Can Dean Ambrose Be The Man To Make The Intercontinental Championship Matter?

Is Dean Ambrose the man to bring the Intercontinental Title back to its past glory?  In a year that Randy Savage is going in the Hall of Fame, it makes you think of what the Intercontinental Title once meant. While Savage had a yearlong run with the WWE Title and a second shorter run with that belt that are on his Hall of Fame resume.  He also some forgettable runs as WCW World Championship, but it is his time as the Intercontinental title run of just over a year that made him famous. In current times, even hardcore wrestling fans have to rack their brains to remember who the Intercontinental Champion is. If you don’t know, the answer currently is Bad News Barrett.

Dean had a long but really pointless run with the United States Title. I would venture to say it was the least title defenses in a title run until perhaps Brock Lesnar got his hands on the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Dean unlike Brock was always around it is just as member of The Shield his title was secondary to that. Roman and Rollins at the same time had the tag team titles but were much more active in defending them. The state of United States title has been even worse. It has become a little more important since Rusev got his hands on it but it is more just a prop to his overall gimmick. The fact John Cena is challenging for this title in a few weeks and even people that dislike Cena would admit this title is beneath his status. This is part of the problem in how weak these championships have become.

Back to our original question is Dean the guy to take this title and bring it back to being a big deal? There was a time when Ambrose was the most popular guy in this company in the summer. The return of both Roman Reigns and Daniel Bryan along with the rise of Seth Rollins as a top heel have left Dean in some sense stuck in this gimmick as this crazy unpredictable guy that loses more often than he wins. In fact, you would think in theory a guy with the Intercontinental Title would win more often than he loses. That hasn’t been the case though and perhaps it is time to change that. Dean needs more than just being unpredictable and crazy to remain over with fans. A strong title run with a champion that welcomes challengers and is a fighting champion might be a good role for Dean.

If he could have an extended run and come out of it gunning for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship it could be the best thing for that belt and for Dean. In the old days in WWE, you had two kinds of WWE Intercontinental Champions. You had guys like Savage and the Ultimate Warrior who were given the belt as a trial to see how they might do one day with the big title. This tradition carried on with the likes of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold and even The Rock. Somewhere along the way from the Attitude Era to the PG Era, the Intercontinental Title lost that role. There was even a period when the title was but in mothballs. I am not sure if there is a point or person that is responsible for the decline of the Intercontinental Title. It just seemed to erode into insignificance.

Wrestlemania in early days often had its second most important match on the card. Savage defending the title and having his over a year long reign come to an end produced one of the best wrestling matches of all-time. It was a lot to do with two of the greatest wrestlers of all-time but it also was about fans wanting to see Steamboat get his revenge on Savage. In the built to that historic match, Savage tried to take Steamboat out attacking his throat. Fans were invested and it makes even one of the greatest matches of all time that much better. In front of according to the WWE their largest crowd ever had Hulk Hogan’s favorite dome the Silverdome.

Dean Ambrose gets compared to a lot of old time wrestlers from back in 80’s. Maybe he is the guy to take us back to when the title meant something. His reason for wanting a title shot is bizarre and makes little sense but who cares he is the right guy for the job. Barrett while I like him has had several runs with the belt to no real success. In fact, name me the guy on the roster in the mid-card that has been here for more than 5 years that doesn’t have multiple runs with the belt. The Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston and a list that could go on much longer. The title in order to get over truly needs someone fresh attached to it and hopefully can understand what it once meant and how to make it mean that again.

If there is anyone in the WWE that is capable of bringing this title back from the dead it is Dean Ambrose. While many would be disappointed with Dean vs. Barrett title match at Wrestlemania it would be worth it if we could see Dean return to Wrestlemania in Dallas still with that belt it might be worth it. Dean Ambrose needs something to be his legacy in this break-up of the Shield. Seth Rollins has his Money in the Bank win, Roman Reigns has a Royal Rumble win and likely World Title run in his future so what about Dean?  If he could have a long and meaningful title run that might be his ticket to be his legacy coming out of The Shield. He would be doing all of us a favor if he were able to restore the I-C title to what it once was.

If Dean can’t do it, I am not sure who can at this point. Dean seems well suited for the belt a great talker and solid worker in the ring. He matches the model of some of the great champions of the past and to me is a good fit to raise this title back up if only they book him in the correct way to allow him too. I am not suggesting anyone hold his or her breath that it will happen. I just see it as the best possibility for restoring the title and giving Dean something to focus on.

In the end, a title is only as strong as the person that holds it and how they are booked as the champion. If they believe, the belt means something and is important that is the first step. I only look over to current day Ring of Honor in which Jay Lethal their Television Champion considers his title the most important in the promotion. He will face Alberto El Patron (Del Rio) on PPV and it very well could be the main event on that show in Las Vegas. The Intercontinental Championship being the main event in WWE would be a laughable thought at this stage. The only time it ever did was in England at Summerslam when the British Bulldog challenged his brother in-law and champion Bret “The Hitman” Hart. It was one of the best matches of both men’s careers.

We don’t need to see that happen but we do need to see a Champion that we see as a main event talent holding that belt. Dean has already proven he can be that headlining a few shows with Seth Rollins and Bray Wyatt. Dean and the Intercontinental Title is a marriage that could work for everyone.  

Condo On The Moon Podcast #44 Hall of Fame Madness

We talk about Randy Savage finally getting in the Hall of Fame and his bad history with Hulk Hogan. The state of the WWE heading towards the Royal Rumble. ROH welcoming a former WWE star to television this weekend. In addition a little plug for local independent show Alpha-1 Wrestling that will have ROH stars Cedric Alexander and R.D Evans in town locally here in Hamilton. That and lots more with myself and Chris Walder.


So that was it for this week and if you have trouble accessing the podcast head over to Podomatic and listen or download from there.

Here is some thoughts from Randy Savage in an old interview on Hulk Hogan the man who will induct him in the Hall of Fame. After listening to this ask yourself if this is truly who Randy Savage would want to induct him in the Hall of Fame?



Brian Fritz from The Sporting News and Between The Ropes was able to interview Lanny Poffo in what could be classed as a rather strange take from Savage's brother on Savage's induction to the Hall of Fame.

Finally... Randy Savage Is Where He Belongs In WWE Hall Of Fame

Finally, it has happened Randy Savage is going to be in the WWE Hall of Fame. As a life long Randy Savage fan, you would think this would be a huge moment. It was but not as big a moment as it could and should have been for myself. After all Vince McMahon confirmed Savage would be in the Hall of Fame on the Stone Cold Podcast. TMZ also reported earlier in the day this was going to be announced which the WWE made clear during Raw. This all took away from the moment when Savage was officially put in the Hall of Fame.

That was bad enough, but to hear that Hulk Hogan is presenting Savage for induction made me sick inside. It is no secret that Savage for many points in his life hated this man legitimately. Hulk Hogan claims that Savage had made peace with him for their differences. Hulk Hogan has lied about so many things and we are just supposed to believe him? I personally do not and am sickened that Hogan is trying once again to push his way into Savage’s moment. This is not unlike when Savage won the title at Wrestlemania 4.

The recent Savage DVD promised answers to why Randy was not in the Hall of Fame. The DVD never really gets into other than vague speculation. In addition not one member of the McMahon Family was featured in this DVD.

The urban legend is that Savage had some kind of affair with Stephanie McMahon. Something in interviews Savage’s brother Lanny Poffo when asked about it would not deny it and in fact vaguely confirmed it. If Lanny is behind this whole thing, the fact he has allowed Hogan to be involved in this moment I personally will never forgive him for as Savage Fan. Poffo unlike his brother has always loved Hogan for giving him in his mind his big break as “The Genius” fighting Hogan on a Saturday Night’s Main Event for the title. Which was Lanny’s only shot ever at a title in the WWE that I can recall.

WWE has taken a moment that should be celebrated by all Macho Man fans, and WWE have found a way to take away from what should be a special moment. This moment was long overdue for Randy Savage and should have happened while he was alive. That fact alone was hard enough to deal with forget about adding Hogan to the mix.

In the end, Randy Savage deserved this honor for well over a decade before it actually has happened. WWE has found a way to take a moment that should be celebrated, but have taken away from the joy that should be associated with this for longtime Savage fans.

Savage’s true legacy is how many people Randy actually turned on to wrestling. Many wrestlers that got into this business did in part because of Randy Savage and all he did in this business that is his legacy. C.M Punk was one of those guys and he brought Savage to light for modern fans by doing his elbow drop in WWE as a tribute to Savage. He also wore Savage gear the week after his death on Raw. Jay Lethal is another guy who has taken on the Savage persona as a tribute to Randy as well.

There are many people that would not be wrestlers and millions more that would not be fans of wrestling without Randy being part of professional wrestling.

I celebrate the fact that WWE finally did the right thing by putting Savage in Hall of Fame. The whole process of putting Savage in the Hall of Fame is being ruined for me as a fan of his for years. WWE will no doubt look to cash in on the memory of Savage where ever and whenever they can now.

Randy Savage deserved to live to have this moment in his life. WWE robbed him and us his fans of that moment. Nothing that happens in this induction can make up for that.

Still it is nice that finally Randy Savage is where he has always belonged in the WWE Hall of Fame.

Steve Austin Gets A Hell Of An Interview Out Of Vince McMahon

Perhaps the thing that is most disturbing for wrestling fans is the 3-hour show they watched prior to the Vince McMahon interview with Steve Austin: Vince thought it was good. If he truly believes that boy is this company in serious trouble at this point. The hour and fifteen minutes after Raw trumped anything on this show. It was billed as a no holds bar interview with Austin and McMahon and it lived up to the hype.

He would not only address Punk situation but went into subjects like Randy Savage not being in the Hall of Fame and Jim Ross being let go from the company. There was not a lot of substance to what was said but the fact they were even subjects was fascinating in its own right.

I have always found Vince McMahon to be a fascinating individual and it is rare we get him in a situation such as this. He clearly doesn’t think the same as your average person and that may seem fairly obvious but it is still worth mentioning. If you love or hate Vince McMahon, what you have to admit is he has always had guts and been willing to take chances. Even though, he tried to paint the WWE Network in a positive light, it hasn’t been the success it was suppose to be. Dana White of the UFC has made some comments about what Vince has done has being somewhat reckless and it devalued the WWE product. I think he is right and there likely isn’t a way to go back now with the relationships WWE has burned with cable providers by taking their core product in pay-per-views to the Network. The WWE events have been devalued, to be of a lesser value and likely can’t be turned back. UFC with their fight pass targeted only their hardcore audience and have events that are for mostly foreign markets to expand their brand globally. They still remain on pay-per-view and are not having their top stars appear on Fight Pass. WWE has all its stars on their network, having given up on pay per view before it has died as a business. Perhaps WWE has made this move to soon and is suffering in the short term. There have been many valid criticisms of the network and it seems WWE just continues to make mistake after mistake with it. 

McMahon’s apology to Punk was clearly unexpected but his explanation to why Punk was fired in effect on his wedding day seems highly unlikely to be the case. When you consider the history of Vince McMahon, it doesn’t pass the sniff test of availability. What he did, in what he said about the Punk matter, is left the door open and put the pressure on why Punk is no longer in the WWE back on him or at least that was the attempt. While I do believe, Punk and McMahon have a strange sort of love and hate relationship I do not think Punk has any sort of relationship with Triple H and Stephanie. Which will always be the problem if anyone thinks these sides would ever come together again. McMahon really never addressed any of Punk’s grievances saying he would not air the “dirty laundry” in public. More to the point, the allegations Punk made can’t really be addressed in public without the WWE looking very bad. What you have is two very brilliant individuals trying to compete for the minds of two groups of people. Two gorups of people, that are C.M Punk fans and the larger extent fans of WWE overall. Punk will always win with his fans who are people that share his opinion of the WWE and its lack of direction. They are the people that want change and feel Punk was the type of guy that understands what they want. WWE fans are far more willing to be convinced that Punk is just a bitter disgruntled ex-employee. Vince did a good job of trying to paint Punk as that and make Vince look like the good guy willing to do business in the future.

Vince seemed determined to convince folks that he listens to is audience and is not out of touch. In all seriousness, he failed in convincing most of that fact in this interview. When asked what was wrong with his roster he tried to characterize them as unwilling to take risks and to afraid to fail. That this generation of wrestlers was not as motivated to grab the brass ring a favorite analogy of Vince’s that we have heard before. He says John Cena was the last to achieve this. This was an indirect shot at C.M Punk to suggest that Punk never had that desire to be the very best was absolutely silly especially in the light of what we now know Punk was fighting through during his time in the company. It makes you understand why Vince is so tied to the idea that John Cena is the be all and end all to this company having success.

He did mention hope for guys like the three members of The Shield and Bray Wyatt as guys possibly able to reach for those brass rings in the future. C.M Punk claimed in his famous promo to have grabbed many of Vince’s as he called them imaginary brass rings. To suggest he was not motivated to be the best wrestler in this company would be wrong. The thing is to Vince McMahon as he stated early on in his interview he is not in pro wrestling that is what his father did. Even if you class C.M Punk under the form of sports entertainment, he still for many is one of the best at that. His promos were on another level and he was always focused on the path of his character to get to the next big challenge in front of him.

Vince McMahon in his evaluation of Cesaro kind of showed that he is not exactly the guy with all the answers and that he might not really understand what his audience wants as much as he thinks. He claims Cesaro is not a good enough talker, hasn’t built that connection with the audience. Maybe the fact he was Swiss or too European was an issue. This comes from the guy that took wrestling to a global stage.

Here is one thing about the WWE that has always been true to some extent, it is very much booked to appeal to only one nation and that is the United States of America. At times, they have thrown people in Canada and the U.K a bone with various superstars but they book with a United States focus. They clearly don’t see what Non-Americans see when they look at Rusev. Who is a patriotic guy but unfortunately happens to be for the wrong country in the eyes of America. He is booked like a baby face more than he is a heel. WWE claims to be this global brand, but has screwed Canada with a lesser version of their Network and Vince after making an apology to people in U.K once again claimed that the Network could in fact launch in U.K by start of 2015. Reality is most have turned to alternate methods to get the network by this point in both countries for simple fact they have not been treated well by the company and in effect are second class fans based on the actions of the company.

Randy Savage for the better part of 15 years has been kept out of the WWE Hall of Fame. Vince stated that he will in fact be inducted at some point if not this year than likely soon. No explanation as to why it has never happened until now. The WWE Hall of Fame has become a version of the Vince McMahon kiss my ass club and only when pressured to do so will the company attempt to bring outsiders into it. C.M Punk is likely never going into any WWE Hall of Fame unless he decides to come fix things with Vince McMahon. He will be the Randy Savage for this generation but the difference will be we will no why he isn’t being put in the Hall of Fame. There is no board or voting for the WWE Hall of Fame. You can argue that the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame is more valid. Vince would never acknowledge that though as he claims to not listen to critics.

How can you listen to fans and not to critics? Can fans not be critics as well, in what they do? In addition, the people who end up covering this business our for the most part some of the most hardcore fans of the business and product that we have.

In the end both the Punk and McMahon, interviews were very interesting. It comes down to who comes off as more credible at the end of the day at that is really C.M Punk. Vince is still fascinating and interesting but at his core is a promoter and is just by nature prone to exaggerate or out and out lie. Every Wrestlemania is the biggest one ever. Every big event is some can’t miss one of a kind attraction. At the end of all of this while, there have been lots of surprises and bombshells over the last few weeks nothing has really changed my opinion on the core issues. I always felt Punk was justified in leaving and he only strengthened that belief in what he had to say. I have always believed Vince McMahon is losing touch with his audience and that was clearly on display in this interview.

Punk and Vince are likely never to get back together as McMahon leaves open to possibility. Punk is different from all of the other people that McMahon listed it off he has reconciled with. He is at his core a very disciplined individual with a moral set of values that he believes in strongly. He also seems not to be worried about scoring some kind of payday. McMahon has the one carrot that C.M Punk never got of a true Wrestlemania main event but even at this point, I think Punk wants no part of that.

What has also been made clear is the behind the scenes world of wrestling and we are not talking the crap on Total Divas has been far more compelling than the actual product.

The Perfect Storm Creating WWE's Lack of Depth in 2014

 Everyone would readily admit the WWE is lacking depth at the time. This is in direct contrast to this belief that the WWE has perhaps their best crop of talent for the future in years. The WWE to their credit is not pressing the panic button and rushing people to the main stage. In reality, the WWE is kind of paying for their lack of protecting their mid-card talent. Guys like Dolph Ziggler, Csearo and others have been mismanaged to the point we can’t take them seriously as top talent. Which when all is going well is not a huge issue. When injures as those to Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns happen it becomes an issue.

Dean Ambrose as we noted on this past Raw has taken it as his opportunity. He is afforded that opportunity because all of the former members of The Shield have been protected fairly well since arriving in the WWE. They are likely at the top of that list of the future of the WWE. The recent special they did on the WWE Network leading into Summerslam based on Ambrose, Rollins and Roman Reigns. It outlined them as the future of this company that they very much have become and earned. In essence, they are the first products of Paul Lévesque guys out of developmental.

They have not been subject to the normal typical WWE booking of trading wins and becoming irrelevant to some extent. You can always tell what the WWE thinks of certain talents if they are exempted from the typical booking style. It is that booking style that leaves them looking very short handed in terms of top stars.

Injuries have really been the story of 2014, having had a huge impact on the WWE product, and influenced the direction of the company. It is easy to blame the WWE and they do deserve a lot of blame for some of the awful content they have produced. You have to wonder what things would be like if Daniel Bryan had not been injured. So much would likely be different.

Would Brock Lesnar be the WWE World Heavyweight Champion? How much more compelling would a Daniel Bryan loss to Lesnar have been followed by rematch had been? That was the assumed direction had Bryan remained healthy. Would we have such a microscope on Roman Reigns and rush to push him to be the next face of this company? Is Dean Ambrose even in the main event scene at all had both not been injured? This is probably not the case at all. In fact would we have even seen The Shield break-up happening at all by this point.

We still likely would have pointless Total Divas driven stories but likely, not with the major emphasis they have had as we do with this whole Bella vs. Bella feud. It all makes you wonder what might have been.

That is the thing though wrestling doesn’t always follow the intended path and we have many famous examples of it. One not based on injuries but a famous change of direction happened in the build-up to Wrestlemania 4. Randy Savage was going to regain the Intercontinental Championship and defeat the Honky Tonk Man. He was not willing to lose the belt to Savage. This would see Savage become the WWF Champion instead and defeat Ted DiBiase who was originally planned to win the title. No Mega Powers exploding the following year and perhaps the greatest year-long build to a match in wrestling history.

As much as we can be critical of the WWE’s lack of long-term vision these days, you can see why they might have a more liquid formula. Injuries can happen and things can be turned upside down in an instant. This is what has happened a lot in the WWE in 2014.

Still the WWE is growing a massive stable of talent it is just about making sure they use it all correctly. It is our lack of faith in them to do so that makes these times and situations times to feel a sense of panic. After all, we have a man in a bunny suit as now an excepted member of the main roster. What on earth kind of a WWE has this become.

Likely one searching for answers and in a desperate situation with their network, failing and their top talent depleted.

Here is another what if situation for you that led to the most successful wrestler in the company’s history emerging. If not for the MSG Curtain Call, it would have been Triple H and not Stone Cold Steve Austin winning the King of the Ring. Stone Cold never wins maybe never says Austin 3:16 and goes on from there to be the biggest star in the company.

This is not to say Dean Ambrose or anyone else could take this time to reach such levels. It is however a time where opportunity is clearly knocking and some guys like Ambrose, Ziggler and Cesaro are clearly aware of that and it is showing in their work going to an even higher level. Ambrose has the biggest canvas of the three to paint on given his position at this point.  It also makes you wonder if Bray Wyatt had been more successful in his runs with Cena and Jericho where he could have been positioned in this time period. Instead, he is kind of going back to square one to some degree.

These are interesting times despite the WWE struggling to come up with solutions for a lack of depth. This is the result of their poor booking and injuries coming together in this perfect storm. You have a Champion that only makes limited appearances in Lesnar. While John Cena by most reports is pretty banged up himself is now deemed as vital to keeping this ship a float even if he is over exposed and the crowd is tired of him.

These dark times for the WWE in the past have always been times we have seen new stars emerge and perhaps the same will be true of this time period when history looks back on it. Time will tell as we head down the road.

Summerslam: Dolph vs Miz

Next up in no real order of importance we have the match-up between The Miz and Dolph Ziggler. This is for the Greater Ohio State Title, but it is only that the Intercontinental Championship feels about as important that I can make that joke. This match does feature Cleveland’s contribution to the WWE roster however with these two. Can we say this is also a match-up of one the internet fan base’s favourite wrestlers and one of their most hated in this match? I think it is a fair assessment when you consider how despite being consistently buried time after time Ziggler still receives cheers. While in contrast, The Miz is given opportunity after opportunity that he blows consistently. If there is any justice in this crazy world of wrestling, Dolph Ziggler should win this match. However, there is no real justice in the WWE as we all live in a communist universe that is ruled not by Putin but Vincent K. McMahon. I am sure will have lots of Putin talk in the Rusev vs. Swagger preview. For now let us focus in on these polar opposites at least as they appear to a large portion of the WWE fans.

The Miz is in a new gimmick that some people actually like which I can hardly believe. How anyone is buying  The Miz getting to live out what no doubt is his dream do be doing The Rock’s old Hollywood movie star gimmick. I can’t buy The Miz as a wrestler and you are going to try to sell me he is movie star based on appearances in WWE Studios movies the Marine 3 & 4. Oh and he was in some made for T.V Disney flick that I can’t remember. Kind of, like how Miz can’t remember the moment many fans despise him most for in Main Eventing Wrestlemania with John Cena.

Now if I could forget The Miz existing that would be something I would welcome. Sadly, I do not see the budget cuts leading to The Miz being on the unemployment line. The fact he currently holds the title that Randy Savage held and is considered by many the greatest to hold that title. That contrast between The Miz and Randy Savage explains all you need to know about why the Intercontinental Title has been rendered meaningless.

The WWE in their latest attempt to restore the title has been using Dolph bringing up this titles great history and the fact The Miz treats it like a prop as his motivation to win the title. This honestly is not a bad reason to have for some kind of motivation to this feud. They have also tried to play up the fact that Ziggler and The Miz have been friends for years. I have no idea if this is factual beyond the two meeting in the WWE. Real or not it also is not a bad little side bar to add to this feud.

When you think there was a time that Miz once held, the WWE Title and Dolph held the World Championship it makes this feud over the Intercontinental Title seem somewhat sad on many levels.

Dolph’s story is one of his own self-inflicted wounds along with some of the worst luck perhaps in the history of wrestling to some degree.

Let’s begin with Dolph’s self inflicted wounds first of all that involve him doing what he actually does best and that is run his mouth. He has been very vocal about how he has not been given chances over the years rubbing the WWE management types to be angry with him. In addition, they are frustrated with him not listening to them in regards to his in-ring style, which they have wanted him to do. When you consider his history with concussions that cost him his big run with the World Heavyweight Title it makes sense.  Taking a kick to the head from Jack Swagger that put him on the shelf for over a month.

Talk is the WWE sees pushing Ziggler as a main event talent is not worth it given his injury history. In addition, his unwilling nature to listen to reason in regards to his in-ring style. I like Dolph and this might be a B.S excuse on the part of WWE but it is a legitimate concern. In any case, Dolph future has been very much in question for sometime. It seems of late Dolph might be out of the doghouse finally. Likely wishful thinking and I am not sure if he won the Intercontinental title that would convince me he is out of the woods.   

Safe to say if he fails to win and The Miz retains the crowd will hate it. Some will say this will just be helping The Miz get over his new heel character. I would suggest that the Miz has become the new version of what we referenced as X-Pac heat. This is a reference to someone just simply being hated and not wanted to be involved in the show at all. In other words, just go away and get off my television screen. I proclaim that for 2014 we need to modernize the term to Miz heat.

In reality, these guys are legitimately friends from all I have seen outside of the WWE bubble. Which usually is a good recipe for two guys looking to pull off a good match? Ziggler is capable of pulling anyone into having a good match, even The Miz. I seriously doubt this match will get a lot of time. Dolph will always do whatever he can with whatever he is given to show off his stuff.

There has not been a ton of build to this feud but more than you would think for a match that is likely so far down the card. There is only one outcome that will be acceptable to for most fans watching live and in the viewing audience. If Dolph doesn’t win, the match I am sure Triple H will be happy to take your angry tweets and chuckle at them.

It should be a decent match given all the factors in play. Will see if it actually turns out that way or it just flops. 

 

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History of Summerslam Memories

Summerslam got started way back in 1988 which for an old guy like me don’t seem all that long ago but it really is. That event was headlined by one of the most unique tag-team matches in the history of the WWF at the time. Randy Savage the World Champion was challenged to a tag-team match by Million Dollar Man and his Partner Andre the Giant. Savage would team for the first time with Hulk Hogan who had been dubbed as the Mega-Powers in the fall of 1987 and would end up working together to help Savage secure the World Title at Wrestlemania 4. It would be the first time that the Madness and the Mania would team up officially in the ring. Just to add a little more doubt to the match we had special guest Referee Jessie the Body Ventura. A role that Ventura would reprise years later as the current Governor of Minnesota in a World Championship Match 11 years later in the “Attitude Era” in 1999.

When you look at Summerslam it is not an event that is necessarily remembered for his great title matches. Sure it has had some that include the man challenging for the title this year Brock Lesnar defeating The Rock for his first world title. However that match was over shadowed by my personal favourite Summerslam match of all time between Triple H and a returning after a four year absence Shawn Michaels. It had been just over 4 years since HBK had been in a match in the WWF. He returned like he had left last week and had a very memorable match with Triple H. It was suppose to be his only match but would end up being a run that lasted till Wrestlemania 26 where he was retired by the Undertaker. It really was the start of a second career in a sense for Shawn Michaels who already had a hall of fame resume but also had a fairly unflattering reputation. Shawn is known by many names including “Mr. Wrestlemania” if there is a “Mr’ Summerslam” it may well be his greatest rival Bret Hart.

Michaels famously screwed Hart out of title at Summerslam when he refereed a match with Hart and the Undertaker in 1997. It would set in motion all the events that would lead to that infamous match in Montreal later that year in November. Hart had some of his best matches for not the World Title but for the Intercontinental title at Summerslam. It was a match of firsts in which he defended the title against his brother-in-law Davey Boy Smith the British Bulldog. It is the first and I believe only time the I-C title has main evented a pay-per-view. It was first and only time a pay-per-view was held outside of North America in London, England. The match was a wrestling clinic and had the emotion of the real life family element too it. Hart lost the match but was the star of it in many ways. That was in 1992. A year earlier an injured in real life Mr Perfect battling back pain would not let that stop him from putting on a classic and putting over Bret Hard to win the same Intercontinental title. It was at the time considered the best match of Bret’s career. He battled for the WWF Title with his brother Owen in a Steel Cage match too.

Summerslam has had some major mistakes as well. Long before Vince McMahon was calling the match with John Cena and Daniel Bryan “ A Swing and a miss,” in terms of drawing it had some bigger train wrecks in the event’s history. Lex Lugar and his summer on the “Lex Express” ended at Summerslam with a count out victory over Yokozuna to win the match but not the title. Another epic failure was the infamous Undertaker vs. Undertaker feud that just came off as goofy and silly.

Summerslam even has had a wedding with the two people that started this event in the first place. Randy Savage would part ways with Miss Elizabeth in storyline of wrestling for just over two years working with Sherri Martel as the Macho King for most of that time. After losing to the Ultimate Warrior at Wrestlemania 7 and as a result his career he would be reunited with Elizabeth. They two would than tie the knot few months later at Summerslam. It remains the only wrestling wedding that did not end in chaos. Although their reception would have an angle in which the happy couple was given a Cobra and it would lead to Randy getting re-instated to feud with Jake “the Snake” Roberts getting him out of his forced retirement.

Other moments that stick out is a young Randy Orton winning his first WWE Title over Chris Benoit. It is remembered more I think because we never really get to see it based on the tragic situation that Benoit will forever be tied too. That match took place in Toronto. Edge that is from Toronto had his feud with John Cena main event a Summerslam in his hometown of Boston. They two would top that match a month later in a TLC match at Unforgiven in the year of 2006.

The summer of Punk WWE version featured a re-match between him and John Cena from Money in the Bank where Punk left the company with the title. In his absence, John Cena through a series of events would become Champion again in his absence. It led to the re-match with in a sense Champion vs. Champion. In the end the re-match is not nearly as memorable as Punk did win only to have Kevin Nash Powerbomb him and have Alberto Del Rio cash in and take the title.

We could go on forever as I haven’t even mentioned the match with Triple H and Rock in a ladder match for the I-C Title. No mention of Austin and Undertaker on the highway to hell to Summerslam. In addition an infamous match between Shawn Michaels and Hulk Hogan. The WWE bills this as the biggest event of the summer and some years it has been and others it hasn’t been. It is a unique event that was the part of the big four pay per views that were created in the 1980’s and still exist to this day. 

Those are just some of the many memories that will come to your mind when you think of Summerslam. Will we remember anything from this year, as it becomes part of the legacy of this event as the years go by? It remains to be seen but the history is long and has some of the biggest names in the history of wrestling.

Perhaps the first ever Summerslam of sorts happened prior to 1988. It was “The Big Event” in 1986 that likely inspired the creation of such an event as well as giving the WWE the confidence they could fill the Silverrdome for Wrestlemania 3. Over 50,000 people filled the CNE stadium in late August on a fairly cold night for that time of year. 

Summerslam today is seen as the unofficial mid-season for the WWE where we start to look ahead to the next Wrestlemnia to conclude another wrestling calendar year.

 

Condo on the Moon is on Twitter and Facebook and check out our weekly podcasts Every Friday! 

If you have questions/comments for our NEW Weekly Google+ Show Live Thursday's 7:30 pm EST use hashtag #AskMachoMoon. You can find us now at Condoonthemoon.com. 

Reflecting On CM Punk's Career

It will officially happen tomorrow but it already unofficially has happened through a couple events last night that CM Punk and WWE have parted ways.

C.M Punk’s career is probably one of the better documented even though a good portion of it took place on the independent scene. His story really is a fascinating one that we all have already heard. Tomorrow is the first day of the rest of Phil Brooks or C.M Punk’s life. See, I think we all know C.M Punk, but the list of people that know Phil is a much shorter one. For as public as he has been over the years since his fame really took off in the summer of 2011, (which was the WWE’s version of the “Summer of Punk”) He still holds a large portion of who he is too a small circle. Yet a guy that honestly keeps his fans at arm’s distance from his life, is still able to have such loyal and dedicated fans to him. It is just one of about 10,000 contrasts about CM Punk that make him not just an interesting person in wrestling, but an interesting person in life in general.

Not a lot of people think like him and have the real brilliance that he has inside him. He is talented, temperamental to flat out a jerk at times, yet if you understand him you love him. However, I think what people most connect with Punk for his just one simple yet magical word that he has come to represent. CHANGE is that word and he in the WWE made himself the poster boy for that word. It was a brilliant way to position yourself if you’re Punk, as the vehicle of change in a company that has clearly gotten stale and needs some shaking up. As quickly as fans have chanted U.S.A for Jack Swagger pitted against an evil Russian in Rusev they will react just as quickly to someone that wants to shake up the system. Challenging the status quo, has always been a good thing in professional wrestling and perhaps no one has mastered that art form more than Punk.

I hear this same tired argument that Punk shouldn’t have left how he did and that he should have honored his contract. I submit that with the creation of the WWE Network that the WWE itself broke the spirit of their agreement with not just Punk but all of the talent on this roster. They were left in the dark on how they would be paid with advent of the network and thus had no answers. Combine this with injuries and a growing dissatisfaction with creative, it makes a world of sense why he left. While the WWE legally did nothing wrong, morally they changed the rules of the business in a way that it was going to cost talent money with no explanations being offered as to some solutions. Add in the fact that C.M Punk has saved his money for the most part and is rich by anyone’s normal standards of living he could afford to go away.

He really was the complete package in the ring and out of it for fans of a certain mindset. Punk is the anti-hero and he will always be that guy. As much as Punk sees wrestling the traditional form of black hats and white hats, he himself no matter what he does will always be in the shades of grey. As bad as Punk may try to be in the role of a heel, he is just to good at it that at some point you go that "you know what I think he is right." If he is your fan favourite he is just a little to rough around the edges to be trusted to always do the right thing.

In many ways I  look at Punk and see a guy that in very different ways had kind of a similar journey to him in  Randy ”Macho Man” Savage. Punk like Savage was always considered "1B" instead of "1A", as Savage had to take a backseat to Hogan and Punk to Cena. Punk more with his words and Savage with his actions you were never quite sure what they would do or say next. In their own unique ways they were compelling and that is not something you learn in wrestling school. If a person has the ability to control your attention and focus, that is power. Like Punk said in one of his famous promos that the microphone in his hand was power and he was right in the hands of someone as compelling and unpredictable as him it was just that.

When you have the ability to gain that kind of attention and focus it makes the ability to have someone suspend their disbelief becomes far easier to accomplish. People cared about Randy Savage and they care about CM Punk. They are invested in them not just as wrestlers but as people. When you can make that strong a connection with your audience all the rest of wrestling becomes simple.

From Randy Savage saying he wanted to kill Dennis Rodman, to CM Punk saying he was going to win and walk away with WWE title, I was willing to buy in and root for these things to happen.

I have seen a lot of people complaining about Punk and his fans causing such a stir on social media and WWE Live Events. Just stop for a second and instead of complaining ask yourself how amazing this guys has to be to get this kind of reaction with doing next to nothing to receive it. Ask yourself why this guy above all others seems to have some of the most dedicated and loyal fans in wrestling. Why if he is able to have done this can’t other guys do the same?

The conclusion you will come up with if you’re being honest with yourself is that guy is pretty damn impressive and has done something that very few have ever done. Make no mistake about it CM Punk will go down in history as one of the greatest and if he never wrestles another match on merit is a hall of famer in my eyes. The thing is so is Randy Savage, but he is not in there at moment. Will C.M Punk and WWE ever do business again?

In the world of wrestling there have been far too many examples to discount anything. So it is always going be a possibility. Although keep in mind CM Punk is a very unique cat and long before there was any signs of trouble he warned us his entire career would end far sooner than people expected.

It would be nice to see his wrestling story end with a better chapter and maybe it will someday. That doesn’t mean CM Punk is done writing his story and whatever you may feel about him it seems clear publicly that he looks to be much happier and healthier. Which if you were a true fan of Punk is all you should really want for him.

It is just for a lot of wrestling fans his career ended is like the idea that the change he fought for has died with that career ending. This is the sad part of fans of wrestling that believed in him. Batman couldn’t save Gotham City and has gone off and retired.

In comics and in wrestling there is always a way to comeback to life and live to fight another day. If that day ever comes for CM Punk only he really knows the answer to that. In an era that John Cena has overshadowed and de-valued so many C.M Punk was able to cut out his own impressive career just like Randy Savage did in the shadow of Hogan.

Impressive stuff and not easy to do, but CM Punk always seemed to choose the more challenging road. 


 

Condo on the Moon is on Twitter and Facebook and check out our weekly podcasts Every Friday! 

If you have questions/comments for our NEW Weekly Google+ Show Live Thursday's 8pm EST use hashtag #AskMachoMoon. You can find us now at Condoonthemoon.com. 

Remembering Saturday Night's When It Was THE MAIN EVENT

One of the things that is missing in wrestling today is the big event feel that we had back in the 1980’s there are lots of reasons it is gone. It begins with the amount of television time dedicated to wrestling today. When I was a kid wrestling consisted of basically two hours a week that both happened on a Saturday. It was WWE Superstars in the afternoon and at 7pm we had WWE Wrestling on CHCH a local broadcaster here in Hamilton that would feature one of the matches from Maple Leaf Gardens or Copps Coliseum.

Every once in awhile there was a special Saturday that I could stay up late and watch this show called Saturday Night’s Main Event. It was used by NBC as a fill in instead of airing a re-run of Saturday Night Live every couple of months. It began back in May of 1985 and ran through 1992. It also produced The Main Event which was broadcast a couple of times on Friday that served as the lead up to both Wrestle Mania 4 and 5. Wrestling in prime time on broadcast television not cable was unheard of and really had not happened since the 1950’s.

What made Saturday Night’s Main Event so great was it featured matches that we had never seen and often feature World Title matches that back in those days were rarely if every on T.V. You needed to go to your local house show if you wanted to see Hulk Hogan as the WWE Champion. Any time he appeared on T.V it was a massively big deal. This is a big change from modern times, where the Champion can be seen every Monday and most of the time is wrestling in a match but is definitely featured on the show.

There was not the access of information like today either so even if these matches had happened at house shows most of the time if we saw a match on Saturday Night’s Main Event it was something that for the majority of the audience was a fresh and new match they had never seen. It had some strange matches like the time Randy “Macho Man” Savage would defend his intercontinental title against Jake “The Snake” Roberts. Both at the time were considered heels and it made for something unique and bizarre for that time in wrestling. In reality it was the WWE floating the idea of making Jake “the Snake” Roberts a good guy. WWE would go back to this feud with Savage as a face and Roberts as a heel years later.

It was a show that in the early years was built around Hulk Hogan and he would have his title defenses against the guys he current would have feuds with or be the starts to feuds for him. Matches against guys like Volkoff, Hercules, Mr. Wonderful, Sika and insert the next bad guy for Hulk Hogan to defeat here. The show as time moved on became a vehicle to set up things for big pay-per-view events or closed circuit events prior to the days of PPV.

It set up Bundy against Hogan in Wrestlemania 2 as Bundy came out and with the help of Don Muraco laid waste to the Champion. Wrestlemania 3 was built on having Hogan and Andre in a Battle Royal and having the Giant easily eliminate Hogan. The Main Event shows I mentioned earlier saw Hogan lose to Andre in the re-match of their Wrestlemania 3 match as their were two refs (The Hebner Brothers) that looked like twins and the evil thinner one counted Hogan out after he had clearly kicked out. Andre would surrender the title to Ted Dibiase how back in December the year prior had tried to buy the WWF Title from Hogan unsuccessfully. This was his plan B to have Andre win the belt for him and give him the title. It would be ruled that you could not in fact buy the title (News to fans these days with replica belts) and Jack Tunney created the tournament that would headline Wrestlemania 4. The next year the show would feature the break-up of the Mega-Powers leading to the Savage vs. Hogan Wrestlemania 5 main event.

To my knowledge it has yet to appear on the WWE Network of yet. If I am guessing it is because some deal would need to be worked out with NBC perhaps. It may just be content they are holding back that they have the full rights too. When it does pop up and if you’re younger and going back to check it out I am not sure if you’ll understand just how big every match on those shows felt in the present time period they occurred. It was something that once Monday Night Raw came around took away from what was unique and special about the show. It was rare back in those days to see any featured performers face off in a match against on another. It was mostly Randy Savage against some generic jobber. Some of the job guys in WWE stood out but for the most part it was some star you knew against so guy you had never heard of. The result was obvious but it was still entertaining. Saturday Night’s Main Event sometimes it would be obvious too but not as much when you had top guys squaring off with perhaps the exception of Hogan. He was always going to win and it is why Andre winning the Belt on that Main Event show, was more or as shocking back than for fans, as it was to see the Streak of the Undertaker being beaten in modern times was.

The WWE attempted to recreate the magic in 2005 and bring back Saturday Night’s Main Event but it just wasn’t the same as we get to see these types of matches every week on Raw. To an extent it is the same issue the WWE has trying to make pay-per-views seem special when they really can’t avoid having wrestlers in feuds interacting with each other in a physical way before the big money matches.

I miss what it felt like to get ready for a Saturday Night’s Main Event. Staying up way past my bedtime eating things that no one should be at that late hour it made it feel special. It was a unique piece of my childhood that I will never forget.

NXT is supposed to be this window to the future for the WWE and it is in some senses. In others it is a throwback to the old 80’s style of pro wrestling with just one hour of T.V a week and the ability to keep guys away from each other prior to a big match. Great example comes from this past NXT with Tyler Breeze being on commentary during Adrian Neville’s match with RVD. They also have started having big shows every few months that are treated as Special Events. They have a feel much like a cross between a traditional pay-per-view and a Saturday Night’s Main Event. It goes two hours which is 30 minutes longer than the old Saturday Night’s Main Events and has no commercials. It does however fall just about hour shy of the traditional WWE pay-per-view.

It is the closest thing I will get to do short of  remembering fondly my childhood memories until the WWE Network gets to Canada and they get Saturday Night’s Main Event on the WWE Network.

Condo on the Moon is on Twitter and Facebook and check out our weekly podcasts Every Friday! You can find us now at Condoonthemoon.com

Condo On Moon Podcast Ep 12- Madness and Rockets

This week might be the calm before the storm as fingers crossed we have a couple guests coming up from Ring Of Honor Wrestling That to look forward to we look back on a week that had some sad remembrances with Randy Savage passing away 3 years ago earlier in the week and today marks 15 years since the tragic death of Owen Hart. I wrote on both for Between the Ropes today on Owen and earlier in the week on Randy.  I hope I did both many justice by my words. But it is not all doom and gloom as we have fun talking about Chris Walder's ability or lack of ability to know how to talk to divas and women in general. We get into a conversation about ROH and the new the Kevin Steen is on his way to NXT and WWE Developmental.


So next week fingers crossed will have a great guest for you and announcement for another big guest the following week. If you new and you like what you hear please help us spread the word and if you don't already follow us @Condoonthemoon

If you aren't seeing the podcast on your device you are accessing the blog try this direct link to our podcast home and you can listen via I-Tunes from there. So click here for that.  

Macho Madness Will Live Forever

I admit I had no idea today was the day we lost Randy Savage. Maybe I just have blocked it out of my mind as it was like a part of my childhood dying. The fact it was three years ago is almost shocking to me but just proof I am getting older faster.

Randy Savage was what I defined as cool as a kid. He had these flashy outfits and the lovely girl at his side Miss Elizabeth. I was hooked and this guy was the main reason I watched wrestling. He was always different from everyone else. He could cut a promo off the top of his head and they came off as brilliant, strange and ultimately creative.

He was also different in the ring. In a current world of high spots all over the place it is hard to understand how innovative he truly was in the Mid-80’s. His top rope elbow was a thing of beauty and nothing like the tribute to move C.M Punk would do for years. The truth is part of why I love Punk is how he brought Randy Savage back to life for a generation of fans that likely never saw him wrestle.

As a small child I dressed up as Savage and went out for Halloween doing my Savage impression that I still pull out at the start of almost every podcast I do as my tribute to him. I was devastated when he lost to Ricky Steamboat at Wrestlemania III. I had no clue or care that I had watched perhaps the best wrestling match of all time. It didn’t matter to me just the fact that Savage had lost was devastating.

A year later I would get the exact opposite feeling as Savage would win the WWF title in a tournament and he would wrestle 4 times. He came out in a different outfit every time to the ring. I was far too nervous to realize by the time Savage faced Greg “The Hammer” Valentine it was fairly obvious he was going to win. I was clueless to the behind the scenes drama that the only reason Savage was in this spot is because The Honky Tonk Man allegedly refused to drop the I-C title to him. Wrestling was much simpler and I didn’t care about all the politics of it and was not worried about how good or bad a match was. I was just totally entertained and fascinated with this man Randy Savage. I was NEVER a Hulk-a-Maniac I was always a Savage fan.

Savage’s logic about Hogan being jealous and trying to steal Elizabeth seemed all very rational thinking to me. The real life events actually aren’t totally off base. Savage did see Hogan as trying to steal his spotlight as he would with everyone. Remind you of anyone in modern times? John Cena always becomes buddies with the hottest guys at the time he learned that from the Hulkster Brother! Savage also blamed Hogan for his marriage falling apart to some degree.

The relationship between Savage and Hogan was always a tense one. You hear stories now of how over protective Savage was of Elizabeth back in the day. You hear other stories as to the reasons he might not be in the WWE Hall of Fame that have little to do with wrestling and what he did in the business. You also have the story of his brother Lanny about Savage’s wishes about his entire family being inducted to the HOF. I have a hard time buying that story.

What is true is the WWE Hall of Fame will always be incomplete without Randy Savage and my life and all the lives of his fans are a little more empty without him with us. Still maybe the empty spot just becomes filled with all of the memories of Randy Savage that will flood our hearts and minds.

Randy Savage was my hero as a child and I will always love a man that I never got to meet but always felt I knew.

3 years ago today wrestling lost what is an over used word in wrestling but a TRUE ICON in Randy Poffo. From how he changed the business to how he inspired many of the people in it today to making millions and millions of fans love him and the sport of professional wrestling.

I will NEVER forget him for my entire life. He will always hold a special place in my heart and every time I talk, think, watch or am a part of wrestling in any way it is all because of him.

So thank you Randy Savage you are missed and loved by millions of people whose lives you touched, with mine being one of those millions.

Bonus: Here is the piece on the same topic I wrote for Between The Ropes feel free to read it as well. 

Daniel Bryan Can Only Be As Strong A Champion As He Is Allowed To Be

I did not live in fear that Daniel Bryan would not get his much deserved moment at Wrestlemania 30. The simple fact was the WWE didn’t really have much choice given all the things that led up to that event. C.M Punk decision to go home to Chicago was one of those things. Mentioning him is where my concerns for Daniel Bryan begin. Before I go further about that it was also a direct result of fans passionate reaction to Bryan’s exclusion from the Royal Rumble match.  In the end the planned Batista vs. Randy Orton match for the WWE World Championship was doomed. The WWE over estimated the popularity of a returning Batista against the popularity of the incumbent wrestler on the roster Daniel Bryan.

So it was a bumpy and winding road from when Daniel Bryan first entered the title picture going against John Cena at Summerslam. The fact is the WWE got to the destination their audience demanded. This for me is all that matters to some extent. That is only half of the problem solved though at the end of the day. In traditional pro sports they say winning a championship is one thing but to defend that title is a whole different ballgame. In wrestling the company booking you to become the champion is one thing but how you are booked once you are the champion is another. This is where my fear for Daniel Bryan begins.

I was concerned that the WWE would not be as invested in the Daniel Bryan title run as this was not their idea to begin with. I also had a lot of concern with the lack of true heels on the roster to challenge him as the champion. A champion is only as good as the contenders that challenge him for that title. It is safe to say that Kane as his first challenger to the title is under whelming would be more than a fair statement. Let's face it, on the first PPV/Special Event it seems highly likely this match-up will be the main event.

That leads us back to the man now currently enjoying being Blackhawks and Cubs fan in Chicago. C.M Punk even as part of historic title run was not booked as being the main event all the time. The idea of the champion and not going on last is just not the way traditional fans have become accustom to seeing a champion treated. The only way Punk found his way to the main event was when he faced John Cena. He was the guy that went on last and not Punk. While Punk fans look at his 434 title reign as a great achievement, and it really was, for a majority of that he was not treated as he should be.

Bryan at least for the start of his title reign is starting off on that path. He is by far the most popular and loved WWE Superstar much in the same way C.M Punk was. This goes back further in history though and the first person to be treated in this fashion was Randy Savage. His match with Ric Flair at Wrestlemania 8 was not booked as the main event. Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice was the main event on that show. It set a wrong precedent that has lived on to today. I have said this many times in writing in this blog but for myself the title of a promotion is the most valuable resource your company has. I understand you still need stars for a company to be successful that is no secret. Still you can have someone get injured and if you have made that person bigger than the title you suddenly have a problem. That belt shows up for every show and is never going on the injured reserve list.

When you treat your title as not the most important this your company has it makes not just your champion lesser but his challenger as well. I think in a landscape where you live in a world with the legit combat sport of the UFC where titles mean everything you must follow suit in pro wrestling. When you choose not too it makes that "believability factor" that is vital for wrestling to work suffer.

What also makes it suffer is that someone is some how bigger than the title. The goal of every wrestler should always be to want to be the champion. In pro sports would you ever respect an athlete that doesn’t still have that desire to win another championship? You don’t want guys like that in your locker room. John Cena should want to beat the record of Ric Flair and become the greatest champion of all time. Cena has even had points where with in the context of the storyline he has flat of said he doesn’t need the title and once gave away a title match to someone else. That destroys the value of the championship and its importance.

Daniel Bryan and his journey did restore a lot of value in a title that suffered with a weakly booked heel champion Randy Orton. If you don’t build him legitimate challengers and treat those matches as the most important thing on these shows that becomes a real problem and takes the steam out of Bryan’s run as champion.

Cena in his promo on Raw this week talked about being excited about the future for when he eventually leaves. If he truly means that he should be the one pushing for that champion and championship to be treated as the biggest thing on a show and company he has helped build.

While it is great for The Shield to be in a main event program with Evolution it should not be bigger than the title and the champion. In a way it spits in the face of the 31 titles reigns that the three members of Evolution has. Not to mention every other man that has held that belt.

So let’s hope that things go a different route for Daniel Bryan. The reason I worry is unlike CM Punk it is not in Daniel Bryan’s nature is not to rock the boat. Maybe Bri will fight for him behind the scenes now that she has a vested interest as his wife. In any case the Bryan Title run is not off to a huge start heading into Extreme Rules this Sunday.

The 10 Count: Best Intercontinental Champions

On this past Monday Night Raw we saw yet another attempt to restore the Intercontinental Title back to some importance. It made me think of the better days of I-C Title and when it meant something in this company. They mentioned 12 members of the WWE Hall of Fame are former I-C Champions. So this makes this a tough list to crack and we have left some of those Hall of Famers off our list of the 10 greatest I-C Champions of all time.

Steve Austin, Shawn Micheals and Ultimate Warrior all did not make the list of greatest I-C champs of all time. Hard to imagine but look at our list of 10 and you will see it is hard to find them a spot. Even the first ever I-C Champ Pat Patterson isn’t on the list either. Mainly because we are still looking for the footage of the tournament he won in Brazil or Argentina or where ever in South America it supposedly took place to become the first champion.

#10 Kurt Angle: The one and only ever Euro-Continental Champion holding the European and I-C Belts at the same time. This was the first time we got to see Kurt Angle as a champion and would not be the last. Kurt was still a new comer to pro wrestling after winning in a legit Gold Medal in 1996 with a broken fringing’ neck. Angle has gone on to be some what crazy and loony since leaving the WWE heading elsewhere, but at the start of his time in pro wrestling he was amazing in the ring and pretty damn tremendous on a microphone. A star was born and a run with this title was part of proving it.

#9 Don Muraco: He was The Rock before the Rock. He was also part of one of the most iconic moments in Wrestling with Jimmy Snuka. Yes Snuka jumping off a cage was amazing, but just as amazing is having to be the guy lying there taking it. In many ways Don Muraco was ahead of his time. The funny bits he would do with his manager Mr’ Fuji were just fun and cheesy.  He had a couple runs with the I-C Title and was one of the first to make the title mean something. He feuded with Snuka and Pedro Morales in some classic battles.

#8 Bret “Hitman” Hart: Much like many we will mention on this list Bret was given this title as a test to see if he could one day be the WWF/E Champion. He would be about the only guy I can recall defend the I-C Belt in a Main Event as he and the British Bulldog had a classic match for the title in the Main Event of a Summerslam. It was one of the best matches of that year or any year with Bulldog coming out on top. Hart would have several runs with the title and he would face his career long rival HBK along they way for this belt before the two would fight for a much bigger prize in the future.

#7 The Rock: Before the days of the Rock being in the World Title picture he had a long run and feud with Stone Cold centred on the I-C Belt. It was the start of us getting to see what a truly great performer he was and vice versa with Austin. It was so vital for both in their development to go on to be World Champions and have one of the greatest feuds in Wrestlemania history with matches at 15, 17 and 19.

#6 Chris Jericho: has held the belt the most number of times which I believe is 9 times, so based on that deserves to make this list. He was always a guy that seemed to get shuffled from the mid-card to the top of the card and many of those times he would get a run with the I-C Title. He had numerous foes to defend the belt against some of the best being Kurt Angle, Chris Benoit and William Regal. Probably many more we could list but those stick out.

 #5 Razor Ramon: Long before we knew who Scott Hall was there was the Bad Guy and he was the first 4 time I-C Champ in the history of the WWF/E. His most memorable feud for the I-C title was with Shawn Micheals that climaxed with the ladder match at Wrestlemania 10. Razor would win that match despite most of the praise going to HBK. Razor Regardless of being face or an actual bad guy was a great I-C Champ and really did well with his runs with the title.

#4 Ravishing Rick Rude: The fact he was able to guide the Ultimate Warrior to some of the best matches of his career was an accomplishment enough, but Rude himself was a tremendous performer. Paired with Bobby Heenan the two together would make for some magic with microphone and Rude was a solid competitor in the ring. His unique airbrushed tights that related to his feuds have something that you just never saw back in those days and added that extra bit of fuel to the fire.
  

 #3 Mr. Perfect: Curt Hennig many feel deserved to be a World Champion in WWF but it never happened. His run with Bobby Heenan starting off as his manger and holding the I-C Title was pretty memorable. He would win a tournament to secure the belt I believe after the Warrior was forced to vacate the title after winning the WWF Title at Wrestlemania 6. He would lose the title to Bret Hart in a match where Hennig was suffering from extreme back issues but still it goes down as one of the best matches in history of Summerslam.

#2 Honky Tonk Man: Love him or hate him the guy played the cowardly heel champion for all it was worth. After shockingly beating Steamboat not long after his historic win over Savage it would be the Honky Tonk Man that would go on to have the longest reign in history. Perhaps not by design as he was going to lose the belt to Savage but plans changed when Savage was going to be given the World Title. By hook and often times by crook Honky Tonk would beat people and keep his running going until the un-named opponent the Ultimate Warrior came out and laid waste to him in about 20-30 seconds.

#1 Randy “Macho Man” Savage: This is the Condo on the Moon were you expecting anyone else? Savage had a great run with the title and eventually lost the belt in one of the most epic matches in the history of Wrestlemania. He was the first guy that really used this title as a stepping stone to the WWF Title and another long run with that belt. Randy Savage made the Intercontinental Title a big deal and was the man that made this title notable in a time when wrestling was in one of its biggest boom periods in the 80’s.

So that is our list how did we do? It is tough and lot's of debate can be had. But that is our top 10 and we're sticking to it. If you care to debate look me up on twitter @dinonationblog or on Facebook Condo on The Moon Page. Also check out Every Friday the IWC Podcast this week with guest wrestler Ethan Page and we talk ROH and WWE. What is not for debate is no one holding that belt in recent times deserves to be on this list and that is because of how they have been booked. 

IWC Podcast: Wrestlemania Preview w/ Special Guest Jimmy Korderas

Wrestlemania 30 is just days away and we have a special guest on the program long time WWF/E Official Jimmy Korderas and currently part of Aftermath on Sportsnet 360. I speak with Jimmy about the roles of refs in wrestling, preview Wrestlemania 30, some exciting news for Aftermath viewers and a cool Randy Savage story. That and a whole lot more as we discuss the future of wrestling and where the WWE is heading. Chris Walder is also on the show my regular co-host as we make our Wrestlemania picks and talk some news from the week leading into Wrestlemania.


Thanks to Jimmy for joining us and here is a link to the article he wrote on Undertaker's Streak. For all the stuff on WWE at Sportsnet you can check it out here. Also if you have not a got a copy of Jimmy's Book: The Three Count: My Life in Stripes as a WWE Referee here is link to order it on Amazon.ca. Thanks so much to Jimmy for taking the time out to talk some wrestling with us it was much appreciated.

For folks that might have just found us please give us a like on Facebook to keep up to date with all the is going on in the Condo on The Moon. All that being said enjoy Wrestlemania and all the great events and content that is provides for wrestling fans.

Wrestlemania Memories

As cynical as we all can be as Wrestling fans, the thing about Wrestlemania that makes it special is how it ties to memories of our youth. They make you remember fond memories. I can remember my dad taking me to see Wrestlemania 2 on closed circuit television at Copps Coliseum. Even as a kid I could tell he really didn’t care much for this wrestling stuff, but he was going to take his son to something he enjoyed. Funny thing is even he got excited watching the British Bulldogs match with The Dream Team. My dad marking out for false finishes just like me was just amazing to see. 

Dad for whatever reason took a liking to Ricky Steamboat and as a kid my favourite and still to this day was Randy Savage. Mom took me back to the same venue to see Randy Savage lose to Ricky Steamboat in Wrestlemania 3. It would go on to be considered one of the classic matches of all time. As a kid I didn’t care about that in the slightest, all I cared about was my guy Randy Savage had lost and I was crushed. Needless to say I was not that happy with my dad for a week or maybe two after that match.

Sadly my father would pass away months later but I will always look back on those moments with him tied to going to wrestling events as some of my most fond memories of my father. I struggled after losing my father in June. Still getting use to life without him I would be back at the same venue to see Wrestlemania 4 and the tournament that would see Randy Savage go on to win the WWF Championship.

If I had paid more attention by the time Randy Savage met Greg “The Hammer” Valentine it should have been obvious that Randy Savage was going to win it all. Still I was just a nervous fan wanting to hope that my guy was going come out on top. Maybe young kids today have that same feeling about Daniel Bryan and if we will win the Championship.

Maybe all those kids that root for John Cena are in fear that he will lose to the evil Bray Wyatt. I think we lose that prospective of what it feels like to be that kid. They are not concerned with how good a match is or if someone is getting a push or being buried. They have no concept or knowledge of what those things are. They just have someone they root for and want them to win.

As an older fan I grew to appreciate the talents of Shawn Micheals and what he could do in a ring. He to me was the guy that replaced Savage as my favourite. Strange that being in Canada for Wrestlemania 12 and the Ironman Match I wanted to see HBK win it all. That match I watched with a good friend of mine that I recently re-connected with. Part of how our friendship began was both being fans of wrestling and video games. We met because our dad’s both bowled in a league on the same night. We as kids would tear around this bowling alley and wrestle and play video games. This once had a bad result as I took a belly to back suplex into the edge of a pop machine which resulted in my getting stitches for the first time in my life. Seeing my own blood was a lot different than watching Ric Flair or Hulk Hogan bleed that is for sure. Don’t try this at home was never professed back than.

Another story I remember from my days in high school was about a house show at the Copps once again. I watched Curt Henning from the first row of ringside and yelled after he completed a move “that was perfect” and he pointed at me and said “your damn right it was.” I attended the first ever Royal Rumble although it was not called that at the time it was a special for U.S cable being taped up here not a PPV. Hacksaw Jim Duggan as you all maybe aware won that first rumble. I am here to tell you though if the fans on that night had their way it would have been HOF Inductee this year Jake “The Snake” Roberts.  The Chants of “D-D-T” were loud from the moment he entered to the moment he was eliminated. Not really good advice from us as crowd to eliminate people but was a sign that Jake was very over more than anyone on that night. In fact, even more than Hogan who was there to sign a contract for his big re-match with Andre The Giant that would end up setting the wheels in motion for the tournament Savage won at Wrestlemania 4 I mentioned earlier.

The points I make here are a couple I guess. Wrestlemania has become an event that we tie memories to not just of the matches and the events that take place but of our lives. I realize this comes off as a bit of a sappy thing like the WWE Network commercial with the boy that grows up to have a son and family through his WWE Fandom. Thing is you swap those Cena and Punk shirts for Steamboat and Savage and that was me and my dad. It’s something I can relate too, even if you want to consider it sappy dribble.

Wrestlemania has grown to be an event that has a rich and long history that ties to our memories of the past and represents some of the current events of those times. I just listened to Review-A-Wai and they reviewed Wrestlemania 7 which was another famous Savage moment. His Career vs. Career match against Hall of Fame Inductee the Ultimate Warrior. It is the core of why I will never like the Warrior as he ended that match by putting his foot on Savage’s chest after kicking out of 5 elbows from Savage.

This might be the point where the jaded fan and smarter fan started for me. That jerk just ended Macho’s career at the time by covering his with his foot? Savage would not be gone long as this was my first experience at realizing the wrestling retirement was not exactly binding. Brett Favre must have been a wrestling fan given his career. The point was Savage carried that sack of garbage to the best match he ever had and he ended it by putting his foot on him. Worked or not that just seemed so wrong to me.

The fact we are over 20 years removed from that event and I still feel that way tells you what Wrestlemania does in terms of creating lasting moments. The results are pre-determined and they can be predictable but still those Wrestlemania Moments they talk about are real. Not just for the wrestlers but for fans as well.

People look back and review these shows that never experienced them at the time and I always find that interesting. They often see how horrible these cards were in the context of today. In reality that just isn’t fair in some sense because out of context a great many things don’t look good by today’s standards. I can still laugh along though at how goofy some of the stuff seems now-a-days.

The other thing the CM Punk loving John Cena hating me learned from this was that maybe I forget what it was like being a kid watching this stuff. Maybe while I am tired of John Cena and his entire act which is nothing more than a modern version of Hulk Hogan that I forget what it was like as a kid. Although, being a Savage fan, I never liked Hogan and only tolerated him during his time with Savage in the Mega Powers. I was the exception not the rule and just like many kids today love John Cena I maybe should respect that a little and remember how I felt as that kid.

Every wrestler I have ever loved has some tie back to that original love of Randy Savage. Punk wearing those tribute tights after the death of Savage made me as a grown man get teary eyed. His doing the Savage Elbow and keeping Savage alive through chants of his name in crowds today is the best gift he could give to me as a Savage fan.

It all in the end comes back to those magic moments at a Wrestlemania that cement our fandom in the people we love. It isn’t always about how good or bad a match was. About who should win or lose and booking of the product. It is about those memories that are created and that connection it creates for us with a wrestler. Mania provides wrestling fans with moments that can take them back to where they were and what they felt at that time. Like this is you life type of feel all connected to this event. Something that when it began no one could have imagined what it would truly become. Vince McMahon regardless what you think of him has given us all something that we can look back to as part of our history as both fans of wrestling and people in general.

That is something that is priceless. Not even the Million Dollar Man can take away the memories you have for this iconic wrestling institution.