The Worst Wrestling Had to Offer In 2004

[TMC]

*The Kane/Lita/Gene Snitsky pregnancy angle

*The WWE Diva Search

*Randy Orton winning the World Title from Chris Benoit only to serve as a transitional period for Triple H regaining it.

*The $1 Million Tough Enough Challenge

*The Brock Lesner/Bill Goldberg snooze-fest at Wrestlemania

*The "death" of Paul Bearer

*The Chyna/Sean Waltman sex-tape

*WWE's persecuted Arab wrestler/9-11 angle/gimmick

[Miss Golden]

The only good thing about 2004 was the Return of VISCERA.

[Brian Damage]

Originally posted by Miss Golden
The only good thing about 2004 was the Return of VISCERA.

I hope you are kidding

[pna42]

I've seen the Chyna sex tape. It will give you nightmares and make you want to swear of sex [well...almost]
Another of the worst things about '04 is JBL having a championship belt.

[TMC]

Originally posted by pna42
I've seen the Chyna sex tape. It will give you nightmares and make you want to swear of sex [well...almost]
Another of the worst things about '04 is JBL having a championship belt.

I think JBL having the World Title was bad for several reasons:
1. JBL was pushed a little too soon into the Main Event picture. Part of the problem I believe is the lack of legitament World Title contenders (outside of Kurt Angle, Big Show, Undertaker, Booker T, and Eddie Guerrero) on "Smackdown." It wouldn't be so bad if say Brock Lesner didn't quit the wrestling business and Chris Benoit didn't move to "Raw."

2. JBL was awarded the title soon after the now infamous "Nazi Salute" incident in Germany (which got him fired from his job at CNBC).

[Sargent Stewie]

JBL winning the title, simon dean system.

[carsonfan]

HHH being the world champion again and again,removing Paul Heyman as one of the top writers of Smackdown.

[TMC]

Diva Search:
-Stupid, insulting angle from WWE
-Resulted in the term "Cum gulping gutter whore" being uttered on TV.
-Didn't accomplish anything since they are still on TV

Kane/Lita:
-Ridiculous over-the-top angle that went nowhere
-Introduced Gene Snitsky as a new monster heel
-Poorly written

"One Night In China"
-Disgusting, pathetic attempt by two former stars to relive past glory
-Words cannot describe how disgusting this is...she has a penis.
-Mainstream exposure courtesy of Howard Stern, Extra, and others.

[Chain Gang Member]

Originally Posted by Sargent Stewie

JBL winning the title, simon dean system.

Simon should've came as Nova(his character from ECW)

[TMC]

Wrestling moments of 2004


Choosing the most surreal moment of 2004 is actually easier than selecting which performer should be judged the Wrestler of the Year.

In a promotion long known for promoting size over substance, the sight of Chris Benoit and Eddie Guerrero having an in-ring celebration to close Wrestlemania XX as the respective World Wrestling Entertainment champions for Raw and Smackdown was cause for a double take.

Not that Benoit was unworthy of winning his main event match last March against Paul "Triple H" Levesque and Shawn Michaels. But World Wrestling Entertainment owner Vince McMahon is traditionally a sucker for overly muscled behemoths (think John Heidenreich) and not undersized technicians like Benoit and Guerrero.

Benoit also was allowed to outshine Triple H, who has continued to leverage his standing as McMahon's son-in-law into making himself the main focus of WWE's Raw programming (8 p.m. Mondays, Spike).

WWE began nudging Benoit and Guerrero down the ladder as 2004 was winding down. But that shouldn't diminish the accomplishments of two performers who overcame long odds and significant obstacles - Benoit had neck fusion surgery in 2001, while Guerrero has a history of substance-abuse problems - to reach the top of their field.

As evidenced by the increase in Hispanic fans at WWE events, Guerrero is one of the promotion's few performers who can be considered a drawing card on their own. Benoit, though, gets the nod because of a slightly longer world title reign, amazing in-ring consistency, victories in the main events of four major pay-per-view shows (Wrestlemania XX, Backlash, Vengeance and the Royal Rumble), and the fact he currently remains higher on the WWE totem poll than Guerrero.

As for the other award winners:

Best new character: Eugene. Nick Dinsmore spent years toiling in WWE developmental territory Ohio Valley Wrestling before being recast as grappling's version of an autistic savant. The character has injected some much-needed humor into WWE programming thanks to Dinsmore's witty use of "inside" wrestling references that don't fly over the head of the average fan, like when Eugene recently told Mick Foley that he and the notoriously bad Papa Shongo were two of his four favorite all-time performers.

Most improved: John Bradshaw Layfield. Aside from his infamous goose-stepping incident in Germany that resulted in the loss of a regular television gig on CNBC, Layfield has made an amazing transformation from mid-card performer to having the second-longest reign as a WWE champion in the past eight years.

Layfield has improved his in-ring work and emerged as one of wrestling's most effective interviews. It also doesn't hurt Layfield that he has the strong backing of McMahon, who enjoys having such a politically charged character.

Honorable mention goes to Randy Orton and Dave Batista, both of whom have proven worthy of being two of Raw's top performers heading into 2005.

Match of the Year: Daniel Puder vs. Kurt Angle. The pro wrestling and mixed martial arts communities were stunned when the unknown Puder caught Angle, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, in a submission hold during a legitimate match between the two as part of a Tough Enough challenge. While WWE erred by not capitalizing on the buzz such a development generated, Puder's performance catapulted him to a $1 million prize for winning the Tough Enough competition.

Show of the Year: Turning Point from Total Nonstop Action Wrestling. This was the best pay-per-view from top to bottom when it came to actual wrestling, with the highlight being the jaw-dropping steel-cage main event between Triple X (Elix Skipper and Chris Daniels) against America's Most Wanted (James Storm and Chris Harris).

Best comeback: William Regal. One of the industry's most underrated performers in the 1990s, Regal faced a life-threatening heart ailment that led him to believe he may never wrestle again. But Regal rebounded to return as an excellent comedic accompaniment to Eugene, with the duo even winning the WWE tag-team titles.

Most disappointing comeback: Randy Savage. Removed from the ring for almost four years, TNA signed Savage in November hoping the "Macho Man" would give the promotion some much-needed publicity. Instead, Savage proved a much bigger backstage headache than asset. Savage made only a brief in-ring appearance at Turning Point in pinning TNA champion Jeff Jarrett, then left the promotion shortly thereafter when asked to return the favor.

Newcomer of the Year: Monty Brown. Brown has wrestled professionally for seven years, including a brief stint with TNA in 2002. But Brown emerged as a completely different performer upon his return to TNA earlier this year, combining quirky interviews with improved wrestling to emerge as the likely headliner against Jarrett on the Final Resolution pay-per-view show Jan. 16 from Orlando.

Most bizarre storyline: The Lita-Kane-Gene Snitsky miscarriage angle. This was WWE scriptwriting at its worse. Lita (real name Amy Dumas) allegedly had sex with Glenn "Kane" Jacobs to prevent him from terrorizing her real-life boyfriend Matt Hardy. Lita was later forced to marry Kane after becoming pregnant. She then had a miscarriage after being jostled by Snitsky, whose interviews were so poor that the storyline started becoming more comical than serious.

On the positive side, WWE did use the angle to help continue a feud between Lita and Trish Stratus that culminated with the first main-event match for female performers in Raw history. The two delivered with a solid match that showed Lita and Stratus are more than just pretty faces.

[TMC]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/trib...olumnists/deto...


What happened to 'Tough Enough?'


By Rennie Detore
TRIBUNE-REVIEW


Sunday, December 19, 2004


"Tough Enough" started as a reality TV show on MTV, and lasted for
three seasons. The fourth installment showed up as a "Smackdown"
segment and resembled its predecessor in name alone.


Originally, the main objective of "Tough Enough" was two-fold. For
WWE, the show afforded the promotion an opportunity to scour the
country in hopes of finding another "Stone Cold" Steve Austin or The
Rock. In the process, MTV latched on to another reality show that
potentially could attract the always-important 18- to 35-year-old
demographic.


The combination of MTV and WWE produced a purposeful reality series.
"Tough Enough" smashed the stereotype that because professional
wrestling is staged, anyone can do it.


Even the most skeptical viewers took notice of just how difficult the
so-called "fake" wrestling was; that the common thought of wrestling
as two guys rolling around a ring in tights actually was a refined
process, which requires more than a flashy costume.


Contestants filled with dreams of performing in front of 10,000 people
became in-ring workhorses, who grimaced and winced in pain after only
a few bumps and bruises. The would-be glitz and glamour usually
associated with WWE live events quickly transformed into a one-room
facility, littered with training equipment, three trainers and one
wrestling ring.


As seasons came and went, wrestling fans and the MTV audience
emphatically realized that WWE wanted athletes with heart, dedication
and an unspoken respect for the business of professional wrestling.


The show, too, was constructed with a "Real World" setting, putting
WWE hopefuls in a house together and watching conflict -- either from
the "Tough Enough" trainers or butting personalities -- ensue. Head
trainer Al Snow acted as in-ring general, but also served as an
out-of-the-ring mentor to several, if not all, contestants at one time
or another.


WWE finally had found the perfect blend of sport and entertainment
with "Tough Enough."


After three seasons, though, the concept eventually grew tiresome, if
for no other reason than its repetitive nature from one season to the
next. MTV and WWE decided "Tough Enough" no longer had a viable
audience remaining.


The decision to bag the show, most likely, was based on sagging
ratings, not to mention a steady decline in WWE's mid- to late-1990s
popularity.


Still, Vince McMahon and company weren't ready to say goodbye just
yet.


A new idea: have "Tough Enough" as part of "Smackdown," where clips of
the training can be shown from week to week.


In theory, the mentality sounded strong enough to carry on the
tradition of the original show. The way "Tough Enough 4" translated on
television was another story altogether.

The show lacked discipline as part of "Smackdown," and WWE treated
contestants as mere fodder for their amusement.


"Tough Enough" was never about contestants shoveling spaghetti in
their mouths, dressing up like women or having public make-out
sessions with Mae Young.

The show addressed professional wrestling as a legitimate lifestyle of
constant training and traveling to make a living. Viewers watched in
Season 1 as Jason, the bald-headed brute with a chiseled physique,
walked away from the competition, citing that he didn't want the
hectic life associated with being a WWE superstar.


He opted for peace over potential prosperity.


Moments like Jason's -- the ones that truly define what World
Wrestling Entertainment is all about -- have been supplanted by bogus
boxing matches and "American Gladiator" jousting stunts that serve no
purpose, other than for what McMahon might call entertainment.

Instead, McMahon and the rest of the "Smackdown" writers have
tarnished the "Tough Enough" franchise to the point that wrestling
once again looks like a circus sideshow that values gross-out tactics
and meaningless competition over the truly remarkable process of
becoming a WWE superstar.


The biggest loser in all of this is 23-year-old Daniel Puder, who won
the so-called contest last Thursday over MTV mainstay Mike Mizanin.


The mixed martial arts expert and former UFC fighter seemingly has all
the tools to become a legitimate draw in WWE. Unfortunately, he wasn't
afforded the kind of springboard that "Tough Enough" once provided its
winners.

[Sargent Stewie]

Originally Posted by TMC

Match of the Year: Daniel Puder vs. Kurt Angle. The pro wrestling and mixed martial arts communities were stunned when the unknown Puder caught Angle, the 1996 Olympic gold medalist, in a submission hold during a legitimate match between the two as part of a Tough Enough challenge. While WWE erred by not capitalizing on the buzz such a development generated, Puder's performance catapulted him to a $1 million prize for winning the Tough Enough competition.

Ok, so out of the triple threat match at WM XX, the iron man match, guerrero/angle match at WM, the 8 man tag at survivor series, Dan puder and Kurt Angle won match of the year? What the hell are they thinking? This match only lasted like 30 seconds and there wasn't excitement into it.

[TMC]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/trib...olumnists/deto...


The year wasn't so bad


By Rennie Detore
TRIBUNE-REVIEW


Sunday, January 2, 2005

The end of 2004 marks a down year for World Wrestling Entertainment.
Everything from live attendance to overall interest tapered off, with
inconsistent writing and subsequent logical gaps in storytelling
becoming commonplace.


No legitimate main-event stars were created, and one of the company's
major ones -- Brock Lesnar -- left for the NFL.

But while focusing on what's wrong with WWE is almost too easy, the
few positives moments often are lost.


5. DVDs -- The decline of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and the part-time
status of The Rock virtually eliminated WWE T-shirts from pop-culture
acceptance. With merchandise sales not what they used to be, WWE fired
back in 2004 with a slew of incredible DVD offerings, starting with
Ric Flair's three-disc, career retrospective "To Be The Man," easily
the best and most anticipated DVD in WWE history.


Not to be outdone were two other notable releases: "Hard Knocks: The
Chris Benoit Story" and "The Rise and Fall of ECW," both of which
became top sellers for the year. WWE also introduced its new WWE 24/7
channel.


WWE deserves credit for finally using the company's 75,000 hours of
footage it received when it bought the television rights of ECW and
WCW.


The only downside to the success of retrospective DVDs and 24-hour
wrestling channels is the idea that fans are more interested in the
past than what WWE has planned for the future.


4. No McMahons on TV -- The major downfall of WWE in the late 1990s
and into 2000 was its propensity for constantly featuring the McMahon
family as regular characters. Vince McMahon won the WWE title, and his
daughter, Stephanie, captured the WWE women's championship. When
Stephanie finally gave up wrestling, she managed then-Undisputed
champion Chris Jericho and eventually emerged as the bigger star.


Shane became WWE's version of Sabu with his unbelievable, albeit
unnecessary, high-flying dives. Linda even reared her monotone head,
playing Vince's sedated wife heading into "Wrestlemania X-7" in 2001.


Thankfully, those same characters -- other than a few appearance from
Vince -- haven't returned in several years, leaving the WWE superstars
as the rightful owners of the company's spotlight.


3. Sheldon Benjamin, Edge, Batista pushes -- Benjamin developed a
strong personality and won the Intercontinental title. He holds three
wins over Triple H and continues to get better each week. ... Edge,
after finally ditching the goofball character he's been associated
with since debuting in 1998, easily is the most entertaining heel WWE
has had in years. His interviews, matches and poise are main-event
style, and he's one major feud (and win) away from being a top draw.
.. Batista has emerged as WWE's biggest babyface with his continued
interactions with Triple H. Fans clearly are ready to rally behind him
after last Monday's "Raw." Batista told off "The Game," and the live
audience erupted. In one of the writing team's few bright spots, it
continues to build slowly each week toward Batista's full-fledged turn
on Triple H. Wait a second, is it any wonder that WWE's strongest
storyline features Triple H?


2. The departure of "Stone Cold" Steve Austin -- Austin is by far the
WWE's most successful and enjoyable superstar of all time. The birth
of his "Stone Cold" character in 1996 rescued WWE from its
one-dimensional ways and led to an "Attitude" era that rivaled the run
of "Hulkamania."


That said, the 2004 Austin was laughable as the "Sheriff" on "Raw."
The "Stone Cold" who terrorized Bret Hart and the authoritative Mr.
McMahon was supplanted by a guy wearing a badge, racing to the ring on
a quad and spouting out catch phrases about following rules.


What?


The departure of Austin this year afforded more TV time to younger
wrestlers and saved what was left of the "Stone Cold" legacy. Austin
still can be beneficial to WWE, but his role would have to be as a
manager or advisor and not as the headliner.


1. Chris Benoit wins Heavyweight title at WMXX -- Heading into
"Wrestlemania XX," even the most die-hard Benoit fans reasoned that
Triple H would retain the WWE Heavyweight title in the main event
against Shawn Michaels and "The Crippler."


That assumption mainly was formulated because WWE changed the main
event from Benoit vs. Triple H to a three-way that added Michaels,
suggesting Benoit couldn't carry a pay-per-view on his own.


The sight of a usually emotionless Benoit crying, celebrating in the
middle of a WWE ring and clutching the Heavyweight title is exactly
the way "Wrestlemania XX" should have ended. It also provided the
respected Benoit with a fitting moment that truly defines what his
career always has been about: hard work, perseverance, and finally,
acknowledgment.

[TMC]

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/trib...olumnists/deto...


Suggestions for a happy WWE 2005


By Rennie Detore
TRIBUNE-REVIEW


Sunday, December 26, 2004


Despite claims to the contrary, 2004 wasn't a standout year for WWE.
In fact, it's been fairly disappointing, not only from a business
standpoint, but also for entertainment purposes.


The brand split still exists, which is arguably the moment WWE headed
in the opposition direction of success. At the time of the split, WWE
boasted a roster littered with sports entertainment all-stars.


But the sudden departure of Brock Lesnar, coupled with The Rock's
status changing from part-time to no-time, left WWE without two
marquee superstars. Don't forget, too, that WWE opted to let Goldberg
walk after just one year on the job.


WWE faces a dilemma that seemed imminent after WCW folded: There are
no more major stars left to pursue.


Sting, who has never competed in the WWE, is the only option, although
he's hardly a viable one. He's content to stay away from the wrestling
business. Even if he did sign with WWE, he'd be a sporadic performer
at best, competing only on TV and pay-per-views. The days of the
40-year-old Steve Borden working house shows are over.


The idea of McMahon raiding TNA is pointless, because he likely
wouldn't know what to do with an A.J. Styles or any other X-Division
wrestler being featured by Jerry Jarrett. Styles, one of TNA's bigger
stars, would probably be demoted to cruiserweight status by McMahon.


With that, McMahon finds himself in a dilemma to create new
superstars, which is something he's failed to do in quite some time.
In fact, Lesnar was McMahon's last phenomenal creation.


While the names Randy Orton and John Cena come to mind, neither has
hit full-fledged stardom.


Orton still is struggling as a babyface on "Raw," with every
performance or interview feeling forced. He's lost his cocky, heel
persona that connected him with fans and has transformed into more of
a Rock-Randy hybrid. He's trying to be too much like "The Great One,"
and it's just not working.


Orton's character appears so inconsistent that Batista is emerging as
more of a world title contender than Orton.


The difference between Orton's face turn and Batista's would-be one is
pacing. WWE is taking its time and slowly developing dissension
between Batista and Triple H. With Orton, WWE rushed and quickly
forced an Orton-Triple H feud, and the result was a forgettable,
one-month Orton world-title run.


Equally forgettable has been Cena and his lack of seriousness in each
of his feuds this year. Only recently in his altercations with Carlito
Cool and Jesus has Cena shown flashes of main-event potential. Who's
to say that once the feud is over that Cena won't return to caring
more about rapping and wearing Reebok pumps than his opponent?


The rest of the company is equally disjointed, with no serious
cruiserweight or tag-team divisions. "Smackdown," easily the worse of
the two shows, sports a pathetic cruiserweight division, now featuring
Funaki -- he was an announcer for most of the year -- as champion.


WWE squandered any chance of making the division profitable by
releasing Jamie Noble, downplaying Paul London and Billy Kidman, and
misusing Ultimo Dragon. The cruiserweight division hasn't been
featured prominently on "Smackdown" since a main event between Matt
Hardy, who is now on "Raw," and Rey Mysterio.


"Smackdown" also is suffering from a lack of likable superstars. Eddie
Guerrero remains the brand's most popular wrestler, but WWE has done
little with him since his world-title reign. He's the babyface
"Smackdown" should be built around, not The Undertaker, another WWE
part-timer.


JBL barely rates as an average heel champion, giving off too many
"Million Dollar Man" vibes to be taken seriously, and he's more
annoying than enjoyable as the brand's leading bad guy.


As for the tag-team division, it hasn't been this pathetic since 1995,
when WWE featured an array of weak teams such as Well Dunn and an
aging Heavenly Bodies duo. Other than La Resistance and The Bashams,
every other team (William Regal-Eugene; Kenzo Suzuki and Rene Dupree)
are just two singles wrestlers paired together out of convenience.


The overwhelming negativity and disappointment exhibited by WWE in
2004 should serve as a serious slap in the face to McMahon and
everyone working around him. He needs a major overhaul on "Smackdown"
and a lot less Triple H on "Raw" to turn around his fledgeling
federation.


Despite his slew of problems, McMahon can build from an
already-established foundation (Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Edge, Kurt
Angle, Chris Jericho) and continue to focus on building potential
superstars around them (Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, Carlito, Cena,
Batista and Orton).

First and foremost, though, McMahon should drop the Hugh Heffner act
and quit wasting time signing WWE Diva contestant rejects and start
focusing on the wrestling. Once that happens, everything else should
follow.

[pna42]

Undertaker is a part time has been and should have been let go a long time ago.