This year we have a very interesting Class of 2014 Hall of Fame induction ceremony. We have:
Carlos Colon, Lita, Paul Bearer, Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Scott “Razor Ramon” Hall, Mr. T, and the Ultimate Warrior.
Carlos Colon, father to Carlito and Primo, uncle to Epico. Primo and Epico are the fools under masks as Los Matadores. In any case, while Carlos Colon was a “novelty” entrant in the 1993 Royal Rumble he was a major influence and star in Puerto Rico for decades and is still a main driving force behind the success of the business overseas.
Lita. Hello? Do I need to explain who she is? In ECW she was Miss Congeniality and/or Angelica. She became famous in WWE for being paired with the high flying Hardy Boyz, because she was equally exciting as a high flyer too. She trained in Mexico and actually became a wrestler. Diva? She did not care for that garbage. She was there to get in the ring and mix it up with anyone. Go Google her. Wikipedia. I do not care. YouTube. She could out-wrestle the majority of the current TNA locker room.
Mr. T. is the celebrity inductee, but boy does he have a history in the old WWF days. He sure did compete at both WrestleMania 1 and 2, but he also wrestled at supercards and house shows. Yes, he competed. He was on wrestling programs. You see, Brock Lesnar, you do not just make appearances and do an occasional brawl to hype a major event. You get in the damn right and do your job, which is what Mr. T. did. Many times he faced off with jobbers, but he did compete against quite a few familiar names during his time there. Mr. T. was very much part of wrestling and his induction this year is more than fitting.
The next two share similar stories. Jake Roberts and Scott Hall. Both saved by Diamond Dallas Page. No joke. Both men were addicted to drinking and drugs, and there is the famous phone call Hall made to DDP saying he was at the end of the line. The Snake had been living in the home of DDP and coaxed Hall to move in, get sober, and clean his life up. Roberts knew the tragedy all too well as his decent due to his addictions saw his family leave and his life crashing into shattered shambles. Thanks to DDP, the both cleaned up and got their lives back together. But let us not forget both men were major stars during their respective runs. The Snake had a lengthy and memorable feud with the Undertaker, and for a long time was one of the company’s biggest fan favorites. Scott Hall, a former AWA Champion was brought in as Razor Ramon, an arrogant and brash competitor. The greasy-haired grappler won numerous Intercontinental Championships, and is most famous for his ladder matches with Shawn Michaels, the best being at WrestleMania X. His long career extended in WCW where along with Kevin Nash and Hulk Hogan formed the nWo stable which changed the face of wrestling during the mid-90’s, forcing Vince McMahon to adapt and evolve his company into a new Attitude Era. Hall will likely not be credited with that during the Hall of Fame, but this is an interesting little bit of history.
Speaking of history, WWE is making history with the induction of the Ultimate Warrior. Long thought to either have been dead, insane, cloned, or just on the outs with Vince McMahon, no one would have thought the Warrior would be next in line to be inducted. Most thought “Macho Man” Randy Savage was the obvious next choice, but for some unknown, possibly political or grudge-related reason, is not being inducted this year. Ultimate Warrior was a wild guy. Probably delivered the most incoherent, mind-melting, soul-burning, wildly imaginative promos in wrestling history. You could never understand what he was saying. Kids would jaw drop at all the big, made-up words while adults were too busy trying to decipher whether his speech was even related to his next match. He put asses in seat and the intensity in which he brought to the ring was second-to-none. Putting Hogan, Warrior, and Savage together, this was the trio who defined the launch of professional wrestling into sports-entertainment.
Last, but certainly not least, is Paul Bearer. Passing away just weeks before WrestleMania 29, the loss left a major void for fans of the old school era. The man had a chilling persona, a shrieking voice which frightened foes and friends alike. His presence alongside The Undertaker for years was the perfect pairing of gimmick and personality. While never a wrestler, his skills on the microphone were so impressive as the voice of the deadman, many thought this would be his role forever. To the surprise of many, we saw during the Attitude Era how Paul Bearer was more versatile and charismatic as a heel manager and in roles fans never imagined him able to play. Additionally managing Kane and Mankind (Mick Foley), Bearer left the impression of what a true manager meant in professional wrestling. There were none like him, and there will never be in the future.
This Vickie Guerrero Invitational sees AJ Lee putting up her championship in a match with a dozen other women. Not even Battle Royal style, first person to pin, wins the title. It’s played up as being unfair to AJ. Teasing Tamina finally turning on her. Teasing Natalya finally winning the title after being buried forever. Also tease up-and-coming Divas like Naomi and Summer Rae for some strange reason, while still pushing the Bellas. Lots of teasing and not in the good way.
Many see this as possible punishment on AJ for being the girlfriend of the now-traitorous CM Punk. If she wins, this theory will be proven wrong on a massive scale. But bad booking and terrible storylines are ruining what was once the most popular female gimmick since Trish Stratus and Lita.
Who are viewed as the “real” wrestlers in the Divas division? Natalya and Tamina. Arguments can be made for a few others, but they all suck and have nowhere near the star power nor personality to draw crowd attention like Trish, Lita, Mickie James, Kaitlyn, and Victoria.
Whoever wins should get a big pat on the back for being the Queen of the worst Divas division in wrestling history.
Does anyone really care about this match? Nobody. Except for toilets and concession booths.
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