WWE vs. TNA 4.15.07: Ten Things I Love About Wrestling (Part One of Two)
Posted by Jordan Linkous on 04.15.2007
I sit down and share ten things that I love about wrestling. Can you say positivity~?
The Pre-Match Warm-up:
Welcome back to the latest edition of WWE vs. TNA, but not really. Instead, I'm taking a look at ten things I love about professional wrestling. But first, here are the results of last week's column, featuring Chris Jericho and Alex Shelley:
Chris Jericho: 82% 265 votes
Alex Shelley: 18% 59 votes
Oops, looks like Alex Shelley didn't quite make the cut; nevertheless, I still like him. Anyways, I have decided to stray from the regular program of WWE vs. TNA. In the midst of all of this negativity, I have decided to bring some positivity! So, without further ado, here are ten things I love about professional wrestling. NO NEGATIVITY!
Ten Things I Love About Wrestling (Part One of Two)
10) ROH
That's right. I picked Ring of Honor. While I have not seen much ROH, (and heaven knows I have not seen much!) everything I have seen out of ROH I have loved. From my first Ring of Honor DVDs I bought on Ebay, I became a fan. It has introduced me to a new style of wrestling, with new wrestlers. Wrestlers like Jimmy Jacobs, Samoa Joe, Jack Evans, CM Punk, Austin Aries, Alex Shelley, and of course Bryan Danielson, are among the countless superstars that have been given their time to shine in Ring of Honor. Yes, the wrestlers are perhaps my favorite thing about ROH, and here are a few that I personally like, and why.
Jimmy Jacobs: Jimmy Jacobs character in earlier ROH was a character that everyone could fall in love with. He was a great underdog, and the fans loved to support him. As time went on, his skills improved. He became a more efficient and able performer, and his fuzzy boots were awesome. He reinvented himself and has been a key player in ROH, and finally got a big break in the short lived WSX. And anyone that can take as sick a bump as he did at Dragongate Challenge is cool by me.
Samoa Joe: Did you really think he wouldn't be on the list? C'mon. He is a fantastic wrestler, and it is a shame that he left ROH. He is considered one of the guys that made ROH what it is today, and why not. He put tons of time and effort into ROH, and that is why he was loved by the fans. He brought intensity to the ring that left fans in awe, and had countless fantastic matches against the likes of Austin Aries, KENTA, and CM Punk. It is obviously clear why ROH would not be what it is today without Samoa Joe.
Jack Evans: Jack Evans was one of the first ROH stars that I saw, and he was showcasing his talents in the Six Man Mayhem matches they have. I was awestruck when I saw some of the things this kid was doing, to be honest. I personally love aerial spots, so obviously I would like Evans. He does moves that seem impossible to the casual fan, and that is why I love Jack Evans.
CM Punk: If this entrance didn't get you pumped, that I don't know what to say. I like that song so much it is my ringtone on my phone as we speak! But that is only a minor thing that I love about Punk. Whether he was a face of heel, he was awesome. He was part of the Second City Saints, a highly entertaining faction. He was also great on commentary. He was also loyal to Ring of Honor, and stood by it and helped it out in times of need. To sum it up, Punk was great about everything in ROH.
Alex Shelley: Once I saw Alex in TNA, I knew that he was a big superstar. The one thing that stood out to me was his charisma, but when I saw ROH, I found a new reason to love Alex Shelley: his wrestling ability. When I saw him bust out some of the most innovative and painful submission maneuvers, I realized that this guy is fantastic. He is confident in the ring and on the mic, and he is one of the great things about ROH.
Austin Aries: When Depeche Mode's Personal Jesus would blare throughout the arena, I knew I was in for something special. Austin Aries was also someone that I began liking once I started watching TNA, but never really appreciated him as much as I do after watching ROH. His intensity, his in ring ability, and his persona are all great things about Aries.
Bryan Danielson: Perhaps the greatest wrestler many of you will never see, Bryan Danielson is a FANTASTIC in ring performer. You name it, he has it, he can fly, he is a submission master, he is a heavy hitter, he has endurance, and he cuts awesome promos. His intelligence and intensity in he ring are great, and he is, to many people, Mr. ROH.
Another thing about ROH is they care about the wrestling. You won't see it being weighed down by ridiculous skits or promos, but rather a bounty of great wrestling. They don't have to compete with any major promotions, so they can focus on putting on the best product they can. So that about sums up my love for Ring of Honor.
9) Tag Team Wrestling
While I always love a great wrestling match, I LOVE a great tag team match. To be a great tag team, competitors must trust their partners to have their back and support them. It takes devotion and trust to be a great tag team. Perhaps the reason I am so partial to tag team wrestling is when I started watching wrestling. The wrestling I remember is The Hardyz, Edge and Christian, and The Dudleyz tri-rivalry. Their epic ladder and TLC matches, which will also be discussed later, are of legend. There are also some great newer tag teams around, such as Brian Kendrik and Paul London, MNM, The World's Greatest Tag Team, and others. And as for random pairings, there are some that just work. A few of my favorites were The Rock n Sock Connection and RVD with Mysterio. As I previously mentioned, ROH introduced me to new tag teams as well. One of my favorite ROH matches is the Strong/Evans vs. Jacobs/Whitmer tag match from Manhattan Mayhem. If you like great and innovative double team moves, this match is a MUST SEE. In Ring of Honor there were/are also other great teams such as The Second City Saints, The Rottweilers, and of course The Briscoes. TNA also has their fair share of great tag teams. The epic Six Sides of Steel between XXX and AMW is great stuff, and TNA has also laid claim to such other great teams as LAX, AJ Styles/Christopher Daniels, and the Naturals.
8) Ladder/TLC Matches
Speaking of Ladder and TLC matches, we come to my number eight spot. In all of my short wrestling memory, I cannot think of a single TLC match that I have disliked, and same goes for Ladder matches. Yes in this top ten list, there will be a top 5 list, which is the Top Ten Ladder/TLC Matches (and it is only of ones that I have seen, so if there are ones that should have been on there, take that into consideration first):
----5) Rob Van Dam vs. Christian One fateful RAW, two intense challengers duked it out for possession of the Intercontinental Championship. Everyone knew that both men would do phenomenal, and the match WAS phenomenal. It included many innovative spots, including RVD doing many things that jeopardized his well-being. All in all Christian and RVD were able to pull out a fantastic match.
----4) Jerry Lynn vs. Low Ki vs. AJ Styles
This one goes back to the older days of TNA. Low Ki was the reigning X-Division Champion, and Styles and Lynn were the challengers. They pulled out all the stops in this match, with many insane spots, and each man carrying his weight and then some. The end came with Lynn giving Styles a SICK Cradle Piledriver off the ladder, then climbing and retrieving the belt.
----3) Money in the Bank I
Talk about insane. The concept, for those who don't know, is to climb the ladder, secure the briefcase, and gain a number one contender spot. This match was insane as it had never been taken to this point before, so everyone in the match knew they had to deliver, there were numerous high spots, such as each competitor splashing onto the opponents on the floor. It was awesome to see someone of Kane's size perform such a feat, too. Jericho, Christian, Edge, and Benoit brought the Canadian goodness and fought like champions and took some sick bumps. The MVP, however, is obviously Shelton Benjamin. He shocked audiences with tons of death-defying spots, such as a no handed leap over the top rope, a springboard double clothesline, a T-Bone Suplex off of the ladder, but the high spot of the match was clearly the spot where Benjamin propped up a ladder against the ladder that was already set up, and proceeded to RUN UP IT and CLOTHESLINE Jericho off. All in all, it was a fantastic matchup.
----2) Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon Although not technically the first ladder match, it stilled paved the way for every ladder, TLC, and every other spin-off match that is derived from the ladder match. This match featured spots unseen at that time, such as using the ladder as a battering ram. The ladder was used as means to squish opponents, and pound each other in the head. The most memorable spot came when Shawn Michaels climbed to the top of the ladder, and proceeded to splash onto Razor Ramon. It was a revolutionary match, and still stands up to today's standards.
----1) TLC II
This match was a perfect addition to a fantastic card. It featured the Hardyz, E&C, and The Dudleyz. This match was full of action and featured insane spots and amazing spots of athleticism. The Dudleyz brought their awesome with some big spots, and also took some big bumps. Spike Dudley got involved and gave Christian a Dudley Dog through a table on the floor. Matt and D-Von took a big bump from on top of the ladder through two tables on the outside. Jeff Hardy was the co-show stealer along with Edge. Jeff Swantoned from the top of a 20 foot ladder onto Rhyno and Spike. After he had recovered, he climbed the ladder and began to remove the titles when the ladder was taken from under his feet. Edge then Speared Jeff from a ladder. After all was said and done, Rhyno assisted E&C with the win. The reason this match is number one is because it was full of breath taking, nonstop action, and everyone did their part in contributing to making the match something special.
7) Wrestling DVDs
Now we move onto the wonder that is wrestling DVDs. The wrestling DVD is a means of bringing older wrestling back out of the shadows. In DVDs such as the Ric Flair, Bret Hart, and Hulk Hogan, WWE was able to restore some of the older footage and bring back the magic. Since they bought ECW and WCW, they also have access to those video libraries, and they were able to bring such DVDs as The Rise and Fall of ECW, The Monday Night Wars, and several matches on superstars DVDs like Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and RVD. Many of the DVDs that WWE puts out is a good reflection on the past, and they should be commemorated for being so professional when it comes to subjects like Bret Hart and Brian Pillman. TNA, while not have as large a video library, is still able to showcase some of the superstars on the rise there such as AJ Styles and Samoa Joe. It is a good sign when an up and coming company is able to produce new DVDs, and even make a splash on the top selling DVDs every once and a while. Now we come to ROH, who's DVDs are the only way for many people to catch their product. It is great to see how the product has evolved and matured over the years, and their DVDs feature numerous great matches, and I personally an very appreciative that these DVDs were produced. All in all, wrestling DVDs are great. Whether it is to relive the past, of take a look at a superstars history, or see the wrestling alternatives, wrestling DVDs are one of the greatest things to a wrestling fan.
6) My Job
I love my job. I enjoy sharing my views and opinions with the public, and I enjoy getting feedback from my readers. I love that I get to write about something that I love, and the fact that I can interact with others that share the same passion for wrestling as me. Not only do I love my job, but I also love 411Mania and the IWC in general. It is a way for people to get information about the real events in wrestling, and it is a way for others to share their opinions and discuss their feelings, whether positive or negative, about the sport that we know as professional wrestling. when all's said and done, the Internet Wrestling Community is a great thing, and all those involved should be rewarded for the heart and time they put into making the IWC and 411Mania a great place to get information and whatnot about wrestling.
Well that ends part one of The Top Ten Things I Love About Wrestling. Be sure to send me you opinions, whether you disagree or agree, and any other feelings about the week's column. Check back next week for part two, and you won't believe what is number 1! Peace out.
