I found this series of questions on Facebook in the Pro Wrestling Tees VIP group (if you get a chance, join it. Great community). I've decided to go ahead and answer the questions for this blog. So, here we go! (Note: This will be added to the About Me section shortly)
1. Favorite wrestler ever?
It's so hard to choose a top wrestler ever. If I had to choose, I'd probably have to say Undertaker. But Macho Man Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Mick Foley, and Kenny Omega are near the top of my list.
2. Wrestler you hate the most?
Pre-Reborn Shawn Michaels. The more I hear about the stuff that happened with him and the problems people had with him, the more I can't stand him. I'll always take 2002-2010 Shawn Michaels over entitled "Losing My Smile/ Drop Belts Before Doing Business" Shawn every day of the week, twice on Sundays. (That being said, 2002-2010 Shawn Michaels is among the greatest ever.)
3. Favorite tag team?
Of all time, I would have to go with The Hardy Boyz. Their body of work speaks for itself. As far as the modern era goes, The Young Bucks are head and shoulders above the rest.
4. Overrated wrestler?
Shawn Michaels. Again, I love 2002-2010 Shawn Michaels, but he wasn't as great as everyone has made him out to be in his original Main-Event run. You can keep saying he's the greatest wrestler of all time, but part of being a great wrestler is doing business. Shawn proved time and time again he was unwilling to do so (save Survivor Series 1996 when he lost a title to win it back in his home town two months later). Plus, the tale of Undertaker wrapping his fists up in case Shawn decided not to do business at WrestleMania XIV speaks volumes.
5. Underrated wrestler?
I will always say Goldust because he was able to work with so many different types of wrestlers. But I'm going to also throw out Tommy Dreamer. Everyone seems to overlook how everyone that feuded with Tommy Dreamer looked better afterwards than they did going into the rivalry. Dreamer had no problems losing or taking the abuse in order to make his opponent look better. So, I have to give my respect to Dreamer in this category.
6. Favorite championship?
The Winged Eagle WWF Championship that was held by Hogan, Savage, Flair, Hart, Michaels, and others is the "must have before I die" wrestling belt I want. (I also have to give respect to the classic Intercontinental Championship and the Big Gold WCW Heavyweight Championship as well. Great belt designs.)
7. Favorite Era?
The Modern Era (2016-Present). I believe we are in a new "Golden Era" of wrestling. It's not as provocative or edgy as the Attitude Era, but the quality of matches are head and shoulders better. Give this another year or two, and I believe the tide of fan and worldwide perception is going to lean towards this era.
8. Number one dream match?
Of current wrestlers, I'd go with something no one would probably expect:
WWE's Randy Orton vs. NJPW's Minoru Suzuki. One hears voices. The other one tortures them. Something about both men's styles lead me to believe that it could be the most epic war in wrestling if it happened. I can just see Orton and Suzuki going back and forth through the audience with some sadism involved from both men. The Orton Stomps vs. Suzuki's Strikes. May the wrestling gods will it into existence before Suzuki retires.
If time travel was a thing, I would take Bret Hart from 1993-1994 and face him off against 2003-2004 Eddie Guerrero. That would be a technical masterpiece, and Eddie's charisma matching Bret's no nonsense attitude would have made for a fun match. .
9. Favorite wrestling theme?
"The Game" by Motorhead. When you hear that theme kick in, you know things are about to go down.
10. Favorite entrance?
Undertaker. Having been there live once to see that entrance is one of the all-time great live experiences I've ever had going to wrestling events. TV does not do it justice.
11. Worst storyline?
I'm tempted to go with Katie Vick (Kane's girlfriend that supposedly died in a car wreck). AJ Styles' alleged affair on TNA was another bad one. But I don't know if anything just sucked the life out of a program the way Baron Corbin's run as "Acting" GM did in 2018. For all the TV time that he got, it was part of a creative effort by WWE that just drained the ratings in an already bad time for wrestling (thank you Monday Night Football).
12. Favorite storyline?
Austin vs. McMahon. Without question, the greatest and most profitable wrestling storyline of all time. Blue Collar character taking on Corporate Evil Boss. $ $ $. There are ton of other great ones that I'm likely forgetting: The Triple H/Undertaker/Shawn Michaels storyline across 4 WrestleManias was great. The CM Punk storyline could have been better if WWE didn't botch it to high heaven. And I've always had a soft spot for the Kurt Angle/Stephanie McMahon/Triple H storyline that erupted in mid-2000. They built that up for weeks until Angle finally started making the moves on Stephanie.
13. Worst match you’ve seen?
Jeff Hardy vs. Sting from Victory Road 2011. It's not just a bad match. It's just completely sad. Hardy should not have been out there in his condition. Sting was rightfully upset about the whole thing.
14. Favorite match you’ve seen?
Again, this is so hard. On TV: Hell in a Cell between Undertaker and Mankind will probably be my favorite just because it's become a story of one performer's will to continue going despite the physical abuse he took. It's sad that it has almost become "Mick Foley wrestles Hell in a Cell, co-starring The Undertaker." But I think that speaks volumes about how great Mick Foley was in this match. Undertaker was wrestling on a broken foot if I remember correctly. So, he deserves a lot of credit for working the way he did in that match and helping guide Foley after that fall through the cage (which knocked Foley legitimately out for 45 seconds).
Live: I probably have to go with Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels in Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood 2004. That match was epic from beginning to end and flew by for a 47 minute match (at least it did live).
15. Coolest wrestler you’ve met?
The truth is that I've yet to actually "meet" a wrestler. I did have a great phone call with Sean Mooney a few weeks ago which was cool
16. Favorite event you went to?
SmackDown from April 2002. Getting to see Chris Jericho take on Hulk Hogan for the WWF Undisputed Championship was a cool moment. (I continue to lie to myself and say I started a Hogan chant to this day. Lol.) I also have to give kudos to the recent SmackDown Taping I went to at Pittsburgh for the New Year's Day 2019 episode. A really good show from top to bottom.
17. Match that made you a fan?
Undertaker tombstoning some jobber on Wrestling Challenge in 1992 just hooked me from that moment. When I saw him put the guy in a bodybag, my 7-year-old mind was hooked from that moment on.
18. Favorite independent wrestler?
Can you consider Kenny Omega an independent wrestler anymore? I don't think you can consider anyone from AEW "Independent Wrestlers" anymore. I'm going to go with Teddy Hart for now. I've really enjoyed his work in MLW, and The (new) Hart Foundation is one of the best things in wrestling right now.
19. Favorite promotion?
As much as it pains me a lot of the time, WWE is still where my loyalty lies. Otherwise, New Japan (for now) has my 2nd place.
20. Worst gimmick?
Shockmaster or Gobbeldy Gooker. You choose. You can't go wrong either way. (I like to think Davey Boy Smith is somewhere in The Great Beyond still saying "He fell on his arse!")
21. Favorite faction?
The Four Horsemen. It wasn't nearly as bloated as the nWo and was just the best workhorses (and heels) in the company banding together to form this great stable. For WWE, I'd go with The Shield. Their 6-Man Tags were amazing from 2012-2014 and in 2017/2018.
22. Dumbest faction?
The U.N.I.O.N. It only lasted a couple weeks, and it did absolutely nothing for anyone. You don't remember them? That speaks volumes.
(For the record, The Nexus (and The Corre) was another dumb faction in my opinion. A bunch of NXT rookies getting slingshotted in the main event for John Cena to beat up. This is why I hate WWE in 2010.)
23. Worst wrestling theme?
Baron Corbin's current theme. I don't know what they were going for with it, but it does absolutely nothing for him or for anyone watching.
24. Favorite wrestling game?
WWF SmackDown: Just Bring It. I think I played Slobberknocker Mode a few too many times.
25. Favorite rivalry?
(I reserve the right to change this in the future if I remember another one that was better.)
I'm giving the nod to Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada from New Japan (2012-current). That rivalry has evolved and changed over the years, but at its heart, it is about an older legend trying to stay one step ahead of the younger lion trying to take his position. And for 2.5 years, that younger lion was able to keep that older legend down. But in 2018, Tanahashi got back into a rhythm that propelled to finally beat Okada for the first time in 3.5 years. And now, they're allies against The Bullet Club and its leader, Jay White. Just a well-crafted, well-told rivalry.
26. Favorite wrestling move?
Sharpshooter/Scorpion Deathlock.
27. Favorite PPV?
WrestleMania X-Seven. From beginning to end, one of the best wrestling shows you are ever going to watch.
28. Favorite match type?
Whatever works for the storyline. I used to like Hell in a Cell until WWE decided to make it an annual event.
29. Favorite WrestleMania match?
Ultimate Warrior vs. MachoMan KING Randy Savage- Career-Ending Match at WrestleMania VII. From the entrances to Randy and Liz getting back together, it's an incredible story being told. Savage and Warrior have a great match and steal the show. Sherri does a great job getting involved and adding heat to everything. Just masterful work by everyone involved.
30. Favorite moment ever?
The Rock facing off with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania is still one of the greatest moments in wrestling history. The energy in that crowd at Skydome can not be replicated. That moment and the match validated the $34.95 spent to see this show.
_ _ _ _ _
Feel free to comment with your answers below.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
1. Favorite wrestler ever?
It's so hard to choose a top wrestler ever. If I had to choose, I'd probably have to say Undertaker. But Macho Man Randy Savage, Bret Hart, Mick Foley, and Kenny Omega are near the top of my list.
2. Wrestler you hate the most?
Pre-Reborn Shawn Michaels. The more I hear about the stuff that happened with him and the problems people had with him, the more I can't stand him. I'll always take 2002-2010 Shawn Michaels over entitled "Losing My Smile/ Drop Belts Before Doing Business" Shawn every day of the week, twice on Sundays. (That being said, 2002-2010 Shawn Michaels is among the greatest ever.)
3. Favorite tag team?
Of all time, I would have to go with The Hardy Boyz. Their body of work speaks for itself. As far as the modern era goes, The Young Bucks are head and shoulders above the rest.
4. Overrated wrestler?
Shawn Michaels. Again, I love 2002-2010 Shawn Michaels, but he wasn't as great as everyone has made him out to be in his original Main-Event run. You can keep saying he's the greatest wrestler of all time, but part of being a great wrestler is doing business. Shawn proved time and time again he was unwilling to do so (save Survivor Series 1996 when he lost a title to win it back in his home town two months later). Plus, the tale of Undertaker wrapping his fists up in case Shawn decided not to do business at WrestleMania XIV speaks volumes.
5. Underrated wrestler?
I will always say Goldust because he was able to work with so many different types of wrestlers. But I'm going to also throw out Tommy Dreamer. Everyone seems to overlook how everyone that feuded with Tommy Dreamer looked better afterwards than they did going into the rivalry. Dreamer had no problems losing or taking the abuse in order to make his opponent look better. So, I have to give my respect to Dreamer in this category.
6. Favorite championship?
The Winged Eagle WWF Championship that was held by Hogan, Savage, Flair, Hart, Michaels, and others is the "must have before I die" wrestling belt I want. (I also have to give respect to the classic Intercontinental Championship and the Big Gold WCW Heavyweight Championship as well. Great belt designs.)
7. Favorite Era?
The Modern Era (2016-Present). I believe we are in a new "Golden Era" of wrestling. It's not as provocative or edgy as the Attitude Era, but the quality of matches are head and shoulders better. Give this another year or two, and I believe the tide of fan and worldwide perception is going to lean towards this era.
8. Number one dream match?
Of current wrestlers, I'd go with something no one would probably expect:
WWE's Randy Orton vs. NJPW's Minoru Suzuki. One hears voices. The other one tortures them. Something about both men's styles lead me to believe that it could be the most epic war in wrestling if it happened. I can just see Orton and Suzuki going back and forth through the audience with some sadism involved from both men. The Orton Stomps vs. Suzuki's Strikes. May the wrestling gods will it into existence before Suzuki retires.
If time travel was a thing, I would take Bret Hart from 1993-1994 and face him off against 2003-2004 Eddie Guerrero. That would be a technical masterpiece, and Eddie's charisma matching Bret's no nonsense attitude would have made for a fun match. .
9. Favorite wrestling theme?
"The Game" by Motorhead. When you hear that theme kick in, you know things are about to go down.
10. Favorite entrance?
Undertaker. Having been there live once to see that entrance is one of the all-time great live experiences I've ever had going to wrestling events. TV does not do it justice.
11. Worst storyline?
I'm tempted to go with Katie Vick (Kane's girlfriend that supposedly died in a car wreck). AJ Styles' alleged affair on TNA was another bad one. But I don't know if anything just sucked the life out of a program the way Baron Corbin's run as "Acting" GM did in 2018. For all the TV time that he got, it was part of a creative effort by WWE that just drained the ratings in an already bad time for wrestling (thank you Monday Night Football).
12. Favorite storyline?
Austin vs. McMahon. Without question, the greatest and most profitable wrestling storyline of all time. Blue Collar character taking on Corporate Evil Boss. $ $ $. There are ton of other great ones that I'm likely forgetting: The Triple H/Undertaker/Shawn Michaels storyline across 4 WrestleManias was great. The CM Punk storyline could have been better if WWE didn't botch it to high heaven. And I've always had a soft spot for the Kurt Angle/Stephanie McMahon/Triple H storyline that erupted in mid-2000. They built that up for weeks until Angle finally started making the moves on Stephanie.
13. Worst match you’ve seen?
Jeff Hardy vs. Sting from Victory Road 2011. It's not just a bad match. It's just completely sad. Hardy should not have been out there in his condition. Sting was rightfully upset about the whole thing.
14. Favorite match you’ve seen?
Again, this is so hard. On TV: Hell in a Cell between Undertaker and Mankind will probably be my favorite just because it's become a story of one performer's will to continue going despite the physical abuse he took. It's sad that it has almost become "Mick Foley wrestles Hell in a Cell, co-starring The Undertaker." But I think that speaks volumes about how great Mick Foley was in this match. Undertaker was wrestling on a broken foot if I remember correctly. So, he deserves a lot of credit for working the way he did in that match and helping guide Foley after that fall through the cage (which knocked Foley legitimately out for 45 seconds).
Live: I probably have to go with Triple H vs. Shawn Michaels in Hell in a Cell at Bad Blood 2004. That match was epic from beginning to end and flew by for a 47 minute match (at least it did live).
15. Coolest wrestler you’ve met?
The truth is that I've yet to actually "meet" a wrestler. I did have a great phone call with Sean Mooney a few weeks ago which was cool
16. Favorite event you went to?
SmackDown from April 2002. Getting to see Chris Jericho take on Hulk Hogan for the WWF Undisputed Championship was a cool moment. (I continue to lie to myself and say I started a Hogan chant to this day. Lol.) I also have to give kudos to the recent SmackDown Taping I went to at Pittsburgh for the New Year's Day 2019 episode. A really good show from top to bottom.
17. Match that made you a fan?
Undertaker tombstoning some jobber on Wrestling Challenge in 1992 just hooked me from that moment. When I saw him put the guy in a bodybag, my 7-year-old mind was hooked from that moment on.
18. Favorite independent wrestler?
Can you consider Kenny Omega an independent wrestler anymore? I don't think you can consider anyone from AEW "Independent Wrestlers" anymore. I'm going to go with Teddy Hart for now. I've really enjoyed his work in MLW, and The (new) Hart Foundation is one of the best things in wrestling right now.
19. Favorite promotion?
As much as it pains me a lot of the time, WWE is still where my loyalty lies. Otherwise, New Japan (for now) has my 2nd place.
20. Worst gimmick?
Shockmaster or Gobbeldy Gooker. You choose. You can't go wrong either way. (I like to think Davey Boy Smith is somewhere in The Great Beyond still saying "He fell on his arse!")
21. Favorite faction?
The Four Horsemen. It wasn't nearly as bloated as the nWo and was just the best workhorses (and heels) in the company banding together to form this great stable. For WWE, I'd go with The Shield. Their 6-Man Tags were amazing from 2012-2014 and in 2017/2018.
22. Dumbest faction?
The U.N.I.O.N. It only lasted a couple weeks, and it did absolutely nothing for anyone. You don't remember them? That speaks volumes.
(For the record, The Nexus (and The Corre) was another dumb faction in my opinion. A bunch of NXT rookies getting slingshotted in the main event for John Cena to beat up. This is why I hate WWE in 2010.)
23. Worst wrestling theme?
Baron Corbin's current theme. I don't know what they were going for with it, but it does absolutely nothing for him or for anyone watching.
24. Favorite wrestling game?
WWF SmackDown: Just Bring It. I think I played Slobberknocker Mode a few too many times.
25. Favorite rivalry?
(I reserve the right to change this in the future if I remember another one that was better.)
I'm giving the nod to Hiroshi Tanahashi vs. Kazuchika Okada from New Japan (2012-current). That rivalry has evolved and changed over the years, but at its heart, it is about an older legend trying to stay one step ahead of the younger lion trying to take his position. And for 2.5 years, that younger lion was able to keep that older legend down. But in 2018, Tanahashi got back into a rhythm that propelled to finally beat Okada for the first time in 3.5 years. And now, they're allies against The Bullet Club and its leader, Jay White. Just a well-crafted, well-told rivalry.
26. Favorite wrestling move?
Sharpshooter/Scorpion Deathlock.
27. Favorite PPV?
WrestleMania X-Seven. From beginning to end, one of the best wrestling shows you are ever going to watch.
28. Favorite match type?
Whatever works for the storyline. I used to like Hell in a Cell until WWE decided to make it an annual event.
29. Favorite WrestleMania match?
Ultimate Warrior vs. Macho
30. Favorite moment ever?
The Rock facing off with Hulk Hogan at WrestleMania is still one of the greatest moments in wrestling history. The energy in that crowd at Skydome can not be replicated. That moment and the match validated the $34.95 spent to see this show.
_ _ _ _ _
Feel free to comment with your answers below.
Until next time, take care of yourselves. Spread some awesomeness.
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