I would like to first thank Brad Dykens and Kirsty Quested for naming me as an official columnist for OWW. I am thrilled to death and thanks to you guys I am even more determined to write the best columns I possibly can. I would also like to thank everyone who commented on my last column, "The Best of Times", either on the site or by sending me an email. I am very happy to say the majority of the responses were very positive and due to that fact I will be keeping my promise. I will definitely be writing more old school columns in the very near future, however recent developments have occurred in the WWE that I have to comment on. I will warn all of you right now that I will be, "BASHING" the WWE about 90% in this column. I can say for sure though that unlike most bashing columns I will be backing up all my opinions with countless facts that will be clear as crystal. I would also like to apologize for not sticking to my original game plan and making this column an old school classic, but if this twenty-two year wrestling fan doesn't purge his wrestling soul, he will EXPLODE!!!!

Vince McMahon has without a doubt succeeded in his plans to shake things up in the WWE over the last few weeks. He has also proven to me that he has absolutely no care for the quality of wrestling his once great company use to produce. At the present time and unfortunately probably for years down the road, Vince will put the almighty dollar ahead of quality. The main reason for this in my opinion is mostly due to the WWE becoming a publicly traded company on the New York Stock Exchange a few years back. In the last few years it has become more important then ever for Vince to make sure his company produces a huge profit gain every year and makes the shareholders happy. I am sure after reading that sentence many of you are sick to your stomachs due to the fact, "It's true! It's true!" Perfect example is the current WWE Title itself. To this old school, die hard wrestling fan this is just as bad as burning a church or even burning Old Glory herself. There is only one reason McMahon committed such sacrilege, TO MAKE A PROFIT! I've read that a replica belt of the current WWE Title will be out by mid Fall. This wrestling fan hates to admit it, but the WWE will probably sell a shit load of them. For those of you that blame Cena for this piece of crap WWE recognizes as their WWE Title don't blame Cena, blame Vince McMahon. There is nothing shown on WWE television or on WWE.com that Vince McMahon doesn't give his OK on before it goes on air or is posted on the website. So anytime a WWE fan sees something they disagree with on a WWE broadcast the finger will eventually point back to Vince. I know what finger I would like to give Vince McMahon right now. What is most frustrating to me is that even after the roster cuts Vince McMahon still has a shit load of high quality talent that he will continue to miss use thinking he will make more money and eventually the fans will come around and see the genius behind Vince McMahon. The biggest name that comes into my head at the present time is Shawn Michaels.

HBK will always be my all time favorite, face or heel it doesn't matter I just love to see this guy in the ring, were on more then one occasion he has put on the best match of the night by far. My heart cracked worse than Hogan's jaw when HBK nailed the Hulkster with Sweet Chin Music on July 4th. Not because of the obvious heel turn that had just occurred, but why do it" What the hell was the point" Then I thought, "OH NO!" HBK vs. Hogan at SummerSlam and my heart cracked even more. If there was ever a reason for me to get a ton of negative feedback it will be right here. "The "Immortal" Hulk Hogan has no business competing with current WWE Superstars especially one's as great as Shawn Michaels!!" The truth hurts, doesn't it" Now when Hogan appeared at WrestleMania 21 I loved every second of it. The following month at Backlash I was one of the thousands that lucked out and got to see the match live. I will be the first to tell you I felt like a 10yr old kid again sitting in the old Boston Garden just going absolutely nuts for Hogan the second he came out till the second he left. However the initial shock value is gone and for anyone who saw the tag match on RAW when Michaels turned can't argue that Hogan's in ring skills are far gone as well. I hate to use the dreaded F word, but in that match Hogan made pro wrestling look FAKE. The Hulkster didn't take one bump the entire match. At least Flair goes out and does his signature slam from the top as well as his minimum three backdrops per match. If Hogan got back dropped the guy wouldn't get up. He has more nagging injuries then I have years on this planet. We all know that there is no one better at getting the crowd going better then Hogan, that's just a fact that will stand the test of time and I myself will never argue. But enough is enough. Flair at least still knows when to play to the crowd and when not to. Hogan has obviously forgotten. After he hits his signature big boot, he plays to the crowd for a minimum of 30 seconds and asks them, "Do you want the 1 2 3"" "I guess all the years of using steroids have finally given Hogan severe brain damage. What do you think Hogan" Do they want to see you get the 1 2 3"" To me this kills the finish of any match he is in and also, dare I say it twice in one column, makes pro wrestling look obviously FAKE, and now I have read Vince McMahon has signed him to a WWE contract. When I read that on a few sites one memory came to mind, in the last ten years there has been one clause in every contract either with WCW or WWE that clearly stated before his contract expired Hogan would be given a world title run. If WWE gives Hogan another title run, it will be the biggest slap in the face, no scratch that, it will be the biggest kick in the balls to all the guys in the back who have busted their asses night after night for years. I'm sorry but facts are facts. I still respect and love the guy for all the great memories, but his time in the ring has past. If Hogan came back on a permanent bases in any other way I would be totally for it, but the guy is done when it comes to being a full time professional wrestler.

Another lingering question that this incident also provided, "Where does this leave HBK once his run with Hogan is over"" I don't think anyone can answer that one except unfortunately Vince McMahon. I just hope that this move does not cause HBK to commit career suicide. Personally I think the obvious match for HBK at SummerSlam should have been the rubber match against Kurt Angle. I myself would have spiced things up by making the rubber match 2 out of 3 falls. So on one hand we have a banged up, one foot in the grave Hulk Hogan vs. HBK and on the other hand we have Kurt Angle vs. HBK in a 2 out of 3 fall classic, one for the ages, a match to raise the bar and all the other clich�s. That's a tough choice for this WWE fan. NOT!! Overall this was a bad move on WWE's part to turn HBK heel simply to book another big match involving Hogan. Especially now that RAW has Angle and also has decided to turn Jericho heel. There is just simply no need to turn HBK heel as well. Bad move Vince, you're really out doing yourself this year.

Now I would love to take a moment and comment on the ever popular WWE 2005 "Diva Search". God may have not given me the brains to be a doctor, but thank God he gave me common sense. Every time Coach puts a microphone in front of one of these bimbos I am amazed at what comes out and by no means is that a compliment. Also did anyone catch Sgt. Slaughter's boot camp" I bet all the bimbos' families were proud to be related to them on that night. Did anyone catch Cameron's performance" To quote Joey Styles, "OH MY GOD" Zach Gowen could have done a better jumping jack and the kid's got one friggin leg. If WWE is trying to prove why not to have a 2006 "Diva Search", they are clearly going in the right direction so far.

Now I am in no way a prude, but many young kids watch RAW every week and let's be honest. The way the WWE has portrayed the 2005 "Diva Search" on RAW is nothing but soft core porn. This makes the WWE sink to a level I thought it could never go just in hopes to make a few extra bucks and forget about the message they are sending to their younger fans. It also is turning each RAW broadcast into a circus like atmosphere and not a professional wrestling atmosphere like it should be. The main product of the WWE is wrestling. Isn't it" In my last column I ripped on JR and Lawler a bit, but now I must give them credit were credit is do. How these two veterans of the sport who both have a very high level of respect and love for the business can sit through fifteen minutes of pure diarrhea and make it seem like gold I will never know" My hats off guys, I know I couldn't do it.

On to the recent releases by the WWE. I think it's safe to say that many of them were out of left field and took many fans by surprise. I would love to comment on each release, but then this column would turn into a book. I will comment on a few starting off with The Dudley's. The release of Bubba Ray and D-Von has put the final nail in the coffin for me regarding tag team wrestling in the WWE. How Vince can let the Dudley's go and keep a team like The Heart Throbs I will never ever understand. I think that analogy pretty well sums it up that Vince cares more about his hair then that of the WWE tag team divisions. I'm still somewhat speechless on this move.

The tag team division took a big hit with The Dudley's release, but that pales in comparison compared to how hard the cruiserweights were hit from the releases. Spike Dudley, Akio, Shannon Moore and Kidman are all gone. I don't care what anybody thinks, these guys were all great wrestlers. It's not their fault that the writers either came up stumped on a storyline for them or in Moore's case made him out to be a side show freak. All four were very capable of putting on great matches if only WWE gave them a chance to do what they do best. That's why WWE hired these guys in first place. Isn't it" The one person that WWE did give a great chance to and the guy never dropped the ball once was Kidman. Kidman by far is the biggest shocker for me up to this point. Here is a man that is arguably the greatest wrestler to ever hold the WWE or the WCW Cruiserweight Title's and WWE simply lets him go with a phone call. That's real class shown by the WWE. Since his wife Torrie Wilson so far is still employed by WWE, I guaranty some juicy gossip in the weeks to come from this release.

One guy I feel extremely bad for is actually still fortunate enough to have a job with WWE. Paul London right now should be living a dream holding the WWE Cruiserweight Title, but instead he's living a nightmare. I can't remember the last time London had a one on one match on SmackDown that started and ended in some clean fashion and not by some bullshit run in. Two weeks in a row WWE advertised London vs. Chavo Guererro, or should I say Kerwin Right. (This gimmick will go far. You hit another home run with this one Vince, YOU MORON!!!) What could have been two very good and memorable matches are each given two minutes of ring time before three chimps on a lawnmower make their way out. Now don't get me wrong, I'm excited to have these three in the WWE, but this is the best the Billion Dollar Moron could come up with to introduce them to the WWE fans. Are you kidding me" Everyone who read my last column knows how much I absolutely love the cruiserweights, but it sickens me to see how they are portrayed week after week after week on SmackDown. I would not be surprised by next year to see that the WWE Cruiserweight Title is a thing of the past because it is very clear Vince is putting every drop he has into the heavyweights and disregarding everything else for both RAW and SmackDown.

Another major division right now Vince is clearly putting on the back burner is the Women's. If any current champion in all of WWE suffered an injury were you would not see them for at least a month, in this case longer then that, that champion would be stripped and a match would occur to crown a new champion and life would go on. So how come that hasn't happened yet to Trish Stratus" Now I'm not knocking Trish, I think she is a great athlete and has helped define the overall look of women's wrestling for the better, but facts are facts. Wrestling is a dangerous sport and the girl got hurt. Don't let us go for months without seeing the Women's title on RAW because of it. There are a handful of women WRESTLERS out there, please notice the word wrestlers, that could bring back the WWE women's division as a great staple for RAW like it was only a year ago. Why Vince hasn't gone out and scooped them up is yet another question to add to the list.

I did say in the beginning that I was only going to "BASH" the WWE 90 %. Since I just expressed my feelings on the women's division, let me now say something positive. I would like to publicly thank Vince McMahon for bringing back the woman I fell in love with back in 2002. Victoria, God I've missed you. Finally the WWE did a great thing and took away the Prozac bringing back to me the psychotic bitch I grew to love. Victoria totally shone as a heel. Her matches were great as well as her interviews. Seeing her go from that unmistakable, you screw with me you die look, to all smiles made me sick. Seeing her involved in those stupid best bikini bits or lingerie bits disgusted me. It was like I was reading a children's book and deciding which one doesn't belong. Victoria is a pro wrestler and not a bimbo to parade around the ring in bra and panties. Unfortunately the reincarnation of Victoria is bitter sweet for me because the only person she can work with right now is Christy. I compare seeing these girls one on one to seeing the Boston Red Sox vs. a local high school team. It's painfully obvious who is the better wrestler.

Since I am in the complimenting mood still I will issue one more. Thank you Vince McMahon for bringing back Brock Lesnar, in the long run this man will be the future of the WWE, count on it. In April I did a piece on Lesnar simply named, "WWE Needs Lesnar Back!" It was posted back on April 9 and is a must read for any wrestling fan, trust me. I can easily say in my short time here at OWW it was this column that brought out the most negativity I have seen for one of my columns so far. Underneath the column itself most of the feedback you will see is about 50/50, but 90% of the emails I received from this piece were clearly negative. People said I was nuts, crazy and one guy even called me a moron. Me, Phil T a moron, I was in shock. They also said Vince would never be crazy enough to bring back Lesnar. There is an old saying my friends, "He who laughs last laughs best, HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! HA! and HA!" Unfortunately the Lesnar return I have been waiting for and told the world would happen since WrestleMania 20 is forever tarnished due to the recent releases of great WWE Superstars.

Two more releases I have to talk about that fit my last statement to a T are Charlie Haas and Jackie Gayda. These two were both tailored made for the pro wrestling industry. How Vince can waist time and money with the 2005 "Diva Search" in a hope of finding that next great beauty when all along he has a piece of ass like Jackie is just yet another mind boggler for me. Charlie Haas on the other hand is just a sin. He was filet mignon and Stephanie McMahon portrayed him as bologna. When Haas and Benjamin were the Worlds Greatest Tag Team, they both backed up that name match after match. I'm not saying Haas is better then Benjamin, but he is a hell of a lot better then half the guys on SmackDown currently. Now the happy newly married couple is gone just because Stephanie McMahon can't tell between great wrestling talent and people who should be on the ring crew and not in the ring itself. Now Vince, I can understand 100% why you would like to keep your business in the family, but even Helen Keller could see how bad SmackDown has become over the last twelve months thanks to Stephanie. Don't get rid of the grade A+ ingredients on SmackDown, get rid of the chef.

Back to "The Next Big Thing", Vince McMahon is holding a royal straight flush with Lesnar and he knows it. My largest fear is that the Billion Dollar Moron will make Lesnar appear to be a pair of deuces like she has done with so many great pro wrestlers in the past, most of whom are gone because she had no idea how to use them. I know the McMahon's are going to want to bring Lesnar back like a house of fire and even this Lesnar fan knows that's the last thing to do. For the first two to three weeks the WWE should see how the crowds take to Lesnar again before making him a clear cut heel or face. They also absolutely can not put him immediately into a storyline with Batista. This would destroy the moral backstage even more, if that's possible, and will also put more heat on Lesnar himself. He is going to have enough trouble as it is getting back on the good sides of those in the locker room if he can do it at all. The WWE should wait until at least Survivor Series to have this unbelievable World Heavyweight Title match, mainly for the sake of the locker room. The moral in the SmackDown locker room is currently the lowest it has ever been and if they see a guy who walked out on them simply come back in like he never left. I think McMahon will be in serious trouble. Vince, take your time with this one. I said it back in April and I'll say it again, "Lesnar is going to make you a hell of a lot of money. Play it smart and don't rush it." Can you imagine these two bulls hooking up though, if you guys liked Triple H vs. Batista I guarantee you will absolutely love Lesnar vs. Batista. When this match happens, hopefully latter then sooner, it will be a sell out. For those of you that will continue to despise Lesnar only because of the walk out, "It's your loss." The guy made a mistake, we all do. No one can deny this guy was awesome week after week and month after month. If anyone wants to hear a true Lesnar fan speak on why WWE did the smartest thing by taking him back, well not condoning for a second the way Lesnar turned his back on the WWE and his fellow WWE Superstars. Check out my column I mentioned earlier, it changed some fan's views about Lesnar for the better.

My final two frustrations with the WWE I don't think anyone can argue with. First, who WWE is deciding to push with title runs and who not to; I have never seen it so bad as it is currently were titles are giving to WWE characters themselves and not WWE wrestlers who shine in the ring and God knows deserve it. Most of you will probably jump right on Cena after that statement, but I can not. After his match at Vengeance and seeing the old John Cena, he is now back in my good graces. That match was a pleasant surprise and I am pleased to say I really enjoyed it. I must also take a second to say Batista is currently the most deserving of anyone holding any gold in the WWE right now. His match at Vengeance was far better then I expected and I was very impressed with both guys. Triple H lost cleanly to the same guy in three main event PPV matches in a row with the World Heavyweight Title on the line in each one. My stock for Triple H jumped 100 points after Vengeance. Thank you Trips for pushing Batista so hard, the guy deserved it.

Back to guys that shouldn't even be in the WWE much less be wearing gold. Who is the WWE US Champion" Anyone else frustrated at this choice" The only reason Orlando Jordan was awarded the title is due to his association with JBL and that JBL was going against Cena at Wrestlemania, bottom line. Here you have a man whose win loss record so far was about 2 and 1000. You could also guaranty for the last year when you turned on SmackDown you would see Orlando Jordon getting his ass kicked and some shape or form. I can name ten guys in a matter of seconds who would make a better US Champion, but also deserve to hold the title much more then Jordan. Jordan is currently going on his fourth month as US Champion. For those of you that need to take a second and go puke feel free. Does the Billion Dollar Moron know how to produce a quality wrestling show or does she" Everyone knows my answer to that question.

My final frustration I know every old school fan will agree with. Nothing gets me more frustrated then seeing a great PPV or a great RAW, and then to see three to four weeks of pure crap. I apologize for not saying SmackDown but it has been months upon months since I saw an overall great SmackDown. Hopefully with the roster trades Stephanie will be able to produce a better SmackDown, only time will tell. Take the "Gold Rush" Tournament back in April. I thought the concept was good and the matches were great. Especially HBK vs. Benjamin, if Vince decides to have a match of the year pole for RAW and this match isn't picked I'll be amazed yet again. The last few weeks of RAW I thought were extremely weak match wise. I don't think anyone tuned solely into RAW to see Lita marry Edge a few weeks back. However, I will say that after seeing Lita in her wedding dress that I am willing and able to help her on her goal on becoming the biggest slut in the world. I'm just a phone call away. Damn she looked good!! So someone please explain to me why Vince will prove he has the talent to produce a blockbuster wrestling show and then chooses not to do it again for 3-4 weeks. This fact alone gets my blood heated more then anything.

Whew!! God I feel better. Some fans commented on my last column and probably more are thinking the same thing right now. "If you hate the WWE so much, why do you watch it"" My answer is simple, "I was born a wrestling fan and I will die a wrestling fan. If that means currently I have to watch hours upon hours of crap just to see one solid match. I'll do it every time." Those of you that are able to watch current wrestling shows other then WWE, I am extremely jealous. I either can watch WWE or throw in an old wrestling tape, those are my choices. Well next time you guys see me it will be old school again. I will be giving props to my first ever favorite wrestler and former WWF Intercontinental and World Heavyweight Champion. Who could it be" Here's a big clue, he won his first taste of WWF gold in under 60 seconds. Till then, hope you guys enjoyed the column. Peace.

by Phil T...