Notes for the Wrestlespective podcast: Jake Roberts vs Sting at Halloween Havoc 92

Below are my notes I made while watching Halloween Havoc 92: Roberts vs Sting for the Wrestlespective podcast.  These are are just the raw notes for the main event itself.  A more in-depth writeup will be coming soon.

New episode with @s_atl_wrestling on Roberts vs. Sting at Halloween Havoc 1992. Find it here: gredunzapress.com/wrestlespectiv…, iTunes or Stitcher
— Jason Mann (@wrestlespective) May 20, 2013

Halloween Havoc 92 Notes

Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs Sting--Coal Miners' Glove Match Match was unsanctioned Jake checking the poll, goes straight for it. Sting does the same.

Sting confuses Jake by going through ring. Weird spot.

Jake "injures" his shoulder awfully early in the match.

Jake won't rest until Sting is eliminated from the sport. Fun, old school type talk.

Jesse brings up an awesome point about whether the competitors would choose the glove when they spun the wheel to make the deal.

Pole adds nothing to the match.

The spots with the poll add drama, but make the other stuff odd.

JR putting over how vicious the steel post is works great here.

Jesse suggesting the glove may not play a role is interesting. They don't have to use the glove at all which is also an odd stip.

Sting looks sharp in the white tights.

Jesse and JR discuss the logic of the ref's actions since this is "unsanctioned." Good point and a reason it's stupid to bill the match this way.

Jake hurts himself delivering DDT.

Goes for the glove instead of the pin. Sting recovers fairly quickly. Cool spot where Sting runs down apron, swings around poll and elbows Jake.

Sting climbs poll, Cactus brings Jake a snake. Jake probably couldn't climb the poll.

Jake has a cobra he's prepared to use.

Sting hits Jake with the glove in the ribs and the cobra "bites" Jake. Sting gets the pin.

The whole thing is a bit of a mess.

Jake and Cactus going back down the aisle is a sight.

 Mick wearing a Halloween Havoc shirt.

Bruno suggests that the feud isn't over.

Mt. Rushmore of WWE

At some point since I started visiting WCMB Mt. Rushmore threads started popping up for a period of time.  Thankfully that trend died down, but it was recently brought back up when sports talk started covering this in the NFL due to the offseason.  For the record my Mt. Rushmore of Atlanta Falcons was Deion Sanders, Tommy Nobis, Steve Bartkowski and Jessie Tuggle.  That is obviously beside the point though.

This morning I went to Twitter and started a discussion about what WWE's Mt. Rushmore would look like.  From the feedback I got there are three "definites" and then a bunch of guys in the discussion for the fourth spot.  This list only includes wrestlers so Vince McMahon does not qualify.  If he did the fourth spot wouldn't even be up for debate.

Here are the definites:

• Hulk Hogan
• Bruno Sammartino
• "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

It should really go without saying why each of those individuals gets the nod.  What gets more interesting is trying to assign that last spot to someone.  For example, my first instinct was The Rock.  TH (@tholzerman) of The Wrestling Blog suggested swapping John Cena and The Rock out.  Jason Mann (@wrestlespective) of Wrestlespective made the comment that the Undertaker had a strong case while also acknowledging that The Rock should be in the discussion.

Here is a list of the most deserving individuals for that fourth spot:

• The Rock
• John Cena
• Undertaker
• Bob Backlund
• Bret "The Hitman" Hart
• "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels
• Andre the Giant 
• Triple H

Looking at that list it still seems to me that you are left with The Rock vs John Cena.  The "knock" on The Rock would be that he's arguably a bigger star outside of wrestling than in it.  The fact that he transcended wrestling only helps him in my opinion, but I certainly understand that perspective put forth by TH.  On the other hand, you have John Cena who is unquestionably "the guy" for this generation.  Honestly, by the time he retires it will probably be inarguable that he deserves the fourth spot.  It seems odd to leave The Rock off of this imaginary thing, but after more reflection it seems to me that John Cena is the correct answer.

I would love to hear your thoughts on this.  If you don't want to use the sidebar to contact me via Facebook or Twitter, email me at FreebirdSTF@hotmail.com.

"They Live' cosplay

Reddit user, preggit, shared the following Imgur album on Reddit.  It was "Best of costumes & make-up 2012."  Now I am not big into the whole cosplay thing, but there were a bunch of really cool ones in there.  The one that caught my eye though and fit the main purpose of this blog was this excellent "They Live" cosplay.

I cannot imagine reading a wrestling blog and not knowing this, but "They Live" is a cult classic that starred "Rowdy" Roddy Piper. "Hot Rod" finds out that aliens have invaded the Earth and are using subliminal messages to keep their identities hidden. They also use these messages to keep humans in order. There's only one problem for the aliens. That is some rebels figure out how to create sunglasses that allow you to see the aliens as they really are. I won't spoil it any further than that I suppose, but I will tell you that you should prepare yourself for the most epic sunglasses based fight of all time.

FFA: Man of Steel (2013)

"Man of Steel" will be in theaters right at a month from now.  To say I am excited about it would be a vast understatement.  The reason for my excitement is two-fold really.  One, Superman is my favorite superhero by far.  Two, this movie looks like it gets Superman right.  Here is some evidence of that in the form of official trailer #3.




It could be the Superman fanboy in me, but that truly looks like it could be a fantastic comic book film. Many people find the character to be boring. While I understand that perspective due to his vast array of powers I think Superman is a fascinating character. The idea that someone can be so powerful and yet not be corrupted by that power is interesting. As a Christian there are definitely some parallels between the character, Moses and Jesus. Considering Superman is one of the best examples of an ultimate "good" character I do not find that offensive at all either.

The concern here is that "Superman Returns" also looked pretty good in the trailers. Aside from Routh playing a good Clark Kent and Kevin Spacey delivering as Lex Luthor there were a lot of problems with that film. Superman sacrificing himself was also a nice touch I will admit, but let's look at some of the issues:

• Superman as a stalker? Nope. 
• Superman leaving Earth for five years to go find Krypton? Absolutely not.  
• Superson? Insanity. 

The new film does appear to touch on the struggles Clark faces when finding out the truth about his origin, but I feel it will embrace the "shining example" aspect of Supes and not try to make him just as flawed as the rest of us.  That's not what makes him tick.  He isn't like us, he is better.  He is the guy we would look up to in times of struggle.

One other minor complaint about the new film is that the perfect Superman theme will apparently not be used.  That decision boggles my mind although I understand the thought process.  It gave us one of the best scenes in Returns and that magic will be left out of what looks to be a great film.  It is a bummer, but not a showstopper.  

Another promising aspect is Michael Shannon as Zod.  While I really liked Kevin Spacey's Luthor a common criticism of Returns and some of the other films is the lack of a really good villain.  Specifically the lack of a physically imposing villain that would be able to go toe-to-toe with Superman.  Zod in "Man of Steel" certainly seems to fit that bill.  

As a bonus the Movie Masters figures look really cool. They look even better in the packaging. I mean look at that classic pose!

At this point I must admit that my expectations are so high I could be looking at a big disappointment in June.  Based on everything I have seen though I believe this film will deliver.  I certainly hope I am right.

Upload Credit: WarnerBrosPictures 

Mattel's WWE Elite Series 22 pictures

I've already discussed the awesome figures we will soon be getting from Mattel as part of their Elite line.  Today there have been some new pictures released including this amazing WCW/nWo The Giant figure.

#nWo is FOR LIFE! Just ask @wwethebigshow's NEW Mattel #WWE Elite figure! ringsidecollectibles.com/Merchant2/merc… twitter.com/RingsideC/stat…
— RingsideCollectibles (@RingsideC) May 16, 2013

The Rock also got a new head sculpt along with a sweet WWE Title.

@therock gets a brand new head & the NEW #WWE Championship w/ his latest Mattel Elite figure! ringsidecollectibles.com/Merchant2/merc… twitter.com/RingsideC/stat…
— RingsideCollectibles (@RingsideC) May 16, 2013

Last, but certainly not least we will be getting our first Elite Damien Sandow figure.

Wow! @thedamiensandow's first Mattel #WWE figure is SPOT ON! W/ removable robe! #YoureWelcome ringsidecollectibles.com/Merchant2/merc… twitter.com/RingsideC/stat…
— RingsideCollectibles (@RingsideC) May 16, 2013

"You're welcome."

WWE.com: Is Paul Heyman scouting a third client?

"Is Paul Heyman scouting a third client?" was posted on WWE.com yesterday.

Might there be another Paul Heyman guy waiting in the wings?

While CM Punk languishes in self-imposed exile and Brock Lesnar prepares to battle Triple H inside a steel cage, rumors have begun swirling that the mad scientist is looking to expand his ranks, and actively scouting for a third client inside the WWE locker room. The rumors are admittedly just that at this point, but the WWE Superstars and Divas are still abuzz over the possibility of Heyman's ranks increasing by one.

For all I know this is just one of those stories they like to post to keep the website interesting and maybe get a few extra clicks. If not, this could be an interesting story that will be playing out on WWE TV soon. I hope that this does make it to TV because if done right it will be intriguing.

Another thing I liked about the article was that it had quotes from superstars putting over the importance of being a Paul Heyman guy. That type of analysis is one of those things that modern-day wrestling is missing. It adds a small touch of realism to the product and is a welcome thing.

Whatever the case, WWE.com needs to keep this up. These types of articles are interesting and are a nice addition to the onscreen product.

Dean Ambrose gets a shot at the US Title

Photo Credit: Between the Turnbuckles

WWE recently announced that The Shield's Dean Ambrose will receive a shot at Kofi Kingston's US Title at Extreme Rules. Ignoring the obvious jokes about how he will be mistreated, I think this is an interesting development. They were sure to put over on commentary that this was the first time a member of The Shield challenged for a title.

Will he win it? I have no idea, but even going for the belt makes me wonder what the motivation will be. What reason will one of the "Hounds of Justice" give for wanting the US Title? I think it is important that Ambrose explains what the purpose of winning this title would be for The Shield.

Why? It is due to the way they are presented. They have a fairly defined goal which is to dish out their brand of justice in WWE. Now we do not always understand their specific motivations and logic, but that is their goal so far as I can tell. That makes the collective really interesting in my opinion. You never know when or where they will show up or who they will target. When they choose to explain their motivations, they have always delivered. That is why I am so curious about this challenge for the belt. If Ambrose wins it, I just want there to be an explanation for wanting the belt that puts Dean Ambrose, The Shield and the title itself over.

Considering how WWE has handled them so far, I am confident they will do right by them. I know that I "believe in The Shield."  Also a big believer in his Bus Driver! finishing move.  That thing is vicious looking.

Booking SAW Compiled

These are shared individual on the on the sidebar, but have now been compiled for your reading pleasure.

Booking SAW Part 1

Booking SAW Part 2

Booking SAW Part 3

Booking SAW Part 4

A brief description of topics covered in each is listed below:

• Part 1
• Tag team wrestling
• Handicap matches
• Non-title matches
• Champion introductions
• Cage matches
• Part 2
•  Authority figures
• Three-way matches
• Championships
• Entrance music
• Women's wrestling
•  Part 3
• Commentators
• Ring announcers
• Celebrity involvement
• Thrown-together tag teams
• Comedy acts
•  Part 4--Reader submitted questions
• "Enhancement talent matches - underused?"
• "When should a champion be pinned/made to submit?"
• "Key elements of a heel champion"

That is the entirety of the Booking SAW series as it currently stands. If you have any topics you would like to see covered, please leave a comment or email me directly at FreebirdSTF@hotmail.com. You can also find me on Twitter (@S_ATL_Wrestling) or on Facebook.

Wrestling Schools and WWE

So, I was thinking about this the other day; with El Generico recently signed and other notable indie wrestling stars such as Sami Callahan and Adam Cole potentially getting signed by the WWE, they are all going to be sent to Florida so they can have some seasoning done to their work so they will be "WWE-ready".  It got me thinking, outside of Sin Cara, all of the WWE's signings have been sent down to Florida for seasoning.

The thing that got me thinking about it, all of those guys have been signed for a reason, they have talent, charisma and all that jazz.  But they're not trained in the WWE style.  Why?

There are tons of wrestling schools, many very good, a majority, not so much.  Of the good schools out there, why not go ahead and immediately prepare them for the WWE style?  Over the last few years there have been notable WWE released talent who could go out and open their own school.  The only one I know of, is Johnny Swinger and Rick Steiner opening one up here in the greater Atlanta area, which IMO would be one to at least check out because both have been in the big times as of recently, the only thing is they're new to the game and you can't tell how good because they haven't put out any talent yet to make their school noteworthy, but it would be one worth a shot.  They are in proximity of a good amount of Georgia independent wrestling organizations so one could get a lot of seasoning wrestling in front of crowds. 

I never trained myself, so I can't speak for myself, but I wonder if training in the WWE style then fixing it to the more risky indie style is easier than the other way around? 

But again, I'm suprised more schools don't attempt to train their students in a more grounded WWE style than they would in their own.  Especially for those talents whose end goal is to make it to the WWE, even if their chances are slim to none.

Jerry "The King" Lawler Returning to the Ring

Yahoo! noted that Jerry "The King" Lawler was returning to the ring just eight months after his heart attack on RAW.  It will not be for WWE however, but in a tag match with Dory Funk, Jr. for Dory's !Bang! promotion.

Honestly, after the heart attack I have less than zero interest in seeing Lawler return to the ring.  While I understand that The King is probably very excited about the prospect and that it will be a happy moment for him it just does not do anything for me.  Jim Ross replied to someone with similar concerns on Twitter yesterday that Jerry would certainly not do this without the express blessing of his doctors.  Granted that is an excellent point, but it really does not change how I personally feel about it.  It just seems like an unnecessary risk.

In the end, it's obviously not about what I want or don't want to see.  I hope Jerry enjoys himself and is able to wrestle safely.

The craziest thing is that the 63 year old Lawler is actually NINE YEARS younger than his tag team partner.  That is nuts.

God Bless them both I say if that's how they want to spend their 60s and 70s.  I guess God has already blessed them if they are able to perform at that age anyway.