Starting out...
Have I ever told you that I was fifteen years old when I started this dream?  Well, I was.  Fifteen years old… young, dumb, dreaming and excited to be training to be a wrestler.  I don’t know what I was thinking.  I guess I thought it was all fun and games.  But I quickly found out that what wrestlers do - it really hurts.  

I’ll never forget how it went down.  I begged for my parents to let me wrestle.  Although I was young, I knew I could do it.  Shoot, all the kids in the neighborhood… and outside the neighborhood… would travel to my house to have the Backyard Brawl.  I was “The Nature Boy” and strutted around the backyard like the top dawg… and I was.  So, if I could be the Backyard Brawl Champion, I knew I could become a professional wrestler.

My mother took me to meet with Don Bass in West Memphis, Arkansas on a Saturday morning.  It was really early, from what I can remember.  I was pumped up and couldn’t wait to meet Don Bass.  I knew I had heard the name before… but I couldn’t put the face with the name.  I definitely knew who the Assassins were and I knew Don Bass was an original member of that legendary Memphis tag team.  Donnie liked to meet people at a little restaurant.  Basically, it was a truck stop.  Donnie loved the place, plus it was easy to find.  

Why did my mother take me, instead of my father?  Good question.  Very odd for a husband to let his wife go meet another man that we didn’t even know.  Anything could’ve happened.  Donnie could’ve been a maniac for all we knew.  But to answer the question, my dad was lazy and unless it had anything to do with him - he wasn’t interested.  He’s selfish… and he thought I’d never amount to anything.  To this day, he’s only seen me wrestle live… maybe three times.  Way to be proud of your son, huh?

We met with Don Bass that day and the rest was history.  There wasn’t much reason for us to really meet.  It was pretty brief.  “So, you wanna wrestle?”  “Hell yeah!”  Done.  From there, my mother gave me permission to train to wrestle.  The price was $3,000.  We could pay payments.  And the only money that my parents ever paid was the down payment.  A few hundred bucks and the rest was for me to pay.  Reason being - well, my mother thought that I couldn’t quit if it was my money being spent on it.

I trained twice per week for over a year before I was ready to finally get in the ring.  The only glitch in the training was when I lost my job for a month.  I couldn’t afford to train… so I took one month off.  Later, I found out that Don Bass told the others that I would never come back.  That I quit.  Well, I proved them wrong.  I went back and finished.  Although my training was done, I had a hard time getting booked because of my age and my size.  I was only seventeen when I had my first match… and from then on, I was pretty much welcomed everywhere I went.  

An odd story, indeed.  

Ever-since I became a professional wrestler, I’ve been laughed at, looked down on - you name it.  My family, especially, hated it.  The money was bad and they all knew it.  I had zero support, starting out.  It was very tough to keep a positive attitude when every time I turned around, I was being berated for becoming a wrestler.  After a few years and a little success, things slowly turned around.

Television and opportunities shut a lot of mouths.  But ten years later, I’m still sitting in the independents - the same spot I was when I started.  Sure, I’ve got experience under my belt.  Sure, I’ve been on RAW, Smackdown!, TNA, pay-per-view, Heat, WWE.com, NWA Wildside, Memphis Wrestling, OVW… but what does it mean?  Getting a small taste of all that just makes you hungrier.  

I’m reading Batista’s book, now.  That’s kinda what brought this all up.  He started wrestling when he was thirty.  But he talks about his passion for the business, although he didn’t care about it until he was discovered.  He never had to fight through the indies to try to get to the top.  He started at the top.  Boy, that must be nice.

I’ll let you know how the book is when I finish.

Calvin Jenks
Saturday night in Ripley, TN - I was involved in something very special.  No, no… not the wrestling show.  Not Super Summer Showdown.  Although, that was a special night in wrestling history (yeah, right), this went above and beyond any wrestling show that could happen in Ripley.  I was a part of something special and I’m proud to have been there.

At the Ripley Tomato Festival, which is a big event in the community every year, I was given the honor of awarding a plaque to Lt. Kevin Williams for a fallen hero.  A man whom lost his life in the line of fire… during the call of duty.  

State Trooper Calvin Jenks lost his life during a routine traffic stop in January of this year.   That routine traffic stop turned into a tragedy when Jenks smelled marijuana from inside the vehicle.  When he asked the passenger about the smell, the man produced a hand-gun and fired at Jenks.  Jenks was hit once in the head and once in the body.  Calvin Jenks lost his life that night while on duty.

Saturday morning, I received a call that I had been requested to be a part of the ceremony.  At the time, I didn’t know too much about the incident.  Other than what I had seen and heard on television, I wasn’t well-educated on the entire story.  It wasn’t until later that I found out exactly what had happened.  I wasn’t sure what to say when giving the plaque to Lt. Williams.  What do you say in a situation like that?  A man lost his life.  A wife lost her husband.  A mother and father lost a son.  A family lost a very special person who put their lives on the line to enforce the law for the rest of us.  To keep us safe from people that took his life that night.  

I wasn’t sure what to say.  

So, I presented the plaque on behalf of the Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce and TLCW Wrestling and I let Lt. Williams do the rest of the speaking.  I don’t think he was too sure what to say, but he was certainly grateful for the recognition of one of his fallen brothers.  

Calvin Jenks’ murderers were captured and sentenced to life in prison.  

Can you imagine putting your life on the line every single day that you arrive at your job?  Can you imagine having a career where something like this could happen to you or someone you love?  It’s like being a solider… only locally.  Fighting the war that goes on in our streets every single day of the week.  You folks may not like police officers… and we all know there are some bad ones out there.  But you have to take your hat off to each and every one of them for putting it all on the line day in and day out.

Trooper Calvin W. Jenks was only 24 years old.  

It's not time to pass the torch...
Let me start this out with somewhat of a disclaimer because I know I’m going to get a little backlash on this one.  I am all for the younger faces stepping up and taking the spotlight from the guys nearing their retirement.  Not just in wrestling, but in any sport.  Trust me when I tell you that because I’ve been on the losing end of several matches and several opportunities by guys that just didn’t know when to quit the business.  They just want to beat the younger guys over and over to try and pin them down.  Not passing the torch is a very bad thing in wrestling… or any other sport, for that matter.  Remember - I wrestled for Memphis Wrestling, I can sympathize with the younger guys that get over-looked.

But there comes a time when a guy is pushed out of a greater role when he still deserves to be on top.  Or when a guy has earned his position in the sport and doesn’t deserve to be pushed out no matter how old he gets.  Ric Flair, to me, is in that category.  But look what happened to him.  He was pushed out (more on that in a moment).  Look what happened to Dan Marino.  The greatest quarterback of all time (and my personal favorite, by the way) was pushed out of Miami and off the field because of a new coach.  I still hold it against Jimmy Johnson to this very day.  

You don’t tug on Superman’s cape and you don’t force legends out of their sport when they’re still atop their game.

Which brings me to the topic at hand - Brett Farve.

After having one of the greatest seasons statistically in his entire career at age thirty-eight… and leading his team to overtime in the NFC Championship game… why in the hell would you want to push the man out of Green Bay!?  A man who is an icon in the sport and a hero in the city of Green Bay - why would you want to push him out when he’s still one of the top five quarterbacks in the game today?  I just don’t understand it!  There’s a lot of stories floating around about why he would retire in the first place.  It doesn’t matter.  Maybe he was rushed to a decision - maybe he wasn’t.  Maybe he changed his mind - maybe he wanted to play the entire time.  But the bottom line is simple… Brett Favre wants to play football, so let the legend play!

Ric Flair, who is arguably the greatest wrestler to ever lace up a pair of wrestling boots, was pretty much forced out of the ring, earlier this year.  Now, Ric isn’t in the same shape he once was.  I’ll give you that.  They gave him a great send-off.  I’ll give you that too.  But the rumors behind the scenes is that Vince McMahon helped Flair out financially and in return Flair had to do the big retirement angle that went down at WrestleMania.  Flair was in tax trouble, allegedly.  Vince got the big payoff with the lead-up and the big WrestleMania moment.  Maybe the story is true - maybe it’s not.  I would definitely like to believe that Flair retired on his own will, instead of retiring because of pressure from the company.

Dan Marino, as I mentioned earlier, was definitely pushed out of the Dolphins’ organization because of a new coach that thought Marino didn’t have it in him anymore.  I’ll never forget that.  Being a huge Dolphin fan… you don’t push a guy out the door who owns every record in the NFL record books.  Jimmy Johnson did that… and I quickly learned how it really worked in the NFL.  It was overlooked at the time by many fans.  But Marino should’ve been able to go out anyway that he wanted to go out.  

Brett Favre now owns all those passing records.  He’s still on top of his game.  He played better last year than he ever has.  Most of his statistics looked better than when he was winning the Super Bowl in the ‘90’s.  The fans have come together to let the Packers’ organization know how much he means to them, as they should.  But I just don’t think Favre will get his just-do.  

I have a big middle finger for the Packers for the way they have treated a class-act quarterback… and a sure-fire, first ballot Hall of Famer.  

Think Miami could get Favre?  J

Super Summer Showdown
Last night was one of my favorite events of the year, Super Summer Showdown.  There’s many reasons why this is my favorite.  I guess, an easy reason would be because I like the name.  Super Summer Showdown.  It just rolls off the tongue.  Along with Spring Breakout and Mayhem, Super Summer Showdown has been some of the best wrestling shows that TLCW has ever put on in Ripley, TN.  We’ve held these events at the Ripley Park, the National Guard Armory and of course the TLCW building on Main St in Ripley, TN.  So, whether we’re here or there, the show usually draws very well.  Last night, we had a full house, although we were in competition with the Ripley Tomato Festival.

How was the wrestling, though?  

The actual wrestling at the TLCW events may be another story.  Well, for me, anyway.  I love the idea of the shows… I love the names of the shows… and I even like how some of the stories play out at times.  But the actual wrestling, for me, it just doesn’t do anything for me.  Most matches last way too long.  Let me rephrase that, I think the matches are too long for the participants who are involved in them.  Triple H versus Edge could easily go thirty minutes or longer and be very entertaining for the entire time they’re in the ring.  Right?  I don’t think many people would argue with me on that one.  But for the matches on Super Summer Showdown to last thirty-plus minutes when there’s not any heat or storyline involved - it’s just plain boring.  Especially, when some of the guys do not look like wrestlers and the others do not know how to apply a headlock.  Maybe it’s just me.  I’m not buying a ticket though, so maybe my opinion is meaningless to the powers that be.

But you get my point?

I just think the show was produced in an atmosphere that is far too laid-back.  The wrestlers should perform under their proper times given and that’s all there is to it.  If they can not do that or refuse to do that, they should be fired.  I have no sympathy for guys who do not listen or have excuses on why they do things that they shouldn’t do.  If you’re told to wrestle your allotted time limit, then you shouldn’t go over that allotted time limit.  But I digress.

A few of the matches on the show were very good, in my opinion.  I think Flash and I had a decent match with Eric Wayne and Kid Nichols.  Not too bad.  The crowd was hot for it.  They wanted to see Eric and Kid get bounced around the ring when I came in for the hot tag.  We did get the win, much to the fans’ approval.  But in all honesty, the match could’ve been better.  I’m hard on myself and I’m never one hundred percent happy with any match.  Not one that I can remember, anyway.  DK & Tat2 has a huge build-up for their match, as well.  Unfortunately, it was 11PM when they entered the ring.  More on that in a moment.  Alex Krisis and Christian Jacobs delivered a very good performance, as well.  Don’t get me wrong - I’m not saying the night was a total dud.  I am saying that the show couldn’t been much better if it was packaged in a friendly timeline.    

Super Summer Showdown started at 1PM at the Ripley Tomato Festival at the Park.  TLCW put on a few matches in front of the Festival crowd just to help promote the night to come.  I hear everyone had a great time - I was not there for that one.  The temperature was close to 100 degrees yesterday afternoon.  I can not imagine how it felt outside if you add in the Memphis humidity.  After that portion of the show, I arrived at the Ripley Park at 6:45PM with Derrick King, Stan Lee and Tim Cummings (TLCW owner).  We honored  Calvin Jenks, a State Trooper who lost his life in the line of duty, by giving Lieutenant Kevin Williams a plaque on behalf of TLCW and the Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce.  I was honored to be a part of that and I will speak more on it in another blog.  From there, we headed to Main St. and the TLCW building.  Then, it was on!

You see, when a crowd shows up for a wrestling show, you have to entertain them.  That’s obvious.  Who would buy a ticket to a wrestling show that wasn’t entertaining?  I wouldn’t.  I don’t think you would either.  It’s hard enough to make one hundred percent of the audience happy, one hundred percent of the time.  Actually, it’s impossible.  So, the odds are stacked against you, the longer the show runs.  So, a typical wrestling show would last two-to-three hours.  Three hours is the tops.  From 8PM-10PM works perfectly.  But when you’re third match is still in the ring at 9:15PM, you’re in trouble.  Especially, when you have seven or eight matches on the show.  That’s not counting the numerous interviews, intermissions and after-match fallouts to help keep the stories moving.  

So, the longer the show lasts, the more tired the crowd gets.  So, a match that may be on the beginning of the show could get a great crowd response.  A better match later in the card may not get much of a response at all… not because the match is bad.  But because the crowd is just tired.  By 10PM, they are tired of yelling and cheering.  Think about it.

I watched a match last night that was labeled as a TLC Match.  Tables, ladders and chairs - oh my!  Anyway, two guys beat the living hell out of one another - slamming each other on tables, chairs and falling from ladders.  The crowd basically sat on their hands.  This was at 10:30PM or after.  No one really cared what was going on, they were just watching and waiting for things to end.  Too bad for those guys because they really did work hard.  But they just didn’t get the reaction they deserved for going through the pain and agony that they did.  It was just too late.

So, my only grumble was the length of the show.  Maybe this is a small error on the company’s part.  Maybe it’s something they can fix.  It’s been a problem for a while and I think it’s holding back the potential of what they truly can do.  We’ll see how it plays out.  

I had a car wreck today...
Yes, I had a car wreck today.  But don’t fret, my good friends.  I am not hurt nor was the other vehicle involved.  But today, I was rear-ended on one of the busiest intersections in Memphis, TN.  At the intersection of Hwy 64 and Germantown Parkway… yes, right in front of the Wolfchase Mall.  For those of you who travel those streets in Memphis, you understand what I’m saying here.  It was very dangerous being stuck in the middle of that road.  

I was stopped at the red light… just waiting for it to turn green.  Then, WHAM!  Can we say whip-lash?  I’m not kidding.  The wreck was not that bad, but when the SUV collided into my car, it was loud and it was pretty powerful.  I gained my wits, stepped out of the car and went to look at my bumper.  I’ll need a new one, for sure.  

So, what happens next?  What do you do?  I haven’t been in that situation very often in my lifetime.  So, I looked into the SUV to see who the careless driver was and it was a crying lady.  I know, I know.  It was an accident.  But when I went to the window to tell her that I was calling the police, I got “Oh no, no, no, please!”

Damn.  No insurance.  

That totally sucks when someone is careless enough to hit your car when you’re not even moving.  But to be careless enough not to have your car covered by insurance is totally ridiculous… and illegal.  But it’s an empty law.  More about that later.  

I knew immediately I was in trouble.  It made me think back to when I had tags on my car that read DSTARR.  I knew it wasn’t a good idea, but for some odd reason, I thought it would be awesome to let everyone know that I was driving the brand new black bat-mobile-looking car.  Well, it didn’t take long before I noticed my car door was kicked in, after a show in Corinth, Mississippi.  I guess that’s what I get.  Not too long after, I noticed that I had been keyed.  Someone scratched my car up pretty well at another show.  Finally, I had had enough.  I got rid of the tag and eventually got rid of the car.

How is that situation similar?  Well, I’m going to have to foot the bill for it!  Sure, my insurance will sue the lady.  But will they ever find her?  Probably not.  And on the other hand, my insurance will still go up for having been involved in a car wreck anyway.  So, either way, I lose and I did nothing wrong.

It gets worse.  Much worse.  

Let me tell you how messed up our laws are.  This lady not only didn’t have insurance… but she didn’t have a driver’s license… AND she didn’t have tags.  So, let me ask you all - what do you think happened to her?  Did she go to jail?  Nah.  Did she have to have someone come pick her car up and drive her away?  No way.  You know what happened here?  SHE DROVE AWAY.  

I’m not kidding.  

She was driving illegally without having a license.  She was driving illegally without having insurance.  She was driving illegally without having tags for the vehicle.  AND she had a wreck.  So, how can you drive away from the wreck… when you’re ILLEGALLY driving anyway?  So, pretty much - the laws are empty.  Sure, she got a court date.  But how do you actually DRIVE AWAY from the scene… when it’s ILLEGAL for you to be driving in the first place?  

So, the Memphis Police Department aided a criminal in letting her drive away illegally.  Right?  Of course, I’m right!  So, if she hits someone else… illegally… and kills them or hurts them very badly, they should be able to sue the city for allowing her to get away in the first place.  I’m not saying I would’ve been happy for them to take her to jail, although she should’ve been taken to jail.  But I’m just saying that if you don’t have the proper credentials to be on the road, the law shouldn’t allow you to drive away.

Am I off base here?

Bret Hart Book Review
I love to read books while I’m doing cardio at the gym.  I can really get down to it on the machines if I have something to do.  So, I’ll listen to my iPod, read a book and burn some calories.  I can not last without a book.  It just passes the time so fast.  The only thing is, I read pretty slow.  So, it took me forever to finish reading Bret Hart’s story that was five hundred and ninety-two pages long.  

But it was well worth it.  

If you want to read a story about how the wrestling business really is and how the boys in the locker room really are - you need to read this book.  Bret tells it like it is, although sometimes you can tell that he thinks very highly of himself.  But you know what, if I accomplished everything that Bret Hart had accomplished, I’d think I was God’s gift to wrestling, too.  He definitely puts his “Hitman” spin on everything he says.  But from what I’ve seen during my time in the business - he’s right on cue with what he says about the boys and how they act.

For example:  In one story, he tells how he and his buddies stayed out of trouble while on the road.  Only a select few were invited… but they’d fill the hotel bath tub full of ice and beer, snort cocaine all night long and stay up until sunrise.  Did I mention they did that to stay OUT of trouble?  I find it rather odd, as well.  And Bret mentions that the judgment never really made sense to him either.  But this clique consisted of Bret Hart, Iron Sheik, Roddy Piper and a few others.  Very interesting, to say the least.

Many times, wrestlers tell their stories the way they want to tell them.  They leave out the juicy stuff about the sex, drugs and backstabbing.  But Bret goes into detail about his many, MANY affairs with many different women.  All the while, he admits that the mother of his children was sitting at home alone.  He felt bad… but it was like an addiction that he had.  He had to score a different women almost every night.  A different date in a different town.  Bret tells some very good stories about his tag team partner, Jim Neidhart, and how strung out on drugs he was during various times in his career.  Davey Boy Smith was addicted to morphine - that ultimately killed him.  

I mean, I was shocked to read many of the things about Bret’s family, career and downfalls in the business.  He’s brutally honest.  And when he discusses his brother Owen, you can actually feel the pain of the loss.  Bret had some tough times for the superstar that he is.  Owen was always one of my favorites.  He was definitely, hands down, the worst tragedy the wrestling business has ever had.  I really believe that.  I enjoyed reading all the great Owen stories, but it made me miss Owen that much more.  

I’ll never forget what I was doing the night that I found out Owen had fallen and died at Kemper Arena.  My father was recording the pay-per-view because I had to work.  I received a phone call at my job and it was my dad on the line.  “Owen Hart just died.  He fell from the rafters.”  I couldn’t believe it.  I told him he was crazy!  No way!  To be honest, and this is going to sound corny, but it felt like a family member had died.  I went home that night and watched that part of the PPV just to see for myself.  I couldn’t believe what I was watching.  

Back to the book, though.

I don’t want to ruin it all for you because I think you should read it for yourself.  If you liked Foley’s book, you’ll love Bret’s.  If you have read Jericho’s book, you’ll love Bret’s.  The difference between the rest of the books and Bret’s… well, he brutal with some of the stories.  He goes into great detail about everything.  Vince McMahon, WCW, WWF, his family… you name it.  His stroke, his concussions, Bill Goldberg… even the troubles of cashing in his insurance policy for losing his career.  It’s all very interesting.

Bret Hart, thus far, has the best biography I’ve ever read.  So, I guess you could say it’s the best there is, best there was and it could possibly be the best there ever will be.  Check it out for yourself.

Funny WCW Story
As you all know, I’m currently reading the Chris Jericho book. I have discussed this in the past, and yes, I’m a slow reader and haven’t finished just yet. I’m getting there, though. But as I was going through the later chapters, I came across a very interesting story. So, I thought I would share it with the rest of you who may not have read the book… or maybe even those of you who were thinking about reading the book but haven’t made up your mind to spend the money to get it.

Well, I’ll tell you right here and now, it’s definitely worth buying.

On to the story.

Those of us who actually wrestle with the dreams of making it in the business one day… the wrestlers that actually want to make it to the WWE… you may find this story very odd. The rest of you who are just outsiders looking in - not only are you very lucky to not be in the wrestling business - but you will have a totally different appreciation to how stupid the WCW truly was. We’ve heard all the rumors and such about how the company wasn’t run the way that a multi-million dollar company is supposed to be run. Well, here’s the prime example.

Jericho was introduced to Eric Bischoff through Chris Benoit. Benoit introduced them at a party and Eric said that if Benoit put his stamp of approval on Jericho… then, he had a roster spot for him. They set the meeting up and Jericho agreed to a three year contract worth $165,000 per year. Is it that easy? Jericho gets invited by a buddy to a party… he introduces him to the boss… and then, he’s signed to the contract right afterwards.

Or not.

The part of the story that’s insane is - Jericho never signed the contract. Chris told the story that he actually turned the contract back in to Bischoff and WCW’s offices without actually putting pen to the paper. He stated that he was just curious as to what might happen and if they’d even notice. Somehow, the multi-million dollar company… the number one wrestling company in the entire world (at the time) didn’t even noticed that Chris Jericho didn’t sign the contract! Not only did they not notice that he didn’t sign it… but he actually wrestled for the company for over more than ONE YEAR before he ever went back to sign the deal.

First off, if WCW offered me a contract, I’d sign it right away. I’d sign it in blood, if I had to. That’s how bad, not only myself, but how bad other wrestlers want to make it in the World of Wrestling. So, Jericho not signing was totally stupid on his part. You have to take advantage when the opportunity is there. On the other hand, how stupid was it that WCW never even noticed it?

Bischoff showing up to work in sweat pants, leather jacket and backwards ball cap is crazy enough. Bischoff and crew not writing the shows in advance and writing the show thirty minutes before a live Nitro went on the air is insane. All the wrestlers doing whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted was another thing that was totally normal in the circus that was WCW, as Jericho tells it in his book. But to not notice that a legally binding contract wasn’t actually signed is a totally different problem. Wasn’t there office workers that were supposed to keep all that stuff on file and double check it?

Anyway, I just thought this was a great story to tell on this blog. Read the book. It’s very good. Jericho seems very truthful about the wrestling business, as I know it. He writes the book as if he’s talking to a friend (the reader). I totally dig the way it’s written and I dig the stories that he tells in it.

Tomorrow - I will review the Hitman Hart book that I finally finished a week or so ago.

Delivering at the big show...
Being in the wrestling business and also being a long-time fan, often times a main event will not live up to its expectations. Often times, an entire pay-per-view show won’t even come close to living up to expectations. Pay-per-view shows are supposed to be the super cards with all the big matches on it, right? So, how does it fail? How does a show that’s been hyped so much for so long end up failing to meet expectations. I guess it’s simple… two reasons. Booking and performance. I would say that the majority of it is booking, though.

Let’s take a look at the WCW Starrcade 1997, where Sting versus Hollywood Hogan headlined after a two year build-up. Sting not only showed up out-of-shape compared to his old self, but the match was lack-luster and the finish was botched. Sting won the match and won the Championship in what was being billed as him saving WCW from the now… but he didn’t hold the title long and didn’t seem to even compare in size or stature with Hogan. Bad deal, altogether.

For me, that was the biggest match in the history of pro wrestling. I was only sixteen years old, at the time. I had waited on this match for the longest time and I just knew Sting would show up and whoop Hogan’s butt. But boy was I disappointed when the match was bad and the finish was obviously messed up. To top all of this off, one of my favorite wrestlers of all time was making his debut in this match, Bret “Hitman” Hart. Heck, he couldn’t even save this one. This match was what eventually led me to watch more and more WWF.

So, what happens if you take the booking out of things… put two men in the center of the ring to duke it out one on one… and just let things happen the way that they fall? You have the Ultimate Fighting Championship!

Last night, UFC headlined their pay-per-view with the best fight that I have ever witnessed while watching live. What I mean by that is simple - we can all watch the tapes of the greatest fights ever. But I was watching PPV live when this one happened. I was glued to my seat with eyeballs glued to the television set. Not only did Forrest Griffin and Quinton “Rampage” Jackson give the people their money’s worth, but they showed that nobody does pay-per-view like the UFC… NOBODY!

From the first few matches of the pay-per-view, the UFC showed that they are not only the premier MMA company in the world, but they’re also the premier ticket of entertainment. No doubt about it. They are the new boxing. They are the new pro wrestling. These guys know how to promote a show. It was action-packed and the crowd that I was watching with were actually cheering at the television!

In one of the fights, Josh Koscheck elbowed his opponent Chris Lytle so hard in the face that blood splattered on the camera’s lens! Now, don’t get me wrong, I’m not a blood-thirsty fan at all. But I definitely popped for this one. I haven’t seen blood splatter like that since I hit Brian Christopher with the chair in Rector, AR! The fight continued, even with blood filling the ring in puddles… and when the final round began, the crowd erupted because Lytle wasn’t going to quit. He stood up and went right for Koscheck and almost knocked him out. But for the fans in attendance to rise to their feet and give Lytle a standing ovation for just coming out to finish the fight… that gives you goose-bumps.

Speaking of the fans, they’re one of a kind. We all remember how brutal the ECW fans were. No, not the ECW fans of today. I’m talking about before ECW was WWE-ized. ECW had the most intelligent wrestling fans ever. Well, UFC has a very unique audience in itself. When the guys were dancing around the octagon and really just avoiding contact, the fans would boo. I’m talking about the fans in the arena… and the fans that were watching on the same television I was. During the main event, half the fans were actually chanting “Forrest, Forrest, Forrest!” and the other half were chanting “Rampage, Rampage, Rampage!” Keep in mind, I was inside a bar in Memphis, TN. Fans were actually chanting to the television!

The main events for the UFC fight almost ALWAYS live up to their expectations. And this one, it exceeded my expectations. From Rampage blocking kicks and punches from Forrest to Forrest Griffin actually pressuring the fight and moving in on Jackson every chance he had… I was shocked by what was taking place. Who would’ve thought that Jackson would be backing away from Forrest? I wouldn’t have. I thought Jackson could knock Griffin out in the first round. But I also knew that if the fight continued past the first round, Griffin would have a good chance at becoming the new Champion.

The only reason I started watching the UFC in the first place was watching Matt Hughes suplex and slam his opponents around the ring. Well, last night, the crowd went absolutely nuts… MYSELF INCLUDED… when Griffin had Jackson in a triangle choke (look it up!) and Jackson actually POWERBOMBED his way out of the hold! Rampage literally picked Griffin up as Griffin was choking him out… and powerbombed him on his head to escape from defeat!

Go to YouTube or something and watch this fight. And I strongly suggest that next time UFC has a big super card, you show up, order it, watch it. Trust me, if you haven’t seen one before and you’re a wrestling fan… you will not leave disappointed.

VH-1 I Love Money
By now you should all know that I’m a reality TV addict.  I know, I know.  It’s garbage television.  Everyone tells me that.  But when they tell me that, they also talk about Flavor Flav, Bret Michaels, New York and the rest.  For some reason, they hate on the reality TV, but they all watch it and are all aware of the revolution that’s going on.  Reality TV is the only way to watch television.  You get it all!  You get the fights, you get the love, you get the sex, drugs, rock ‘n roll… you get it all in one fail swoop!

VH-1 are nothing but a bunch of frickin’ geniuses!  They are my absolute, hands-down favorite television station.  Now, don’t get me wrong.  I like to watch MTV’s shows… but nothing compares to the true garbage television that you can watch on VH-1.  

I’m so psyched out, right now, about the newest reality show that’s going to start on Sunday (tomorrow!).  I have been waiting for this show to start since MAY!  Can you believe that?  I have actually waited on a show to start up for over two months?  Are you kidding me?  

No, I’m not kidding you!

VH-1 has a brand new show starting tomorrow that’s called I Love Money.  Apparently, it’s sorta like Fear Factor / Celebrity Fit Club / I Love New York / Ultimate Fighter all rolled into one!  But wait… it gets even better.  Not only are they all competing for $250,000... but the cast is none other than reality stars from I Love New York, Bret Michaels Rock of Love and Flavor of Love!  They’ll all live in the same house, they’ll all compete against one another for the money and you know all hell is going to break loose.

In all seriousness, this show is going to be the best one that VH-1 has created yet.  I’ve been waiting on it for a long time now and I’m glad it’s finally upon us.  If you get a chance, check it out and let me know what you think by posting a comment below. 

The new WWE
So, what do you think?  How did you like the brand-spanking-new WWE Monday Night RAW?  How about the brand new WWE altogether?  Many changes have taken place over the course of the last few weeks.  I’ve read all the responses on 411Mania.  I’ve even read some of the comments to prepare myself for writing this blog.  I am an avid reader of The Steel Cage, whom discussed the topic several times already.  I even listened to segments of Off the Ropes on ESPN radio.  

All opinions mirror one another.  Everyone’s excited about the new WWE direction… and most of all, they’re all hyped-up about the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk!

I was watching RAW when it all went down.  I thought CM Punk would save RAW and the Heavyweight Championship at the pay-per-view the night before.  I never saw it coming on RAW.  Once CM Punk’s music hit, I knew he was about to become the new Champion.  Money in the Bank winners ALWAYS win the Championship when they cash in the match.  Everyone knows that.  But the question for me is - am I happy with the new direction and the new Champion?

I’m definitely happy with the new direction.  I like to see some of the younger guys who deserve it step up and take the spotlight.  I’m not a big fan of Kofi Kingston, the new Intercontinental Champion… but it’s a breath of fresh air.  I think Kofi is too fake-like.  He just seems awkward.  I like the idea of Lance Cade being in a major storyline because I think he’s a fantastic talent.  But, is it just me or has he done NOTHING the last few weeks?  I think Cody Rhodes will be a major star in the wrestling business one day.  I think Ted DiBiase Jr. will be just fine in his new position.  Mickey James rules and is the hottest on the show.  And my favorite part of any Monday Night RAW is, of course, Santino Marella.  I’m a huge fan of the new RAW.

CM Punk as World Champion will take some time to get used to.  I’m not saying that I don’t like the change and I’m not saying that he isn’t deserving of it.  But where did he come from?  He came from ECW and I don’t think he’s as over as what every one else thinks he is.  Sure, he’s good in the ring.  Sure, he has a connection with the fans.  But basically, he’s kind of at the mid-card level of RAW.  

Let’s think about this for a minute.  Do you really see CM Punk beating Triple H?  Do you see him beating a Batista?  Do you see CM Punk defeating John Cena?  How about Shawn Michaels?  Could you see him beating “The Heartbreak Kid” one, two, three in the middle of the ring?  

I don’t.  Not yet, anyway.

I met CM Punk back when he was working with TNA.  He wasn’t a huge success there but he was very friendly and did well for himself.  Then, I remember speaking to Punk at a Memphis Wrestling show when Jerry Lawler wrestled Tommy Dreamer.  CM Punk was in the developmental system at the time and wrestled another developmental guy.  Those guys put on a great match for Memphis Wrestling and they were very respectful in the locker room.  He’s a pro, for sure.  Last time I spoke with Punk, he had just been called up to the WWE.  I wrestled on Smackdown! that and ate lunch with Punk and Kevin Fertig.  Punk has worked very hard to get where he’s at and I’m glad that he’s finally making it to the top.  I just hope it’s not too early.  

There’s a little slogan that some guys in the WWE use… and the guy they’re talking about doesn’t take too kindly to it.  It’s almost an insult.  But I look at it like this - at least you were the World Champion.  How many people can say that about themselves?  

Anyway, the slogan is “transitional Champion”.  Dirt sheets online are already saying that this is the case with Punk.  Is he a transitional Champion… or can he do what many before him did?  Can he take the ball and run with it?  Can he take the WWE to new heights?  

Well, first week in - damn good results.  The ratings were up - they were high.  The audience peaked in the Neilson ratings during the final minutes of RAW, which happened to be CM Punk’s first ever WWE World Heavyweight title defense against JBL.  Can he keep it up?  Can he keep the WWE on an upward rise?  

CM Punk has the opportunity to make history.  Either way it goes, the guy can make history here.  He can either be the man that saves the WWE and its ratings.  Or he can end up like other transitional Champions before him.  Either way, he’s in very good company.  Company the likes of - Bret Hart, Mick Foley, Rey Mysterio, RVD - and trust me, there’s many more that were supposed to be just “transitional Champions.”  

I’m a CM Punk fan.  I’m just very curious as to how this will all play out.  I guess I’ll be watching RAW a little while longer.