Every once in a while, my awesome contributors and I will toss column ideas around.  This idea wasn’t exactly tossed, so much as it was footballed.  Two weeks ago Josh Danzig laid down his cards in an email to the writing team.  Here is that email…verbatim.

As a new contributor to TakeoverTheGame, I am issuing a challenge to anyone who wishes, including Jesse, “Don’t Call me Bull Nakano” Elgarten, and the “Chairman of the Board”, Jared Zeidman.  Anyone of else on the TOTG writing team can also reply and comments are more than welcome.  The topic: Professional Wrestling.  Below is a list of questions.  Try to limit each answer to one, but if a few are needed it’s allowed, as are photos/YouTube links if you wish.  Good luck…

1)  Favorite wrestler

2)  Favorite match

3)  Favorite moment as a fan

4)  If you could re-book one angle/storyline, what would it be and what would you do.

5)  Dream match

6)  Of all who have never won a world title, who should have.

That’s it for now, feel free to add more and keep the debate rolling.  And if you need any more inspiration, I give to you the aptly named “Promo of the Century”

Three brave contributors (me included) accepted the aptly titled “WWF Wrestling Challenge” (if you don’t get that video game reference you should probably stop), and Danzig additionally supplied his own list.

What you are about to read isn’t as much a column as it is a social experiment.  Josh Danzig, Jesse Elgarten, Kyle Andruwkiewicz (of Sideshow Podcast fame), and I will provide our take on professional wrestling’s most memorable moments.  But here’s the kicker, we want you involved too.  If you disagree with us, fill out your own answers to the WWF Wrestling Challenge and put them in the “comment” section at the bottom of this post.  We plan on constantly updating this column, keeping it more like a separate forum; so if we like what we see, we’ll actually go ahead and make it part of the column itself.

Without further ado: The WWF Wrestling Challenge.

PLAYER ONE: JARED ZEIDMAN

Some of these questions are significantly tougher than I thought they would be.  But in the interest of competitive banter, I will limit myself to one definite response to each question…unlike a few others in this group.

1)  SHAWN MICHAELS

Shawn Michaels is the professional wrestling equivalent of the Simpsons in that he is likable by fans of all ages.

To me, this was the most difficult of all the questions.  Steve Austin totally changed wrestling, the Rock was more or less a movie star in a wrestling ring, Chris Jericho is a legend, I was around for a lot of Flair, and Edge was a spectacular talent.  But after thinking about a lot of my favorite moments in wrestling, and perhaps more importantly what made those moments important to me, I think it’s impossible to not go with Shawn Michaels.

I think that Shawn Michaels is the professional wrestling equivalent of the Simpsons in that he is likable by fans of all ages.  Austin and The Rock didn’t make much sense to young kids, much like superheroes John Cena and Hulk Hogan fell out of favor with the older generation of fans.  Shawn Michaels was perhaps the only wrestling star to appeal to everyone.  And I can vogue for this, since Shawn Michaels’ career coincided with my growth as a wrestling fan.

Phase 1: I’m eight, and professional wrestlers that appeal to me wear ridiculous clothes, have elaborate entrances, are super high energy, and have pyro.  Shawn Michaels was my favorite.

Phase 2: I’m a teenager, jokes about farts and genitals are perhaps abnormally hilarious.  The professional wrestlers that appeal to me have an edge to them, and have a unique move set. Shawn Michaels has formed D-Generation X and basically has an open microphone to talk about his junk every week.  He also has unique moves.  Shawn Michaels was my favorite.

Phase 3: I’m in college.  The only way I’m regularly watching wrestling is if I’m getting wowed every time.  The professional wrestlers that appeal to me are largely on the indie scene because of the significantly more risky spots…except for Shawn Michaels who is doing those spots on television and is consistently in my favorite match of every show.  Shawn Michaels was my favorite.

Phase 4: I’m a young adult (25 is still young right?).  I watch wrestling for two reasons; good promos and good matches.  My favorite wrestlers have the ability to sell like champs, make others look better, and perform under pressure.  My favorite wrestlers are the storytellers, and Shawn Michaels in this regard was the best I’ve ever seen.

I don’t think anyone had it all the way that Michaels did, and I don’t think any wrestler past or present was as complimentary as Michaels.  I liked Pippen over Jordan, and I like Michaels over the field.

2) MICHAELS/HART IRON MAN MATCH: WRESTLEMANIA XII

This stands out to me as the best match of all time.  I mean obviously that’s why it’s my answer; but this match really had everything.  For starters, the build to it was unbelievable.  The WWE could really learn something for watching their old promo tapes on this one.  I remember these vignettes of Michaels posing as a young kid with replica WWF titles, and the phrase was something to the effect of “Shawn Michaels’ boyhood dream of becoming WWF Champion.”  You had this young guy who was about to face the best technical wrestler in the world at that time, and I felt like people were pulling for both him and this childhood dream.

Now, obviously the build would be meaningless if the match was a dud.  But it wasn’t.  In fact, it may go down as one of the greatest risks Vince McMahon ever took.  A 60 minute pay per view match in this country was totally unheard of; and it was the WWF’s first foray into the “Iron Man” match gimmick (whoever scores the most pin falls in the allotted time wins).  Michaels and Hart were absolutely incredible, the timing to the match was amazing; but the best part was the finish.  The idea that neither person could win in the first 60 minutes was incredibly unexpected, and probably only outdone by the fact that Michaels sat in the sharpshooter for what felt like an eternity to lead into the “overtime” period…only to win his first title only minutes later.

I don’t think history treats Bret Hart as well as it should, but Shawn Michaels undoubtedly brought out the best in him.

3) HHH RETURNS AT MADISON SQUARE GARDEN

To me this was uncharted territory.  Perhaps a lot of it had to do with my age at the time, but I had never seen anyone, in anything, ever, return to an ovation that was as loud as the one HHH got that night in the Garden.  The other dynamics at play were pretty wild too.  HHH had spent the overwhelming majority of his career as a heel (bad guy), and it hadn’t even been established whether or not he was going to return as a good guy.  All we knew was that he tore his quadriceps and missed almost a year of action.

This moment in wrestling history stands out to me as the day the smart wrestling fan became, for the first time, more important than the “mark.”  WWE, correctly assumed that fans had missed HHH because of how stellar he was as both a wrestler and orator, and rather than give him a gimmick, literally just sent him out to the ring in Madison Square Garden (the most historic wrestling venue in the country) knowing that the crowd was going to eat it up and that he would feed off of it.

What ensued gives me chills to this day.

4) DON’T GIVE THE TITLE BACK CHRIS!!!!!

I hate this question, mostly because I really hate armchair bookers.  Of course we would have done things differently, because hindsight is 20/20.  Want to know what I would have done differently?  I wouldn’t have let horrible decisions that got a bunch of wrestlers killed happen.  That’s what I would have done differently.

I’m changing the question.  What was the event that really lost me as a fan for a while and probably lost a lot of fans forever?  Here’s your answer…

In early 2000, Chris Jericho got one of the loudest pops I’ve ever heard after he beat HHH for the WWF title.  It would have put Jericho over forever, and it would have made for a fantastic post WrestleMania feud.  But for whatever reason, the angle was to have Jericho win the title controversially, only to then have to forfeit it a few minutes later back to HHH.  HHH lost the title a few weeks later, and Jericho went back to being a mid-carder longer than he should have been.

The premise of that bit was to get more heat on HHH.  But it was the wrong kind of heat.  That wasn’t “hey, that guy is a total prick” heat.  Instead it was “I’ve never seen a match overturned over an officiating mistake before.  This is bull crap and the young guy should get a chance with the title,” heat.

People often complain that McMahon doesn’t give the new guys enough of a chance.  We have to remind ourselves that it’s nothing new.

5) C.M. PUNK VS BRYAN DANIELSON IN THE MAIN EVENT OF A WRESTLEMANIA

I’ve seen these guys put on fantastic matches in the Indies.  Nothing will say “we made it” like seeing these two face off in a WrestleMania main event.  Here’s hoping it happens sooner than later.  That’s enough John Cena.

6) I’M GOING TO GET SOME CRAP FOR SAYING THIS BUT I STAND BY IT

D-Lo Brown never got a fair shake, and I’d argue that a lot of it has to do with the fact that Vince McMahon would have a complete system overload if there were a non-white, or non-Rock WWE Champion.  D-Lo was stuck with horrifyingly bad gimmick after horrifyingly bad gimmick.  And you know what the craziest thing about that is?  The fans loved him anyway.

D-Lo, for a guy his size, is one of the most underrated physical performers in wrestling history.

D-Lo, for a guy his size, is one of the most underrated physical performers in wrestling history.  He had ridiculous mannerisms, could cut promos, did commentary, and was a really good wrestler.  If you get bored one day, YouTube D-Lo, and you will hear some of the pops that he got at the turn of the century.  I vividly remember going to a house show at MSG when I was younger.  D-Lo was supposed to be a heel, and got the third loudest pop of the night (behind Stone Cold and The Rock).  Crowds really did eat this guy up, and I think a lot of it had to do with the fact that D-Lo could go.

Unfortunately, D-Lo will also be forever associated with the Droz accident.  Even though it wasn’t D-Lo’s fault (read: “accident’), I do wonder if bigger names didn’t want to get in the ring with him after that.  That said however, I really do consider D-Lo to be one of my all time favorites, and unfortunately he only has a few of the WWE’s midcard titles to show for it.

PLAYER TWO: JOSH DANZIG

After proposing this challenge, I ended up watching several hours of YouTube videos for research/points to make, which only clouded my mind even more. So I will start off simple and see where it goes based on replies and answers….

1) TOO MANY TO COUNT

This is a very broad question. If you go by childhood fandom, I will forever be a Hulkamaniac. If you go by in-ring ability, there will never be another wrestler as good as Shawn Michaels in my opinion…while mic skills  would go to Flair/Rock. And Austin deserves a spot too.

2) MICHAELS/TAKER WRESTLEMANIA 25

My favorite match of all time has to be Shawn Michaels/Undertaker at WrestleMania 25. Up until that point it was Hogan/Rock WrestleMania 18. The best match I’ve ever seen live is Kurt Angle/Eddie Guererro at WrestleMania 20. But HBK/Taker at WrestleMania was tremendous. It’s matches like these that make you proud to be a wrestling fan. I can’t say enough about this match, so I’ll use a review from the night of the pay per view in 2009:

“I just watched this one without taking notes during the match. Simply amazing. The only debate will be how close to five stars that match was in terms of setting the bar so high on how to perform in a WrestleMania main event. Big stage. Big match. Big stakes. Big spots. Taker taking the skin-the-cat into a Tombstone and Michaels kicking out of the Tombstone was one of the all-time great spots. Only thing that knocked it down from a five-star classic was the deal with the cameraman ringside. Worked well to set up a tired ref for more drama with the near falls, but could have been done in a different way. Other than that, just what you expect from two of the top two performers in wrestling. Right before the counter of the moonsault into Tombstone for the pin, I looked up and saw an entire stadium on its feet with eyes glued on the ring (or giant HD screens) to watch a great performance. Just a sight to behold.”

3) HOGAN RETURNS AND WINS THE TITLE: WRESTLEMANIA IX

This is easy for me. I was nine years old, Yokozuna had just won and my friends had gone upstairs to call their parents while I waited my turn. It was there I saw Hulk Hogan beat Yokozuna for the WWF title.

Seeing my hero win the title was completely unexpected and incredible.

Sure other moments come close. Warrior returning in 1992 at WrestleMania.  Undertaker returning in 04, Bret Hart, Rock. Seeing HHH return in 2002 was tremendous, as was WrestleMania 20 and the 2008 Rumble Cena return (also Hogan live a few times before he left for TNA was pretty awesome). But being 9 years old, and seeing my hero win the title was completely unexpected and incredible.

4) PUSH NEXUS

YouTube recalled a lot of angles I hadn’t thought of previously.  The mainstays seemed to be invasion angle, the higher power 1999 WWF angle, and Nexus, and I went with option C.  Nexus at the time had the wheels to last for a while and be a game changer in my opinion.  I would’ve booked their debut the exact same way, but in a way comparable to the NWO in next few weeks.  Establish your main guys, Barrett the leader, Bryan the mid-card leader at the time, Slater/Gabriel team etc. and genuinely push these guys against main roster guys and see what happened.  Down the line you have NXT 2 with Alex Riley, who after Barrett wins the title, turns heel when Miz attempts to cash in money in the bank, being in on the whole thing.  This leads to a Miz face turn, and heading into WrestleMania, you can have Bryan push the authority figure Barrett, leading to Barret/Bryan and Miz/Riley as 2 major WrestleMania matches.  Sheffield meanwhile becomes a monster, and feuds with the Undertaker, posing a somewhat credible threat to the streak in a match at ‘Mania.  The internet smarks always fuss over WWE not pushing young talent/etc…WWE had the option here to do that and didn’t, and you sometimes wonder what would’ve been.

5) SHAWN MICHAELS VS THE ROCK.  ENOUGH SAID

6) “THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN:” TED DIBIASE

If you look at the history of the WWF, from Backlund to about basically Ric Flair/Yokozuna (1983-1992), faces ruled.  Hogan/Savage/Warrior: all faces.  Slaughter had a brief run as did Undertaker, but no heel was ever really the champ or face of the company.  Dibiase was different.  In my opinion he had the talent to be the champ, play into the storyline of Hogan/Andre, allow Hogan to take time off/feud with Andre himself, and also face Savage, Roberts, Piper and even Virgil down the line…push a whole new batch of superstars.

PLAYER THREE: JESSE ELGARTEN

1) CHRIS JERICHO

Jericho is that combination of in-ring ability, mic ability, and character that is surpassed maybe only by Shawn Michaels.  There’s a bunch of guys who could be considered the best ever, and who of them are better wrestlers than Jericho?  Not HHH, or Flair, or Undertaker, or the Rock, or Austin.  Maybe Bret Hart was a better wrestler, but Jericho can run charisma circles around him.  The “Man of 1,004 Holds” was just as effective and memorable as “Cane Dewey” if you’re able to separate what the two were designed to accomplish.

2) HOGAN/ROCK WRESTLEMANIA X8

There have been some epic matches, but none amount to more than Hogan/Rock for me.  I can imagine being a Yankee fan in 1951 when DiMaggio and Mantle were in the same outfield, one getting ready to take over for the other.  And the crowd, and the way they reacted to the crowd?  I still to this day feel that Hogan was not scripted to turn face.  I think his reaction literally forced Vince’s hand on the fly.

3) HOGAN PINS YOKOZUNA AT WRESTLEMANIA XI

The WM9 match was my biggest mark out as a fan and is the one thing that “brings me back,” so to speak.  I was at my friend’s cousin’s house with my friend and his family, his cousin and his family, and other cousins and various aunts and uncles.  There must have been 20 people in the house watching, and when Hogan jumped in the ring everyone stood up and when Hogan pinned him, there was mass hysteria.  Popcorn was flying, people were jumping, hugging, shouting…..it was crazy.

4) PUSH NEXUS

This angle started perfectly.  The members of the Nexus were destroying everything, saying they were doing so for a higher cause…except THERE WAS NEVER A PAYOFF.

This angle started perfectly.  The members of the Nexus were destroying everything, saying they were doing so for a higher cause…except THERE WAS NEVER A PAYOFF.  The higher power was never revealed, and the Nexus was buried faster than the fall of the Shockmaster.  I would have, first of all, not buried the gimmick.  Then, I would have had the higher power be either  Shane and/or Steph McMahon.  In 2001, they tried to take over with the Invasion……ten years later, they tried again with a younger, hungrier group.   It could have been so much better than what it was.

5) MIZ VS RIC FLAIR

I think the Miz is a tremendous talker and can get himself over in any situation against any opponent.  Of course, Flair invented that.  I see a lot of Flair in the Miz, maybe more than any other Flair disciple, including HHH.

6) “THE MILLION DOLLAR MAN:” TED DIBIASE

Mr. Perfect came in a close second, but I think Deebs had more of a main event persona, more of a big-time, top guy feel.  I think he was a better talker.

PLAYER FOUR: KYLE ANDRUWKIEWICZ (FROM THE SIDESHOW PODCAST)

DISCLAIMER #1: I started watching wrestling on television in junior high. I wasn’t there for Hulkamania, I was too young for Bret Hart, and I didn’t care about DX. I stayed through the Attitude Era, became jaded, followed the independent scene through early college, and then lost interest up until last year. I will not be making the hilariously obscure references to Repo Man or Isaac Yankem that my fellow columnists will undoubtedly pepper their pieces with. The only thing I know about a guy like Vader is that he was Frankie’s dad on Boy Meets World. Oh, and that jaded part? Turned me into a giant wrestling snob. Prepare to have your intelligence insulted.

DISCLAIMER #2: I know Danzig said to keep our picks to one per category but…IT DOESN’T MATTER WHAT HE WANTS! (I’m not above cheaply co-opting old catchphrases for this piece, so buckle in.) Plus, considering my dual loyalties, there’s just no way I could ever reconcile what I respect with what I like.

1) TIE: THE ROCK/CM PUNK

Why did I come back to wrestling at all? These two men not only destroyed my pessimism but turned me back into a full-fledged mark.

A few friends invited me over to watch last year’s Royal Rumble. I had taken a cursory interest in WWE again at the time, just to see how bad things were. My best friend and I were pleasantly impressed by the 2011 Rumble but the entire time we kept reminiscing about when we were fans in high school and about one wrestler in particular. I believe my exact quote was, “Can you imagine if HE came back? I would not only go back to watching WWE religiously, I would do everything in my power to be there when he returned.” Well here I am, DVR set for Mondays at 9 on USA and a ticket stub from the Brahma Bull’s first match in seven years.

It takes more than pure ability to inspire that kind of devotion (the kind that inspires you to combine wrestling and heavy metal into a radio personality that endures eight years after the fact). It takes charisma. And when you think back to all the wrestlers who achieved any amount of success, they all had it. It’s why wrestling isn’t just a sport––it’s sports entertainment. Once you admit that, the endless discussion about the “greatest of all time” ends.

I don’t care that Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart were better mat technicians. It doesn’t matter to me that Triple H and Ric Flair won more championships. In every measurable way, The Rock is the biggest, best, and most popular superstar of all time. His crossover appeal is unparalleled. Cena doesn’t come close and Hulkamania didn’t have the staying power. The Rock didn’t NEED to come back to wrestling. Hell, he doesn’t need to work another day in his life. Hogan HAD to came back because he failed outside of the squared circle. He became a reality show reject because he lacks The Rock’s “it” factor. Any one of the The Rock’s movies grossed far more than all of Hogan’s forays into pop culture combined. I don’t even know why I’m wasting time trying to prove why the most electrifying man in all of sports AND entertainment bests the most overrated and uninspiring in-ring performer of all time.

The Rock didn’t NEED to come back to wrestling. Hell, he doesn’t need to work another day in his life.

Which leads to the other half of the argument. Most would never include The Rock in a conversation about in-ring ability. And they’re right. But they’re also dead wrong.

Even in his prime, on a weaker roster, The Rock didn’t rank in the top ten. But he more than made up for it and not just on the mic. Sure, The Rock has a definitive, invariable repertoire of maneuvers but you know what separates him from the Cenas and Ortons and (gasp!) the Punks of the world? Salesmanship and timing. No one sells a move like The Great One. He practically bounces out of the ring following a Stunner. Ridiculous? Hell yeah. Awesome? You know it.

The Rock outshines everyone else because he makes his opponents look better than they could ever be on their own. Contrary to his persona, The Rock understands he’s not the only person between the ropes, that a match involves two competitors. If his opponent looks bad, so does The Rock. And The Rock NEVER looks bad. Doubters should watch as he made R-Truth, one of the most lackluster competitors on the current roster, a must see at Survivor Series. In The Rock’s first match in seven years. How? The Rock always paced the use of his signatures better than anyone in the business because, as an entertainer, he understands the storytelling aspect of wrestling better than anyone else. Pay attention to the way you groan when Orton does another DDT off the ropes or Cena side slams an opponent for the bajillionth time. The flurry of finishers to follow is mundane and expected. But when the Rock Irish whips his adversary into the infamous spinebuster? You hold your breath. You rise to your feet when he pulls the pads off and jump with excitement as he tosses them to the fever pitch audience. All for an elbow drop? No. All for the most electrifying move in all of sports entertainment. That’s not hyperbole. Why? Because The Rock can work a crowd better than anyone wrestler in history and he is one of two reasons I’m writing this column.

The second reason? The Best in the World. Also not hyperbole, as you’ll come to learn.

I feel like I have personal stock in CM Punk’s career. That’s the beauty of the independent scene, where you see future superstars and become invested in them. My best friend and I traveled to VFW halls and gymnasiums all over the northeast, following the early years of Punk’s career. The small scale and fan access at those shows provided us with the opportunity to meet Punk the night he won the ROH Tag Team title with his longtime partner and best friend, Colt Cabana. When we told him how awesome it was to just shake his hand, in his very Punk way, he said, “I don’t know why.” Maybe he didn’t back then but he sure does now.

You all know Punk’s skills with a pipe bomb now after the infamous worked shoot this past summer that officially launched the “Reality Era” (which I’m loving) but it baffles me why it took WWE so long to let him loose. He’s been cutting promos like this since he first stepped into a ring.

His current theme song might be the most apt entrance for any wrestler in history. Punk IS a cult of personality. His entire career has been littered with stables of followers. Why do you think promoters keep keying in that? Because Punk is a born leader. People want to follow him. Hell, I wanted to follow him. Among many other reasons, I bought into Punk’s Straight Edge lifestyle so much that I didn’t drink until I was a sophomore in college. Readers may laugh and snicker about that because it has to do with “wrestling” but it’s no different than wearing Nike to be Like Mike or discovering Scientology thanks to Tom Cruise. Punk was an icon to me and it’s about time the WWE unleashed him to showcase the magnetic, rebellious nature that ended up making wrestling more culturally relevant than it has been in years.

Oh, and also there was this.

The greatest promo ever cut in any promotion in any era. It was so good I had longtime wrestling fans and passersby asking me if this was a shoot. I knew it wasn’t but you want to know what? For the first time since early high school, I didn’t care. I WANTED to believe.  And while the WWE has watered him down into a sloppy mess, once upon a time, he was among the most technically proficient matmen in the world. But we’ll get to that. Like I said, get use to reading about Punk and The Rock because in naming them my favorites of all time, they represent everything I love about wrestling. You’re going to read a LOT more about them from here on out…

2) PUNK/JOE II: RING OF HONOR

This video not only serves as proof for my pick but explains my disdain towards the cautious, watered down WWE style. Consider this your introduction to the superior world of independent wrestling. This match exemplifies what I mean when I talk about storytelling. It starts off slow, as the two opponents feel each other out. These two depend on each other not to kill one another and in order to do that, they have to adapt to their respective styles and build a trust in each other’s abilities. It’s a thinking man’s match––at first.

This match exemplifies what I mean when I talk about storytelling.

Slowly, the cadence of the match builds to the same visceral excitement the more polished product you see on TV brings except we’ve reached this crescendo naturally because they’re really wrestling. This is wrestling as sport, not lowest common denominator entertainment. Don’t get me wrong, the WWE improved infinitely in recent years thanks to the infusion of new talent––a number of them from the indies––because they can’t rely on shock value with their PG approach. The in-ring product must hold the audience. It can’t be filler in between promos anymore. It’s a style they’ve modified for lesser effect but it’s still a big part of the treason for my renewed interest. Regardless, It will NEVER be this:

The independent scene allows wrestlers to take the risks their sport demands. It’s also the only place where a draw can earn a five-star match (the first awarded by the legendary Dave Meltzer since 1997) and fans don’t go home feeling cheated.  Oh, and by the way––they did this two other times. This was part two in a trilogy of equally high caliber matches. You’re lucky if you get ONE decent ten minute match out of a WWE feud. These two historically battled over 180 minutes to put on three of the best wrestling matches in history.

3) TIE: PUNK WINS MONEY IN THE BANK/THE ROCK RETURNS

Even though I know it will get edited, I chose to make this pick right after my favorite wrestlers because unsurprisingly, it involves each of them. More unexpected though is the fact that both have happened in the last eight months. It’s like the WWE started out 2011 by asking itself, “How can we make Kyle the ROCK(jock) a wrestling fan again” and had Papa Shango’s work his voodoo to discover my two deepest fanboy fantasies.

CM PUNK WINS THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP:

Even better, he beat John Cena to do it and fairly cleanly I might add. And then on top of it, they embrace everything I ever loved about Punk and let him go rogue with the championship!

It shocked me more than when Shane bought WCW. It was a moment I never dreamed would happen. The WWE let an indie darling put one over not only on its golden boy, but the Chairman of the Board himself. Few have ever been bestowed that honor and no one took better advantage of it than Punk.

Oh and let’s not forget the most electric entrance in the history of sports:

AFTER SEVEN LONG YEARS:

The Rock returned to the ring. And I was there.

As amazing as that moment was, the entire night was full of highlights I’ll always remember. The crowd at MSG reminded me of the nights at those VFW halls. We were surrounded by other, intelligent, in-the-know fans. Everyone knew what was going on but they bought into it anyways. It was like a second chance to believe in Santa again. An entire bar, blocks from MSG, erupted unanimously into a spontaneous WWWYKI before the show. When the Big Show and Mark Henry put everyone to sleep, we woke up to “Sexual Chocolate” chants. For no reason at all, fans demanded Daniel Bryan. Despite current storylines, the audience roared young and promising talent like Cody Rhodes and Dolph Ziggler, pissing off stale stalwarts like Randy Orton in the process. And then when The Rock called Cena back to the ring? I know it’s all stage but I have to believe that deep down, Cena regrets ever agreeing to program. In stark fashion, he saw that no matter how hard he works, how many titles he wins, how many shirts he sells, how many babies he kisses…we will always love the Rock more.

4) WHAT HAPPENED TO THE UNDISPUTED CHAMPIONSHIP?

The Undisputed Championship could, and should, have been so much more. At the time, there was no promotion even remotely able to challenge that claim and therefore the title held a certain sort of legitimacy that the WWE failed to capitalize on. The WWE realized only last year that the build-up to Wrestlemania not only could sustain itself for an entire year, but also SHOULD.

You know what builds anticipation better than any other process in sport? Tournaments. Brackets. Playoffs.

Imagine, if you will, the day after Wrestlemania X8 (because the Invasion was awesome and I wouldn’t mess with that for the world). Vince pimp walks down the ramp to announce that in one year, the WWE will do something not seen in over 50 years and that no other modern day competition outside of the Olympics can achieve—he will crown an UNDISPUTED World Champion.

Over the next 365 days leading up to the most anticipated event in wrestling history, the WWE would hand out eight coveted spots for the chance to claim the most prestigious title in the industry’s history. King of the Ring, an Elimination Chamber, the Royal Rumble, Money in the Bank (if it had existed)—all of these could earn the winner a place in the truest Showcase of the Immortals. Feuds could ignite instantly in the battle for these spots, eliminating the need for hack, hokey, and ridiculous plots like date rape marriages, secret demon spawn pregnancies, and wife stalkers…

…all blatant and hopeless attempts to hold onto the fading Attitude era (well, not the first one, which was hilariously entertaining despite the implications). No, instead of stunts, the year-long tournament to award the first Undisputed Champion in fifty years would allow rivalries to develop naturally––IN THE RING(!)––like they should. (That’s the number one reason I burned out on the WWE and gravitated towards the indies. In addition to their superior technique and more genuine athleticism, the independent scene showcased premium in-ring storytelling)

When the biggest WrestleMania of all time finally arrived, it would feature seven matches––four quarterfinal bouts, two semifinals, and one final confrontation for the greatest prize the industry had ever conceived. What creates more pop culture interest outside of their respective sports’ usual fanbase than the NFL Playoffs and March Madness? This would be a finale so grand as to befit the honor of naming the first ever Undisputed World Heavyweight Champion of wrestling’s modem era. Instead, no one outside the WWE Universe ever knew the Undisputed Title existed, nevermind understood its magnitude or importance. Opportunity missed.

5) NO ANSWER

…a moot point. And that’s not a cop out. With the matches I’ve had the privilege of witnessing live at various ROH events and this year’s Survivor Series, the ones I listed in my “Favorite Moment(s) as a Fan,” Wrestlemania XXVIII’s scheduled and rumored matches, I’ve lived out all my fantasies as a wrestling fan. That is, except one…

6)  CHRISTOPHER DANIELS

I know the comments are going to be filled with indignation over the glaring omissions of legends like Arn Anderson, Jake “The Snake”, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, etc. Well, I warned you at the beginning. I’ve never seen those men wrestle and therefore can’t speak to their supposed greatness. However, I can say with confidence—f*ck Scott Hall.

No, instead I went with a talent I’ve borne witness to with my own eyes but has yet to even receive the proper recognition his talents demand—nevermind the top title for any of the three currently televised promotions, despite helping to launch Ring of Honor with a legendary run that earned him the title “King of the Indies.” I submit for your consideration, the “Fallen Angel”—CHRISTOPHER DANIELS:

“The Fallen Angel” has the ability of Low Ki (or as most of you probably know him better, the completely mismanaged “Kaval”) but marries it with the cult charisma of Punk. He has a fully realized character that can be played righteously as a face or arrogantly as a heel—and EVERY promotion desperately needs better bad guys.

What’s great about Daniels is he’s already proven that won’t happen. He works both sides equally well and it’s inexplicable why TNA, where his body type and skill set are more acceptable than in the WWE (don’t tell me to look at the current champions because I’ll tell you to do the exact same. WWE’s “don’t let anyone get hurt!” style has turned their best technical talents—Punk and Danielson—into sloppy shadows of their indie selves) hasn’t turned him into a face of the franchise. Although considering TNA waffles over what to do with arguably even more talented wrestlers (Samoa Joe and AJ Styles), I don’t know why I’m still surprised. I issue this challenge to TNA: prove the Mayans right. Bring on the Apocalypse. Accept your fate and embrace the Fallen Angel.

*Paid for by the committee to push Christopher Daniels*

USER SUBMISSION #1: JEROME PALMERI

I woke up this morning and as I do every day during my morning routine (read: dump) I looked through Facebook on my phone.  When I saw Jared had posted this I immediately started reading.  Reading too much in fact and realized I was still on the toilet.  I quickly got ready for work and the entire time thought to myself, I have to hurry to work so I can pretend to be busy and write my own answers for this article.  While I have talked about wrestling with Kyle and Jared pretty extensively (I didn’t know Danzig was into wrestling despite the fact he was the first person I met at our old college radio station), I always enjoy hearing new perspectives about the WWE.  As a former employee tasked with moderating the forums on the short lived fans.wwe.com I was forced to read a lot of TERRIBLE opinions and so it was nice to be able to read something with some thought and intelligence behind it.  Anyway, here it goes:

*Note: as this is the WWF Challenge I have limited my answers to the WWF in all but one instance.

1) UNDERTAKER

This one was pretty difficult for me because Chris Jericho is one of my favorites and I believe one of the best of all time given his ability to be an amazing heel or face and not recycling his character when making the switch.  That being said, my favorite wrestler has to be the Undertaker.  I know that he is not the best technical wrestler of all time, and although he can cut a good promo, he is not the best on the mic either.  He hasn’t won a ton of championships but here is the thing about the Undertaker, he doesn’t need any of that.  He doesn’t need to be a champion because his prestige is already apparent.  I was a wee little child when I saw the Undertaker introduced at Survivor Series live back in 1990.  In the 90′s, the WWF had the most ridiculous gimmicks coming out.  That night they introduced not only an undead servant to Ted DiBiase but a man sized turkey that wanted nothing more than to dance with Mean Gene(a moment I popped BIG for as a 4 year old).  It is 2012 and still people totally buy a gimmick that out of all the wrestlers out there, there is still a guy in all black that can magically turn out the lights and call lightning bolts down to the stage.  A few years ago, Undertaker put Edge through the ring and then MADE FIRE ERUPT FROM THE HOLE! And you know what?  I totally bought it because it was the Undertaker.  No one has done more with such a crazy gimmick.

I am a firm believer that John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand 2006 was John Cena’s greatest match

2)  Again I saw this match live so it may give it an unfair advantage; and people may scoff at the idea of a match featuring John Cena could be anyone’s favorite match.  But I am a firm believer that John Cena vs. Rob Van Dam at One Night Stand 2006 was John Cena’s greatest match (perhaps now eclipsed by his match with Punk this past summer).  This match was incredible because it had so much going for it.  I remember it as the birth of the “If Cena wins, we riot” poster.  I have seen it on many shows since then but being there in that moment, I absolutely believed that place would tear itself apart if Cena pinned RVD.  There was no way Cena was going to win that match and everyone firmly believed this.  This meant anytime Cena started pushing an offensive people were legitimately afraid of their worst fears coming true.  Even a smart mark is still a mark and everyone there was a mark and John Cena for one of the first times had people eating out of his hand as a legitmate heel.  I remember the match went on for a solid five minutes before the two ever even locked up because Cena riled up the crowd by continuing to throw his shirt in the crowd only to have it thrown back at him.  Cena also took the challenge and after every chant of “Same old Shit!” he would bust out a completely unique spot and the crowd would be dumbfounded.  In the end, RVD won the title and everyone was happy and that match I think is the one to watch if you want to see how Cena/Rock will be if they allow Cena to become the heel I believe they should.

3)  CHRIS JERICHO’S WWF DEBUT

Chis Jericho debuts on Monday Night Raw in the middle of a promo from the Rock.  This moment is my favorite because it shows something that the WWE would never do now, and that is debut a star with no WWE accomplishments and still give him that big of a push.  When countdown was counting and the lights when dead people were all very excited to see what would happen.  The music started and the video played and people weren’t sure what to expect.  Then the big blue letters appeared on the screen “Jericho” and the place goes ballistic.  Try to imagine now a superstar that has never appeared in the WWE showing up in the middle of a promo from the Miz and receiving that sort of ovation.  You can’t because the WWE feels the need to repackage and rename every new wrestler it brings in.  That is why it is my favorite moment; because I truly don’t think anything like it will never…eeeeeeeeeever…happen again.

4) POTENTIALLY SAVING CHRIS BENOIT

This is something I have talked to about with many people and I do not mean to be controversial or perverse by saying this.  I don’t know if this truly would have changed anything but I believe that having Chis Benoit tap out to John Cena began a career descent that coincided with what happened in his life.  Not a lot of people remember this because the match itself was not important.  It was just a normal match without even a big build or anything.  It wasn’t even a submission match, so to have John Cena make the man who has been in the most amazing submission matches tap out for no apparent reason was just an insult.  He was then quickly drafted to ECW and the rest is well the rest.  I think that Benoit was one of the best workers ever in the WWE.  Wrestling was his job and he was damn good at it.

People love to talk about how amazing Kurt Angle is, well nothing pushed Kurt Angle more than the back and forth submission clinics he put on with Benoit.  Benoit had this great gift because when he strolled down the ramp it didn’t matter who was in the ring, they were scared.  In that way, whenever someone was able to beat Benoit it was supposed to mean a lot.  That match was a throw away, and to have it end with a submission just seemed like a slap in the face to someone who had given nothing but his all to the company.  If I were booking, I would use Benoit the same way I think they should have been using the Undertaker when he made his return as the dead man.  I wouldn’t put him in many elaborate storylines.  He would be the guy that whenever some cocky heel started mouthing off too much into the mic, his music would hit and you know the crowd would get a good match as this heel tried to prove themselves.

5)  STUDENTS VERSUS TEACHER

Here is the one time my dream match includes someone not currently or ever having been in the WWE.  My dream match would be to see a triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Title between Daniel Bryan, William Regal, and Davey Richards.  I think that if the stars aligned and the WWE let the three of them go out there and do whatever they wanted for 45-60 minutes; that it would hands down be the most amazing display of wrestling ever.  I also think would also be the match to show someone who says wrestling is fake, because it would be the most brutal stiff match you could see.  I think to give it the right emotional impact, you would have to have these guys each on a hot streak on their way to the match.  Each of them would be have to be putting out consistently good matches (which they are all capable of) against great opponents where they are just barely pulling out victories.  People would be clamoring to see the three of them go at it to determine who was really the best.  I would pay a lot of money to see the three of them go.

6)  SCOTT CAAN (way more believable than David Arquette)

For real though, I would absolutely say Owen Hart.  Owen was always in great matches and great storylines.  He was every bit as talented as Bret but was able to be a convincingly good heel.  He did amazing work in singles and tag matches and I think his being the target of DX only got DX over more.  He also was one of the few people that I think started the trend of blurring the line between reality and wrestling; which set the ground work for people today.

USER SUBMISSION #2: “KISSEL”

1) KEJI MUTOH 

So I’m gonna be that guy. It was a toughie. Names like Flair, Taker, AmDrag, Jericho, Taker and a bunch more come to mind. Truth be told I’m with Danzig in terms of too many to count. But in the last few weeks I found a tremendous youtube channel with a LOT of old Japanese matches and it reaffirmed my love for Keiji Mutoh or the Great Muta to you yanks. Mutoh’s career has been flawless. When he came to the states he REVOLUTIONIZED the game with his skills. His matches in WCW against Sting and Flair were all must sees. And when he went back to Japan, he has been spot on ever since. He’s possibly one of the greatest storytellers in wrestling history in terms of his mannerisms (case and point the infamous MUTA scale match with Hiroshi Hase). He’s an innovator of a lot of moves used all over the place today (Moonsault, Shinning Wizard, Muta Lock, etc). He nearly always has great matches, even against garbage (Muta vs. Hogan 93, prob Hogan’s best match after the 80’s). He’s charismatic as fuck (even though I have NO IDEA what he’s saying). He’s a rare case to evolve his characters so much. As Keiji Mutoh, he went from being a somewhat generic face, to cocky heel, to Austin like hellraiser, to grizzled vet, to comeback artist. And The Muta character itself don’t get me started. When he was called “Japanese Underaker” they aren’t lying. Not a choice you’d have off the bat, but Mutoh deserves some of your viewing time.

2) WAR GAMES 1992

While I love a good athletic hard workrate bout, I’m still a mark for multiple man matches and cage matches.

While I love a good athletic hard workrate bout, I’m still a mark for multiple man matches and cage matches. So naturally War Games was a long time favorite of mine. But War Games 92 from Wrestle War is without a doubt the best one ever. One of the most star studded War Games (Rude/Austin/Eaton/Zbysko/Anderson vs Sting/Steamboat/Windham/Rhodes/Koloff), it seriously is the perfect match. It made you think it was a war. By match’s end nearly everyone was busted open and the ring broke. The match has so many stories to tell: Windham getting revenge for getting his hand broke, Rude wanting to finish Steamboat once and for all, would Koloff turn on his team, etc. Watch it and you’ll be a fan.

3) JOEY STYLES OPENS ECW ONE NIGHT STAND

As much as I love WWE, I’ll always love ECW more. I stayed up till 2am every Saturday for my hour long fix. ECW shirts were part of my reg wardrobe. I owned EVERY ECW action figure. I was a fan.  So the ONS PPV def peaked my interest and I was on board. Looking back now a few years later it’s not the GREATEST PPV ever but it’s ok. But what got me most was Joey Styles making his first appearance in a ring (not counting his run with MLW) on national TV with the diehards alternating ECDub and Joey chants louder than anything I had ever heard and Styles with tears in his eyes. Still made me happy to be a fan. Styles IMO is the best announcer of all time and while it was ECW, seeing Joey on the biggest stage (WWE) opening the show made me a happy boy.

4) THE 2001 INVASION

I really don’t think I need to explain it anymore. No Sting, Steiner, Hogan, Goldberg, etc? Cmon son.

5) STING VS UNDERTAKER

Should have happened. Could still happen but won’t be as good. Sting vs. most major WWE guys would be a dream match honestly. Again don’t feel like I should have to explain this one.

6) KOFI KINGSTON

It’s easy to say Perfect, Roberts or Piper so I figured I’d go more towards the now. Kofi has been the most underutilized talent in the WWE roster for years now. He has charisma, he’s a great worker, fans love him and he’s shown he go on the main event level. The fact so many undeserving guys have been given title programs and hard pushes over a guy this talented is a shame. Kofi for everything!

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