Umaga Ripping Off Samoa Joe? by Derek Luciano My column is about "The Samoan Bulldozer" Umaga, and his comparison to "The Samoan Submission Machine" Samoa Joe, and the domination of Umaga in his short career in the WWE. Umaga began his career WWE career in 2003 as Eric Bischoff's henchman, playing Jamal of 3 Minute Warning, but was shortly released after drug allegations. Shortly after that Umaga as Ekmo Fatu had a short stint in TNA as a tag team partner of Sonny Siaki. In early 2005 Ekmo wrestled in Japan for about 8 months, and in early December 2005, Eddie "Ekmo" Fatu signed a contract to WWE. Umaga debuted on April 3rd being managed by Armando Alejandro Estrada, attacking the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. After that Umaga began defeating jobber after jobber, and even defeating Ric Flair during Backlash. Shortly after that Umaga had a short feud with the popular Eugene, defeating him at Vengeance, and defeating some of his friends in Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Doink, and Kamala.

Umaga started to get on the main event stream at Saturday Night Main Event. After the show at a bonus dark match, The Undertaker took on Umaga and the Great Khali. Two nights later, Umaga defeated John Cena with help from Edge. A week later on RAW, after Shawn Michaels defeated The Coach, Umaga attacked Shawn Michaels, and defeated Shawn the next week on RAW with help from the McMahon's. And just a few days ago Umaga faced Triple H and defeated him with the Samoan Spike. Help or no help, Umaga is getting the wins, defeating three former World Champions, and three of RAW's best, but the question remains...Is Umaga a rip-off of Samoa Joe? It just seems a little fishy to me, how right around the time where Samoa Joe is at the NWA Title hunt in TNA, that Umaga is brought in, and nicknamed "The Samoan Bulldozer". The comparisons are similar between the two men, but we will just have to wait and see how far Umaga goes.

To Make It Work, You Have to Like It by Stephen Mitchell In 'Have a Nice Day' by Mick Foley, he writes that Abdullah the Butcher always knew that DDP would be World Champion because he lived the gimmick. At the time Abby said this to Foley DDP was only starting out as a wrestler after changing over from a manager. It was undoubtedly a bold prediction but it was correct. I believe a wrestler really has to believe in his gimmick to have any kind of longevity. How many times have we seen great talent given a stupid gimmick and wasted? For me Terry Taylor as the Red Rooster springs to mind straight away and without thinking to hard about it I am sure that you all could come up with a different name of a good wrestler held back by a truly awful character. Then you have guys like The Ultimate Warrior who believes in his gimmick so much he changed his name. I would bet my mortgage on at least 95% of OWW readers loving him back in the day. The Boogeyman is a wrestler that is going somewhere because he puts 100% effort into his gimmick. You can see he has worked hard at polishing his act because even though he isn't Chris Benoit in the ring, the crowd still pop for him when he appears. The only reason that this happens is because he has a gimmick that he is determined to make work.

I think that mastering a gimmick is the reason that so many ROH alumni have problems establishing themselves in the WWE. There aren't too many wrestlers in the E who can get by on just being themselves where as with ROH the lack of a gimmick doesn't mean you are doomed to fail. Can anyone think of a single world champion who got to the top with a gimmick he hated? I can't.

The Future is Bright - by Braeden Orr This is my first column here at Online World of Wrestling, and I intend to make the best of it. I have been a wrestling fan most of my life, from when I was two, body slamming inflatable bunnies at Easter, to watching wrestling today. In my opinion, there is one man who can change the current state of wrestling. Hardly anyone likes him, people don't think he can wrestle, and he has great charisma. No, I'm not talking about John Cena. I'm talking about "The Outlaw" Mike Knox. I know a lot of people are going to disagree with me on this, but I personally believe that he can help bring the "New Generation" of ECW to the top. That isn't to take away from CM Punk (who I believe is one of the best as well), but after seeing many of Knox's matches on TV and live, there is no doubting him. Mike Knox has been training at Deep South Wrestling as part of the team known as Team Elite with former DSW Heavyweight Champion Derek Neikerk. The team recently broke up, but they could have been big in the tag division. That, however, wouldn't be good for these two. They were destined to shine above the rest in singles action.

I have only heard a "This is Awesome" chant at one WWE event, and that was Foley vs. Edge at WM22. But, one night at the DSW Arena, in McDonough, GA, those chants were heard throughout the building. The match was Mike Knox vs. Derek Neikerk vs. DSW Champion "Rough House" O'Reilly for the title. The match involved multiple Tower Of Dooms, as well as many good pure wrestling moves. Knox really stole the show as the fans were cheering for him the whole night, even though he was the heel. Now, earlier I said that he has charisma. You may not be able to tell by his short lived ECW promos, but his promos at DSW were some of the funniest I have seen in a long time. Once, he took his partner's title belt. Knox hid it as he was "looking for it". The belt fell out from under his jacket. He claimed it fell under the bench, and then that he was making sure the tag belts would fit him. Not to mention Derek interrupting Knox talking to himself about not needing Derek to win the tag belts. Knox responded with "Hey Derek, I was just talking about you". Maybe it's because Mike Knox is a Deep South guy, or maybe it's because I'm his biggest fan, but Knox is the future of not DSW, not OVW, not WWE, but professional wrestling. Just watch, Knox will outshine everyone on the roster.

Back In NWA Florida, 1975 - by Joseph Jarvis I'm not that old, only 14. Yet I have heard stories from my mother about NWA FL. And the other day while cleaning out my grandmothers house I stumbled on some tapes and posters. There's even autographs. She used to skip school just to go see her favorite wrestler Dusty Rhodes teaming up with Dick Murdoch. Going against the Brisco Brothers, and the Road Warriors with Paul Ellering. Anyway we got to talking and I found a results book, I actually went to look at it and it had results for about 3 months. Then I picked up a Jack Brisco Heavyweight Champ autographed poster. She then was telling me about meeting him. She said he was one of the nicest guys in the wrestling business along with Dusty Rhodes. She then picked up a picture of Corsica Jean as a referee. She was telling me about both of these legends. She told me about the passion, the devotion people had to wrestling. People weren't like today where they always cheer on heels. The good guy was the best. People like her would drop everything including school just to see these guys.

This is the number reason I would of rather lived in 1975 instead of 2006. Love, devotion, and passion.

WCW... Why Not WCW? - by Tim Teresi ECW! ECW! Why are these the only words that I have to hear when I turn on WWE television? Why does it always have to be ECW on the TV, and why does the WWE have to oversell the ECW product? Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge wrestling fan and I love what went on in that bingo hall, but with all that nostalgia, there was another company that often goes unmentioned... WCW.

You can call me crazy or sacrilegious, but I would love for Vinnie Mac to release a best of WCW DVD. Im not talking about Hogan, Nash, Luger, or Savage. I want a DVD with the best matches from the low to mid-carders. I want to see the maches with Rey, Benoit, Saturn, La Parka, Ultimo Dragon, and many... MANY more. They were often called the back bone of WCW, why not show them off to wrestling fans who might have missed WCW , or want some WCW nostalgia? ECW got their DVD's why can't WCW have one? If this DVD came out I know it would be huge.

Four Reasons Batista Should Not Win The Title Back Soon - by Teddy White Well since this is my first time writing a column it's only fitting that I introduce myself. My name is Teddy White. I have been a life long fan of the greatest sport in the world, professional wrestling. I've seen a lot of guys come and go in my time; sad part about it is the fact that I'm only 22 years old but that's for another time. The reason I am writing to you today is to see if anyone agrees with that fact that Batista shouldn't get the title back for a while. 1. The first reason why I don't think it would be smart to give Batista the world title back right away is because it kills the momentum he has built up for his return. Now some of you may think that what I am saying makes no sense but if you just stay with me for a minute I will explain. The usual road for a returning "superstar" is for them to fight their way back to the top after a couple months. If Batista was to win the world title a month after his return it would kill everything he has going for him because once he wins the title back what's there left for him to do? It would be smart to let his momentum build till at least the Royal Rumble and then start his road back to the title. 2. The second reason I think it would be bad for a Batista title win is because of the lack of heel main-eventers on Smackdown. As of right now when it comes to active main-eventing heels we have Booker T, and hmmm Kahli, and I don't know how many people would actually consider him a main eventer. If WWE is smart they will let the feud with Kennedy go on for a while and even build him up to be a main eventer. Smackdown is in need of tops heels for him to defend against before he gets the belt back.

3. My third reason is simple. He has looked lost in the ring and a bit green since his return.. Batista should have been sent to Ohio valley for a few weeks to sharpen off the ring rust before coming back to Smackdown. 4. The fourth reason is the because of Booker T. I think it would be a slap in the face to Booker T if he has to drop the title within two months. I mean don't get me wrong, Rey did a hell of a job carrying the title the way he was being week after week, but let Booker T. establish himself as the Top Heel on Smackdown by keeping the title for a while because a one or two month title reign will simply make him look like a joke. People if you are real wrestling fans who have been watching for longer than two years, I'd hope that you'd agree with me. I hope you enjoy the column and hope to write more soon.

Hulk Hogan: Over-rated & Over-admired - by Travis Koppe My name is Travis, and this is my first OWW article submission. I know in writing this that I will receive quite a lot of bashing and generate quite some heat, and for that I must formally apologize for speaking my mind. That being said, I will move on now to my article. Hulk Hogan: 2 time AWA Champion, 2 time NWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (one from both the southern and northern divisions), 7 time WCW Champion, 6 time WWF/WWE Heavyweight Champion. Yes, he did make the WWE what it is today. Yes, he was the "backbone" of the company. But let's face it; he's like Cena - over-sold, over-rated, and over-admired. He is considered good on the mic; I do not find him so. All I ever seem to hear from him is "Hulkamania," and "What'cha gonna do?" He's living off a reputation he built for himself in the 1980's. His skills were never up to par with some of the greats: Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, or Sting. He was a huge name, with a huge muscle-tone, and that's what got him where he is today. Do not get me wrong, as many always do. I do respect the man for what he did for the business. I do not respect his talent (or lack thereof), nor do I respect his overbearing admiration by the fans. At one point even he was on an undefeated streak for nearly ten years (I believe), and of the only three times he was defeated, only one of those times was it a clean victory (Ultimate Warrior, WrestleMania 6). He went up against all the big names, and he always came out on top. Always.

While some of you may credit this in his favor, I see it was Vince was afraid of pissing Hogan off because if Hogan quit, which he threatened to do at times, it would ruin the business. Another point to add: Hogan would only ever allow Mean Gene to interview him, and the only way Hogan would start his responses to the interviews was "Well ya know somethin' Mean Gene," No offense to Mean Gene, but I found it to be quite repetitive and boring. On the July 4th edition of RAW in 2005, I saw the happiest thing I'd ever seen: an unsuspecting Hogan taking an unprovoked Sweet Chin Music. That second, the world stopped turning for Hogan fans, but it picked up for all those who share beliefs with me. SummerSlam '05 pitted The Legend versus the Icon in Hogan vs The Heartbreak Kid, Shawn Michaels. In my opinion: the best match Hogan's ever had, and only because HBK knew how to sell him well. The only complaint I have about the match is that Michaels could have, and should have kicked out of the Atomic Leg Drop. I would not have minded him losing to a second. In closing, again I know how much this will upset people, and I apologize again, but I had to speak my mind. This is a truth that I believe anyone who prefers true wrestling over "sports entertainment" can agree with me on.

Sting: Past it? - by Stephen Kerr-Robinson Sting is one of the all time greats in wrestling, and a true icon in this business. No-one was more excited than me to find that Sting was returning to the wrestling ring, and the date was set, January 15th 2006, Final Resolution. As Sting walked down the ramp towards the ring, in the all black, and white face paint, I had goosebumps all over my body. The hairs on my neck were standing tall. That's until I saw him in action. It seemed like he was a shell of his former self. He was unable to connect with moves right, the energy wasn't there either, like the way it was when he battled, Ric Flair 15 years ago. Or when he faced off against Hulk Hogan at Starrcade 1997. It felt like my heart had been crushed, to see Sting the way he was. But after a very long night, consisting of beer and watching some old Sting tapes, I convinced myself that maybe it was a bit of ring rust. I mean it had been a while since his last match.

But on the following iMPACT!, Sting shocked the world, by quitting. I was disappointed, but I knew in my heart that he would return to the wrestling ring. And he did at Lockdown, and put on a really impressive match. And I thought maybe he has got what I thought he'd lost back again. Then we come to Victory Road as he battled two great athletes, and Scott Steiner. And despite interference from Jeff Jarrett Sting won the match, and now earns the right to face Jeff Jarrett at Hard Justice. As I conclude this article, I ask you people does Sting have what it takes to lead the number two promotion in wrestling to greater things? Or has Sting finally past it?

Brock Lesnar: WWE or What? - by Tom B. In 2002 Brock Lesnar debuted in the WWE as the next big thing with Paul Heyman as his manager. Brock won the King of the Ring and the WWE Title (Undisputed Title as it was called) in his first year, defeating Rob Van Dam, Test, The Rock and The Hardy Boyz on his way to the top. Brock Lesnar won the title on other occasions, defeating the likes of Hulk Hogan, The Big Show, The Undertaker, Kurt Angle and more. He even won the Royal Rumble. Brock Lesnar left the WWE after WrestleMania 20 when he lost to Goldberg and went into American Football. After a season in football Lesnar started wrestling again but this time in Japan where he won the Heavyweight title. But in June Lesnar turned up in at a WWE Press conference he was at that point supposed to be going to the WWE. But Lesnar stayed put in Japan and now you don't hear much about him and WWE in the same sentence. But what I want to know is why didn't Lesnar take the job in the WWE? Was it anything to do with Sable being fired from it or did he just like it more in Japan?

D-X Reunion - by Dustin Thibodeau Well they are back! And they are just as good as they were back in the day, even Shawn Michaels' born again Christian persona is working well. Personally I think they should bring back the New Age Outlaws to join D-X! Right now it seems they will only ever face the Spirit Squad for the next few months but they need to mix it up a bit with the Bad Ass and the Road Dogg maybe even one more title reign for them as well but you never know? Keep out X-Pac due to the fact he's to busy with his new amateur porn career with Chyna and maybe even add some new members like Carlito! Carlito's spit or swallow t-shirts would look better with a D-X logo spray painted across the back, or bring in Randy Orton as the pretty boy of D-X due to the fact the Randy and Triple H have had such great success together in the past with Evolution! All in all I welcomed the return of Degeneration X, its about time WWE did something to bring back the comedy and excitement that the squared circle has been lacking for the past year! Nobody wants to see the beat up old legends anymore! It was cool while it lasted but it's time to give it up and stop trying to bring back the old Hulkamania. Don't get me wrong I'm just as big of a Hulkamaniac as the rest of you, but let the man rest for once!

Diva Search - by Sean Rogers Well folks this is my first article. I am going to talk about the 2006 Diva Search. Even though I am a guy I really don't enjoy watching this contest. This is the third Diva Search and I don't think they are getting any better. Actually I think they are starting to get kinda....boring. I am not saying that I don't enjoy watching them. What guy doesn't want to watch a bunch of hot young ladies compete for a WWE contract? But do they really have to put them on air at least 3 times a show? I think they did do something good this year by putting the several competitions on SmackDown! instead of RAW. Not hating on SmackDown!... they just don't have a compelling storyline like RAW does. But does the WWE not have anything else to put on the air? When is that last time you saw a Tag Team title match? Putting the Diva Search is drawing horny teens and single 40 year olds but boring the hell out of true wrestling fans like myself. I would much rather watch a meaningless match then listen to Miz mess up his lines and tell everybody how to vote for a Diva by text messaging. Not only is it annoying to listen to him, but do they have to repeat the same thing every single Monday night? This is kind of unrelated but maybe more people would vote if it didn't cost 99c to vote. But there are the Diva Search's good points too. They have made many women's dreams of becoming a WWE Diva come true. Christy Hemme made a good impression on the WWE fans by feuding with Trish Stratus. It was good to see Lita helping out the new Divas. It would be nice to see Lita to stop being Edge's whore too but that's for another article. Watching Ashley win was also another good moment in Diva Search history. She isn't that bad of a wrestler. She was a good face until she messed up her knee. She found a boyfriend in the WWE and everything is all good. But we have seen the Diva Search 3 years in a row. Why doesn't the WWE do themselves a favor and bring back Tough Enough? That was entertaining to watch. But I also can understand why they got rid of it. The winners have gone on to do nothing. The one that did the most was Maven. That's not a lot. But in closing I think that the Diva Search is getting kind of old and they should maybe bring back Tough Enough. I really do hope that someone with wrestling skills wins this contest so that they will actually have a storyline with the Divas. This is my first OWW column so I hope you readers have good feedback for me.