This week, the Babblings will truly be a babbling! I am going to try to hit on all of the major stories and babble about whatever is going on.
The online community has done a flip over this past Monday’s NITRO. I have to agree. The WCW did not set a new standard in their product, but they did return to their former glories of late 1996 and 1997 as far as show quality goes. While everyone is focusing on how good the WCW is after this past NITRO, there is a story that needs to be told. The WCW’s ratings were okay at the very least. However, as a taped RAW went against the biggest NITRO in months, RAW still doubled the head-to-head rating of NITRO. Granted, the WCW has gotten back on the right track (it seems), but we should not be so quick to look down at the WWF. The are still the top dogs and it looks like they will be staying there for a while.
The WWF is changing dates all around the country due to the Smackdown show. Is there anyone else out there who is salivating at the opportunity to see the WWF on Mondays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays!?! I can’t wait!
My feelings on the release of Dustin Runnels are very simple. He is not able to work I the ring for the WWF and it only makes sense to release him from the WWF. Why pay a wrestler who can’t wrestle? There are many “inside” reporters out there who think that Dustin will join up with the WCW. These are very ill informed people as the WWF would not be willing to let go of a star the calibur of a Goldust to their direct competitor. I really believe in my mind of minds that the WWF and the Runnels’ will reach a new agreement simply because Dustin is a family man and he is not going to want to be away from his wife Terri and his baby girl Dakota. I just can’t see him going South when Terri is under WWF contract for three more years.
As far as Kenny Shamrock going back to the UFC, you can’t really blame him for that. Heck, look at Jesse Ventura. Wrestling is in his blood, he had to make a return. The same thing goes for Shamrock. Shoot fighting is in his blood, everyone knew that he would have to return after a while. He’s not the “World’s Most Dangerous Man” for nothing! I fully expect that when Shamrock leaves in the fall, that we will see him return in about a year or maybe even sooner. Incidentally, I think that the feud between Blackman and Shamrock will be what leads to his exit from the WWF. I can see Blackman winning a match and then just abusing Shamrock so bad that he has to “leave” the WWF.
I did watch the ECW’s Heatwave PPV and I have to comment on something about the main event. I know that this is ECW and the World Title match is not going to be the main event, but I have a problem with Rob Van Dam. Granted that he is the most talented athlete in the ECW and he can wrestle better than many of the other ECW stars, he is really a spot artist. I know that many people say so what and who cares about him being a big spot man, but I find it really hard to watch a match where the talent goes through a really really impressive two minute wrestling display and then stops and poses and then repeats, stops and poses, repeats…You know what I mean. If the ECW trainers can get Van Dam to flow more in the ring with less posing during the actual match, he would become World Title material in no time. I do not want a bunch of hate mail about his being the best and this and that. I know that he is very entertaining, but he does need to flow more in the ring.
To end this week’s babblings, I would like to offer my condolences to the Kennedy’s and the Bessette’s. My heart and prayers and the hearts and prayers of all of the online wrestling fans have been with you throughout this terrible ordeal.
Remember to check out the lair for the latest on the Natural Disasters return campaign and the most comprehensive news and rumors out there! Bye!!!
– E-mail feedback to joe1897@gmail.com
– Read more Balrog Babblings!
