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Links
The Rock Wins Deadly Games
Montreal Screwjob
Ric Flair Under Fire
WWE 2K14 Roster Reveal
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.” – George Santayana
I disagree Mr. Santayana. Who could forget the attitude era? Even wrestling fans who barely alive have heard the stories, seen the YouTube clips, and even played through Attitude Era mode on “WWE ’13”. But we are still finding ourselves repeating the archetypes and character roles we saw play out in the greatest era of professional wrestling history. With that in mind, I’ll make some comparisons (some of which are fairly obvious) between today’s stars and those of the Attitude Era… it’s Serious vs Fun!
Serious Comparisons
John Cena : The Rock
Like him or not, John Cena is the face of the WWE. And in my opinion he’s a damn good one. While Rocky is his prime could wrestle circles around John, Cena has the charisma, passion, and talent to transcend wrestling. He is a great person to represent WWE (and wrestling in general), as is the Rock.
And if history tells us anything, we will get a Cena heel turn before he steps away from wrestling full time.
CM Punk : Stone Cold
The consummate anti-hero. Both men could make you hate them or love them on almost Pavlovian command, so much so that a lot of people forget that Austin even functioned as a heel through various parts of his career.
Dolph Ziggler : Triple H
Dolph Ziggler is THAT. DAMN. GOOD. Even as a bad guy, Dolph is cool. People like him. People want to be him. Ziggler shirts sell. Triple H was the same way. He would walk out to “My Time” or “The Game”, and you would on some level admire the guy. I believe we will see Dolph rise to prominence in this era, much as we saw Trips do in the Attitude Era.
Daniel Bryan : Chris Jericho
Daniel Bryan is easily one of the most versatile wrestlers in WWE. He has aerial ability, agility, technical skill, and brawling aptitude. He can do pretty much anything in the ring, much as Jericho could in his prime. In the short time we’ve seen Bryan, his character evolution and psychology is so reminiscent of Jericho’s post-attitude era characters.
Fun Comparisons
The SHIELD : New Age Outlaws and X-Pac
Especially if these guys are doing Trips’ bidding. “Hey, SHIELD guys!”
Fandango : D’Lo Brown
A crazy dancing man with mediocre dance moves and a turnbuckle finisher (leg drop / lo down frog splash). You’re looking at the real deal now… WHOOOOOOP!
3MB : A Crappy Version of Too Cool.
If 3MB came out in yellow sunglasses they would get a lot bigger pop!
So what are some of your serious and fun equivalencies from todays WWE and the attitude era? Let me know here or on Twitter – twitter.com/sswtom . And be sure to follow our Podcast Account – twitter.com/sideslamtalk – and check back here for updates on new content.
-Tom Lahdnuh
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Credits
Tom Lahdnuh – Co-host / Editor
Ry Mac – Co-host
George Ellinas – Music
Download this episode (right click and save)
Notes
Intro
2:57 – Question of the Week
7:20 – 0 to 5 Craps: Summerslam 2013 Edition
39:30 – 0 to 5 Craps Recap
41:10 – Outro (Next Week’s Question of the Week)
43:32 – There May or May Not be Something Here
Credits
Tom Lahdnuh – Co-host / Editor
Ry Mac – Co-host
Tom Angelo – Guest
Paul Clewell – Guest
George Ellinas – Music
Listen to this episode
Download this episode (right click and save)
Intro
1:10 – Show of the Week
7:11 – Match of the Week
10:24 – Total Divas
14:31 – 8th Militia
15:39 – WWE Monday Night Raw
22:56 – TNA Impact Wrestling
30:34 – Ring of Honor
33:12 – Wrap Up
34:04 – Prime Wrestling
36:43 – There May or May Not Be Something Here
Credits
RyMac – Co-host/Editor
Tom Lahdnuh – Co-host
George Ellinas – Music
We’ve seen a lot of debuts in wrestling over the past year, and this got me thinking. What is the best way to bring a new guy, gal, or team into your wrestling promotion? Let’s take a look at how this has been done in recent history.
1) Vignettes
This method, seen most recently with the Wyatts*, makes most sense if the plan is to elevate the superstar to an important story. Showing short videos throughout the week give us an idea of who this person is and build anticipation to see them. This has seemed to work for the Wyatts so far, and has proved successful for superstars like Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Carlito*, who won the US title from John Cena in his first match. Failures with this method in recent memory seem to be when the superstar is not fully revealed during these segments, such as w Tensai*. I personally believe this is because we build up the surprise in our minds and expect it to be bigger than it ever really could be in reality. An obvious non WWE example is the August 1* reveal on TNA. People thought it was Batista, Goldberg, or Stone Cold. No way Tito is close to those names.
2) Out of Nowhere
This is always a good surprise for us, the fans. To see a new superstar with no buildup is always unexpected. The perfect recent example of this is the Shield’s debut at Survivor Series last year*. But when using this method it is important that the debuting wrestler(s) actually make an impact. A losing effort, such as with our good friend Scotty Goldman*, can spiral a national career downward.
3) As a Second Banana
Personally, I think this is the best way to introduce a new wrestler. It allows him or her to pay dues and get match experience without the pressure of a main story. It also gives us the opportunity to care about them and become invested before their first solo story. Big E Langston has done well in his role of bodyguard for both Dolph and AJ, and has slowly become more comfortable in the ring. Dolph, who himself debuted as a valet, has gone on to an illustrious career thus-far. One other superstar that made his debut as an accomplice is the aforementioned Batista*.
What do you think is the best way to bring a new superstar or team? Let me know in the comments or on Twitter @sswtom. ( https://twitter.com/sswtom )
-Tom Lahdnuh
*Check out some links:
Also, be sure to check out our podcast, Side Slam Talk:
The Buzz Kill Edition
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Notes
Intro
1:18 – Question of the Week
4:48 – Show of the Week
8:14 – Match of the Week
11:31 – WWE Raw
20:51 – Ring of Honor
22:38 – Impact Wrestling
29:00 – News
31:33 – Outro
33:00 – The May or May Not be Something Here
Credits
Tom Lahdnuh – Co-host / Editor
Ry Mac – Co-host
George Ellinas – Music
Links
(Unfortunately the video featuring the attackers promo has been removed from YouTube)
Side Slam Wrestling 