LISTEN TO ME ON WRESTLE SPECTIVE RADIO!

Last night, Jason Mann of WrestleSpective and myself recorded an interview for WrestleSpective Radio, and since he is ninja-fast, it's already online!

We talk about TONS of things, including how we each got into wrestling, why we're defending the new TNA title, 1997 WWF (and why I believe it's the greatest year in WWF history), how I'm on an ROH DVD cover and I slam Jeff Jarrett for no apparent reason at the end of it all! Sorry bud.

Definitely check it out, I had a blast doing it - thanks to Jason for having me as well.

In other WrestleSpective news, I've been missing out on the Power Poll for the last little while, but I should be back on track very soon.

So yeah. You can hear the interview here, and you can visit WrestleSpective here! Do those things.

IT'S A WRESTLING COMBAT SPORTS WEEKEND!

Here's my schedule for the next four days (because I know you care)!

NOW

Sit in my tank top contemplating toasting a bagel (then eating said bagel) while the Real Housewives of Atlanta is on TV.

3:00

Play Red Dead Redemption until I've gone cross-eyed.

7:30

Buy beer

7:59

Drink beer

8:00

Smackdown!

10:00

Leave to go try and get in to Fozzy at the Tattoo Rock Parlour here in Toronto.

10:10

Remind myself that I've never been to a metal show in my life and should probably invest in earplugs.

11:00

Wonder why Chris Jericho isn't Liontamering the shit out of everyone.

11:01

Remind myself that this is a concert.

TOMORROW - 11:00

Wake up.

11:10

Regret rushing the stage last night to try and hurricanrana Chris Jericho.

12:15

Get called a pussy on Xbox Live.

12:16

Send a message back to that person that's in text and full of typos because I truly am too much of a pussy to connect my headset for real.

2:00

Throw on ROH's The Omega Effect (even though I was at that show) in an attempt to catch up on DVDs.

5:00

Get reminded of how good Omega/Aries was from that show.

7:30

Buy beer.

7:59

Drink beer.

8:00

Pre-game for UFC with either some 1997 WWF or some UFC Undisputed 2010 or something equally as awesome.

10:00

UFC 117

2:00

Pass out with dreams of Anderson Silva beating Chael Sonnen into obliteratitry dancing through my head.

SUNDAY - 11:00

Wake up.

11:10

Resolve to never drink again due to a debilitating hangover.

11:30

Buy beer.

12:00

Remind myself that I'm actually going to be watching a TNA PPV live.

12:01

Feel more sick from that than when I was crippled from my hangover.

1:30

Throw on ECW One Night Stand 2005 to set the bar way too high for tonight's show.

4:30

Throw on an episode of Impact to lower the bar back down.

6:30

Throw on Thursday's episode of Big Brother 12 to raise it back up a bit.

7:58

Wonder what the best way to prepare for HardCORE Justice is.

7:59

Drink the night dry.

8:00

HardCORE Justice!

11:00

Weep for the future of the wrestling business. Or for how good RVD/Lynn was. Either way I will be shedding some sort of shame-tears.

MONDAY - 11:00

Wake up.

11:10

Feel my brain leak out my ears and my balls fall off because I sit watching naked men pretend to fight each other while I type on my laptop all day every day.

8:00

Cure my brain leakage and ball lossage by watching ROH On HDNet!

9:00

Then watch RAW.

11:00

The end!

Anyone else doing anything this weekend?

A QUICK RAW REVIEW ABOUT HOW GREAT LAST NIGHT WAS

I can't get over how much I was entertained by a show that only had three matches and one four-second Divas match. I honestly didn't even realize how few matches there were while I was watching it because it was such a good show in between the bouts.

Batista was awesome. Cena opposed him so well.

Jack Swagger's cash-in gone wrong was such a good swerve - pretty sure everyone just saw him losing it right then and there (me included).

Christian/Ted was a fun match, especially all of the interaction with the Legends and the Million Dollar Man stuff. I hope there's a long story with the Teds.

I even liked Clark Duke and Rob Corddry for how awkward they were.

The fucking high five of the night has to go to Triple H and Sheamus though. After boring me for most of their match on Sunday, I was reeled in like a teary-eyed nerd for Triple H's heartfelt speech to Shawn (heh, we took on the world though, didn't we bud?! *sniff*) only to have that SONUFFABITCH Sheamus RUIN EVERYTHING! I was furious and couldn't be happier at the same time.

But it wasn't done there. Oh LORD no. Bret Hart tugs at my heartstrings by congratulating Shawn Michaels on his career and being one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. After eBaying his Owen shirt (to no avail) SHOMIZ come out and The Miz proceeds to hitch his wagon to Bret's star and cut a GLORIOUS promo on the Hitman, setting up a hot-ass match between the champs and the Hart Dynasty. This feud will get over the fucking moon if last night was any indication.

All of the HBK video packages highlighting his career were well done as well, and just added to how stellar this RAW was.

Jack Swagger in a main event tag match Batista, Cena and Randy Orton is the biggest step up from losing to Santino that I had to pinch myself to make sure it was real life.

And finally, Shawn's farewell speech. I can't bare to watch a grown man cry (more specifically a pro wrestler). It's just too goddamn beautiful and I DON'T CARE WHO KNOWS IT! The Undertaker's tip of the hat was classic. Shawn's speech though... literally nothing I can say can sum up how moving it was, so I'll just leave it at that.

An awesome show. And we even watched an old 1997 RAW after it and it didn't feel like we were just high off of WrestleMania. It still held up.

Photo - WWE.com

WWE MAGAZINE: A RETROSPECTIVE OF THE AWESOME, THE NOSTALGIC, AND THE HILARIOUS

After a random late-night Q&A tweetfest with WWE Magazine, I started thinking about my favourite and most memorable covers.

I had a subscription when I was 10, so the 96/97 covers all bring instant feelings of nostalgia (which co-exists nicely with our 1997 Odyssey). My most awkward memory has to be hiding a certain issue of WWF RAW Magazine from my parents, because Sunny was pictured inside wearing nothing but a bow. I wore nothing but a boner. TOO FAR.

Anyway, after taking a look back at some past WWE Magazine covers, I've narrowed it down to this: they can range from nostalgic, to completely awesome, to just smack-yourself-in-the-face hilarious. Here we go.

THE NOSTALGIC

1996/97 was a key period for me, and the WWF. Mainly because it RULED. All of these images strike deep in my heart and I can vividly remember cutting pictures out of these magazines and making WWF collages. Yes. I was that nerdy.

I think I mostly remember the ad that was always on the backs of WWF Magazines back in the day, that also featured this picture.

This might be my favourite ever. I remember actually asking my dad who I should cheer for when Bret fights Undertaker, since they were my two favourite wrestlers. What a loser child I was.

I remember finding out that Sid won the title by using a camera at recess the next day. Recess was like the internet.

See you 12 WrestleMania's from now, DEADMAN.

THE AWESOME

There are just some AMAZING covers in the history of this magazine. Some are great visually, others straight up predict the future. A lot of them happen to be WWF RAW Magazine covers, but hey, that's only because that magazine ruled too.

I believe this was the aforementioned Sunny issue.

I just think this is such a cool cover. There's something really striking about it that I can't put my finger on.

Just two badass shots of two badass dudes.

Okay, I hate the Ultimate Warrior now... but when I was 5 he was so cool. And so is this cover.

INTEGRITIES. GENIUS.

American Badass Undertaker like 4 years before it actually happened.

World Champs.

Plus, by special request:

THE HILARIOUS

There were way too many. I had to cut it down.

The traditional shirtless, towelled, champagne-shower totally not gay victory celebration.

Don't know why this makes me laugh.

Surely there was a better picture from this photoshoot that they could've used, as opposed to Bulldog's "who farted" look.

I don't know what to make of the look Bret is giving Razor. But I do know that this cover clearly implies that there's going to be one weird gangbang once the shoot is over.

I don't want to know what Chyna's Secret is... but I fear we all already know. EW.

Just so you know, this picture is from the mid-nineties. Just thought I'd fill you in, because Luger clearly didn't know. He looks like Murphy Brown.

The hot dog has to be the worst sexual innuendo ever. First off, looking at this picture objectively, it's a skeezy dude in a towel and a bow tie, surrounded by women, holding a plate of hot dogs. Even if you accept the sexual innuendo, he'd still be a dude holding a plate of penises.

WHO APPROVED THIS? "Yeah, Hogan looks fine whatever just PRINT IT ALREADY!"

But this has to be my all-time favourite:

Thanks for giving us the internet, Hitman!

OPERATION "RELIVE CHILDHOOD": THE 1997 ODYSSEY

THE BACKSTORY

1997 may be heralded as one of the greatest years of mainstream professional wrestling in the United States. This year was the build for some of the most memorable moments in WWF history.

So we (hi steve) have taken it upon ourselves to re-feel the feelings we had as 11 year olds (10 year olds for the first half of the year), when Stone Cold Steve Austin won the Royal Rumble and set up the Final Four main event, when Shawn Michaels lost his smile, when Bret Hart shoved Vince McMahon onto his rear end, and the infamous Montreal Screwjob.

Or how about Austin vs. Bret at WM13? Or the beginning of D-Generation X? The rise of The Rock? The debut of (THATS GOTTA BE) KANE?!

There are countless moments from 1997 that are worth rewatching - but rewatching them IN CONTEXT of the entire year's worth of programming? Now THAT is an odyssey.

THE MISSION

To rewatch every Monday Night RAW, every Shotgun Saturday Night, and every Pay-Per-View Event put on by the World Wrestling Federation in the year of 1997.

THE PARALLELS

The timing of this odyssey couldn't be more perfect. Watching Bret Hart "shoot" on Vince McMahon about being screwed by everybody (1997), only to tune into RAW to see the conclusion to this epic thirteen year story (2010) is fucking crazy.

Even watching RAW from '97, seeing what they were broadcasting in competition to WCW's nWo... then tuning into Impact to see The Band get back together, is madness in it's own right.

What's even more interesting is comparing the difference between what the WWF was then to what the WWE is now. Be it comparing production values (the grainy, call-it-as-we-see-it presentation of RAW IS WAR vs. the HD, action-entertainment style of RAW today), matches (the unpredictable, old-school, lengthy contests of '97 vs. the short, watered-down style of 2010), or feuds (the edgy, reality-based, emotional feuds of yesteryear vs. the ADHD, belt-hotshotting, scripted drama of the now) - the gap between the F and the E is much easier to take in when you follow both one week at a time.

ON DECK FOR TONIGHT

WRESTLEMANIA 13

We are already three months deep in our odyssey. Given that there's enough time, we'll be watching the biggest WWF PPV event of the year, and seeing how the event itself, as well as the build for it, stacks up against the WrestleMania that's set to take place 14 years later (a.k.a. 6 weeks from now).

Here's the card (no 13 year old spoilers here!):

FREE-FOR-ALL

Billy Gunn vs. Flash Funk (with Tracy and Nadine)

FATAL FOURWAY ELIMINATION TAG TEAM MATCH

The New Blackjacks (Windham and Bradshaw)

vs.

The Headbangers (Mosh and Thrasher)

vs.

The Godwinns (Henry and Phineas, with Hillbilly Jim)

vs.

Doug Furnas and Phil LaFon

WWF INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

Champion Rocky Maivia vs. Challenger The Sultan (with Bob Backlund and The Iron Sheik)

SINGLES MATCH

Goldust (with Marlena) vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley (with Chyna)

WWF TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP

Champions Owen Hart and The British Bulldog vs. Challengers Mankind and Vader (with Paul Bearer)

SUBMISSION MATCH

SPECIAL REFEREE: Ken Shamrock

Bret "Hitman" Hart vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin

CHICAGO STREET FIGHT

The Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal) and Ahmed Johnson

vs.

The Nation of Domination (Crush, Faarooq and Savio Vega, with Wolfie D, J.C. Ice and Clarence Mason)

MAIN EVENT: WWF CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

Champion Sycho Sid vs. Challenger The Undertaker

So be prepared for the potential of a dual Monday Night RAW review coming each Monday. One from today, one from thirteen glorious years ago.