Tag Archives: wwe

Pro Wrestling

Throwback Thursday: The Iron Sheik

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The Iron Sheik was (and arguably still is) the greatest heel in professional wrestling.

Born Hossein Khosrow Ali Vaziri, in Tehran, Iran; the man’s early years consisted of amateur wrestling before he had served in the Iranian Army and would then become bodyguard to the Shah Mohammed Reza Pahlavi for several years. After this he would move to America and become assistant coach of two Olympic wrestling squads and the assistant coach for team USA in the 1972 Olympic Games.

Vaziri would then become introduced to the business that became his legacy in 1972 by invitation from Verne Gagne, wrestling for his American Wrestling Association. His initial ring name was “The Great Hossein Arab,” but that would change in 1979 when he became “The Iron Sheik;” playing off of real-life politics (the Iranian Hostage Crisis and the portrayal/views of Arabs in America) to become the greatest villain who ever lived.

In 1983, The Shiek achieved greatness, defeating Bob Backlund for the (then) WWF Championship in Madison Square Garden. This of course was the set-up for Hulk Hogan to go on the roll that he did, putting professional wrestling on the map and beginning the “Hulkamania” era that defined 1980’s wrestling.

The Sheik would team with the Russian Nikolai Volkoff (with whom he  would hold the Tag Team Championship Titles) and eventually a freshly turned heel in Sargent Slaughter, feuding with every and any baby-faced (good guy) wrestler in the locker room until his retirement in the 2000’s. His weapon of choice: the dreaded Camel Clutch. In a time where professional wrestling storyline was thought to be reality, The Sheik was the most hated man in the world – and he loved every minute of it. In 2005, WWE would fully recognize his achievements when they inducted The Iron Sheik into their Hall of Fame.

As immortal as The Sheik was, Vaziri would suffer the actions of his character, enduring a long battle with drugs and alcohol that only got worse after the murder of one of his three daughters . Eventually he would clean up his act and is now living a healthy, sober life with his wife, two surviving daughters and grandchildren.

In recent years,  The Iron Sheik has taken to social media, where he rants and raves about anything and everything. No one is safe from the wrathful Tweets of The Sheik.

This newfound popularity has gotten The Sheik appearances on various television shows (Comedy Central’s “Kenny vs. Spenny”) and acting roles independent films such as “The Tale of the 3 Mohammads” and “Operation Belvis Bash.”

In August 2013, The Sheik’s managers crowd funded over $40,000 to produce a documentary and provide double knee surgery for the legend. “The Sheik” was released in 2014 and is available for streaming on Netflix.

Podcast, Pro Wrestling

Bonesaw Podcast Episode 6: Chris and Frank Shoot on Wrestlemania 31

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Episode 6 goes off with a bang as Chris Butera is joined by Frank Lucci once again to talk smack about the ‘wrasslin. Listen in as the boys go off on their favorite (and least favorite) Wrestlemania 31 and post-‘Mania Raw moments. New Jersey thrashers Condition Critical are featured.

Help Chris and friends out with their Thrash Metal Barbecue: www.kickstarter.com/projects/206782…ash-bash-bbq-iv

Like Condition Critical here: www.facebook.com/ConditionCriticalNJ

Pro Wrestling

Thoughts on Wrestlemania 31

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Sunday we saw a plethora of a Wrestlemania moments including Triple H defeating Sting, The Undertaker’s redemption, and Seth Rollins make history by being the first Money in the Bank winner to not only cash in his contract at the show of shows, but during the championship match as well.

Long story short, pretty much all of the right people won with the exception of Sting. While the match itself was alright for two legendary competitors, there were too many theatrics involved with the finish (and the entrances to boot) and this tainted Sting vs. Triple H instead of it being the clinic it could have been. With all this buildup, Sting should have received the victory but it was not to be by way of the sledgehammer.

The Undertaker’s victory over Bray Wyatt was one of his better ‘Mania matches due to the innate psychology that the match was built around. The exorcist/sit up spot was something fans must have been dreaming about for some time as there were definitely chills up the spines of those watching.

Daniel Bryan is going to boost the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship and deserved the win. The headbutt war with Dolph Ziggler was questionable and probably looked better on paper, but overall it was a very good ladder match. All competitors did a great job especially Luke Harper and Dean Ambrose who put their bodies on the line.

Paige and AJ winning without any issues between the two was good but it was interesting that there was no animosity involved in the match.

Like Bryan with the Intercontinental Championship, John Cena is going to boost the United States Championship like never before. Cena’s “Rocky Balboa” got the story book ending against Rusev’s “Ivan Drago” which was much needed and doesn’t taint the Bulgarian Brute at all. We’ll just have to see how his character is handled from here on to see where he goes but the man can work. His omega-Russian entrance was one of the highlights of the night.

The Rock and Triple H’s segment started off well but dragged for far too long. After awhile it became obvious that they were waiting for Santa Clara to get darker for The Undertaker’s arrival. If you’re watching on the network it’s best to just skip to the end where Ronda Rousey gets involved. This should have been saved for Raw with a match or two being inserted in its place.

Who chooses Wrestlemania’s musical guests and why do they have them perform at all? It’s clear that WWE’s demographic does not care when there is minimal participation in the act and maximum participation at the concession stands and/or restrooms.

Big Show wining the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal was surprising from a storyline standpoint but not from a logical one. Show is after all, a giant and it would have been a shame if he didn’t win one of these. Miz vs. Mizdow is still happening and that’s all anybody wanted out of this match anyway.

Randy Orton’s victory over Seth Rollins moves the feud nicely especially with the events that unfolded later on. WWE is striking this feud while the iron is still hot with greater stakes and kudos to them. Check the height on that RKO again, Rollin’s must be at least eight feet in the air before he hits the mat for the three count.

Last but not least Brock Lesnar looked as dominant as ever and Roman Reigns looked decent as well. This was the most believable match WWE could have had with the outcome being the only realistic scenario to get the title off the champion. Reign’s comeback was a nice touch and Lesnar’s bloodshed is proof that WWE needs more of it (but not too much) in there product. Save the non-PG stuff for the Pay-Per-Views and it’ll be all right. Rollins is already going to be one of the best heel champions ala Ric Flair’s weasel tactics.

We can’t wait for next year.

Music, Podcast

Bonesaw Podcast: Episode 5 – Egokill’s Brian Schermicide

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Episode 5 gets rude and crude with Egokill’s Brian Schermicide as we speak of 90’s cartoons, classic wrestling and metal in the most unapologetic way.

WARNING: This episode contains strong language.

Check out Egokill here.

Pro Wrestling

Wrestlemania 31 Predictions

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Tonight in Santa Clara, California’s Levy’s Stadium WWE will answer all of the questions that have been building in the minds of the WWE Universe for nearly a year at Wrestlemania 31.

Will Roman Reigns begin his first World Heavyweight Championship reign upon conquering Brock Lesnar?

Will Bray Wyatt defeat a broken Undertaker to become the new face of fear?

Will Sting dethrone Triple H?

Will John Cena break Rusev’s undefeated streak and become the United States Champion once again?

When is Seth Rollins going to cash in his Money in the Bank contract?

Here’s what we think might occur on the grandest stage of them all.

Fatal Four Way for the Tag Team Championships – Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (c) vs. The New Day vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos: Cesaro and Kidd have become the unlikely duo to hold gold lately and deserve a strong run to finally break through the glass ceiling. However, The Usos are looking to regain their titles as well. The New Day and Los Matadores are clearly the filler teams and unfortunately round out the Tag Team division for the most part. Since The Usos’s father Rikishi is being inducted into this years WWE Hall of Fame Class, it is a pretty safe bet that they will get the Wrestlemania “feel good” moment; thus retaining their Tag Team Championships.

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match – “Bad News” Barrett (c) vs. R-Truth vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper vs. Stardust: Every man, woman and child in the WWE Universe is rooting for Bryan to walk out of Wrestlemania with gold, but it is probably not what is going to happen. With so many competitors, WWE is sure to throw a swerve in this match. Stardust will be the dark horse victor, becoming the new Intercontinental Champion to raise the stakes in his continuing feud with Golddust.

Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton: This is a match that has been building for quite some time. Rollins and Orton will tear down the house in a solid 20 minute match. Orton will get the upper hand many times, but due to outside interference from Rollin’s Authority buddies, The Viper is going to get Curb Stomped into oblivion.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal: There are a bunch of neat mini-feuds bubbling in this cauldron of a match with The Miz vs. Mizdow being the proverbial nail sticking out the most. Our money is on either The Miz or Ryback.

Divas Tag Team Match – AJ Lee and Paige vs. The Bella Twins: While AJ and Paige have become “frienemies” again, the magic is going to have to end sometime due to the common goal of taking the Divas Championship from Nikki Bella’s waist. This match should be a Fatal Four Way for the Divas Championship, but unfortunately it isn’t. The Bellas will win due to their chemistry defeating Lee and Paige’s dissension.

United States Championship Match – Rusev (c) vs. John Cena: Rusev will be pushed to the limit, but he will not be enough for Cena in WWE’s retelling of “Rocky IV”. Cena will emerge victorious, bringing the United States Championship back to the good ol’ U. S. of A.

Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker: Wyatt and ‘Taker will tell a great story in the ring. This tale of redemption needs The Undertaker to come out on top, avenge his broken Wrestlemania streak and hopefully face Sting in what should be their swansong at Wrestlemania 32.

Sting vs. Triple H: This should have happened years ago but the fact that we are getting it at all is well worth the wait. The match will be slowly paced, but will be a highlight in both men’s storied careers. The Vigilante Sting will come out on top before challenging The Undertaker the following night on Raw.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match – Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns: It all seemed like WWE was going forward with the “original plan” and have Reigns slay Paul Heyman’s beast, but that all changed Wednesday when Lesnar announced that he had signed a multi-year deal with WWE. Now that it is confirmed that Lesnar will stay with his current employer, does that mean that he will be adding Reigns’ list to his World Heavyweight Championship reign of terror? It will be interesting to see where this goes, but we feel that it’s now or never for Reigns to shine and Vince McMahon knows that. This is why we feel that the “original plan” will stick and Reigns will walk out of Wrestlemania as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion with Rollins waiting in the wings to unsuccessfully cash in his Money in the Bank contract.

Gaming

5 Star Wrestling Review

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On the surface, Serious Parody’s “5 Star Wrestling” isn’t even a B+ player. It’s uglier than Bastion Booger and its load times sometimes make Haystacks Calhoun look like Juventud Guerrera.

But just like former WWE Champion Daniel Bryan, it’s got something special.

It’s got heart- and “Greg Hearty.”

The more you play this game, the more you’ll see that its gameplay mechanics and tiny odes to classic games the likes of “WCW/NWO Revenge” and “WWF No Mercy” are a perfect combination of wrestling goodness.

Continue reading at examiner.com.

Pro Wrestling

Throwback Thursday: Vince McMahon’s “Life Isn’t Fair” Promo

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On the May 11, 2000 episode of WWE Smackdown!, WWE Chairman Vince McMahon delivered one of the greatest promos in the history of professional wrestling.

Relating to an angle involving Chris Jericho on the May 8 edition of Raw, McMahon berated the WWE Universe; calling them overweight losers in the most scathing way possible.

“You scrimp and you save and you work yourselves half to death and still, you can’t afford what you really want,”  McMahon  said. “You look into the mirror and you look at yourselves and you say “look at the cellulite hanging from my hips and my buttocks. That’s not fair.” And the men won’t even come close (to looking in the mirror).”

Commentator Jerry “The King” Lawler provided excellent comic relief for the segment, chiming in with McMahon’s every insult with brilliant timing.

McMahon perfected his promo with other scenarios people experience daily, such as being cut in line and losing a parking space to aggressive people, reiterating that “life isn’t fair” after every scalding statement.

McMahon would then go on to tell the audience that they have “inferior DNA” before delivering one of his most famous lines to end the segment.

“Life sucks, and then you die.”

McMahon’s promo is one of the best because it hits everyone in the chest like a shotgun blast. There isn’t a single human being on earth that hasn’t had a moment where they haven’t said “It’s not fair.” People experience “life isn’t fair” moments on a daily basis whether it involves being cut in line, losing a parking space, or just plain having a bad day. McMahon’s brilliant combination of psychology, mic skills, and charisma are what make the “Mr. McMahon” character one of the greatest villains in history.

Pro Wrestling

Thoughts on WWE Fastlane

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Sunday night, the WWE Universe saw Roman Reigns defeat Daniel Bryan in a clinic, Bray Wyatt call out The Undertaker, Stng and Triple H confirming a Wrestlemania match and Rusev dominating John Cena. Here are our thoughts on Fastlane overall.

The event for the most part was solid although some of the finishes were awkward (Goldust vs. Stardust, Dean Ambrose vs. Wade Barrett) due to some clumsy officiating.

Randy Orton’s return was much needed as it gave Fastlane the much needed jump start to pump the crowd for the rest of the evening. Orton RKOing everyone in sight was a great touch that people sorely missed. Ziggler and Rollins told a great story in the ring with all the big men playing their babyface and hell personas well, ending with a clever heel finish no one saw coming.

Cesaro and Tyson Kidd taking the Tag Team titles from The Usos was a pleasant surprise as the story was built to look like The Usos would come out on top as they usually do. Hopefully a promising run will follow for the new team as they delivered some solid in-ring action with the flying Samoans. With the way things went on Raw, this angle is definitely not over.

Nikki Bella succeeded in defending her Divas Championship against Paige which was the right way to go. Paige needs to pull off the big win at Wrestlemania for the true payoff.

Goldust and Stardust put on a solid encounter relying heavily on psychology. The match had an old look to it as it was slow paced with short bursts of action thrown in. The finish however, was very awkward as the referee not only hesitated the final count but may not have actually hit the three before he called the match. If Fastlane was the warm-up, Wrestlemania had better contain round two for the Dust brothers.

Dean Ambrose and Wade Barrett also had a decent showdown built around psychology, but it too suffered an odd finish due to officiating. While the disqualification rule was accurate, no five count was given by the referee which may have had many scratching their heads. Ambrose stealing the Intercontinental title was a nice touch and a slick reference to Stone Cold and The Rock’s 1997/1998 feud over the coveted championship. The Fatal Four Way (teased on Raw) would be a great addition to the title hunt scenario.

Rusev asserted dominance and brute force in his victory over John Cena in his United States Championship defense. Cena sold well for Rusev and made him look like a million bucks. The two told a great story though it was slightly soured with the low blow. It looked like there would be more to Lana’s involvement but the right man went over in this case. Cena defeating Rusev at Wrestlemania would not damage the Bulgarian Brute because its purpose would be to give the crowd one of the many “feel good moments” Wrestlemania is known for.

Before we get to Bryan and Reigns, there were two excellent segments between Bray Wyatt, Sting and Triple H.

Wyatt mimicking The Undertaker’s classic entrance was perfect and completely unexpected. Having The Eater of Worlds deliver the best promo of his career in the casket was one of the smartest things WWE could have done to build this angle. Wyatt is on the road to a bright future with WWE if they continue to push him as a supernatural monster. Having said that, Wyatt should not defeat Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Leave the one in 21-1 alone.

Triple H cut a scathing promo on Sting, shooting on how WCW did because of people like him. This needed to be a worked shoot and it definitely was as H dug his proverbial claws into the soul of Sting, who watched with fire in his eyes. Just as it looked that the Cerebral Assassin would annihilate Sting with his trusty sledgehammer, The Vigilante had him dead to rights with the baseball bat. Utilizing his master’s degree in (in-ring) psychology, Sting issued his challenge without words in what was surely one of the finest moments in WWE history.

Finally, the main event.

Reigns and Bryan delivered a stunning performance that had the WWE Universe on the edge of their seats for the entire ride. The finish was unpredictable as the tide could have turned either way on the contenders. Bryan looks more and more like Shawn Michaels every time he laces up those boots. Reigns was pushed to the limit and looked great in what was easily the best match of his career so far. The right man won the battle with a good, clean win. Reigns will challenge Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania 31, and we can’t wait.

Pro Wrestling

WWE Fastlane Predictions

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In lieu of the traditional “Elimination Chamber” pay-per-view, WWE has decided to change the game this year with a new event titled “WWE Fastlane.” While fans will not get an Elimination Chamber match this February, they will get what looks to be a stacked card for the inaugural event on the Road to Wrestlemania. Here are our predictions for each match.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Wade Barrett (c) vs. Dean Ambrose – This looks exciting. The feud has been built up in an old school way centering more around promos and less around beat downs. The psychology of the match should be fun and the ability of both men is going to make it awesome. Ambrose is better when he’s on the chase (and we’d like a long term program between these two) and that’s why we believe Barrett is keeping his title.

Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (c) vs. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd – Another match that could be promising with enough time. Kidd is finally on a pay-per-view again and Cesaro can work well with anyone. While the Usos have the gold, there is also the sub angle involving Jimmy and Kidd’s significant others – Naomi and Nattie. Expect the ladies to get into a scuffle, leading to the Usos retaining.

Goldust vs. Stardust – A normal match that should have been given more time to blossom into a fireball for ‘Mania rather than rushed for Fastlane. In the time they are given, the Rhodes brothers will put on a clinic; but they probably won’t be given the minimum 20 minutes they deserve. Hopefully this will be part of a series of matches, with Stardust’s arm raised at the end of their first cosmic clash.

Ryback, Erick Rowan and Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane, Big Show and Seth Rollins – Expect a few high spots from Rollins and Ziggler to get this Chevy where it has to go, but for the most part this will be a standard Six Man Tag that we will see again on Raw or Smackdown at some point in the near future. It’ll be good, but The Authority will prevail following a dirty finish involving J&J Security.

United States Championship Match: Rusev (c) vs. John Cena – If this what Rusev has been built up for in the year he has been on the main roster, he can’t lose now. Rusev must crush Cena at Fastlane for his legacy to mean anything in the near future. The two should have a somewhat lengthy feud, but if the Russian sympathizer is finally going to be pinned or submitted by Cena, it has to be at Wrestlemania. Judging by the booking of Cena in these angles, the match will either end in a disqualification or Rusev will play dirty for a victory. We’re expecting the former with Rusev going postal on the Cenation leader.

Divas Championship Match: Nikki Bella (c) w/Brie Bella vs. Paige – Paige desperately needs to regain and continue to re-shape the Divas division, but not just yet. Nikki Bella is playing the mean girl role well and can put on a good match to boot. The five to 10 minutes we see will be decent with Nikki coming out with the win. Paige needs the big win at ‘Mania for this feud to get the payoff the Divas angles rarely see.

No. 1 Contendership for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan – This is for all the marbles. We’re going to see some highlights in these men’s careers in this one. It’s also the one that’s too close to call. Will WWE go with what has been rumored as “the original plan” or will the WWE Universe’s voice be acknowledged for the second year in a row? The angle alone has quelled a lot of the backlash from the Royal Rumble (we personally love that it’s been explored) and for the WWE to address the situation so well makes us not mind which way this could go. It would be great to see Bryan go all the way again, but Reigns will probably meet WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar at the Granddaddy of ’em All.

Podcast, Pro Wrestling

Bonesaw Podcast Ep 1: Chris and Frank Shoot on Royal Rumble 2015

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We finally did it guys. Thanks for all your support so far and the support you will continue to give in the future. For our first episode I’m joined by my friend and former college buddy Frank Lucci where we let the fur fly as we express our thoughts on this year’s Royal Rumble event. Frank and I discuss what we liked, disliked, a WWE/Jetsons crossover and more. Our band of the week GZR is featured as well so sit back, relax and enjoy the show.