• Tag Archives: ECW

    This Or That: Reality Era Edition (7/1/2014)

    Everybody loves binary decisions, especially wrestling fans! In This Or That, we’ve forced ourselves to choose between two options that relate to wrestling.

    Over four questions, @TimWelcomed, @JoeySplashwater and @TomBlackett will have to choose one of two options and give their reasoning on each of their choices. You can then vote on which one you’d choose, giving you the false impression that you’re somehow involved and we care about your opinion chance to join the conversation!

    Before we start, here’s last week’s results:

    Which ladder match are you more excited for: WWE Championship match or MITB briefcase match?

    MITB briefcase match – 69%, WWE Championship match – 31%

    Which rising babyface will fans turn on first: Roman Reigns or Michael Elgin?

    Michael Elgin – 84%, Roman Reigns – 16%

    Who do you side with in their Twitter beef: Taz or Lance Storm?

    Lance Storm – 55%, Taz – 45%

    Which would you rather do: see Transformers: Age of Extinction or go to the dentist to have a cavity filled?

    Go to the dentist to have a cavity filled – 65%, See Transformers: Age of Extinction – 35%

    This week, get ready for the script to be torn up, because things are getting REAL. So real that we’ve had to recruit regular correspondent and resident of The Blast Zone Nightlife (@AnimeKing420) to weigh in on things.

    NOTE: We strongly advise that you have the following song playing while you read the questions and cast your votes, it’ll set the right tone.

    Who do you side with in the Reality Era WWE war: Triple H vs. Kevin Dunn?

    Reports are flying that WWE’s long-time head producer Kevin Dunn has been scuppering Triple H’s attempts to get his NXT babies over, but is he right to do so? Who do you side with?

    reality-hhh-kevin-dunn

    Tim:

    I think both men have their issues. Most of my problems with Triple H stem from his ego but I never doubt that he doesn’t love pro wrestling. I think he at least has a vision for what he thinks the product should be. I’m not saying things will be a lot better once he is fully in charge but a change is going to be nice. I’ll fully admit I am ready for a Triple H-ran WWE product just for something that has potential to feel different. He has and continues to bring in a decent amount of talented workers to NXT but the a big problem is usually how those talents are written on TV when brought to the main roster. I’m not saying I have ever had any hope for Adam Rose and Bo Dallas. Their characters are one-dimensional goofs. In a vacuum, I enjoy NXT but the gimmicks have to be more inviting and less in-joke ridden when they come to the main roster. I don’t know how much of that is Triple H’s fault.

    I see Kevin Dunn as someone who is worried about his job once Triple H does take the helm. He seems like one of Vince’s yes-men and a member of the old guard. I know Triple H has played his fair share of politics and it’s always disgusting to hear about or see, but I am actually pretty curious to see his vision with no restraints from Vince McMahon and the rabid shit-heads he surrounds himself with. Is Triple H one of those politicking shit-heads? In a way, yes… but I have the feeling Triple H cares more about the future of pro wrestling than Vince McMahon’s buddies.

    Triple H

    Joey:

    Not sure how to pick here as I dislike what I hear about Kevin Dunn and some of the NXT call-ups, specifically Adam Rose’s bit. That being said, I have to pick Kevin Dunn here. Even if his time is up once Triple H gets full power, he likely sees it coming and is just making things difficult to stick it to Hunter before he gets the axe sledgehammer.

    I don’t have a horse in this race but I think I have to pick Kevin Dunn based off how impressive his burying skills are. Less than a month into Adam Rose’s big debut and he’s not even on TV! That’s just an amazing feat done to the king of burials. Kevin Dunn gets the win here.

    Kevin Dunn

    Tom:

    I can understand not being convinced by a lot of the NXT grads that have made it to TV so far, but I’d still rather watch a hundred Adam Rose segments than anything to do with Kane ever again. Give me new things to watch! Even if some of it is terrible or takes a little while to catch on, it’s worth it for the stuff that works – for example, I am strongly considering buying a Bo Dallas shirt in the future and that is NOT something I ever expected to have to deal with.

    Triple H

    Nightlife:

    God, this one’s tough. On one hand, you have a guy who takes every possible opportunity to put himself over as one of the greatest stars of all time, very frequently at the expense of up-and-comers, and who had that absolutely dreadful 2002-present run, but on the other hand, you have a buck-toothed moron who ruined the only chance WWE ever had to put on a legit explosion match. After much consideration, I have made my decision. As an unabashed FMW fan and blood mark, put me on Team Levesque.

    Triple H

    [yop_poll id=”35″]

    Continue reading →

    Dirt Sheet History: May 2006

    Take a trip back to a memorable timeline in sports entertainment with the most important stories reported as fact in the journalistic world of pro wrestling dirt sheets.

    Following the timeline of the last Dirt Sheet History looking back at April 2006, we get a glimpse into the top scoops from May of 2006. We dive into the news getting ready for ECW One Night Stand 2, start to see the signs of Kurt Angle’s body breaking down and get all the juicy gossip on the Batista vs. Booker T fight.

    Reminder that you can find all editions of Dirt Sheet History looking at 2004 and 2005 right here at this very link. Now enjoy May 2006!

    may

    5/1/2006

    * Kurt Angle is said to be showing more and more signs of wear and tear from the business. He has cut back dramatically on prescription pain killers, but he has been feeling the effects from it. He lives with constant pains, but is looking to tough it out.

    5/2/2006

    * SLAM! Wrestling reports that JBL will challenge Rey Mysterio at Judgment Day for the WWE Championship.

    In a related story, more reports indicate that JBL will face Rob Van Dam at the ECW One Night Stand pay-per-view. While not confirmed, look for RVD to cash in his money in the bank contract for a chance to become WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

    5/3/2006

    * The overall reaction amongst WWE employees on Joey Styles’ promo from last night was one of absolute shock. Apparently, many people in the company share the same views as Styles voiced in his promo on RAW last night, but would never speak out against Vince McMahon. Everyone was surprised that Vince and Stephanie would allow material of that nature to air live on RAW.

    5/5/2006

    * According to Dave Meltzer, the decision is final and John Cena will be Rob Van Dam’s opponent in the main event match at the ECW One Night Stand PPV this June.

    Apparently WWE will be using this opportunity to officially turn John Cena heel after being booed by fans for months. It also appears that this will be when RVD will cash in his “Money In The Bank” title shot, thus indicating that Cena will continue to retain the WWE Heavyweight Championship.

    Continue reading →

    Dirt Sheet History: Autumn 2005

    Take a trip back to a memorable timeline in sports entertainment with the most important stories reported as fact in the journalistic world of pro wrestling dirt sheets.

    Following the timeline of the last Dirt Sheet History breaking down the best inside scoops from the Summer of 2005, we’re ending the year checking out the final three months of news.

    october

    10/4/2005

    * The rating is in for Saturday night’s TNA iMPACT debut on SpikeTV – the show did a 0.8.

    While not the home run rating SpikeTV was hoping for, this is a strong number and something both Spike and TNA can be proud of. The real test will be seeing how the show does over the next 2 months. If they can maintain that viewership base and grow to a 1.0, it will be a good sign of long term potential.

    10/6/2005

    *  Vince McMahon will return to RAW this Monday to ‘fire’ Jim Ross on-screen so that it would make sense for him moving to WWE.com Unlimited. It is said that Ultimate Fighting Championship announcer Mike Goldberg has accepted the multi-year contract WWE has offered him, and could be on RAW this Monday.

    It is unknown if their will be a storyline for Goldberg coming in, or he will be presented as the new announcer immediately with no explanation.

    10/7/2005

    * Spike TV asked TNA to remove a segment at the end of Impact where Team 3-D looked into the camera with the middle finger raised and asked those in Stamford, CT to “trademark this”. TNA had no problems removing the gesture.

    Continue reading →

    Dirt Sheet History: Spring 2005 (Wrestlemania 21 and ECW One Night Stand)

    Take a trip back to a memorable timeline in sports entertainment with the most important stories reported as fact in the journalistic world of pro wrestling dirt sheets.

    Following the timeline of the last Dirt Sheet History breaking down the best inside scoops and rumors from the road to Wrestlemania 21, we see what happened during the Wrestlemania 21 event and afterwards. Delving deep into the Matt Hardy/Edge/Lita saga and going all the way to the first ECW One Night Stand reunion PPV, here’s Dirt Sheet History from April through June 2005.

    april

    4/4/2005

    * The crowd was dead during JBL vs. John Cena because they were exhausted after Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle. They were on their feet for most of that match. Kurt Angle was over big during, and after the match. Quite a few people were booing Michaels. The crowd also seemed surprised that the JBL-Cena match was that short

    Biggest pops:

    1. Hulk Hogan (by far)
    2. Steve Austin
    3. Batista
    4. Kurt Angle
    5. Undertaker

    Most heel heat:

    1. Muhammad Hassan & Daivari
    2. Randy and Bob Orton
    3. The Sumo Match
    4. Edge
    5. Shawn Michaels (when he got out of the first Ankle Lock)

    4/5/2005

    * In a surprising note, following his World Heavyweight Title victory over rival Triple H, the first person on Batista‘s list to hug was none other then Triple H’s father. Triple H’s mother was also at the show, situated alongside her husband on the front row.

    * There was a positive mood for last night’s PPV, with people generally thinking it delivered strongly. That being said, there was slight concern that the crowd seemed a little dead after John Cena‘s title win. That apart, everything went the way the company wanted it to.

    Continue reading →

    Seven Things: 7 Mount Rushmores of Wrestling

    Welcome to Seven Things, a list that will run weekly and consist of very eclectic topics. These are of my opinions and doesn’t express the views of others on WrestlingOnEarth.

    With President’s Day being yesterday, I decided to go with a somewhat relevant topic. To add fuel to the timely fire, LeBron James recently mentioned his “Mount Rushmore” of the NBA and it led to a lot of debate. It made me wonder who would be The Mount Rushmore of wrestling. The wrestling curiosity I own made me take it further and wonder who would be The Mount Rushmore of each promotion I’ve followed closely in my life which led to a more enjoyable thought process. We go in depth to see who The Mount Rushmore of WWE, WCW, ECW, TNA, ROH and more each would be. Feel free to give your answers in the comments or send them to me on Twitter.

    Reminder: If you have any suggestions for future lists, feel free to share them in the comments or send them to me on Twitter: @typicalROHfan.

    7. The Mount Rushmore of The Mount Rushmores of Wrestling: Kevin Steen, The Young Bucks and Adam Cole

    rushmore-pwg

    Okay! First off, they used the name before all these Mount Rushmore conversations started happening so they get first priority. Coincidentally, they happen to collectively and separately be among the best things in wrestling right now. Just watch the video. I promise it’s lovely.

    Continue reading →

    Match of the Week: Sid vs. The Dudley Boyz (ECW Living Dangerously 1999)

    Many sites have a match of the week but ours is a little different. These matches are the ones that are fun to watch… in the non-traditional way.

    This week, we’ve chosen Sid vs. The Dudley Boyz from ECW’s Living Dangerously ’99. Members of the site @TimWelcomed, @typicalROHfan and @TomBlackett give their (lack of) expertise on the action.

    Part 1: The entrances.

    sid-entrance

    Tim:

    The Bully, Brother Bubba Ray is in the ring being his normal self. He thinks there’s no one up to the task of going against The Dudleys. Well, he’s wrong. Sid Vicious is here and he’s jacked and ready to attack, brother. The crowd goes wild. This crowd always goes wild.

    He gets in the ring and Bubba Ray throws a homophobic slur at him. Glad he nipped that in the bud after this. He would go on to never throw that word around again. Not really. The match begins.

    typicalROHfan:

    Unnecessary swearing and blatant homophobia. This is E-C-Fucking W!

    The thing I loved most about ECW fans were that they’d bury WWF and WCW relentlessly but when someone like Sid or Scott Hall appeared, they lost their minds cheering. Sid was probably clowned on for a lack of moves or botching promos yet they couldn’t cheer any louder for THE Master of the Universe.

    Tom:

    Who is Judge Jeff Jones? Does it matter? ABSOLUTELY NOT. Anyone who brings Sid to ECW is a hero. The reaction he gets is insane and Sid’s first words in the promotion are monumental:

    “There’s no man fucking tough enough?! There’s no fucking man bad enough?!

    Bubba spits out some grotesque homophobia, before D-Von inadvertently buries his face in Sid’s monumental rack. It’s the classic fable of a gross bigot and his half-brother against a curly blonde haired goliath! Continue reading →

    The Merch Table: ECW T-Shirt Special

    Wrestling companies make merchandise. It’s usually pretty bad, but sometimes, it’s terrible. Welcome to The Merch Table.

    Every week, @TomBlargh will look at some of the awful merch that someone expects you to buy. Up this week: ECW T-SHIRT SPECIAL.

    There’s one bit from the Rise and Fall of ECW documentary that always stood out to me. It’s where they’re talking about how they all chipped in and did jobs in addition to wrestling to help out – Stevie Richards would man the ECW hotline, Bubba Ray Dudley would talk to the venues… and Taz would design the shirts.

    The last one always seemed weird to me. Taz? Really? The guy with all the orange who dresses like this? He was the one responsible for coming up with all the iconic ECW logos and shirts?

    This warranted further investigation into ECW’s shirt designs (with the ZandigFans forum proving a treasure trove of material). Now, I don’t know if Taz is responsible for all of these but… well, I wouldn’t be surprised. LET’S GET STARTED.

    Tommy Dreamer, Beulah McGillicutty and Kimona Wanalaya T-Shirt

    menage1

    A shirt celebrating this very special moment in wrestling history. Sure, why not? What’s nice is how subtle it is. Just check out the back:

    menage2

    They might as well have had the slogan read ‘THIS GUY FUCKED THESE TWO GIRLS / PRETTY COOL HUH’.

    Extreme exclamation mark count: Three. Continue reading →