SLAM! Wrestling Guest Columns

SLAM! Wrestling Guest Columns

WrestleMania X8...my way!

By ROSS WILLIAMS -- For SLAM! Wrestling In my last article, I analysed the unspectacular card that the World Wrestling Federation have thrown together for their biggest event of the year and I mean thrown together, since several of the bouts are more makeshift than Kane as WWF Champion. I made it pretty clear that I'm not impressed with the way the event is shaping up. It's WrestleMania! It's supposed to be the most electrifying night of the year! It still could be -- but only if a few situations come to pass.

March 15: Full column

WrestleMania line-up fails to impress

By ROSS WILLIAMS -- For SLAM! Wrestling I'm not particularly looking forward to WrestleMania. Certainly an auspicious start to my first submission to Slam! Wrestling but I'm a pretty straight to the point kind of guy. As a wrestling fan, with the biggest card of the year in our sights and the ratings edging up following the nWo revival, surely I should be extremely excited about the current state of play. The truth is that, as much as I want to get hyped up about Mania, I find myself growing more and more sceptical by the day.

Feb. 28: Full column

Here today, gone tomorrow

By JARETT CHAROWSKY -- For SLAM! Wrestling Who was that wrestler I saw you with last night? If you've been watching the WWF for the past little while, that's not really a hard question to answer is it? Probably not.

Feb. 7: Full column

What is the deal with 'what?'

By JASON A. TETRO -- For SLAM! Wrestling A few months ago, Steve Austin, the heel of the Alliance, asked a question that changed wrestling history. If anyone has seen a WWF event recently, they know the question all too well.
What?

Jan. 30: Full column

Time for a rankings revolution

By NEIL GRANT -- For SLAM! Wrestling It's time for a revolution. Or more accurately, it's time for an evolution. Professional Wrestling/Sports Entertainment is stagnant. It has slipped from the lofty perch it had so recently held. The demise of ECW and WCW caused only a ripple that was quickly forgotten, and the Invasion angle that the WWF attempted to hype was doomed from the moment Buff Bagwell took center stage in the first ever WCW match on RAW. The "Attitude" is gone, and the recycled Austin vs. Angle, Angle vs. Rock, Rock vs. Austin, Austin vs. HHH... Well let's just say that it's been done.

Jan. 24: Full column

WWA's Inception refreshing

By NIC IZZI -- For SLAM! Wrestling The WWA might have pulled off the most successful pay-per-view ever. The WWA has succeeded in showing promise, talent and most of all, compelling storylines without ever being on television in North America before.
After watching the repeat of World Wrestling All-Stars' innaugaral pay-per-view, Inception, I can honestly admit that I watched it as a joke. I sat down, without a clue to the history, superstars or even matches that the WWA were advertising. I never knew that there was anything of the sorts in the works. We all knew of the XWF and of course, the WWF. But the WWA?

Jan. 16: Full column

XWF our saviour?

By STEVE CSERNYIK -- For SLAM! Wrestling Since the demise of World Championship (WCW) Wrestling and Extreme Championship Wrestling we have seen the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) as the only wrestling promotion that is viewed all across the world. By doing this has Vince won? Has he achieved the goals that he set? My answer to that is no. I'm sure that Vince has mixed feelings about the demise of two major rival companies. Indeed he now has all the spotlight but it can be clearly seen that ratings are down and general interest in the WWF is decreasing at an alarming rate.

Dec. 19: Full column

Ideas to help XPW succeed

By STEVE CSERNYIK -- For SLAM! Wrestling I'm really hoping the XPW is going to succeed and not flop because the WWF needs competition to bring their shows up to par, and indy workers need somewhere else to work. Maybe if XPW doesn't work out, territories will start up again, a guy can dream can't he?
To help XPW succeed, here are my suggestions:

Nov. 22: Full column

Don't just blame Vince, Mr. Powell

By PETE NOWAK -- For SLAM! Wrestling While John Powell's column on the problems with the WWF raises some good points, it is terribly one-sided and short-sighted. Calls for Vince McMahon to "pass the torch" are not only premature, but absurd. Powell has neglected to take into account several factors that are affecting the current poor showing from the WWF, and while a change on a large scale would be welcome -- and could very well turn the promotion around -- calling for the head of the man that is very much responsible for creating the industry as we know it would be cutting out the heart and soul of the WWF.

Oct. 29: Full column

The Unbeatable, Unstoppable Undertaker

By JASON A. TETRO -- For SLAM! Wrestling In the past decade or so, there have been numerous wrestlers who have come and gone, used various names and gimmicks to gain pops and heat and given their bodies up for the sport. However, no one has ever come close to the popularity of the Undertaker.

Oct. 18: Full column

What's next for William Regal?

By IVAN BÚTORA -- For SLAM! Wrestling It has now been almost a year since William Regal, the 'physical' Commissioner, re-entered the World Wrestling Federation. While we could call this year a success for Regal, especially compared to his previous stint in the WWF, there are still big questions to be asked about the long-term prospects of William Regal's career, especially given his apparent heel turn.

Oct. 10: Full column

What about Raven?

By JIM HARVEY -- For SLAM! Wrestling Now I'm enjoying Kurt Angle's recent push as much as the next guy (and he's certainly earned it), but couldn't help but be depressed to see Raven job to Angle backstage on RAW a few weeks ago.
I never watched WCW very much, only catching a few programs during and following the craze of the New World Order angle. But I can clearly recall many of Raven's promos where other details have gone by the wayside. Looking at his situation in WCW and ECW compared to his status as hardcore division mid-carder, one might say, that Raven arrived in the WWF just a little too late.

Sep. 25: Full column

Where can the young guys go?

Struggles on the indy circuit

By DUKE DURRANGO -- For SLAM! Wrestling For those of you who don�t know me -- most of you won�t -- my name is Duke Durrango, and I'm an independent wrestler in Canada, based out of Calgary. I was trained by Bruce Hart, and conditioned by his brother Ross in the famed Dungeon.
At the risk of sounding passé, I never, ever anticipated being involved in the wrestling business. That is until five years ago, someone told me that I�d be in Japan in a year making $3,000 a week. Sounded good to me. Having had a long career as an amateur wrestler, what better than to keep wrestling and get paid for it. Or so I was told? So with an exchange of amateur training for some of the Hart kids, they trained me as a pro, and here I am five years later, certainly not making a living wrestling, never mind $3,000/week.

Sep. 19: Full column