Tag Archive: Professional Wrestler

  1. Remembering Randy Savage

    9 Comments

    TMZ reports:

    Florida Highway Patrol tells TMZ … Savage was driving his 2009 Jeep Wrangler when he veered across a concrete median … through oncoming traffic … and “collided head-on with a tree.”

    Savage was transported to Largo Medical center, where he died from his injuries.

    Savage’s wife was a passenger in the vehicle during the collision — but survived with “minor injuries.” She was transported to a different local hospital where she was treated.

    I grew up watching “Macho Man” Randy Savage on television each and every week.  I started to become a fan during Savage’s initial WWE Championship run, culminating with his match at WrestleMania V with Hulk Hogan.  When I woke up this afternoon and saw that TMZ was reporting Savage passed, I refused to believe it, but the news is spreading like wildfire and I can’t pretend forever.

    Randy Savage, for me, was the premiere architect of what a professional wrestler should be.  Detail oriented in the ring, and entertaining as hell outside of it.  When “Pomp & Circumstance” came through the PA at a wrestling event, you knew you were in for something special.

    I’m at a complete loss for words, so I’ll leave you with one of my favorite Macho Man quotes.

    “The camera is that way, yeah. Sense of direction I’ve always had, but a little help along the way, just like a good quick shove, is somethin’ nice to have, yeah!”

    Please feel free to leave your Macho Man memories in the comments below!

    RIP Randy “Macho Man” Savage

     

    May you two be reunited...

  2. ThinkSoJoE on Edge

    3 Comments

    I’m going to go on record and say that at the time of this writing, I have not watched the April 11, 2011 episode of WWE RAW.  Every Monday night I try to avoid the temptation of reading about what happened on the WWE’s flagship show when I was commuting to work prior to being able to watch the show.  Tonight I made the mistake of going on Twitter and seeing a ton of tweets regarding Adam “Edge” Copeland.  When I called home, as I usually do when I get to work, my fiancee made it a point to tell me that Edge is retiring.  No matter how hard I try, news about Edge does not slip past my RADAR, and with good reason – Edge is one of my favorite wrestlers of all time.

    Edge had everything you could want in a professional wrestler.  He had great mic skills, he was amazing to watch in the ring, and he managed to evolve along with the business he lived his life for over the past fourteen years.  For all fourteen of those, I’ve been an Edgehead.  How could you not be?  He always had the coolest entrance in the business, whether it was coming in through the crowd at the beginning of his WWE career, rising up through a ring of fire with The Brood, or emerging through a cloud of smoke to the heavy metal laden sounds of Rob Zombie’s “Never Gonna Stop” or Alter Bridge’s “Metallingus.”  And that’s just to get you pumped up for the spectacle you’d be about to witness.

    Shawn Michaels – my absolute favorite wrestler of all time, for what it’s worth – defined the Ladder Match with Scott Hall.  Edge, along with Christian, The Hardys, and The Dudleys, redefined it.  Throw in some tables and chairs, and it becomes his match, the TLC Match.  Edge innovated in Hardcore matches with Mick Foley at WrestleMania 22 and ECW One Night Stand 2, showing that he’d have been a huge star in the original ECW if he’d opted to ply his trade there.  Edge defined the Money In The Bank Ladder Match, and earned the nickname “The Ultimate Opportunist,” and that’s just his resume in stipulation matches.  He’s also, for what it’s worth, undefeated in Last Man Standing matches.

    Even without weapons, Edge was a deadly foe in the ring.  He could beat you any way he wanted to.  Edgecution.  Edgeucator.  Edge-o-matic.  And of course, his weapon of choice toward the end of his career, the Spear.  A Ten-Time World Champion.  That’s not something that just any bum off the streets can pull off – that’s an indication that you are one of the best in the world at this profession.  To retire as Champion is unheard of – there goes Adam Copeland innovating this business again.

    My hat goes off to Edge for knowing that his body cannot continue to take the abuse that he puts it through night in and night out on the road for the WWE.  Thank you, Adam “Edge” Copeland, for entertaining me week in and week out for the last fourteen years.  We’ll miss you!

  3. The Wrestler Panel (Repost).

    3 Comments

    Logo
    A Celebration of Professional Wrestling Continues!

    G’s Note: I organized a project a year ago in honor of the art of professional wrestling. It was a massive endeavor, and one that I enjoyed doing. Originally, I intended on doing it in a theme of a fan panel where fans submitted the questions and then answered each other’s questions. However, my friend Big Bad Chad, helped me coordinate this panel with a number of independent hardworking gentlemen… a true exclusive conversation by wrestlers about wrestling. As we approach the weekend of WrestleMania XXVII, I wanted to bring this article back out of obscurity in honour of all wrestlers who graciously donated their time to allow this project come to fruition.  Thank you!  I hope you enjoy it!

    (more…)

  4. ThinkSoJoE’s Thoughts: How to get over…

    4 Comments

    I haven’t done an original column here on bWf in a while, but with it being my (and JT’s) birthday today, I thought I’d write a column I’d thought up yesterday afternoon, entitled “How to get over…”

    (more…)

  5. ThinkSoJoE’s Thoughts

    4 Comments

    You know, I just posted the link for this week’s SmackDown review on facebook, and I realized that I didn’t get a chance to get a goofy picture of Josh Matthews into this week’s article.  So, here’s your weekly dose of “Josh Matthews is a tool.”

    Look at this tool

    Look at this tool

    Now that we’ve got that out of the way, let’s talk wrestling.

    (more…)

  6. ThinkSoJoE’s Thoughts

    3 Comments

    Raven, Kennedy, and Striker – OH MY!  Let’s get started.

    Monday night on RAW, Mr. Kennedy returned to the WWE after being out for a very long period of time with an injury.  What followed was not nearly as surprising – he injured himself in his first match back.  The fans at the Staples Center seemed to enjoy his presense, but that wasn’t enough for the WWE to keep wasting their time with MISTEEERRRRRRR INJURY PRONE!

    INJURY PRONE!

    Kennedy was back for four days before WWE decided to release him from his contract.  Do you think that TNA would take him, or is he now resigned to work as MISTEEEERRRRRRR FRY COOK?

    5/30/09 UPDATE: Rumor flying around is that Randy Orton had some kind of discussion backstage with Mr. Kennedy following RAW, that Orton has considerable influence in the company, and these factors may have been what led to Mr. Kennedy’s release.

    ECW color commentator Matt Striker is the center of controversy this week as alleged nude photos of the school teacher turned professional wrestler began circulating the internet.  Internet Wrestling Community pundits are beginning to wonder if this is the sort of thing that could cost Striker his cushy World Wrestling Entertainment job.  In my opinion, if Disney kept that High School Musical girl after her nude pics leaked, WWE will certainly keep Striker.

    Buff Bagwell did an interview recently where he said he’d work for WWE for free, and if TNA called him, he’d listen.  Does this guy seriously think he’s got a shot at WWE again?  He was there for all of a week before they fired his ass the first time around.

    AOL and Time Warner are set to dissolve their merger after nearly a decade.  Could this mean a new wrestling organization under the direction of Ted Turner is now possible?

    WWE has now changed the name of the Unforgiven Pay-Per-View event.  It’s going to be called “WWE Breaking Point” and is rumored to be a submission themed pay per view.  I kind of like the idea, though there aren’t really a whole heck of a lot of submission wrestlers on the roster that I can think of at the moment, so I can’t imagine what the matches would be.

    The highlight of my week actually happened on TNA iMPACT! this past Thursday night as my favorite wrestler returned.  During a therapy session, Dr. Stevie put Abyss in a straight jacket, prompting Lauren to come to his rescue.  Through the crowd emerged a familiar face – RAVEN!  The former NWA and ECW Champion took away Dr. Stevie’s kendo stick – and blasted Abyss with it himself!  Raven and Dr. Stevie, the former ECW Tag Team Champions reunited with an embrace in the ring.  Welcome back, Raven!

  7. A case for the Hall of Fame: Edge

    1 Comment

    Twenty-seven is an ominous number for rock stars.  Kurt Cobain, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and several others have died at that age.  It’s also a number associated with “Weird Al” Yankovic for some reason.  It’s also the number of championships the man we’re here to talk about today has won during his WWE career as of press time.  He’s the only person to have held all six major championships across RAW and SmackDown.  He’s also the only person that Hulk Hogan has ever held a tag team championship with.  I’m referring, of course, to SmackDown’s current World Heavyweight Champion, Edge.

    (more…)