Movers and Shakers #3
Posted: 03/23/02
Hey all. I'm still sick as a dog, and normally would sit out this edition of M+S. But hey, it's the week after Wrestlemania, and skipping this would be like skipping Christmas. And since we can't have that, here's your top ten for the week of 3/17 to 3/23. Keep in mind I've taken a ton a NyQuil the past few days, which may have influenced the rankings.
10. Brock Lesnar (WWF): This enormous youngster made an impressive debut when he interfered in a Hardcore title match on Raw and destroyed Al Snow, Maven, and Spike Dudley. The fun continued on Smackdown as he trashed the Hurricane and Mighty Molly to some serious heat. No one's sure if this is the start of a Goldbergian push or whether Brock's momentum will fizzle, but you can't deny he generated a lot of buzz this week.
9. Yuji Nagata (New Japan): Yuji's climb back to respectability continues. He defeated Scott Norton for the second straight time on 3/21 to become the #1 contender to the IWGP Heavyweight Title. Not only is Yuji on the short list of people that have defeated Norton two straight times (in Japan, anyway), he reportedly dragged a great match out of "Flash." We leave it to the reader to decide which is the greater feat. Here's hoping Yuji (surely in the top five on the "Most Talented and Most Misused" list) gets a run at the top soon.
8. The Undertaker (WWF): Deadman Inc. goes 10-0 at Wrestlemania as he downed Ric Flair this past Sunday in (amazingly) one of the better matches on the show. And not only that, the rumor is that once again he's being moved into the main event, earning a shot at Triple H's World Title at Backlash. While another run with the belt is unlikely, 'Taker should be rewarded for his perseverance and hard work.
7. Tadao Yasuda (New Japan): The IWGP champ successfully defended his belt for the first time against Hiroyoshi Tenzan on 3/21. It took Yasuda just 13 minutes and 29 seconds to best Tenzan with a front sleeper. Unfortunately, the paid attendance at the Tokyo City Gym was only 6200 (out of a 12,000 capacity); meaning that Yasuda's drawing power is already in doubt. With a match against Nagata already scheduled for 4/5, Yasuda's run might be a very short one.
6. William Regal (WWF): Didn't start out as a good week for Regal, as he dropped his Intercontinental Title to Rob Van Dam at Wrestlemania (although the match did snap his boring PPV bout streak). Regal went back to doing what he does best, namely being a snot to other WWF Superstars, namely Matt Hardy, Lita, and APA. Regal then went on to beat DDP for the European title on Smackdown to start his third reign with said belt. It may seem like a lateral move after holding the I-C belt for 2 months, but we prefer to think of it as Regal going back to what suits him best.
5. Gran Markus (CMLL): Gran Markus is a fat wrestler. Normally, that's not a big deal-there are plenty of chubbed out grapplers who are more than adequate in the ring. But Markus is fat and wrestles in a lucha libre federation, which just doesn't compute at all. Even stranger, I read in PWI that he's the brother of Dr. Wagner and Silver King, so we know who got the talent in the family and who got seconds and thirds on dessert. Anyway, massive girth aside, Gran headlined the CMLL 3/17/02 show and beat old stablemate Veneno in a Hair vs. Mask match. And when you main event a big show and win such a high stakes match, you deserve a spot on the list, even if your cholesterol is in the quadruple digits.
4. Rob Van Dam (WWF): RVD moved up to the next level as he convincingly defeated William Regal for the Intercontinental Belt at Wrestlemania in a solid but too short match. Van Dam kept rolling this week as he beat Christian on Raw and Mr. Perfect at the Heat tapings. Seems like the WWF is ready to push Rob consistently as a near top guy, and with the upcoming split, it wouldn't be surprising to see him rise to the top of his division.
3. The Rock (WWF): Rock finally breaks his Wrestlemania losing streak (coming up winless in the last three main events) and scores the big win over Hulk Hogan. Not to mention the fact that the entire crowd turned against poor Rocky completely, yet he took it in stride. So why is he #3? Despite the win, it seemed like Rocky actually moved down the babyface pecking order, thanks to one Hollywood Hogan (and those pesky Canadian crowds).
2. Triple H (WWF): What can you say? When you headline Wrestlemania and win the World Title you make the list. So why isn't he #1? Well, honestly, what do you think Wrestlemania X-8 will be remembered for? HHH/Jericho or Rock/Hogan? Blame it on match placement, bad booking leading up to the show, or whatever you want, but the crowd was just gone for the main event. Still, it was a solid match, and Triple H now holds the WWF Title for the first time in nearly two years.
1. Hulk Hogan (WWF): In one of the strangest (and least desired) turn of events in WWF history, the Canadian crowds this week turned Hulk Hogan into arguably the top babyface in the WWF. The reaction for him at Wrestlemania was simply astonishing, and his match with the Rock was actually halfway decent (a minor miracle for the Hulkster). Together, Hogan and the Rock combined for the only truly memorable Wrestlemania Moment. Will the Hulkster's momentum continue when he heads south of the border? We'll see. But this surely was one of the more memorable weeks in Hogan's storied career.
Hulk Hogan topping the list? Maybe I took too much NyQuil. Anyway, next week looks to be very interesting, as the WWF does its much-delayed draft on Monday, and we should see Vince McMahon's new Smackdown league debut on Thursday. Should be very interesting. 'Til then…
Joe Gagne
bwo@infi.net