The Column of Columns

email me at silhobbit@silhobbit.com

 

Hello again fellow wrestling fans. Much has happened in the world of wrestling in the last few months. March’s Wrestlemania was the best wrestling event I’ve ever seen, with actual wrestling having centre stage and not disappointing.

My favorite matches were Chris Jericho versus Shawn Michaels and the WWE match between Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, in which Lesnar took the title after an epic contest.    
Mystery ?

Who is Mr America? WWE’s new superstar caused a stir in recent weeks as Vince McMahon desperately tried to prove that Mr America is veteran Hulk Hogan, who is banned by WWE boss McMahon from appearing in the WWE shows. The less than cunningly masked America, who claimed Hogan as a major influence, bore an uncanny resemblance to Hogan in looks, sound and actions. The fact that America passed a lie detector test, appeared live in the ring just after Hogan appeared on a live long-distance satellite link, and both he and Hogan sent McMahon’s daughter Stephanie flowers showed that he could not be Hogan. Or so it seemed. In a shocking twist it has now been revealed that Hogan clone Mr America was Hogan all along.    

Unmasked !

Kane has also been unmasked. For years we have been told Undertaker’s half-brother wore his mask because he is hideously scarred. In reality he’s not scarred, but is, well,  sensitive about his appearance to put it mildly. Since being unmasked he has unleashed havoc upon the WWE staff and is now under house arrest. However, in a supportive move by the WWE management and the police, he is still allowed to wrestle and cause havoc.
Amazing !

I’m looking forward to Vengeance, which is the next big WWE wrestling event and takes place on July 27th.
Confirmed matches include one-legged wrestler Zach Gowen versus Vince McMahon. The, perhaps not always politically correct (although tame by WWE standards), build up to this one has converted people who previously scoffed at WWE.
The classic moment was the Gowen-McMahon arm wrestling contest. Gowen had to win to get a WWE contract and amazingly, despite his skinny arms being dwarfed by McMahon’s, it appeared Gowen was going to do just that after initially McMahon had smugly toyed with him. Realising he was going to lose and looking wonderfully horrified about it the evil McMahon then kicked away Gowen’s prosthetic leg and took the victory. Much suspect in its nature gloating followed. Genius.
Incredible!

Gowen has since got his contract after, admittedly with some outside help from Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar, he and Stephanie McMahon improbably beat 500 pounder Big Show. The grudge match with McMahon should be a classic. Look out for Mr America probably playing some part in the match.

 
Stealing!

The WWE has twice toured the UK in recent months and I saw a couple of the shows, firstly in London and then Nottingham. Highlights for me were Los Guerreros stealing, literally, the tag team title belts and Stone Cold Steve Austin’s in ring banter, beer drinking gathering and felling of Eric Bischoff with a stone cold stunner.

 
Pie Eating!

A week or so latter Austin went on to beat Bischoff in a redneck triathlon featuring burping, a pigpen and pie eating. Regarding the latter, those who saw it will fully understand why those who didn't are being spared further details. 

Austin and Bischoff's odd partnership as co-general manager's of the Raw show continues to be a massively entertaining highlight.    
Matt Hunt e-mailed me to ask if I knew if the ring had ever collapsed during a match before, as seen a few weeks ago when Brock Lesnar and Big Show brought the house down, in more ways than one, after plunging from the top rope. Well Matt, I personally have never seen it before or heard of it happening in the WWE. Coincidentally this jaw-dropping event caused minimal disruption and made for a wonderful finale as it occurred in the last match of the evening. You couldn’t have scripted it better.     
No download of my brother and I discussing wrestling this time. I said there would be, but lied. Maybe next time though. I look forward to hearing about Steven’s latest trip to the US, including his attempts to arrange an independent wrestling show as future support act. Excellent move.  
Enjoy the wrestling.
Roger Wilson

Roger's Featured Wrestler of the Month - Mick Foley
  1. Real Name: Mick Francis Foley
  2. Also Known as: Mankind, Cactus Jack, Dude Love
  3. Hardcore wrestling legend
  4. Professional wrestler from 1985 to 2000 (WWE 1996-2000)
  5. WWE Champion 3 times (Mankind)
  6. WWE Tag Team Champion 8 times - Mankind and Kane twice, Mankind and Rock (Rock and Sock Connection) four times, Dude Love and Stone Cold Steve Austin once, Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie once:

 


    Mankind Versus Undertaker, Hell in a Cell, 1998 

Foley climbed to the roof of the cage and challenged the Undertaker to fight him atop it. The Undertaker  threw Foley off of the cage on to the Spanish announcers table, which was destroyed in the process. It was a 16 foot fall. Foley was taken out on a stretcher. Foley didn't want to go out like that, so he climbed back on top of the cage. The Undertaker chokeslammed him through the roof of the cage to the ring underneath. Foley eventually got back up and brought thumbtacks into the ring. Foley got chokeslammed on top of them, and the Undertaker finally tombstoned him for the pin.

Foley blacked out twice during the match-after each of the 2 big bumps. The bump through the cage was unplanned. The cage was not supposed to break. He dislocated his jaw on the first bump and the trainer put it back in place. He also broke several ribs. And these are just the known injuries before he was X-rayed. 

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