The
WEI is a weekly look at the events that have made an impact, both
positive and negative, on the world of oiled up, hairless men that
pretend to hit each other that we all so love to watch. The range
goes from 0-100 with 0 being a world in which every PPV is like
Heroes of Wrestling while a
perfect score of 100 would be wrestling nirvana.
Remember, all links in WEI open up in a new
browser window. So feel free to check stuff out, we'll be here when
you get back!
WWE leaving
the CW: In a move I don’t think many saw coming, the WWE sent
out a press release with the details of SmackDown leaving the CW network as of
September. It could be interesting to see which channel
and what day SmackDown ends up on. I can certainly see CW’s
viewpoint in that WWE viewers help the channel almost as much as TNA
iMPACT’s viewers help PPV buys. Wrestling viewers watch RAW, ECW and
SmackDown and then change the channel, only coming back the next
time the show is on. CW needs shows like VH1 has, where you watch
Celebrity Rehab and then realize you want to watch Scott Baio is 46,
Best Week Ever, or Rock of Love. I can’t believe that now I’m going
to have to set my DVR to find SmackDown later this year. It already
drove me crazy this week trying to find MyNetwork so that I could
tape Paradise Hotel 2! Phooey to that. WEI
Score: - 5
The Triumph and Tragedy of World Class DVD
: In the past I have reviewed the incredible
Heroes of World Class
DVD and Big Vision’s Heroes Director’s Cut
DVD. Both couldn’t get a bigger thumbs up, in no
doubt helped by the fact that I just can’t get enough World Class.
Growing up in the North East, I remember rushing home to watch World
Class on ESPN and marking out big time. Only in the last couple of
years am I finding out that most of the stuff I saw on ESPN was pure
shit compared to the red hot stuff that went on down in Dallas at
the time.
Like all WWE DVDs that cover other companies,
the disc has its good points and bad. Because they own just about
all wrestling under the sun, we are able to get footage of
everything talked about, which is just awesome. The down side is you
only get to see the side of the story they want you to see. One big
part of that story is Michael Hayes. In fact, this DVD almost could
have been called How Michael Hayes Made
World Class and How it Died After He Left. I’m in no way saying
Michael Hayes wasn’t a very important part of the mix, but man,
after listening to this guy talk you’d think he really believed that
he was solely responsible for one of the hottest companies in
wrestling for a time. I know that, personally, I enjoyed the
Freebirds/Von Erich feud, but it certainly isn’t something I would
say was THE reason why I couldn’t wait to watch. The cutting edge
production and the Von Erich’s were the big reason for me, no doubt
just like John Cena is for many of WWE’s viewers today.
The deaths of all the Von Erichs are covered,
as is the death of Gino Hernandez (with another heartbreaking story
from Gary Hart), but all the other tragedies are pretty much skipped
over. In a way I can see WWE’s viewpoint, in that they don’t want
people to associate wrestling with early deaths, but in the end of
it all, it is what is. If anything, the
Chris Benoit tragedy showed that many wrestling fans aren’t going to
be turned off to wrestling no matter what you tell them. Overall, a
very good DVD, but do yourself a favor and get one of the two Heroes of World Class discs to compliment
the story and give you a better idea of what really was going on
down there. WEI Score: + 2 
Wrestling Society X: The Complete First and Last
Season: Hands down this is the most loaded DVD
set that any wrestling company has ever put out. Big Vision, who
already deserve mad props for their Ultimate
Insiders series and re-releasing G.L.O.W. DVDs, have put out a FOUR DISC
set for WSX. Containing the unaired last episode of WSX (that
features an exploding ring match with Teddy Hart and a PIHRANA DEATH
MATCH), the DVDs also feature commentary features for every single
episode, “deleted scenes,” a hilarious Matt Classic movie trailer, a
Lacey bikini video that has to be seen to be believed, WSX
scripts~!, and a hell of a lot more. Just an incredible set and the
best bang-for-your-buck you will ever see in the wrestling world.
Seriously, this is like the Criterion Collection for pro-wrestling.
Also included is the most unwatchable feature on any DVD, so bad
that it probably has to be seen. The feature I’m talking about is
the seemingly two hour rant by WSX ring announcer Fabien Kaelin that
comes across as part theatre of the absurd, part psychotic mental
breakdown and about as entertaining as a hostage video.
If you don’t have this set by now, then what are you waiting
for?! WEI Score: +
7
The Outsiders Shoot Interview
DVD: RF Video had a decent run recently
when they released a Kevin Nash shoot
interview
followed by a Scott Hall shoot. Longtime
readers know how much I enjoy Hall and Nash, going so far as to
track down Nash to sign my copy of
The Death of WCW book. As usual, the Nash shoot
was entertaining as he is just one guy who knows how to tell a
story. After watching, you can easily see how Nash could have sweet
talked his way into so many great contracts. Nash just has the “it
factor” and is impossible to hate, even when telling a story you
just know he’s full of shit on. The Scott Hall shoot was also great,
in no large part because Hall is completely lucid the entire time.
Hall has an uncanny memory for every thing he has no problem saying
when he has been a dick in the past. Together, Hall and Nash
together as The Outsiders gave a solid shoot, only marred by the
fact that Hall repeated several stories that he gave in his solo
interview. I love hearing stories about what was going on backstage
during the Monday Night Wars, and these two guys were right in the
middle of everything. Fantastic shoots that don’t slow down for a
second. WEI Score: + 2
Paul Heyman: “Why I Left WWE”
article:
The Sun, which has some of the biggest wrestling
stories at times (where do they get this kind of access?!), recently
posted an interview with Paul
Heyman that was a great read. I loved the part where
Heyman talked about the December to Dismember PPV and what his
original idea was. Just an overall fascinating look at the backstage
scene in WWE and eye opening when Heyman talked about his
relationship with Stephanie McMahon. Must read material.
WEI Score: + 2
AOL Sports has article on wrestling personality
Mark Madden: A lot of people remember Madden from his run in WCW as
part of the announcing team (while trying to forget his awful
“match” against Gene Okerlund that hilariously had Madden trying to
get his Hawaiian shirt to cover his stomach) or his even better run
as one of wrestling’s all time best writers when he was part of the
Pro Wrestling Torch. Madden is currently
a radio host in Pittsburgh and this recent article just lit into
him, calling Madden a message board troll among other things. I used
to have Madden’s show subscribed on iTunes, but had to give up after
a while as he just has one of the most annoying ways of talking this
side of Jar Jar Binks. I love that he scathingly attacks a lot of
sports’ sacred cows, but his speech pattern is something more
torturous that water boarding. I can only describe it as someone who
has 30 minutes of material and an hour of time to fill. Instead of
getting another 30 minutes of material, Madden just takes awkward
pauses during each sentence to stretch everything out. It’s like an
audio version of a kid who has to write a three page essay and
resorts to using large font sizes and triple spacing to pad out his
work. A polarizing figure, Madden has large groups of people who
both love him or hate him. Give him a chance one day on your iPod
and make that decision for yourself WEI
Score: - 3
Missy Hyatt
YouShoot DVD!: Last year I reviewed the incredible YouShoot with Honky Tonk Man
DVD from KayfabeCommentaries.com and went out of
my mind. An idea that could have been disastrous ended up being one
of the coolest concepts I’ve seen in a while. The host will read an
email to the guest, or a video file will pop up with some goof
asking a question, and it is a whole new twist to the shoot
interview model. There is no truth to the rumors that Wade Keller is
adopting this format for his next Torch Talk. Anywawy, after an
excellent debut with Honky, next up on the list is the heat magnet
herself, Missy Hyatt, and here is preview video
of her YouShoot. If only the boys at KC can find the
rock Tom Zenk has been hiding under or get someone like Jim Cornette
for one of these dealies, I’d buy five copies each.
While you on KC’s website, check out their DVD commentaries section. It’s
a place where, for just a few bucks, you can download guys such as
Iron Shiek, Harley Race, and the Honky Tonk Man, doing commentaries
on some of their most famous matches. A wrestling version of RiffTrax if you will. WEI Score: + 1
Warrior loses mind…again: I know, we’re all
shocked. Warrior recently transcended the mere written word has
begun making videocasts. God help us all. In his
premier video, Warrior discusses the fall out from his much talked about blog
post “long dead before 28,” which was written after
Heath Ledger died. This just in, Warrior is still insane. WEI Score: - 5
WWE Celebrates Black History Month: Over at
WWE.com they have put up a touching
tribute to black history which continues such
great gimmicks as Kamala and Virgil. Thankfully Sean Carless already
has his own version up, which also
pays respect to WWE’s first black world champion, John Cena. WEI
Score: - 5 (WWE) + 3 (TWF version) – 2
Overall
WWE ceases relationship with Ohio Valley
Wrestling: Is there any other form of entertainment, or sport, that
puts less emphasis on their developmental system than wrestling? How
can anyone be so short sighted? From the writers/bookers to the
talent, there’s nothing going on right now that leads me to believe
wrestling is going to have its “cyclical nature” of having a big
period soon. This is a move that, in a nutshell, explains the
mentality of those running pro wrestilng now and that is, stop worrying, everything is fine and
everything is roses up ahead. Not that WWE is losing money or
anything, but man, I don’t see how anyone could have their stock on
the “buy” list right now. WEI Score: - 2
Reviews of
note:
The History of
TNA: Year One DVD
Jerry Jarrett’s
book on The History of TNA: Year One
The Condemned
DVD
Roddy Piper’s Hell
Comes to Frogtown DVD
Guest Booker with
Gabe Sapolsky DVD
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS? Maria, Santino,
and Ashley “After the Bell” - Wonderful segment.
COMICS~!
It’s going to be a great year for movies, and one I’m
really looking forward to is Watchmen, based on one of the most
popular graphic novels of all time. Written by comics’ greatest
writer, Alan Moore, Watchmen is a mindblowing story that seamlessly
travels back and forward through time featuring a group called the
Crimebusters. In the present, several Crimebusters are being killed
off and the remaining members get together to try and get to the
bottom of what is going on. This is the type of comic for people
that hate comics as the depth of story is amazing and each chapter
includes “non comic stuff” that also adds to the story, such as
chapters from a Crimebuster autobiography or a seemingly innocent
interview. It is almost impossible to get across how incredible work
this is and to compare it to an average comic would be like
comparing ECW on Sci-Fi to the original ECW. I’m including a link to
the Watchmen: Absolute
Edition, which is an oversized collection that
includes a ton of bonuses, including Alan Moore’s original pitch for
the series. GET THIS NOW.
DVD~!
Gone Baby,
Gone: Coming
out this Tuesday, Gone Baby Gone is such
a great movie that you will find it impossible to believe it was
directed by Ben Affleck and stars his brother Casey. If you liked
the movie Mystic River, than you’ll like
this, probably because they are both based on books written by
Dennis Lehane. Taking place in Boston, Gone
Baby Gone starts with the disappearance of a four year old girl.
The police are out looking for her, but the girl’s family hire
private investigator Casey Affleck because he’s the type of guy who
can get to people who won’t talk to the cops. With strong and
believable twists, Gone Baby Gone is a
refreshingly honest look at how the world isn’t always fair and how
even the good guys aren’t always good. The stellar cast also
includes Ed Harris and Morgan Freeman. Like The Lookout, this is one film that should
have found a bigger audience in the theaters. It’s that good. While
the DVD doesn’t come with many bonus features, something that
usually makes me want to scream and avoid at all costs, this is one
of the rare times I have to recommend it whole heartedly. Who knew
Ben Affleck had this in him?!
Special thanks to
Nathan, ”Sensational”
Scott Paris,
“The Chosen One” Sean
Carless (speaking of Carless, if
you enjoyed this edition of WEI, check out this brilliant video satire over at thewrestlingfan.com on The
Haunting 2, playing off the recent story that Owen Hart is haunting
the Kemper Arena. Go on, you'll love it!).
Last week's
Wrestling Enjoyment Index: 50
This week's net change: + 7
Current enjoyment level: 57
Billionaire philanthropist Derek Burgan, who
fights crime when not writing DVD reviews, has been watching
wrestling since he was ten years old. He even has a
MySpace
page. If you have any
questions, corrections, feedback, or goofy ideas, Derek can be
reached at: derek@gumgod.com.
