The Real Miyagi

Now with it being Wrestlemania season, and WWE has Roadblock coming along, and NXT has NXT Take over Dallas, one would figure I'd be talking about something pertaining to that. Maybe in another blog, but I just finished watching this amazing documentary on Fumio Demura, who is one of the forefathers of Karate in the U.S. As I was watching this I was thinking to myself this guy could have been a great pro wrestler. He's thought process on making moves look good during demonstrations, and making moves look good for the camera, could, I think, very well contribute to up in comers of the professional wrestling business. Because if you think about it, that's all professional wrestling is, it's a demonstration of precise moves in a time limit to put on a show for the audience that's both watching through streaming or watching live in attendance.

I think wrestling fans and professional wrestlers should study Fumio Demura. Watch this documentary called, The real Miyagi. Fumio was the inspiration for the Mr. Miyagi character in the original Karate Kid movies.

Fumio, I think could very well be in a pro wrestling hall of fame. I know he's technically never been involved with pro wrestling, but again his thought process on precision and making stuff look good for the camera, is part of what's missing in today's professional wrestling. It's one of the things NXT is doing right with the fact of making moves look good. Fumio sold his art as authentic as possible. Made every move look like it hurt. Sold it as the demonstrations were a shoot, if you will.

Now, I'm just a wrestling fan. A mark if you will. By the way, I don't take the term "mark" as duragitory. If a mark is what I am, it's what I am. I'm finding myself now respecting the art of professional wrestling as well as the entertainment value of it. I saw a post on facebook that asked who did more for wrestling, was it Flair or Hogan. I would say Flair because he as an artist in the ring, as well as an entertainer. Hogan was straight entertainer. He had enough of the art form down to get by, but his main focus was on the entertainment factor of the product. Just my opinion.

There's been reports that Vince McMahon is not a fan of NXT. Why would he be? Why would Vince McMahon be a fan of something that's working? That the fans are enjoying? I think that proves that the character of Mr. McMahon is more like the real Vince than he cares to share. Again just my opinion.

But back to Femio Demura. He's a real living legend in the art of fighting. He was sports entertainment before Vince coined the term. Not only was Femio's demonstrations precise, it was also entertaining. Like professional wrestling, but work behind the scenes is hard work. The documentary showed a bit of the training that goes on. Wrestling may be predetermined, but I bet if we tried to do the training that it takes to be a pro wrestler, we'd find out how "fake" the product really is. Again, I highly recommend the documentary, The Real Miyagi, for any wrestling fan and professional wrestler. You can find it on Netflix. Especially if you respect the art of wrestling. Fumio Demura for WWE Hall of Fame!

~Daniel Richerson

ENOUGH IS ENOUGH AND IT'S TIME FOR A CHANGE!

So I was contemplating getting a WWE Network Gift Card to watch WWE Fastlane and to get back to watching NXT again. Well, when I went to the grocery store, I didn't see the card, and I didn't feel like driving to Wal-Mart just to get a simple gift card, so I made the decision not to get one. When I woke up, seeing Roman Reigns is booked to face Triple H at WrestleMania and the IWC is irate. Using the hashtag #cancelwwenetwork, and all that. It seems like WWE really messed things up. This kinds reminds me of the Wrestlemania when Daniel Bryan ended up winning the whole thing. If you remember, Daniel Bryan wasn't originally supposed to be in the main event. If I remember right, he was booked to have another match with Sheamus. But due to the reaction of Batista vs Randy Orton, WWE had to make a change.

So I feel due to the reaction of Roman vs Hunter, WWE has to make a change. Wrestlemania is supposed to be the wrestling event of the year. It's supposed to be booked as the best wrestling show. Let's be real, WWE has failed to reach that mark on several occasions. So what is Vince going to do? I don't think Vince is going to let another Wrestlemania go down the drain. I think Vince is the type of guy that if he has to bring the grand wizard Hulk Hogan himself back and get another title run, he'd do it for the ratings. Maybe some how or another Vince can give Dean Ambrose that Daniel Bryan push, and have Dean Ambrose close out the show. Could work. AJ Styles could work, but I doubt that Vince is going to give the fans what they want this early, but I do think and see AJ Styles being a main event player in the next couple of years at Wrestlemania with Samoa Joe.

CM Punk rumors have been debunked, but that would've been an open heaven. Think about it. The backstage feud that CM Punk and HHH apparently had. Would've made all the sense in the world of wrestling, to have CM Punk come back and beat HHH for the title. But since CM Punk is apparently not returning, that won't happen.

How bout finally giving Dolph Ziggler a chance? I don't know. Maybe that would work. Dolph Ziggler has been performing his but off for years, I mean his time has to come soon, right?

In all seriousness, Vince McMahon, Kevin Dunn, and the WWE has to do something. This is bad. This probably worse than the Batista/Orton thing. What ever they're going to do, they need to do it now. To quote the late great Owen Hart, "Enough is enough and it's time for a change!"

~Daniel Richerson

The Main Roster is still the Main Roster...

I hear a lot of fellow smarks, yes you're a smark embrace it, say that going to the main roster is a downgrade as far as going from NXT to Raw. Ok, I understand that the main roster has been none too good lately. I understand that NXT has had the better product lately. Now that that's out the way. NXT is on the WWE network. Not everybody has the WWE Network. Raw is on USA. Raw gives you more exposure than NXT. Raw gives you more money. I'm pretty sure they don't come to NXT to stay at NXT. I'm pretty sure if you sign a contract with WWE, your goal should be on the main show, right?

We want Raw to be better. We want Raw to create better stars. You can't create better stars if the NXT stars stay in NXT. Samoa Joe will never have an opportunity to main event a WrestleMania if he stays in NXT. Like it or not, Wrestlemania is a main roster show. Royal Rumble is a main roster show. AJ Styles is on the main roster. AJ Styles is on RAW like it or not. He's not in NXT. He's on RAW. In my opinion, Samoa Joe should be on the main show right now. But the only problem with the main roster is the bad booking. That was my main problem with the Royal Rumble 2015. It was a poorly book Royal Rumble match that year. I feel it was more than the fact Roman Reigns won, it was how he won. My opinion, Big Show and Kane ruined that match.

But back to the topic at hand. The main roster is still the main roster. No matter how bad the show is. It's still the main roster. I know we all want the main roster to be better, but to say that moving to the main roster is a down grade. It's still the main roster. One of the problems with the main roster is like the "it's better to ask for forgiveness than permission" mentality is none existent. When DX was just the Kliq, they did stuff that got them in trouble every week. HBK is now in the Hall of Fame, and HHH is basically Vince's right hand man.

So yes, NXT is the better product in most people's eyes. You tune in to NXT expecting the great, and you tune in to Raw expecting the worse. I get that, but that doesn't change the fact that Raw is still Raw. There's a lot of people that think Football is not as good as it once was, yet people still tune in. Some people don't think the NBA is as good as it once was but people still tune in. I think Raw will get better. Vince still micro-manages the product, which is a major issue that no one talks about. I feel that as soon as Vince lets go of the reigns, not a shot at Roman,  a little bit, that's when the product will get better.

Daniel Richerson

VINCE WILL LISTEN TO RATINGS

It's been a while since I've expressed my thoughts on the wrestling business. I've been focusing more on my other blog, and when I do share some thoughts I want to express I usually tweet it out. Yet and still--

I see some people are finally getting the point that complaining about Raw via twitter is not changing a thing. Vince said that he listens to the fans in the arena not the fans on twitter. So since he doesn't listen to twitter. Hit Vince where he does listen, his pocket. He may not listen to Twitter, but I guarantee he listens to the ratings. I haven't watched Raw in weeks, cause I got tired of complaining about it, and I got tired of being disappointed week after week. The only wrestling I watch now is my DVDs I got and Ring Of Honor on Saturday nights. Ring Of Honor has always been consistent great wrestling. Much like what NXT is to some people. But the supposedly "main show" has been quite a disappointment. I still keep up with the dirt sheets for results and stuff hoping the show gets better. But as it's turns out, the show is getting worse. I saw via twitter and other social media outlets that Survivor Series was one of the worse ever.

Which is sad to see because Survivor Series is one of the big shows of year for WWE, or should I say used to be. Don't be deceived to think that Vince doesn't know what's going on. Vince has an idea of what's going on. I'm willing to bet Triple H and other people working backstage are in Vince's ear letting him know how bad the product is getting. In the early 90s, it was the Kliq who let Vince know very bluntly on what was wrong with the product. Before he left the business, CM Punk was another one who let the office know. My question is who is the guy or gal in the back that will let Vince know the truth.

It's not like they don't have the talent to put on a good show. It's just poorly booked. I understand that some people are injured and some are taking a break to do other projects, but they still got Ziggler, Kevin Owens, Dudley Boyz, Usos, Dean Ambrose, Alberto Del Rio, Charlotte, Paige, Sasha Banks, Natalya, Paige, and others that can carry the product until the "main stars" come back. In all honestly it looks like the booking has become lazy. WCW and TNA esq if you will. So, if the company wants to present a lazy product, I suggest that we all change the channel.

History does show that Vince listens to the ratings. Some of us are old enough to remember the Monday Night Wars. When Nitro was kicking the crap out of Raw in the ratings, Vince sucked it up and went all out, and the product got better because of it. May be what's missing is competition.

~Daniel Richerson

DIVAS REVOULTION NEEDS SOME MEANING

NXT Take Over gave you two women battling it out for a prize, the NXT Women's Title. I didn't get to watch this match, but from what I read, Sasha Banks and Bayley had a match of the year candidate type match. Then you come to Summer Slam, and we got a tag team elimination match. Then to Raw, another tag team match. We talked about giving the "divas" a chance, when NXT is actually doing it, the "main roster" is still doing the same old stuff just with longer matches. We're supposed to believe Nikki Bella is a champion just because she walks to the ring and holds up the title every week. She hasn't defended the title since before the divas revolution started. If I remember right it was way before the divas revolution started.

Rumor has it the WWE really wants Nikki to break AJ Lee's record reign which is just stupid. Another rumor that has recently come out states that John Cena is pushing for Nikki to keep the title, and if that's true, shame on Cena. Nikki has gotten better as a wrestler in the ring, I'll admit to that, but to say that she's the best, is an asinine thing to even fathom. On the main roster, the WWE can't make up their mind to who is a heel or a face, especially in the divas division. I think they're trying to pass Team Bella off as a face team. I think the only legitimate face team is team PCB.

If they really want this to be a revolution, they need to revolutionize it. Have the matches mean something and not just thrown together. Have the title defended every once in a while. The main thing to revolutionize the "divas" division is call them women, and bring back the women's title again. There's no storyline in the women's division. The wrestling has gotten better, I get that, and that's great, but there's no story. Bayley vs Sasha, there was a story. NXT seems to know how to book the women in a way that the crowd is actually into the match more. Even in the UFC has a story behind the matches. Ronda Rousey's matches has better stories then the women's matches on Raw does right now.

You really want a revolution, make the matches mean something. The only womens feud that means something is Lana and Summer Rae. And they're not even having matches to tell their story.

Other quick notes. The Dudleys are back where they belong in the WWE. What was great about that is that not a lot of people saw it coming. It wasn't reported in a lot of the dirt sheets prior to. It was...wrestling. Also the way Sting showed up on RAW had a real old school wrestling feel to it. The pop from the crowd was a real pop. The promo before from Seth Rollins was like a dry church sermon that had no feel to it.

Do they know what they're doing with Big Show? Big Show is just there right now. It's like there's no value there any more other than his size. La di da on his size to be honest. Some stuff just doesn't impress any more.

~Daniel Richerson

Raw Review (08/17/2015): UNDERTAKER GOT BOOED, AND I'M NOT THE BIT SURPRISED

Most of us wrestling fans won't admit this, but we are some fickle people. Fickle meaning changing frequently, especially as regards one's loyalties, interests, or affection. Some say, Undertaker is one of those characters that shouldn't be booed. I see the point but let's look at the facts. They booked Raw as Brock Lesnar's homecoming. So with that expectation, Brock was going to get a positive reaction from the crowd, and sure enough he did. Paul Heyman cut another classic epic promo, and Undertaker interrupted. He got booed. I will admit, when it first happened I was shocked then I thought about it, it's classic wrestling for that to happen.

Wrestling fans will turn on you in a twinkling of an eye if you will. Just ask John Cena. Cena was a major baby face. He was, as it is said, over with the crowd in a positive way. Then what happened? WWE went to a major wrestling city, and the smarks in the crowd booed him. So fans in other cities that wanted to be labeled cool as well, starting booing Cena as well. When the heels call us sheep, it's not far from the truth. We'll go with what ever the smarks are saying. What ever the dirt sheets are saying we take as bible, so when they don't like somebody, then obviously we aren't supposed to like that somebody.

Now you got the smarks, which I hear the Wrestlers "adore", then you got the fans who don't know what's going on. On Raw, Cena came out and the now normal chant for Cena started, "Let's go Cena! Cena sucks!" And usually it's the kids and women chanting, "Lets go Cena!" and it's the men and smarks chanting, "Cena Sucks!" But there was this poor guy in the crowd the camera caught and he was chanting both. He had no idea what was going on. I don't think many people caught it, but I just knew this guy was just a spectator. It was kinda comical, but at the same time, he just wanted to be part of the show. Which all sports fans in general want. You go to the major sports towns like Detroit, Brooklyn, Philly, Chicago, etc. and they do they're hardest to try and sometimes do take over the show.

Other aspects of the show was ok. 3 hours is just too long of a show if they aren't going to book it right. To what I see, people are loving the Diva Revloution, but are still hating the Bellas. Even though they have gotten better in the ring over the years. Speaking of the Divas, poor Eva Marie got tore to shreds because of bad advertising due to the Total Divas promo. No fault of her own, the promo of Total Divas said, "She was beloved by the audience, and now you're going to find out why the fans hate her." Most of us were trying to figure out when and how Eva was loved by the fans. Eva is perfecting her craft. For that she must be respected, but before getting with Brian Kendrick, she was just like any other diva with no skill just a nice body. She is a representation of everything wrong with women's wrestling in the WWE. These women getting called up to the big show before being ready and stinking up the joint. So Eva was never really loved or respected by the "WWE Universe."

So that promo came on, and the IWC including myself, just tore Eva to shreds. It was no fault of hers, bless her heart, but who ever produced that commercial should be looking for a job today for false advertisement. Now, though, we got Charlotte, Sasha, Becky who has took time to hone their skills before getting called up to the main roster, and are now pioneering the future of women wrestling for the WWE. Which is causing divas like the Bellas, and Alicia Fox and Naomi to step it up. I feel bad for Natayla and Cameron who haven't got ANY TV time since this Diva Revolution started. Poor Layla retired.

Last thing I will say concerning the Divas is sending Eva Marie back to "developmental" is a good idea. A lot of people were saying Layla should have done that just to get better. And hopefully in the near future, Bailey from NXT will get her chance to shine on Raw and Smackdown.

Hopefully after Summer Slam, Cesaro and Kevin Owens will be in better spots. This ROH guys are taking over the WWE and making the TV better. Cesaro and Owens has been knocking it out the park by the week. Owens should be the US champion right now in my opinion, and the rivalry between K.O. and Cesaro should have the US Title in the midst. I'm a big fan of the former ROH guys getting a spot on the main roster of Raw. Hopefully Samoa Joe is next up.  But when he get called up, the creative will have something for him.

~Daniel Richerson

FOR THE DREAM AND THE HOT ROD

"I've wined and dined with kings and queens - but I've slept in alleys and dined on pork 'n' beans" ~ Dusty Rhodes.

"Just when you think they have the answers, I change the questions" ~ Roddy Piper.

Within less than 2 months we lost two major legends of the wrestling business. I say wrestling because they were wrestling. You think Wrestling, you think Dusty and Piper. Sports Entertainment came later.

Let me blog on Dusty for a second. You gave Dusty a microphone and you would get magic every time. I'm only 28 so my highlights of Dusty is as a commentator on the WCW announce team, and even those memories are good memories. My favorite call he did was during the classic Rey Misterio Jr and Eddie Guerrero match at Halloween Havoc '97 when he said, "What amazing athleticism that was. Know what I mean?" Watching old WCW matches back you can tell they had no governor on them like the WWE commentators do now. Dusty would just say what he wanted and that's what made it enjoyable. The back and forth between Dusty and Bobby was something we'll never get again. 

I studied history on Dusty by watching old promos and matches back and to be as big as he was and to have the quality of matches he had was nothing short of epic. Dusty has been honored by Bubba/Brother/Bully Ray and other wrestlers/superstars as they have added some of Dusty's signatures moves in their own move set.

I got to tell this story. In 7th grade, I had an afro. And these two boys in my Home Ec class started randomly calling me Dusty because of my afro and it reminded them of The American Dream. So from 7th grade until now, people call me Dusty. I added Big in front of Dusty to add something "cool" to it, but it all started in 7th grade. Since Dusty's death I have changed my user name on some social media sites because he was who I got that nick name after and I figured why keep it since it was his.

Last thoughts on Dusty is that he was the wrestling business. Prior to his death, he was helping out down in NXT. If I'm not mistaken the Wyatt Family was Dusty's brain child. And we see how big they got and still are. Dusty was a genius, and his stamp will always be on the business for years to come.

From one icon to another. The Hot Rod. The Commissioner. Rowdy Roddy Piper. Another brilliant talker. Who could make you hate him so much that you love him. Again being 28 I  really became a big fan of Roddy when he worked in WCW in the later years. I used to love when he came out and talked on the mic. For some reason I knew I was going to hear something epic. Kinda the same feeling I get now when Paul Heyman picks up a microphone. I put Roddy at number 2 on my greatest talkers list, with Dusty at number 1 of course.

I heard stories of what Roddy would do in California in his feud against the Guerrero's. Hearing Roddy tell stories was something magical. Hopefully the podcasts he recorded will stay up online for years to come. My favorite podcast he put out was the one he recorded with Chavo Guerrero Jr because of the stories what were told. How stuff ended with Piper and Podcast one was stupid to me, but I don't know the details.

Listening to Piper through his podcasts though, you could hear what a nice guy his was. His laugh was infectious.

When Roddy came back to do special editions of Piper's Pit it was always must see television for me. I just hated the fact that they tried to script Piper. You can't put a script on genius. But never the less, it was still good TV.

Both deaths completely shocked me. Didn't see either one of them coming at all. Especially Roddy. He was active on Twitter more than you would think a guy his age would be. I knew Dusty was losing weight, but I don't think anybody saw his death coming. Both men put a mark on the business that can't be erased. Both men will be missed. Who better to study how to do a promo than Dusty and Roddy?

Gone too soon.

Daniel Richerson fka Big Dusty