Book Review : Rope Opera – How WCW Killed Vince Russo

If you speak to someone who has worked with Vince Russo over the last few years, particularly someone who had worked with him before his time in TNA, your likely to hear about how he is changed man. I’ve been told this by some of his peers who I have spoken to, but I had nothing to take their word by, nor to disbelieve their word by. I’ve never met Vince Russo but like many of you I have heard or read some nasty things about him. Much of this negativity stems from his days in WCW, while some of it is a result of his time in TNA (which is often jokingly referred to as WCW as well)

I like many of you have certainly criticized some of his writing over the years, and while its easy to have an opinion on what you like or dislike on a wrestling program, I’ve found it funny that some take it to a personal level.  Chances are no one reading this knows Vince Russo on a truly personal level. The opening pages of his new book “Rope Opera – How WCW Killed Vince Russo” puts the personal side of Vince Russo into perspective as two of his children talk about Vince Russo the man, not the wrestling writer. From there on, over the next 260 pages Russo takes you on a explanation of his personal life, while at the same time dishing the inside story on the roller coaster ride that has been his professional life in the world of wrestling.

Written over a three year period, Rope Opera is presented in a uniquely “Russo” way. As you read the first few chapters, its easy to notice that unlike most books, it is not presented in chronological order. In one chapter you will be reading about Russo’s childhood or his home life, while in the next you’ll be hearing about how he felt walking into the building the first Nitro he worked for WCW. Which can be quickly followed up by a chapter pondering how and why wrestling fans let the product consume their life. To say the least this is not your typical wrestling autobiography, and as Russo openly admits, he wanted it that way in hopes that he could not only give you the details that a wrestling fan wants to know about his career but at the same time trying to get a message across about his views on life, god, and other topics he finds important.

With that being said I’m sure some will take negatively to the book much like some take negatively to his wrestling television writing. I for one am not looking to be preached to and as I began reading this book I was worried that this would turn out to be more preach than wrestling. Nothing against that type of book, it’s just not my cup of tea, However I think that Russo finds a good balance as the chapters or paragraphs he peppers in to discuss a topic apart from wrestling are kept somewhat short and to the point avoiding the loss of my attention. If your one who really cant stand any discussion apart from the wrestling topics then your likely to be annoyed enough to skip a chapter here and there. However I feel obliged to point out that it’s the personal chapters which will help you understand How WCW Killed Vince Russo

When it comes to the wrestling topics, the story begins in late 1999 as Russo slips into Titan Towers for the last time to empty out his office before flying down to meet with WCW officials and take the reigns of what was a sinking ship. Similar to his first book, Russo is not afraid to speak openly about the topics at hand. At times he names names, but other times holds back but even when he holds back he still provides the meat and potatoes of the story without burying anyone six feet deep.

The chapter that I’m sure everyone wants to hear about is amongst the ones I enjoyed the most and that is the infamous Bash at the beach 2000 incident. Russo states that it’s the question he is asked most and for 10 years now he has refused to truthfully answer it. I debated about how much I would reveal in this review, since it is one of the bigger selling points of the book, but Russo lays out the entire incident as he saw it go down, explains what was real, what was fake, and how the defamantion of character lawsuit ended up coming about.

Almost equally as intriguing is the chapter on David Arquette. Talk about Vince Russo’s career to any one of his critics and chances are Arquette “reign “ as world champion will be amongst the first things to come up. Russo has been bashed for it for a decade now, but surprisingly he doesn’t regret it, his argument? If people are still talking about it all these years later it must have been a hell of a storyline irregardless of how dumb it may have been to have Arquette as champ. That isn’t suprising to hear, instead the more interesting thing is the admission that eventhough he gave it the stamp of approval, he has been taking heat for something he didn’t even come up with, so who’s to blame? Tony Shiavone!

Russo’s entire TNA run is also covered, from the intial call, to his obsession with the S.E.X. angle, and his initial departure from the company it’s all discussed. His return and working with Dixie Carter vs Jeff Jarrett, and wrapping it all up with the chapter about the announcement of Hulk Hogan coming to TNA, it’s all there.

The book closes with a short diary entry dated November 5^th 2009, Russo is getting along with Eric Bischoff, and is about to meet with Hulk Hogan for the first time. Russo hopes he can make this work, because if he does, it will be the greatest accomplishment of his personal life, note that its not his professional life, but rather his personal life.

In the book Vince Russo says he felt like he owed something to ECW Press. They let him write what he wanted how we wanted when he released his first book, Forgiven. In return he felt like he owed them this “wrestling” book so they could make the money they didn’t necessarily make off Forgiven, That being said I don’t consider this to be a throwaway, put a bunch of stories on paper and get people to mark out book.

Every story has two sides to it. We’ve pretty much all heard one side of the story when it comes to Vince Russo, and If you’ve been on that one sided bandwagon, then I think you should at least hear the other side out. It might change your mind, It might not, but from what I can tell Russo has pleaded his case and tried to teach you a thing or two along the way, and he did so as openly and honestly as he could, thus id recommend checking this out.

Rope Opera – How WCW Killed Vince Russo is now available from ECW Press. For more information or to order your own copy check outhttp://www.ecwpress.com/books/rope_opera

To read my previous reviews check out the reviews section of MainEventRadio.com, and you can always follow me on twitter via @WrestlingReview

DVD Reviews : UFC 106 & UFC 107

Reviewed by Steven Wilson of MainEventRadio.com

Ive never been an avid follower of the MMA world, but like many wrestling fans, I have started to become more interested in the product thanks to the debuts and successes of Brock Lesnar and Bobby Lashley. With that in mind I thought it might be a good idea to offer some of my readers a chance to hear about some of the latest UFC DVD’s that are coming out. Recently Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada acquired the rights to distribute UFC dvd’s here in Canada and are currently promoting the releases of UFC 106 and 107 on separate 2 Disc DVD sets, so what better time to jump in and see what’s going on.

We begin with UFC 106, which featured a headline matchup of Tito Ortiz vs Forrest Griffin. It was originally scheduled to feature Brock Lesnar defending his UFC Heavyweight Title but due to the much talked about illness that has kept him out of action for months now he had to pull out. Instead UFC 106 would feature the return of Tito Ortiz who many thought would never return to the UFC after a public falling out with the UFC and more specifically UFC Owner Dana White. Much like the world of pro wrestling, its not a surprise that relationships were mended and second chances were given. Ortiz’s opponent was to be Mark Colemen however he had to pull out due to Knee Injury. The card was being torn to shreds but the new main event of Ortiz vs Forrest Griffin 2 was soon announced. Ortiz originally fought Griffin in his first match back following some time off back in 2005/2006 (during said time off he guest refereed for TNA on PPV) The first fight was a strong one which was ultimately won by Ortiz thanks to spilt decision. So the question was now would Ortiz return triumphantly or would Griffin even the score?

Continuing what seemed to be a unlucky streak heading into this show, Ortiz entered the octagon with a visibly painful black eye suffered during training for the fight. On top of that Ortiz was coming back from back surgery as well so anything could happen in this fight. When the fight began Ortiz went at Griffin full out scoring take downs and some decent ground and pound to begin both of the first 2 rounds. Griffin would keep his cool and slowly but surely score some points with the judges thanks to his ability to get back to his feet and use them against Ortiz landing some decent leg strikes.

By the time the third round came about Ortiz looked to be running out of gas, hard to say if it wasn’t fully ready for his return or if Griffin had injured him heading into the 3^rd round but Griffin would dominate most of the 3^rd pounding away on Ortiz and as a result the winner of the 2^nd bout between these two men would be the exact reverse from the first as Griffin won via split decision. Before the decision was even read both men were saying a rematch was likely and they both proceeded to make references to injuries they sustained coming into the fight which garnered much heat towards Ortiz but its good fodder for a rematch down the line.

The undercard of UFC 106 began with Amir Sadollah who outlasted an initial blast from Phil Baroni and systematically picked him apart for the rest of the fight to pick up a decisive win. This was followed up by Antonio Nogueira vs Luiz Cane which didn’t last long as Nogeueira caught Cane with a vicious left punch that sent Cane reeling and the fight ended via TKO in just under two minutes. The third undercard match featured a welterweight battle between Paulo Thiago against Jacob Volkmann. The first round was dominated by Thiago who nearly ended it at the end of the round catching Volkmann with a solid punch. The second round started the same with a solid kick to the face but Volkman was able to calm things down from there and survive the second. Much of the same in the third round and although credit goes to Volkmann for surviving the distance it was an easy decision for Thiago.

The main event of the undercard was a much anticipated battle between Welterweights Anthony Johnson and Josh Koscheck. The fight starts off well with a back and forth strike fest but the fight was nearly called off when Johnson kneed Koscheck to the face while he was down, although it was illegal, the replay would make it seem like a lot of acting on Koschecks part and at best he was poked in the eye, the fight would continue, and ironically the second began with what was a eye poke to from Koscheck onto Johnson, again the fight continued however seconds later Johnson would receive another poke to the eye, this was turning into something worse than a wrestling match at this point and it looked like the eyepoke of doom was going to end it but the fight would continue. A strong  battle from there and Koscheck would eventually take Johnson down, ground and pound and with only seconds remaining in the second round choked Johnson out for the win.

One of the strengths of UFC DVD’s is the vast array of extras. On both the 106 and 107 DVD’s you get the Countdown and weigh in specials, as well as behind the scenes access features. You also get the entire Preliminary Card which usually go unseen unless the main card fights go short, meaning you get over 4 hours of action during each 2 disc set.

Moving onto UFC 107, BJ Penn vs Diego Sanchez for the Lightweight Championship would headline what was a slightly better overall event than UFC 106. The fight began with some dominance courtesy of BJ Penn as he dropped Sanchez early who to his credit stayed throughout the first round eventhough he was unable to mount any significant offence on Penn. The same situation would play out in the second, third and fourth rounds. It was clear that Penn was going to win this heading into the 5^th round so Sanchez could only hope for a knockout, instead it was all Penn once again capping it off with a vicious shin kick which opened up Sanchez, blood pouring, and a decisive victory for BJ Penn.

The main attraction of the non main event matchups was heavyweight title contender Frank Mir taking on the Frenchman Chiek Kongo. As the fight began you could tell both men were ready to tear eachother apart, but Mir impressively made quick work of this one dropping Kongo and quickly choking him out in just over a minute. Another strong fight on the undercard was Kenny Florian against a guy who is rising in popularity, Clay Guida. This was a great back and forth bloody battle which eventually saw Florian gain advantage, winning both the first round and the fight itself when he choked Guida out two minutes into the second. Also featured on the undercard was Jon Fitch defeating Mike Pierce via unanimous decision and Stefan Surve defeating Paul Buentello via decision. One of the better prelim fights from 107 ended up being featured on the main show as Alan Belcher knocked out Brazilian Wilson Gouveia in what was awarded fight of the night, that fight is definitely worth checking out.

If you’ve been thinking about getting into MMA and more specifically the UFC then I’d suggest picking up a couple of DVD’s like UFC 106 and 107 as they were not only both enjoyable events but are a good way to sample the product for about 20$ each and get acquainted with it before shelling out 50+$ immediately for a single PPV.

UFC 106 is available now on DVD from Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada, while UFC 107 will be available on February 23^rd. You can pick them up at your local DVD retailer or order it online via the likes of Amazon.ca, For more details on this and other Anchor Bay releases check out http://www.anchorbayentertainment.com/index.asp?p=Home

Book Review : Chris & Nancy – The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide

Reviewed by Steven Wilson of MainEventRadio.com

Ever since the tragic events of June 25^th 2007 many of us have wondered and debated about what went on in the head of Chris Benoit as he proceeded to murder his wife and child and later kill himself. In the days and weeks following the tragedy, news outlets reported a variety of conflicting reports about steroids, concussions, text messages, Wikipedia hackers and who knew what, when and why. Unfortunately we will never have complete closure on this tragedy as it will be impossible to determine and share what exactly happened and why, but that won’t stop some from trying to shed some light on the facts. Since the tragedy there have been a couple of books released  attempting to do just that, the latest from ECW Press is “Chris & Nancy – The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide & Pro Wrestling’s Cocktail of Death” written by Irv Muchnick.

The opening pages of the book feature a profile on the author Irv Muchnick and why he is such a hated man within the offices of the WWE. For years he has published very well written articles and books on some of the more controversial subjects in WWE’s history. Unlike some haters, Muchnick is not someone who is spewing hate blindly, he knows what he is talking about and often has some evidence to prove it, this book is no exception. Using evidence from the actual public records of the investigation Muchnick and takes his “best stab at (explaining) what it all means”

The 1^st chapter gives you a summary of the events of that tragic weekend in the summer of 2007. It is thorough enough to give you a fairly clear picture on the events of that weekend, and also begins exposing and debating upon some of the evidence. For example using references to autopsy reports Muchnick gives you insight into what exactly were the causes of death.

From there you get chapters on the lives of Chris Benoit and his wife Nancy, as well as a recap of the problems Benoit had to live through as his close personal friends began to drop off like fly’s. These are expected chapters but not the strength of the book as it attempts to maintain the balance between telling the story of their lives without delving into too much detail. Depending on how much you know about Chris Benoit’s life you could love or hate these chapters as its easy to point out some of the missing information and point out what should of or should not of been included. That being said the life and times of Chris Benoit is not what this book is intended to be and not what you should be buying this book for, after all the title eludes to the fact that it wants to tell you the true story of the Benoit murder-suicide.

The most important question to answer then is whether or not the book is able to establish itself as the best reference tool when researching this topic. Covering the events of that weekend, the progression of who knew what and when, the Monday night tribute, the text messages, how the investigation was completed and how the media handled the entire mess, as well as the fallout from the tragedy including the Dr Phil Astin investigation and congress’s smackdown on the world of wrestling and it’s rampant substance use, this book is undoubtedly a strong reference tool. Along the way there is some conspiracy theory thinking and personal opinion which you may agree or disagree with. If you disagree with it you may be one to not put as much stock into what he is offering as the truth, but you shouldn’t as this is an extremely well written account of the tragic events.

I have come to realize that when this topic comes up from time to time there are those who do not want to hear about it or discuss it at all. They are just done with it all together. However I am the complete opposite, Since that day in 2007 ive wanted to learn as much as I can about the tragedy and why it happened. If your like me then you’ll absolutely love this book. Some of the other books released about Benoit since the tragedy focus more on his career and less on the investigation, this is the opposite and uses actual police material that Muchnick obtained which to me makes this the best book published on the subject to date. Trust me when I say there is a lot to be learned in reading this book.

In addition to the book, author Irv Muchnick is selling a companion DVD that contains all of the investigation evidence that he obtained including crime scene photos, 911 audio, and transcripts of text messages and statements, you can check out www.muchnick.net for more details on that.

“Chris & Nancy – The True Story of the Benoit Murder-Suicide & Pro Wrestling’s Cocktail of Death” is now available  in paperback format from ECW Press for the suggested retail price of 19.95 US.

DVD Review : You Shoot with Bob Holly

When you think of former WWE superstar Bob Holly your likely to think of the racing character “Sparky Plug” from the WWF in the 1990’s, otherwise you likely will think of the controversial shoot incidents he had in the WWE during the final years of his run there. One thing’s for certain, Bob Holly is not well liked individual, some may respect him, while others absolutely hate him, but very few have a kind word to say about Bob Holly so to say the least that makes him a good candidate to sit down and go on the record with the public during the latest installment of the You Shoot series from Kayfabe Commentaries.

The DVD starts off with the expected progression from training to Smoky Mountain Wrestling to entering the WWE and hating the name Sparky Plugg. From there his days in the New Midnight Express and eventually becoming Hardcore Holly are talked about. Along the way Holly offers some interesting stories such as telling off the clique and whether he ever thought about jumping ship to WCW during the Monday night wars.

The meat and vegetables of this DVD then begins as the interesting topics and questions for Bob Holly do not revolve around the progression of his career but rather with the controversies that garner internet press and the reputation of being a bully. Holly is accosted by large shirtless men in submitted videos and numerous emails about working stiff with people in the ring and incidents with the likes of Matt Capottelli, Rene Dupree, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle. Holly holds nothing back in addressing each one, providing information that wasn’t provided in the many internet reports at the time of the various incidents and explains why his so called stiff ring work is overblown.

Beyond that some other topics covered include whether he would consider jumping to the MMA world (including a challenge for Brock Lesnar), just how bad his pain killer addiction was, whether he used steroids and whether those in the WWE locker room use them, and whether or not Molly Holly has a naughty side (she apparently does!)

One of the things that I looked forwarding to seeing is what type of games host Sean Oliver would play with Bob Holly, After all You Shoot has come to be known for some of its crazy games and Bob Holly doesn’t come off as the type to play games. However, as they always do, the guys at Kayfabe come up with something unique to suit their guest, this time around they feature a hilarious “How would Bob Holly kick their ass” where Bob comes up with some crazy ideas to inflict pain and torture on people in the business that he doesn’t see eye to eye with like Ken Kennedy. As you know by now Holly is rather hated amongst wrestling fans so a game debating on who is more hated than Bob Holly is featured and then a debate on who is tougher than Bob. The You Shoot classic of What’s in the bag returns as well.

The most appealing aspect of this DVD is finally hearing Bob Holly’s side of a long controversy filled story. I think there is a lot to be learned from this DVD, that is if you want to learn something. Holly eludes to numerous times in this DVD that people will believe what they want to believe.

There is 2 sides to every story and I think the You Shoot with Bob Holly DVD is a must see for any Bob Holly hater because it sets the record straight on so many things. As the back of the DVD cover states, Bob Holly…Bully? Coward? Or misunderstood, You be the judge. Ive never been a big fan of Bob Holly, I respect him as a guy who was employed that long by the WWE has to have talent, and after watching this DVD, my judgement is he is somewhat misunderstood.

You Shoot with Bob Holly is now available on DVD from Kayfabe Commentaries. For more information or to order your own copy check out www.kayfabecommentaries.com

Book Review : Dear Andy Kaufman, I Hate Your Guts!

Reviewed by Steven Wilson of MainEventRadio.com

Earlier this year I had the pleasure of reviewing and reliving the classic Andy Kaufman wrestling themed films My Breakfast with Blassie & Im From Hollywood as Video Service Corp commemorated the 25^th anniversary of Kaufman’s passing. As it turns out they wont be the only ones looking back on Kaufman’s wrestling career as Process Media prepares to release a book entitled “Dear Andy Kaufman, I hate your guts!”

For those not in the know, it all started back in 1979 when Kaufman revealed to close friend and personal producer Bob Zmuda that he was not only a big fan of professional wrestling, but had a particular passion for watching two women wrestle. Weeks later at a birthday party, friends arranged for two women to wrestle in front of Andy. To say the least he loved it, and the idea was turned into a comedy sketch which Kaufman performed on NBC’s Saturday Night Live that year. Women were appalled, and like a true heel, Kaufman used that heat to turn the hatred into a nationwide search for a woman who could defeat him, in return they would receive 1000$, get to shave Kaufman’s head and if they wanted to, even marry him. The gimmick would eventually lead to a huge feud between Kaufman and Memphis, TN/WWE  superstar Jerry The King Lawler, but not before Kaufman received challenges from all across the country from upset women who were determined to take Kaufman out.   

This new book features a collection of the actual letters & photo’s received from women across the US who were ready to take Kaufman on in the middle of a wrestling ring.  Some of the letters are downright hilarious, others accurately portray the anger some of the women had towards Andy Kaufman. Ultimately the collection  is able to show you just how great of a heel Andy Kaufman was. After all he had a wide array of women (and some men) convinced that he was the jerk he was portraying on TV. One letter from a male supporter  named Ron expressed how he thought Kaufman’s message of what a woman’s role in life should be was long overdue. Meanwhile one of many women who took offence was named Sue who wrote “You Sexist Jerk, Im going to rip your lungs out!”…”Im going to re-arrange your face so badly that when you feel the urge to pick your nose, you’ll scratch your ear lobes!”

According to the book, Kaufman would go through the letters with Zmuda and pick out the cutest girls first.  Zmuda would then begin the booking process to set up the match. One cant blame him, some of the girls who answered his challenge are extremely attractive. There is a wide array of color photos throughout the book to prove that, but you also had the complete opposite such as Desperate Doris who wrote “Id love to wrestle Andy Kaufman, It’ll probably be the closest I get to a man all year”

The book contains newly written forewords from the aforementioned Bob Zmuda as well as Kaufman’s girlfriend Lynn Margulies. The result is a work of art that makes for a truly unique collectors item.

Dear Andy Kaufman, I hate your guts!  Will be released by Process Media on December 1^st 2009 with a list price of $19.95, Although you can pre order it on Amazon for 13.57 US.