It's been awhile since I've written a column (hey, give me a break, I didn't realize it was a lot more fun complaining about WCW in these things than saying how much I'm enjoying it), but I've got a lot to views to express. Instead of devoting a single column to each thing, I'll just get them all of the way in one swoop.
• The first thing I should address is the "Big Surprise" that went down at the Great American Bash. Now, with rumors going around the internet for weeks that it was going to be something huge like a WCW/ECW merger or Shane McMahon jumping ship, Goldberg simply turning heel was somewhat of a letdown. I believe two parties are to blame: WCW and Eric Bischoff (w/Russo) for hyping it as a giant sports entertainment altering thing that Vince McMahon couldn't stop, and us fans for buying into the hype and hoping it was something it wasn't. This is nothing new. Both of the "Big Two" have a history of letting down the fans after annoucning a big surprise. Dancing turkeys, Ray Lloyd with a blue colored contact, and the owner of the company under the hood all comes to mind. However; I strongly believe that this surprise, while bad in the short-term, will be great in the long term. People have often complained that Jeff Jarrett (WCW's main heel) isn't a strong heel character compared to Triple H. Well, how does freakin' Goldberg suit you? Goldberg has already shown signs of making a great bad guy, and if he has stronger face opponents to fight, WCW's popularity could increase. Not to mention the fact that Goldberg's character was getting really boring (spear the villian, jackhammer the villian, growl and spit, go "RAR!") and now I finally have a heel I actually want to boo.
• Ric Flair's angle with Vince Russo and David Russo has been incredibly enjoyable. Flair has shown what a team player he can be (who would have thought it, especially considering Flair's refusal to do what Russo wanted during the Powers That Be era) and he seems to really be getting into it on television. I was shocked when they actually shaved his head in the middle of the ring this past Monday (even though being bald really showed off his age), and I really hope his surgery won't be career ending, because I'd like to see him come back for one more run before hanging up the boots for good. However, Flair's not the only one who helped make this feud shine. Despite what many of his critics say, Russo plays an excellent heel. He knows how to incite the crowd and get them to hate him, which is more than I can say about wrestlers who were supposed to be heels in the past (Sting, Nash, Hall, etc.). Those who whine that he's trying to put himself over the talent need to take a step back for a second. Russo and Bischoff are trying to make WCW number one. They have the ability to go out there and perform an entertaining heel shtick where a lot of the "talent" in the company doesn't. Stop complaining, and just enjoy it. I'd also like to quickly put over David Flair, who's been doing an excellent job in this whole thing as well. His insanity gimmick helped break him out of his shell, and it's hard to believe a year ago I was ready to pull my hair out everytime he came out to wrestle. It looks like he's Ric Flair's son after all.
• I felt that the Sting spot at the GAB was done right. It was a breathtaking spot, and I'm glad WCW got a stuntman to take the fall off the Nitrotron while on fire instead of making Sting himself do it. What I can't believe is that some "WWF only" marks are actually bashing WCW for doing this, because somehow the spot means less if it wasn't really Sting plummeting to the ground. That's not the case at all. Russo apparently wanted an incredible visual to end the Vampiro-Sting feud and put Vampiro over, but didn't want Sting's healt at jeopardy. At least WCW takes care of their wrestlers, you boneheads.
• I'm getting very disgusted with the internet wrestling "smarts." They whine when WCW doesn't have enough wrestling, and then when WCW does put on a good match (like the G.I. Bro/Stasiak Boot Camp match at the GAB), they claim it was horrible because the fans in attendance were bored. Then they claim that the WWF is the number one company right now because they're providing longer matches. Now don't get me wrong; I'm a huge fan of the actual wrestling aspect of professional wrestling, but I'm also a huge fan of the "sports entertainment" aspect of it as well. The WWF didn't become number one over WCW by providing actual wrestling. They became number one through the exciting storylines and quick segments. Crash TV helped put them on top while WCW was providing the 15-minute cruiserweight matches (which I loved, by the way) and the same tiring old angles. Now the roles are kind of reversed. Triple H versus the Rock has been the main feud in the WWF for MONTHS with the WWF also putting out longer mid-carder matches. WCW is using Crash TV and mixing it up a whole lot as far as the main feuds go. The WWF is piping in crowd noise as well during their taped programs when a match is getting no crowd response. I believe the majority of fans out there aren't that interested in old school wrestling, and once they see that WCW is resembling what originally attracted them to the WWF, the tide will turn. Who knows...maybe in ten years longer matches will be popular again, but right now they're just not in the norm. The business is constantly evolving, and if some of these internet smarts don't realize that and go with the flow, they won't be fans for long.
• I'm rather amused (and disgusted) at the discrimination lawsuit against WCW. Sonny Oono and his fellow merry band of misfits claim that WCW is racist and that's the reason they lost their jobs. Now; I don't work for WCW so I don't know the full details, and people within the company may actually be racist, but I don't believe that's the reason they lost their jobs. Bill Busch (remember him, kiddies?) was cost cutting at the time, and MANY wrestlers and entertainers who weren't providing much for the company were released. Race didn't have much to do with it as "white folk" like Jim Fullington (ECW's the Sandman, known as Hak in WCW) were also released. Oono has also claimed that Vince Russo is a racist. I know the comments he made on the internet regarding foreign wrestlers, but I think it's pretty apparent that he worded it wrong (and probably regrets the way it came out as well). He simply said that it's hard to be interested in a wrestler that can't cut a promo in English, because how are the fans supposed to get behind that guy if they don't know what he represents? It's not like Russo's not using different races: Juventud Guerrera, Rey Mysterio Jr., and Konnan are all hispanic. G.I. Bro and Ernest Miller are both African American. The Wall is German (oh...wait...). Oh, and while the Jung Dragons may be sitting on the sidelines right now, so are a number of "white" wrestlers. I think it's pretty sad that this group of men are trying to scam money out of a company with an issue as sensitive as racism. There are at least a hundred new gameshows you can go on if you want a quick buck. Don't be crying wolf.
• Before I go (and who knows how long it will take to get my lazy arse typing another one of these things), I'd just like to comment on Kimberly quitting WCW. The story just broke a few hours ago, so I don't know the full details. I would like to say that I have enjoyed Kimberly's character, especially since Bischoff and Russo came back. It sounds like she's walking away from the wrestling business all together to try new things (but again, I'm not sure of the details at the time), and I seriously doubt she'll jump to the WWF when her contract expires (considering her husband is a devoted employee to Dubba Cee Dubba). Whatever her plans are, I hope she's successful and finds happiness doing them. She's been a big part of WCW, and as a fan I'll miss her. With that, I'm out.
Written By The Guy Who Feels Vince Russo Needs To Shave His Eyebrows, SirSlush2@aol.com
Slush's Archives
The Greatest Stable In WCW History? (5/15/00)
The Crystal Snowball: SuperBrawl 2000 (2/18/00)
"We Gotta Get Out Of This Place, If It's The Last Thing We Ever Do..." (2/16/00)
Hello Apocalypse, What Took You So Long? (1/19/00)
The Crystal Snowball: Souled Out '00 (1/14/00)
4 Life Once Again (12/22/99)