Road To The Battleground

Monday Night's "Go Home" Episode of RAW leading up to BattleGround was explosive! This has been one of the best episodes of RAW this year so far, along with the RAW's during the Road To WrestleMania. This past Monday, we saw some major shifts take place as WWE is shaking up their landscape heading into Sunday.

RAW presented some momentous segment, but none more so than this:

Diva Takeover (#GiveDivasAChance):

This segment was the talk of the entire Internet Wrestling World, as the #GiveDivasAChance Movement is coming to life from Twitter to the live WWE Product. The Bellas and their whipping girl Alicia Fox come to the ring as Nikki blows her horn about how dominant she has been. (We know the real reason why she is having a long reign) She talks about how there is no more competition left in the Divas Division. Suddenly, WWE Princess Stephanie McMahon interrupts Nikki's rant.

Stephanie shuts Nikki down like she knows how to. She follows up by saying that the Divas Division needs some competition and that it is time to make changes. Steph proceeds to introduce contenders for Nikki Bella's title, as Paige is the first to come to the ring. Nikki tells Stephanie about how many times Paige has failed to win back the title. Stephanie puts Nikki in her place saying that Paige came out because she wanted her to be there. When it comes to dealing with the Bella Twins, I am always on Stephanie's side.

Finally, WWE pulls the trigger to inject new blood into a dying Division. Stephanie introduces the NXT Women. First, she calls up Becky Lynch. Next, Steph gives clues for Sasha Banks by calling her the "Boss" before bringing her out. Last but not least, Stephanie introduces a woman who can style and profile: Charlotte Flair!!!

These three women came out to a monstrous ovation from the crowd because this is what fans have all been crying about and begging for across Social Media. Stephanie then asks Nikki if this is what she had in mind when she said she was looking for competition.

This segment made my night, as Stephanie is putting the pieces in place across the Chess Board of the Divas Division. Brilliant move by the heiress to the McMahon Empire. WWE has heard the cries and the complaints from the Internet about #GiveDivasAChance on Twitter, starting from AJ Lee. Maybe that AJ is gone, WWE decided to finally push the button since she is not screaming about it anymore.

It would have been nice to see them teamed up together to battle the main roster. Instead, Charlotte and Becky join Paige while Sasha joins Naomi and Tamina. I won't complain. Stephanie says that she has set the table of opportunity, and she wants to know who will take it. The action kicks off from their, as the contenders corner the Bellas.

Nikki bumps into Sasha Banks and war breaks out. Banks grabs Nikki by the hair and throws her to the mat before everyone else joins in on the fight. The NXT Divas put the Main Roster Divas on notice as they dominate them. Charlotte locks Alicia Fox in the Figure Four. Becky Lynch locks Brie Bella in an Armbar. Sasha Banks gives Nikki her finisher (Bankrupt) before locking her in a modified Crossface as the Divas Champion taps out.

Paige's Team and Naomi's Teams stand strong in victory as the Bellas and Alicia Fox crawl out of the ring in defeat. Meanwhile, Stephanie stands at the ramp with a smile on her face. WWE has been known to drop the ball many times, even when it comes to the women.

At the same time, they have not dropped the ball with every woman that has come through the company. Great Female Stars like Melina short-changed themselves with poor decisions. That is one of the exceptions.

However, I don't think it will happen this time because they cannot afford to make the same mistakes this time around. Stephanie McMahon has thrown down the gantlet as she has lit a brand new fire among the females in wrestling. I have high hopes for the Women of NXT on the Main Roster.

Even though plans are set for Nikki Bella to break AJ Lee's Record, I believe that the Bella Twins will be exposed badly by first class female wrestlers like Sasha Banks, Charlotte, and Becky Lynch. The Bellas do not outshine them at all from looks wise, to in-ring wise. Compared to them, The Bellas are pretty mediocre.

Nikki and Brie are the faces of Total Divas, but they don't have much to offer after that. The Bellas place in the company is frowned upon, because of the men in their lives.

They have made it to the top, mostly because of John Cena and Daniel Bryan's wallets. I am just telling it like I see it. Nikki has improved in the ring and on the mic, but she is not Trish Stratus or Lita. One would think that Brie would have improved as an in-ring technician because of her husband Daniel Bryan. Clearly, that talent was not transmitted as AJ Lee would say.

Nikki is the better Bella because she simply amplifies her narcissistic attitude.

Each of these three ladies from NXT has their own special qualities. Charlotte has greatness in her DNA because of who her Dad is. She is much better than her brother David ever was. Initially, there were people who picked Charlotte as the lead female. However, that is not the case as Sasha Banks is fantastic in the ring as well. The biggest difference between Sasha and Charlotte is charisma. Banks has the edge in personality and attitude, so that gives her an edge.

Meanwhile, the rest of the women on the roster are pretty much left in the dust. Nattie, Cameron and Summer Rae have fallen into the background. Natalya has wrestling in her bloodline like Charlotte, but she does not draw the kind of interest as the Bellas and Paige. Cameron was clearly the weak link between her and Naomi. Summer Rae is stuck in this dreadful Love Storyline between Rusev, Lana, and Dolph Ziggler.

Bayley is the next to make the move to the Main Roster. That way, we can finally have the Four Horsewomen.

Triple H has already made his presence known through his impact on the Men of NXT (Owens, Neville, Balor, Zayn). Now, Stephanie is making her imprint with the Females. I believe that Dusty would be proud.

Battle for the US Title:

John Cena originally came to the ring to place his Open Challenge to anyone willing to take the US Title. Rusev comes out to challenge Cena. Before the match starts, Kevin Owens sticks his nose in the scene. Owens cuts a great line about Summer Rae calling her a Lana wannabe. Cesaro steps into the picture, as Cena steps away. The match becomes a triple threat, with outstanding action.

The Value of the US Title has increased exponentially, because of John Cena. Now, it has become a hot commodity that others scratch and fight for. The match ends with Rusev pinning Cesaro after a Superkick. Rusev then goes one on one with Cena. The match ends with Kevin Owens attacking Rusev while having John Cena locked in the Accolade.

This makes the buildup for the US Championship Match even stronger, as Cena and Owens have put together back to back "Match of the Year" Candidates.








Brock Lesnar vs Seth Rollins (Beast vs Architect):

Seth Rollins and Brock Lesnar come to the table for a contract signing for their WWE World Heavyweight Championship match to close the show. Anytime Brock Lesnar is involved in a contract signing, bad things happen. They did on Monday.

Paul Heyman is a master of the mic as he cuts a terrific face promo talking about how everyone wants to see Seth Rollins get killed. Heyman emphasized how Brock will destroy Rollins.

Earlier in the night, Seth warned Kane that if anything went bad during the contract signing, that it was all on him.

The Contract Signing completely melted down as Lesnar flipped the table over Rollins and attacked him. Kane did his best to keep The Beast away but failed. Lesnar finally wipes his hands of the Big Red has been with an F5 before smashing Kane's ankle with the steel stairs.

After Brock leaves, Seth cuts an intense promo about how he will slay the Beast. Rollins turns his attention to a fallen Kane for a moment that many people have been waiting for. Seth insults Kane and calls him a disappointment before stomping on his broken ankle.

This is how Brock Lesnar should be booked and utilized. Watching Lesnar put Kane out of his misery is what I enjoyed.

"Suplex City" has taken on a life of its own, and Brock is enjoying his greatest marketing success since he Broke The Streak. I believe that phrase had to come from Lesnar himself, and the fans can tell that it feels original.

Seth could very well be on his way to Suplex City.

Going into Sunday, Seth Rollins is on his own. Kane and J&J Security are finally out of the picture. Honestly, I don't know who will win. Brock could dominate him to win back the title. However, Seth could find a way to screw Brock out of the title.

This is what Seth Rollins seriously needs because I believe his title reign has been greatly diminished. Kane and The Midget Squad have been dragging him down during this title reign. Rollins has gone from being a potential Shawn Michaels to becoming The Miz.

Great heels know that they could win clean, but chose to cheat when they need to. Edge, Ric Flair, and Eddie Guerrero knew that they were great, but cheated when they saw it was time to. Seth Rollins has gone from someone who cheated when he knew he could beat someone to cheating because he is not able to. 9 times out of 10, Seth's wins have come because he needed two semi-retired Cruiserweights and a washed up Monster to help him win.

Ric Flair has had the Horsemen help him here and there, but Naitch has also shown that he could take care of business by himself. Edge has had help to win before, but many of his matches ended with his own dirty tactics. Same goes for HBK. Seth has had to have others fight his battles for much of his tenure as Champion.

Rollins has gone from being an Architect to an Imbecile. The Miz's WWE Title run has become more believable than Seth Rollins, and that is terrible.

Now, Seth has the green line to shine the way that he is capable of since Kane and J&J "Security" are out of the picture. WWE has been slowly planting the seeds for Seth to break away from the Authority. We have seen this plan progress even more on Monday.

Who knows? Maybe The Shield could come together to take down Lesnar.

Overall, this RAW leading up to BattleGround receives 4 Ric Flair "Big Gold" World Heavyweight Titles out of 5.

Beast In The East Review

Over the 4th of July Weekend, WWE took an International Trip to the Far East in Tokyo, Japan for their "Beast In The East" Live Event. The Show took place Exclusively on the WWE Network at 5:00 in the Morning. I was one of those who refused to wake up that early, but I did watch it later in the morning. For me, this show did not disappoint. In the opening match, Chris Jericho defeated Neville by Submission with the Walls of Jericho. Y2J is a legend in Japan from his years wrestling in the Super J-Cup Tournament in WAR (Wrestling Association R), and he always receives a great reception. Jericho and Neville told a terrific story during this match. When Neville landed for the Red Arrow, Jericho blocked it and locked him in the Walls of Jericho (Liontamer version) to secure the win. This became one of the standout matches of the night. The loss does not hurt Neville because he was in the ring with one of the greatest warriors in the history of the sport. As I have said, Jericho is beloved in the Far East so it does nothing to bury Neville. This match gets a B+

The next match was a Triple Threat Match for the Divas Championship between Nikki Bella, Paige, and Tamina. In predictable fashion, Nikki won to retain her title on the "Race to 300" as she climbs the mountain to break AJ Lee's record of 295 days. I was not very impressed because I knew that it was part of the plans for Nikki which is why I cannot respect this reign (another story). Nikki has made improvements in the ring, but I just did not like the finish of the match. C-

The next match featured the Beast In The Far East himself, Brock Lesnar! Lesnar was the marquee attraction in the Land of the Rising Sun, and I was impressed with the marketing. Brock was booked to wrestle Kofi Kingston. The Internet immediately exploded at the announcement of Brock wrestling Kofi. The Memes about Kofi were hilarious. I don't know who booked this match, but it was hilarious. Lesnar murdered Kingston as he threw him around the ring from pillar to post like a ragdoll. Brock finished his massacre with an F5. The Beast continued to lay waste when he gave Big E and Xavier Woods the F5. Since this was in Japan, Brock Lesnar is the Broly of the WWE. He made Kingston, Woods and Big E look like Yamcha, Krillin and Tien for my Dragon Ball Z fans out there. I guess WWE needed a black guy to take the fall against Brock. Kofi and The New Day were just punching bags as Brock prepares for his WWE World Heavyweight Title Match with Seth Rollins. Lesnar looks at the camera and says "Seth, I am coming for you". B+

The Biggest and Best Match of the Night featured NXT Champion Kevin Owens defending the title against Finn Balor. Kevin started the match in tradition heel fashion by throwing the bouquet of flowers out of the ring before the match starts. This match was spectacular, especially since it took place in Japan. This was a homecoming for Balor, as he made a huge name for himself in NJPW. Michael Cole even acknowledged their past when he made references to their names away from WWE. He mentioned that Kevin Owens was Kevin Steen and Finn Balor was Prince Devitt. Owens mocked John Cena during the match with the Attitude Adjustment and Five Knuckle Shuffle. Kevin mocked Finn throughout the match saying "You can't beat me", but Balor would not back down. Balor countered Kevin's Pop-Up Powerbomb and sent the champ to the ground with a lariat. Finn nailed Kevin with two straight drop kicks before finishing with the Coup De Grace to win the NXT Championship. The Celebration was incredible as recent WWE Hall of Famer Tatsumi Fujinami came to the ring to congratulate him. Backstage, John Cena approached Balor to shake his hand and congratulate him as well. In typical heel fashion, Owens refused to shake Balor's hand. This match was A.

The last match of the show was Tag Team match featuring John Cena & Dolph Ziggler versus Kane & King of the Ring Wade Barrett. Cena and Ziggler received a huge reaction from the crowd during their entrance. The match was a fairly decent quality, but it could not follow up the excitement of the incredible match right before it (Balor vs Owens). Dolph gives Kane the Superkick, as the 7-foot stooge gets set up for the Attitude Adjustment from John Cena. The match ends with Cena giving Barrett the AA for the win. After watching Balor vs Owens, it was hard for me to be invested in this match. Cena is the franchise of WWE, but the night ultimately belonged to Finn Balor. C

This was a very impressive show as it is the first International WWE Show streamed on the Network. The work rate of Japan is superior to that of the United States because they pride themselves on the technique in the ring. I look forward to more WWE Events in Japan in the future. Overall, the show gets a B.

As far as Titles, this Event gets 3 IWGP Championship Belts out of 5.

Farewell to an American Dream

Yesterday, the wrestling world and sports world as a whole suffered a heavy loss when wrestling great Dusty Rhodes passed away at the age of 69. I first got the news of Dusty's passing from a Tweet by Triple H paying tribute to him. Others would follow such as Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and others. Dusty's contributions in wrestling reach far and wide. He wined and dined with Kings and Queens. He slept on alleys and dined on pork & beans. That means that Dusty saw the highest of the highs and the lowest of the lows. Rhodes was the ultimate definition of blue collar, which is what automatically drew fans to him. He was able to think on his feet during his promos. Just like Stone Cold, The Rock, Hulk Hogan or Macho Man to name a few, Dusty was one of those people that you had to listen to when he picked up a microphone. When he walked into a building, you could feel his charisma immediately. Even watching at home, you could tell there was something unique about him. What Rhodes lacked in physique, he more than made up for with his mic skills and ring work.

Dusty got his start in wrestling in a tag team called the Texas Outlaws with long time friend Dick Murdoch. They were a heel tag team in the AWA. Rhodes would eventually part ways with Murdoch as he moved to Championship Wrestling in Florida, where he became the biggest draw that the promotion had ever had. By 1974, Dusty became a full-fledged face during a tag match with his partner Pak Song against Mike and Eddie Graham. Rhodes turned on his partner before eliminating Mike and Eddie as he cleaned house. According to his 2006 Documentary "The American Dream" Dusty would go to every armory in Florida and sell out the shows. He would gain a grassroots following piece by piece. Rhodes would also gain prominence in Georgia along with other NWA territories, but Florida was the place that helped him shine the brightest. Dusty was easily recognizable because of how common his appearance was. Eventually, he caught the eye of Vincent J. McMahon, Sr., as he would make the move to the Northeast to wrestle for the World Wide Wrestling Federation at the time. The American Dream would receive his first glimpse of the bright lights of New York working for the WWWF. McMahon had never seen a performer like Dusty before that time, because Rhodes was not built like the typical Vince McMahon prototype. His greatest claim to fame in the WWWF was his series of spectacular matches with "Superstar" Billy Graham. Their matches included a match for the WWWF Title, a Texas Death Match and a Texas Bullrope match. Rhodes would eventually return to the NWA, as he would defeat Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship on August 21, 1979 in Tampa, FL. The match was the PWI Match of the Year, as Rhodes was highly celebrated after his spectacular win. Harley was one of the Dream's best opponents before Dusty transitioned into battling his best dance partner, Ric Flair.

Some can say that the seeds to their feud may have been planted when Flair defeated him for the NWA World Heavyweight Title on September 16, 1981 in Kansas City, MO. It took a while for them to have another encounter, but you could tell that they had the makings of something great down the line. By 1984-85, the feud would escalate even further as Flair became even more of an arrogant heel. Dusty automatically became the top babyface in the promotion, as he and Flair took the NWA to greater heights than before. The Four Horesmen originated after Arn and Ole Anderson attacked Dusty and broke his leg. On October 29, 1985, Dusty Rhodes delivered his most intense and passionate promo "Hard Times". The way that he connected with the common people during that promo gave him even greater national exposure, as he continued to chase The Nature Boy for the title. Even Maria Menounous did a great impression of Dusty's Hard Times promo. If Dusty appreciated her impression, then none of the smarks have a right to criticize her. Their signature matches included their battle at Starrcade '85, and Great American Bash '86 which was the peak of their feud. Rhodes defeated Flair in the Steel Cage, as other wrestlers from the locker room rushed into the cage to celebrate with him. His journey had culminated in that match, as it was the "Match of the Year" for 1986. In 1987, Dusty was named "Most Popular Wrestler" by PWI. That is significant, considering the fact that Hulk Hogan headlined the biggest WrestleMania of that time (WM III), as he bodyslammed Andre The Giant. At that point, Hogan was at the pinnacle of his career. Yet, Dusty edged him out in popularity, even if it was just for that year. That shows how deeply that Rhodes connected with so many fans. Dusty would become more familiar with the larger mainstream WWF crowd with his "Common Man" gimmick where he would wear Polka Dots. Even though it may still be viewed as a rib my many people today, Dusty was able to make the most out it. He truly did.

As a booker, Dusty was the mastermind behind Starrcade before WrestleMania was born and took the world by storm. Rhodes was the innovator behind WarGames and BattleBowl. In WWE, Dusty's career backstage received new life as he became one of the mentors for the young talent in NXT. Rhodes has always had a keen eye for talent, as he has been able to shape and guide the careers of these upcoming stars with his wisdom. Even the newer generations have had the chance to receive the many things that he had to offer. Everyone from John Cena, Randy Orton, all the way down to a Bray Wyatt or Kevin Owens have talked about the things that Dusty has taught them. The Divas such as Natalya and The Bella Twins are extremely grateful for what they learned from him. Everyone has expressed their love for him, and how he has helped to direct them. You can tell that Dusty has had a profound influence on Triple H by how he has done an incredible job as a Booker and Executive for NXT. His contributions even outside of the ring are what make him stand the test of time. Now, it is time to finish with one last Bionic Elbow for the American Dream if you will, daddy. The Hard Times are now over. Rest in Peace and Power, Dusty.

 

 

(Painting Courtesy of: Rob Schamberger. Twitter: @RobSchamberger)

 

 

Stone Cold/Triple H Podcast Review

I just wanted to take time to review the recent Podcast interview that Stone Cold had featuring Triple H. I had to take some time to listen and really gather ideas. I must say that it was certainly less controversial than the first interview with Vince McMahon. Overall, Austin and Trips had a mutual understanding of each other, because they were peers and have more of an understanding of what goes on from an in-ring standpoint. At first, they started off by reminisicing about their time together coming through the ranks and battling one another. Then, they talk about the development of NXT, and how Triple H is building it to become its own machine. For all of his flaws, I will give Triple H credit for the success of NXT, as it is breaking even more ground. Although it is naturally a developmental territory, it is establishing its own identity as a brand of itself. Triple H has an incredible mind for the business. Austin and Hunter both agree that kayfabe is dead, because fans have become smarter about what is happening both in the ring and backstage thanks to the Internet. With that being said, the days of true faces and heels are gone.

Hunter also says that the core business model has not changed. He talks about how fans say things like "they would have done that if we hadn't done this". He brings up the example about how if Hulk Hogan was getting wildly cheered in Minnesota for the AWA, he would not have gone to New York for WWE to become wildly popular as the champion of the promotion. WWE calls audibles whenever they need to.

Stone Cold asks him about the Reality Era, and how it is harder to be a genuine babyface, because fans will cheer and boo who they want. As Triple H mentions sites such as "Grantland" that cover the insides of the business, he basically says that "the reality is the business". As a result, everyone has a voice and fans are even more critical and analytical of the product. The IWC unleases their venom every week on Social Media. He also mentions the backlash about the Royal Rumble, where fans booed Roman out of the building as they insisted that Daniel Bryan win. (I covered that in detail already)

Triple H even admitted that he doesn't believe that anyone is truly ready for the top spot, no matter how ready the fans think they are, or how ready they think they are in their own mind. I can understand that, because the WWE System causes you to polish yourself and understand structure. (At least he didn't use the lame "Brass Ring" line)

Trips also addresses the idea that he only got to the top, because of his marriage into the McMahon family. He says that Undertaker helped him get past that dictating opinion, which I am sure really frustrated him. Triple H admits that he would still be in the top spot even without marrying Stephanie. I absolutely agree, because Triple H paid his dues. He was already rising to the top BEFORE Steph arrived on the scene. He may have more leverage backstage, but he would still make it to the top of the roster on his own.


Now, this is where the Interview REALLY heats up. Stone Cold brings up the name that is a Smoking Gun to the McMahon Family: Chyna. Up to this point, Triple H pretty much deviated from being the Kayfabe Corporate Authority Figure. This time, he did a song and dance because this was clearly the lightning rod of Stone Cold's podcast. When Austin addressed Vince about Macho Man going into the HOF, Vince responded by saying "Yes, he will go in.". Within the blink of an eye, Savage is announced. However, once Chyna is mentioned, Triple H hesitates and gives a PR answer. First, he gives Chyna credit for being a trailblazer, and a pioneer for Women in Wrestling. However, he gives doubts about her being inducted, because he gives the watered down excuse of not wanting his 8 year-old daughter looking for Chyna on Google to discover her porn career. I understand that WWE is doing their best to clean up the product, but that is not the real reason why Chyna is not in. Everyone knows that the REAL reason why she is not in, is because he does not want his children to know that their Dad was involved in a Love Triangle Affair, where he had a relationship with their Mom, while living with Chyna. They must not be ready for that conversation, I guess. He also did not want to mention the fact that Stephanie and Chyna want no part of each other, especially with the distasteful things that Chyna has said about her on YouTube. Chyna is the thorn for Triple H that Warrior, Bret and Savage were to Vince. Trips wants to hide the fact that Once Upon A Time, WWE was notorious for negative stereotypes and the degradation of women (Sable, Sunny, Godfather's Ho Train, even Katie Vick. That's enough for now). You also want to conceal Chyna's obvious porno past with your Kliq golden boy X-Pac, who is in high favor with WWE because of his numerous appearances at Live Events. Your kids don't know, but people like myself and older fans know what is behind closed doors. I am not justifying Chyna's decisions, but she was an integral part of one of the most successfully mainstream Eras in company history, The Attitude Era. Chyna broke barriers for females, as she was one of the founding members of D-Generation-X, a group that is widely considered to be the greatest of all-time (especially by WWE). Chyna was with the first incarnation when it was a trio, with HBK and HHH himself. She was also part of the expansion, when Shawn retired and X-Pac and the New Age Outlaws were added. As an individual, she is the ONLY Woman to win the Intercontinental Title. This is not a Chris Benoit situation, where she murdered someone else along with herself. Now, I understand that parents do not want their daughters influenced by her. I have a niece and I would not want her to stumble across this on the web, and in the future I wouldn't want my child to see that. From that standpoint I get it, but the Hall of Fame is not filled with people with Wings on their back and Halos on their head. Do I need to bring up Sunny? Look at where she is even AFTER her Induction. I won't even get into the recent Twitter scandal with Seth Rollins. As long as Chyna cleans herself up and shows how serious she is, they would have no other choice. Both sides will have to mature and humble themselves before this happens.

When discussing Roman Reigns, Austin felt that it was being made obvious that Roman was given the keys without having to really work for it. HHH responds by saying "everyone works hard", including Roman. The obvious flaws are his mic skills and his ring work. John Cena has faced criticism about his ring work, but nobody can deny his work ethic.

A Twitter question shows up where someone asks: Do you see anyone on the roster becoming the next Hulk Hogan, Steve Austin or John Cena? Triple H responds by saying that everyone has potential, but it is what they do with it that counts. He says that the business is different, where you have to be much more well rounded. You can't just be good in the ring, but lack mic skills. You can't just have good mic skills. You just can't be a big guy or a high flyer with nothing else to offer. He is absolutely right, and I feel that is what is seriously lacking in the landscape of wrestling especially today.

Trips also brings up the Undertaker, and how he was Vince McMahon's greatest creation. Mark Calloway was perfect to play that role, and anyone else would have died with that persona. Mark took that gimmick, and made it Iconic and Transcendant. Truly Phenomenal (no pun intended).


Stone Cold starts to dive even deeper into the discussion as he brings up how Triple H managed to mend the fences with Legends like Bruno Sammartino and The Ultimate Warrior so that they could finally be inducted into the Hall of Fame. I give the Game the utmost respect for how he was able to engineer those inductions, because if it was up to Vince, they would still be on the outside looking in. Levesque basically said that Bruno was unwilling to do business with McMahon, because he was unsatisfied with the direction that the promotion had gone into during the Attitude Era. For years, Sammartino was unwilling to do business, and had bad blood with Vince because of his ideas. Bruno is the definition of the term "Old School". Vince himself was not jumping to his phone to call Bruno to make amends. However, it wasn't until WWE decided to clean up the product and Triple H stretched out his arm to Bruno to make peace. Trips was able to sympathize with him from a pure wrestler's mindset, because they were able to come to a common ground. Triple H is a man that respects the history of the business, and he made it crystal clear during this interview more than once. As a result, he was able to get Bruno to change his mind and accept the induction. The rest is history. Same with Warrior, but it was a bit harder considering that they worked together. However, as time is known to heal wounds, The Game was able to reach Warrior because there wasn't as much bad blood as with Warrior's main peers (Hogan, etc.)


Stone Cold would also ask The Ultimate Question: DX or NWO? Triple H gives NWO their respect, by saying that they were massively impactful and influential when they started when they opened the curtain to show the reality aspect. However, their impact was diluted when they overloaded the group with too many people. On the other hand, DX had more staying power for a longer period of time. I would say the same thing, not just because WWE promotes it, but because collectively DX has had a greater stream of success in the long run. They did not water themselves down by adding everybody on the roster and their family.

Triple H also says that his Ultimate Fantasy Match would be with Buddy Rogers, because of his style and showmanship.

When CM Punk is mentioned, Trips simply says "I never had a beef with him". He pretty much says there was a miscommunication, even though Punk threw fireballs at him and Vince in his interview with Cabana.

Now, time for one of my favorite games. Word Association Time:

Shawn Michaels: Greatest in ring performer ever.
Ric Flair: Greatest all around performer ever.
Kevin Nash: Great mind for the business but a personality that hides it.
Scott Hall: The guy he learned more from than anyone and really underrated in ring.
Eddie Guerrero: Awesome. Miss him and he was really fun.
Goldberg: Intense and explosive, enough so that it changed the business.
Brock Lesnar: FREAK. (That's a positive.)
Paul Heyman: He toes the line between genius and crazy.
Owen Hart: One of the nicest, funniest guys.
Bret Hart: Unbelievable technician who maybe sometimes takes himself too seriously.
Undertaker: Respect.
Kane: Underrated. "If I had to say one word, he's the constant."
Pat Patterson: A genius for the business.
Michael Hayes: Underrated for his contributions to the business.

They conclude by talking about the differences between a pro wrestler and a sports entertainer. They also address Brock Lesnar's future with the company. Triple H also talks about The Streak, and says it is a two-sided situation. On one side, you want the streak to live forever, like a home run record. However, Taker is a guy that likes to give back to the business, especially to benefit someone else. Lesnar has benefited in a huge way.

When asked if he could change anything about Monday Night Raw, Triple H says that he would change it from three hours back to two. He says that the three hour show was a Vince call and a financial issue.

Overall, the Interview was entertaining in many ways, and controversial in others. I did not expect any less. 4/5 Stars.

In wrestling terminology, I would give it 4 WWE Undisputed Championships out of 5.