This weeks edition of the memoirs is way past due. Hey sue me I have been busy! I am now putting up my third quarter review, the first part that is. New column name and a new look..a fresh new outlook. It now appears as if we are in the stretch drive, in the year 2001 in the world of organized insanity. The world wrestling federation has provided fans with several memorable moments the past few months. We will look at which storylines have moved forward, how the recent pay per views ranked over all, and where I believe "the alliance" and the WWF's culmination will finally come to a head. So without further ado here we go..
Since I last left off at the mid year point I looked at a few angles, the "invasion" and the major players to look out for. However I never really explored in detail where the very deep pool of talent the company now offers place is in the company. Several members of the alliance and the WWF have been lost in the shuffle and their place as simply the second tier athletes or "bench players" does not cut it. So lets look at how some of both "companies" have been left to drown in the pool of the company and not move forward.
Dreamer...
We know that this was a man who literally broke his back for Heyman and ECW. He now is not only forced to play the part of role player, in the alliance but is forced to where those god awful pants. Obviously he is losing creditability as both a competitor and as an influence. Why not give back to the guy who looks to have given so much? I ask this and wonder. I then try to answer this question and say that he is maybe just not that good...and was he ever. I am trying to do by saying this is almost be the devils advocate here. He has shown to have great mic skills and maybe that was good enough for ECW, but not for the WWF. He has bleed, sweat and tears for this company and does all he have to show for it is just having a job? I ask myself this and I am disturbed by what has taken place. Okay, maybe I am being a little melodramatic by saying "disturbed" but come on Dreamer has obviously earned his strips being the "innovator of violence". So come on Vinnie Mac, and his son the puss. This goes out to to Heyman proud and the Steph endowed! Allow Tommy Dreamer a real shot to compete on t.v and speak on the mic....."Sunday night Heat" and "Superstars" does not count. For the love of all that is good and pure please don't let him "pull a val venis"...he has practically disappeared.
Awesome...
Initially he started off great with the company but he has gone down hill from there. Where did Mike Awesome go wrong? The question and answer can really only be pointed to one person MIKE AWESOME. I gave him credit a few months ago for capturing the hardcore title but all he did was let me down. (cue the disappointed look on my face) All kidding aside his allegedly "dangerous" way of competition has been highly speculated by many of my friends from the media. My friend "Joltin Joe" has said that it is that very reason why Awesome has been forced to sit by the waste side and collect his pay cheaque. I do wonder does his contract work like some cellular phone plans.."pay as you go"? I truly wonder how much of a shot did Awesome really have. I have seen him in a handful of matches and then he usually is forced to join Tommy Dreamer as some punching bag in a six man tag squash match. The whole thing just seems unfair. He was former ECW heavyweight champion and is just as agile as Kane. Leaving him to sit on the sidelines will eventually see him "pull a val venis". This is not enough according to the higher ups in the company. It almost appears in the case of Mike Awesome as if they are approaching him with a "what have you done for me lately?", attitude. Give Awesome a break having a job and doing the JOB is totally different and he deserves a break.
Albert...
I can not say that I am a huge fan of "baldo" but I need to give him credit. He has talent in the ring, and although his voice is not as clear as it should be, why de-rail his obvious ascent to the top of the company just because the organization is full of talent? Sure, maybe being stuck in team situation where he is playing the part of accompanying X-Pac to the ring does not help but it is not to say he does not deserve to continue to reach the stars. He was the intercontinental champion and then lost it to Lance Storm and then...nothing. He was sitting by idly where no one has moved him and his character forward in the company. He instead has pulled a "Val Venis"...he has practically vanished(don't worry Val your time is coming to be chastised by the madness is coming soon enough, just not today). He has improved his in ring work and for a big man he almost takes bumps as well as Bubba Ray Dudley. So all I can say is give back to the guy who was trying to earn his strips and don't let people like "Test" take his spot.(I am still having a hard time figuring out why Test is getting a push instead of a hard worker like Albert. Who is he brown nosing?)
Hey madison, what about the angles?
I ask this to myself clearly in the third person so I can give full attention to the best and worst angles of the past few months. There were many segments that suggested that there were feuds on the horizon but then there were a few that just flickered with hope only to see that potential pull a "Val Venis"...(Refer. to Dreamer when looking for my definition)Hey I think that's the first time I ever cited myself. So lets see.
Angle and Austin: Finally it comes to an end!
Okay, when you read the title it may give you the impression that I did not like it, that is not the case. I thought it moved well and gave the milk drinking Angle a whole new dimension to his character. Although he never goes as far as I would like to see him go(when he snaps like a slim jim) he certainly does go that extra mile. First he bleeds like a stuffed pig and loses to Austin at Summer slam. Then he nearly has his ankle "broken" by Austin only to get off the stretcher on Smack down and put Austin in the ankle lock himself. This incident is then followed by Angle being pildriven on the concrete, only to see him miraculously rise from near "paralysis" to get back to the show and confront Austin. Another incident was when Austin takes Angles medals and those them in lake once again causing Angles medals to pull a "val venis". Angle returns the favor and nearly throws Austin in the lake in my home town.....Toronto, Canada!(hey you thought only Foley could do this..cue the crowd)This all culminated in a match up at unforgiven which saw Angle come out on top. Only to see him lose it weeks later leading up to No Mercy. I suppose the answer to this is "Why?" and not WHAT!
Booker and The Rock: Like comparing apples to guacamole..everybody wins
This feud originally began as The Rock was making his return to the ring from his hiatus. I see that no matter who the Rock has in the ring with him it always turns out that he NEVER puts someone over. When I say never I mean give me an incident where he lays down completely after a match or any attack..he never does. After each incident does that thing where he struggles to his feet and is never completely caught laying down looking at the house lights. Booker was completely played for a fool in this angle with the Rock. His "tell me he didn't say that.." is just plain stupid. He has so much talent and he is jobbing where he needs to be pushed I looked at this feud and thought although there where some good points I just wished overall that the angle would do us all a favor and pull a "val venis". I thought from Booker's attempts to be next thespian actor to his attempts to call him self the most "electrifying man in sports entertainment" imitation dry and boring.
Check back in next time where I will look at the pay per views and the highlights of the last three months
Marcus Madison..Can you read through the madness?
You too can once again here Marcus Madison on Joltin Joe's Wrestling line on Starphone. (416)350-3000 ext. 2049
