The Wrestling Factor #2: For Whom The Bell Tolls
Posted by The Stinger
on 10/24/2006
Busy times for the old Stinger folks, so for that I apologize for the long span in between columns, especially considering I really do want to write weekly columns again. Unfortunately, for the time being, I’ll be doing good to get two a month out. Nevertheless, time has been found (I.e. to do Talking Points, as the main piece was written in 2004 and has only been slightly modified) to sit and work solely on a new edition of
The Wrestling Factor, and so well, here it is, edition number two!
TALKING POINTS* The new
Hulk Hogan Ultimate Anthology and
Sting: Return of an Icon DVD’s are both great (Hogan’s) and good (Sting’s). It comes recommended that you pick up a copy of both, especially the Hogan one. Get it at the Beast (Wal-Mart) if at all possible in your area though folks, because you get a fourth disc and it’s only $20. That my dear readers, is a hell of a deal, and I’m not even a Hulk Hogan fan.
* I have not seen
TNA Bound For Glory but after reading numerous reports about it, it’s certainly an event that I’ll be adding to the old DVD collection as soon as it’s available. I’m sometimes overly harsh on TNA, that being because I use to be a HUGE fan of them, but I believe this at least reads like it’ the best TNA event since Unbreakable 2005. Of course I mark for Sting, so his winning the NWA World Championship makes me want to see it even more. I’ll be watching Impact this week; I hope they show signs of improvement because I’d really like to become a TNA fan again.
* Sources have stated that one half of the
Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions, Claudio Castagnoli had a tryout for WWE down in Deep South Wrestling, and that he did very well and a contract has been or most likely will be given to him. This is good news, and if he gets it, congrats to Castagnoli because he deserves it. He’s a good wrestler, a good entertainer, and he’s not a small guy, so he should do well in the WWE. I’d love to see him on either Smackdown (vs. Benoit) or ECW (vs. CM Punk).
* PWInsider.com also broke a story of former TNA star
Monty Brown being backstage at RAW on 10/23. I’m far from a Brown fan, but the fact is the guy doesn’t outright suck, and even in TNA he wrestled a WWE style. So in WWE, Monty Brown could be a nice addition and WWE should certainly give much thought to hiring him. It’ll be a nice change from known WWE stars joining TNA to relative unknown TNA stars joining WWE and I think that McMahon (while he doesn’t see TNA as a threat, nor should he) would get a kick out of that. Smackdown could use him, and a stable of he and Lashley, possibly managed by Ron Simmons would be something good for all.
For Whom The Bell Tolls
"Now, this bell tolling softly for another, says to me: Thou must die."For sixteen years, he has been the most feared wrestler in the WWE. Hulk Hogan, Jake Roberts, Kamala, Yokozuna, Bret Hart, Diesel, Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H, Kane, Kurt Angle, and Randy Orton, they have all fell at the hands of the Lord of Darkness. The Undertaker, for better or worse, has remained a cornerstone of WWE programming, building his legacy as one of the greatest, and becoming the phenom of World Wrestling Entertainment.
For the man that made his WWE debut at the 1990 Survivor Series, The Undertaker’s long and prosperous ride may soon be coming to an end. Many wrestlers bow out while on top, others become a mere shell of their former selves in attempt at one last run, one last moment in the spotlight.
It is a choice, a choice that comes easy to a few, and a choice that most others fear. The choice to stay or go. For those who know nothing but the ways of the WWE, letting go is a scary thought. And why wouldn’t it? After all, you work your entire life for something that you love dearly, giving it up isn’t something that is going to come easy.
But like all aspects of life, the day when you must give it up comes. For some like Jesse Ventura, it comes very easy and leads to even greater success. For those like Droz, the dream is cut short when the choice is made for you, through an unfortunate act of fate. Some get their second chance at glory, those like Hulk Hogan, Scott Hall, and Kevin Nash. And for others, such as Ric Flair and Terry Funk, the fear of not being in front of the crowd is an overpowering feeling.
Mark Calloway is at this fork now. The man known as The Undertaker, has done everything there is to do in wrestling. He is a multiple time WWE Champion, Tag-Team champion, and Hardcore champion. He holds the distinction of being undefeated at the greatest of all shows, Wrestlemania. His mark has already been left in wrestling history, the time to for self discovery has arrived.
You Cannot Kill That Which Is Already DeadOn one hand, The Undertaker still has legions of fans, still has unfinished business within a WWE ring. There are those that have not yet been buried, and a legacy that may require just one more reign as WWE Champion. This appears to be the route Mark Calloway is taking, the route to immortality.
Wrestlemania, the showcase of the immortals, the biggest stage in all of sports-entertainment. No one man has dominated the granddaddy of ‘em all like The Undertaker has. Perhaps the greatest mark The Undertaker has left in wrestling, is his twelve and zero record at Wrestlemania, a record that will not be broken. There really is nothing more for The Undertaker to prove, he has done it all, and made millions of dollars in the process.
But Wrestlemania is coming again, in just a few short months, and The Undertaker has already made his choice. His decision is simple, one more run, one more victory to add to the list. Who knows, maybe even another WWE Championship reign will result of this Wrestlemania victory. Then again, maybe not, it is a gamble The Undertaker should not have taken…
Dead Man Walking?If The Undertaker were to walk away from it now, he would so with his Wrestlemania record still intact. At Wrestlemania XXIII, The Undertaker could possibly lose at Wrestlemania. Perhaps he’ll win the championship and lose it at Wrestlemania. Maybe this is what The Undertaker wishes for. After all, it takes a lot to define greatness, and for The Undertaker to drop the title at Wrestlemania, would be the ultimate rub, and that would further cement Undertaker as a class act and a truly great superstar who cares for the business.
Some may feel this would tarnish his record, for The Undertaker cannot lose at Wrestlemania. But as a locker room leader, and an “elder”, there would be no better end to The Undertaker’s long and illustrious career, than that of a Wrestlemania defeat. Some wrestlers reach a point where it is time to move on, yet their ego is such that they cannot do what is best for the business, they cannot fathom the thought of losing their last match with a promotion or last match period. These men end up being bitter, whining about being screwed. The Undertaker is not this kind of wrestler.
But maybe it’s just me. Maybe The Undertaker isn’t old enough to move on, perhaps he still has a few more years left. As a favorite of mine for many years, I hate to see him become a shell of his old self, or worse yet, nothing more than an attraction, used for the sole purpose of making money and gathering cheap pops for an entrance.
Men Will Always Die, But Legends Live on ForeverThe Undertaker has seen it all, the lowest of lows, and the highest of highs. Through numerous back-stabbings, screw jobs, politics, egos, greed, and personal health, The Undertaker has remained a constant force within the WWE. A key factor in the WWE’s ‘Attitude Era’ and a major playing throughout “The Monday Night War”, Mark Calloway has been the franchise of WWE. Much like Sting was to WCW, The Undertaker has remained loyal to McMahon since his debut in 1990.
I’m sure he was offered a contract by WCW, sometime between 1995 and 1998, after all, they would have been fools to not try and talk with him. For whatever reason, Mark Calloway never left the WWE to head back to WCW. Loyalty? Lack of interest in the WCW product? Or wasn’t even offered a spot? Who knows for sure? What is known is that The Undertaker was made a household name in the WWE and had a great run there.
Noticed I said had? Had is the correct word to use in that sentence, for the character just doesn’t fit anymore. Perhaps I’ve lost interest in the character, the gimmick, in Mark Calloway himself. Or maybe I’m too big a fan of his, and just don’t wish to see the gimmick milked dry. It could just be my way of thinking, that is quitting when you can still have some dignity, when you can still consider yourself a positive aspect, and not a joke. Like what happened to Mick Foley, to Steve Austin, and to Ric Flair. Call me crazy, but those guys are not legends in my mind. One can’t give it up, the others had everything they worked for shit on, by one last run. A run that turned them into a joke, and drained them of their dignity.
The fact remains that The Undertaker has given much of his life and career to Vince McMahon and the WWE. Now World Wrestling Entertainment and Smackdown will live on without The Undertaker, but can Undertaker honestly step away from what he has done and loved for so long? I say yes, for those who truly love and respect the business, know that it is best to move on, let the younger guys have their days. The clock is ticking for Undertaker now, the time for decisions, the time to showcase what kind of person he really is, is almost here. When that decision is made, for whom will the bell toll?
“PERCHANCE he for whom this bell tolls may be so ill, as that he knows not it tolls for him; and perchance I may think myself so much better than I am, as that they who are about me, and see my state, may have caused it to toll for me, and I know not that”.
- John Donne, For Whom the Bell Tolls From "Devotions upon Emergent Occasions" (1623) 
**WARNING: The views expressed within this section are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of the other columnist nor those of the site staff. The following section may contain language that may not be appropriate for readers under the age of 16. Parental discretion is advised.**To Have the Money, But Need It Not!They call this, America, the land of opportunity. They say hard work pays off, and in some instances, it does. Others work their entire lives, and just barely are able to get by. Is it a lack of hard work? No, not usually. For some people work extremely hard; be it at their job, at school, or on a project; but just can’t seem to make it quite good enough. They struggle, and continue to make just enough money to get by, and maybe even get themselves a few luxuries along the way.
Then others, with seemingly no effort, make it big. Some do it by extensive hard work, and while they’re big and very rich, they are not well known or “famous”. That’s okay though, as fame is certainly not for everyone. Point is though, while not famous, they have money and can buy, spend, and waste as they please. They don’t need to think twice before spending, cause they know they have more than enough. There is nothing wrong with this, after all they worked hard and if they have the money, then they ought to be able to spend or waste as they so choose.
But then comes those who are not on rich, but famous as well. Those TV and film celebrities, musician’s and singers, and the highly over-paid athletes. Now there is absolutely no sense in idolizing these people for their wealth, because it comes at a price most sensible people would not want to pay… privacy. Not a major issue to some, after all some crave the attention, but that alone is enough to make some not want fame. But on the flip side of being hounded by the paparazzi, these celebrities having money because of free stuff.
It’s the oxymoron of this country; those famous people with money, really aren’t the ones who need the money. People like Regis Philbin, a huge wrestling fan and very funny guy, are given “VIP” cards to McDonald’s. What exactly does that mean? It means Regis can go into any McDonald’s he wants too, and eat for free. If celebrities who can afford to eat McDonald’s everyday of the year, can get free food, then how come McDonald’s can’t pay their help more than minimum wage? How come it’s only one coupon per customer?
And it’s not just crap like that. These high priced clothing designers, and jewelers, who give their stuff to these celebrities to wear to an award show, so that they’ll get some sort of a mention. And the people that are sponsored by Coca-Cola, Nike, and all the others, getting free stuff because they promote the product which is then over-priced to hard working people who barely get by. It’s absurd, and totally unnecessary. But, when these celebrities are often worshipped like their some sort of god or goddess, you have to wonder if people actually care; and they should care.
Because if it’s not enough that these hard working middle class peoples jobs are being shipped overseas because some foreign guys work cheaper, prices of food, clothes, concerts, theaters, movie rentals, and other forms of sport or entertainment continue to increase prices. And with these increased prices, the people at the top of the corporation, or celebrity, continue to get richer and richer. Just how much money will it take to get people to realize that watching a professional sporting event for a couple hundred dollars a person, only serves to let people who think they are better than everyone, demand that they make 25-30 million dollars a year; and then turn around and get free stuff… as if they need it. Land of opportunity? I think not. The land of the have’s and have not’s.
PLUGS:
That's going to do it for this edition of
The Wrestling Factor folks. Hopefully you all enjoyed it, if you didn't then hell, thanks for reading and there's always next time, though there’s no telling when that will be. Feedback can be left at
wrestlingfactor@gmail.com and if you could, please label the subject heading as "Wrestling Factor Feedback". Or you can check out those plugs above, because that’s where I spend most of my online time, so if you enjoy the column, then please sign up at the Network Forums and interact with me and others. Until next time, I am
The Stinger and this has been
The Wrestling Factor. The Sting stops here...
-
The Stinger
Click here to let us know what you thought about this column on TWV's official discussion forums!
Copyright © 2005; TheWrestlingVoice.com & Douglas Nunnally.
All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer & Privacy Statement
