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| Posted By | Discussion Topic: Special Ross Report: WM 17, WCW News, Hennan, etc. | ||||
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King Shit *board owner* | posted on 04-03-2001 @ 11:52 AM |    | |||
| O&A Board Veteran Registered: Feb. 01  | WrestleMania, World Championship Wrestling and other random thoughts from under the black Resistol hat ... deep in the heart of Texas! WrestleMania was a great success for the World Wrestling Federation. The fans I've talked to in the airport were very positive about the event. Obviously setting an attendance record in the Reliant Astrodome and the gross on ticket sales were amazing accomplishments. From top to bottom, everyone worked very hard. I say that a lot about this roster because that's what they do -- they never lay down and not give it their best effort. I don't know if we'll ever do a perfect 10 show, but this one was certainly an eight or a nine. It's very important with any Pay-Per-View that the first match set the standard for the rest of the night. We had the utmost confidence that Chris Jericho and William Regal were going to deliver a very solid match with a well-told story, and they did. We needed that match to be good, and it was more than good. It did what it was supposed to do. The six-man tag team match didn't have a real extensively promoted issue. So the match didn't have a tremendous amount of emotional sizzle, but I thought the action was non-stop. The match was about the right length and kept the show moving. They did well. Eddie Guerrero vs. Test was one of the sleeper matches of the show. Eddie showed that he's a top-level guy. Test is becoming a top-level guy. The involvement of Dean Malenko and Perry Saturn complimented the match well. It was very solid. There was an interested dichotomy in the Triple Threat Hardcore Title match because of the personalities in it -- with two huge guys like Kane and the Big Show, and then a regular-sized human being in Raven. They did some good things and I thought the outside-the-ring stuff was entertaining. The match might have been a little long. But other than that, I don't know how much more we could have asked for. The Women's Title Match came in with a good storyline. Chyna got a great reception. When the Right to Censor was barred from ringside, the outcome probably wasn't a mystery. It may not have been a mystery coming in for many people. But the match was timed very well. Both Chyna and Ivory worked very hard for a solid outing. Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit was a throwback. It reminded me of a Dory Funk Jr. vs. Jack Brisco match from the 1970s, which many of our fans have no knowledge of. It was a classic wrestling match that started off with some amazing amateur-like moves. They're both amazing talents, and I look forward to seeing them wrestling again. I hope that they do, maybe at our next Pay-Per-View, but sometime soon. I thought it was one of the better matches of the entire night. The McMahon street fight was an amazing match considering that neither of the participants is a trained, experienced in-ring worker. Obviously, father and son have great chemistry. Going into the match, the issue was well defined. The creative with Linda McMahon, Trish Stratus and Mick Foley was very well done. Shane's drop through the Spanish announcers' table and his dropkick from one corner to the other were simply amazing. The match really over-delivered. I loved the TLC match. All six superstars have gotten better from the last time they did the match, six months ago. They may have been a little disappointed in the crowd response. But I think that had more to do with being in a dome than anything else. We've experienced in other domes that the ambiance and the atmosphere sometimes suffers because of the size of the facility. But I thought the match was on par, if not better, than their match in August. Some of the maneuvers that they executed were simply ingenious and very innovative. I don't know how we could have asked those guys to work any harder or take anymore risks. It was very good storytelling. I really thought they went above and beyond. One of the highlights of the Gimmick Battle Royal for me was the commentary by Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenan. Paul Heyman and I sat there and laughed out loud. Using all those old cliches was just so funny. The match itself was strictly tongue-in-cheek. It was never positioned to be anything serious. It was a little pause in the action, following TLC and preceding Undertaker vs. Triple H and Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. The Rock. And we got exactly what we wanted. It was very well strategically placed in the show. All the old-timers seemed to have a great time, which is really heart-warming in my view. Taker vs. Triple H was another throwback. It had a great deal of ebb and flow. I think Triple H established himself even further as a tough guy, not a finesse guy. We know from the matches with Mick Foley that Triple H is a very tough persona. I thought he and Taker had a solid match. The stuff on the outside was dangerous but entertaining. The ending of the match was kind of surprise for a lot of people. I thought it was outstanding. That could have been the close of the show as well as it was done. Stone Cold vs. Rock had so much emotional attachments. Austin had a huge home-field advantage. Austin is a folk hero around the world, but especially in Texas. The Texas Rattlesnake, as he's been branded by yours truly, identifies with the Texas fans. One thing that makes Texas unique -- and growing up in Oklahoma I think I can identify with this better than anyone who's a non-Texan -- is that they have a lot of state pride. They're proud of their state fair. They're proud of their football teams. They're proud of their prized beef and their barbecue. And they're proud of Stone Cold Steve Austin. It was a real uphill struggle for The Rock because arguably the most popular guy that we've got around the world got booed because he was in Texas. I thought the false finishes at the end were scintillating. The story they told was off the page. It certainly sets the course for new chapters to be written in the Federation. It was exactly what you wanted in the last match at WrestleMania. It wasn't two guys in a main event. It was two main-eventers in a main event. And they delivered. I didn't get spend as much time at AXXESS as I wanted to because I was in Birmingham, Ala., on Saturday for an XFL game. But I was at AXXESS on Friday and was just blown away by it. It was one of the neatest things we've ever done. It much was more elaborate and extensive than last year, and I thought last year was a heck of a lot of fun. My hat is off to the people who worked on AXXESS. The fans that were there certainly seemed to enjoy it. They were glad to see all the Federation Superstars -- the interactive and the autographs. The exhibits were very well received. I know the parking was difficult and the construction at the Reliant Park was challenging, but everyone seemed to work through it. AXXESS really delivered, as did WrestleMania of course. There are no plans at this time for Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenan past this week with the Federation, but never say never in this business. Rikishi was not at AXXESS or WrestleMania due to his eardrum surgery. He's out probably another four weeks. Bob "Hardcore" Holly will be back in action in the next few days. Hardcore is good to go! Our promotional event Thursday at Fort Hood military base in Killeen, Texas, was simply awesome! Thousands were involved. There is so much speculation as to what WCW will do next -- the talent roster, TV plans, staffing, etc. Over the next two to three weeks, a staff will be assembled consisting of agents, referees, ring crew, ring announcers, TV broadcasters and, most importantly, the wrestlers themselves. The first TV taping is TENTATIVELY set for May 9 in Trenton, N.J. No list of names for this event has been determined as the new WCW talent roster is still being assembled. Agents could be named as early as next week. The initial talent roster will be finalized within the next couple of days. Hopefully, additions to the roster will be made over the next few weeks. The Federation's TV shows and the WCW TV shows will be kept separate with very little crossover, except for Shane McMahon's involvement. Obviously, someday intra-promotional issues will be developed, but not anytime soon and probably not even this year. WCW must be rebuilt and refocused. Positive changes will be put in place and young talents will be given the opportunity to contribute and hopefully to become the stars of the future. TENTATIVE plans call for a two-hour show on TNN Saturday nights from 11 p.m. to 1 a.m., starting as early as May 12. There's lots of work to do, but we will get it done. There are several excellent young talents in WCW and some solid individuals behind the scenes who will help make this happen. It won't be easy and it can't happen in one night, but the rebuilding and re-branding of WCW will become a reality in time. It will happen. How's this for irony? The last live announcer voice to be heard on Nitro last week was old J.R.'s! Who would have ever thought that would happen? Sure as hell not me! Take care and I truly hope you enjoyed WrestleMania! J.R.  ~Matt/Froy from Jersey Official Protector of Gay Marco & SwampJunk...if he ever decides to post. | ||||
| King f-tard | posted on 04-03-2001 @ 1:15 PM | | |||
| O&A Board Regular Registered: Feb. 01 | Well, I guess that kinda kills the idea of a crossover for a while. Eventually, but not yet. Hey Froy, where do you get your info (besides this, from wwf.com) Which sites do you use? I personally use www.wrestleline.com and the old (from my wcw mark days) www.crimsonmask.com | ||||
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