Interview with Chavo Guerrero Sr.

Respect for the fans

There are two types of fans: the casual fans who love WWE or TNA and your "smart marks"-fans who love all types of wrestling, ranging from independents here in the United States to international companies. The common denominator they share is their love for the products they watch put money in the pockets of the wrestling companies, and in turn, the wrestlers who work for those companies. I get a little irked when wrestlers blantantly disrespect fans, telling them they are better and smarter than the fans by calling them "smarks", which means smart marks or smart wrestling fans. Case in point, Kevin Nash said on Twitter Tuesday after teasing he would be on WWE Raw the night before that social media "is his PS3. Thanks for playing along tonight. I'll always be relevant due to my IQ." The tweet was in response to many fans who believe Kevin Nash doesn't have a place in the national wrestling spotlight anymore. Bottom line is, no matter who you are in the wrestling business, bottom of the card to main event, the wrestling fans should never be disrespected by the people that they spend their time supporting every week through television viewership and merchandise, pay-per-view, and ticket purchases. The fans are the reason wrestlers like John Cena, Randy Orton, CM Punk, and the very "inquisitive" Kevin Nash have the luxuries they do. It's because of "us," the paying wrestling customer. So next time Nash, or even, Eric Bischoff, TNA executive, who has been notorious for utlizing the internet to bash wrestling fans, or again, "internet marks" for being in the low percentile of wrestling fans who comprise its makeup, they should think that it's those "10 percent" smart fans who are responsible for them earning a living in a business where very few aspiring athletes can make it. Wrestling fans should never, ever, be disrespected by their heroes. And those heroes should remember that there are fans out there who hail them as such on a daily basis.

One giant step forward, two steps backward for wrestling

Just when I think wrestling takes a giant leap forward, I think of ways it takes two steps backwards. With the return of the Rock, and recently, Brock Lesnar, WWE has seen a mild swing in pay-per-view buys as Wrestlemania 28, headlined by Rock vs John Cena, reached 1.3 million buys. Mania'28 became the highest grossing WWE ppv in history. Extreme Rules, which featured a brutal Cena vs Lesnar Extreme Rules, a street fight for the WWE Championship between CM Punk vs Chris Jericho and a 2 out of 3 falls World Heavyweight Championship match between Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, was arguably the best ppv of the year so far, eclipsing Wrestlemania even. When you think of the roll WWE is on and the potential upswing in business the returns of the Rock and Lesnar could bring, I think of an "old school" issue that plagues the wrestling business. One that's on another wrestling hemisphere so to speak. Nothing screams "political manuevering" more than the current push of Garret Bischoff, son of TNA and former WCW executive Eric, on IMPACT Wrestling. It's no secret in wrestling that sons of promoters have always been given pushes in the family business. Greg Gagne, son of AWA promoter Verne, the Von Erich boys, son of Fritz, in WCCW, and even the Hart boys were featured attractions in father Stu's Stampede Wrestling promotion in Canada. The difference between them and Garrett Bischoff is they had the talent to go with their push. Bischoff hasn't shown any of that during his time on IMPACT Wrestling. No charisma, no personality, and no wrestling skills equals a company going back to a tradition that is frowned upon. It's another case of a promoter forcing the promotion to give his son airtime because of his position of power. "He's a very very talented kid. I told him from the beginning, look you are going to have to be better than the next guy because people are going to be so much more critical of you than they would anybody there," TNA president Dixie Carter said. "And I think because of that, it's a really difficult position to be in, and I respect his guts because it does take a lot-quite honestly-to be able to face that and all these critics. "But the kid's got talent, he really really does. Just like others, he's been cycled into a solid storyline, and there's ebbs and flows to kind of keep people in the limelight. But he's no different than a Crimson who's on a great winning streak or a Magnus." Umm no!! With Cowboy James Storm, who is arguably the best interview and potentially TNA's next big star, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, Matt Morgan and Austin Aries on its roster, there is no way Garrett deserves the push he's getting. That is one of the many problems of TNA. They let egos and bad management get in the way of good business decisions. TNA has a roster that is potentially the best of any company right now, even the big gorilla WWE. But when you're taking an old-school approach and pushing a son of a promoter who doesn't have an iota of talent then you're company will always be taking two steps backwards.

Time for the wrestling business to let Ric Flair and Hulk Hogan go

Over 25 years ago, Hulk Hogan vs Ric Flair was the ideal dream matchup that everyone wanted to see. Hogan was the biggest star in the WWF at the time and Ric Flair the biggest star of the NWA.

Wrestling fans salivated at the thought of two of wrestling's biggest stars clashing in a titanic matchup.

Today, fans are salivating at the thought of them leaving Wrestling for good.

Hogan and Flair have overstayed their welcome in the wrestling.

Ever since Hogan and Flair arrived in TNA Wrestling in January 2010, the ratings for the IMPACT Wrestling show have failed to garner ratings above a 1.5.

While other issues could be attributed to TNA failing to achieve high ratings, it has been evident that the aura of seeing Hogan and Flair live in person or at home on television has worn off. While both can still get good pops at live shows, the two legends can't elevate a wrestling product to new heights like they did back in the day

Both legends are playing caricatures of themselves, as Flair manages current TNA wrestler Gunner and Hogan is playing the general manager of IMPACT.

Both wrestled in a tag team match on the first Monday night edition of IMPACT when TNA attempted to go head to head with WWE. It was both's first match on a national stage in awhile, but the show only garnered a 1.0 rating.

It was sad to watch them wrestle then and it is sad to watch them now be a shell of their former selves. I would like to remember them for their glory from year's past and not the sadness of seeing them overstay their welcome.

TNA has a wealth of young stars who they should be building around. James Storm, Bobby Roode, AJ Styles, Samoa Joe, and Matt Morgan are wrestlers TNA should focus on. Even established talents like the newly reinvigorated Jeff Hardy is a talent TNA should think about giving another chance to if he's able to remain clean from his demons.

But it has been clear for years that Hogan and Flair cannot draw eyes to a wrestling product anymore.

What they can draw though is embarrassing, sad attention to themselves.

John Cena must go away... for a little while

Wrestlemania 28 is in the books and the ending of Raw last night changed the landscape of WWE going forward.

For storyline purposes, this past weekend has been one John Cena would not want to relive when thinking about his career accomplishments.

The Cenation leader lost the "Once in a Lifetime" match to the Rock, and the next night, Brock Lesnar made his shocking return after an eight-year hiatus and delivered an emphatic F-5 to Cena.

The fans in Miami, who were extremely active the whole night, went insane when Lesnar's music hit and welcomed him back with open arms after he left and "took his ball home."

And to see him come back at the expense of someone who some say has been shoved down the throats of wrestling fans for the past six years was the amazing cap to his return.

It looks as if WWE is looking to build to Cena vs. Lesnar at Summerslam or even Wrestlemania 29 next year.
The story kind of writes itself.

Lesnar is looking to reclaim his position at the top of the company, and he's going to do so against WWE's current top guy and a man who never beat Lesnar when he was active in the company.

Cena's first main event pay-per-view WWE title match was nine years ago at Backlash 2003.
His opponent was Lesnar.

How they build to that match is anyone's guess, but now is the time for Cena to leave for a little while, recharge his batteries, and come back with a new attitude.

I would have him not show up on WWE television until the summer to start building to Summerslam. After defeating every foe that has come his way and doing his best to build a match that was a year in the making, Cena was humbled by Rock and humiliated by Lesnar.

He would examine what he did wrong and how he can come back to conquer the two foes that he wasn't able to conquer. He would come back around July and confront Lesnar and challenge him to a match at Summerslam.

I would have Lesnar beat him at the pay-per-view, and Cena would do what he planned on doing last night with the Rock by congratulating Lesnar on the win.

Only he would say that he might've beaten him this time, but he's found the formula to beat him and when the time is right they shall battle again. They go on to a collision course to Survivor Series where this time Cena gets the win with an STF.

Tie in the Lesnar story with the Rock, and have Rock come back to win the Royal Rumble and Cena wins the championship at the Rumble as well.

He loses the championship to Lesnar at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view, and Rock makes an appearance and chooses Lesnar has his championship opponent.

The twist would be Cena wants his rematch for the title at Wrestlemania and we are on a collision course to a triple threat match for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 29 between the three biggest stars in pro wrestling.

Cena would regain the WWE Championship by defeating the Rock with an Attitude Adjustment, and therefore, Cena will get his win back over the two wrestlers he hadn't beat.

For the fans, WWE and Cena's sake, he needs to go away for a little while to let these stories sink in and build.

Maybe the fans will embrace him if he comes back with a new attitude.

Like the saying goes, "absence makes the heart grow fonder."

Wrestlemania XXVIII predictions

A year's build up that culminates tonight at Wrestlemania 28. Four hours of action headlined by battle where generations collide, the Rock vs. John Cena, Undertaker vs. Triple H with Shawn Michaels as guest referee in the "End of an Era" Hell in a Cell match, CM Punk vs Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship, and Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Here are my predictions for the "Super Bowl of Wrestling.

John Cena vs. The Rock- A month ago, I would have told you John Cena would come out the definitive winner, but now i'm not so sure. With the Rock scheduled for Wrestlemania 29, WWE could be building to a three-match series between Cena and Rock. It will definitely be an epic main event that will hopefully live up to the hype. It will be a 25-30 minute match with both competitors exasperated that they can't put each other away for the final count. After serious pondering, i'm going with the Rock to win this one after four Rock Bottom's and John Cena turns heel the next night on Raw due to not being able beat the one guy he needed to defeat to solidify his status as "The greatest WWE Superstar of all time."

Undertaker vs Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match- "The Streak" is the most important accolade to achieve next to winning a world title at Wrestlemania. Undertaker will go 20-0. There is no way that Triple H puts a 1 next to 19. How Undertaker wins the match is anyone's guess, but one thing is guaranteed. Shawn Michaels will get involved in this match somehow and Sweet Chin Music will be part of that involvement.

CM Punk vs Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship- Fans are predicting this match will be a show stealer, and as someone who loves wrestling at its purest, I think this match will be a wrestling fan's dream. These two gifted wrestlers have built this matchup well, and tonight could be the night Punk gives his Jericho his comeuppance due to Jericho making classless remarks about Punk's family. Punk defeats Jericho with Go To Sleep after a 30 minute encounter.

Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus for the World Heavyweight Championship- Sheamus won the 2012 Royal Rumble to earn a World Title match at Wrestlemania, and Bryan has been a red hot heel since winning the championship at the TLC PPV. Sheamus has been on a roll since his babyface turn in August, and Bryan has playing the smarmy arrogant heel that fans should pay to see get beat up. It will be a hard-hitting, physical matchup, and Bryan will get the win due to some kinda interference from his girlfriend AJ.

Randy Orton vs Kane- A match that was based of some ridiculous handshake when the two fought last summer. Orton's been getting much of the upper hand lately so I see Kane getting the victory and their feud continues through Extreme Rules in a few weeks.

Cody Rhodes vs Big Show for the Intercontinental Championship- Rhodes has played the pest heel almost to perfection, and Show has played the angry giant part as well. Show should get his "Wrestlemania moment" after all the embarrassment from year's past, getting beat by the likes of Floyd "Money" Mayweather and Akebono. Rhodes wins the match by a belt shot to the head, but Show will connect with the Weapons of Mass Destruction right hand after Rhodes' makes fun of Show for losing another Wrestlemania match

Team Johnny vs Team Teddy- This match is for control of both Raw and Smackdown. Team Johnny wins it here thanks to a Mark Henry World's Strongest Slam on Santino Marella. Unlike most in the WWE Universe, I find John Laurinitis entertaining and think it would be a hoot to see him run both shows every week. I think Teddy Long has been overused so I think he should take a break from WWE TV for awhile.

Kelly Kelly and Maria Menunos from Extra vs Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres- If history indicates, this match will be the "bathroom break/popcorn filler" match between the Hell in a Cell and Cena/Rock matches. Menunos gets the "Wrestlemania celebrity spotlight" and pins Torres.

Can't wait for this epic Wrestlemania. I'll be tweeting throughout the show. If you care to follow, my address is @TheWholeFnSchmo.

The new breed must step up after Wrestlemania 28

Yesterday I explained that the "End of an Era" match between Triple H and Undertaker meant that it would be a passing of the torch from one generation to another.
After Wrestlemania this Sunday, every WWE superstar under the age of 30 must step up to the plate and attempt to be a main event level talent.
It is no secret that ratings for WWE programming have declined over the past 10 years.
Some attribute the decline to lack of creativity in storylines and/or connection to the wrestler's personalities.
Wrestling has always been popular in pop culture due to the characters that have captured the audience's imagination.
From Hulk Hogan telling the fans 'Whatcha gonna do, brother?' to Stone Cold Steve Austin saying "Give me a hell yea' to the Rock telling adversaries 'Know your role and shut your mouth.'
All three wrestling icons have defined a generation of wrestling pop culture.
Sadly, other than John Cena and maybe Randy Orton, there are no wresters today who have the character grasp that wrestlers of yesteryear had to connect with the audience.
Vince McMahon has been hesitant to give younger wrestler's main event pushes over the years due to most not being ready for the pressure of being in a top position and also, from fear that they could leave for greener pastures like the Rock or just bolt the company due to burnout like Brock Lesnar did in 2004.
There will come a time when Cena and Orton will leave WWE. There will be a time when McMahon can not rely on the Rock, Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker to boost ratings and pay-per-view buyrates.
It's time for the Cody Rhodes', Dolph Ziggler's, Kofi Kingston's and the rest of the young WWE talent to seize the opportunities and run with them.
Now is the time for the new generation to etch their mark in WWE lore.

Raw: The Viper strikes a threat

Last night's edition of Raw was a solid show that further built toward's Night of Champions and the six pack challenge main event for the WWE championship

In the main event, Randy Orton defeated Wade Barrett with an RKO after former Nexus member Darren Young returned after being outted from the group two weeks ago to distract Barrett.

Earlier in the evening, Michael Cole announced via a text message from the mystery GM that the winner of the Orton/Barrett match would face John Cena next week on Raw.

Even though we have seen Cena and Orton battle numerous times, the dynamics have changed since their fued from last year with Orton being the super hot babyface on a roll right now and Cena still the number one attraction for the company

After the match, Orton convinced Young to come back into the ring to thank him for the assist only to deliver an RKO instead for the gratification and then simultaneously delivered RKO's to Edge and WWE champion Sheamus to solidify him as the favorite to win the championship at NOC.

The Orton/Barrett match was solid and in defeat Barrett stayed strong and looked good and showed he can hang with the top dogs for years to come.

Tehe Cena/Justin Gabriel match was good as well, as Gabriel also looked strong in defeat as it took an Attitude Adjustment off the second rope to defeat him.

Next to Barrett, Gabriel has potential to be a player in WWE. Other than Evan Bourne's shooting star press, his 450 splash is the most amazing finisher in the company. If he could get more promo time and time to develop his character, the sky is the limit for him.

The biggest developing story of the night was Chris Jericho losing his spot in the six-pack challenge by losing to John Morrison.

The GM had announced that because of Jericho and Edge walking out in the 10 man elimination match last week that if either of them lost, they would lost their spot at the pay-per-view.

Jericho losing was a great swerve, and with his contract coming up real soon, it was a copout from having to honor the stipulation that if Jericho doesn't win the WWE championship he would leave.

It would obviously make sense for Morrison to take his spot in the main event, but plans could change and Jericho could be added back into the ppv.

I laughed at Morrison coming up to Jericho and saying in a deadpan way "bad night hun." To add insult, he used his "do you understand what I am sayin to you right now" line, and Jericho was gold with his facial expressions.

The Edge-Great Khali match was embarrisingly bad.

First, Edge beat Khali buy countout after goading Khali to follow him up the ramp only to kick him in the leg and run to the ring and win.

The GM then said that the win wasn't enough and had the match restarted again with the stipulation that to win someone had to go over the top.

After Khali threw Edge through the middle rope, he went over the top rope, and Cole echoed what most of the people watching were thinking when he said "Hello". The ref ignored the situation and the match continued.

Moments later Edge pulled Khali over the top rope and kept his spot at NOC.

Like everybody else, I just don't see no entertainment value in Khali whatsoever. He's slow, uncoordinated and doesn't have the charisma that other "giants" like Undertaker, Kane, and the Big Show have.

Enough is enough. Get rid of him already.

The Miz was awesome no pun intended when he unveiled the new cover of WWE Magazine with him on the cover. He proceeded to lay into everyone that doubted him and said he couldn't make it.

I have to say that when I first saw the Miz, I thought he would be released in a year. His annoying act and his baggy ring attire screamed opening card purgatory, but now, the guy is one of my favorite wrestlers on the show, and he will eventually be WWE Champion.

Daniel Bryan interrupted Miz and mockingly congragulated him on his magazine cover. He then challenged him for a United States title match at NOC.

Miz accepted and tried getting the upper had on Bryan, but rebounded and had him in his submission manuever only for Alex Riley to sneak attack from behind.

Bryan regrouped and got Riley in his submission while Miz watched from the ramp. I liked Bryan smiling while applying the submission and Miz watching his rookie tap out.

I'm really digging this rivalry right now, and next to the six pack challenge, this is the next best match on the show for me.

With Jericho and Edge trying to find out who the mystery GM is, I think we are getting closer to finding out real soon. At first I thought Jim Ross would be GM, but I think in the end it will be Michael Cole revealed as the GM with the way he was passive in saying that he didn't know what Jericho was talking about when he questioned him on who the GM is.

Next week's Raw is advertised as the season premiere with Raw Roulette being the theme.

All I have to ask is how can you have a season premiere when your show runs every week with no breaks?