WWE Survivor Series 2011: Preview and My Finishes

WWE Survivor Series 2011 has revolved around one matchup. John Cena and The Rock taking Awesome Truth in what will be Dwayne Johnson’s first wrestling match in seven years! Normally, the thought of Dwayne lacing up the boots for one more match would delight any pro wrestling fan. However, I’ve found the build for this big four pay per view to be lackluster and foolishly booked to a point where the WWE acted out of lack of knowledge while compensating fans with predictable programming.

Because of this, I feel it’s only right for me to provide readers with an alternative. My plan isn’t intricate whatsoever; I will discuss each matchup while creating the finishes that will play a necessary role in future storylines.

Enjoy

Team Barrett vs. Team Orton:

I expect great things from the competitors in this match with Team Orton prevailing. However, if I was deciding the finish, Team Barrett would triumph over Team Orton as the winners. You see, the WWE has done exceptionally well in reestablish Wade Barrett over the course of several weeks. The Englishman has compiled an exquisite set of wins over the likes of Sheamus and Randy Orton. If the WWE has a long term plan for Barrett, his team should pick up the win here. With the likes of Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, and Jack Swagger sharing the spotlight at Survivor Series, it would be reasonable to have them go over as it’ll be great for their future.

My Finish: Sheamus would be counted out or disqualified after pinning Rhodes. This would leave Barrett and Orton to decide a winner. Obviously, Randy would need to save face as the chance of him putting over Barrett cleanly is slim to none. Barrett would utilize a dirty tactic (interference, low blow etc.) and finish Orton with the Wasteland.

Beth Phoenix vs. Eve:

I must say, the WWE hasn’t given me a reason to care for their Divas Division, thus explaining why I’ll keep this rather short. A stipulation was recently added to this match with Phoenix defending her Divas Championship in a LumberJill’s matchup. I feel as if both competitors will put on an exquisite match, echoing their performance at Vengeance but Phoenix will/should retain regardless. The primary reason for Phoenix’s retention is the impending feud between Phoenix and Natalya.

My Finish: Beth doesn’t need dirty tactics to defeat Eve Torres but I would have the babyface Divas interfere on Eve’s behalf when Phoenix is tossed outside of the squared circle. However, Beth will overcome this and retain the Glam Slam.

Dolph Ziggler vs. John Morrison:

This match will be the entertaining confrontation on this card. The problem is, the Internet (and the live audience too) will be too focused on Zack Ryder instead of enjoying the potential match of the year candidate. Yes, Ryder was able to persuade thousands to sign his petition for a U.S. Title match. However, Ryder has already partaken in two U.S. Championship matches with Ziggler and failed to capture the coveted championship. On the other hand, Morrison’s placement in this match was to thrust the support for Ryder to new levels. I don’t understand why Ryder’s fans fail to realize this but I believe Ryder will become Champion soon. Anyway, John Morrison has regained his “mojo” and intends of winning his first United States Championship this Sunday. The Shaman of Sexy picked up his first win in three months after defeating the Champion with a surprise crucifix. Because of the increased coverage of Morrison, his title match Sunday, and win over Ziggler last week, I believe Mr. Parkour is here to stay. This Sunday, John Morrison wins the United States Championship. The subsequent feud with Ryder will determine if Zack will be Santino Marella 2.0 or a potential main eventer. On the other hand, Dolph Ziggler will finally ascend to the top card.

Everybody wins

My Finish: I can’t decide on a solid finish to this matchup but I expect Ryder to be at ringside or involved nonetheless. It can go the simply route with Morrison defeating Ziggler with the Starship Pain or Morrison using a dirty tactic as a face (see Edge vs. Randy Orton RAW 2004 Intercontinental Championship) while disposing of Ryder after his win.

Mark Henry vs. Big Show:

The battle for the World Heavyweight Championship has certainly been a noteworthy one. I must say, these two put on one of the best big man matches I’ve watched in quite some time. However, I have a problem with the WWE using Daniel Bryan to progress the feud between these two. Anyway, I do feel as if these guys will put on another great match with Mark Henry retaining his World Championship.

My Finish: Mark Henry defeats Big Show clean.

Alberto Del Rio vs. CM Punk:

This feud has been repetitive and unbearable. It’s absolutely one sided and I quietly wait for the day it finally ends. As entertaining as CM Punk is, even he cannot make Alberto Del Rio slightly interesting. On the other hand, how many times has this match been given away on RAW? If I’m not mistaken, these two have already faced off on three occasions (on RAW). Anyway, I expect Alberto Del Rio to retain his WWE Championship but my booking plan differs.

My Finish: CM Punk defeats Del Rio cleanly for the WWE Championship. Therefore these two can face off at TLC and end this feud immediately.

The Miz and R-Truth vs. John Cena and The Rock:

Referencing what I stated above, this pay per view revolves around this match. Excuse me; this pay per view revolves around The Rock. The build for this pay per view has saw the other three competitors take on each other in handicap and tag team matches while the other guy sends his condolences via satellite. The matches have been lackluster while Awesome Truth have been dominated or needed to cheat to defeat Cena. So I ask the question, why is the Rock needed when Cena can beat them on his own? Anyway, Cena and Rock will display some friction throughout the matchup but they’ll pick up the win regardless.

My finish: The Rock and Cena will win clean but one has to attack the other after the match concludes. I still don’t think the WWE has the testicular fortitude to turn Cena heel but I would have him drop Rock with an Attitude Adjustment. However, Cena would not show any happy facial expressions like the last time he gave Dwayne an Attitude Adjustment. Cena will display some anger while quietly leaving Rock unconscious in the ring while giving the crowd a blank stare as he exits.

By doing this, it will create buzz about a possible heel turn thus causing fans to watch RAW the next night.

Cliffhanger

(The U.S. Title may change this weekend/tonight. If it does, I predict Ryder to finally win the U.S. Championship)

WWE: Examining the Main Event Players of the Future

Hello Revolutionaries, I’m back with an interesting article I think every member of the IWC will appreciate. You see, we’ve been dissatisfied with WWE programming for awhile now. In spite of the WWE’s questionable booking and repetitive programming, I feel as if IWC’s main gripe with the WWE is its inability/unwillingness to push mid card talent to the main event.

Yes, the WWE has attempted to create new stars but have effectively dropped the ball on each prospect at some point. Some notable examples of this would be Dolph Ziggler, John Morrison, Wade Barrett, Kofi Kingston, Alex Riley, and Daniel Bryan.

And if this isn’t bad enough, the WWE consistently books the same guys in the main event.

Thing is, John Cena and Randy Orton won’t be around forever. The WWE needs to prepare these guys for the top level before they end up in a Brock Lesnar situation. If you don’t know what I’m referring to, from 2002 to early 2004, Brock Lesnar was the guy in the WWE.

At the height of his fame/career, he left the WWE. Being the top guy, Brock’s departure left a huge void in the WWE that would remain there until John Cena came into his own one year after Brock left.

To avoid such occurrences, I believe the WWE should have an abundance of top level talent.

Because of WWE’s ignorance of this and refusal to properly build mid carders over time, I’ve decided to examine a number of these talented individuals who could become big players in the WWE’s future. To assist readers in understanding where I’m getting at, I’m going to discuss the qualities that allowed me to accommodate them.

I’ll also discuss some things the WWE could orchestrate kayfabe wise and some aspects that each individual should alter about their character that’ll assist them in gaining a higher level of notoriety among the WWE Universe.

Dolph Ziggler: The HEEL has become arguably the most entertaining superstar on the RAW roster since the WWE obviously allowed him to write his own promos. Dolph is one of the best in ring workers in the WWE today and is overwhelmingly charismatic. Like him or not, Dolph stands out. With all of these attributes, Dolph still has one problem that can’t be overlooked. Vickie Guerrero is still his manager. I understand that Vickie Guerrero is probably the biggest heel in the WWE (shame) today. Thing is, the only reason she was paired with Ziggler was to help Mr. Perfection get over as a heel.

Dolph has improved to a point where they should drop Vickie as his manager. They teased it with this mini feud with Jack Swagger and a backstage segment with Steve Austin. At some point, Dolph is going to have to make it on his own and I believe he’s fully capable of doing so.

Storyline wise, the WWE should have Ziggler to drop the U.S. Title to Ryder or Morrison. This leaves the WWE with two options. One, have him face WWE Champion, CM Punk, at the Royal Rumble. Or two, have Ziggler win the Rumble if Jericho isn’t returning. This way, you have a guy that is ready to compete at the top level in the main event of WrestleMania 28 where he rightfully belongs.

Wade Barrett: The Bare Knuckle Brawler has had his ups and down in the WWE. From being the WWE’s biggest heel to barely appearing on WWE programming, Barrett is undoubtedly the most infamous case of the WWE dropping the ball on a young guy. Barrett has the mic skills and charisma to become a staple on the main event card but he seriously lacks inside the ring. I know most feel he’s a total package but flashes of a good match here and there aren’t displaying the consistent in ring storytelling.

If he corrects this, he’ll definitely be a total package. Storyline wise, I wouldn’t have Wade win the Rumble. I thrive on being realistic instead of optimistic and having Barrett win the Rumble after spending most of this year as Big Show/Ezekiel Jackson’s whipping boy isn’t realistic. I would gradually build him up but I would plan a big payoff at WrestleMania 28.

As I contemplate Barrett’s match at WM 28, I don’t think it would be irrational for him to face the man he was supposed to face at WrestleMania 27.

The Undertaker

Sure, Barrett isn’t a huge name but Undertaker has beaten everyone there is to beat except Cena. He’s busy with Rock so why not have Undertaker give Barrett the rub at Mania. Obviously, he wouldn’t win but a match with the Deadman at Mania is beneficial even if it results in a loss.

And let’s be honest, Undertaker’s last match should be against a rising star instead of a guy that is already established.

What good would it do either?

Cody Rhodes: The Undashing One is a complete package. Rhodes possesses every tool to make him a main event star but I don’t feel he’s there yet. Unlike Dolph, Cody hasn’t had that long run in the mid card with a credible championship reign. The WWE is doing their best to pass Cody off as the savior of the Intercontinental Championship. However, Cody rarely defends the title. Besides a win over Morrison, Cody hasn’t defended the IC Strap since reintroducing the classic design of it.

This is definitely a problem.

To be honest, the WWE should’ve kept Dibiase and Rhodes together until Mania. Rhodes should’ve continued to verbally abuse Ted until Dibiase stands up to Cody shortly after the Elimination Chamber pay per view. Since they apparently took another route, Rhodes should continue his title reign but place him in a number of meaningful feuds along the way.

I’ll spark a feud with a mid carder from RAW but you’ll just have to continue reading to see who I’m referring to.

Kofi Kingston: In my humble opinion, Kofi Kingston is also a superstar that possesses the tools to become a top dog in the years to come. Kingston has proven if given an opportunity, he can excel. His 2008 feud with Randy Orton is a kind notion to my claim. Currently, Kofi is apparently going to be punished for the sins of Evan Bourne. Kofi marks see this as unfair or irrational and while I agree to some extent, I also feel it’s an opportunity to turn this real life misfortune into something to elevate Kofi. From the looks of things, the WWE will effectively ignore Bourne’s suspension and allow the thirty days to pass. Over the course of those thirty days, the WWE should continue to bury Kingston in any match he partakes in.

Have Bourne return to a seemingly ecstatic Kofi and book them for the first title defense. Towards the end of the matchup, have Kofi abandon Bourne as he reaches for a tag. This should ultimately lead to Air Boom losing the tag team titles.

Kofi would attack Bourne (Ziggler or Orton style) after the match, effectively turning him heel. The obvious motivation for this would be Kofi struggles in Bourne’s absence and the fact that Bourne let him down because of his wellness violation.

This would more of an opportunity the WWE shouldn’t pass up. A Kofi heel turn to split this team up was inevitable but now he has substantial reason to do so.

John Morrison: The Shaman of Sexy was on a three month losing streak while becoming the most discussed superstar on the Internet through rumors of an impending departure. Morrison’s booking since his return suggested he was leaving but Morrison turned things around with a win over the U.S. Champion Monday. Morrison is very charismatic, a great worker, and apparently took classes to improve his promos.

I won’t give JoMo a pass or criticism because he hasn’t been given an opportunity to display any possible improvement.

Anyway, the WWE has to alter this guy’s character in some way shape or form. For one, the parkour stuff isn’t a gimmick and it makes him come off as a spot monkey when he doesn’t have to. I think Morrison should either be a heel or become an edgier face. He needs to display some arrogance or attitude because they fit this Jim Morrison rock star persona.

I’ve seen a little of it through a WWE.com interview where Morrison discussed his first win in three months while proclaiming that he is “the best guy in the WWE right now”.

Maybe an opportunity at a heel turn will arise during that Ryder vs. Ziggler vs. Morrison match we know is going to happen at Survivor Series. Remember, Ryder is a New York native and I’m pretty sure he’ll win the U.S. Championship. The WWE could really start a Morrison heel turn off on a high note with him attacking Ryder and getting that heel heat from Ryder’s home state audience.

However, JoMo could win the U.S. Title with a cheap tactic and build towards a heel turn and subsequent feud with Ryder.

The Shortlist

Drew McIntyre: McIntyre should turn face. I’ve always been one of those guys that never saw anything in McIntyre besides the fact that he’s an okay worker. Basically, he’s Randy Orton Jr. without the selfishness and backstage pull. Anyway, if the WWE does decide to resurrect Drew, they should gradually build towards or a face turn. Have McIntyre win a few matches here and there and put him in an IC Title feud with Rhodes for WrestleMania. On the other hand, the WWE could bring him up as a part of Vickie’s clientele and pursue the tag team championships with Swagger

Alex Riley: Before the WWE does anything with Riley, the guy seriously has to work on his wrestling. He has screwed up too much for the WWE to ignore. Other than that, I feel Riley has the “it” factor to become a top level competitor. Just like McIntyre, the WWE should slowly rebuild him with a number of wins. I would place him in the U.S. Title picture for WrestleMania.

Jack Swagger: I’ve spent days’ trying to figure out what to do with Swagger but something isn’t clicking. His in ring work ethic has undoubtedly deteriorated since his ECW days. He doesn’t stand out too much on the mic and I blame the WWE for completely ignoring the feud he had going with Ziggler before placing the two together. Like I stated above, I believe him and McIntyre could be a formidable team with a slow build. As far as top level goes, Swagger will need a drastic gimmick change because the ripped off Kurt Angle gimmick isn’t working.

Justin Gabriel: Gabriel is a great in ring worker but he needs a gimmick. He needs a character for me to take him seriously.

Brodus Clay: I’ve watched a number of Brodus matches on superstars but he doesn’t appeal to me. I personally think he’s Big Daddy V 2.0 but the IWC generally likes him. I can’t take their opinion as my own as some guys overhype or exaggerate when it comes to new talent.

Evan Bourne: I don’t know if Bourne will ever reach the top level. It would surprise me.

Mason Ryan: The only appealing aspect Mason possesses is his build. He has the bodybuilder like physique Vince McMahon admires so much. Besides that, there’s nothing too special about him. However, he will become a major player simply because Vince obviously loves him.

Ted Dibiase: Great in ring worker but he needs a character.

Daniel Bryan: The best in ring worker in the WWE today is carrying the MITB briefcase. It seems as if the WWE is trying to get the wheels rolling on his WrestleMania push but they booked him poorly for some time now. I do think he will become World Champion at WrestleMania but he should definitely be considered for a character alteration or heel turn in the future.

Zack Ryder: Long Island Iced Z is perfectly fine and I expect big things for him in the future. However, he needs a solid mid card feud. Like I stated above, he could work a program with a heel Morrison and develop a serious aspect of his character we have yet to see. That or he’ll become the next Santino.

Don’t get me wrong, there are others that can climb the WWE ladder but some have yet to debut with the WWE and others haven’t/won’t been given any opportunity to excel. For now, I’ve discussed the guys I think can/will take that next step but it’s up to the WWE at this point.

Hope you enjoyed it.

WWE Vengeance 2011 Review

Hello Revolutionaries, I am very enthusiastic right now as I actually enjoyed the WWE Vengeance pay per view. Yes, I enjoyed it but it doesn’t mean the pay per view didn’t have it flaws. Anyway, I felt as if I should give you a realistic point of view. Trust me, you’re going to read positive receives as this pay per view was generally received but the problems shouldn’t be ignored. The biggest problem was the lack of build going into the show. It was a solid pay per view but that build is crucial considering it determines if fans will buy your pay per view’s or not.

Anyway, here it is.

Unsurprisingly, the pay per view opens up with Air Boom vs. Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger. I figured the WWE wanted to have Ziggler come off as wrestling early in the show so he’ll be relaxed whenever his match with Ryder came later in the night. When Cole stated Ziggler’s match with Zack was immediately after this one, I figured Swagger would work the majority of this match.

This match was a great opener with both teams working exceptionally well with each other. It’s amazing that high flyer’s like Air Boom can sync well with collegiate wrestlers like ZigSwag. I wasn’t surprised when Air Boom got the win as it would be foolish to have Ziggler hold two titles let alone drop down to the tag team division.

AB wins with the TIP/STP combination while Ryder comes out for his U.S. Title match.

This was also a great match and it really displayed the fact that Dolph is a workhouse capable of putting on two great matches back to back. Ryder was also very impressive here and there were some moments where I thought Ryder would pull it off, rendering my prediction inaccurate. I don’t understand why Swagger and Vickie were allowed to stay at ringside because it gave away the finish to be honest.

I must say, Ziggler’s super kick was amazing and it looked as if he legitimately knocked Ryder out with it.

I can’t help but think that it made Ryder look kind of week considering Dolph had already wrestled a match.

Anyway, going into this pay per view, I knew Ryder wouldn’t win because Vinnie Mac’s bodybuilder fetish wouldn’t allow it. If anything, Mason Ryan is going to be the guy to take that U.S. Title off of Ziggler. Let’s not forget that Ryder is racking in loads of money through merchandise sales but apparently, Vince doesn’t think he’s good enough to win the U.S. Championship.

Vince would respond but he’s probably too busy being fondled by Mason.

A random segment featuring Triple H, CM Punk, and Ted Dibiase (briefly) hinted towards a turn by one of the two combatants. To be honest, it almost made me think Triple H was turning heel but it would have made the walkout angle completely irrelevant. Yeah, in case you didn’t notice, the point of it was to get Triple H over as a face and force fans to feel sorry for him.

Yep, it’s all about the Game (literally).

The matchup for the Divas Championship is undoubtedly the Divas match of the year. Eve went out and proved that she was better than Kelly Kelly. In my opinion, she always has been. Even though she lost, Eve looked great in defeat while making Beth look stronger as a Champion.

Next up, we have the Great White vs. Captain Charisma. This was a solid match but nothing stood out here as I was already anticipating the other matches five minutes into it. The WWE could’ve made this a gimmick match because the crowd wasn’t into it at all. Unsurprisingly, Sheamus goes over while Christian takes the pin in another uneventful feud. I felt as if Christian should’ve won this match if they planned on continuing this feud but Vince McMahon’s indifference towards Christian continues.

It’s sickening to watch Christian lose countless matches while portraying this CLB gimmick I’ve always hated.

It sucks.

Miz and R-Truth vs. Triple H and CM Punk was a pretty decent matchup with Awesome Truth picking up the win. I had Trips/Punk winning this but didn’t rule out a Kevin Nash sighting here and that’s exactly what happened. Why is this piece of crap still on my television screen? Modern fans don’t know who the hell he is and apparently those watching at home don’t either. Somehow, he always ends up somewhere I don’t want him and is apparently going to be on the opposite team vs. Rock/Cena at Survivor Series.

Anyone else notice that Nash botched his jackknife powerbomb?

Yeah, I’m sooooo excited for that matchup….

Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton put on a decent pay per view match that didn’t live up to the expectations I had for it. It seemed like any other match the two have had to be honest. Randy Orton isn’t losing three straight pay per views so I wasn’t surprised when he got the win after an RKO.

Whatever

Big Show vs. Mark Henry was really an eye opener as most fans predicted it to be a slow and uneventful match considering the size of the competitors. However, these two put on a pretty good big man matchup that ended with both retaining some momentum. To be honest, I saw the suplex spot coming a mile away. When Henry climbed the ropes I considered it already set and stone even though he got choke slammed. I wonder what Brock Lesnar has to say about this.

His peanut size brain wouldn’t allow anything over a kindergartener’s comprehension.

It was a great way to sell the impact of the suplex by introducing hospital personnel and the General Managers. Laurinaitis wasn’t exactly needed as we knew the WWE Title match would still take place.

Oh and he still absolutely, positively, undoubtedly, unquestionably, completely suck.

The WWE Champion comes out first to no reaction (as usual). Cena comes out to one of the biggest pops of the night while I question why the WWE Champion came out first. Anyway, Cena has some new attire that is undoubtedly better than that red crap he had been wearing. The rise above hate moniker is fitting as a guy had a “We Hate Cena” shirt on a Cena noticed.

Anyway, the match was pretty good with Del Rio being assisted by Awesome Truth and the WWE Championship. Fortunately, John Cena is apparently out of the WWE Title picture while unfortunately, Alberto Del Rio is still the WWE Champion.

Awesome Truth apparently created a reason for Cena to team with Rock at Survivor Series and basically confirmed the fact that we’re going to need a bulldozer to unbury them after facing Trips/Rock/Cena next month.

On the other hand, WWE is probably going to push a feud between Punk and Del Rio, The thing is, how long have these guys been in the WWE title picture? How many times have the faced off on free TV this year? Why would anyone want to purchase a pay per view that these two are headlining?

Exactly

Can we get some fresh talent in the title picture please? There’s a guy named Dolph Ziggler that wouldn’t do too bad if given an opportunity.

Overall thoughts:

Why is CM Punk still losing pay per view matches? Why is Ziggler going to drop the U.S. Championship to Mason Ryan instead of Zack Ryder? Why is Alberto Del Rio WWE Champion? Why would anyone be interested in Punk facing Del Rio? Did Orton have to win tonight? Did Sheamus have to win tonight?

Where was John Morrison for God sakes?

Solid pay per view like I stated above but the build could’ve been better.

WWE: Stone Cold Steve Austin says Alberto Del Rio isn’t ready to be the WWE Champion

A few weeks back, Stone Cold Steve Austin shared his opinion on former WWE and World Champions, Randy Orton, and Alberto Del Rio. As a critic WWE Superstars, I couldn’t agree with Austin more when he said: “I’m interested to see where Randy Orton goes next. His promos need work, and right now, he’s a little one-dimensional. The crowds are digging him, but there’s still another step on the ladder for him to climb to.”

“Alberto Del Rio reminds me of Gino Hernandez from the old [Dallas] Sportatorium. [He is] another one who needs to work on his promos—I don’t like them worth a shit right now—but he has great ability.”

You can imagine my reaction to the news as I’ve been saying this for months. Randy Orton and Alberto Del Rio definitely could improve despite the opinions of their many fans in the IWC. Randy Orton responded to Austin’s words by acknowledging Austin’s opinion as correct while stating that he would improve.

On Monday Night RAW, Alberto Del Rio cut a promo on CM Punk, John Cena, and their impending matchup at WWE Hell in a Cell. I must say, Del Rio should definitely use Austin’s advice as motivation because his promo was absolutely nauseating. If Del Rio’s promo wasn’t bad enough, his commentary that preceded the promo was horrible.

Simply put, Alberto Del Rio is absolutely BORING.

Del Rio fans and Cena detractors are upset that Del Rio lost the WWE Championship after 35 days. Thing is, fans just don’t care about Alberto. The Mexican Aristocrat isn’t ready to be the WWE Champion.

Normally, Del Rio fans defended him but I found another unlikely supporter in Stone Cold Steve Austin.

The Rattlesnake was interview by Patrick Lennon of UK’s Daily Star. Once again, Hall of Famer had some criticism for Alberto Del Rio:

“Well I don’t think Del Rio is ready to carry that belt. It’s ok for a short period of time; give him his first mini title run and try to groom him. He’s still got another year or two before he learns the US system.”

“He’s a good looking kid and I know he’s been around Mexico and MMA.”

And that’s the bottom line because Stone Cold said so.

WWE Journal Entry: My Story of Becoming a Professional Wrestler

By Bleacher Report Featured Columnist: Jon Fisher

Ever since I was a little kid, all I ever dreamed of was becoming a WWE superstar. Growing up watching Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka and Shawn Michaels, I believed in my heart that a small guy like me could make it.
There was this one moment that hooked me for life. I watched the first Wrestlemania and that just blew me away. The adrenaline rush and excitement overtook my soul and I knew that’s what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.

In the back yard, my friends and I always practiced moves on our trampoline and even on the ground sometimes. Money was tight other years. No matter the circumstances, I persisted along with heart and passion.

We even had our bed sheets set up just like a curtain. My one friend brought his radio over and we had our own entrance music.

Each day passed and I felt like I was getting closer to the ultimate goal. I’ve been practicing my moves and it looked as if the next step in journey was to test out the Indie scene. Only a high school graduate, I had a choice to make.

Instead of college, I chose my true addiction: professional wrestling.

I mean, I had experience in middle and high school, so it isn’t like I was completely oblivious to the sport. Moving on to the indie scene, it was a culture shock.

 

Everything I believed it was became a rude awakening. My body wasn’t prepared for the constant beating and travel. Not to mention I worked a night job on the side to make ends meet.

At this time, my parents didn’t believe professional wrestling was a responsible way to live a life. I was on my own at the age of 19.

A few months into the indie scene, I became acclimated to my surroundings. I had the people I enjoyed working with and vice versa. Naturally, I was the underdog, because most competitors were much bigger than me.

Unfortunately, the wear and tear of my body finally caught up to me. During a match on a cold Saturday night, I was minutes away from defeating Steel Cobra, until I went for a suplex and my leg gave out.

The MRI revealed the next day that I tore my ACL. I was on the shelf for about a year.

Going through my head, I contemplated quitting. The people who didn’t get injured and were out there every night getting one step closer, while I sat and was painfully hurt physically and mentally.

I looked in the mirror depressed, full of hatred and said to me, “You can do this.”

A year past and I was back in the squared circle. Now 21, this year felt like the year to break through.

 

Doing show after show, I was starting to hone my skills. My favorite part was my high-flying set. I felt as if I was on top of the world.

After a couple of months, a man approached me about working for the WWE. I was completely blown away by his offer. Never in a million years, did I feel that I was good enough for the biggest wrestling promotion in the world.

I witness guys like Batista, Triple H, the Rock, John Cena grace the stage with a bodybuilder persona. I was a small high-flyer, so why would Vince McMahon want me? Only so few small guys break through in this business.

In a heartbeat, I accepted his offer and I was on my way to Florida to perform in FCW, the minor leagues of the WWE.

There was one problem though, instead of using my name, Vince created a name for me. I wasn’t too keen on the idea, but I didn’t have a choice really. Jason Steele was my name. I kept my gimmick, so it’s no tragedy.

I busted my butt in FCW, working every match like it was my last. I saw most guys spend a lot of time in FCW, just about a year, but they called me up after about five months.

Reactions were limited at this proposition. I said yes, not knowing the journey ahead of me. 300 days on the road, missing loved ones and sleepless nights were included in the package deal.

 

My debut match was on Friday Night Smackdown. I was set to face the Great Khali in a squash match. I didn’t know what to think. Why would they bring me up just to get crushed?

Sticking to my guns, I kept my mouth shut and the giant pinned me in a matter of minutes. One squash match turned into months of humiliation, as I was what’s known as a “jobber.”

That term to me was a bad enough word, but to be associated with such a label hurt me. I was always taught that battling through adversity will make you stronger. Thus, I continued on.

After a few years on the main roster, doing backstage segments and random interviews for WWE DVD’s, I got a call that I would be put in a feud for the Intercontinental Championship.

My eyes lit up like a kid at Christmas. I saw guys like Chris Jericho grace the belt and it was an honor to be able to hoist such a prize. The feud was against Rey Mysterio. I was even more gracious, because I could now showcase my unique wrestling style. Although, my mic skills needed work.

That’s another thing I noticed. If you couldn’t talk or bench press a truck, a main event wasn’t in your future. For this reason, it became my personal crusade to put smaller guys on the mark, along with HBK.

 

After four months of back-and-forth action, I finally won the belt at SummerSlam. I finally reached another one of my dreams. This beats the paper belt I created out of macaroni art in grade school.

Creative was high on me as champion, so they said a long reign would be in my favor. Indeed it was, five months to be exact. I went through talent after talent. Feud after feud, I was finally inching closer to my ultimate goal.

It was time for the Royal Rumble and I dropped the Intercontinental Title at the previous Raw show. Before the pay-per-view, we found out who was going to win and go onto headline WrestleMania.

On the drive to work, I didn’t believe it to be true. There was no way I could win the Rumble. As I stumbled through the door, one of my friends approached me and asked if I heard the news.

I shook my head and was curious. He told me they picked the winner for the Rumble. Those same eyes lit again. I sprinted into Vince’s office and on the poster-board, I saw my name.

I cannot explain the emotion that rushed through my body. It was as if a rollercoaster started at my head and down into my toes. I won the Royal Rumble. I actually did it. As I through the last man over the top rope, I just cried.

Bawling my eyes out, with streamers falling from the ceiling, I wept in happiness. I was about to enter a world where my dream started back in the days of childhood.

There isn’t much to comment in between the Rumble and the Grandest Stage of them all except for my adrenaline high every day. I was feuding with John Cena, who will hold the title at WM. Everyone counted me out.

That’s what made my crusade for the WWE Championship even more special. If I defeat him, I will have taken down the proverbial beast.

The day finally came. It was the day of WrestleMania. I entered through the door of the building and I couldn’t breathe. Full of emotion, I laced up my boots and prepared for the main event of the biggest wrestling spectacle in the world.

It was time. My match was about to begin and the director cued my music. I ran through that curtain like I practiced all those years ago. It was finally time. The bell rang and finally, I was here.

The match lasted 45 minutes. There was no blood. There were no chair shots or hardcore paraphernalia. Only pure wrestling. Cena went up for his standard finisher, but I reversed it into my submission finisher.

He broke out of it after 20 seconds of fighting. The ref pulled me off and Cena charged at me. I avoided the clothesline and jumped of the ropes to hit the lionsault. 1…….2…………………………..3!

The whole arena was screaming my name. I couldn’t move for a second. Life stopped. For years on end, my dream was to become the WWE Champion like many other small wrestlers before me.

 

I realized my dream. Through adversity, I pushed through. In times of sickness or injury, I worked 1000% harder to get back.

On this day, I lived my dream.

Thanks for taking the time to read my story. I realize it was pretty long. This was my first shot at fiction. I would love your feedback and I would appreciate any comments that I receive. Have a great day everyone!

“For the benefit of those with flash photography….”

WWE’s 13 Years of Decadence: 13 Things To Love about Edge

Almost 13 years ago, The Rated R Superstar made his distinct WWE debut. One of the best Superstars in WWE History, Edge began as a mysterious character that entered the arena through the crowd. Edge was infamous for roaming through the streets and attacking pedestrians for no apparent reason.

Despite our opinions, Edge was one of the biggest stars of the last decade.

An 11-time World Champion, Edge has become one of the greatest champions in WWE History. His premature retirement has left a huge effect on the WWE as a whole. If Edge were still wrestling today, the entire SmackDown landscape would be exceptionally different.

Although I’m a huge Edge Head, I refrained from releasing tribute article months ago.

Instead, I decided to write an article remembering his controversial, yet entertaining career. The reason this is 13 slides is to commemorate the number of years Edge was an employee for the WWE.

Enough of my small talk, here’s the show.

Improvised with Age

During the earlier portion of his career, Edge’s persona wasflamboyant. Edge’s attire was noticeably more outlandish and inserted more style. The colors wereloud and hardly unnoticeable by the live audience. Copeland almost always wore a pair of colorful shades.

His normal attire was somewhat similar to the style of John Morrison when he initially began utilizing the persona on ECW in 2006.

Edge was somewhat of a Californiansurfer type of wrestler.  Most of his promos included the word awesome.His character was comedic genius who utilized his charisma to pump the crowd.  After his face turn in 2001, Edge was a staple to WWE television.

After the end of the Invasion angle, Edge was moved to SmackDown and added a littleedge to his character. He adopted Rob Zombies “Never Going Stop” over the infamous“On the Edge. Edge’s neck injury halted his impending ascension to the top of WWE SmackDown.

When Edge returned in 2004, the familiar slim build of the Superstar was a thing of the past.  Edge’s happy-go attitude had almost completely disappeared. Around this time, he abandoned the aerial style of his past and began utilizing a more aggressive in-ring style.

After his heel turn, Edge adopted Alter Bridge’s Metalingus and became the perfect bad guy.

A crazed heel obsessed with capturing the crown jewel of the WWE.

The World Heavyweight Championship

WrestleMania 21 was a focal point in Edge’s career. The Superstar grasped the Money in the Bank briefcase. The controversy with Matt Hardy and Lita made Edge the top heel in the WWE. Around this time, Edge added numerous tattoos and began utilizing his Rated R Superstar gimmick.

His flamboyant style was completely gone as Edge altered everything, including his in-ring attire.

The gimmick was pure gold.

Ring Psychology and Timing

Triple H, one of Edge’s distant rivals, is noted for this dirty tactics and opportunistic ways in his on-screen rivalries. The opportunistic ways of Edge could very well rival those of The Game. Perhaps one of the more (kayfabe) intelligent individuals on the WWE Roster, Edge was the definition of right place at the right time.

As a two-time Mr. Money in the Bank, Edge, perhaps more than any other, cashed in on his opponent when they were at their weakest. An Elimination Chamber near crucified WWE Champion John Cena. Multiple battles with Batista and a thrashing from Mark Henry left Undertaker easy pickings for Edge.

In a similar incident, Edge goaded Mr. Kennedy into a match for Ken’s Money in the Bank. Before Kennedy could enter the ring, Edge attacked him, infuriating Ken enough to have him agree to the match.

With the addition of Vickie Guerrero, Edge opportunistic ways became a staple to SmackDown programming. A notable example would be the 2008 Survivor Series matchup involving Triple H and Vladimir Kozlov.

Edge is also one of the most underrated in-ring psychologist of this generation.

The manner in which Edge could counter the moves of John Cena or Undertaker was poetry in motion. It seemed as if Edge was already prepared for the things to come when facing a formidable foe. Edge could be on the receiving end of a devastating beating to win it all with the swiftness of a spear.

Just watch his match with Mick Foley at WrestleMania 22.

Mind Games

While slightly behind The Undertaker, Edge is known for the numerous tricks he played for comic relief or to gain a victory. Who can forget the mind games Edge played on Kurt Angle in 2002. From the start of the, you suckchants to the pictures of Angle backstage on SmackDown.

In 2010, Edge reanimated his comedic mind games on Kane. The Big Red Monster cost Edge a match on SmackDown and Edge retaliated by kidnapping Paul Bearer. The first of numerous backstage angles that would tease Bearer’s death, Edge tricked Kane into emotional insanity. Without Paul Bearer, it was if Kane had lost the will to continue.

In addition to the fake deaths, Edge would sometimes torture Bearer backstage much to Kane’s dismay.

The mind games eventually led to Kane harming Bearer himself. With Paul out of the picture, Edge won his 10th World Title at WWE TLC 2010.

The Heel mind games were a different story.

Edge would assault family members and utilize others to trick opponents. Who can forget the time Edge slapped John Cena’s father before their Summerslam match. The Major Broski’s were also a part of Edge’s psychological advantage.

Because of the similarities in appearance, Edge’s opponents easily mistook Zack and Curt for Edge himself. This led to Edge regaining the World Title at Armageddon 2007.

Lita

While Edge’s heel turn in 2004 was successful, it was the addition of Lita that made Edge a main event heel. Lita had been a face for almost six years when she turned on Kane in the Gold Rush Tournament. In what would become a trend, Lita assisted Edge in gaining a win with his signature briefcase.

Just imagine if Lita wouldn’t have become a staple to Edge’s character.

While Edge was a great heel, Lita was the proverbial gas on the fire.

Their real life affair sparked outrage among the WWE Fans. Lita was previously in a relationship with fan favorite, Matt Hardy. Hardy and Edge were said to be best friendswhen Edge began his affair with Lita. The fact that Hardy was released because of it bestowed tremendous amounts of heat on Edge and Lita.

The feud that came after cemented Edge’s status as RAW’s Top Heel.

Edge shipped Hardy off to SmackDown after defeating him in a ladder match. Afterwards, Edge suffered an injury but to retain the superstar status of his character, Edge was given the Cutting Edge. He and Lita trashed almost everyone on the RAW roster including Ric Flair and Michael Hayes.

What a dastardly duo.

TLC

Tables, Ladders and Chairs have become Edge’s signature match. There have been 11 TLC matches in WWE History.  Edge has been involved in seven of those matches. Surprisingly, Edge has only lost twice in TLC matches. The first occasions being in a multiple tag team match against Chris Benoit and Chris Jericho.

The second was in a singles match with John Cena.

TLC is known as the match we witness the absolute best of Edge. It’s no secret that Edge becomes a human highlight reel when he’s involved in this match. From body splashes off ladders through tables to receiving an F-U off a ladder through two tables, Edge takes his craft to another level.

The first TLC match at SummerSlam 2000 forever revolutionized the word hardcore in the WWE. The mere fact that it was over the WWE Tag Team Championship illustrates how important tag teams were back then.

The last time a TLC match occurred, Edge won his 10th World Title in it.

The WWE even took this gimmick match and made it a full fledged pay-per-view.

That’s awesome.

Christian

The debut of Christian mimicked that of Kane. It was an angle where the unknown storyline brother cost the other their match. While Kane’s debut is more infamous and displayed the immediate impact of Kane, Christian’s debut is not one to look over. Christian distracted Edge during a match with Owen Hart.

Captain Charisma joined Gangrel as an on screen vampire.

Here, we are thinking Edge was a maniac for attacking innocent pedestrians, his undead brother who has allied himself with Gangrel. They convinced Edge to join the Brood, but the angle was short lived. Edge and Christian parted ways with Gangrel and began their successful run as a tag team.

Winning numerous tag team titles along the way, Edge and Christian met their end with the jealousy of one brother.

The first opportunity he received, Christian turned on Edge. Jealous because Edge won the 2001 King of the Ring, Christian turned on Edge and joined the Alliance. The two feuded over the Intercontinental Championship with Edge eventually arising from the smoke as the victor.

Like Undertaker and Kane, many believe Christian has spent the better part of his WWE career in Edge’s shadow. If this question was asked to Christian himself, he would smile and say “never”.

Each man did go down separate paths and for the majority of time, weren’t featured on the same brand.

Edge and Christian reunited earlier this year. With an assist by Edge, Christian won his first World Championship.

The length of the reign and the events leading to it can be disputed but the moment was pure magic.

Vickie Guerrero and La Familia

As much as the addition of Lita assisted Edge’s career, the relationship with Vickie Guerrero benefited Edge’s career just as much. The SmackDown GM aided the Rated R Superstar in winning six of his 11 World Titles. Edge became SmackDown’s top heel because of the relationship and led to his opportunistic ways.

If it wasn’t for Guerrero, Undertaker, Rey Mysterio and Batista would’ve defeated Edge for the World Championship on numerous occasions.

During his feud with Undertaker in 2007, Edge formed a stable with the Majors, Chavo Guerrero, Vickie and Bam Neely.

Known as La Familia, the group also aided Edge in retaining the World Championship. Edge wasn’t the only beneficiary of the groups’ efforts. Edge assisted Chavo in winning the ECW Championship by spearing CM Punk.

Despite the small notoriety, La Familia had a huge impact on the SmackDown landscape.

If Guerrero abusing her power wasn’t enough, the stable assisted Edge in banishing the Undertaker from the WWE with a TLC Match. The group eventually faded away with Edge attacking Chavo and Vickie after Triple H exposed his adultery.

Vickie and Edge remained a couple until Guerrero quit her position as General Manager. Edge divorced Vickie shortly after but their paths crossed again in 2011. Despite her efforts, Vickie was unable to permanently take the World Title off of the Rated R Superstar.

Guerrero and Dolph Ziggler lost their jobs trying.

Rivalry with Edge

This is the feud that cemented Edge’s status as a main event talent. While the Ultimate Opportunist flourished on SmackDown, the title originally came about during this feud. This feud didn’t benefit Edge alone. If you didn’t consider Cena the face of the WWE before this rivalry, you did when it was over.

As a huge Edge head, I felt foolish to ignore any of his various feuds. A person of Edge’s heel persona is to draw emotion from fans such as anger and shock. When Edge cashed his MITB on John Cena in 2006, I was infuriated. Then I thought to myself, perfect.

That’s what made the Cena/Edge feud great. It’s ability to draw the emotion of its viewers. Along with the many surprises, crowd reaction and outside factors involved.  The rivalry was simply “history.” Take a look at the first that came from Cena/Edge.

It was the first MITB cash in. Edges first reign as the WWE Champion.  The first time it seemed like someone else had the attention besides Cena. Besides benefiting Edge, the rivalry gave a different view of Cena from a fan’s standpoint.

He was human simply. Cena was riding an awesome wave of momentum those 200-plus days as the WWE Champion.  He beat every single person there was to beat excluding Triple H. While it wasn’t a problem with me, fans like change. One guy holding and defending the belt countless times can’t be entertaining.

Their feud in 2009 was also noteworthy.

No Way Out

Edge just lost his WWE Championship in an Elimination Chamber. Well establishing himself as the “Ultimate Opportunist” since his exit from RAW, Edge attacked Kofi Kingston and stole his place in the match. Problem is that the match was for Cena’s World Championship.

Once again, shocked we were. Edge endured adversity through the match but pinned Cena then Mysterio to win the World Title. Who would’ve guessed Cena would lose the title under those circumstances? Not me.

Though Cena would win it back at WrestleMania 25, he lost it to Edge at Backlash thanks to Big Show.

Like I said above, Edge made Cena seem human. He ended the talk of John Cena being unbeatable. Edge had the mental advantage over Cena each time excluding Backlash 2009. Also unlike usual Cena matches, we weren’t exactly sure if he would beat Edge or not.

Nowadays it’s elementary to predict a Cena victory.

Besides all of that, this feud has it ALL. Quoting Cena himself the feud had wives, girlfriends and managers, lacky’s, his dad, Edge’s hometown, Cena’s hometown, Elimination Chambers, TLC Matches, briefcases, history, championships and WrestleMania.

Name one feud to accompany that many factors?

Popularity

There’s not too many WWE Superstars who can claim they’re more popular than Edge. Whether it’s the heat or cheers of the crowd, when the words you think you know me rang throughout an arena, they know they’re in for a show.

How many WWE Superstars can turn face over the course of one week?

The mere fact that Edge did so by destroying a meaningless prop stemming from the lack of angles from WWE Creative illustrates the popularity of Edge. Another notion to Edge’s popularity is the WWE Draft being moved up two months.

The decline in SmackDown ratings is also substantial at this point.

Edge isn’t the only Superstar noteworthy for their popularity, but the Rated R Superstar is certainly a dime of dozen.

Reliable Worker

Perhaps more than any main eventer on the WWE Roster, Edge was seemingly the mellowest Superstar. How many times has Edge lost a championship shortly after winning it? His first title reign ended at three weeks. Did the dirt sheets ever report Edge being furious about the length of it?

No

Even the label of transitional can be placed on the head of Edge. Along with that, none of his World Titles have gone over the length of four months.

Edge is known to put over other Superstars. Maybe not as much as Chris Jericho but Edge has never once left the WWE since joining. The Superstar wanted to lose his final match against his best friend Christian.

How admirable is that?

I’m also positive that Edge would be chasing World Heavyweight Champion, Alberto Del Rio, had he not retired months ago.

Tag Team Pioneer

When witnessing the state of the current WWE Tag Team Division, it’s great to relive the teams of the past. When the thought of the tag team titles and the great matches contested for them, Edge must appear in your train of thought somewhere.  As a 14-time tag team Champion, Edge has contributed to the success of the Division in a huge way.

The numerous matches/angles that involved Edge and what it meant to the Division as a whole are tremendous.

From the level of Edge’s tag team partners, it’s obvious that Edge was definitely a legendary tag team wrestler.  His partners were Hulk Hogan, Christian, Randy Orton, Chris Benoit, Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho. Each man a great tag team wrestler in their own right but there is one thing each has in common with Edge.

They’ve held a World Championship at one point.

The rub Hogan gave Edge and the run as tag champions with Orton before they became full-time main eventers.

When Triple H and Shawn Michaels are taking on Edge and Randy Orton for the tag titles, the Division apparently means something.

WrestleMania

I don’t know if I’m alone here, but I’ve enjoyed each of Edge’s WrestleMania matches. When the thought of WrestleMania arises, most fans look forward to who’s going to face Undertaker at WrestleMania. Most may not know this, but before losing to Undertaker at WrestleMania 24, Edge was undefeated in singles competition.

The Rated R Superstar was 5-0 until the Deadman silenced Edge with the Hell’s Gate.

I also consider the match to be one of the most underrated in WrestleMania history. In my opinion, it was better than Shawn Michaels vs. Ric Flair despite being overshadowed by it.

From TLC II at WrestleMania X-Seven to his last match at WrestleMania 27 with Del Rio, Edge has a great track record for match quality at Mania.

The Greatest Champion EVER: Done it ALL won it ALL

The Rated R Superstar has won 31 championships throughout his 13-year career. With the numerous titles available in the WWE at the moment, it’s seemingly impossible to win each right?

No

Besides Kurt Angle, Edge is the only Superstar to win every title currently available in the WWE. Edge is a seven-time World Champion, four-time WWE Champion, five-time Intercontinental Champion, United States Champion, 12-time World Tag Team Champion and two-time WWE Tag Team Champion. He also won the 2010 Royal Rumble. He is also the first man to hold the Money in the Bank briefcase on two occasions.

What hasn’t this guy achieved in the WWE?

End

This was my tribute for one of the greatest Superstars in WWE history. I truly miss watching Edge spearing another wrestler out of his boots. The WWE just isn’t the same with the Rated R Superstar.

I welcome all opinions and comments.

WWE: John Morrison and a Glimpse of His Side of the Story

 

Here I stand, more than six years after I was called up to main roster with Joey Mercury and Melina. In a mere six years, I have won almost every championship possible. From the Intercontinental to the ECW, my accomplishments are almost unmatched by any Superstar on the current roster.  At this point, the only title that has eluded me was one of the two World Championships.

While winning the World or WWE Championship has always been my ultimate goal, I now find myself alone on this road to the top. After an on and off the relationship that began when I was a contestant on a recently resurrected reality show, I find myself without the woman I’ve been in love with for years.

Normally, I wasn’t thrilled when I learned of her release. I felt as if the WWE was making a mistake but I understand this is a business and not everyone shares the same opinion as me. The decision put me in a place I’ve never been before. It allowed me time to reflect on my career and what it took for me to get here.

Chapter One: ECW Champion, Transformation, CM Punk, Teaming with Miz

One point in time has stood out. It was 2007 and 15,000 jam packed the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas. In a strange twist of fate, officials informed me that I would face CM Punk for the ECW Championship. This came as a shock to me since Chris Benoit was originally scheduled for the match.

The Rabid Wolverine was unable to attend the event and I was selected as Punk’s opponent. The WWE wanted to have me as an option whenever Chris Benoit returned. I wasn’t the typical “ECW” Superstar and I’m positive most felt this match would be a walk in the park for Punk. However, officials booked me to win the match, much to the shock of the live audience.

The exhilarating feeling of winning the ECW Championship was soon clouded with horror when WWE Officials informed the locker room that Chris Benoit had passed away. When the details of Benoit’s passing came to light, officials informed us that Benoit practically a stranger now.

In light of the Benoit controversy, I partook in my first match as ECW Champion. The WWE wanted to put me in a matchup with its biggest star in John Cena. Despite a great matchup, I was booked to lose the match but I felt as if I did great in defeat.

The officials informed that I would undergo a character transformation. To my surprise, the WWE allowed me to create almost every aspect of my new character. I always felt I had a resemblance to legendary Doors Rocker, Jim Morrison, and I ultimately decided to model my new gimmick/character after him.

I really got into Jim Morrison. I spent time reading his biography, related books, and his books of poetry. I wanted to immerse myself into the role and this was the best way. Jim Morrison possessed a mysterious quality that made it seem like he was always on the edge.

I created my promos, catch phrases, and my slow motion entrance.

My new gimmick was self complementary and conceited. In turn, I was the perfect opponent for CM Punk. My program with CM Punk stretched over three pay per views as I arose as the victor in each encounter.

After the SummerSlam matchup, I was informed that I would enter a program with the Boogeyman. Before the program could be ignited, I was suspended for violating the WWE Wellness Policy. Sports Illustrated broke the news of numerous WWE suspensions (me included). I felt as if I had made the biggest mistake of my life. If life teaches you anything, it’s that you learn from your mistakes. Before my suspension commenced, I dropped the ECW Championship to CM Punk.

Upon my return, I defeated CM Punk in a non title matchup. I wasn’t surprised as Vince McMahon and ECW Creative had been on a personal crusade against Punk since his debut.  The program with Punk didn’t last long as The Miz was soon added to the mix. I was placed into a mini feud with Miz that was turned into a fully fledged partnership.

Obviously, we were pinned as odd pairing. In our first match as a team, we defeated another odd pairing in Matt Hardy and MVP for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Our title reign lasted several months with us defeating the likes of Kane and CM Punk, Tommy Dreamer and Colin Delaney, and the Hardy Boyz.

Throughout our time as a team, Miz became one of my best friends. Despite our friendship, most felt that I would become the huge star while Miz would reside in the mid card. I waved off the speculation because you never know what’ll happen in the WWE.

The Dirtsheet was created during our time together. The WWE gave us creative control and we made the best of it with numerous comedic skits and harsh criticism towards other WWE Superstars. I think the show allowed fans to witness what we were really like.

Zack Ryder is doing the same today.

Our first title reign ended at the hands of Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder in a four way tag team match that saw Hawkins and Ryder pin Jesse and Festus. We sporadically feuded with DX and Cryme Tyme while retaining our relevance through the DirtSheet.

In the months that followed, we won the World Tag Team Championships while picking up two Slammy Awards for the Dirtsheet and Tag Team of the year. WWE Management placed us in a feud with WWE Tag Team Champions, The Colons.  We traded wins while temporarily picking up the Bella Twins as our valets.

The angle culminated in a match at WrestleMania XXV when they defeated us to unify the Tag Team Championships.

The loss was a result of Creative wanting to split our team up. I was ecstatic when I learned of this while the split came at the conclusion of a match during the 2009 WWE Draft. The Miz would solidify his status as a heel by attacking me and sparking a feud with John Cena.

On the other hand, I remained a heel for my last ECW match with Evan Bourne.

Moments before the match, I learned that I would be drafted to SmackDown and repackaged as a face.

Chapter Two: SmackDown, Face turn, Intercontinental Champion, R-Truth

My face turn wouldn’t come immediately as I was booked as a heel for a matchup with R-Truth. The WWE pulled the trigger on my face turn with a match against Shelton Benjamin and a backstage confrontation with Chris Jericho.

I was ecstatic as this was the first time I would portray a face in my professional wrestling career. This was around the time I picked up Starship Pain as my finisher.  I was placed into a program with Shelton Benjamin. Shelton is a superb working and I felt we could tear the house down at will. During my feud with Shelton, I also faced Chris Jericho on numerous occasions.

Jericho was the locker room leader at the time and Creative felt a few matches with Jericho would do wonders for my face status.

As the mini feud with Jericho ended, I took on Shelton at Judgment Day. In a highly contested matchup, I defeated Shelton as Creative decided to end the feud. I didn’t have a solid direction but faced Umaga and Edge in great matchups.

The crowd was behind me and WWE Management felt it was only a matter of time before I would become World Champion.  So they decided to place me in a series of matches with then World Heavyweight Champion, CM Punk.

I won each encounter and was in line for a World Title matchup.

My opportunity would come in a match with new World Champion, Jeff Hardy. The match was great but officials wanted to continue Punk’s heel turn and saw no reason for me to win the World Champion. Once again, I found myself without a clear cut direction until Rey Mysterio violated the Wellness Policy.

Mysterio had to drop the Intercontinental Championship to someone and he chose me. In one of the best matches of my career, I defeated Mysterio after Starship Pain. As Rey served his suspension, I was placed in a program with Dolph Ziggler.

Ziggler was in a feud with Mysterio before I was brought into the mix.

I successfully defended the title against Ziggler (twice) and newcomer, Eric Escobar. At this point, I felt as if the Intercontinental Championship was the catalyst that would eventually lead to me winning the World Championship. While I was dominating the mid card on SmackDown, The Miz won the U.S. Championship on RAW.

Creative set up a matchup at Bragging Rights between us.  Ultimately, I lost the matchup to the Miz. Afterwards, I was slowly de-pushed by management.

The WWE placed me in a program with Drew McIntyre that ended with me dropping the IC Title to Scotsman.

I dropped the Intercontinental title before and felt McIntyre would thrive by defeating me.

After the feud with McIntyre ended, I was momentarily placed into the World Title picture. I was a combatant in the Elimination Chamber but I was ultimately pinned by The Undertaker.  Once again, I was left without any solid direction.

I was placed in an angle with R-Truth that saw us challenge ShoMiz for the Unified Tag Team Championship. Ultimately, we lost the matchup and continued to tag sporadically afterwards.

The WWE gave me a glimmer of hope when I was booked to defeat then World Champion, Jack Swagger, in a matchup on SmackDown. The feud ended before it got off the ground as I was drafted to RAW with R-Truth and Edge.

Chapter Three: RAW, Obscurity, MITB, Nexus

In the months that followed, I took some time off due to an ankle injury, sporadically feuded with Ted Dibiase, and mentored Eli Cottonwood on WWE NXT.

I questioned my status in the company as I hadn’t won a match in some time. I participated in the first RAW MITB matchup but it was won by The Miz. It seems as if the predictions of others backfired when Miz was seemingly on his way to the top while I was fading in mid card obscurity.

I was thrilled for Mike as he works harder than most of the locker room. I felt my opportunity would come but it would require patience on my part. I was placed on Team WWE in its match against Nexus at SummerSlam. I was eliminated early on but the feeling of performing in front of your home crowd outweighed it.

After I dropped out of the Nexus angle, I grew out my beard and was slowly returned to prominence through a win over Chris Jericho. In the weeks that followed, the WWE wanted to display my parkour training. They taped a backstage segment of me doing some standard Parkour techniques before my matches.

Chapter Four: Resurgence, Parkour, Sheamus, Contender

Parkour was flashy and as a fan of Macho Man, Shawn Michaels, and Ricky Steamboat, I wanted to utilize a unique, high flying style.  Parkour was my mesh as I was a big fan of movement and flashy styles used by Bruce Lee, Jet Li, and Jackie Chan. I wanted to challenge myself as flashy is more difficult.

I was placed into matchups with Sheamus and Jericho that saw me defeat Jericho twice only to lose to Sheamus because of interference by Y2J.

WWE Creative inserted me into the Daniel Bryan/Miz feud for WWE Hell in a Cell. Daniel Bryan ultimately won the match while I went on to join Team RAW for Bragging Rights. Team SmackDown won the matchup after Edge pinned Miz but I was informed that I would feud with former WWE Champion, Sheamus.

Creative would have Sheamus bully Santino while I was inserted to make the save before Sheamus could cause Santino physical harm. After weeks of thwarting Sheamus’ plans, the WWE set up a matchup for Survivor Series.

This was my first singles pay per view matchup in almost a year.

The WWE booked me to defeat Sheamus and I felt as if I was on my way to finally winning the WWE Championship. The feud continued as the 2010 WWE King of the Ring tournament commenced. I defeated Tyson Kidd, Cody Rhodes, and Alberto Del Rio en route to the finals. Ultimately, WWE booked Sheamus to defeat me so a rubber match could be set up.

Creative set up a ladder match for the 2^nd annual TLC pay per view. The difference is, the winner would challenge the WWE Champion. In what is called one of the best matches of 2010, I defeated Sheamus for the number one contendership.

Backstage, Officials were thrilled by my performance. You can imagine how I felt knowing I was on the good side of bookers.

I was finally realizing my dreams. However, the WWE Championship was wrapped tightly around the waist of my best friend, The Miz. Despite being the number one contender, I knew my time hadn’t come yet. Mike was too early into his first term and Vince McMahon felt he was the future of the company.

Creative set up numerous promos/tag matches that culminated in me defeating Alex Riley to choose the stipulation for the Championship match with Miz.

No Holds Barred was the stipulation and the place was the first RAW of 2011.

Despite losing the matchup, I felt as if I looked spectacular in defeat.

Chapter Five: Spots, Royal Rumble, Injury, Return

Afterwards, I competed in the 2011 Royal Rumble. In what is called the highlight of my career, I performed the infamous “Spiderman” spot.  I was eliminated shortly afterwards but the WWE Universe was amazed by my stunt as I still receive compliments on the spot to this day.

Funny thing is, most fans whisper “The Spidey Spot was awesome!”

I continued my hot streak with wins over Daniel Bryan and Nexus members before Elimination Chamber 2011. Officials knew the chamber was my playground and decided this would be the perfect event to put my parkour training to work. I was eliminated next to last but I was allowed to utilize numerous spots throughout the match.

If anything, my popularity was surging because of my parkour.

As WrestleMania 27 approached, I was involved in a series of matches with Dolph Ziggler that would include Jersey Shore star, Snooki, and former WWE Diva, Trish Stratus. At WrestleMania 27, I would team with Trish Stratus and Snooki to take on LayCool and Dolph Ziggler.

There’s a lot of controversy that surrounds this matchup. Like I’ve stated before, I feel as if Trish and Michelle got to shine in the match while me and Dolph was reduced to watching from the sidelines. I feel as if Dolph and I could’ve torn the house down had we had a few minutes to do so.

Snooki picked up the win while I landed Starship Pain on Dolph on the outside.

After WrestleMania 27, I was involved in a gauntlet match with R-Truth. I lost the matchup but I won’t mention why because I’m positive you know what I’m referring to. I defeated Truth for his spot in the WWE Title match at Extreme Rules but Truth subsequently turned heel and attacked me.

Initially, I and Truth was supposed to feud for months. Officials felt Truth would be the catalyst that eventually led to my transition to the top card. Officials booked Truth to cost me the triple threat with Miz and Cena at Extreme Rules but it would foreshadow an injury I suffered weeks before.

Shortly before WrestleMania, I started feeling numbness and pain in my arm.

I tried to work through it but the pain was so excruciating that I was forced to undergo an MRI.  I was informed that I would have to have surgery because of issues with bones causing damage to my nerves. To put it simply, it was as if someone was standing on a water hose and not allowing the water to flow out the other end.

Dr. Joseph Moroon made small incisions on my neck while moved bones and disks around my nerve route. I was supposed to miss 4-6 weeks but because nerves heal slower than muscles, my return was delayed.

WWE Management was looking to have me return before the MITB pay per view because they felt it’s where I shine.

I made my return during Triple H’s first RAW as COO and exacted revenge of Truth for “putting me on the shelf”. My return matches weren’t what I anticipated but each was great nonetheless. The news of Melina’s release didn’t surprise but reiterated the fact that I would face the challenges ahead alone.

The smiling faces of my home crowd can easily pass any emotion I was feeling at the time.

I won’t deny/confirm the rumors you’ve been hearing but I encourage you to continue to watch. Who knows what the future will hold for me but I assure you, I will be Champion.

I am the Monday Night Delight, the Guru of Greatness, the Honcho of Hotness, and the Prince of Parkour.

I am John Morrison.

Must Read CM Punk Interview: Change, Theme Song, Worst Backstage Moment

The Voice of Voiceless, CM Punk, did a controversial interview WWE Magazines October issue. Punk broke kayfabe and discussed numerous subjects from “wannabes” to his 2009 fall from grace. The 2nd City Saint also discusses his new theme, booking, and his plan to leave the company.

Here’s the interview:

In your estimation, what do you feel is wrong with WWE right now, and what would you do to change it?

What’s wrong with WWE right now is that there isn’t enough youth. Most of the ideas are old. They worked in The Attitude Era or in the ’80′s—and I’m not necessarily saying that they’re bad or they’re wrong —but they need updating, they need tweaking. There needs to be some young minds spinning the webs, so to speak. I’m sick of seeing people who are excellent wrestlers get passed over for people who have abs or who were good second-string linemen in a European football league. I think there are a lot of people who, on their own terms, have made their own personas and perfected their craft simply out of love for what they do. They’re not trying to be bodybuilders or footballs players who fail miserably and then call their uncle or their dad and say, “Hey, I’ll give that wrestling thing a shot because I suck at everything else.”

Why do you think it’s such a strike against guys who—like yourself—are fans but aren’t from a sports or bodybuilding background?

Now, this is complete speculation. I can’t even tell you what somebody else is thinking. I can only say what I think works. And I’m not going to be right 100 percent of the time just like they’re not going to be. Somewhere along the way I think we lost the Midas touch. This whole thing became uncool. I think the people who love it aren’t going to go do something else if they get fired. Like Colt Cabana. He’s a perfect example. He is a wrestler. If he gets hired and it doesn’t work out, he’s wrestling somewhere else the next day. He’s not trying to shoehorn himself into an accounting job. He’s a wrestler. He’s always going to be there. So I just think if you love wrestling sometimes—maybe-you’re punished. You’re placed last in line. The attitude is: You’re always going to be here, maybe we can use you later if we need you, but right now we’re going to use this guy because he was good at college football, but he didn’t quite make it in the NFL.

Another one of your gripes is about how the WWE Championship looks. How would you redesign the title? What is the definitive look of that particular championship for you?

Oh God. How long’s this interview? Honestly, I think old Dwayne used to have a cute little blue cow on his title or something. Then, of course, Stone Cold had the Smoking Skull Title. I don’t know. I think I could Straight Edge the hell out of that thing. A couple of “X”s might make it look good. Make it look like a title should look like, and not make it look like some sort of weird, rapper bling. I feel the definitive look, though, is what I like to call “Bret Hart’s Title.” I think everyone likes to call it the “Winged Eagle Title.” That’s a little redundant. I’m pretty sure most eagles have wings. That’s the one that always sticks out in my mind.

This anger with your job has been festering for a while. Was there one moment backstage when you felt you’d had enough?

I can name one off the top of my head. How about main-eventing a pay-per-view as the World Heavyweight Champion against Undertaker and then, a few months later, being in a dark match against R-Truth at WWE TLC? That’s pretty ignorant in my mind. This is the problem. We do this too many times to too many Superstars. It’s a startstop kind of thing. The company likes to spotlight certain people. Like, “This week, Kofi’s cool,” and then, the next week, “We changed out minds we like Dolph this week.” It flip-flops back and forth ad nauseam, and the next thing you know, the people couldn’t give a crap about either guy.

When did the powers that be really begin to take your leaving WWE seriously?

I told them probably a year out. They would say, “Hey, how about we talk about your contract?” And I would just say, “No, I don’t really feel like it.” And they would say, “Okay, back off. Punk’s crabby and temperamental. We’ll get him next week.” And the next week it would be, “Hey, let’s talk about it.” And then maybe eight or ten months out, it was, “Hey, I really want to sit down. We really need to sign you a new deal.” And that’s when I straight up said, “No, I’m not interested.”

Take us back to your title match at WWE Money In The Bank. What did you do differently that day knowing that could have been your last day on the job?

I don’t think I did anything different that day. I’m a man of my word. I wasn’t going to skip out on my contract earlier. I was going to let it run out. These are the terms I agreed to and the dates I agreed to do, and I was definitely going to finish up. But I think I talked so much about everything and everybody that all eyes were on me and it created a high pressure situation. Thankfully, I thrive very well in those situations. I’d say I pulled it off. All this stuff I talk about, about being the best in the world, I certainly proved it that night. The match went near the 35-minute mark. But I wrestled for 93-minutes one time back in 2002 or 2003 in a Two-Out-Of-Three-Falls Match.

You mentioned on the Bill Simmons BS Report podcast that you had made the decision to come back and resign at WWE Money In The Bank. Do you think your decision was at all clouded a little bit too much by all the emotion going on that day?

I can definitely put it aside. I can be a robot if I need to be. Resigning was something that was on my mind day in and day out whether I was at the gym or sleeping. I was dreaming about it, I was really trying to figure out what the best decision was for me and my future. Call me crazy, but I was also trying to figure out what was the best decision for the company as a whole. I love what we do. I’m not going to get along with everybody I work with. I’m certainly not going to agree with everything all the time, but at the end of the day, I want everybody voice to be heard. I want this place to succeed. So I had to weigh my options.

Another thing we noticed is that you used the “W” word a lot in your tirades these last weeks. how much do you dislike saying “sports-entertainment”?

I don’t hate it as much as you would think, but I really do think It’s ridiculous when you’re not allowed to say “wrestling.” At the end of the day, that’s what goes on in that ring. That ring is our stage. What we do on that stage is we wrestle. I’m not playing grab-ass. I’m out there fighting to win. Wins and losses mean something. Wrestling happens to be damn entertaining.

So is it weird to call yourself a “Superstar” as opposed to a wrestler?

I don’t think it’s weird. I think we’re all Superstars. Absolutely. I don’t think there’s anybody else who can be called that. Would you call Brad Pitt a Superstar? Do I think Brad Pitt can do what we do? Absolutely not! Brad Pitt gets scripts and lines to study months ahead of time and he has a very controlled setting in which he looks the best he possible can. He has makeup on, there’s lighting, there’s people doing the sound and everything. We go out there on live TV every Monday night and kill it. That’s where the entertainment part comes in. It’s more entertaining then a Brad Pitt movie. There are no retakes, you know? There’s no Take 1, Take 2—”I screwed that up, let me do it again.” If we screw up, we screw up. That’s the entertaining part.

One thing you did change is your entrance music, to Living Colour’s “Cult Of Personality.” Did you consider anything else?

No, that was the one. It was a throwback to my Indie days, but it also just fit. I have tremendous guts, I’d like to say, and it was just a gut feeling that this was the right thing to do, to change my music now. Did I like my old song? Absolutely. Was it recognizable? Sure, I had it for five years. Was it time for a change? Was it a risky thing? Yes and yes. But ultimately, I think it was the right move. I haven’t been able to get the song out of my head since last Monday. It’s a song that came out in 1989, when I was on my little league team, and now it just jumped into the iTunes Top 200. That’s powerful. That should speak volumes to the WWE management. They should say, “Holy crap, this kid has the power to do something like that. Let’s see what else he can do.”

What’s really different now that you’re back? What are we really going to see that’s not status quo?

I don’t want to ruin any surprises, but I will tell you that when the Ramones were voted into the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame, there was one surviving member of the original lineup left alive, and it was Marky. Marky originally was completely being in the Rock ‘n’ Roll Hall of Fame. This is, after all, the establishment that shunned the entire band for it’s entire career, and he wanted nothing to do with it. He was extremely adamant that, “No, you don’t get the privilege of having the Ramones in your little club.” My good friend, Lars Frederickson [of the band Rancid], got on the phone and said, “Marky listen to me. You almost have a responsibility to the underground to accept this award and be in the Hall of Fame to show that you are as big as the Rolling Stones, you are as big as the Beatles, you’re as good as Led Zeppelin, all these mainstream bands that the Ramones maybe never got credit on the same level as.” And that’s kind of how I feel about WWE right now. I’m the guy who, for all intents and purposes, never should have even made it to WWE. Then I had roadblock after roadblock thrown in my way. Not only did I get past those roadblocks, It did it while flipping off the people who put up those roadblocks. I feel I have a responsibility to the younger wrestlers on the roster, the ones that aren’t signed yet, and the future of wrestling as a whole, to help make this place better, and to change this place. I certainly can’t change it by sitting on my couch in Chicago.

My thoughts: I feel as if Punk is doing his best to “sell” this angle as real. Every fan loves a little backstage dirt and broken kayfabe.

I must say, I’m glad Punk stated what EXACTLY was wrong with the WWE as he always mentioned change but alluded to what needed to be changed.

Thanks for reading Revolutionaries! I really wanted to share this interview as it’s entertaining and gives you an idea of how Punks mind works.