The Dream Card

Wow its been a LONG time. But I guess that is a good thing as I have been kept busy with my work with WXW C4, WSU, and Vendetta Pro. I do want to blog more as I need an outlet for my creativity, etc. I'm actually thinking about moving this blog to Tumblr because it works more like Twitter so that I can blog quicker and more often, so we'll see what happens.

I was planning on coming on here to give my predictions for this year's Wrestlemania. But quite honestly, I don't have a clue on how this could turn out. And that's a good thing. I know I'll be back soon though for a review of Vince Russo's new book. I've already got some commentary in my head for that one.

I was actually inspired to come up with a Wrestlemania dream card after listening to "From Pillar to Post" on HybridENT.tv hosted by two good friends, Jake and Dean. They ran through their line ups and they had some great choices. So I figured I should give this a whirl. I'll be using the same criteria they used (which I don't feel like typing out so if you want to know go to HybridENT.tv now and listen). I should say now that after listening to the show and really thinking about it, I think I'm gonna end up with a lot of Wrestlemania X-Seven matches as I have very fond memories of that particular event. So here we go my Wrestlemania Dream Card:

1- Opening Match:
Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart (Wrestlemania X)
I couldn't help but open with this. Granted I haven't done the proper research and go back and review each event. But know what I have at the top of the card, I couldn't leave these two off. And within the context of the time, this was a great match. It is always hard for me to go back and watch particular matches because I can't invest my emotions into it without seeing the entire feud play out. But this is one of those matches that has always stuck out in my head. Plus I feel if this were today and both these guys were at their prime, this would surely be a great start to Wrestlemania.

2- Tables, Ladders, & Chairs Match:
WWE Tag Team Championship
The Dudley Boyz (c) vs. Edge & Christian vs. The Hardy Boyz (Wrestlemania X-Seven)
After choosing my opening match, I decided to pick all my matches and put them in order and THEN talk about them. And boy, this was harder than I thought! I think I have too many "main events." I've always been a fan of Tag Team Wrestling. Why? I don't know. Like I said before, Wrestlemania X-Seven has some fond memories. This match being one of them. These three teams carried the Tag Team Division for at least a year and a half. I tried to fit Money in the Bank here, but the rules wouldn't allow it. And after a technical bout that was sure to kick things off great, going crazy with a Hardcore-like match would really kick things up. Plus, I feel that the Tag Titles are always shafted at 'Mania with a quickly put together feud like this year's, so this match where time and energy was invested deserves to make it on a Dream Card.

3- Two Fall - Triple Threat Match:
WWE Intercontinental & WWE European Championship
Kurt Angle (c) vs. Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho (Wrestlemania 2000)
This is where I started to have trouble. I felt both Angle and Jericho, and I suppose Benoit (pre-going crazy) deserved to be on a 'Mania dream card. And with what I had laid out, this match fit in perfectly. Granted all three have better choices, but this was a great match nonetheless. And if any three can follow a TLC Match, it would be these three. I believe my only reservation about this match is Benoit being in it after well... You know.

4- $15,000 Bodyslam Challenge:
Andre The Giant vs. Big John Studd w/ Bobby Heenan (Wrestlemania)
I seem to only include matches from the last decade. But in all honesty, not including the main events, most of the 'Manias prior to 15 were not all that groundbreaking. However, I may say that because I have more of a memory of the modern Wrestlemanias as opposed to the earlier ones. I felt I needed to respect the history of the event. And respect the stars that deserve to be on here. I went through all the matches and I found this gem. Granted, its something goofy really, but I know at the time it was such a grand thing to see. Plus, I belive Andre The Giant was awesome. Granted, all I've seen is DVD footage and wasn't born until after his prime (Pre-Wrestlemania). But I think had I been around I would have been a bigger fan of Andre than Hogan. Plus, this is a good place to bring the crowd down for my celebrity match. By the way... I don't know if I could actually count this as a match, it was only a bodyslam contest. Could I get one more match? I have a few in mind. Haha...

5- Special Attraction Match:
Lawrence Taylor vs. Bam Bam Bigelow w/ Ted DiBiase (Wrestlemania XI)
I always forget this match existed until I see a Wrestlemania Recall or read about or whatever... Originally I wanted my celebrity to be Pete Rose, still do really, I just get a kick out of the Rose/Kane stuff. On a side note, I was disappointed with their use of Rose and his interaction with Kane. Anyway... This match could quite possibly be the best celebrity match maybe even the best celebrity usage ever. The rest of Wrestlemania XI is forgettable, which is why I always forget about this match. But this match, I can remember it clear as day... The coverage that it got. I can remember seeing it on the news and the entertainment shows. And when you go back and watch, the crowd was on fire for this match. I think if Mayweather/Big Show was built over a few months it could have passed this match. But none of the celebrities got WWE the attention LT did. And it was believable that LT could beat Bam Bam.

6- Retirement Match:
Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair (Wrestlemania 24)
This was a fantastic match. However, I think Michaels has better outings. But they just did not fit into the equation. I really wanted the Ladder Match with Razor Ramon or his match with Angle, but this is good enough. This had a great build, but I still contend it could have been better as really Flair was only fighting for his career over like 2-3 months, it should have been going on for a year or more. I digress... The other reason I put this in here is once again I wanted to respect the past and who better than Ric Flair? I think if Flair was 20 years younger it would have been the greatest 'Mania match of all time, but then again you can say that about a lot of these matches. Still, for what it was... It was still fantastic. Which is a testament to both Flair and Michaels. Both a little over the hill and this match still blows away most other matches ever put on Wrestlemania. I would have put this on at match 7 but...

7- The Undertaker vs. Triple H (Wrestlemania X-Seven)
Since this was basically an anything goes match, I couldn't put this on first and have Flair and Michaels with a technical bout follow it. Out of all the choices I had I picked this... Why? This is really where 'Taker was getting "challenged" and the streak started to mean something. Prior to this the only real "challengers" he had were Jake Roberts and Kane. Maybe you could put Snuka and Bundy in there, but both were on their way out. The year before this, he was out with an injury. I am starting to second guess my choice here, but I felt that this was a great performance at the time. Especially considering at the time both were hated on the internet. Maybe on a different day I would have made a different choice. But I just liked everything about this match. Plus, to fit others in I had to make concessions.

8- WWE Women's Championship
Trish Stratus (c) vs. Mickie James (Wrestlemania 22)
Call me sexist, but I needed to bring down the crowd a bit for the main event, and unfortunately this is the spot the women always get. Most of the time the women get thrown into some stupid multi-women bra and panties battle royal or something, I do feel they deserve better. Others probably wouldn't have put a women's match on, but I just felt that wasn't right. And when thinking about it (and after hearing Dean choose this on P2P) this was the only women's match that stands out in my head. Maybe it was because of the great build to it... Or maybe it was just remembering Mickie James' sexual gesture... But it just sticks out in my head. And if I can remember it, it had to be good. And in all honesty, Trish Stratus always seemed to be able to turn things into gold. I just wish Mickie James would get the same attention Trish did, as Mickie James is just as good as Trish in my eyes.

9- Main Event:
No Disqualification
WWE Championship
The Rock (c) vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin (Wrestlemania X-Seven)
It was a toss up between this match and their Wrestlemania XV match. But X-Seven again wins out in my head. I would say that their XV match was probably more historical, but X-Seven (aside from the finish) was better. Plus if you think about it, this match put a cap on the whole Attitude Era / Monday Night Wars. I was tempted to put their Wrestlemania XIX match on here, but I felt that should have been handled differently considering it was pretty much both guys' last hurrah. I know I kept Hogan off, but really I felt that this match was bigger than most Hogan matches at 'Mania with the except of Hogan/Warrior. But even then its a close call. I think if the times were a little different and 'Mania was already a household name when Hogan was there, then maybe Hogan would have a match. But really 'Mania was a much different beat when Hogan was the star attraction.

Now if you don't count the Andre/Studd "match" as a match... Then I'd probably throw in Hogan/Vince from Wrestlemania XIX, especially because of the appearance of Piper.

Wow... That was hard. (That's what she said) I think the card came out pretty good. Could it have been better, probably. But I think that would make money. And when you look at it, you really don't have many choices, like I said a few lines ago. The first ten 'Manias were still searching to become that household name. Between X and XV they were in a state of flux, due to ECW and WCW knocking on WWE's door. It really wasn't until X-Seven where Wrestlemania had attempted 5 star matches all the way up and down the card, in my opinion that is.

Well, lets see what happens tomorrow night... This by far is one of the best build 'Manias, I just hop it delivers. And if it does... Oh man, it will be a great night to be a fan!

For those of you who don't know... I host "Pro Wrestling Headlines Now!" on HybridENT.tv so you can get the latest news sponsored by DOIWrestling.com, PWBTS.com, and LordsofPain.net. I try to get the 5-10 minute audio clip up every Tuesday so you can check it out then!

The next time I'll be out on the road looks like it will be Friday May 7th as part of WXW C4's partnership with the Mountainville Fair. For more info on that go to WXWC4.com, which just this week I updated the roster section, so check it out!

Stay classy,
Dan The Phan

Raw.0

This time I'm hear to make a suggestion to WWE. For the last year I've pretty much sat back and made my decision whether WWE's Guest Host choices were good or bad. Most have been just ok, there were a few great ones and a few bad ones. If anything, I've been more surprised by how the Guest Hosts have turned out. If anything that is what has kept me tuning in just for the slight chance of something great like Tyson/Austin from the 90s. Anyway, I've been surprised with who has turned out great and bad... Some of the great ones that come to mind have been Bob Barker and Shaq... While I think the surprisingly bad one was Dennis Miller. Why was I surprised? Mainly because as a stand-up comedian who deals with a live audience as much as a wrestler I thought he would translate comfortably into WWE. But he didn't... Although maybe I shouldn't be too surprised as I can remember in college watching Letterman, Conan, and Daily Show one week and each night he was on one of those shows doing the exact same bit. But in the end I was very disappointed and the usual quick witted Miller fell flat on the Slammy Award Edition to Raw.

I start to write this on Monday night, but I got distracted... But during the week I saw that WWE was rumored to be trying to court Conan O'Brien to host an upcoming edition of Raw. Now I would definitely enjoy that... I doubt it will happen though. One main reason is that WWE is on NBC Universal TV... I don't think that will help getting a good timeslot in the future for Saturday Night Main Event.

Anyway... I have a suggestion for Guest Host... Daniel Tosh. For those who don't know who he is... Tosh is a stand-up comedian who now hosts a show on Comedy Central (Tosh.0) that pokes fun at Viral Videos a la The Soup on E! Tosh had a slow start on Comedy Central, questioning whether it would still be on the air the next week, but slowly started to build his show up and became one of their featured shows. And after finding some old YouTube clips he is slowly becoming more and more comfortable in his stand up finding his on niche. I've seen clips with him dealing with people on the street and he connects with them very well. He understands the world now. He doesn't really touch political humor (which in my opinion is a huge plus as most go straight for the Bush jokes). There is even a clip out there where he pretty much butchers (in a fun way) two fans in the front row (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vJ_9PYNreJ4). And after getting into Tosh later into his show's run I'm a huge fan. In my opinion, Tosh is going to be a huge start VERY VERY soon. And WWE should snatch his services up VERY fast before they lose the chance. Why? The number one reason, he's a wrestling fan! I haven't seen one episode of Tosh.0 that does include a wrestling joke. His second appearance on Letterman in 2002 he joked about it. Basically he's been loyal to this for his whole career. And really, I think most of our complaints to the guest host gimmick has been... THEY DON'T KNOW WRESTLING. So the combination of some of the bad picks (i.e. Dennis Miller) and the fact they don't know the product has really soured our taste for the gimmick. Daniel Tosh... Is ready made for Raw. He speaks to the generation WWE is trying to market to... Kids. I know I was surprised to! There was an episode I watched on demand where he showed his "Fan Challenge" videos and 9 out of 10 videos shown were from middle school kids! He knows how to mix that adult humor without alienating the kids somehow.

I know it sounds like I now work for Comedy Central or Daniel Tosh himself. But I am just a fan of him and believe he would be a fantastic pick as a Guest Host, and most likely one of the last Guest Hosts as it seems like that gimmick is nearing its end. And I really think WWE is looking for that crossover star, and Tosh could be it. And whats nice... He, unlike many entertainers right now, knows how to use Twitter and other social networking sites to his advantage. So WWE... Bring in Daniel Tosh and you won't be disappointed!

In other news... Check out WSUWrestling.com as I have updated the site with TONS of news for their upcoming 3rd Anniversary event. And also check out HybridENT.TV as my newest venture can be found there... "Pro Wrestling Headlines NOW!" It's a work in progress I know. But I should have a new episode up each week hopefully on Monday or Tuesdays.

That's all for now... So until next time... Stay classy.
Dan "The Phan"
http://twitter.com/ThePhan11
http://www.myspace.com/ThePhan11

Tuesday Morning Booker

Hey I'm only a week late! Haha... I honestly just haven't found time to sit down and write until now. But it also allows me to get in the last word.

Anyway... We are now a week removed from the first battle of the New Monday Night Wars. Well what one can only assume now is going to be the new war.

I like every die-hard wrestling fan tuned into both shows and flipped to both shows like it was the late-90s all over again. And I think without going into the quality of the programs. I believe that we all can agree on this... It was a fun night. I was texting, IMing, tweeting, etc, etc, etc. to my friends and it was just a fun night overall. Which I think was the one major victory that Monday January 4th had.

With that being said, last Monday it was TNA's chance to prove that they have the ability and the know-how to take on WWE. TNA was the one with something to prove on Monday night. But did they? Personally I did not fully care for the show. I think it was mainly due to the fact that the opening match, a CAGE match, ended in a No Contest. WHAT?! And on top of that Homicide, and I don't blame him at all for what happened, was stuck at the top of the cage for well over a minute almost rubbing salt into the wounds. Once I saw that, I just felt like it was the same old TNA. And I really feel bad for the X Division guys in the match as they are truly one of the shining parts of TNA, and it just made them all look like idiots! I kept watching TNA though, hoping that they wouldn't make another stupid mistake. But they made TWO more. First Hogan took an hour long drive across Orlando to get to the iMPACT! Zone?! I've been to Orlando, it takes like 30 minutes to drive across and that was with stops! And then Hogan went on to say "I've been sitting in the back tonight..." WHAT?! You were just in a limo driving across the city! And honestly that's when I was completely turned off.

What I saw during commercial breaks on RAW, seemed to be the same old TNA... An Adult Characature of Wrestling. They believe they are presenting an edgy product, I don't see it... I just see a cartoon version of wrestling. The storylines are okay at best. Much of it seems to lack logic too. And as great as the Angle/Styles and Pope/Wolfe matches were said to be. I think even they could not save the show. However, what made the show watchable is the surprise factor. They were getting the news out there that they has some tricks up their sleeves. Some were obvious... Nasty Boys, nWo, Orlando Jordan, Sean Morley, and Shannon Moore. But they pulled out the big guns with Ric Flair and Jeff Hardy. It is nice to see these faces. But at the same time... They added 9 familiar faces. Plus, I believe they have Angelina Love and Brian Kendrick waiting in the wings and they added The Young Buck. Plus of course Hulk Hogan. That's 13 new people! And as of now they still have the same amount of programming time. So I can see people being released. And who will be released? The "TNA Originals." The people that built the company that probably deserve to be there. So what do we have 13 old faces replacing fresher faces. Again nothing changes.

One think I will say is no matter how I felt about the show. TNA got their best ratings ever. And that you cannot take away from them. However their ratings went down as the night went on. And I believe they tuned into see Bret Hart.

RAW was nothing special really, outside the Bret Hart stuff. But WWE had a strong rating still. Not as strong as I would have though but if you think about it. They stayed steady, which is good for WWE. Plus, they didn't promote the show as something special really. They weren't really threatened by TNA. And why should they be? It was a one time thing for TNA. And TNA really didn't take a bite out of the WWE audience. Was RAW the better show? Honestly I think it was a solid show, but nothing great. But I wasn't insulted either. I don't see WWE really doing anything over-the-top until someone really challenges them to. Right now, WWE is happy with their programming. And why shouldn't they be? Of course, I agree with the masses saying they have just as much work to do with their product as TNA. However at the end of the day, WWE is the better overall product.

Monday also showed one major flaw in TNA... Their ability to stand out in the American public. Their advertising for the show was bad. Unless you are an avid wrestling fan, I don't think many people knew of the show. And those who found out about the show thought it was just starting up. I also agree with Sean The Mic from DOI... On Thursday they replayed Monday's show. So why give people the option to catch the replay? They could have kept riding the wave into Thursday. Instead they give the people 9 days to cool down. The true success on Monday will be if they can maintain the rating into this Thursday and beyond. And if they do that, then I will give TNA credit.

And really in the end what did Monday mean? Nothing... Well nothing yet. TNA made a statement. I was talking to Jake Black that night and he said (and I agree) "Where TNA is on 01/04/2011 is what matters." He's right. We can analyze the hell out of this show. It was one show, some liked it others didn't (like me). Some saw it as TNA changing its colors, others didn't (like me). I will say this though... I hope TNA can pull through it and give WWE a fight and jumpstart the entire wrestling business. However, after Monday I don't see TNA doing it... At least with Hulk Hogan at the helm. It all goes back to what I said months ago... The same people have been in charge for years and until someone new comes along we aren't going to see much of a change.

Alright well its a week late, but I got it in... Check out WXW-C4 Blast TV this week, as the format has changed a bit and yours truly is back on camera... Little rusty, but great to start back up with Blast TV. And I'm going to try and make Mondays the night for new Chronicles.

Until next time... You stay classy.
Dan "The Phan"

Tyson and Hart

The big news of the last few weeks has been the rumors/announcement of WWE getting Bret Hart and Mike Tyson. Tyson as guest host of January 11th Raw was made official yesterday on WWE.com. However, Bret Hart is still only heavily rumored, although almost all but confirmed to show up on the January 4th edition of Monday Night RAW.

Obviously I'm not the first to talk about these news stories. And I think much of the world agrees that these two men could possibly turn the wrestling business around. Both men are household names that have been involved with wrestling that both have unfinished business in WWE AND are not over used in the media. So both prove to have a much greater upside for WWE especially starting off the new year and the road to Wrestlemania 26. The success of their appearances depends on how WWE uses them... DUH! The Guest Host gimmick has been a somewhat success, as it is getting WWE some mainstream attention. However, I've believe since day one (and I may have said this in the past) that the Guest Host gimmick needs to lead to a major attraction match/storyline/feud. And now WWE has that chance to do exactly that!

The first two weeks of 2010 are definitely pivotal weeks for WWE, TNA, and UFC... More so WWE. Its no secret that WWE is still seen as the leader in Sports Entertainment. I know some will disagree and say UFC. But really it isn't. Its quite obvious that Spike TV, who house the television programs of TNA and UFC, see WWE as the leader. The first two Mondays of 2010 Spike TV is placing TNA and UFC in direct competition of WWE. Granted UFC is definitely the superior product right now, but for whatever reason its still seen as "number two" to WWE. It does better numbers on Pay Per View and Television but it still hasn't, in my opinion at least, definitively set itself apart from WWE. TNA, on the other hand, is most definitely number 3. But Spike TV has really been trying to create a powerhouse cable channel for the last ten years, especially when it comes to the male demographic. It was very strong when WWE was there. But once WWE left it had a void to fill and they seemingly haven't decided who will fill that void. They chose TNA first and then it was UFC. UFC has definitely been more successful in filling the void. The Ultimate Fight = MTV Tough Enough and UFC Fight Nights = Monday Night RAW. But I think Spike almost agrees with WWE's argument about why they are better than UFC... "We guarantee excitement" AKA... "We admit it... We fix our matches." UFC doesn't do that so their product can be and is extremely hit and miss. So they look to TNA to bring in Hulk Hogan and make a go at WWE on Monday Night January the 4th, however still giving UFC that chance to take out WWE on Cable TV like they have done on PPV by airing Fight Night on Monday January 11th.

Read this on Eric Garguilo's Camel Clutch Blog, "It is quite possible that TNA and the UFC woke up a sleeping giant that has been thirsting for competition for over eight years." I whole-heartedly agree with that statement. TNA, UFC, and Spike TV have awoken Vince McMahon. I'm sure he'll admit that his product hasn't exactly been up to par lately... The numbers don't lie. Viewership is down on Pay Per View... Viewership is shaky on both Cable and Network Television... Arena's aren't selling out like they use to. He knows all of that. But as long as no one was directly challenging him... He knew that everything would be alright. WWE's number aren't what the use to be but really in the grand scheme of things aren't that bad either. WWE is just coasting, just like most entertainment avenues. But they are now awake. And really it couldn't be a worse time for TNA and UFC. Generally, January marks the beginning of the Road To Wrestlemania. The Royal Rumble PPV is usually in January and it sets up the main event for March/April's Wrestlemania. They've picked to start a war with WWE during the most import 3-4 months of WWE's Calendar!

Enter Mike Tyson and Bret "The Hitman" Hart. What was thought to be an almost guaranteed "this will never happen..." Bret Hart back in WWE is going to happen. It was very lightly rumored as early as September of this year when they re-enacted the INFAMOUS Montreal Screwjob at WWE Breaking Point. Talks of the imminent return of Bret Hart exploded when his name was mentioned by Dennis Miller on a recent edition of RAW. With TNA airing a special on Monday Night January 4th headlined by the return of Hulk Hogan to wrestling... Its almost a guarantee that "The Hitman" will return on January 4th as well. Hart hasn't hid the fact that he is NOT one of Hulk Hogan's biggest fans, dating back to Wrestlemania 9. Since the early 90s rise of The Hitman, its almost been his mission to prove to the world that he is Hogan's equal. Granted in the last few years, I haven't been Hart's biggest supporter... I will agree that Hart is definitely deserving of being placed into the same category. And I do understand is frustrations. And if its true that January 4th marks his return to WWE, he is definitely poised to make a bigger impact than Hulk Hogan on TNA. Why? The obvious reason is... This marks Hogan's 1 millionth return to wrestling dating back to Wrestlemania 9! Hogan has been known to walk away more than once, and each time he comes back it means less and less. Granted, Hogan will always get the hero's reaction because well... He's Hulk F'N Hogan! But how many times has Hart walked away and come back? Technically never. You can argue about his Hall of Fame induction... But it was just a quick speech and a DVD we got out of that. Really, nothing was resolved. Hart hasn't gotten the proper send off that he deserves. Hart hasn't gotten to resolve his issues with McMahon or Michaels or even Triple H for that matter. I know most people rather that issue not be rehashed for fear it won't live up to what we believe in our minds. But it has to happen. Hogan may be the biggest star ever in profession wrestling. But even he isn't bigger than the most controversial moment in wrestling history. That alone is enough to crush TNA on January the 4th. But couple that with the fact that Hogan has been regularly seen on television in some fashion for the last 10+ years, while Hart has not. Hogan's reality shows may have made him money and a household name again, but they killed his star power a bit... I've seen Hulk Hogan a lot but I haven't seen Bret Hart a lot. Sure people will tune into TNA on January 4th at 8 PM, including me. However, if Bret Hart is on RAW starting at 9 PM... I'm going over the USA Network right away. TNA... Hulk Hogan isn't your answer... Unless he puts someone like AJ Styles or Samoa Joe or Christopher Daniels over in a big way.

The next week UFC goes head to head with RAW... WWE is bringing in Mike Tyson (with the possibility that Bret Hart will still be around). Tyson only recently has re-entered the world of entertainment with his appearance in The Hangover as well as his documentary. Despite Tyson's checkered past, he's been reinvented as a changed man. Who didn't feel sorry for the man losing his daughter? No matter how evil someone is, for someone to lose their child in such a way that he did... It is tragic! Tyson, like Hart, hasn't been in the public eye all that much in the last few years. UFC Fight Night, went from being a special one night affair, to being almost a monthly affair featuring their undercard fighters. Tyson gets attention where ever he goes... People want to know what the hell he's going to do next! He, once again like Hart, has unfinished business with the same people... Shawn Michaels and Triple H. Back at Wrestlemania 14, Tyson turned on DX. But DX didn't get their revenge!

With DX having the Tag Team Championship, allowing them to appear on all the WWE Brands... We could have a great feud brewing involving DX, Tyson, and Hart over the next few weeks. I would assume that Hart can't wrestle. I know there are reports saying he will. I doubt that, as Hart hasn't really looked all that good lately coupled with his fairly recent stroke. So I would hope this means that Bret Hart can elevate some younger talent in the next few months. All the ingredients are there for a huge Wrestlemania Moment. But will it happen?

What has happened though is WWE, TNA, and UFC have people talking and it could only benefit the world of fighting entertainment!
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Thanks for reading over the last year. 2010 looks to be a big year for both wrestling and myself in the wrestling world. I should have some new projects that I will be working on as well as continuing my work with WXW-C4 and WSU.

So have a happy holiday season... And until next time... You Stay Classy!
Dan "The Phan"

Plugged into CZW!

Finally... I've found the time/motivation to blog once again. Haha... I tried to sit down a few weeks ago and tried to blog about TNA's "blockbuster" signing of Hulk Hogan. But the Phillies were in the series, and well I got swept up in that.

Anyway, when I first started this blog it was going to be my way of "journaling" my wrestling journeys. But I hadn't really had anything to really chronicle until this past weekend. As I took part in my first major CZW event, Night of Infamy. I'm not going to lie... (Here comes the mark-out moment) It was rather surreal. I can remember where I was when I first saw CZW Fake You TV with Wifebeater running rough shot all over the particular match I saw... And I was still in High School... Sorry to make some people feel old. So to be getting a shot at the announce team was definitely very cool. And it was a goal accomplished.

After all the stories I've heard in my past about Combat Zone Wrestling, I can't say that I concur with all I've heard. It was a great atmosphere. And CZW is definitely wanting to make a splash once again, like they did almost 11 years ago. Not going to lie, they definitely are poised to make that impact again.

It was great to see some old friends at the event. But one person really stuck out to me at the event. That person was Ryan McBride. Although he was on the losing end of a Junior Heavyweight #1 Contender's match, he was very impressive in my eyes. I'm not trying to take anything away from the rest of a fantastic event or the other great independent talents. But McBride stuck out as having that "IT" factor in my eyes. I don't know what it was, but I think that's why they call it the "IT Factor." He seemingly is the total package. I definitely see some big things in McBride's future.

Again, the event as a whole was great. It is definitely obvious that they want to make Cage Of Death 11 the biggest event in their history. Everything that happened on Saturday set up Cage Of Death 11 almost perfectly. I can say that after this past weekend, I am definitely happy to be home at the Arena calling a PREMIERE wrestling company. So be sure to get your tickets for COD11 at the Arena on December 12th... Like the tag line says... It truly will be the Renaissance of Ultraviolence... The beginning of rebirth of CZW.

So I'll see you all at CZW COD 11...

Until next time... You stay classy,
Dan "The Phan" Cowhey

The State of Indy Wrestling

I know I've been gone for a LONG time... But here I am, I'm back atop my soapbox. Actually I have been very busy reconstructing WSUwrestling.com. Please let me know what you think of the site. I am still hard at work reconstructing some areas, such as the roster section. But I'm very happy to be on board with the WSU team, as I believe they have a great product and work ethic. So be sure to check out the site and check out an event soon. I've also been busy working with WXW-C4, as they have really taken things to a new level up in Allentown, PA. So there is another group you should check out at WXWC4.com.

Before I go any further... I'd like to send my condelences to the family and friends of Annihilation, AKA "Big Joe." For those who may not know, the "7 foot" Annihilation passed away this weekend. I can say I had the pleasure to get to know him. Actually, he along with Pete Hunter were the first two men in the wrestling world that I got to know. He took time out of a Sunday a few years ago to come up to my Alma Mater, Cabrini College, to help promote the first wrestling event I ever had the pleasure to take part in. He was also one of my first interviews too. I can't say I have a bad memory of him. It is truly ashame that someone was taken away at really a young age. So again, I want to send my condolences and prayers to his family.

After the past few weeks, it seems as though things are beginning to look up for indy wrestling. Obviously there is still a very long way to go. But I think the "top dogs" are starting to take their spots. Which really is for the best.

Unfortunately it looks like the biggest casualty could be Ring Of Honor wrestling as they have lost two of its biggest stars. Both Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness have both reportedly agreed on WWE contracts. And I believe I saw rumored that the WWE also has their eyes on Claudio Castagnoli and the Briscoe Brothers. And in all honesty, I can also see Brent Albright and Colt Cabana getting a second chance. But in any case, ROH has seemingly been hurting since thier ill-fated Pay Per View deal. And it seems like they just can't catch a break.

But what is good is the fact that we will have the potential to see some fantastic matches on weeking on WWE Programming. Personally I am excited to see the Briscoes, as they had some of my favorite matches that I've called.

Where one door closes, another opens. Dragon Gate USA as seemingly pulled off two great events, with a third on the way. Although its still very early, they could potentially fill the void that ROH will leave should it close. So who ever is leftover in the WWE "raid" of ROH could end up here with a fresh group of wrestlers.

On the TV side, CZW will now re-enter the world of Television on the ION network. For CZW and for wrestling this is huge. As one of the main problems with ROH's TV deal is the fact that it is NOT on in their main areas, New York and Philly. Now I don't know now much about the ION network, but the fact that it is on my cable is all that matters. They are able to at least broadcast across the Philadelphia area, the area that hosts their events! Although CZW only will air I believe once a month, the Sunday prior to their shows, but still its a start. Now I don't know anything more than any other person, but I would believe that this deal works in benefit of CZW. They could create their TV program as a must see event, almost like WCW Clash of the Champions. Also, they have only room to grow. As if they do well on their monthly timeslot, I'm sure they'll have the opportunity to have more shows. Their product won't burn out on TV. And the strategy is great... The week prior to their event. Now I'm sure it will take a show or two to find out if TV will sell their building or not, but still... Their use of TV is fantastic.

WXW-C4 has seemingly taken things to a new level, as I said before. Obviously they had a huge void to fill when Afa took his product to Florida. But it seems like they are taking a slow approach, and I can definitely see the product changing for the better.

WSU has seemingly conquered the Women's Wrestling field or are at least neck and neck with Shimmer. A year ago, Shimmer was all the talk. But now it seems like WSU is. Their promotion style is fantastic. I know from working on the "inside" at a few different promotions that most don't really want a women's division. Not because they don't like women's wrestling, but mainly because they can't invest the same time into a women's division as a men's. Essentially, they want to give women a fair shake, but they have to book 4-6 women each show taking up 2-3 matches from a show that really can't go more than 10 matches. That is all just to build credible challengers. WSU is basically offering to send their women to other companies and have their title on the line. This works for the "buying" company as they get established wrestlers fighting over an established title, all without having to put work into it. For WSU this works as advertisment for thier next event and their overall product.

So it seems that the product in the Northeast US is starting to turn around. Obviously there is still a lot of work... But it seems like the top dogs are starting to emerge. I'm actually finally starting to be excited again for wrestling in general.

Until next time... You stay classy.
Dan "The Phan"
http://www.myspace.com/thephan11
http://twitter.com/thephan11

So he said "Summerfest..."

So its been awhile... I typed up my thoughts on WWE/UFC Battle but I wasn't pleased so I didn't post it up. And since, well I've been busy with new website projects, one of which is the newly redesigned WXWC4.com.

Anyway, I felt compelled to comment what seems to be the hot topic in the wrestling world this week... Jeremy Piven saying "Summerfest." Wow... Is this how bad things have got? That's a talk for another time.

I've heard nothing but bad comments about his hosting job. Quite frankly I thought he did pretty good. I am a fan of his, so maybe my opinion is a bit swayed. And bringing Dr. Ken I thought was great too, although if you haven't seen the Hangover then you may not understand Dr. Ken. Granted I didn't think Piven was fantastic and stole the show, but I thought he did good for what was GIVEN to him. I think it should have been expected that "The Goods" was gonna be promoted throughout the show, so that didn't really bother me. What did both me was how the WWE chose to use him. If anything the blame falls on whoever wrote the show. Anyone who knows Jeremy Piven, knows he plays a damn good HEEL. Old School is a perfect example. On top of that, Piven has been in the news in the last few months as being a bit of a prima donna of sorts, which seems to be untrue but the fact is he's a heel in the eyes of Hollywood right now. So why wouldn't you have Piven be a HEEL the ENTIRE show? It wasn't until the end of the show that we got to see Piven in true form. That alone is what killed his appearance. Jim Ross basically said in his blog he should be a heel as "thats what he heard." They already had it promoted that way. WWE dropped the ball there. And really... How many of these hosts will actually be hardcore wrestling fans? So I think it would work to the WWE's advatage to allow more heels.

So he said "Summerfest?" How many times as Good Ol' JR screwed up? It happens. And I actually wasn't surprised that he said it. As we here in Philadelphia got the treat to have Piven in town last Friday. As he was in town to... You guessed it... Promote "The Goods." First he was on the Preston and Steve Show on WMMR and then later on in the day he was at the sneak peak/Q&A. On Preston and Steve, we got a little insight into Jeremy Piven. He admitted that basically he's not all that good at getting the script right, especially with last minute changes. I'm sure in the two weeks that we were told Piven was hosting, I'm sure they told him that WWE is building towards Summerslam. But I doubt he was given a script until probably a few hours before RAW. So I wasn't surprised when he screwed up. You also have to remember, he's not in his element. Wrestlers and wrestling personalities pretty much do everything live and have to be on their toes. Piven and most other actors... Don't. Sure he's been on a stage in front of a crowd, but after weeks of rehersal. Wrestlers may be able to get in the ring for a few moments before the show. Go back at watch Robert DiNero on SNL... One of the greatest actors of all time, and if you watch SNL the entire show he's looking at the cue cards!

So I say backoff... He did the best with what he was GIVEN. I think the real argument is... We don't want Celebrities taking up time from the wrestlers. So far the host thing hasn't been so bad, but... I can't imagine this going on forever. If anything they should use this as a vehicle to get a big celeb/wrestler storyline for Wrestlemania and then just call it off.
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So here's the part where I shamelessly promote... WXW-C4 debuts in Drums, PA this Saturday. Go to the show, and visit the new site WXWC4.com!

Actually there are quite a few shows this weekend to choose from. Its actually good to see, maybe things are starting to turn around in the indy wrestling world. So really if you can't make it out to Central PA... Go to one of the shows out there. I garauntee there won't be any celebrities taking up your wrestlers time!

Stay tuned as my next project should be unveiled soon... As I am very glad to be working on it.

Until next time...
You stay classy,
Dan The Phan