A "Legendary" Post

First off let me just say again I'm saddened by the news of Trae Keller's passing. For those that remember several monthes ago I gave Trae a hard time in one of my 'Cheap Heat' columns in a 'Where are they now?' piece. I wrote some pretty hateful shit about him and was shocked a week later to recieve an email from him. As I clicked on the title I fully expected for him to go off on me and challenge me to some sort of "shoot match" at a show somewhere. Instead, he explained some of the things I took issue with in my column and apologized for "being a prick" at some of the shows I worked with him on. After that he continued to read my column and we swapped emails from time to time. Regardless of what I had thought of him before I gained a tremendous amount of respect for the man because that email was one of the most professional things I've seen in this business. Very rarely does anyone ever acknowledge any shortcomings or wrong doings in this business or even consider apologizing for anything, but he did it when he really didn't have to. Deaths have become a frequent thing in wrestling and we kinda become numb to them especially when they are guys we've only watched on tv, but when it's someone you've worked with and is close to your age it's really disheartening. Again I just want to say after getting to know him away from wrestling that regardless of what anyone thought of his gimmicks, ring work, or any of that other petty stuff, Trae was a class act and will be missed.


Local Legends?

Well after taking up for JD's last column I have to sorta take issue with his newest one. No disrespect to anyone he mentioned in that column but I think we're getting pretty free and easy with the word "legend". Here's an excerpt from that column:

"So what I am saying is that longevity and name recognition is two minor qualifications for being a "local indy legend" in my opinion. Again let me stress I am not talking about how good or bad they might or might not be, I am merely talking about how well known they are by fans and other wrestlers."

"So when I grab that microphone and call myself a real "Mississippi wrestling legend", that is what I mean. I ain't really trying to say I'm that great (but if the fans in the seats want to understand it that way, then more power to them), but really only that YOU know who I am."

Again not a knock on anybody but that's some pretty BROAD criteria. As for people knowing who they are, everyone knows the crazy son of a bitch wearing a sailor har that stands outside the local Wal-Mart and begs everybody for change, but that doesn't make him a "legend" and just because he's hard headed enough to continue to do it for 10-15 years doesn't make him a "legend". Just means he doesn't have a clue... Again I'm not knocking any of the guys you named or you for that matter, but the criteria you are going by simply makes them "known" rather than "unknown" not nessecerily "legendary".

Anyway just my 2 cents on the topic, not saying I'm right. Just my opinion.

"The 28 Year Old Living Legend"
Gene Jackson
(Hey, some folks know who I am..........)

Eat your heart out Triple H.......

It pays to have your daddy start you your own promotion

Well he held out as long as he could but Jarrett finally had to snatch the NWA World title off Raven, in Canada on a non-TNA show no less with help from the newly heel-turned America's Most Wanted. I guess he couldn't bear going into the Spike TV debut not being the Champion. In spite of ol' "Slapnuts" and his antics TNA has improved more than ever during there "dark" period of not being on tv. Unbreakable was one of(if not THE) best PPV they've turned out since going to the monthly format. Austin Aries vs. Roderick Strong was an awesome match. Sabu vs. Abyss was far more brutal than anyone expected. Even though I wasn't all that fired up about it, Raven vs. Rhino was a good match, although I know the majority of people (myself especially) got the show strictly for the three way X division match, I still think making Raven's World title match the Semi-Main Event was just another way for Jarrett to tarnish Raven's title reign. Regardless of the fact the three way would have been hard to follow, If "Double J" had the strap it wouldn't have mattered if he was wrestling Mike Tenay in a lingerie pillow fight for the title, they would have been on last.

However, I have to say the X Division title match DID NOT (Credit: David Burcham)
dissapoint! Christopher Daniels vs. AJ Styles vs. Samoa Joe has to be a top candidate for 'Match of the Year'. It will definetly go down as one of the top three Triple Threat matches of all time along with the original three way dance- Shane Douglas vs. Sabu vs. Terry Funk and the Wrestlemania 20 WWE Title Match- Triple H vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels. All three guys were phenomenal(no pun intended) in this match. The only part I didn't like, I would have kept the belt on Daniels and go into the new tv show putting over his long title reign and the fact that he'd held it longer than anyone, and show clips of all the people he had defeated. Then they could have started AJ vs. Daniels as a fresh angle on Spike building the story of AJ's quest to get the belt off Daniels instead of Styles(the poster child for TNA) walking in with the belt from day 1. Oh well, I think Samoa Joe should be in the World title picture by the first of the year. He's one of the most well rounded workers on there roster. He's got size, he can mat wrestle, he can work with the high flyers, the big guys, small guys and he's is believable. TNA needs to check out tapes of his nearly 2 year reign as Ring of Honor Champion. As for AMW turning heel, I figure it was done in anticipation of bringing in the former Dudleyz or Team 3-D I think is what they are going by now, at least that's what they used at the WrestleReunion show a few weeks back. If so then it's a good idea cause the Dudleyz are gonna be cheered there more than likely.

WWE Unforgiven 2005

Well I haven't seen it yet but I should have a copy by the end of the week. But having read the results I may have wasted my money even buying a copy of it. I'm sorry folks, and I'm sure some people are gonna dissagree but I have to say this, RIC FLAIR IS TOO GODDAMN OLD TO BE STILL WINNING TITLES. I mean if it was on some of these sad ass "legend shows" it would be understandable, you know these legend shows that turn up EVERY month with these poor guys trying to hold on to what's left of there legacy. I don't mean any disrespect and one match here and there is fine but have you seen some of these guys lately?? It's pretty sad. I've got a dvd from North Carolina of a balding "Fantastic" Bobby Fulton with his trunks pulled up to his nipples still trying to live off his eighties persona. On this same disc you have "Return of the Skywalkers" (I had to order it just to see this) It's a rematch of the 1987 25 Ft. High Scaffold Match between The Midnight Express and the Rock & Roll Express. Folks this was unbelievable. They show the ring announcer during the first match and the scaffold is about three feet above his head. Honestly the scaffold was all of about 8 ft. high. These old guys climb up there and after a few minutes, RICKY MORTON PLUMMETS TO THE MAT AT 90 MPH!! Actually he dangled off the side and then dropped the foot and a half to the mat. My stepson has taken worse bumps from the monkey bars at the park. It was a real sight to see. But anyway my point is, these shows are taking place in front of a few hundred people and those of us unfortunate enough to spend money on the dvd, Flair is on worldwide television. Not really sure how this will play out but I'm willing to bet it will involve some brilliant swerve no one will see coming where HHH will turn on Flair only to have Flair turn and rejoin him two weeks later.......can't wait. Anyway that seemed to be the only thing of note from the PPV. Cena retained, the cage match was said to be pretty good and Lance Cade and Ricky..uh I mean Trevor Murdoch won the oh so prestigious tag titles. Speaking of Ricky Murdoch, I recently picked up the NWA 55th Anniversary dvd which includes him defending his National title and the commentator is just burying his ass through the whole match, saying he's fat and can't wrestle. Not that I'm against bashing Ricky Murdoch but this guy does this through a lot of the matches showing he doesn't know shit about being a commentator. You don't acknowledge that the guys suck in the ring, you try to cover it up and make the most of it, You don't see J.R. on RAW when people blow spots going, "Well that was a clusterfuck, what a couple of dumbasses." Clueless jackoffs like that are the reason the business is in the toilet and will continue to be for a long time to come.

Well that's all for now, but before I ago I want to thank SGWA for linking my column on there website along with Deven Raynes linking me from his. I've added link to there sites as well, go check them out.

GENE