Wrestling Rumblings #47
December 25, 2009
By: Jose Marrero of WrestleView.com
Merry Christmas to all the readers of Wrestleview.com; it is my sincerest hopes that everyone reading this has a joyful holiday season but of course just because it’s Christmas we here at Wrestleview refuse to phone it in. In the spirit of Christmas I will be playing the role of good old St. Nicolas himself as I play Santa Claus to the wrestling world?you?re reading “Wrestling Rumblings.”
Of course I am a benevolent Santa so there will be no coal for anyone of the wrestlers I will list. I will give you nothing but optimism and holiday cheer as I do think there is much to be cheerful about in the world of wrestling. Let’s see who is first on Santa’s list.
1. Ring of Honor- I give these guys the gift of perseverance. It has been a tough and difficult year for the Ring of Honor promotion and its fans as it has continued to lose talent to both the WWE and TNA. They haven?t had the fortune originally hoped for with PPV or ROH on HD Net which in the opinion of many is the best show no one has ever heard of. However throughout this whole year they have maintained there fighting spirit and continue to survive. I believe in some way, shape or form ROH will continue to venture to move forward despite its losses and only hope that it is for the best.
2. Hulk Hogan- To the ?Hulkster? I give the gift of the ?Midas Touch? let’s face it, this year everything he has touched hasn?t turned to gold and well has quite honestly just bombed out. However 2009 will soon be a thing of the past and Hulk has a lot to be optimistic about this year as he has signed to be a part of TNA and is getting geared up to lead the charge in what could be another Monday Night War. Here is hoping that Hulk has learned from the lessons of the past in WCW and is not only capable but willing to put TNA at a level where they can not only be competitive with WWE but all forms of entertainment.
3. Dixie Carter- I gift you with the Wisdom of Solomon. For those who are unfamiliar with the biblical tale King Solomon had infinite wisdom that sometimes puzzled the most ardent of his subjects however in spite of that had infallible success with making the right decision. The idea of bringing in Hulk Hogan and possibly Ric Flair, Scott Hall and others has mystified many in the wrestling world, me included. Let us hope that Dixie just like King Solomon knows beyond us all?her company and its employee’s welfare could depend on it.
4. Sheamus- To the ?Celtic Warrior? I wish the gift of another title reign. First impressions are often the hardest to shake, that can?t be truer than in the eyes of wrestling fans. Sheamus’s current title reign can be described in one word ?uneventful? however I don?t blame him for that and I sincerely hope that none in WWE creative will hold it against him in the future. Whether you like the guy or you don?t we need new stars in WWE and he is young, has a unique look and presence. I wish nothing but continued success.
5. Bret Hart- To the ?Hitman? I give closure. It is pretty much a done deal that he is going back to WWE and I hope that everything he feels the need to resolve is resolved. It is a very hard deal to have bad blood in your heart towards anyone and it is indeed very taxing. I hope Bret is able to enjoy this run and let the bad experience that was ?The Montreal Screwjob? go. I have heard from a very reliable person in WWE that there are plans to have Bret involved in the WWE Hall of Fame this year. I hope that this is to induct Owen Hart into the WWE Hall of Fame this year although I have heard ideas behind maybe having Bret induct the entire Hart Foundation which of course would include Owen and the British Bulldogs. I can?t confirm who will go in, but I can tell you that Bret will have a significant role as his previous induction into the WWE Hall of Fame was one of the most watched inductions in WWE history. Ever forward Bret.
6. Bobby Heenan- I give the gift of health. ?The Brain? has been struggling health wise recently and I hope that he continues to battle and berate the ?Humanoids? for years to come. The same goes for Jim Ross as well as ?Dr. Death? Steve Williams. I am sure we will experience some sort of tragedy in 2010 as it is unavoidable. I hope that these individuals can rise to the occasion as they have in their respective careers.
7. Shane McMahon- I give the gift of success. There aren?t many who can understand the difficulty in having to follow in the footsteps of successful parents and there are even fewer who can understand being the 4th generation in a successful family. It is indeed not easy to make your mark in the world when there are such high expectations. I hope with Shane resigning from WWE that he can continue the McMahon legacy of giving fans everywhere awesome entertainment whether it is with pro wrestling, MMA or any other venture out there.
8. Samoa Joe- I give the gift of a second chance to the ?Samoan Submission Machine?. There weren?t many fans a couple of years ago who didn?t think TNA would be Samoa Joe’s promotion by this time and sadly they along with myself were all wrong as he is mired in the muck of mediocrity. I still believe Joe can be salvaged and I hope him winning the title shot at ?Final Resolution? will be the beginning of great things to come for Samoa Joe.
9. John Cena- To the flagship performer of WWE I give the gift of resurgence. There has never been a more polarizing figure in a main event spot than John Cena. Despite his critics he continues to improve and innovate and I still feel that the best of Cena is yet to come and I say this despite not being a John Cena fan.
10. Tyler Black- I gift a WWE or TNA contract. After watching Final Battle 2009 this past weekend I am convinced that ROH has waited far too long to put the title on Black to the point that when they finally do it will mean just as much as the title reign of Samoa Joe did. I don?t think Tyler can ever really get far in ROH but he has at least the potential to do something in WWE or TNA if pushed properly. I hope he gets it.
11. Briscoe Brothers- I am giving them the gift of cement shoes because I think if they slow down everything they do in the ring they can be the very best team in pro wrestling today. They have all the right tools and great chemistry together it is just a matter of slowing down what they do in the ring already.
12. Vince McMahon- I am giving him a vacation after 20+ years of running WWE I think he needs it. I hope he finds time to take a break from things and comes back with renewed vigor and creativity because if we are in the midst of another Monday Night War we will need Vince to be at his creative best.
13. Scott Hall- To ?Da Bad Guy? I give the gift of sobriety. Everyone has been talking of late about how Scott Hall has lost weight and cleaned himself up. We have heard that story before and been wrong but I hope this time it is true as I still think he has something to offer the wrestling business.
14. Paul Heyman- I am giving another promotion to book. I still maintain that the Smackdown brand was at its strongest when Paul Heyman was booking the show and I think us as wrestling fans all suffer a little bit more everyday he is out of the industry.
15. Christian- I am giving him pair of glasses, not for him but for those around him to maybe see a little bit better and see the talent they have allowed to fly under the radar on ECW. Fans of ECW have been treated to one stellar match after another and I think it is high time he gets promoted to a stronger role regardless of where and what his former partner Edge is doing. I hope Christian gets the chance he deserves to stand out on his own.
16. Bobby Lashley- I am giving ?The Boss? blinders for Christmas this year as I believe for him to be successful in MMA and professional wrestling he is going to have to do so in spite of all the naysayers out there and have complete dedication and focus. Good luck Bobby.
17. Jeff Hardy- I am giving him a good lawyer this year for Christmas. Despite what is being reported and my own beliefs the charges being thrown at Jeff are serious and should be taken seriously and I would like to see them all go away so Jeff can do what he does best, entertain his fans.
18. Gabe Sapolsky- I give the former ROH booker and current booker of Evolve and Dragongate USA the gift of clarity for Christmas. Not many get second chances in anything much less pro wrestling and Gabe has a second chance to maybe revolutionize wrestling with his role in both promotions I hope this time out he understands what it will take to be successful and sees his goals realized. After all more promotions doing well can only mean more jobs and opportunities for other talent to be discovered and ultimately more worthwhile products to be viewed by wrestling fans.
19. Wrestleview Columnists- I am giving the gift of creativity. It is not easy to come up with 52+ columns a year, in addition to features, audio and otherwise but I feel this staff does it as well as anyone. I am of the utmost faith that no one here will rest on their laurels and will continue to elevate this site to newer and better heights.
20. Wrestleview Readers- I give the gift of another exciting year of Wrestleview.com. This was a banner year for Wrestleview in many ways with the addition of several new columnists (me included) as well as the V.I.P section. If there is one thing that all readers can be certain of is that Wrestleview will continue to elevate itself and speaking as a member of the Wrestleview staff we hope you continue to be along for the ride.
OK it is time to take off the Santa hat now and wrap this up. Again I hope everyone has a safe and enjoyable holiday and if you want to email me questions, comments etc. you can do so at wrestlingrumblings@hotmail.com. I also want to extend a big thank you to everyone who reached out to me to extend birthday wishes. It’s not cool getting older but it is awesome to know you are acknowledged and appreciated and the readers of this site had no problem doing either. Of course next week I will be back and like always I will try to do better, until then I am out.
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