Matt Dawgs
Random Thoughts from Matt Dawgs: My 25 Man Roster, KOTR, Disco Inferno, ROH at Hammerstein, Michael Hayes and more....
By Matt Dawgs
Apr 26, 2008 - 1:24 PM

Random Thoughts, Opinions, Questions and Observations.

Three in a row or like they say on ESPN’s Sportscenter when commentating NBA basketball games, A TRIFECTA!!! What’s the miracle for 3 consecutive columns on 3 consecutive weeks? Well, ask James Guttman. He might have an answer for you. Anyway, let’s get to it.

The King of the Ring tournament has come and gone and I was surprisingly surprised by it. The minute WWE.com announced earlier in the day that they main event of the show would be HHH/Cena/Kane/Taker vs. Orton/Edge/JBL/Chavo, I lost hope that the tourney would feature anyone note worthy. Instead, it featured basically all of the UPPER TIER mid card guys. You know the guys who are basically mid carders right now but over enough that they can be swapped into a main event here and there and are credible and believable. All of the matches were solid and the fact that William Regal won it was a good choice. Regal has always been very good in the ring and very good on the mic only to never have a real push behind him. If WWE decided to push him seriously, he can be another solid, upper card guy. I don’t see him being WWE or World champ but he can definitely main event a pay per view against whoever is the champion at the time. Plus, being from England and all, I think the gimmick of being King suits him. In years past, the title King of the Ring was just a moniker used for a few weeks and then forgotten. Bret Hart didn’t make the King his gimmick. Steve Austin didn’t make the King his gimmick. Ken Shamrock didn’t make the King his gimmick. Brock Lesnar didn’t make the King his gimmick. Hell, I don’t think he even wore the crown. Regal, he can utilize the King gimmick similar to Booker T a few years back and make it believable.

On the flip side of that coin, the Barack Obama/Hilary Clinton segment was abysmal. I don’t get why WWE thinks it is entertaining to put imposters in the ring and have them look horrible in the process? Wait, let me rephrase that, I don’t get why VINCE MCMAHON thinks it is funny or entertaining.

I am not sure if TNA’s Glen Gilberti reads this site or not. He should considering he was a guest a few months back but I digress. Glen, if you are reading this, I read your rebuttal to several wrestling sites TNA reviews out there. While you did indeed make some damn good points in the fact that several reviewers were unfair in their reviews, you have to admit that TNA does have some major flaws booking wise no? From certain points in commentary to angles that are rushed and not given proper time to be built to endless stipulations with matches to numerous run ins and interference to every tag team on the roster having some sort of tension between each other. You can’t say that TNA is a flawless product because they aren’t. There is a long way to go before that can be said.

Whoever thought to book the Divas in a heel vs. face battle with everyone involved was sheer genius. Plus having them all dress casually rather than in wrestling gear = GOLD. They all looked smoking hot in regular clothes especially Beth Phoenix and Mickie James. I am actually looking forward to the Backlash 10 diva tag match. Good job.

Lindsey Lohan is off the wagon and that sucks. She has been out partying and drinking vodka at clubs in both New York and Los Angeles over the past two weeks. She has three movies in post production and none in pre production which means if she doesn’t clean up her act soon, she isn’t going to be working for a long time. Shame.

But to lighten my Lindsey Lohan downness, here is an awesome picture of her in her hotness!!!! ENJOY !!!

The latest Derek Burgan cartoon: DRAWING HEAT .

In my last column found here , I talked about naming a roster using talents from any era of wrestling history. I had a topic set up on the message board to discuss it. Anyway, I am going to put my 25 here with reasons why. If you want to discuss a pick with me, feel free to go to the message board post and bring it up.

My roster would be:

1. “Stone Cold” Steve Austin . Austin is arguably the most popular wrestler of the last decade. He is definitely the biggest single year money machine ever in professional wrestling history. He is capable of being both the top heel and top face in any promotion. He is a mechanic in the ring capable of having good matches with lesser opponents and he is gold from a persona and promo cutting standpoint.

2. The Rock . Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is by far the biggest wrestler in the history of wrestling. I am not talking about most popular or biggest earner. I am talking biggest overall. He is a bonafide movie star and his name is most likely recognized by more people across the world than anyone in the history of professional wrestling, bar none. He is easily the most charismatic wrestler ever and is also capable of playing both a top face and a top heel. He is also capable of having main event matches and looking good in the process and can hold it down as a top draw without having to have an opponent equal to him in star status.

3. “Nature Boy” Ric Flair . You may sense a theme here and that there is flexibility. Flair is yet another main event level talent that is capable of playing both a top face and a top heel. In his prime working years when Flair was World Champ, he was the best technical wrestler in the country and by far the greatest touring champion in the history of all of wrestling. I am not talking about being the biggest draw; I am talking about being the best. There is a difference. When Flair was a touring territory champion, he drew. It didn’t matter who his opponent was, people would pay to see Ric Flair when he came to town and people bought him as THE MAN. He was larger than life and carried himself like a champion’s champion.

4. Bret “The Hitman” Hart . My theme continues. Main event talent, both heel and face. I have gained a new found respect for Bret after reading his book. He has some great ideas of how to put together a great match that has highs and lows that the crowd eats up. His international stardom is also a big plus should my company want to tour the world. According to Bret’s book, he was on “Beatles” like levels in Germany, Italy and of course, Canada.

5. Brock Lesnar . Yeah, I pick Brock. I was surprised by many of the lists I have seen so far lacking Brock. Remember, this list isn’t what happened in their careers, it is just a list of wrestlers in their primes. Brock in his prime, as brief as it was, was one of the best wrestlers of our era and his upside was limitless. You have to remember, the bully/heel Brock was probably the best big man worker to ever step foot inside a wrestling ring. He was able to sell to much smaller guys like Brian Kendrick in a way that didn’t hurt him monster aura. Plus, his vicious beat downs of people like Kendrick, Zack Gowen and even Hulk Hogan were believable and fun to watch. He never got to reach his full potential and was still pretty amazing. He would be my monster who is working his way through the card until he finally wins the world title and you then have 4 faces above him on this list to chase him.

6. “The Heartbreak Kid” Shawn Michaels . I am pretty sure that when it is all said and done, if Shawn has a few more years left in the tank, he is going to be on top of the list when people ask who the greatest in ring performer of all time is surpassing Ric Flair. This is a man who at one point was forced into retirement with a major back injury. He has since come back and as I said, while wrestlers on this list are supposed to be in their primes, I can’t figure out when Shawn’s “prime” actually is. It is debatable whether or not he is actually better now than when he was in the 90’s. He is THAT good.

7. “Ravishing” Rick Rude . A damn shame he has a career ending injury or else he would have been a major player in the main event scene of WCW during the Hogan era. He also would have been a major contributor to the Monday Night Wars. Rick Rude in his prime was well ahead of his time as a performer. He had great size, a great look and was a great heel. He could definitely work with less than stellar performers (see Warrior, Ultimate for example).

8. Jake “the Snake” Roberts . Surprise pick here considering who I still haven’t mentioned yet. But every promotion needs a guy like Jake. No I am not talking about a guy with “personal demons”. Instead I am talking about a guy who is able to amaze people with strictly his talking ability. If you go back in history, Jake Roberts has never had a 5 star match. He is never mentioned in conversations about the best matches in wrestling history. Yet Jake is probably the only person who can have a crowd in the palm of his hands using ring psychology with what essentially was one of the worst movesets in history.  

9. Kurt Angle . In my fed, Kurt would be built up slowly. Sure Brock Lesnar has more upside than Angle did in his prime but here, (actually anywhere); you need to push Brock right away due to his freakish nature. He is a walking monster and people are in awe of that. So Brock needs to get the push even though Angle was more “in ring” ready in his debut. In my fed, Angle would get a slow push but he eventually would be the wrestling machine everyone knew he could be but was never used as. Angle has had more classic matches over the past 10 years than anyone in this business and having a guy like him on the roster is invaluable.

10. Eddie Guerrero . Eddie in the last few years of his life was untouchable as a swarmy heel. His whole persona during his feud with Rey Mysterio was bar none some of the most riveting stuff on wrestling at the time. Amazing considering the entire angle was crap yet he made it worth watching. In the ring, Eddie was able to have great matches still even though many close to him said that at the time of his death, he was in horrible shape physically and could barely roll out of bed in the morning. But no fan knew this because he just kept on going.

11. “The Crippler” Chris Benoit . I know what he did but that wasn’t during his prime. Chris Benoit in his prime was in another world than everyone else when it came to in ring work. He is essential on any roster due to his abilities to be what I called Austin earlier (and Austin even admits to being), a mechanic. That means he is a guy who when you need a good match out of someone you want to push, you call him. He is also someone who you can feud with when you are being phased out of the main events for a while. Basically he is a “go to” guy when you need something done. But his in ring talents cannot be overlooked.

12. The Undertaker . Every roster needs that one special attraction and mine is Taker. The man has been a main eventer for over 20 years now. Think about that. 20 years of non stop main eventing. That is almost unheard of lately. Sure some people have always and will always be in the main event picture. But Taker has ALWAYS been there. That is a testament to both his gimmick and his work ethic. The man has constantly reinvented himself to stay ahead of the curve and not become stale. So Taker on my roster won’t be headlining every pay per view but he will always be a draw.

13. Bruiser Brody . While you have Taker as the specialty attraction big man, you need a monster on your roster full time. Someone who can be used to be violent and feared. That man is Bruiser Brody. Bruiser will be your typical guy used to feud with a top face to get the face over as someone who has heart and doesn’t quit. Brody will be the hardcore, blood thirsty monster. A shame he never got that one BIG run with WWF which you know would have happened once he got tired of territories and wanted that big pay day before he retired.

14. “The Loose Cannon” Brian Pillman . Probably one of the most disappointing stories in all of wrestling. Pillman in his WWF(E) tenure was well on his way to becoming the top foil for “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Pillman perfected one of the most memorable gimmicks in the history of the business and played his gimmick to a tee. In my promotion, Pillman would play the same roll as he would be the Loose Cannon/Ticking Time Bomb. The controversial character who you wouldn’t know whether or not he was “in character” or not.

15. The Dynamite Kid . A surprising last pick considering I could have used him in a tag team with Davey and gotten two singles wrestlers for the price of one. But with that being said, I already have my tag teams laid out in my head and the Bulldogs weren’t on it. My gut feeling tells me that had Tom Billington not destroyed his body the way he did, he would have had a longer career and possibly would have been the star that Davey Boy Smith ended up becoming. He was THAT good. Unfortunately he won’t be a main eventer here but he will definitely be able to have good to great matches with everyone on the roster.

My Tag Teams consist of:

1. The Miracle Violence Connection . My favorite tag team ever and this was way before I was smartened up to wrestling and found out it was scripted. “Dr. Death” Steve Williams and Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy were one word, AWESOME. I remember seeing them just beat people within an inch of their lives and look like total bad asses doing it. Then they came to the US and totally dominated the Steiner Brothers who were the top bad asses in the US. Amazing stuff. Plus they can both have damn good singles matches with anyone on my roster.

2. Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard . My second favorite tag team ever. They were the epitome of cool when they were tag champs in the Horsemen. Plus they had ring psychology down pat. They are both great on the microphone, knew how to get heat from any crowd and are very good singles wrestlers. Can also have good matches as singles on my roster.

3. The Steiner Brothers . Say what you want about them late in their careers but when they were in their prime, with the exception of the Miracle Violence Connection, no team was better than the Steiners. NONE. Plus again, I can always use Scott Steiner as a heel on my roster.

4. Kenji Muta and Hiroshi Hase . I am sure most of you have never seen them but those of you who have know why they are here. Muta and Hase were like Rock Stars in Japan. They played under dog baby faces when facing foreign gaijin monsters like The Steiner’s or Vader and Bigelow. Plus they can both wrestle circles around most, they are both also singles wrestlers and with Muta, I technically have two wrestlers since he can wrestle in his Great Muta gimmick.

5. “The Rottwielders” Homicide and Low-Ki. I know I am going to get sh*t for adding them to my list but I am sure a lot of you haven’t seen many, if any, of their matches. ‘Cide and Low-Ki just mesh better than any team I have ever seen. They are also singles wrestlers and they are my guilty pleasure as they are probably the most talented guys I have ever known.

My Authority Figure:

• Vince McMahon . Seriously, anyone who doesn’t pick Vince for this is crazy. By far the best authority figure in the history of wrestling. Probably always will be too.

Manager/Valet:

• Trish Stratus . We need a hot woman on the roster and Trish is the hottest woman to ever come around the business. Plus, if I ever am able to start a women’s division, I want Trish to be the glue that holds it together.

Announcer:

• Jim Ross . The best announcer in the business today. Sure Gordon Solie is the best announcer of all time (and if anyone tells you otherwise, they don’t know what the hell they are talking about) but I prefer JR’s style to Solie’s.

Flex Positions:

• Paul Heyman . Can be an announcer and a manager and is one of if not THEE best mind/booker in the history of the business. Knows how to create a conflict and how to tell a story. Plus he can also cater to people’s strength’s and get someone with limited talent over.
• Eric Bischoff . Announcer/Backstage Interviewer/Back up Authority Figure and great on the mic. Not for nothing but even though he didn’t have any power in WWE during his stint there, some of the most fun concepts and angles on RAW involved Bischoff. From the Raw Roulette, to the 3 Minute Warning stuff, Bischoff was involved in some memorable angles and was a lot of fun when he didn’t have to run a company.

So there you have it; my roster. Feel free to discuss it in the thread on the message board and ask me any questions you may have on my pics of why I picked them.

If anyone missed the Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle rematch on TNA this week, do yourself a favor and try and catch it. I still haven’t seen their PPV match but the Impact match was damn good.

Can you believe that THIS once used to look like THIS ? Or a better comparison HERE .

ROH’s debut at the Hammerstein Ballroom now has a main event. ROH Champion Nigel McGuiness (who is awesome as a heel by the way) will be defending against Claudio Castagnoli. Please don’t bombard me with e-mails but I don’t dig him as much as everyone else. He’s ok but I keep hearing people act like he is the second coming of Christ or something. He’s not. I don’t even think he should be ROH champ if you ask me.

Mark Briscoe is out for 3-6 months with a wrist injury. My guesstimate, he is back in less than 6. This is the same Mark Briscoe who has crashed his motorcycle not once, but TWICE and lived to talk about it. Both crashes by the way weren’t just fender benders, they were bad accidents.

I just won free tickets to see a special Sneak Preview of Iron Man. AWESOME!!!!!

Wesley Snipes was sentenced to 3 YEARS in JAIL for Tax Evasion. 3 years. That sucks, no Blade 4 now.

Check out the latest Radio Free Insanity from James Guttman featuring Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. James continues to rack up the great guests and is the internet leader in delivering great interviews. Well done JG. It’s only $4.99 a month. That’s cheaper than a cup of coffee. DO IT !!!!

So Smackdown writer, Michael “PS” Hayes, was recently suspended 60 days for calling Mark Henry a n*gger. Yes, Hayes, a part of corporate management called an African American man a n*gger and didn’t think there was anything wrong with that. Really, I am serious. A grown man in a position of power in a corporation called an employee a n*gger. If you think for a second that someone at the corporation that I work for wouldn’t have been fired the minute the word came out of his mouth, you are insane. Hayes definitely should be fired especially since it was that same comment to Bobby Lashley that caused Lashley to leave the company and also caused WWE to panic when granting him his release that it was an unconditional release (minus the normal 90 days) and thus making him able to go to TNA or UFC as soon as his release is done in May. Normally WWE would pad lock that release making him sit out a year or longer (see Lesnar, Brock). So they know Hayes has a history of behavior like this and they know how much of a sh*tstorm this can rain down on them should it go public.

A damn SHAME .

Ok kiddies, classes are over for now. See you all next week in a month or so!!!!!!!!!!

MATT NOTE: I just wanted to let you all know that I will be doing a Question and Answer column in the near future. I am taking all reader questions in regards to any subject. Nothing is taboo. So feel free to e-mail your questions to my e-mail address and I will address it. Just include your name and state/city that you are e-mailing from and I will post your question along with my answer in a future column.

MATT NOTE ADDENDUM: NO ONE HAS E-MAILED ME ANY QUESTIONS. WTF?

Feel free to discuss whatever you’d like in the “ Anger Management” section of the message board or whichever section you see fit.

~Matt Dawgs  

World Wrestling Insanity writer Matt Dawgs is the bread and butter of the World Wrestling Insanity family. His future is bright and once James Guttman comes into a large sum of money, you can expect Matt will be getting tons of it thrown at him, at least half of it. Matt also moonlights as a professional wrestler/manager in the NY/NJ Indy scene. He is legit afraid of getting on Homicide’s bad side but thinks he is a cool dude in general. He also is a funny guy. If you have any questions, corrections, feedback, comments and ideas, he can be reached at Dawgs@worldwrestlinginsanity.com . If the feedback is negative, you can e-mail Matt at insanity @ worldwrestlinginsanity .com .

P.S. – In case you didn’t know, there is a WRESTLING BOOK that is out titled “World Wrestling Insanity”. It is a damn fun read so I suggest you run out and get it today. If you already have your copy, read it. If you already read your copy, read it again. It is funny; like me.

Also, don’t forget to check out our new section, CLUB WWI . It can be found by clicking the banner at the top of this page. Check out all the new audio updates and features found there. Some good stuff including all of James Guttman’s past Radio Free Insanity broadcasts as well as all new, uncut interviews with some of wrestling past and present names. Good stuff people.