2002 Year-End Column

I have to be honest. This is the first time I have ever done a year-end column. Now I know that many of you may think that I am a professional journalist, what with my penchant for posting regular columns and meeting deadlines and all. But that simply is not the case, for I am just a fan at heart- albeit a fan who has been fortunate enough to have been given the opportunity to live out some of his childhood dreams inside the ring and at the broadcast table. I have been a fan of professional wrestling since about 1980, when I first saw Georgia Championship Wrestling. I watched as the Fabulous Freebirds faced Ted DiBiase and the Junkyard Dog in a tag team match that would keep me glued to the television for not only the 15-minute duration of that match, but many more matches that followed for over 22 years. Some of those 22 years were golden (just pick any year from about 1983 to 1988 in the NWA), and some were not so golden. I think I can safely say that 2002 would qualify as a not-so-golden year. Rather than hand out “awards” like the Wrestler of the Year for the year-end column, I thought I would take a somewhat different approach. Some of these categories are humorous, but I hope some of them are more thought-provoking. None of them should give you the impression that I am a professional journalist. And responses are always welcome and encouraged at the Message Board. Now, on to my year-end thoughts!

Most Overrated Wrestler of the Year: Hands down, it has to be RVD. Ranked #1 on the Pro Wrestling Illustrated Top 500, RVD experienced probably the biggest year of his professional career. Right about now you are probably asking, “So why the Most Overrated designation, Cam?” Glad you asked. I was a huge fan of RVD when he was coming up in ECW. I didn’t fully appreciate this man’s ability until I saw him live at Hara Arena for the first time. Let’s face it, the guy can put on an action-packed match for 30 minutes and still manage to pull off a Rolling Thunder when most guys would be calling for the match to end. This could be the biggest year RVD will ever have, yet for some reason the WWE did not believe he was worthy of wearing the Heavyweight Title. I believe RVD suffers from the same problem as another phenom who once wore the WWF World Championship- The Ultimate Warrior. Everyone, myself included, thought that after Warrior defeated Hogan at Wrestlemania VI the torch was officially passed in this business. But alas, it wasn’t meant to be. The WWF quickly discovered that a one-dimensional superstar was not good for business. I believe that is why we have not seen RVD with the strap yet. RVD’s problem is that he does not know how to carry a match. Ring psychology is lost on him. Don’t believe me? Think back to when RVD had the “injured” ribs taped up on Monday Night Raw. A good wrestler, say Ric Flair or Eddy Guerrero, would have changed their style to sell the injury. They would have made the “injury” believable. Not RVD. He still did the same flips and somersaults. He even did a Rolling Thunder. Now, I ask you, if your ribs are nearly broken and sore to the point that you “have been advised against wrestling this match,” would you still be able to execute a perfect Rolling Thunder? RVD did, as well as all of his other meaningless spots, which made the injury unbelievable. RVD’s spots dictate his matches when it should be the other way around. Yes, the flips are impressive, even if they are the same flips night after night. But great flips do not a great wrestler make. As much as my son would hate to hear me say this, RVD is my winner for being the Most Overrated Wrestler of 2002.

Why Didn’t He Do That Ten Years Ago?/Most Underrated Wrestler of the Year: This was as easy a pick as selecting RVD as the Most Overrated Wrestler of the Year. The Undertaker. I loved the guy when he was just Mean Mark Callous, teaming with Dan Spivey as part of the Skyscrapers tag team in WCW. I even loved him as the Undertaker when he beat Hogan for the WWF strap at the Survivor Series. But for the past ten years or so, he has been terrible to watch. He was a classic case of a guy living off of his glory years way too long. The Undertaker gimmick should have died a long time ago, but he made it work for some reason. But this year was different. Gone were the locker room politics and refusals to put younger guys over. Gone were the ridiculous gimmicks and “back from the dead” situations. This year The Undertaker took it to a new level. He actually had a number of not just watchable matches, but downright enjoyable. The match at Wrestlemania with Ric Flair comes to mind. His title win over Hulk Hogan was also a decent match. I liked the way he put over the younger talent (Jeff Hardy) and added some actual ring psychology to his repertoire. In a chaotic year that saw big names leave the company unexpectedly, The Undertaker really stepped up to the plate. Kudos to The Deadman for perhaps his finest year.

The “This Is How You Do It” Award: Eddy Guerrero. How many guys can put on a “Match of the Year” candidate? How many guys can do it multiple times? Ok, wise guys, how many can be involved in a “Match of the Year” multiple times, each with different opponents? How about on Smackdown?! This guy put on 3 “Match of the Year” candidates, with 3 different opponents, all on Smackdown. In other words, he gave them away FREE! He didn’t save his best for Pay-Per-View. His matches against Edge, Chris Benoit, and Kurt Angle were absolute clinics. His matched should be required viewing for Tough Enough. When people asked Stone Cold Steve Austin why he wanted to work a program with Guerrero, he replied by saying “I wanted to work with the best worker in the business.” I couldn’t agree more.

The Contestants Who Were Cut On Tough Enough Have A Better Chance Of Headlining Than You Award: X-Pac. His best years were behind him years ago. He has gotten by on friendships with the top stars. He is the Brutus Beefcake of the modern-day. He captured this award on the day he left the WWE, claiming that he felt that he could headline. Maybe for $750 plus hotel and airfare he could be headlining a National Guard Armory near you. Welcome to the Indies, X-Pac!

The Most Overblown Angle of the Year: Of course, it is the Triple H/Katie Vick/Kane necrophilia angle. If you truly believed that Papa Shango could really cast spells, and that it really was The Big Show’s father in that casket being dragged by The Bossman’s car, then maybe, for a split second, you believed that the guy in the mask was really Kane and that he was really nailing a dead woman. Personally, I cracked up when The Bossman dragged that casket behind his car in the cemetery. And I may have laughed even harder when Triple H pulled up a handful of “brains” and claimed “I did it! I really did it! I screwed her brains out!” Face it, fans, this is professional wrestling, Vince McMahon-style. Just a few years ago the die-hard fans of pro wrestling were defending their beloved sport from a multitude of mainstream media attacks. “Get it?” was the slogan. Fans were livid at the PTC, claiming “It’s entertainment.” Yet when this angle aired, everyone went nuts. “This is not pro wrestling” they said. I challenge any of those fans to look back at Vince McMahon’s reign in the WWF/WWE and tell me when, at any time, was what he was doing actually part of pro wrestling as we knew it. My point is that it is entertainment. It was five years ago when it was cool to flip the bird to your boss and give him a stunner, and it is now when someone pretends to have sex with a dead chick, which we all knew was a mannequin. Don’t be hypocrites, wrestling fans! This was vintage Vinnie Mac!

I’ll wrap up with some of my quick-hitters:

You Do Not Transcend Sports Entertainment: Paying homage to one of my heroes, I present this award to Stone Cold Steve Austin. With or without you, the business lives on!

I Told You There Were Not Ten Million Wrestling Fans: I give this one to myself. When the “Monday Night Wars” were heating up, I got sick and tired of everyone saying that ten million people watched wrestling each week. The truth was that RAW drew a 4 or 5 rating, and Nitro did the same. There were a lot of channel-flippers out there just like me. Nitro is gone, and RAW is now drawing anywhere from 3-4. Obviously this is a more accurate representation. I give myself a Barry Horowitz pat on the back.

The Future Rehab Rookie of the Year: Jeff Hardy. Inducted by charter member Scott Hall. Soon to be joined by Steve Austin (forced rehab due to probation stemming from his domestic violence charges).

Welcome Back To Your Potential: Golddust. Who wouldda thunk it. That’s the American Dream’s boy!

And finally, the I Hope You Disappear While Giving Yourself A Stinkface: Yes, Rikishi. My wish for the new year is that he gives himself a stinkface and is never seen on pro wrestling television again!

Thanks for a great year, wrestling fans! I look forward to more columns in 2003! One final time for 2002…I’m Cam…I’m “The Man”…and I’ll see ya…at ringside!

Past Columns:

September 14, 2002 - Mainstream Media Folied Again!

October 6, 2002 - So What Are They Doing Right?