Brian Kendrick to RAW
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
WWE Supplemental Draft 2009
Vince McMahon on ESPN E:60
The following is a featured excerpt from ESPN's E:60 in-depth piece on the WWE which aired earlier tonight which has been posted on ESPN.com. The show featured exclusive access to a WWE production meeting and special one-on-one interviews with the McMahon family. The show was indeed a break from convention and the traditional kayfabe conservatism of the WWE who have given ESPN a first-time look into how the television product is developed and formed.
The video below features some personal commentary from Vince McMahon about his early years, how the WWE was recreated, steroids in wrestling and the birth of WrestleMania. The video also features comments from Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart and Stephanie McMahon.
Editorial: Back to the Future
This blog has been up and running for a few days now and it has somewhat veered from its original purpose and has become lost within the unfocused inspirations which led to its birth. This blog was intended to offer insight and perspective and in our endeavors to offer up to the moment industry news and analysis, we have failed to deliver on our main point.
It is the intent of the team here at PWU to be the wrestling industry's minuteman, observing the world in all of its uglyness, in all of its stale non-inspired brilliance as it veers ever closer to the dark side of the sun, waiting in silent anticipation for that one moment that will end it all. We all know that a long time ago (allowing for differences due to the time-space continuum and the dependancy of the Doc's flux capacitor) in a galaxy far far away that Darth Vader is at this very moment setting up Earth for death-star laser beam annihilation. We can only hope that Vince stops getting the shakes and can get the damn Delorian to 90 miles to stop it all before its too late.
What is my point one might wonder. Is this just another hate blog amongst the endless slew of hypocrisy and misled idealism that plagues the internet wrestling community? Where everybody thinks they are an authority and that their opinion is of a higher value than that of their counterparts and peers. Well yes and no. But we shall let that spell itself out over the tenure of this here blog. My point for today is back to the future.
In one day a champion is born, witnessed, killed and celebrated. His celebration is, subsequent to his deed, eternal. Like Jesus, like Caesar and in a much different and perverted way like Paris and Britney, a champion is forever. Our last and recently celebrated champion was Steve Austin. I won't patronize our readers with who Austin was and what he did for this business, but the point that I try to make with Steve Austin is that he was the usher of revolution and of evolution - born of opportunity and seizing the day. With him came "Attitude", and with him came a whole new wrestling world; but a world that has gotten a little too carried away.
Wrestling has always been about entertainment and nurturing the keen tastes of man for theatrics in an age without a mythology, where the gladiators of the squared circle could be born to legend and become the great heroes of our generation and of our time. Nobody understood this better than Vince McMahon. He knew that wrestling was not a sport and it wasn't meant to be a sport. It had a different fate. It was the great story of our time, the next legend; an opportunity for modern man to vicariously live his own emancipation through the fables and mythos of his heroes in the ring. The ultimate Rocky story over and over.
But I fear that perhaps he has gone too far. Perhaps Vince has lost his way. Perhaps somewhere along the way, in trying to find and birth the evolution of this great proverbial hero, he lost sight of the holistic picture. Perhaps his solipsism and persistence with antiquated ideas and concepts, absent of the fundamental elements which underly its being, have cannibalized the industry's value.
Vince is the lead horseman in what has lead to the post-apocalyptic baron wasteland that we call the modern wrestling industry. It all sounds a bit dark and morbid but its rather rosy and peachy. And herein lies my issue - its a little too rosy, a little too peachy, a little too melodramatic and a little over the top immature and pointless. I don't ask that entertainment be forsaken in the name of pure wrestling - that time has come and gone and it has no place in the modern product. But am I the only one that thinks that perhaps it has gone too far? Am I the only one that thinks that perhaps these two worlds cannot meet? Is the brilliance of Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker in the presentation and build-up of their feud and the culmination of that at WrestleMania - in many ways a throwback to traditional wrestling and the telling of a story through in ring action - not a path to this industry's redemption and revival?
The wrestling industry needs to go backwards, and re-identify and recognize itself, in order for it move forwards. We have gone too far in the opposite direction that we can't remember what it is we are supposed to stand for.
I welcome any comments and feedback.
Thank-you.
Gabe Sapolsky Comments on Dragon Gate USA Announcement
The following is from Gabe Sapolsky's blog on his official MySpace page at http://blogs.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=blog.view&friendId=344162817&blogId=483352787.
DGUSA Is Here!!!
I've been trying to hint at it for a while and now Dragon Gate USA is officially here. First off, I want to thank all of you that kept reading this blog. When I first started writing it I was doing it for myself as a way to deal with things. Then I became overwhelmed by how many people were actually reading it so I continued it even when I started to feel better about almost everything. The encouragement, kind words and thoughts that I received from all of you really helped me.
There is a lot I want to blog about, but I figure there is enough new information out there for you to digest. I know I am getting overwhelmed. I'll keep this blog short and simple- THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
You have all helped me and now I look forward to continuing on together with Dragon Gate USA. I am looking forward to writing about my new outlook on things in the future right here in this blog. Right now, check out www.DGUSA.tv and join us as our new journey begins.
Sincerely,
Gabe
There is a lot I want to blog about, but I figure there is enough new information out there for you to digest. I know I am getting overwhelmed. I'll keep this blog short and simple- THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU!
You have all helped me and now I look forward to continuing on together with Dragon Gate USA. I am looking forward to writing about my new outlook on things in the future right here in this blog. Right now, check out www.DGUSA.tv and join us as our new journey begins.
Sincerely,
Gabe
Dragon Gate Expands into the United States
Japan's Dragon Gate promotion announced its expansion into the US market last night at its Korakuen Hall event in Tokyo. The promotion has named Satoshi Oji as the President of Dragon Gate USA, with former ROH booker Gabe Sapolsky announced as the promotion's Vice President. The promotion has moved fast to add legitimacy to the announcement with the launch of its Dragon Gate USA website at www.DGUSA.tv last night along with a rather bold mission statement as well as details on their first US date which is scheduled for the 25th of July at the former ECW Arena in Philadelphia.
The following is from DGUSA.tv:
"Welcome to www.DGUSA.tv, the official website of Dragon Gate USA. You have discovered the haven for pro wrestling fans. Our goal is to be the premium brand in the United States. We invite you to explore the site and sample DGUSA's unique style.
Dragon Gate's roots started in Mexico in 1997. It became a Japanese-based promotion in 1999, before adopting the Dragon Gate name in 2004. Dragon Gate has rapidly grown and holds over 250 shows per year in Japan with crowds as big as 10,000 people. Now in 2009 Dragon Gate is branching out to the United States with Dragon Gate USA.
Dragon Gate USA will give the fans first class treatment while presenting a cutting-edge style. DGUSA puts an emphasis on athletic skill and competitive match-ups. DGUSA features charismatic stars in intriguing situations. We will operate under the motto of "Evolve, Progress, Appreciation." This was influenced by Dragon Gate's principles."
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Next Week's RAW Main Event
Next week's RAW will be headlined by Triple H vs. Randy Orton, as a result of Triple H winning the main event handicap match against Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase on last night's boradcast. Triple H now has the chance to meet one-on-one with Orton on the final edition of RAW before the Backlash PPV.
It's also interesting to note that there had initially been talk of Triple H meeting Orton in a cage match on next week's SmackDown just days before the PPV, however it now appears as if those plans have changed.
TNA's "Sacrifice" PPV Poster Revealed
The poster for TNA's Sacrifice PPV has surfaced on InDemand.com. The poster features AJ Styles in full the military regalia of the GOC characters from the XBOX 360 Gears of War franchise toting gun and all, in a quite bizarre promotional piece - left.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
