Who is Better? Bret "Hitman" Hart or Shawn Michaels?

by Brian Phelps

http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com

Back by popular demand after the success of "Who is Better? Sting or Undertaker?" is the newest installment of the debate series. In this post, we tackle arguably the most widely debated rivalry in pro wrestling history... Shawn Michaels... or Bret Hart? I also think this installment will approach the age old debate from some fresh perspectives as well. It might even surprise you. Let's get it on. 

Who is better? Bret the "Hitman" or the "Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels? I suppose that depends on what your definition of "better" is and who you ask. This may be arguably the toughest debate in all of pro wrestling. There are so many factors that really blur this debate for the ages but I will do my best to answer this question.

As sports broadcasters say, this is a "tale of two halves". This question though if you think about it is really unfair to Bret Hart since his career ended prematurely. Shawn Michaels wrestled about 8 years longer into the 2000s than Bret Hart did. So Shawn has a much bigger body of work during his main event run than Bret to go on so Shawn has a huge unfair advantage in the debate. This means that this debate has to be tackled a little differently. 

Let's talk in terms of importance. From a historical perspective, which wrestler has a bigger footprint? In other words, who did more to steer or change the course of wrestling history? This may come as a shock but it's Bret Hart. Before you all call me crazy, let me tell you why. 

Most people will automatically say I'm wrong and cite Degeneration-X as more important than anything Bret Hart ever did. For those that think that way you're either too young to have actually watched Bret wrestle or you're simply not giving him enough credit. Don't be so prisoner of the moment. Even though D-X was a big part of wrestling history, Shawn didn't change the course of wrestling history with it. The nWo were the ones who changed wrestling history because D-X were created as a response to the success of the nWo faction. D-X didn't make history, they followed the history that the nWo made. 

Bret Hart is in that group of wrestlers that never quite get the credit they deserve. He joins other wrestlers like Sting, "Rowdy" Roddy Piper, and Chris Jericho. Oddly enough 10 years ago, Bret Hart got a lot more credit than he does now. The sands of time have somewhat glossed over Bret Hart's imprint in wrestling history. Newer fans know Bret Hart as simply an old wrestler who got cheated out of the world title by Vince McMahon and Shawn Michaels. They don't realize just how important a role Bret played in the course of pro wrestling history in the 1990's. 

People forget that Bret's match with Stone Cold at Wrestlemania 13 is the reason why Austin was known as the toughest S.O.B. in the World Wrestling Federation. Austin trapped in the Sharp Shooter with blood pouring down his face was an iconic moment that wouldn't have existed without Bret Hart. Austin's match with Bret Hart at Wrestlemania helped propel the "Stone Cold" gimmick to new heights at the time.

People forget that Vince's evil Mr. McMahon gimmick was born out of the Montreal Screwjob. So without Bret Hart there may never have been an evil Mr. McMahon character. It was Bret's decision to go to WCW that set in motion the events that would go on to become the infamous Montreal Screwjob. 

People forget that Bret Hart took Shawn Michaels career to new heights in the mid 1990's. At that stage of their careers, Shawn needed Bret a lot more than Bret needed Shawn and that's a fact.

Now don't get me wrong because Shawn is an extremely influential figure in pro wrestling, but you could make a case that Shawn was more influential in a negative way than a positive way. The difference between Bret and Shawn is that Bret's presence in certain key moments altered the course of pro wrestling history more profoundly than Shawn's presence did. Bret played a bigger role in shaping the course of where wrestling went than Shawn even though his career didn't last as long. In other words, if Bret hadn't existed the wrestling world would be effected far more dramatically than if Shawn hadn't existed.

Shawn did quite a bit to negatively impact wrestling in the 1990's. It is well documented that Shawn Michaels utilized backstage politics and political maneuvering to position himself and his buddies Triple H, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and X-Pac at the top of the company. It is well documented that Shawn and the Kliq went out of there way to hold back other stars. Shawn engaged in a lot of dishonorable behavior including the Montreal Screwjob, politicking, and drug use. 

This leads me to the point that I'm just not sure how great Shawn Michaels would've been without the politics. I still believe he would've been a huge star, but I'm just not sure how big. Don't get me wrong. Shawn Michaels had the in-ring abilities to become all-time great, but that doesn't always matter. Just ask guys like Tyson Kidd and Dean Malenko. Bret Hart made it to the top on his wrestling ability and didn't rely on politics. Bret Hart's character was an extension of his actual personality. A no nonsense grappler who let his in-ring ability do the talking for him. In terms of ethics and honor I would take Bret over Shawn every time. 

In Shawn's defense, I believe he has matured tremendously during the second half of his career in the 2000's versus the first half in the 1990's. 

Now that I feel that the debate has some additional perspective I think some of the more basic points can be made.

In terms of mic skills, Shawn Michaels has Bret beat hands down. Shawn is almost a little underrated as far as mic skills. I don't think Bret was terrible on the mic, but he was very average at best. The saving grace for Bret Hart is that talking a lot wouldn't have made sense with his gimmick anyway so his modest mic skills did nothing to hurt his career growth. It fit who he was. Shawn's character was a flamboyant cocky upstart so he needed the mic to help get himself over. I kind of think of Shawn vs Bret as the Magic Johnson/Larry Bird argument. Shawn Michaels like Magic Johnson was a lot of razzle dazzle while Bret Hart was more like Larry Bird in that he was all about no nonsense execution. 

When it comes to in-ring ability, I think it's a stalemate. Bret wasn't as versatile as Shawn was, but Shawn lacked the precision and technical execution that Bret prided himself on. These guys wrestled two different styles. Shawn was quicker than Bret, and more of a flyer. Bret's technical wrestling ability was off the charts not to mention years ahead of his time. I think that Bret Hart's style is more emulated today than Shawn's. Bret Hart paved the way for guys like Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit, Daniel Bryan, Doug Williams, and Kurt Angle. I think Shawn's influence came more from paving the way for smaller wrestlers to main event rather than for his specific style of wrestling. So, I think it's really in how you look at it.

Shawn's ability to tell a story in the ring is second to none, but Bret Hart is underrated at telling a story in the ring himself. I urge anyone who doubts Bret Hart to watch Wrestlemania 8 against "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and Wrestlemania 13 against "Stone Cold" Steve Austin in addition to his matches with Shawn Michaels. We all know Shawn can tell some amazing stories. He's probably the greatest story teller in the history of pro wrestling. 

As far as who had "The Look", I'm going to give the edge to Bret Hart. Bret Hart looked like a Hitman. I think Bret Hart the most polished look in the history of pro wrestling. Everything about his character seemed real. I sometimes think of Bret Hart as the James Dean of pro wrestling. Nobody embodied cool like Bret Hart. He had the best overall look I've ever seen. Shawn Michaels had the look for that time period, but Bret Hart's look could be applied today and still work. Shawn Michaels couldn't pull off a mullet today.

Now, it's time to play a little what if game. Earlier, I said that the question of who is better is unfair to Bret Hart because his career was cut short due to injury. Shawn's comeback in 2002 and the 7-8 years that followed completely changed this debate. It's allowed Shawn Michaels to solidify his hall of fame status as well as carve his legacy in a way that Bret Hart didn't have the opportunity. So, we have to fill in the blanks a little bit here. 

Let's say that Goldberg hadn't injured Bret Hart, and Hart's career didn't end prematurely. Well, we all know that it's probably a safe bet that Bret Hart would not have saved WCW from being eventually bought out by Vince McMahon. When Vince bought out WCW that means that Bret Hart would possibly have returned to the WWF in 2001 (assuming that somehow Bret and Vince mended fences over Owen earlier than in our timeline). This means we could've seen Bret Hart take on a new era of WWF stars such as Randy Orton, Brock Lesnar, Batista, Kurt Angle, and Chris Jericho as well as cross paths with Stone Cold, Triple H, Undertaker, The Rock, and Mick Foley again. This means more Wrestlemania moments, more time to carve out his legacy, and the ability to retire on his own terms which would mean getting a proper send off like Ric Flair or Shawn Michaels did. This would change the ENTIRE complexion of this debate. We may be having an entirely different conversation now if Bret had wrestled up until 2009 for instance. 

In conclusion: I believe that Shawn Michaels at the end of the day will go down as the better wrestler over Bret "Hitman" Hart... but only by default. Shawn Michaels cut corners, played politics, held back other stars, and engaged in dishonorable acts like the Montreal Screwjob... but you can't erase what Shawn Michaels accomplished by hook or crook. You can't take away Shawn Michaels God given talent in spite of all of his questionable ethics and moral compass at certain times of his career. It doesn't change the fact that he is the greatest in-ring story teller of all-time. He really is the greatest in-ring performer of all-time. He is probably the greatest all-around talent in the history of pro wrestling. He wasn't necessarily the best in any one measurable category, but he had the greatest set of intangibles of anyone I've ever watched. 

Had Bret Hart not retired due to injury and got to wrestle another 5-10 years then we may be having a very different conversation because Bret Hart very well may have ended up going down as better than Shawn Michaels. As unfair as it may be to Bret Hart, I really have no other choice than to give the edge to Shawn Michaels by default. Shawn just has a larger body of main event work than Bret. While I don't believe Shawn is the better pure wrestler, Shawn did have the better career. He had the money, the power, the friends, the women, the accolades, and the storybook ending to his career. Bret Hart's story kind of turned into a Troy Aikman/Steve Young kind of story. A guy that was probably better than everyone else, but injury prevented him from cementing his rightful place as the very best that ever was. 

4 Popular Myths About WCW

by Brian Phelps

Since WCW was purchased in 2001, a lot of time has passed. Over the years there has been a lot of revisionist history (mostly done by the WWE, as well as some of it by the IWC) spewed about how and why WCW failed, whose fault it was, and just lots of falsehoods. I'm coming to you today to take on many of the myths and revisionist history about WCW in order to sort out what's true and what isn't.


1) Celebrity appearances ruined WCW. This is not necessarily true. People make mention that David Arquette and others ruined WCW and I can't defend David Arquette; however, the July 6th, 1998 episode of WCW Nitro featured NBA Superstar Karl Malone and outdrew Monday Night RAW on this night. Nitro did a 4.8 rating. Raw did a 4.0 rating.

2) 600,000 viewers switched from Nitro to RAW after Tony Shiavone gave away Mankind's title win. WWE has always bragged about this, but is it true? The answer is yes. BUT what WWE always fails to mention is that once Mankind won the title most of those 600,000 people changed the channel right back to WCW to catch the last 5 minutes of Nitro. So WCW gained their viewers right back, but WWE conveniently ignores this fact when they tell this story on their dvd releases. This is an example of WWE's revisionist history and a perfect example of the old saying that "History is written by the victors". So while it is true... it's also only PART of what happened. This story omits facts that without being mentioned make WCW's ratings sound bad.

3) WCW drew terrible ratings in its dying days. This is COMPLETELY FALSE. Did you know that the final episode of Nitro (3.0 rating) had a higher rating than the first 5 months that Nitro was on the air? Did you know that the final episode of WCW Nitro was higher rated than the average RAW rating of the first 2 years of the Monday Night Wars? The ratings for WCW Nitro in its dying days was actually pretty comparable to the ratings that RAW/Nitro were getting at the start of the Monday Night Wars. Also, at the time WCW was purchased it was still among the highest rated programs on TBS and TNT even with the drop in ratings. So WCW Nitro was NEVER a poorly rated TV Show even on its worst day. WCW's worst ratings are better than what WWE Smackdown currently gets.

4) WCW folded. Yes and no. Saying WCW folded implies that the show was a failure. It's final rating was  3.0 so even at the end it wasn't a failure. Also, it's not an entirely accurate description. WCW didn't fold in the sense of going out of business because it was so bad. WCW was purchased and assimilated into the WWE, it didn't go out of business. On top of that, WCW wasn't bought out because it was going under. It was bought out simply because when AOL/Time Warner took over Turner Broadcasting they decided they didn't want pro wrestling on TBS/TNT. It had nothing to do with ratings or finances. There were a number of buyers interested in acquiring WCW. The reason the other buyers decided not to purchase WCW was because the new brass that took over Turner Broadcasting were going to take WCW off the air despite the fact that WCW was still among the highest rated shows that Turner Broadcasting had. With no network to air WCW on, the other buyers pulled out of the deal and that allowed Vince McMahon to swoop in as the only buyer left which enabled him to purchase WCW for peanuts. So WCW didn't fold or "go out of business" in the traditional sense. Vince McMahon purchased WCW and CHOSE not to continue it. Seeing how Vince brought back ECW to TV in 2006, I'm sure if Vince could go back and keep WCW Nitro going... he would. He lost out on millions of dollars because he couldn't see past his own ego. WCW Nitro's worst ratings were still better than what WWE Smackdown is currently getting on the Syfy network today.

Unresolved Storyline: Why Is Brad Maddox Still On WWE TV?

by Brian Phelps

http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com

Ahh, it's time once again to call out WWE on unresolved story lines, and story arcs that contradict themselves. I'm sure we all remember "rogue" referee Brad Maddox? He's the infamous referee that costed Ryback the WWE Championship with a low blow at Hell in a Cell 2012. Vince McMahon told Brad Maddox that he would give him a million dollar contract as a wrestler if he could defeat Ryback. Brad Maddox failed to defeat Ryback, and thus should never have been seen again (kayfabe wise). So why was he on RAW December 3rd asking Vickie Guerrero to sign him to a contract? So, he got another shot at a contract by facing Randy Orton (which he lost again). Why was he even allowed in the arena? Some may say that it's because he is still a referee; however, on the December 14th episode of Smackdown Josh Matthews mentioned that Maddox is no longer a referee. So... if he is no longer a referee, and he lost his shots at a contract then why is he still being allowed into the buildings? WWE seems to be contradicting themselves on the whole Brad Maddox story. 

Mr. McMahon reveals that Booker T is the new General Manager of SmackDown (Video)

8-3-12: Booker T is the New Smackdown General Manager

Last night on the August 3, 2012 edition of WWE Smackdown, Vince McMahon officially named 6-time World Champion Booker T the new General Manager of Smackdown. 

Top 8 Ideas and Gimmicks Vince McMahon Ripped Off of Other Organizations

by Brian Phelps
http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com

In the world of pro wrestling, no name is more known or recognized than Vince McMahon. Vince McMahon has come up with a lot of great ideas over the years, or has he? I'm a firm believer that although Vince McMahon is a genius chess player, I also believe that Vince McMahon hasn't come up with many original ideas. Vince McMahon is not an idea man. Vince McMahon is a business man. Vince McMahon basically just takes every one else's ideas, polishes them, and then does them better. I truly do believe that Vince has come up with a lot of great ideas over the years, and I'm not trying to take anything away from Vince McMahon's genius. However, I'm going to call it in spades. One thing about Vince McMahon that makes him such a great chess player is that if he can't get his hands on the real thing, he'll darn sure make his own version of someone else's idea. And he won't just make his own version of it, he'll make it as good or BETTER. If he can't make a better version of someone else's idea, it will if nothing else look much more polished. Like I said, Vince McMahon is a brilliant tactician and decision maker. Vince McMahon has had a lot of great ideas, but they're never original ideas. He either bought the best, or made his own copy cats. I've listed below 8 legendary ideas that he basically ripped off of other companies.

Vince Rips off NWA's Road Warriors with WWF's Demolition


The Road Warrior's dominated pro wrestling throughout the early 1980s with a Mad Max inspired gimmick that made them one of the most popular wrestlers of all-time. In 1987, Vince McMahon put out Demolition, a tag team of his own as an answer to NWA's Road Warriors. Demolition had the same exact gimmick of two musclebound warriors in face paint that were based off the Mad Max movies. What is more amusing is that Vince McMahon pushed Demolition as the face of the WWF tag team division... until he finally signed The Road Warriors. Once he had the real Road Warriors, Demolition almost immediately became jobbers until they disbanded while the Road Warriors became the face of the WWF tag team division. Demolition were nothing more than a very good rip off of the Road Warriors.

Vince McMahon rips off WCW's nWo faction with WWF's D-X

In 1996, WCW blew the mind off the professional wrestling world with the formation of the New World Order. They were a group of guys who aimed to take over WCW, and did what they wanted whenever they wanted to. They consisted of two members of the WWF's famed 'Kliq' (Scott Hall and Kevin Nash), a legendary heel manager (Ted Dibiase), a freak athlete (The Giant), and the face of WCW (Hulk Hogan). WCW immediately took over the ratings war. Determined not to be outdone, Vince McMahon answered by forming Degeneration-X in 1997. DX (for short) ironically consisted of two members of the WWF's famed 'Kliq' (Triple H and Shawn Michaels), a legendary heel manager (Rick Rude), a freak athlete (Chyna), and the face of the company (also Shawn Michaels). The nWo also included another 'Kliq' member (Sean "Syxx-Pac" Waltman) who actually ended up also being a member of WWF's Degeneration-X, changing his name from "Syxx-Pac" to "X-Pac". The formation of DX allowed Vince McMahon to semi-halt the momentum of the nWo angle by creating an equally entertaining faction that like the nWo, employed juvenile pranks and violence to take over the company.

Vince McMahon turns WCW's Goldberg into a formula for wrestlers Batista, Brock Lesnar, and Bobby Lashley

After the monster success that WCW enjoyed with Bill Goldberg, Vince McMahon took WCW's Goldberg and turned it into more of a formula that led to future stars like Batista, Brock Lesnar, and Bobby Lashley. The basic formula of a tattooed monster face in basic trunks with a football player's build that mowed through the entire roster in animalistic fashion was used on Batista, Brock Lesnar, and Bobby Lashley (who left before his push was finished). The one mistake that Vince McMahon successfully avoided was the black hole of the undefeated streak. The undefeated streak ended up hurting Goldberg in the end because it was built up to astronomical proportions, and no matter how WCW made him lose it hurt his fan base because the streak became bigger than Goldberg himself.

Vince McMahon rips off TNA Wrestling by having Jersey Shore member Snooki appear on RAW 11 days AFTER fellow Jersey Shore cast member Angelina Pavarnick originally appeared on TNA Impact.


TNA Wrestling had a great idea by trying to tap into the success of MTV's cable rating king pin The Jersey Shore by having a member of the cast guest star on an episode of Impact Wrestling. On the March 3, 2011 broadcast of Impact, Jersey Shore cast member Angelina Pavarnick made her debut. Not to be outdone, Vince McMahon brought in Nicole "Snooki" Polizzi on RAW a mere 11 days AFTER Angelina Pavarnick appeared for TNA. On top of that, he also "one upped" TNA by having Snooki appear at Wrestlemania 27. TNA has since "one upped" WWE by having J-Woww and Ronnie also appear on Impact.

Vince McMahon rips off TNA Wrestling's "The Beautiful People" with WWE's "LayCool"

In 2008, TNA Wrestling made waves a few years ago by forming a female faction called "The Beautiful People". They were two besties who thought they were better than everyone else and proceeded to call out and belittle other female wrestlers for being ugly. They had a unique entrance, and have gone on to EASILY become the greatest women's gimmick of all-time. They were an instant hit, and were constantly the highest rated segment on Impact. In 2009, the WWE packaged Layla and Michelle McCool together as LayCool in the exact same gimmick. LayCool went after Mickie James the same way that the Beautiful People went after Roxxi and other knockouts. It was eerie how similar LayCool was. It even led to a twitter war of words between the two groups. Rumor had it that LayCool was actually created as a direct answer to The Beautiful People because Vince allegedly felt that the Beautiful People were making his Divas look like a joke (which they were). Some in the IWC will argue that LayCool is a rehash of PMS (Pretty Mean Sisters), but that is false. PMS consisted of 3 members, and were not like LayCool or Beautiful People.

Vince McMahon rips off NWA's Starrcade with WWF's Wrestlemania

NWA's Starrcade was the FIRST BIG flagship wrestling event and served as the precursor to every pay-per-view that followed including Wrestlemania, which followed the blueprint laid out by the NWA and Starrcade. Basically, Starrcade was Wrestlemania BEFORE Wrestlemania. There would be NO Wrestlemania without Starrcade.

Vince McMahon rips off WCW and Eric Bischoff's "Evil Boss Gimmick" with Mr. McMahon gimmick. 

This is one of the bigger rip offs in pro wrestling history. WCW had revolutionary idea after revolutionary idea in the 1990s and this other than the nWo, was the BIGGEST.  In 1996, Eric Bischoff became the evil puppet master of the nWo, and proceeded to make the entire WCW roster's lives miserable. He was injecting WCW with nWo poison looong before Vince screwed Bret Hart, took on Stone Cold, ran the Corporation, and injected the WWF with nWo poison. Vince's famous Mr.McMahon character was a direct answer and rip off of WCW's "Eazy E" Eric Bischoff evil boss character. There would have NEVER been a Mr.McMahon gimmick had it not been for Eric Bischoff's heel boss gimmick. Bischoff did it first, and Vince McMahon just polished the idea a little bit. It was after Sting started Scorpion Death Dropping Bischoff that we saw Stone Cold give his famed Stunner to Mr.McMahon.

Vince McMahon rips off WCW's highly successful "Cruiserweight Division" with WWF's flop "Light Heavyweight Division"

With WCW taking over the ratings in 1996, Bischoff began signing international talent and developed the WCW Cruiserweight Division in 1996. The Cruiserweight division showcased a who's who of lucha libre legends and future hall of famers such as Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Ultimo Dragon, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Billy Kidman, Juventud Guerrera, and Chris Benoit. The WWF attempted to answer WCW's division in 1997 by creating the Light Heavyweight Championship. However, the Light Heavyweight Division was a massive flop and nothing more than a poor man's Cruiserweight Division. It featured forgettable stars such as Essa Rios, Taka Michinoku, and Brian Chistopher... who never really caught on with fans. The division didn't last long before being scrapped.

FAQ: Why Won't Sting Work for Vince McMahon and the WWE? (Video)

This video shows Sting explaining in depth why he has continued to refuse to work for Vince McMahon and the WWE.

Watch UFC 141: Brock Lesnar Video Blog

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How Zack Ryder Beat the WWE's Version of the Kobayashi Maru

by Brian Phelps

http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com

What Zack Ryder's done is the equivalent of Captain Kirk beating the kobayashi maru. What I mean by that is Zack Ryder is the very first wrestler to ever get over without the system. Zack Ryder is the first and only wrestler to ever get over without ever stepping foot in the ring, the first to ever get over without even being featured on TV. In early 2011, Zack Ryder was on the verge of being released by the WWE. He was saddled with a goofy jobber's gimmick. He hadn't been on TV in months, and the death of WWE's ECW show seemed like the last hurrah for Zack Ryder. WWE had ZERO faith in him, and thus refused to even try to find any time to come up with anything for his character. Ryder was at a dead end.

However, instead of lying around and moping... Zack Ryder took matters into his own hands. He took to Youtube and began filming videos while still in-character. He dubbed these videos "Z! True Long Island Story" and a star was born. The "Z! True Long Island Story" web series gave the world a back story for the Zack Ryder character. It gave people a personal look inside Ryder's world, life, and wrestling character. Despite not being on tv in months, Zack Ryder's character was being developed outside of the WWE. We got to see Ryder's dad, his friends, and what his character likes to do. Over time, these videos picked up steam and over night Zack Ryder became a Youtube sensation. All of a sudden, signs started popping up in wrestling arenas around the country with Ryder's catch phrases despite the fact that if you never saw his web show you wouldn't even know who Ryder was because WWE wasn't even using him. Ryder chants began to spontaneously break out during WWE matches that didn't even feature him. How can a guy that is not even on the show have a GROWING fan base? 

As time passed, and he gained hundreds of thousands of followers from his web series top WWE wrestlers like John Cena and CM Punk went to bat for Zack Ryder. CM Punk defended Zack Ryder to Triple H at Comic Con this past year. Then Cena jumped on the band wagon. Suddenly, Vince McMahon and the WWE were FORCED to look and see this talented young man whose fans refuse to be ignored. A man whose fans refuse to let the WWE continue to pass over him. Now, all of sudden after ignoring Zack Ryder for years WWE has done a complete 180 and are trying to cash in on Zack Ryder's SELF-MADE success. Now you are seeing Ryder merchandise right and left on WWEShop.com and now they are featuring Ryder on RAW and Smackdown pretty much every week. Now, Zack Ryder is tagging with Cena on RAW and Orton on Smackdown while teasing a possible US title run. I think it really dawned on them that maybe they have something special on their hands. Zack Ryder is the ultimate underdog story about a down on his luck wrestler that turned things around and beat the WWE's insensitive corporate machine. 

Zack Ryder has no doubt already made history as the first wrestler to get over without the system, without a promotion, without Vince or Turner or anyone backing him. No one believed in him, and he proved all the fat cats at WWE headquarters wrong. Zack Ryder like James T. Kirk beat the Kobayashi Maru.

Bret "Hitman" Hart Interview: December 13, 2011

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Evidence Shows Vince McMahon Fears TNA Wrestling

by Brian Phelps

http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com

Over the last few years, I've begun to notice that Vince McMahon fears TNA Wrestling. Vince McMahon DOES see TNA as a legitimate threat. Vince can say all he wants about not seeing TNA as a threat, but I'm not buying it. I have seen too much evidence that points to the contrary. Now, many of the naysayers will read this and laugh citing that Monday night RAW averages around a 3.0-3.3 rating while Impact garners a 1.0-1.3 average. The anti-TNA contingent always cite ratings. Those that argue only ratings are completely missing the bigger picture. There have been signs that WWE fears TNA all over the place. I'm going to bestow the compiled evidence upon everyone to prove my theory correct. Vince McMahon sees TNA differently than the fan does. TNA began as a snow flake, that became a snow ball, that is now almost a full blown avalanche of momentum.

1) Reports circulated online that Vince McMahon was allegedly reluctant to release Matt Hardy due to his fear of a Hardy Boyz reunion in TNA.

2) Jan. 4, 2010 - Vince McMahon brings in Bret Hart as a DIRECT answer to Hulk Hogan's TNA debut when TNA went live on Mondays

3) Dec. 2010 - Reports circulated that WWE changed a divas match to a Tables match at TLC 2010 as a DIRECT answer to TNA's now classic cage match on Impact between Mickie James and Tara.

4) WWE packaged Michelle McCool and Layla together as Lay Cool as a DIRECT answer to TNA's Beautiful People as rumor had it that Vince felt TNA's girls were making his look bad

5) Reports circulated online that WWE decided to go ahead and let Maryse go once they knew she had no interest in going to TNA

6) Vince allegedly begins to question releasing certain wrestlers out of fears they will go to TNA

7) Recently, reports circulated that Vince pulled a Zack Ryder t-shirt that said "Take care, Spike your hair" out of fears that people would misinterpret "Spike" to mean "SpikeTV" (SpikeTV is TNA's network)

8) Vince pulls Ric Flair, Mick Foley, and Hulk Hogan from the opening signature of their shows after they sign with TNA

9) TNA begins luring big name talent away from WWE. Over the last several years TNA has managed to lure guys like Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy, Rob Van Dam, Ric Flair, Taz, Booker T, Bobby Lashley and Christian away from WWE. This means that WWE now has to worry about how releasing a superstar could benefit TNA because now wrestlers have somewhere else they can go to make a living.

10) I remember when TNA was nothing more than Jeff Jarrett and a roster full of nobodies. Now, look at TNA in 2011. Kurt Angle, Jeff Hardy, Rob Van Dam, Hulk Hogan, Sting, Ric Flair, Scott Steiner, Mr. Kennedy etc. WWE has to always asking themselves "Is this next guy going to be the one that gets TNA over the hump?"

11) TNA is now starting to go on the road. Getting out of the Impact Zone is a sign of growth.

12) Younger stars are emerging. 2011 is the year of James Storm and Bobby Roode, and AJ Styles is always a viable threat.

13) This next one is the elephant in the room that no one wants to talk about, and no one wants to admit. The anti-TNA contingent NEVER mentions this. WWE is in a state of decline, while TNA is in a state of growth. WWE's ratings have been in a consistent state of decline for YEARS now. I remember when Smackdown used to garner 4.0 ratings. Smackdown is a success story now if they hit a 2.0 rating! WWE also just posted their 2nd worst ppv numbers in company history! For the last couple of weeks, RAW has been losing ratings in the 2nd hour of the show. TNA has steadily been on their way UP. Recently, TNA posted their HIGHEST rating ever for a Thursday night (a 1.4). In 2010, TNA posted their highest rating ever (a 1.5). To put this in perspective, about 6 years ago when TNA Impact was airing on Fox Sports Net they averaged a 0.3 RATING! Now, they are averaging a solid (1.2) rating. Also, merchandise sales and attendance are up across the board in TNA. While WWE is putting tarps over sections of the Smackdown shows, TNA has been increasing their attendance and begun to leave the impact zone. All signs say that TNA is in a period of growth, while WWE is in a state of decline. These are not opinions. These are FACTS. The anti-TNA contingent and naysayers cannot refute that.

14) TNA just landed a deal with Ohio Valley Wrestling (WWE's former developmental territory before FCW). Now, TNA has their own developmental territory, and have even hooked up with Jakks Pacific (the former toy maker for WWE). Once again, all signs point to TNA growing while all signs point to WWE declining.

Here is a time line documenting the momentum that TNA has been on since it's inception:

1. 2002 - Jeff and Jerry Jarrett found TNA Wrestling
2. 2002 - Panda Energy International purchases a controlling share in TNA
3. 2002 - TNA sells weekly pay-per-views as its main source of income
4. Nov. 27, 2002 - TNA launches its first weekly television series "TNA Xplosion"
5. 2004 - TNA lands a television deal with Fox Sports Net and thus "TNA Impact" was born averaging a 0.3 rating
6. 2005 - TNA leaves Fox Sports Net, and lands a better deal with SpikeTV
7. 2005 - TNA signs Sting and Christian
8. 2006 - TNA signs Kurt Angle
9. 2007 - TNA Impact expands from one hour to two hours
10. 2007 - TNA signs Booker T
11. 2008 - TNA signs Mick Foley
12. 2008 - Midway games releases TNA's first video game "TNA Impact!"
13. 2009 - Taz debuts
14. Jan. 2010 - Eric Bischoff, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Mr. Kennedy, nWo (the Band) and Jeff Hardy debut, Impact goes live on Mondays, Impact posts its highest rating ever with a 1.5 rating
15. 2010 - TNA lands toy deal with Jakks Pacific (formerly WWE's toy maker)
16. May 2011 - Namco Bandai releases TNA video game for mobile phones, iphone, and ipad
17. 2011 - TNA begins to take Impact on the road 
18. 2011 - TNA Impact scores highest rating ever for Thursday nights 1.4 rating
19. Nov 2011 - TNA Wrestling lands deal that makes Ohio Valley Wrestling TNA's developmental territory (OVW was formerly WWE's developmental territory)

In closing, am I saying that TNA will defeat WWE today in the ratings war? Absolutely NOT. Am I saying that TNA is going to put WWE out of business? Absolutely NOT. Let's not get things twisted. All I'm saying is that Vince McMahon knows in his heart of hearts that TNA is a train that used to be hundreds of miles off in the distance, and now it's just a few miles down the road. The avalanche that is TNA is coming for the WWE. It's on its way. Book it. It's only a matter of time. TNA has grown from 0.2-0.3 ratings to as high as a 1.5 rating. TNA is going on the road more now. TNA is landing toy deals, developmental deals, video game deals. TNA is beyond the shadow of a doubt on their way UP. 

WWE Network is coming in 2012!

http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com

Why Are WWE Superstars Jumping Ship to TNA ?

by Brian Phelps
http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com

Over the years, there has been a tidal wave of pro wrestlers jumping ship from WWE to TNA. Despite the fact the fact that TNA doesn't pay as much and doesn't offer a lot of the merchandising perks that WWE does. So, why are they still jumping over each other to go to TNA? I'm here to explain why.

1) Less Dates - In WWE, you can expect to work over 300 days a year. That's a considerable amount of time away from your family and friends. In TNA, they work a little over a 100 days a year. This also means that your body isn't pushed as hard, which means more time to heal and less of a chance of injury due to over working.

2) Better Opportunities - Many wrestlers in WWE end up getting lost in the shuffle due to the roster size, and corporate politics. Guys like Chavo Guerrero, MVP, Gail Kim all left WWE because they were unhappy with the way they were being treated. Before TNA, there was nowhere to go and make money... now, they can go to TNA (or Japan in MVP's case) and still feed their families. They also may achieve greater heights in TNA. Just ask X-Division Champion Brian Kendrick. Look at Christian. WWE considered Christian nothing but a mid-carder during his initial WWE Run until TNA made him Heavyweight Champion. After he returned to WWE from TNA, he is now a 2-time World Heavyweight Champion on Smackdown.

3) Better Working Atmosphere - Many wrestlers drown amongst the corporate suits in WWE. Many have stated that TNA is a lighter working environment where you have at least somewhat of a better shot at being heard when you have an idea.

4) Tired of Being Held Down - In cases like Mr. Anderson, he states that he was held back by main eventers like Randy Orton who got in the bosses ear. It was also said by Bret Hart that Shawn Michaels and Triple H tried to hold down The Rock. So, it's not just Mr. Anderson that has stories of main eventers getting in Vince's ear trying to hold down up-and-coming stars.

Why Wrestling Fans Boo John Cena

by Brian Phelps

http://www.wrestlersway.blogspot.com

The question that a lot of wrestling fans ask is why do wrestling fans boo John Cena? In this blog post, I aim to outline exactly why fans dislike, despise, and ultimately boo John Cena.

John Cena is literally the "face" of the WWE. He is the biggest star of the current generation of professional wrestling, and one of the biggest baby faces of all-time. He has a chiseled physique, movie star good looks, loads of charisma, and has beaten the biggest stars in the sport. He is also an 11 time World Champion, 3 time United States Champion, 4 time Tag Team Champion, and the 2008 Royal Rumble Winner. He has made as much or more merchandise sales than Hulk Hogan and Stone Cold Steve Austin. His Rap Album debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200. He has starred in several feature films including The Marine, 12 Rounds, and Legendary. He is the the current face of the WWE, inheriting that torch from predecessors such as The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and Hulk Hogan who came before him. So, why does arguably the biggest baby face of all-time walk into any arena in the country and get booed by half the fans? Why did fans boo him during his feud with Triple H and cheer for Triple H who was the villain? Why do fans chant "You Suck", "You Can't Wrestle" to John Cena but no one else. It's a question that WWE Executives have never really understood. This response has NEVER happened to any other "face of the company". So why hate John Cena? Here's a list of 10 reasons why.


1) Lack of Moves - People chant "You Can't Wrestle" to John Cena because he has only a handful of moves. Fishermen's Suplex, Five Knuckle Shuffle, Attitude Adjustment, STF, Top Rope Leg Drop are his only real maneuvers. Unless you count a basic clothesline, running shoulder block, or just punching someone... he really has 2 or 3 moves besides his 3 finishers.

2) Lackluster Finishing Moves - The Attitude Adjustment is nothing more than hoisting a guy on your shoulders and just dumping him off. It's not a believable finishing move in the modern era. The Five Knuckle Shuffle is nothing more than a falling punch with a taunt. Then the STF, Cena's submission move is just a poor man's Crippler Crossface.

3) Inability to Sell - His inability to sell moves and get as far as he has in the business astounds me. He never really even looks like he is in pain, he just squeezes his eyes shut... but looks like he is totally faking it. When you're a wrestler, you are supposed to sell beat downs. Cena shows no emotion when he gets beat down. He looks more like he's just tired and squeezing his eyes shut instead of a guy that is supposed to be writhing in pain from a devastating move he just received. Watch a Rock, Hogan, or Shawn Michaels match... and watch how they writhe in pain and sell injuries and moves. Then watch a John Cena match... and how he just squeezes his eyes shut and just looks sort of tired. It's just horrible acting on his part.

4) Ripped Off Character - What ticks fans off about Cena is that his entire persona is just a rip off/hybrid of two old school wrestlers, The Rock and Hulk Hogan and here's how. His take a beating the whole match, and then "magically come back" with 2-3 moves and win is a copy-and-paste of the old Hulkster Match formula. Hulk Hogan would come out and take a beating most of the match, and then "Hulk Up" (magically come back) and hit 2 or 3 moves and win the match. That worked in the '80s because wrestlers didn't have many moves back then, and matches would go 20-30 minutes so fans enjoyed that because it was different. Also, during the Cold War era it was inspiring to see an American beat down only to persevere and come back. Now, it's played out and predictable. It's stale and boring. Even Chavo Guerrero referred to it as "another BS Lazy Comeback".

Then, John Cena's Five Knuckle Shuffle to Attitude Adjustment sequence is a carbon copy of The Rock's People's Elbow to Rock Bottom sequence. So, it just seems like a cheap rehash.

John Cena's catch phrase "You Want Some, Come Get Some" is ripped off of Rick Steiner's "You Want Some, Come Get Some... You Don't Like Me, Bite Me" catch phrase. Also, "You Want Some, Come Get Some" also is essentially the same as saying The Rock's "Just Bring It" catch phrase. In other words, the running theme is that John Cena's persona from Mid 2005-Present is super lazy... and just feels like the WWE cherry picked a couple of things from the Rock and Hulk Hogan that worked  in the past and copy-and-pasted them onto John Cena. In other words, John Cena's persona was milked right out of the unoriginal "Corporate Machine".

5) WWE Forces Him Down Our Throats- From April 2005 to the present (July 2011), John Cena has headlined a staggering 60 PPV Events! (And you could argue a couple more if you include some of the matches that he didn't fight for a title, but had the most hyped about match). People are tired of seeing him fight for the World Title. It's so over done, stale, boring, repetitive, and frustrating. Who wants to order a WWE PPV when the same guy fights for the belt every month? He actually probably would've headlined more had he not had a couple of injuries over the years. It's like listening to a great song every day for 6 years. You start to hate that song. (PPV Results Information gathered from prowrestling.about.com)

6) Promos Are Mind Numbingly Repetitive - He's reached a point now where all his promos sound the same.  It's usually the same "WWE is my life... I defend this belt night in and night out... and you want some, come get some". It usually doesn't vary much from that.

7) John Cena Has to Make Everything About John Cena - He will come out and get involved in things that don't even concern him. After CM Punk got suspended, John Cena came out the next week to "call out" Vince McMahon. He told Vince "What if I speak my mind are you going to suspend me too?" and told Vince if that's how Vince is doing things he wants no part and tried to walk out. Umm.... first, why do you even care? The situation had NOTHING to do with you. How did CM Punk getting suspended end with John Cena calling out Vince McMahon and nearly walking out? Shouldn't CM Punk have called out Vince and walked out? He's as bad as Hogan about taking the spot light from situations that have nothing to do with him.

8) Why do Women and Children Cheer John Cena? Women cheer for John Cena because he has movie star good looks, and a chiseled physique. They cheer for him because he is "hot". Children cheer for him because he is a cut and dry good guy who fights for what is right, and dresses colorful. Kids respond to that.

9) Why Do Men Hate John Cena? Other than all the reasons I have already given, men hate John Cena because he's the star quarterback from your high school who had everything handed to him. He's that guy from your job or your school that does absolutely nothing and gets all the girls because of his movie star good looks. He's that guy from your job that gets the employee of the month award every single month, even though you're better at your job than he is. He's that lazy jock from your school who never had to try to do his school work because his teachers just gave him an A because he's the star of the football team or everyone lets him copy off their work, while you bust your butt studying and get a C. He's that guy from your job that gets all the promotions and accolades even though his work ethic sucks, while you bust your butt and your boss couldn't give a crap less about you. That's what men see when they look at John Cena.

10) "Super Cena" - The Internet Wrestling Community has a term for John Cena. They call him "SuperCena" because he wins 99.9% of the time, and is rarely ever even challenged. Who wants to watch a guy that gets beat down and just comes back and wins every single flipping match? Hit the snooze and let me know when his matches are over because I already know who will win.

11) John Cena Sold Out - What happened to the take no prisoners, battle rapping John Cena? Everyone loved the Doctor of Thug-a-nomics.... but as soon as he became WWE Champion at Wrestlemania 21... he changed. He became a shell of his former self. He quit wearing his hat backwards, quit wearing jerseys, and became the corporate monkey. He turned his hat forward, ditched the jerseys, stopped rapping, and started giving boring cookie cutter promos, and delivering the same lazy BS comeback match every night. He totally sold out when he became the face of the company. Gone is the edgy, gutsy John Cena... and all we're left with is this boring Rock/Hogan hybrid.

CM Punk Demands WWE Ice Cream Bars Be Brought Back in New Contract

by Brian Phelps

http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com

CM Punk finally confronted Vince McMahon tonight on RAW, and it was worth the wait. The very first live contract negotiation did not end with the usual someone getting smashed through a table... match signings typically go... and boy was I glad. WWE actually remained unpredictable for that segment for the most part with the exception of John Cena once again interrupting so he could make it "all about Cena" like always. I'm about to call Cena 'Hogan 2.0' because he is a black hole swallowing the spotlight from all that is good.

Anyways, CM Punk was on fire on the microphone, demanding in his contract that Vince McMahon bring back the WWE ice cream bars. He also scolded Vince McMahon, telling him that he was "The voice of the voiceless". Punk said he was the voice for Colt Cabana and Luke Gallows... which actually got split "Colt Cabana"/"We want ice cream" chants. Then Cena comes out to try to make something that has nothing to do with him... all about him. John Cena called Punk a hypocrite. Punk laughed at John because John is the real hypocrite. John Cena always talked about being the underdog... and now he is no longer the underdog Punk said. He went on to say that Cena went from being the Boston Red Sox to the New York Yankees... that he was a dynasty now. Cena then proceeds to punch CM Punk, and that made CM Punk remember why he wants to leave the WWE and so he rips up the contract.

Now, the only thing that is getting on my nerves is how John Cena always has to come out and try to make everything about John Cena. CM Punk has the crowd eating out of his hand, but John Cena can't have that. He has to have all the attention. So, he'll come out and babble his usual crap... you know... the same cookie cutter "you think you're better than me? prove it" boring sap that Cena spews every week for the last 6 years. I'm looking forward to Money in the Bank. For ratings sake, put your money on CM Punk walking out with the title and Cena being fired.

John Cena Confronts Vince McMahon on CM Punk Suspension

by Brian Phelps

http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com

In the after math of CM Punks suspension by the WWE, this past Monday on RAW John Cena called out Vince McMahon looking for answers. Cena said CM Punk should not have been suspended for speaking his mind. John Cena also stated that he wanted to face Punk because that's what the fans want. Vince McMahon said he suspended CM Punk because he couldn't allow Punk to walk out of the company with the World Title. It had gotten so heated that John Cena told Vince McMahon that he didn't sign up for this, and walked out. Vince yelled, "You're just gonna walk out? Like Hogan?". Eventually Vince McMahon caved in and reinstated CM Punk, and put the title match back on for Money in the Bank.

Where does this leave Alberto Del Rio, who earlier in the night had become the replacement number one contender for the World Title? I was mad in one respect because I felt like John Cena had to come out and make it all about John Cena like always, and not about CM Punk. However, it was an effective scene with Cena wondering what else WWE would begin to censor if you can't speak your mind. It almost makes you want to see Stevie Richard and the Rights to Censor faction come back. Easily one of the most engaging story lines in recent memory.

WWE Delivers Evan Bourne vs Sin Cara

by Brian Phelps (http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com)




This past Monday night on RAW, fans were treated to Evan Bourne vs Sin Cara. This was one of, if not the best match on RAW this year. After WWE rigged the Power to the People votes and chose Mason Ryan over Evan Bourne to face Sin Cara, WWE has received major backlash far and wide by the wrestling media. At first, they tried to hide their wrong doing and pretend it was some major glitch in the voting system. I've never heard of any glitches on American Idol, Survivor (player of the season voting), or anything else so in a place where everything is scripted and planned... it was an "accident" that the unpopular Mason Ryan was chosen over Sin Cara. YEAH RIGHT. Also, if it was a glitch in the voting system... how did they figure out that Sin Cara should've gotten those votes and not Jack Swagger (I know Sin Cara is more popular but I mean in terms of fixing the glitch)? Then, if it was a glitch and an accident then why did they say they were "making it up" to the fans with Evan Bourne vs Sin Cara the following week when it wasn't their fault? That's how you know they are blowing so much smoke up peoples butts. It's just like RAW Roulette is obviously staged too.

RAW Roulette was fixed too. They spin the wheel, and then zoom far enough in to where you can only see the top of the wheel... so that someone hiding below the wheel can slow the wheel down on the match that they wrote in the script for the two wrestlers to have. Seriously, at least try to make it hard for us to figure out lol.

Did CM Punk Go Off Script?

by Brian Phelps (http://wrestlersway.blogspot.com)




On RAW earlier tonight, CM Punk changed the course of wrestling history. He created a defining game changer in professional wrestling. It was beyond controversial. It was beyond edgy. Not since 'Razor Ramon' jumped the guard rail on WCW Nitro and implied he was sent by the WWF to take over has a moment rocked wrestling like this and had fans asking themselves if it was real or not. CM Punk has been proclaiming for weeks that his contract is coming up and he is not going to renew it, which is unusual in itself. During the John Cena/R-Truth tables match, he ran out and costed Cena the match... but then oddly grabbed a microphone and walked up the entrance ramp and sat down. Then... he opened his mouth.

CM Punk committed every cardinal sin a wrestler can make. He came out wearing another wrestlers shirt. He mentioned other promotions (a big no no in WWE) when he proclaimed that he would walk out of the company as the World Champion and maybe go defend the belt in New Japan Pro Wrestling or maybe go back to Ring of Honor. He shouted out a non-WWE employee... ROH wrestler Colt Cabana, waving at the camera and saying "Hey Colt Cabana, how you doing?" He told John Cena that he actually liked John Cena, that he didn't hate him. He told Cena he was really great at kissing Vince McMahons ass... as good as Hulk Hogan was and almost as good as Dwayne (The Rock). He broke the fourth wall by looking at the people at home and waving. He then talks about how he is sick of the idea that John Cena is the best wrestler. Punk says he is the best WRESTLER and has been since day one. He told us that The Rock headlining Wrestlemania 28 makes him sick. The icing on the cake is when he says that maybe the company would be better off if Vince McMahon were dead, but it won't because it will be ran by his idiot daughter (Stephanie) and doofus son-in-law (Triple H). He even credited Paul Heyman for giving him a chance "Yes, I'm a Paul Heyman guy". CM Punk committed probably every no no that you could do in the business. Now, everyone has been asking if it was real or scripted after his microphone was cut off and the show was cut off during his anti-WWE rant. It was said that after RAW went off the air Michael Cole stated that Punk was suspended indefinitely, but were the WWE just trying to save face by trying to cover up Punk's off script antics? Whether it was scripted, real, imaginary... it doesn't matter. The world is talking about it. CM Punks shoot promo just joined the hostile take over of WCW, Austins 3:16 speech, and Shane McMahons purchase of WCW as the most shocking moments in professional wrestling history.

WWE Screws Christian Over... Again

Right when you are about to say "Wow, WWE finally got something right"... they prove once again that they have no idea what the fans want. They finally put the World Title on Christian and in less than a week... he loses the title on Smackdown to Randy Orton. I have to ask... what does putting the World Title on Randy Orton for the 8th time do for the WWE? They don't gain anything from it. We've been there and done that 7 times before. Then they totally kill Christians buzz. This was one of those decisions that just leave you scratching your head and wondering "What were they thinking?". Christian winning the title was new. It was fresh and a different direction. WWE's biggest problem is that they can't get past Cena and Orton, and it's hurting the product as a whole. We've seen Cena and Orton win the title a combined what... 18 times now? Enough already. We're sick and tired of Cena and Orton as champion. It's an old hat. This is a perfect example of why TNA marks can't stand WWE. This is why TNA fans turned off WWE. Bone headed decisions like this. How many more stars have to suffer just so Vince McMahon can make a squeeze a couple more bucks out of Cena and Orton? Christian deserves so much better than this...

Christian Finally Wins the Big One!

1st off, I want to say I love my wife! Now, on to business. At WWE Extreme Rules, Christian finally won the big one.Anyone who reads this blog regularly knows that I've made it very clear that WWE was dropping the ball on Christian by not making him champion. While I'm ecstatic for Christian because he is the most deserving superstar in pro wrestling, I can't help but feel like WWE only did it because Edge was forced to retire. Had Edge not been forced out of the spotlight, WWE wouldn't have even considered Christian for the title. Since WWE no longer had Edge, they settled for "Diet Edge". With Edge being forced into retirement, it only made sense to have his best friend take his spot. It's very similar to Rey Mysterio winning the title after Eddie Guerrero's death... seemingly divine intervention opening the door for Rey as it has for Christian now. It's the "Angels in the Outfield" of professional wrestling for Christian. If anything I believe that TNA should be praised and commended for showing Vince and the WWE that Christian could be a credible World Champion. TNA saw a World Champion in Christian FIVE YEARS AGO! (Christian won the World Championship in TNA in 2006, see below for footage of his TNA title win) Christian was feuding with Kurt Angle, Sting, and Jeff Jarrett 5 years ago and more than holding his own. TNA should also be credited with really raising Christians stock in the wrestling world. Congratulations to Captain Charisma. You deserve the title, and it is so long overdue. This ones for the peeps!