The Happy-Go-Sucky Wrestling Report: 03.11.09

So last week’s new Radio Show went without flaw. In fact, I don’t remember a time I had more fun doing a radio program than the one that we did last week. And it went so well, that after just one show, we’re moving it and extending it to a 2 hour program! So this Saturday, make sure you log on to www.talk1490.com from 8pm to 10pm EST to check out the show.

Now, before you continue reading this column, let me foreword you on something. Prior to this great column that you are reading today, I was hired by 411mania to cover Ohio Valley Wrestling. Things changed, my schedule became hectic, and OVW went off the air where I live. A few months ago, OVW came back on TV and I’ve been re-hooked on it since.

Prior to me canning the column, I made some great friends over at OVW. Guys like Matt Cappotelli, Brent Albright, and even Santino Marella (who was Boris Alexiev at the time). Thusly, I’ve always been partial to Ohio Valley Wrestling. And it hit me hard when the WWE parted ways with OVW. So this week has been a bit of a good one for me, as you’ll read very shortly. Cue banner!

News: JBL has invested in Ohio Valley Wrestling.

Happy: Instead of telling you just how important this piece of news is, I’ll just show you instead.

Brock Lesner vs. Leviathan (Batista)

CM Punk vs. Mr. Kennedy

TNA’s ODB vs. WWE’s Beth Phoenix

No that’s not Vladimir Kozlov. That’s Boris Alexiev, aka Santino Marella!

Even in OVW, Cena always got the best of poor Orton.

Yes my friends, all these top notch superstars were big names in Ohio Valley Wrestling before many of you ever heard of them. That is why OVW is so freakin’ important to the wrestling world.

If there were a register of historic wrestling venues, places like Madison Square Garden, the ECW arena, Panama City Beach, would be on there, and so should The Davis Arena. OVW has been training guys for years. They’ve trained the very best the WWE has to offer and have been doing so before WCW ever went out of business. Take that Power Plant!

But something I want you guys to think about is this. Ever since the WWE parted ways with Danny Davis and Ohio Valley Wrestling as its “developmental territory” and focused strictly on Florida Championship Wrestling, has there been any “new guys” who have really made you think, Hmmm, this guy might actually be the future of the business?
I’m talking about guys who have served their entire developmental period in FCW and nowhere else. Do your research and tell me if you can find anyone.

JBL investing in this school is a big deal. It shows that he, along with other veterans, have an undying respect for Danny Davis and his school. Just when things were looking bleak and the school was hitting desperate times, without any hesitation, JBL comes in and invests in the company. I can’t stress just how fantastic that is.

But wait, it gets better. On top of this, JBL’s influence may also bring the WWE back to OVW as a developmental territory. Bringing back WWE’s funding, and bringing new, better talent to the mainstream WWE roster. Even JR said that FCW is too full and it harms their ability to learn. Perhaps that’s why we’ve seen such crappy wrestlers come through the ranks lately.

But wait, there’s MORE! JBL has even stated that after his wrestling career is over, he would consider taking over operations of OVW and move to Louisville. This says to me that not only is OVW saved, it’s saved for GOOD.

Sorry, I’ve been holding that in for a few days and it feels good to let it out. Yes. This is good.

Go Sucky: There are a couple of concerns of mine. First, is JBL getting in over his head? Times are tough and I know he’s got more money than he knows what to do with but is it wise for him to put this much money into a company that is clearly not mainstream?

Secondly, if the WWE goes back to having two developmental territories, will this make things more difficult for young stars to break through? My thoughts are competition will force the WWE to only bring up the best, but it would seem to me, if I wanted to be a pro wrestler, and had to overcome 60 others to get to the big show, I’d be intimidated. And if you’re trying to make money off guys who want to learn to be wrestlers, that might make things tight financially.

News: OVW will also start a new MMA program, called the Vyper Fight League.

Happy: As if OVW needed more good news, the Davis Arena will now be hosting MMA action! What’s this mean for OVW? More money of course!

There are already a lot of guys there who have spent their lives fighting. One instance would be former OVW TV Champ Igotta Brewski. Last week, Brewski was our first OVW interview on our radio show, where he said in his spare time, he trains MMA fighters when he’s not wrestling. So you’ve got teachers. You’ve got the resources. And you’ve got the experience.

More so, OVW can lay claim to training current UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesner, who still keeps in close touch with Danny Davis. That right there, along with MMA being one of the hottest markets in the world right now, should really help OVW expand.

On top of that, there aren’t very many “quality” MMA cards held in Kentucky. I can tell you that first hand. The VFL, specifically since it’s located in Louisville, could very well become Kentucky’s hotspot for MMA action.

Go Sucky: The thing here is OVW can’t take their eye off the ball. OVW has and always should be about training professional wrestlers. The VFL cannot interfere with that. If that’s the case, then OVW will see themselves getting in trouble again and I really don’t see guys like Randy Courture or Brock Lesner investing in OVW anytime soon.

News: JBL is the new Intercontinental champion.

Happy: It seems like it’s been a long time since The Wrestling God held some wrestling gold! I’m happy here because this means that the Intercontinental title will probably be defended at Wrestlemania. I can’t even remember the last time the IC title got some mania love. My research says Wrestlemania 18 was the last time it was defended at Mania as RVD defended it against William Regal.

The IC title has been totally disrespected for years now and I’m glad to see it get a little love on the show of shows. Chances are, we’ll probably see it change hands to Rey Mysterio, which isn’t so bad. JBL and Mysterio have worked together many times before so I’m confident they can pull off a decent match worthy of the mid card of Wrestlemania.

Man, a lot of JBL love today. I think I may have overdosed. I’m getting nauseous!

Go Sucky: As for C.M. Punk, it’s unbelievable how short this guys title reigns have been. Every time I see C.M. Punk, it seems like he’s holding a different title. If I’m not mistaken, Punk, within the last couple of years, has held the ECW Title, the World Heavyweight Title, the World Tag Team Titles, and the Intercontinental Title. What’s next on the Tour de Titles for Punk? My guess is getting drafted to Smackdown and winning the U.S. Title. That would leave the WWE Tag Titles and the WWE Title which I’m sure he’ll probably win in the next 3 months.

News: Koko B. Ware will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by The Honky Tonk Man.

Happy: You can’t help but to be happy for anybody who gets this honor, even if you believe there are much more deserving guys out there. Koko B. Ware was a big draw for kids, who back in the early 80’s were the WWE’s biggest selling point, similar to that of what it is today. So in a time where the WWE is really pushing it’s new “squeaky clean” family friendly product, Koko B. Ware is a pretty good choice.

Go Sucky: To me, Koko B. Ware getting into the Hall of Fame before guys like Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Randy Savage, The Honky Tonk Man and even Owen Hart is similar to inducting Pokey Reese into the Baseball Hall of Fame before inducting Hank Aaron.

Speaking of The Honky Tonk Man, what’s up with having him induct Koko into the Hall when clearly The Honky Tonk Man had a far more successful career and bigger impact on the wrestling world than Koko B. Ware EVER did.

Then there’s Jake “The Snake” Roberts. I’m assuming that the WWE has distanced themselves from Jake due to his past. You bring in a guy who just recently, exposed himself on the independent circuit because he was drugged and, well, that just don’t go over to well with the kids.

Then there’s Savage, who has gone Koo-Koo for Cocoa Puffs within the last decade. He and Vince aren’t getting along, therefore, just ain’t happening. Even though he’s getting his own DVD set. Go figure.

But what about Owen? The guy gave his life in the ring to constantly put on a great show. The WWE inducted Eddie Guerrero just months after he passed away. Why isn’t Owen in the Hall yet? Wait, you’re not telling me that Eddie’s induction wasn’t a *gasp* marketing ploy are you???? Quit disrespecting the Hart Family Vince!

Maybe Triple H had it right. Vince does like cocks. What? Frankie’s a parrot? Same thing.

News: Wendy Richter, Molly Holly, Torri Wilson, and Trish Stratus are all being considered for the WWE Divas Battle Royale.

Happy: Wendy Richter’s return to the WWE would be remarkable, if it actually happened. Which according to websites, is about a 75% chance. What many fans might not realize is that while Wendy Richter was the first ever woman to win a match at Wrestlemania, defeating Leilani Kai at Wrestlemania I to gain her 2nd WWF Women’s Title (her first was when she defeated The Fabulous Moohlah to end her 28 year reign), but Wendy Richter was also the recipient of one of Vince McMahon’s first ever “screwjobs”.

In November of 1985, months after Wrestlemania, Wendy was facing a new masked opponent named “The Spider Lady”. The Spider Lady would actually turn out to be The Fabulous Moohlah. The ref would make a 3 count even though Richter kicked out after just 1, and crowned Moohlah the new champion. After the match, Richter kept beating on her til she finally unmasked her in front of the crowd. Vince did this because Richter wouldn’t sign a new contract, and they couldn’t see eye to eye on pay. After this match, Richter never spoke to Vince (or Moohlah) again.

So you see, the fact that Richter may very well show up to Wrestlemania 25, nearly 25 years after getting screwed out of her title and her career, is a big deal. It’s a sign of reconciliation and forgiveness on the part of both Vince and Richter.

Go Sucky: It’s just a shame this couldn’t have come a couple years earlier before Moohlah passed on. Don’t be surprised if she wins it. Which a lot of today’s WWE fans won’t really appreciate or understand.

On top of that, where are names like Sable, Luna Vachon, Ivory, Marlena, The Kat, Jazz, and *shiver* Chyna? I know Sable and Chyna aren’t exactly on speaking terms these days with the WWE, but from a professional standpoint, it would make for a pretty good mark out moment at Wrestlemania.

News: C.M. Punk, Kane, Mark Henry, MVP, Shelton Benjamin, and Kofi Kingston have all qualified for the Money In The Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania. 2 spots remain.

Happy: It’s good to see some new names in the match. Guys like Mark Henry, MVP, and Kofi Kingston are obviously new to the mix and should make things interesting, especially with Mark Henry. Can you imagine the big guy climbing the ladder? Or worse yet, the big guy falling off the ladder? With Henry’s injury history, I dunno if this is a good match for him, but I’m glad to see him at least make the card.

As for Punk, Kane, and Shelton, it’s hard to imagine either one of them winning. Punk obviously, won it last year and at this point is probably the favorite to win it all. But I don’t know if it would be worth the WWE letting Punk win it twice in a row when the guy is about as over as you can get. See above title reigns in the last year.

By the time you read this, ECW will have come and gone, but as of right now, I’ve yet to watch it. There is supposedly going to be a Battle Royale for a spot in the Money In The Bank ladder match and I’m going to go ahead and assume that Evan Bourne returned to win that. And I’ll go ahead and assume that Mr. Kennedy will return to Smackdown and win the last spot on Smackdown this week.

If that is the case, then I’m really going to pull for Shelton Benjamin this year. The guy has been deserving a push for YEARS. And I’m not talking about ok, here’s a push for 3 weeks, now go back to jobbing. I’m talking about a good, consistent push that gets Shelton into the main event and maybe even a WWE title reign. He’s been U.S. Champion for nearly a year and is the longest reigning champion in both the WWE and TNA.

Go Sucky: I have a feeling that this may be one of the worst MITB matches in the history of the gimmick. None of these guys seem like a good choice to push as this year’s “Next Rising Star”.

I also wouldn’t be surprised if this year’s winner becomes the first person to NOT win their match they cash in on.

Rapid Fire

News: Representatives for Marty “Boogeyman” Wright are claiming that he has full rights to use the gimmick outside of WWE, since he created the persona and the gimmick.

Wait, did Marty lie about his age again? I could have swore up and down The Boogeyman’s been around since the Dark Ages!

News: Recently released Smackdown superstar Kizarny wrote a blog on WWE Universe yesterday, which has now been removed due to his release, where he says that he pitched an idea to Vince McMahon about having Vince dress up as Doink the Clown and tag with him.

And you wondered why he was released…..

News: Danny Bonaduce will wrestle at TNA’s Lockdown Pay-per-view. The opponent is currently unknown but he has challenged anyone from Hulk Hogan’s Celebrity Championship Wrestling.

You know what, why not just go ahead and make it the worst thing possible and bring back the entire Partridge Family, The Entire Osmond Family, and all Of The Brady Bunch and just lock them in a cage. And never…EVER…open it.

And that’s going to do it for this week. Don’t forget to check out the radio show Saturday night! Until then my friends, may your lives be Happy…or Go Sucky!