Drakkhim

From http://www.lordsofpain.net "WWE.com has just issued the following announcement on their official website: In accordance with its Substance Abuse and Drug Testing Policy, WWE has suspended Jeff Hardy for 60 days, for his second violation of the company’s policy. It should be noted that one more violation of WWE's Wellness policy will result in Jeff Hardy's manditory release from the company. Jeff has been removed from the Wrestlemania preview on WWE.com and will not be participating in the Money In The Bank match at the event. Several WWE stars were informed of the suspension backstage at RAW last night. Hardy dropped the Intercontinental title to Chris Jericho on the show. This is certainly a tough break for the rainbow-haired warrior, who was in the midst of the biggest singles push of his career. Hardy's previous issues with substance abuse and fears that he could relapse were factors in the company not going "all the way" with his push and awarding him with a WWE title win."

It was quite a, "WTF," moment when Jericho defeated Hardy for the IC-Title since belts never change hands on TV or at house shows anymore.

It hasn't been mentioned why Big Show went into semi-retirement in the first place. Because of his weight, he was having terrible back problems and it became hard for him to bump in the ring. He also wanted to try his hands at guess what... boxing. He has legit dropped over 100 pounds and spent that time working out in the gym training to be a boxer. He has done this for months up until recently when he decided to not go all out in boxing. I would imagine that the six months or so that Show spent training to be a boxer, he's learned the fundamentals. If the WWE decides to have a boxing match between Mayweather and Show, it could be done very well because Show has *some* experience. It's going to be very interesting how this all plays out.

Once again, TNA allowed their women to shine by giving them semi-main event status in the streetfight between ODB and Awesome Kong. TNA's girls really give it their all out there and most of them seem experienced and not lost out in the ring. Most of these girls have worked indy for some time unlike most of the WWE women who were eye candy first and wrestlers later. TNA's Knockout Division is a true bright spot on the show. It'll be interesting to see where they take the ODB/Gail Kim confrontation.

I remember watching Shark Boy wrestle in New Martinsville, WV... my hometown at the high school in front of a crowd of maybe 75 people. This was back in 1998 or 1999 and he was known as El Pirahna. I was friends with the promoter and he was highly impressed by him because he wore his mask to the event and left with it on. He was totally trying to kayfabe his gimmick even at a crappy high school show in the beginning of his career. The Stone Cold gimmick is hilarious. Clam Juice? Cause that's the fishin' line? Stomp a waterin' hole in yer ass? Come on, it's funny! Speaking of Tomko, I'm glad that he's getting the push that he deserves. He has a great look, talks like a normal person on the mic with conviction and can go in the ring. He's really improved his ring work since he started touring Japan very frequently. Tomko is a big fan of the ultra-stiff Japanese style and is quite over in their country.

There is a difference between wrestling and entertaining. What made Flair great is that he could do both. You have guys in the business know who don't know the difference between a wristlock and a wris****ch. In the territory days, an up and comer could work somewhere for a month, hone is skills and go somewhere else. There were endless outlets for someone 20 years ago to break into the business. Nowadays, if the WWE or TNA don't want you, you cannot get a big payday in the US. So let's take Ric Flair as an example here. We have a post that says, "and it makes me sick to see you old fans drool over wrestler who could never do what the guys now are doing.. so whats your point.." Ok, fair enough. Regardless of how good a wrestler is in the ring or on the mic, what is the common factor that ANY wrestler must have? To draw people and make money. Ric Flair made A LOT of people money especially in the 80s. The only wrestler to possibly be ahead of him would be Hogan. Flair at times was working nine times a week, twice on weekends, defending the World Title anywhere. If you were a promoter and Ric Flair was going to work in your arena in a title match, you were guaranteed a sell-out. GUARANTEED. And when Flair was coming to town, win or lose, you were going to be entertained. At one point in 1986, Flair wrestled one half of the Rock N' Roll Express, Ricky Morton to nine, yes NINE 60-minute draws in one week. I have one of these on DVD from a fancam and it was a ridiculously good match. Fans back then were always fired up. Next point is that guys back then could never do what guys do now. Well, you know what? They didn't have to. Matches had a beginning, a middle and an end. Just like a movie. When two guys went at each other, it was because of a general distate for one another. "I hate you and you hate me. Let's fight." That was the mentality. In the current times, there are few angles that truly go by this standard. Sports Entertainment for the most part is an absolute joke. How much talent really does it take for someone to get chucked off of the top of a cage? None. Don't get me wrong, I've been a fan of Foley since 1989 when he was Cactus Jack Manson. But Foley, through all of the battles he's gone through and blood spilled is more towards the stuntman persona than an actual wrestler. He got over because he was willing to die out there. In 1995, he worked a deathmatch tournament in Japan for the IWA. He wrestled at least three grueling matches outside in a baseball stadium with the heat beating down him. In the final, he worked against Terry Funk in a landmine/barbed wire match. The big long scar on his left arm was due to that match. He won a trophy at the end and $300. $300!! The trophy disappeared before he even left Japan. I will always have respect for guys like Foley. But to say that someone like Flair couldn't do what he does is insane. Flair never had to do anything like that to get over with the fans. He had a natural ability to talk on the mic and work a match with anyone and make them look good.

Magnum/Blanchard in the cage at Starrcade 1985 was incredible. Blanchard was bleeding like a stuck pig. Magnum carving out Blanchard's forehead with that sharp, busted piece of wooden chair was epic. I started watching wrestling when I was three years old, circa 1982. I remember telling my grandparents to wake me up from my weekend afternoon naps in time to watch Georgia on TBS at 605pm. The first time that I ever saw Great Kabuki blow mist in someone's face and then attack with his sai's scared the bejesus out of my youngster self. Since that time, I was instantly hooked. Being a true NWA kid up until the late 80s when our satellite dish couldn't pick up anything due to the channels being scrambled. We lived out in the country so cable TV wasn't an option. Every now and then, I'd be able to pick up something from Ch 11 in Pittsburgh but that was it. My grandfather would go to church and he'd drop me off at my Aunt's house so that I could watch WWF on Sunday's at noon on USA. Sometimes, I'd stay there all day so that I could watch NWA/WCW in the evening. My heart was always with the Crockett product. I started taping a good bit of wrestling and buying up old commercial tapes at video stores that would try to make some cash on unusable tapes. I bought the commercial master of Starrcade 1985 for $5 in 1996. Little did I know how rare that tape was. I must've made over $500 making dubs of that tape to other collectors. It was due to that tape that my wrestling media collection was born. Today, I have over 500 VHS tapes as well as over 1000 DVDs going back to the late 60s. Most of my collection is of old WCW/NWA/WWF TV as well as a boatload of Japan. I'm a big mark for New Japan and All Japan. To anyone who thinks that Flair is a joke, get your hands on some of his Japan bouts vs. Baba, Brody, Terry & Dory Funk, Tenryu, Tsuruta, Kerry Von Erich, Martel, etc... Flair was a God over there because even in Japan with their world titles, the NWA belt was considered the only real World Title. That really says something.

You must not be too educated in Flair's history or pro-wrestling's history in general to say that.

Michaels had the flare and ego which helped his character advance just like Flair did. I've seen Flair lose to guys like Rico and Snitsky before and those were guys that had no business being elevated. Having Flair go out to a top-tier player and future HoF'er would be the right way to go in my eyes.

HBK vs. Flair is almost set in stone for Wrestlemania. I couldn't think of anyone on else on the RAW roster that would deserve to retire Flair than Michaels.

Also regarding Lashley, WWE didn't have any concrete plans for him when he actually did return. At one point, Lashley hadn't even heard from WWE in weeks. Not even a phone call to see how his rehabilitation process was coming along. He felt sneered over their lack of compassion for him and the lack of direction for his character.

The winner of the match between Cena/Orton gets the winner of the Elimination Chamber to wrestle at Wrestlemania. 1 vs. 1.

HBK putting over Kennedy clean was very surprising to me. Good match as well.

Isn't it a law in many states that the driver is responsible for the wearing of seatbelts for any passenger that is in their car?

If you all have noticed, on a continuous basis the crowd is 50/50 towards Cena. Sometimes the crowd is heavily rooting for the guy Cena is facing. Folks are seriously getting tired of his same ol' BS and his terrible moveset. He sells a ton of merchandise which is what keeps him holding onto the strap. $ talks.