS '94. These two faced off in a WrestleMania classic. Owen surprised the world when he beat his brother Bret one on one, but Bret went on to win the WWF Title later that night. Before May of 1995, the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) only had five pay per view events per year instead of 12. This allowed story lines to build slowly but surely for months and making the impending show down one that actually counted. In November of 1993, Owen betrayed his brother Bret by kicking him in his injured leg at the Survivor Series. This led to a match at WrestleMania in March. Owen beat his older brother and went on to become the King of the Ring that year in June and ending with a title shot at SummerSlam in August. This feud was built up for 8 months before they finally had to settle the score inside a steel cage. The good old days.
SummerSlam 2002: Unsanctioned Street Fight Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H
In March of 1998, I thought I had seen Shawn Michael's final match. He had severe back issues and was in an incredible amount of pain but still went out to perform the main event at WrestleMania. He retired from wrestling. Over four years later, he was able to repair his back to the point where he thought he could perform again. This mixed with a little faith (Shawn became a born again Christian during his hiatus) and a new attitude (due to his faith) he came back to wrestle. At the time, we were not quite sure how long he would be around. Would he injure his back again? Nobody knew. If you knew the real Shawn Michaels, you knew he was not going to come back unless he could perform at 100%. His first match was built against Triple H (his real life best friend) who betrayed him. Shawn and Triple H told a great story in the ring that night. Triple H was the performer in his prime and Shawn was the sick old dog that Triple H was going to put down... for good. But Shawn had more fight left in him than Triple H thought was there. It ended up being a brutal brawl with some great technical wrestling interspersed throughout.
SummerSlam 1997: WWF Championship The Undertaker (c) vs. Bret Hart with Shawn Michael as the Special Guest Referee
I was eleven years old watching this match on pay per view. Bret Hart had recently turned heel a few months earlier for the first time in his career. This match was about as good as a main event could get. The finish built up one of the greatest feuds of the late 90s between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels and the formation of DeGeneration X, the debut of Kane, the Hell in a Cell match, and the Montreal Screwjob. It all stemmed from this match. Bret and Undertaker are as good as anybody in the ring but this was the first time we could really appreciate Undertaker's technical abilities and what he is capable of doing if paired with the right person. Bret played the perfect heel. Shawn played the perfect controversial referee. The Undertaker played the perfect victim. This was a perfect SummerSlam match.
August 7, 2011
Ranking Systems: Not a Bad Idea… If You Can Do It Right
Any sort of ranking system may seem kind of silly in the world of pro wrestling – the results are fixed, so why bother with a fixed ranking system. And yet both WWE and TNA have dabbled with different ways of publicly ordering performers. TNA is currently pushing the Bound For Glory series - twelve competitors get points for winning matches, with the winner getting a TNA World Heavyweight title match at the Bound for Glory pay-per-view. Back in mid-2010, shortly after Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff arrived in TNA, they featured a short-lived top 10 ranking system to determine the #1 contender. For WWE’s part, the rookie rankings on NXT are about as close as they’ve come. Both ranking systems supposedly combined fan voting with professional input, whether in the form of TNA’s championship committee or NXT’s Pros. While it’s clear to see that the fan involvement will never be able to run away with the rankings – that’s just too little control of the system, I do think there’s some merit to the idea of laying out who your top stars are. Over the next week or two, I’ll look at the pros and cons of each system.
Let’s look at TNA to start, since they do have a system in place right now. How the Bound for Glory series plays out could give good insight into who TNA wants to push into the main event scene. With over two months still to go, the standings look like this:
| Rank | Wrestler | Points |
| 1. | 40 | |
| 2. | 35 | |
| 3. | 33 | |
| 4. | 28 | |
| 4. | 28 | |
| 4. | 28 | |
| 4. | 28 | |
| 5. | 21 | |
| 6. | 14 | |
| 7. | 10 | |
| 8. | -10 | |
| WD | 24 |
-Matt Morgan withdrew due to legitimate injury.
Where It’s At
When I first started thinking about this article, the standings were… alarming. Crimson was still on top, but Gunner was in 2nd place, with Bully Ray and Devon not too far behind. Each of those wrestlers have massive downsides at this point in their careers: Crimson, hard though TNA has pushed, has absolutely zero heat on his own – he was actually better received as Amazing Red’s “little brother;” same goes for Gunner – he could get there, but he’s still too close to the Two Security Dudes gimmick he was saddled with for nearly a year to be seen as a legitimate threat; Bully Ray is on the singles push of his life right now, and is handling it pretty well, but I’m not sure he’s a guy you can build a title program around, at least not for too long; and Devon just isn’t there. When Team 3D split, all the good heat went with Bully Ray.
The rankings as they stand now are better, but that’s not to say TNA doesn’t still have time to screw it up. Having AJ Styles, Samoa Joe and D’Angelo Dinero in the bottom half is downright disgraceful. Styles and Joe are each former TNA champs, and D’Angelo Dinero is on the short list of guys that TNA has picked up from WWE and successfully repackaged. These are the guys they ought to be building their company around, and it really looks like they’ll be falling short to some of the others.
Where it’s Going
So who wins? I suspect there’s a couple different storylines in play here. The top four wrestlers will face each other at TNA’s September pay-per-view No Surrender. I think there’s a clear direction for James Storm and Bobby Roode to face each other as the final button on the Beer Money tag team – there’s money to be made from both of them as singles stars, and the long-time tag partners facing off in the final rounds of the tournament makes for a nice hook. Beyond those two, TNA seems pot-committed to pushing Crimson and his undefeated streak – I wouldn’t be surprised to have Crimson win the whole thing and get handed his first loss by the defending TNA champ, probably Kurt Angle. For the final spot in the finals, I’d wager either Gunner, another unknown that TNA wants to brand, or Bully Ray finishes in the top four, just to make sure there’s a heel presence. That requires RVD to drop lower in the rankings, but it sounds like something might be in the works for tonight’s Hardcore Justice PPV that will serve as a reasonable distraction for Rob. There’s also always the possibility of one of the lower-ranked guys (Joe is most likely, since he doesn’t look to have any other rivalries brewing – hell, even the Pope and Devon have a secondary story) going on a complete tear and shooting up the rankings.
Based on TNA’s booking history, I’d expect Roode vs. Storm to have much more long-term impact than the eventual winner. TNA looks to have the right idea in one respect, that they can use this tournament to build a new star, but I worry that their winner (Gunner or Crimson) is going to get their one moment in the spotlight at Bound For Glory, get a losing effort in good match with Kurt Angle, and then fall back to midcard status when TNA takes a hard left turn for whatever new idea they really like – Hogan with the title, Jeff Hardy returning, etc. Honestly, I hope I’m wrong, but we’ll see how it plays out.
What’s Good
Building new stars is extremely important, especially for TNA. One of the most significant criticisms usually leveled at the company is that their roster is dominated by former WWE stars or aging veterans who shouldn’t be as prominent as they are. A series like this gives them a huge opportunity to push the future faces of the company, similar to how WWE used to use the King of the Ring – remember the birth of Stone Cold?
Seeing Crimson, Gunner, Pope, Beer Money and Matt Morgan in the tournament tells fans who they’re counting on moving forward, along with TNA standards like Styles and Joe. A new face should win this tournament – as much as it doesn’t do Joe or Styles any favors having them in the bottom half, they don’t need the win. It’s perfectly feasible that either guy could win a #1 contender’s match and be right back in the title picture on any given night. So building someone new is certainly the way to go.
It’s also providing a nice built-in justification for matches. One issue in both major companies is that there’s not enough reason to mix up competition – if two guys are in a program, they’ll face each other in some slightly tweaked version of the same match all month long. Having a structure that give you good reason to mix and match opponents keeps the matches fresher and less repetitive from week to week.
Finally, it’s good that the system is presented as transparent. It’s based entirely on wins and losses, and thus makes it much easier for fans to follow. The other two rankings we’ll look at both involve fan voting and “committees”; fan voting is a nice idea, but far too easy to manipulate if execs don’t like the result, and using on-screen committees to make these decisions (TNA’s Championship Committee or NXT’s Pro vote) is just a nice way of rebranding the norm – people within the company making decisions with no requirement to explain their decisions or criteria.
What’s Bad
First and foremost, it’s just a shame that the guys TNA has picked to focus on in the tournament aren’t connecting with fans. At all. TNA would really like Crimson to be Bill Goldberg circa 1998, but he’s just not there. He doesn’t have the mystique that formed naturally around Goldberg, and doesn’t have Goldberg’s charisma (I can’t believe I just wrote that, but it’s true). Gunner is fantastic in the ring, but the overly-intense gimmick makes it hard to like him in any way, and his association with the tattered remains of the Immortal faction don’t do him any favors – Immortal already has go-away heat, and it’s rubbed off on him. TNA’s best option at this point would be to change course and push someone from the middle-bottom straight to the top. Matt Morgan would have been ideal, and that sort of run would have been believable for him, but unfortunately that’s not possible.
The second problem is how the series is run. Here’s how the scoring system works:
- 10 points for a submission victory
- 7 points for a pinfall victory
- 5 points for a countount victory
- 3 points for a disqualification victory
- 2 points for a draw
- -10 points if you get disqualified.
This is just a bit too convoluted. I like that they reward submission, as it’s the more difficult win to get, but points for a draw? Points for a countout victory – that would be fine if countout were usually used as a strategic move, but it’s more often that the opponent got distracted by something at ringside.
There’s also the issue that it’s not entirely clear to everyone where the points are coming from. The TV matches are fine, but TNA is also issuing points for live event matches. On the one hand, it’s great that they’re doing something to make it seem like live events matter, but the vast majority of their audience is seeing TV only, and may be confused about how these scores add up. They’ve actually put together some good live event recap videos showing how the points came about, but those packages seeing the light of day on Impact has been sporadic at best.
Lastly… Scott Steiner. Does anyone in the wrestling world actually want to see Steiner anywhere near a world title anymore?
Where to Go from Here
TNA is running out of time. They only have about a month before they’re stuck with their final four. At this point, the tournament isn’t the right vehicle to give Gunner or Crimson a new gimmick or personality change, so the best option would be to have someone break through into the top four. Samoa Joe charging up the list would be a nice response to the losing streak and subsequent frustration he’s shown since the tournament began, and would give him a purpose for the next three months, which is something Joe hasn’t had since he was “kidnapped” and then returned with no actual explanation. A pleasant turn would also be to have Beer Money face each other in the final match of the tournament, which could be a star-turning match for the both of them.
TNA desperately needs home grown talent. Having former WWE/WCW guys headlining all of their pay per views does nothing for their identity as a company, and just forces them further into Vince McMahon’s shadow. They could have used the series to push out a new star, but it looks like they may have backed the wrong horse(s) in this race. There’s always an opportunity to save the program, but they’ll have to make a drastic change, and make it fast, if they want a main event that people are going to care about at Bound for Glory.
Next time, NXT – a deeply flawed voting system on a deeply flawed concept. After that, the Top Ten Championship Rankings – a great storyline tool if you use it correctly.
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