By Scott Paris, Torch Team Contributor

3/6 WWE Confidential Review: Backstage at MadTV, Angle Heels, WWE Hall Of Famers

WWE Confidential Review
March 6th, 2004
Aired on Spike TV
Your Host: Mean Gene Okerland

By Scott Paris, Torch Confidential Reviewer

Segment 1: Chris Jericho, Big Show, Trish Stratus and Eddie Guerrero recently did a Mad TV. They do a parody of Jay walking and they interview the wrestlers to make them look stupid. Jericho says that isn’t that hard. Frank Caliendo plays Leno. Big Show says Caliendo plays Leno well. Footage of Bischoff ripping off his old man face when Caliendo pulls off the Leno chin. Trish said it was fun to interact with Jay. She says she was trying to feel it and it came naturally. She nailed herself, did her to a T and played her very well. Guerrero says Big Show steals the show everywhere they go. Show says he’s used to working with Gibson, the Governator and the Rock so he’s a good actor. The MadTV cast compare him to Tom Hanks. Show and Jericho hope to find their inner thespian. Trish and Jericho saw “A Mighty Wind” and the author was on the staff. He was also in Best In Show – about dog shows. Caliendo said working with WWE superstars gave him bruises. Trish has now made two appearances on MadTV. Show says he will be the first Academy Award winner of the WWE. This episode airs next Saturday night.


Up Next: WWE Hall of Fame inductees.

(Wrestling Related Commercials. Raw upcoming dates, The Greatest Matches in Wrestlemania history, hosted by Ric Flair is on Tuesday.)

his years inductee are, Jesse Ventura, Harley Race, Billy Graham, Tito Santana, Sgt. Slaughter, Bobby Heenan, Don Muraco, Greg Valentine, Big John Studd, Junkyard Dog and Pete Rose. Next Saturday, the Hall Of Fame will be inducting their class of 2004. Pete Rose’s induction has caused some local and national attention. I gotta agree with Vince on this one. It’s generating a lot of talk. He made three appearances at Wrestlemania.

Segment 2: The First Wrestlemania – The Holiest Decision Of All Time, Gerald Briscoe explains was conceived by a power team and Vince and his stroke. Bruce Prichard didn’t work there then and thought it was crazy. He felt it was horrible for the business. He thought actors should stay out of the arena. Brisco had no idea how it was going to be done. He mentions the venues and closed circuit TV and if it would actually work. Bruce Prichard still hated the idea but bought it anyway. Brisco was in Florida and saw 15,000 people come in to watch Wrestlemania. It flabbergasted him. Heenan talks about how people were excited about it. He said Vince was the originator. Jimmy Snuka mumbles something completely incoherent about celebrities. He then rambles off names and says it would never be duplicated again.

Up Next: Kurt Angle kayfabes about the ankle lock.

Jericho and Christian fight briefly from Raw.

Commercials.

Wrestlemania Recall: Brock’s blown shooting star press and win from last year’s Wrestlemania 19.

Segment 3: Kurt Angle pushes Eddie Guerrero’s buttons. Footage of Angle being a heel and executing moves with a backdrop sound of generic metal and Angle cutting promos. Angle has two finishers. The Olympic Slam was not allowed to be used and Jim Ross came up with the name. Angle describes the four step process of the angle slam. The anklelock. Kayfabe joy here. He cranks on the ankle until it breaks or the guy taps. He loves getting the anklelock. It invigorates him.


Up NEXT: Jamie Noble in South Africa.

(Commercial: Goldberg V Brock will wrestle at WMXX.)


Segment 4: Jamie Noble visits Green Market Square in South Africa. He plays some drums and looks at trinkets. He plays with a hatuti and some ostrich eggs. He likes the souvenirs. There’s art and carvings and beads, oh my! He gives tattoos and appears popular there. He’s glad he went.

UP Next: Classic match – Divas – Wrestlemania I

(WWE Rewind: The Rock returns w/ Goatee at Raw.)

Wrestling related Commercials. Spike is sending guys to Wrestlemania XX.

Segment 5: Molly Holly introduces the women’s match from WM I with Lelani Kai vs. Wendy Richter from 1985. Jesse Ventura and Gorilla Monsoon commentate. Cindy Lauper accompanies Richter to the ring. Moolah is with Kai. Fast forward to Moolah grabbing Richter’s hair and Lauper comes over to stop Moolah. Kai with a whip to the ropes, big boot, leg drop...whoops wrong match. Richter now with a rope whip into a dump from the shoulders onto the mat for a two count. Lelani gives Richter a backbreaker and gets two. Scoop slam followed by a high cross body and Richter reverses it and pins Kai to become a two time women’s champion. Cindy attacks Moolah after the match and Kai attacks Richter. Backstage, Gene interviews Richter and Lauper with more lipstick on her teeth than on her lips. Gross. Albano lurks in the background.

Up Next: Monday night war tactics with Bischoff.

(Commercial: Wrestlemania XX.)

(Wrestlemania Recall: Hulk Hogan vs. Andre the Giant from 1987. 93,000 fans. This, for my money, is THE Wrestlemania moment. Hogan slams and defeats the Giant.)

Segment 6: The Monday Night War Home Video is now on sale. McMahon worried how painful the dirty tactics would get. Okerland says Bischoff says “All’s Fair In Love and War”. Bischoff didn’t care and he loved doing it to piss people off. The more people complained, the more he was an ass****. Foley said Bischoff was like the Godfather. Foley took it personally. Brisco wants to slap Bisch. Alundra Blaze dumped her WWE Women’s title in the trash on Nitro and freaked everyone out. Bischoff convinced her it was a good idea. Vince asks how far deep is the dirt. He says he’s willing to do something stupid. Vince Russo and the Nacho man, Huckster and Scheme Gene and Billionaire Ted skits. Bischoff and Turner thought they were funny. Turner was behind WCW but he was not as on fire as he was after the skits. Foley thinks it was a bad idea.

Next Week: Wrestlemania XX. The Rock N Sock Connection.

Segments In A Sentence ....OR TWO!

Segment 1: I always liked Big Show and he saved this segment. Lame for a backstage kind of story.

Segment Grade: D

Segment 2: Heenan sounds so bad. I really really enjoyed him in WWE and his humor.

Segment Grade: B for Heenan

Segment 3: We all know how I feel about kayfabing moves on a show like this.

Segment Grade: F

Segment 4: South Africa looks like an interesting place to visit. If only for the art.

Segment Grade: C

Segment 5: Bad, even for a women’s match. Lauper is gross.

Segment Grade: F

Segment 6: Bischoff comes off like a real dick. I like it.

Segment Grade: C

Overall Show Grade: C-


torchscott@hwfers.com

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