Sunday 24 June 2012

Former WWE Writer Interview Highlights

Former WWE writer Alex Greenfield recently talked with MLWrestling about a verbal exchange with Vince McMahon that came close to exchanging blows. Here is the story. "Now that I think about it, I can't remember what arena it was but it was over the stupidest f--king thing in the world. It was during the thing when it was Shane and Vince vs. DX and we were doing some silly, little backstage pre-tape. This isn't even a live show. This is something we're taping earlier in the day to feed back into the show. "So, Snitzky and a couple other guys are watching DX make fun of Vince and Shane on the monitor. Then, we come out of the monitor, and we see the guys laughing at all the hilarity of Shawn and Hunter -- which is a whole other issue -- and then you do the slow reveal that Shane and Vince are standing right behind them. Then they yell at the guys and I think Shane punches one of them out or something like that. "What I wanted to do was get Kevin Dunn to feed back in the bottom of the scene, so that we would be seeing them still standing in the ring and the audience cheering or whatever it is they were doing when we pull out so that the audience understands what these guys are laughing at. Vince is like, 'No, God damn it.' Then he gets on the headset with Kevin Dunn and says, 'Just put the Raw logo up and we'll come out of the logo.' "I said to him, 'Vince, that's not going to make any sense to the audience.' He said, 'Yes it will. We're just doing it.' I said, 'No, let me explain.' He said, 'I don't want to hear an explanation.' I said, 'You f--king hired me, I'm going to give you an explanation.' His eyes went wide with shock. "I think the thing that pissed him off is that I did all of this in front of everybody standing there. But, he was just shutting me down without listening to what I had to say and I was f--king right. "Anyway, we go back and forth and it's his company so Vince gets it his way. When it aired, the shot didn't make any sense whatso-f--king-ever. You couldn't tell what the guys were laughing at. Then, after the scenes over, he says, 'You come with me right now!' I was like, 'OK,' thinking I was going to get fired, frankly. "He lights me up outside, saying, 'God damn it! How dare you get on my case in front of people. Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.' Understand, there are fans in the background because we're standing right outside the arena. There were fans way back that were wondering what the f--k Vince was doing yelling at this little Jewish kid. [Laughs.] I just refused to back down and said, 'My way is the right way. You did it wrong.' He said, 'God damn it, I wish you were 6'7".' I said, 'I'm not but I'm standing right here.' I get pretty pissed myself. "There was a moment in that conversation where I thought he was just going to haul off and punch me in the face. Don't get me wrong; I'm not talking like a bad ass here, like I would have won this confrontation. [Laughs.] He probably would have broken my jaw. But that was the big, almost-coming-to-blows confrontation. I'm convinced to this day that he thought about knocking the s--t out of me. "I think it became a game to Vince. (Fellow ex-WWE writer) Court (Bauer) and I played this little game once. I was going to pitch this idea that everybody on the writing team believed in and we decided, you know what -- because Vince liked Court a lot -- you know what Court, let's have you pitch this. He did and it got over and I know with a certainty that if I had pitched the same idea, it wouldn't have. I think for Vince -- and this was right before I quit -- it became the game of 'how far can I push this guy before he blows up?'

TNA DVD Review - Christian Cage The Instant Classic

TNA DVD Review: Christian Cage – The Instant Classic Sometimes it is nice for me as a wrestling writer to have someone suggest I view a DVD instead of having it appear for review form its source. Recently a friend of mine mentioned a TNA release which I had not yet watched and went so far as to lend it to me (under strict instructions to return it un damaged lol).after viewing this wonderful disc I of course wished to share it with our readers, so here you go. Christian may be a fixture of WWE programming at present (he currently holds the IC gold), but after his first tenure for the WWE the man known to friends as Jay Reso took a few years out and made a name for himself in TNA. During this period Reso (as Christian Cage) participated in some landmark matches and storylines, held gold and made such an impact (pun intended) that he was the former TNA chosen to appear at this year’s Slammiversary PPV. If you wonder just why he was picked for this role and why fans loved it, check out this DVD and all will be revealed. These TNA years were when Christian stepped up his game and stood out of the shadows of his former tag team partnership with good friend Edge in the WWE. This was where the real Christian began to take shape and the man we see in WWE rings wouldn’t be the same if he hadn’t honed his skills with TNA. This three hour plus DVD includes seven full matches, each one is a belter and perfectly highlights the energy, enthusiasm of not only Cage, but his talented opponents too. Of course the much missed six sided ring is present here as well. Highlights include matches with Sting, Kurt Angle, Samoa Joe and Jeff Jarrett, the Barbed Wire Six Sides of Steel encounter with Rhino is a real treat as well. Also featured are exclusive photos, video footage and an in depth sit down interview with the man himself. This package is well worth tracking down and will appeal to fans of Mr Cage old and new. www.impactwrestling.com By Phil Allely

Friday 22 June 2012

Perry Saturn Interview Highlights

For him, Extreme Rising is more than a wrestling company. It's symbolic. Extreme Legend Perry Saturn has returned from the brink, found sobriety, and is rising back in wrestling. Now Saturns joins James Guttman on ClubWWI.com for a 35 minute shoot that will shock and awe with its blunt honesty. Among the many topics JG and Saturn discuss are his misery while in WCW, the political games of those in power, why he split with John Kronus, disappearing from wrestling, becoming homeless, his intense drug abuse, the night the Radicalz jumped to WWE, Goldberg, Hulk Hogan, and tons more. For a larger list of topics click here. Those who have been following Perry Saturn's return to wrestling know that he's been through the fires of hell. Returning from drug abuse and homelessness, Perry now is able to look back on his career with a new found enthusiasm. Unfortunately, the choices he made lead to the loss of some memories. As the ClubWWI.com begins, James Guttman asks Saturn about his run in WWF alongside "Moppy". The gimmick was funny, but Perry's response might be considered startling to some. "Yeah. The people, for the most part, really enjoyed that Moppy stuff. Unfortunately, I was so high all the time, I have such a clouded memory. I don't remember most of it…All the ideas were the writers. I had no idea. Like I said, I was so stoned all the time, I'm lucky I made it to the shows ,let alone come up with anything creative. WWE has an outstanding creative staff, they come up with stuff. They try to come up with ways to get everybody over and you do or you don't. I didn't have anything to do with that creative because at the time, I really hated it too…Now, I get the humor of it. At the time, my main concern was making sure nobody knew I was high." As Guttman points out, one of the most overlooked things about those who abuse drugs is that there is a constant fear that they could be caught in the act. It adds a level of paranoia and stress to someone who's already battling problems. Perry agrees. "I was so standoffish. I didn't want anyone to know what was going on." James notices how much effort Saturn put in to covering his habits in WWF at the time. Many fans assume that pre-Wellness Poilcy WWF was a place where drugs were openly done. But that couldn't be further from the truth. Despite the policy not being as solid, it still was something the company didn't tolerate. As the ClubWWI.com interview continues, Saturn explains why he made such efforts to hide it. "If they had found out, they would have sent me to rehab. They always, for whatever reason, took care of the guys as best they could. But I didn't want to quit doing everything. I didn't want to go to rehab. I wanted to keep doing things the way I was doing them. I wasn't a big drinker. So when you drink a lot on top of doing drugs, that's really hard to hide that. I think that's what helped me keep mine hidden was that I just did the opiates, which was easier for me to hide." Perry goes on to talk about the time he thought Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, and Jim Ross were trying to trick him into an intervention, nearly killing himself accidentally, and much more. Of course, the names Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko, and Eddie Guerrero are almost always spoken with Perry Saturn. The four Radicalz were famous for their friendship. Perry shares his personal feeling with ClubWWI.com members about each person in the group. When James Guttman gets to Chris, Saturn talks about the man he knew and the shock over what he did. "All the time I'd been with Chris, I honestly don't think I've seen him mad. I'm sure he'd been upset, but mad? I've been mad where they've had to grab me and calm me down mad. Eddie's been so mad that I've seen Eddie throw a f****ing pool cue across a bar for just about no reason. I've seen Dean twice scream at somebody. I've never seen Chris do that. All those times I went out every night partying - because that's what I did - and on occasion I was able to drag these guys out with me. Chris told me on day one - and it never changed - that he didn't cheat on Nancy. Chris was a faithful husband and loving father. I have no idea what happened. I could never explain it and it blows my mind - the whole thing." Perry speaks in-depth about the night he and his friends jumped to the WWF from WCW and the misconceptions about the move. He also speaks out about his misery in WCW, being unhappy with his decision to go there, how the drug usage for many kicked up a notch while in WCW, management's adversarial relationship with wrestlers, top guys holding mid-carders down, and more. After listening to all that during the ClubWWI.com discussion, Guttman asks if Saturn is surprised that those who were in WCW management still find work years later. Without mentioning TNA owner Dixie Carter or TNA itself by name, JG asks and Perry lets them have it. "It's amazing. The 'Predictability of Stupidity' is unbelievable. To believe that someone could see what they did (in WCW) and use their own money to give these people another chance to do it again. Tell me TNA is going to be a successful business. That's hard to believe. Eventually that woman's going to run out of money and you have to think someone else will give them the same opportunity. Funniest thing I've seen in a long time was one of Vince Russo's Tweets, obviously after they let him go. He said he was sure glad to see the lucrative deal TNA signed with Hulk Hogan especially since Hogan's only appearances in TNA are during his Rent-a-Center ads. Nobody should ever get paid to stay home." It's that work ethic that lead to some of Perry's memorable moments in ECW. Now, years later, his career is coming full circle. Underneath the "Extreme Rising" banner (ExtremeReunion.net), Saturn is returning to his roots and working for a company that has the ECW feel. James mentions Perry's appearance on June 30th with the group and how it's offering the fans a chance to do something they haven't been able to do in over a decade - get the ECW feel at a live event. Saturn agrees and tells ClubWWI what made ECW so special…and how Extreme Rising has that same asset. "The ECW fans are totally different than any other fans. So it's wicked cool. I'm at Extreme Rising on the 30th this month. The show on the 29th is going to be outstanding too…I'm looking forward to it. I'm looking forward to my match more than any other match in a long time. I have no idea who I'm working with or anything, I'm just glad to be in front of the ECW fans again, you know…In ECW and WWE - both places - the guys worked as hard as they could. The difference was that that ECW fans made the whole experience different. They were special, man. They never had fans like that anywhere else." Remember, Perry Saturn is just one of over 300 top wrestling stars you can hear when you join ClubWWI.com. For up to the minute information on World Wrestling Insanity, follow us on Twitter @ClubWWI and like us on Facebook at Facebook.com/WorldWrestlingInsanity

Thursday 14 June 2012

TNA Slammiversary 2012 Review

TNA Slammiversary X Review By Phil Allely TNA brought in the big guns and pulled out all of the stops to celebrate its tenth anniversary at Slammiversary X. The night saw titles change hands, quality matches, a Hall of Fame announcement, big name stars and a surprise appearance by a WWE champion. Hulk Hogan opened proceedings to a huge ovation, hyping up the nights event and making the opening bout between Austin Aries and Samoa Joe an X Division Title one. Despite the size and power advantage this was a crisp looking match with some big bumps and high risk moves. Joe looked set to net himself another X title to add to his collection, but the resilient Aries was able to nail a brain buster to retain his belt. Up next was the returning Kid Kash versus Hernandez. Kash fared reasonably well against his much larger opponent and hit some decent weakening blows to him, however ‘Supermex’s’ size and power proved to be the deciding factor, Hernandez taking the win after a big top rope splash. The oddball tag team of Devon (TV Champ) and Garrett Bischoff then faced the combo of Robbie’s E&T in a fair, but un-exciting scrap. Bischoff showed improvement here and Devon proved to be a fine partner to cover the cracks. After some back and forth trading of control Bischoff distracted T to allow Devon the chance to pin E for the popular win. The triple threat battle for the World Heavyweight Title shot on Impact saw Mr. Anderson battle Jeff Hardy and Rob Van Dam. The trio of former champs worked beautifully together and highlighted the talented roster TNA has to utilise. Amidst the frantic near falls and brutal moves the result seemed to be anyone’s, however it turned out to Anderson who proved the most hungry to gain a title shot, nailing a ‘mic check’ on RVD to pick up the win. Crimson’s year-long winning streak ended quickly next at the hands (well boot) of Cowboy James Storm. Storm took to the ring like a man possessed, swiftly taking Crimson down, nailing a ‘last call’ super kick to a huge crowd response. Dixie Carter brought out the TNA roster next and announced Sting as the first inductee to the Hall of Fame. The challenger for the World Title seemed genuinely moved by the reaction from the live crowd and promised to make it ‘show time’ later. The Knockouts Title changed hands next as Miss Tessmacher wrestled the gold away from Gail Kim in Tessmacher’s home state of Texas. The ladies worked hard to maintain the momentum and crowd energy levels throughout this average knockouts encounter. A blocked ‘eat dirt’ and swift roll-up on Kim ended this one. Bully Ray bullied Joseph Park throughout their match (of sorts) next. A very one-sided affair this saw Abyss’s storyline brother absorb some stiff shots from Ray before an Abyss imposter appeared and blasted the bully through a table to allow Joseph the win. To the shock of all in attendance Hulk Hogan brought out (current WWE IC Champion) Christian to speak to them. Billed as Christian Cage the former TNA star praised the company and its fans for everything they have done. Dream team AJ Styles and Kurt Angle took on Tag Team Champions Kaz and Daniels next in an epic encounter for the belts. This one never let up, each man stepped up their game here and unleashed their best and boldest moves throughout. Angle and Styles overcame the near-falls and double-teams eventually to pick up the titles, following a nice flurry of moves Styles took out Daniels to leave Kaz prone for an ‘ankle lock’. The rejuvenated Sting’s attempt regain the world title from Bobby Roode saw the veteran step up his game and gain a level of revenge on the cocky heel. The match itself was a fair back-and-forth one, with champ and challenger trading control in and out of the ring. Roode eventually relied on a beer bottle to retain his treasured gold. Busting Sting open in the process the champ grabbed an opportunistic win to keep his longest title holder run going. A bloody Sting gained a measure of revenge post match with post match beat down on Roode around the stage area. Slammiversary was one of the best PPV’s from TNA to date and perfectly encapsulated all that is good in the company, there were minimal infuriating booking decisions here and run-ins were non-existent. The matches on the whole were above average and showed that even though the company is still trying to find its niche, there is light at the end of the tunnel. If they pick up that ball and run with it TNA/Impact Wrestling can go all the way given the opportunity.

Monday 11 June 2012

WWE DVD Review - Best Pay-Per-Views of 2011

By Phil Allely Out now as a triple disc set is this latest release from the WWE. Here we have a mighty fine collection of what the company themselves believe to be the best macthes of the year 2011. To be honest they are pretty well right on the money here. The matches featured are a great way to concisely put together the best, most excting, showstopping and unforgetable WWE moments in place. Don't let the fact that you may already own many of these on DVD hold your purchase decision back though. Having them all in one set is a pretty damned good idea, no frantic disc changing, no fumbling for cases or misplaced items. you simply pop the disc in and savour the action. Some highlights are the 'No Hold's Barrer' match between The Undertaker and Triple H from Wrestlemania XXVII. Which stole the show and remains a favourite match amongst many fans. There is also the rise of alberto Del Rio, which saw him tackle such WWE main-eventers as John Cena. 2011 was of course the year where such perfomers as Del Rio got the chance to break that 'glass ceiling'. The lack of top name draws due to injuries etc left the roster in need of people to step up and some did admirably. Dolph Ziggler for example is well featured here and although he may never make the world title picture, he does put forth some spirited performances against the likes of Edge. The Christian and Randy Orton feud is another well deserved inclusion here. Both men working so well together in the ring that each match is a near classic. The Best PPV Matches of 2011 is a fun-filled mix of world title matches, ladder-based encounters, no holds barred scraps and no dq wars. Each match is in its entirety and they all wokr well together. This is a nice roller-coaster ride through ten months of WWE action. www.silvervision.co.uk