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Dueling Chair
Shots
by
Kurt La Mont
Column date
02/20/2001
This week's column will focus on the poll question: "Which Former ECW Star Will Have The Most Success In The WWF?" ranking each from who I think will be the least successful to most successful.
Jerry Lynn: Wrestling wise Lynn can hold his own with anyone in the WWF. However, given his age (early 30s), lack of natural charisma, and the WWF's lack of emphasis on great wrestling skills I don't see him climbing the WWF ladder too far. When was the last time you saw a WWF TV match, that wasn't the main event, go more than 7 minutes? This hurts Lynn's chances of making a big mark in Titan-land.
Yoshihiro Tajiri: I've been reading about the WWF's interest in re-establishing the light heavyweight division lately. I also read this on several separate occasions over the past few years starting when the WWF brought Taka in several years ago and we've seen how that's worked out. If the WWF is truly interested in establishing the light heavyweight division, similar to WCW in their heyday in 1997-1998, Tajiri is a great addition. Given that they don't give wrestlers, outside of the main event wrestlers, any time to actually build a good match I don't think that the light heavyweight division will take off at all. Even so, Tajiri has such great body language that they should be able to do something good with him and hopefully not resort to making him a comedy act ala Taka. It won't happen, but how great would a 20 minute match between he and Benoit be?
Justin Credible: Justin is already been thrown into the mix joining forces with X-Pac. He will probably be the most able to adapt to the WWF style of the 4 recent signings as he's the one that relies more on his character than his physical and/or wrestling abilities. His career path in the WWF will likely look similar to X-Pac, not at the bottom but not at the top.
Rhino: He most likely will start off slowly in the WWF. However, given his age, size, and look I can see him working his way to becoming a WWF Champion one day several years down the road (especially if he's on the HHH training regimen). While some will argue that he's too small to make it I would disagree. To start with, while not tall, he's actually a pretty thick, and looks like one mean dude. Steve Austin is a very average sized wrestler, and Jericho and Benoit are on the small side and it doesn't seem to be holding them back too much. In the WWF it helps to be big but it isn't necessary to be huge to make it to the top (and being friends with Shane McMahon doesn't hurt either).
Weekly Reason For Optimism:
Below is an excerpt from Cyrus' latest "No Holds Barred" column that can be found in its entirety at www.doncallis.com
"In speaking with my boss this week I pointed out that he must be under a huge amount of pressure with the company's situation, his talent being signed and with rumors rampant that the WWF wanted him to come on board and be a part of their creative team. Paul stated simply, "I don't mind pressure".
It was a telling statement from a man who has given his life to the company he created and loves, and a statement that made me think, once again that it is not over.
Clearly at this point, nothing is for sure and this (Rainbow Sports Rumors) is only a story. Having said that, if Heyman is able to sell the company to a group like this and get the company rolling again with a plan in place to offset the expense of doing weekly television and meeting payroll then there will be those "experts" who will call it a miracle.
While I will be greatly relieved and jubilant that ECW would be back in business, knowing Paul Heyman the way I do, I would suggest it is less a miracle and more a case of Paul doing what I knew he would do all along if at all possible."
Not only is the smartest man in wrestling optimistic about the future of ECW, but he's almost arrogant in his confidence. (By smartest man in wrestling I don't mean the smartest wrestling man, but rather the smartest man involved within wrestling). I know my hope in ECW continuing was lifted after reading that this past week.
PPV Update: Nothing is official but it seems that Living Dangerously will be cancelled. Without a location or any promotion for the show it doesn't make sense to have one, even if ECW were sold tomorrow to the richest man in the world. If buy rates were poor when they were still on the syndicated show I'd imagine they would be worse two months later without any TV. When ECW is back on its feet it will need to almost start from scratch to create interest again before venturing into PPV land.
CBA Update: As you may recall my last column was on the comparisons between the CBA and ECW. The comparisons continue as many teams (or in ECW's case, wrestlers) have joined another league, the IBL (WWF or WCW). While the CBA is on life support, the use of the word defunct in the following article is premature. As with ECW, operations are currently suspended. Here is an update:
"Feb 14 - BALTIMORE - Less than a week ago, the International Basketball League was a small six-team operation. In only six days, it has nearly doubled its size with the absorption of five teams from the defunct Continental Basketball Association. The IBL on Wednesday added the Grand Rapids Hoops and the Connecticut Pride to the league, raising the total of CBA teams to join the IBL since Friday to five. The Sioux Falls Skyforce, Gary Steelheads and Rockford Lightning are other former CBA teams who have become members of the IBL, swelling the league's membership to 11 teams."
In a related story, former CBA players not picked up by the IBL are looking to be booked in independent pickup games.
More good stuff next week. You can contact me with comments and questions at [email protected].
Past editions of Dueling
Chair Shots
10/4/99
10/16/99
10/27/99
11/5/99
11/10/99
11/17/99
11/19/99
12/03/99
12/10/99
12/17/99
01/03
01/19
01/29
02/04
02/14
02/22
02/29
03/06
03/13
03/20
04/12
04/28
05/08
05/18
05/23
05/30
06/05
06/13
06/21
06/29
07/06
07/11
07/17
07/24
08/01
08/07
08/20
08/30
09/06
09/14
09/20
09/27
10/05
10/12
10/24
11/01
11/06
11/16
11/28
12/04
12/09
12/28
01/04
01/11
01/18