Opinion

The Underrated Files: WWE Hall Of Fame Candidates

Published

5 years ago

April 5, 2018

With WrestleMania and the biggest weekend of the wrestling year upon us, the debate over the WWE’s “opening pitch” of WrestleMania weekend programming is the annual Hall Of Fame ceremony. Every year brings much debate and discussion among the fans on who should be in, who should be out, who should have gone in before this guy, so on and so forth. You always get the common names like Owen Hart, British Bulldog, Chyna and I’ve even seen a lot of push recently for Brutus Beefcake.

I started pondering who else is deserving of getting “the call”, but might be forgotten about when it comes to the conversation. Superstars who could be getting passed over for one reason or another by both the company, as well as fans in debates and conversations alike. I was able to come up with four names that I feel had broken ground in the business, left a legacy or just plain deserve it.

Let’s be honest here, we know the WWE Hall Of Fame is seen as a joke by most, so I see no reason why my choices couldn’t get in some day. Are they headliners of a Hall Of Fame ceremony? Certainly not, but their contributions to wrestling speak for themselves and at the end of the day, you always need more than just a headliner to fill any given class. Anybody can come up with an argument against someone, so here are my arguments FOR these stars.

‘The Loose Cannon’ Brian Pillman

Following a one year stint in the NFL with the Cincinnati Bengals, Brian Pillman stepped into the wrestling business by way of the famed Hart Family Dungeon, opening his career in Calgary with Stampede Wrestling. After two years and a small run in New Japan Pro Wresting, Pillman moved on to World Championship Wrestling and became ‘Flyin’ Brian due to his aerial assault on opponents. It was a style that was seldom seen in the USA, especially in WCW as Brian led the way for the company in its earliest incarnation of a Cruiserweight Division, becoming a two-time Light-Heavyweight Champion.

From there, Pillman would join forces with and become one of the earliest tandems to be known as “cool heels”, The Hollywood Blonds, alongside ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin. The Blonds became one of the most over teams in the business in only a five month pairing. Think about that. Only FIVE MONTHS! Pillman would again seemingly stay ahead of his time as he would begin to change his character, adopting the “Loose Cannon” moniker (By the way, this was after he was a member of The Four Horsemen, so he’s also got that notch in his belt).

He seemed to be living his life as a work, whether it was the fans or even the boys in the back, at a time in 1995 when people just didn’t go so over the top. Again, just think about that now. Two years before ‘Stone Cold’ became ‘Stone Cold’. Pillman’s departure from WCW in 1996 would see him arrive in ECW, continuing to work the world before a devastating car crash left him in a coma for a week. He would also need major ankle surgery, having his left foot fused back together and taking a devastating toll on his psyche.

His days as ‘Flyin’ Brian would be over as he would no longer be able to employ his in-ring style from WCW, but it didn’t stop the WWF from signing him. Unfortunately, Pillman’s ankle would continually cause him issues, Brian being forced to undergo a second surgery in the midst of a feud with his former partner, Austin. This would give us arguably the most controversial moment in WWE history, as ‘Stone Cold’ would break into Pillman’s house while he was laid-up, only to find Brian waiting for him with a gun. The angle got everybody talking, for better or worse, during a period when the WWF was getting their backsides handed to them by WCW. Brian would go on to join The Hart Foundation as the only member who was not related to the family, but would pass away abruptly at the age of 35 from a heart attack caused by a previously undetected heart condition.

‘The Iceman’ Dean Malenko

I have to admit that I was totally unaware, but as a kid how many of you realized that Dean Malenko was actually as old as he was? The son of the legendary Boris Malenko, Dean began performing in 1979 as a referee in Florida, spending the entirety of his career traveling around the world to places like Mexico and Japan before ever making major noise in America. It wasn’t until 1994 when ‘The Shooter’ began making a big name for himself when he joined up with Extreme Championship Wrestling, which is where an appreciation for his technical skill blossomed.

A two-time ECW Television and one-time ECW Tag Champion, Malenko would continually impress the hardcore fans in matches against the likes of Eddie Guerrero and he was even a founding member of the original Triple Threat faction with Chris Benoit and Shane Douglas. WCW would quickly take notice, bringing Dean into the fold and having him lead the way with its new Cruiserweight Division. ‘The Iceman’ was at the forefront of the exciting new venture, earning more monikers like ‘The Man of 1,000 Holds’ and titles alike. Like Pillman, Malenko would also become a member of The Four Horsemen and would win the Cruiserweight Title four times, as well as the United States and Tag Team Championships once each during a near four year span with WCW.

Along with his friends Benoit, Guerrero and Perry Saturn, Dean would make an almost immediate jump to the WWF in January of 2000, quickly making an impact on an already star-studded roster. By this time, Malenko was wearing down physically given that he was already 40 years old when he debuted with The Radicalz. His success in the ring would be limited with two Light-Heavyweight title reigns before retiring in 2001, but his fingerprint on the company has remained ever since with his work as a road agent.

‘The Taskmaster’ Kevin Sullivan

I’m wondering if this man may ever get consideration for the Hall Of Fame just by association, being that he is Nancy Benoit’s ex-husband. I tend to think that shouldn’t affect Kevin Sullivan, but with WWE wanting to be as far away from that as possible, who knows.

Sullivan got his start in the early 1970’s coming from Boston as an amateur that was not professionally trained. Like many wrestlers of the era, he spent a majority of his time hopping from territory-to-territory, including a stint in the WWWF, before settling down a bit with Championship Wrestling From Florida. During this time, Sullivan really started to make noise with his gimmick of being a Satanist, a character that was much darker than anything else that had been tried in the wrestling business (or at least the only one that worked).

His feuds in Florida with the likes of Dusty Rhodes and Barry Windham would catch the eye of Jim Crockett Promotions, signing on with the company and again undergoing a change by forming The Varsity Club upon his arrival. It was a gimmick that fit Sullivan with his amateur wrestling background, garnering success alongside fellow grapplers Mike Rotunda and Rick Steiner. The Varsity Club became the tops of the company’s Tag Team Division through its purchase by Ted Turner and renaming into WCW.

He also became very involved behind-the-scenes with the creative team and booking, two of the most difficult positions to hold in any wrestling organization, especially WCW. After departing and spending some time with Smoky Mountain Wrestling and ECW, Sullivan would return to the company and take back on his demonic character. I know some will pass due to the participants, but if you’d like to see some hard-hitting matches then any encounter between Chris Benoit and Kevin Sullivan before ‘The Taskmaster’ retired in 1997 are must-see. After stepping away from the ring, Sullivan would again focus on a backstage role, trying to keep the company afloat until it was ultimately sold to the WWF in 2001.

Hall Of Fame
‘The Model’ Rick Martel

In the late 1980’s and early 1990’s, there was no man I hated more as a child than ‘The Model’ Rick Martel. Going back before he would spray his opponents with “Arrogance” however, Martel had already grabbed loads of success in the wrestling business, coming from a wrestling family and traveling all over the globe before his arrival in the WWF in 1980. He would form a popular tandem with Tony Garea, winning the Tag Team Titles twice over a two year run, then made his way into Verne Gagne’s American Wrestling Association.

Martel would ascend the ranks of the promotion over the next two years, winning the coveted AWA World Heavyweight Championship and holding it for an astounding 19 months. In 1986 he would return to the WWF, forming a team this time with Tom Zenk known as The Can-Am Connection, which only had moderate success and conflicting reports between the partners as to why it failed. His next venture would be highly successful though, pairing up with Tito Santana as the wildly popular Strike Force.

The tandem would earn tag team gold during a two year stint together, ultimately doing what all teams inevitably must and splitting up with Martel turning on Santana. This is where he would adopt his moniker of ‘The Model’, often using an atomizer to spray his opponents with his trademark fragrance, “Arrogance”. Martel became a mainstay in the mid-card for the next 6 years, notably feuding with Jake ‘The Snake’ Roberts and Shawn Michaels while contending for the Intercontinental Championship. He would leave the company in 1995 and take some time off to pursue real estate, but would wind-up returning to the ring in 1997 for WCW, immediately heading into a feud with Booker T over the WCW Television Championship (which he’d win once). Ultimately, injuries would force him out of the ring entirely after a 25-year career.

Agree? Disagree? Have any underrated Hall Of Fame candidates of your own? Hit the comments section below or follow me on Twitter, @E_Ames323!

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

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Coverage

Greg DeMarco’s 2023 WWE SummerSlam Review

The biggest party of the summer comes to Detroit, when WWE SummerSlam 2023 delivers an action packed event that easily exceeds expectations.

Published

2 months ago

August 7, 2023

Greg DeMarco

The biggest party of the summer comes to Detroit, when WWE SummerSlam 2023 delivers an action packed event that easily exceeds expectations.

WWE presents SummerSlam 2023 live from ford field in Detroit in front of over 59k fans–who provided an electric atmosphere. Overall the card featured either matches, many of them delivering at or above expectations.

Read on for my thoughts, and even some ratings!

How I am rating segments:

I am using “The Line of DeMarco-cation,” which is for entertainment. the line is if I was entertained. You can have three main results:

ABOVE the Line of DeMarco-cation
AT the Line of DeMarco-cation
BELOW the Line of DeMarco-cation

If necessary, i reserve the right to go WAY ABOVE or WAY BELOW. Significant segments can be rated. individual and overall ratings are totally subjective.

It’s simple: ENTERTAIN ME!

Logan Paul vs. Ricochet

Welcome to the biggest match of Ricochet’s career.
Samantha Irvin’s outfit matches Logan Paul, not Ricochet — SWERVE, BRO!
Ricochet is a star, and I love seeing him treated like one.
Rocket Mortgage is donating $5k for every move off the top rope? This match alone might accumulate half a million.
I know Logan Paul needs to catch a private jet to Dallas and that’s why this is on first, but this is the perfect opener.
If you didn’t know who Logan Paul was, you’d think he was just another member of the roster–and that’s the biggest compliment you can give to him. He’s a damn good heel, too.
Paul using Braun Strowman’s powerslam–will we get Logan vs Braun?
LOGAN MUST POSE!
SPANISH FLY STICK THE LANDING.
This might be the best match either have had in a LONG time.
Logan Paul just hit a Buckshot Lariat over the top rope and to the floor. Sorry Hangman.
I love that refs continue to have names – like former Greg DeMarco Show guest Eddie Orengo (as El Bandido Jr).
I’d love to know Ricochet’s powerlifting numbers. Dude is deceptively strong.
Logan Paul flew two-thirds of the way across the ring on the Springboard Froggy Splash
This match is spotty–yes–but watch and learn Young Bucks. They are strung together by psychology and it all makes sense,
LOVE that finish. Logan Paul wins (as expected), but Ricochet is protected.
Think about that – RICOCHET IS PROTECTED.
Hell of a match.

Winner: Logan Paul (pinfall brass knucks shot)

WAY ABOVE The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

Brock Lesnar vs. Cody Rhodes

That video package–amazing. It likely telegraphed Cody’s win, but I don’t think many expect Cody to lose.
I love when people question Brock’s presence. Did you hear that pop?
Cody got a hell of a pop, too.
You can tell how much Brock Lesnar respects Cody Rhodes, as he opens up the arsenal for him.
I love that Brock simply stands center ring as the ref counts Cody out. Brock wants to win–doesn’t care how. That’s a little detail that shows how brilliant of a character Brock Lesnar is.
This is the fifth time Brock has gone for the count-out–and I love the psychology.
Now Brock does care how he wins–he wants to break Cody’s will.
Wait, is this Cody Rhodes’ mystery twin brother Cory Rhodes?
That top rope Cody Cutter was fantastic.
Not sure when Brock’s shorts got ripped, but it adds to this fight.
That’s what this is, a fight. And that is Brock Lesnar at his finest.
It might have been a happy accident, but Cody’s hand bouncing off the bottom rope before he finally grabs it to break the Kimura is another amazing little thing.
Brock is so slow and methodical, but snatches people up for the F5 in a flash. So good.
Cody Rhodes wins, after THREE Cross Rhodes. Good shit.
Interesting that the show of respect from Brock to Cody is considered Cody’s arrival.
Or maybe it’s just the arrival of “The American Nightmare.”
I will be very interested–as will all of you–to see what’s next for both men.

Winner: Cody Rhodes (pinfall, three Cross Rhodes)

WAY ABOVE The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

NOTE: Very interesting that Roman Reigns was featured in the PayBack promo, as well as Logan Paul. I wouldn’t expect either to be on that card.

Slim Jim SummerSlam Battle Royal

I have to admit, it just feels right to have Slim Jim back in my wrestling.
This better be good since it cost us Becky Lynch vs. Trish Stratus.
I hope Sheamus got a full entrance for the crowd.
Oh look, Omos still works here!
Chad Gable is so damn good.
Austin Theory is in this match? And didn’t get an entrance?
At WrestleMania 30, Big E was in the Andre The Royal Giant Memorial Battle Rumble, didn’t get an entrance, and didn’t even get to carry his Intercontinental Champion. And I don’t even think his elimination was mentioned by commentary (I’d have to go back and check).
Santos Escobar eliminating Austin Theory at least makes sense.
LA Knight barely breathes and the crowd gets ELECTRIC.
I haven’t made as many bullet points because this has actually been a really good battle royal!
I’d love to know who the agent was–fantastically done.

Winner: LA Knight (last eliminates Sheamus)

AT The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

MMA Rules Match – Ronda Rousey vs. Shayna Baszler

Some of the shots during the entrance make me want WWE to get rid of stages altogether, and stick with this type of entrance.
Also, it’s a reminder that I hate major wrestling events in daylight.
This being an MMA Rules Match seems to be a missed opportunity at having a special guest referee.
The fans DO NOT CARE About this match, and I see why.
I am all for Ronda being able to go out how she wants to go out, and the talent pushing their own idea forward. But sometimes, you gotta say no.
Some matches also play much better in an arena instead of a stadium (Ronda Rousey vs. Charlotte Flair from WrestleMania comes to mind). This is one of those matches.
Whenever NXT had an “unsanctioned match,” the ref wore all black. That’s what we should have done here.
Now we have doctors checking on Shayna? Really? I know we want to put over how tough she is, but…..
The crowd pops out of relief when it’s over.
Do this on Raw, not here. Give Becky and Trish this spot.

Winner: Shayna Baszler (technical submission, Kirifuda Clutch)

BELOW The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

Intercontinental Championship: Drew McIntyre vs. GUNTHER (c)

My Peacock membership doesn’t let me see the video package here, and I am fine with that–it’s been a while since I’ve seen that AFLAC Duck, though.
Ludwig Kaiser must love doing the entrance, but honestly the act might be getting stale?
Corey Graves very poetic in pointing out that “records are meant to be broken.” That’s one of the core values of WWE at this point.
It does appear GUNTHER will be going it alone tonight as Kaiser and Giovanni Vinci are headed to the back. Let’s see if they stay there.
Interesting placement for this match, right after the ill-received MMA Rules Match.
Didn’t the internet tell us Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor was going on fourth?
Btw, this match is brought to you by Rocket Mortgage. Money talks, BAYBAY!
GUNTHER truly lives the “Ring General” gimmick.
As the match progresses, I honestly can’t see Drew winning here.
The simplicity of the finishing sequence really adds to GUNTHER: top rope slap fest, McIntyre crotched on the ropes, splash, lariat, powerbomb. Nothing fancy–trademark GUNTHER.

Winner, #ANDSTILL the Intercontinental Champion: GUNTHER (pinfall, powerbomb)

ABOVE The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

World Heavyweight Championship: Finn Balor vs. Seth “Freakin'” Rollins (c)

I presume we will get a bunch of Judgment Day shenanigans here, but I really needed Seth to go on last to further establish his championship. Instead, we are smack in the middle of the event (according to the Peacock slider, anyways)
Seth Rollins’ entrance + 58k people = a beautiful sight
The worst thing about this, to me, will be when Balor and Rollins are partners after Balor turns babyface.
Love Rollins tossing the vest at Balor.
Love the more unique start to the match.
Interesting that Rollins, with a win, moves to 5th all time for SummerSlam wins? I had no clue! Mr. SummerSlam anyone?
We keep naming refs, and I love it,
If you want an “inside look” at a match, start paying really close attention for a few minutes starting with the triplicate of dives from Seth Rollins. You’ll see a few things that the cameras picked up.
LOVE LOVE LOVE the Buckle Bomb into the barrier from Balor to Rollins. Should have known they’d do that, but it never crossed my mind. Brilliant.
Decent amount of overlap in the offense of this match and the one prior–in hindsight, they may have wanted to put GUNTHER/McIntyre on before Rousey/Baszler.
Fans boo’d the crap out of Damian Priest when he came down–but popped like hell for Dominik Mysterio and Rhea Ripley.
I really enjoyed the story told with the Judgment Day. When Priest called for the briefcase to be used, it would have worked. When Balor called for it, it wasn’t going to work, and Damian Priest knew it. But he let Finn Balor sink himself anyway. That will definitely play again later when they fully implode.

Winner AND STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Seth Freakin’ Rollins (pinfall, Stomp on the Money In The Bank Briefcase)

WAY ABOVE The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

WWE Women’s Championship: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka (c) Bianca Belair

Very odd having Asuka enter second.
Charlotte Flair with the ode to Becky Lynch at WrestleMania 35 (IYKYK)
Did I miss the C4 ad read? I saw that Bianca Belair entered with some, which made me thing THAT was why she came in last, and now the C4 branding is around the ring, but no real mention? Or did I miss it? Was it only for Peacock Premium subscribers?
Very choppy match so far–and Charlotte has to basically stop the match to have Jessika Carr fix her outfit, leaving Belair and Asuka in the corner waiting until Asuka realized what was happening and tried to cover. The Double Natural Selection that followed was quite clunky.
Bianca nowhere near Charlotte Flair when the moonsault hit–is Bianca really that good? I seem to ask myself this during every big time Bianca match, dating back to WrestleMania 37 when I felt like Sasha Banks had to carry her.
I find myself wanting to fast forward to the finish, here. I’m not, but I kinda want to.
ANOTHER REF NAMED! Thank you, Michael Cole.
If IYO SKY cashes in here (which is easy to expect), I really hope it’s not right after Charlotte wins, getting her to #15. Granted, she could cash in DURING the match and make it a 4-way. But of everyone, I think Charlotte needs to eat the pin tonight.
We have now had medical personnel tending to one of the participants in the middle of each women’s match tonight–first Shayna Baszler, now Bianca Belair. Seems like a misstep on someone’s part.
Bianca with the heroic comeback, and a beautiful 450 Splash on Charlotte during the Figure Eight.
Charlotte gets misted but Bianca gets the pin???
Makes sense if we do the cash in here. as Bianca is hurt.

Winner, AND NEW WWE Women’s Champion: Bianca Belair (pinfall, small package)

Aaaaaaaand here comes IYO SKY.
I love Corey Graves telling Bianca to get the hell out of dodge.
IYO and Bayley take out everyone, and she is indeed cashing in.
Over The Moonsault, new champion, and the crowd goes nuts. Women’s Money In The Bank briefcase is still undefeated.
Nice World Of Stardom reference by Michael Cole, too.

Winner, AND NEW WWE Women’s Champion: IYO SKY (CMITB cash-in, pinfall, Over The Moonsault)

AT The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

There were some rough spots, but the cash in saved it for me.

Undisputed WWE Universal Championship Match: Jey Uso vs. Roman Reigns (c) with Paul Heyman

I am timing this from the second Jey Uso’s theme hits through the end.
Man, Mike Rome is on one, and I am not sure if that’s a good thing. He doesn’t sound as fantastic as he usually does.
12:34 from Jey’s music hitting to the bell ringing.
Roman is so slow and methodical, I don’t know if he realized Jey was going to dive so soon. Jey connected with Roman’s back, but that could have been really really bad.
I know this is Tribal Combat, but given the use of stairs earlier tonight, we might as well consider the stairs legal.
You know it’s an important match when Roman Reigns hits The Drive By, as he did on Jey Uso.
Table, Kendo Stick, and more early.
Jey clotheslining Roman over the top rope (with the Kendo Stick) and hitting the dive makes me think Jey got slightly lost earlier when he did the dive to a kneeling Roman’s back.
That was a MASSIVE powerbomb onto the chairs!
35 minutes in (remember, since the start of Jey’s entrance, so 23 minutes into the match) and this is definitely just a touch slow. The story is amazing, so that’s my only complaint so far.
I have to wonder if Roman knew he was bleeding when he hopped the barricade to go into the crowd.
Aaaaaaaaaaaand here’s Solo Sikoa. That should surprise no one. We gotta get the whole family involved, right? At least the whole Bloodline.
Solo declining to help Roman up might be starting Solo’s arc in the story, but it wasn’t apparent enough and commentary had to fill in the blanks.
50:22 since Jey’s entrance is the point where Jimmy shows up (pulling Jey out of the ring).
Jimmy hits the Superkick and leaves.
Spear through the table that was set-up about a week ago and Roman Reigns pins Jey Uso at 52:09 (from th estart of Jey’s entrance).

Winner AND STILL Undisputed WWE Universal Champion: Roman Reigns (pinfall, spear through the table)

AT The Line Of DeMarco-cation.

“At” might surprise you, but this was WAY too slow. Bell-to-bell it was roughly 40 minutes, and that was about 10 minutes too long. But the story is worth it in the end.

WWE SummerSlam 2023

Total Matches: 8

ABOVE the Line of DeMarco-cation – 4 matches (3 WAY ABOVE)
AT the Line of DeMarco-cation – 3 matches
BELOW the Line of DeMarco-cation – 1 match

One “bad” match and seven “good ones, four of those I’d call “great.” Three of the great ones I labeled as “WAY ABOVE” the line, which easily makes up for one match that was lacking. Hell, when even the Battle Royal is good, you know you watched a damn good show.

Overall Rating for WWE SummerSlam 2023: 9/10

Let me know your thoughts! Drop a comment and tell me your ratings, and what you think of the Line Of DeMarco-cation.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

King’s WrestleMania Rewind: Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka from WrestleMania 34

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

Published

6 months ago

April 2, 2023

Chris King

WWE WrestleMania 34 Charlotte Flair Asuka

Chris king is back with one of the most underrated matches in WrestleMania history–Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka!

We look back at Charlotte Flair vs. Asuka at WWE WrestleMania 34. ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’ put her unprecedented and historic undefeated streak of 914 days on the line against ‘The Queen’s’ SmackDown Women’s Championship.

For years, this was considered a dream match while Asuka dominated the roster in NXT, while Flair won numerous championships on the main roster on both Raw and SmackDown. The Empress made her long-awaited debut on the September 11th episode of Raw and began to tear through the competition.

Asuka outlasted all twenty-nine other women in the historic first-ever Women’s Royal Rumble match to challenge for the title of her choosing. At Fastlane, she made her choice.

The WWE Universe was so excited for this match myself included. Both superstars delivered a fantastic performance on the Grandest Stage of Them All executing counter after counter. Asuka showed off some nasty-looking kicks to her opponent, and Flair hit a thunderous Spanish Fly off the top rope. Flair was seconds away from defeat at the hands of The Empress but she locked in Figure Eight and Asuka was forced to tap out.

I can’t even begin to explain how shocked I was at this outcome, as nearly everyone expected The Empress to continue her undefeated streak and walk away with the women’s title. This controversial decision was the downfall of Asuka’s momentum. She would ultimately win the SmackDown Women’s Championship at the 2018 TLC pay-per-view in the triple-threat ladder match.

Fast forward to this year when Asuka has recently returned with her Japanese-inspired persona Kana. Kana is dangerous and ruthless and is heading into a championship with Bianca Belair at WrestleMania 39. The Empress has regained all her momentum and is highly favored to walk away with the Raw Women’s Championship. Let’s hope that Asuka and Belair can tear the house down and deliver an A+ grade match both women are fully capable of.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!