“All the works of man have their origin in creative fantasy. What right have we then to depreciate imagination.”
Carl Jung (1875 – 1961)
To clear any miss-conclusions and pre-emptive accusations of just another “Here’s my idea to make the WWE BETTER!!!” let me say that the following is a annual tradition dating back to…well only 2 years ago, yet two very successful years. I went from starting another “revolution” to challenging the future of the WWE to bashing TNA and telling them how to improve. Obviously the letter didn’t go through since we’ll have DDP vs. Jarrett next month. More on that later. In this very special and annual edition I start for the third time, “The Ring of 64”.
I myself am a college basketball freak and next to the NFL is my most well know ledged sport of course next to wrestling. The concept is simple; just like in NCAA hoops, we have 64 competitors, and one winner. Deciding this winner is the foundation and root of why wrestling exists in the first place…YOU. The fans vote by a WEEKLY basis on the winners and trust me it’s better that way because there are 32 matches in the first week or first column that is…I ranked them on how I saw fit, I know without a shadow of a doubt that most people could easily disagree with my rankings therefore the fact that 64 wrestlers exist in this tournament will give the chance for any fan to vote for their favorites no matter what. Present in this tournament in the past few years has been the ability for a reasonable winner. We didn’t have The Rock and Austin in the finals the past two years, in fact the Rock has never made the final four in this. It’s fantasy, and fun. The two main reasons why we watch wrestling. So I invite you to indulge yourself in the brackets and the first time appearance of the 32 large women’s bracket as well. Remember to only vote for the first round matches on who you think will win, the women’s tourney is optional but recommended as it is mostly made up of independents where MOST of the great women wrestlers in the world today ARE. If anything just do an image search of their name on google and vote for the purtier one…Okay without anymore crap of an introduction, the Ring of 64!…After a quick history of the past 2 years…
2003 Ro64 – Chris Jericho defeated Chris Benoit in the semifinals
Steve Austin defeated Sting in the semifinals
Chris Jericho defeated Steve Austin in the finals (by 2 votes) to become first ever Ro64 champion…(as if it really mattered)
2004 Ro64 – Eddie Guerrero defeated Chris Benoit in the semifinals
The Undertaker defeated Chris Jericho in the semifinals
Eddie Guerrero defeated the Undertaker in the finals to become the 2nd Ro64 champion…
2005 Ro64 brackets:
EAST
From the Fleet Center, Boston Massachusetts
1) Triple H vs. 16) Homicide
8) Tajiri vs. 9) William Regal
4) Chris Jericho vs. 13) Jimmy Jacobs
5) Big Show vs. 12) James Storm
2) A.J. Styles vs. 15) Delirious
7) Yugi Nagata vs. 10) Danny Daniels
3) Chris Benoit vs. 14) Steve Corino
6) Raven vs. 11) Chris Sabin
WEST
From the Thomas & Mack center, Las Vegas, Nevada
1) Batista vs. 16) Kenzo Suzuki
9) Rey Mysterio vs. 8) Petey Williams
4) Kurt Angle vs. 13) John Walters
5) Shawn Michaels vs. 12) Michael Shane
2) Austin Aries vs. 15) The Messiah
7) Chris Daniels vs. 10) Rene Dupree
6) Kane vs. 11) Elix Skipper
3) John Cena vs. 14) Sonjay Dutt
SOUTH
From the Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas
1) Jeff Jarrett vs. 16) Kid Kash
8) Rhyno vs. 9) Abyss
4) The Undertaker vs. 13) Funaki
5) Eddie Guerrero vs. 12) Carlito Cool
2) Keiji Mutoh vs. 15) Trent Acid
7) Jeff Hardy vs. 10) Tiger Mask
6) Booker T vs. 11) TAKA Michinoku
3) Rukus vs. 14) Kazarian
MIDWEST
From the Joe Louis Arena, Detriot, Michigan
1) JBL vs. 16) The Hurricane
8) Universa 2000 vs. 9) Ron Killings
4) Monty Brown vs. 13) Spike Dudley
5) Kevin Nash vs. 12) Chris Hero
2) Randy Orton vs. 15) CM Punk
7) Edge vs. 10) Kenta Kobashi
5) Shelton Benjamin vs. 12) Charlie Haas
6) DDP vs. 11) Christian
Women’s brackets
EAST
From the Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1) Lita vs. 8) Dawn Marie
4) Ariel vs. 5) Mercedes Martinez
2) Kumiko Maekawa vs. 7) Simply Luscious
3) Saki Maemura vs. 6) Ivory
WEST
From Arrowhead Pond, Anaheim, California
1) Victoria vs. 8) Torrie Wilson
4) Mika Nishio vs. 5) Alison Danger
2) Traci Brooks vs. 7) Stacy Keibler
3) Molly Holly vs. 6) Cindy Rogers
SOUTH
From the American Airlines Arena, Miami, Florida
1) MsChif vs. 8) Sumie Sakai
4) Jazz vs. 5) Alere Little Feather
2) Krissy Vaine vs. 7) Lacey
3) Trinity vs. 6) Jacquelin
MIDWEST
From the U.S. Cellular Arena, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
1) Trish Stratus vs. 8) Desire
4) Gail Kim vs. 5) Kiley McClean
2) April Hunter vs. 7) Becky Bayless
3) Alexis Laree vs. 6) Kameo
Ok. Send all votes in to freetokill@hotmail.com. Vote for as many as you would like but only the first round will be counted for this week. Now, a rant…
What the HELL? Don’t get me wrong about Against All Odds…TERRIFIC Pay-Per-View, and I guess that’s the point right? We had a solid tag team match, a surprisingly good main event with Nash and Jarrett giving a good performance with a surprise ending, Hardy and Abyss killing eachother…mainly Hardy in a great spot match and of course Daniels and Styles stole the show with their Ironman match…STILL NO DIRECTION! This is sad, it’s better than the crap Vince gives us because at LEAST we have good wrestling here, but it’s sad to see this potential not utilized a bit. It was never clear why Abyss attacked Hardy and now Abyss gets a title shot and Hardy has no direction…Who else? RAVEN. Raven has no direction and it’s getting on my NERVES. Hell even pair Hardy and Raven together as outcasts, ANYTHING! Monty Brown pulls a Chris Benoit and goes from competing in the main event for the world title down to a pointless tag team match with DDP who somehow now will get the title shot at Jarrett who should of lost the damn thing in the first place, and on TOP of that when they had a chance to give the title to Daniels…they DIDN’T. Styles needs to run the main event now because the only way to keep the Styles/Daniels feud going is a re-match one on one and if an Ultimate X match headlines next month it won’t be just two people which takes away from the Styles/Daniels feud unless they throw both titles on there and have Jarrett and DDP in with them to make it a 4-way…I’m not sure if that’s the worst idea in the world or the best. I don’t see a mid-card title coming anytime soon and if TNA does not get out of this “HEY! We’re a FAMILY oriented southern wrestling show!” attitude, we can kiss their asses goodbye and hope that Ring of Honor gets a TV contract or at least for some of the best indy and TNA talent goes to the WWE to either be used the RIGHT WAY or maybe start a third rebel brand whether it be ECW or not. Before I go any futher, I’m going to stop. Please enjoy the Ring of 64 brackets! Even though it’s right above this rant here is the sending address again for the votes…
freetokill@hotmail.com
On that note, I promise to be back next week with an actual column with the Ro64 updates of course…until then, go read something…I suggest “sex, lies, and headlocks – the true story of Vince McMahon and the World Wrestling Federation” but I’ll talk more on that In a future column. I’m out.
-Joseph Bachman
