wrestling / Columns

The Wrestling 5&1 11.29.13 Paige vs. Audrey Marie

November 30, 2013 | Posted by Tony Acero

It’s the day after Thanksgiving, and if you didn’t finish last night’s turkey, I’m sure the sandwich you have right now is a remnant of the night prior’s meal. With the holiday being so close, and I being somewhat busy/lazy, you’ll get precisely what you expected – what I am most thankful for this year. There is also a special guest near the bottom that I’m sure some of you have missed.

Daniel Bryan and CM Punk

I’m assuming that this particular “thankful for” moment is something that everyone expects from all corners of the IWC, but it’s not without reason. Simply put, these guys are the harbingers of awesomeness. I think part of the dislike for them is the hipster hypothesis that claims all things beloved by the majority must be hated by the minority. I honestly don’t get how one could dislike those who have consistently great matches week in and out. I almost threw Dolph on this list because he’s somewhat in the same boat – even if not on the same level. I’ll be the first to admit that I’m no indy kid. I never saw Punk or Bryan during their pre-WWE days until after they had already arrived. I never enjoyed the “in-the-moment” feeling that many of you readers did, but I feel that holds little to no bearing on their presence in the WWE. Throughout the year, Punk hasn’t always been in the spotlight, yet he was consistently a joy to watch, and there were many times when he was the sole highlight of the card with one exception.

That exception? Daniel Bryan. The boy is heat, and no matter where he is on the card, or what he’s doing in terms of program, the audience loves the goat faced bastard. Color me a fan, because I get excited every time he is in the ring. Sure, he’s got his repetitive nature from time to time, but each of his matches vary enough with the exception of that hot spot of “flip, whip, duck, clothesline, etc.,” to truly stand out. Daniel Bryan is every bit as exciting and deserving of his accolades, and while I could harp on how I wish they’d of struck while the iron was hot, I feel (hope?) that Bryan’s moment in the sun wasn’t his only, and it’s a matter of time before he’s at the top again.

This all, of course, cannot be said without the opponents of these guys who – in all honesty – deserve quite a bit of praise as well. The Shield and The Wyatt Family have become two of the most successful multi-man groups we’ve seen since ever. Each man has their own distinct personality and talent – and in The Shield’s case, little of that was done through dialogue. If the WWE would see just why these guys work (character, individuality, support) then maybe they’d be able to create better, more well-rounded stars we can latch onto. But back to Bryan and Punk; they made it, guys. They were at the top and did the unthinkable. They broke the mold and proved that with the right motivation, push, and tenacity, being at the top is very possible.

The Readers

Yes, you fellas. I’d like to think that I have differentiated myself over my years here to stand out as an individual, and not yet another writer, or “that weekend guy.” For better or worse, and whether you truly despise me or feel indifferent, or actually enjoy coming back on a weekly basis for my little diatribes, I truly don’t care. What I do care about, however, is that you guys read this site. There was a time when I was simply a reader on this site, and never thought I’d actually be one of the top guys (yes, I am – and yes, I have crowned myself as such) on the site. Still, there’s something to be said about our lovely comment section who continually come back to our site and read what we right. WE’re truly a microcosm of a microcosm of society, and it’s you guys that tend to allow us to write more than enjoy us as writers. What I mean, simply, is that without you, we wouldn’t be here.

The week the new Disqus comment system was implemented, I got an e mail asking if I would like to be a moderator, and I immediately said no due to my not wanting to censor any of you. Regardless of the excessive AJ, the continuous ego-stroking, or the self-love that can be nauseating, I’d never want to censor you guys and what you think. Hell, I’ve given a spot in this column for you all to voice your opinion, without censorship. Whether you’re Randy Ragsdale or Rheinhold, I may not agree with what you guys say at different points, but I stand by my promise to allow it to no end (the moderators, however, that’s another story).

What this all boils down to is me simply thanking you guys for joining me here. This column wasn’t mine to begin with, and in true DeMarco fashion, “It will be here long after me,” but I’ve enjoyed my time and don’t see any signs of stopping. One of the reasons for that is simply you guys. So thank you.

Audrey continues to reign supreme against the NXT divas. Let’s give her a bit of a challenge this week with someone who is loved by all before an upper level diva in her fourth week.

And now…..

Voting ends Wednesday night and you can vote once every hour!


My Brothers

I’ve been a wrestling fan since I was four years old, and within these twenty+ years of being in a relationship of epic proportions, there were times when wrestling simply wasn’t good to me. We’ve all been there – hell, some of you are probably there now; wrestling isn’t always what we want it to be, and it certainly doesn’t make us feel like we used to. I have to double that sentiment when it comes to 411wrestling.com. Simply put, writing about wrestling does something to you – it requires you to almost always LOOK for something you dislike in an effort to simply have something to write about. Even those of yesteryear that had this column space before me would likely tell you that there is a new lens we look through when analyzing this product that we claim to love so dearly. Weeks where the product is so good are rare, but when they do happen, the struggle to write about something is real, y’all. It’s so much easier to complain and harp on the negatives than to highlight the positives for a variety of reasons, but the way we watch wrestling is simply different.

It is because of this that I look to my younger brothers, who have no idea what “face” and “heel” means. Who have no clue what “buyrate” is defined as. Who don’t realize that Sin Cara totally botched that move, or that Santino is actually a good wrestler. My brother Fernando will love Big Show, face or heel, because he’s huge and he “knocks people out.” If Show’s a heel, he’ll say outloud to no one in particular, “well, that’s why you don’t mess with The Big Show.” My brother Ivan is an avid Cena fan who cheers then looks at me, knowing I dislike the character but unsure why. They watch with me, and they want me to fill them in on what The Shield is doing, or where Christian is. They jump when there’s a sloppy bump while I mentally etch a star away on the rating. They laugh at the Cobra while I notion for a fast forward. They are the fans we all once were, and they hold the moments we yearn for. They keep the excitement when I need it, and show me that no matter how many columns I write, no matter how many matches I rate, the one thing I must never forget is where we all started – as a fan.

Yes! Yes! Yes! Facebook page, I posted this pic for all to comment on…

And the commenter with the most “likes”???

Elijah Whitehouse: “Wade Barrett you are…NOT THE FATHER!”

Think you have what it takes to win the Caption Contest? Head on over to the Yes! Yes! Yes! Facebook group and join today to see what Tony, myself and the gang post next!

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Wrestling I’m Thankful For
By Greg DeMarco

I just couldn’t stay away!

Actually, that’s not true. Tony is doing a kick ass job, and I asked to get a point to continue a long-standing tradition—matches I am thankful for!

Each Thanksgiving in The Wrestling 5&1 I shared my favorite matches of all-time. Matches you—the reader—will hopefully enjoy as well! In my opinion both are virtually perfect. I put Angle-Michaels slightly above Liger-Muta due to the results of each. Liger busted out Kishin Liger, unmasking himself in the process, and still loses. For the‘Mania match, the right man went over.

April 3, 2005 – WWE WrestleMania 21
Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle

(Or as I like to call it: The Greatest Match Of Our Generation)

October 20, 1996 – New Japan Tokyo Dome
Jushin “Thunder” Liger vs. The Great Muta

(Or as I like to call it: The Kishin Liger Match)

I was very close to giving AJ an entire section above, but I felt this would due…

Tony Acero is currently a student at Cal State University of Long Beach. He is double-majoring as a Creative Writing and Literature major. His first book, Through The Looking Glass, was published in April, 2012. School’s Out is a short story that found the author arrested due to the severity of its content. Both can be found on amazon.com.

Tony joined 411Mania in April 2010, and currently contributes in both music and wrestling. Tony is an avid drinker of Mountain Dew and Jack Daniels. He is a writer who hardly takes himself seriously, yet has an innate ability to create moments that are both human yet fearful in his writings.

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HALL OF FAME
Greg DeMarco is a graduate of Virginia Tech (Bachelor’s in Business Management) and Arizona State (Master’s in Higher & Post-Secondary Education). He works in online higher education. Greg started in improv comedy in 2001, making his stand-up debut in 2004.

Greg first appeared as a ring announcer for Rising Phoenix Wrestling in Phoenix Arizona in 2006 and served many promotions in both on-stage and back-stage roles for over six years, most notably Ring of Honor in 2010. He began writing for 411Mania in October 2010, founded The Greg DeMarco Show in May 2011 and opened WrestlingSmash.com (and Wrestling Smash Radio) in January 2013.

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Until next week…

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