The Impact Players

"There are many chapters to the book that is Dan the Cannon. I have always felt as though I look at life through different light than the average human. Not to say that my perspective is superior, or incredible, just different. Growing up I considered this a curse. I always questioned authority figures, avoided the mainstream, and raged against the machine. Needless to say I didn't spend much time biting my tongue. As you can imagine I have learned many valuable life lessons the hard way. If I could go back and do it any different I wouldn't. All the peaks and valleys have been crucial moments in my life that have shaped and sculpted me into the human that I am today. As the years go by I have learned to embrace my unique perspective on life. No matter how many masks I have worn or trails I've blazed. The one constant, one common denominator, one undeniable influence in my life has been professional wrestling. As crazy as it sounds my entire life has been forever altered by the industry I love. Wrestling fans are often viewed as the underbelly of society. If so, I am the bellybutton. I have been an ambassador my entire life, converting so many marks I have lost count. Never embarrassed to admit my allegiance, I have always stood firmly on the fact that the wrestling industry is one of the most intelligent circles in the world. To truly understand the industry from inside out in my opinion is to truly understand life. The storytelling, the politics, the scheming, the hard work, the unsung heroes, the payoff, the heartache, the drama, it's all right there. It is with great pleasure that I get the opportunity to share my two cents, and leave an indelible footprint with each and every one of you. Thank you for allowing me into your life and I promise you will not be disappointed."

No truer words have ever been spoken. My Cannon never shoots blanks and has endless ammunition. My fuse is short, and my list is long. . ."Dan the Cannon Has a Problem" is a weekly installment to 'The Impact Players' that allows me to vent my frustrations on the regular. I built this segment out of necessity. Without popping off and getting it off my chest I would have no other choice than to bury it somewhere deep within me. That's not a good idea and could lead to serious nuclear meltdown at any time.  

Take a stroll down memory lane with yours truly Dan the Canon, in my weekly column “this week in wrestling history.” In this section I will share with you Dan’s database. Years of wrestling knowledge I have acquired with my nonstop obsession for the sport. I started watching wrestling at an early age. I can honestly say I have viewed every wrestling pay-per-view since Wrestlemania 2, and that includes every promotion. Roughly 300 pay-per-views all in all. Couple that with a healthy dose of at least six hours of new weekly television programming. Needless to say some memories slip through the cracks. That's where I come in. I will do my best to capture the nostalgia and pay a tribute to yesteryear. Check back every week to watch me kick open a door that has been slammed shut in wrestling history.

 Kurt Angle vs. Booker T

July 30, 2001    Title: WCW heavyweight championship      Show: Raw     Stipulation: No Disqualification

Let's turn the clock back eight years and go back to a place and time were the WCW was officially sold and according to the storyline bought out by Shane McMahon & ECW three weeks earlier was officially acquired by Stephanie McMahon. Forming the menagerie "The Alliance". The WWF decided that brand superiority was no longer of importance. And Smackdown & Raw were supposed to work in unison and defend the WWF as a whole. Kurt angle was a Babyface, Booker was the heel with Shane McMahon in this corner, Stone Cold Steve Austin was the paranoid rattlesnake in the middle of an experimental heel turn which would eventually lead to him becoming the leader of The Alliance, and The Rock Was a free agent and nobody knew where he stood. At the time they had so much talent that they had no idea what to do with it. Man how things can change in eight years. Booker was still a bonafide Harlem bad ass in his prime with his miniature dreadlocks and intimidating size. Kurt angle still had hair and you could tell he was absolutely explosive and on top of his game. On one hand this was very well executed wrestling match just because of the superior athletic ability in the ring. On the other hand it was a cluster fuck that had way too much going on. Not only did the Main event have no disqualifications, but it had several run-ins & an ongoing faction fight that continued in the backstage area the whole time. These were the days of unpredictable swerves and overcomplicated storylines that involved some of the greatest wrestlers in the last 15 years. I am also adding an additional Bonus Clip of the official day that WCW/ECW (the alliance) was created. It's hard to think that these guys work side-by-side in the MEM now just eight short years later. Wrestling is a crazy world.

Kurt Angle vs. Booker T

The Alliance Is Formed

 Stevie Richards vs. Tommy dreamer vs. Raven

June 2, 2002   Title: Hardcore Championship    Show: Raw     Stipulation: 24/7 rules

Let me start by saying this wasn't a triple threat match. It was a typical night back in 2002 were butchering the hard-core title was the norm. There were three matches. First Tommy dreamer defeated Stevie Richards, then Raven defeated Tommy dreamer, after Raven won the title minutes later he lost it right back to Stephen Richards. Nothing unusual for a title that lasted 4 years, had 51 champions for 234 title reigns. To be honest there was nothing spectacular about these matches, infact I couldn't even find any video for them. The point more or less is that the more things change the more things stay the same, and the wrestling industry is a perfect portrayal of that right now. The first video that I have for you guys this week is the debut of the Raven character. I'm sure a lot of you know this, but for those of you who don't Raven wasn't always the philosophical grunge icon that we have all grown to love today. Prior to his cult following, and deep thinking, Raven had less inspirational gimmicks. He was known as Scotty the Body (a boy toy gimmick) , Scotty Flamingo (a surfer gimmick), and Johnny Polo(a preppy manager/wrestler) He was in fact the exact opposite of grunge. It wasn't until Stevie Richards introduced him in ECW that his true character came to life. Unbelievably that was 14 years ago. The second video I have is just the first part to an old ECW match that believe it or not at its opening had me wishing I was Tommy dreamer. You'll see what I mean. It was a classic ECW encounter that saw Stevie Richards and Raven team up to take on Tommy dreamer and Shane Douglas. I thought it would be nice for everybody to recapture these four ECW originals in their prime. It may help fill in a lot of the gaps for some the youngsters out there. So sit back relax and enjoy what it felt like to be an extreme wrestling fan back in 1995.

The Birth of Raven

Stevie Richards and Raven vs. Tommy dreamer and Shane Douglas

 M.V.P vs. Chris Benoit

May 20, 2007    Title: U.S. championship    PPV: Judgment Day   Stipulation: 2 out of 3 falls contest

Although this match took place only two short years ago and wasn't exactly a five-star match. It is still a pivotal moment in wrestling history for a number of reasons. As far as championship accomplishments goes, this was MVPs' first and Chris Benoits' last. It was an inadvertent passing of the torch. This was the last installment in a series of great technical matches that saw MVP progressively get better. The beginning stages of MVPs career were more a joke than anything. Not even the heel commentator JBL could get behind the highest paid wrestler in Smackdown! history. He came off as more of a Power Ranger or a wannabe Rock than anything else. In my opinion it wasn't until these two met at Wrestlemania 23 that MVP finally got the much needed credibility he had been looking for. I bet if you asked MVP he would tell you the Canadian Crippler is responsible for putting him on the map. Chris single-handedly put Montel over proving he was legit and truly brought him up to the next level. I was honestly shocked when I saw MVP holding his own at Wrestlemania 23. I didn't think he had it in him. From that point on however, I and many others have always considered him a serious threat. That was the beauty of Chris Benoit. If you had an ounce of talent he would bring it out in you. He had an uncanny ability to put young guys over. That's why in my opinion he was shipped to ECW in the draft. They saw what he did with all the young talent through the years and thought he could do it with Morrison and CM punk at the time. No doubt he probably could've, but don't you think after career of putting everybody else over the guy deserved a little bit more? I do. I don't think this is the sole reason he lost his mind, however I do think it's a contributing factor. MVP was the last wrestler Chris Benoit ever truly put over. MVP will always carry the burden of making sure Benoits' hard work was all worth it. The WWE wants you to forget all the great contributions he has made to this industry. I will tell you this though my friends, Dan the Cannon never forgets. I added a bonus video, but I have to warn you it may make you feel a little sick to your stomach with sadness.

Notes: Tony Chimmell is useless / Unbelievably there is "this is boring chant" / One of the few 2 out of 3 falls matches that ended in 2 falls / There was definitely something wrong with Chris physically. I just can't tell what / They said it was because of a shillelagh two weeks earlier from Finley / You can just tell there was something wrong with Chris if you look in his eyes.

 Benoit vs. MVP

 Bonus Video  

  Bubba Ray Dudley & Trish Stratus  vs.  Stevie Richards & Jazz
May 13, 2002    Title: Hard-Core Championship & Women's Championship     Show: Raw

The year was 2002, the city was Toronto, and of course Trish Stratus was the hometown favorite. This is one of the few matches in WWE history that had two belts on the line at the same time in a tag team match. More specifically separate genders championships were being represented. Those stipulations alone are plenty to make for an interesting match. However, the WWE actually had a pulse back then and weren't afraid to up the ante. They felt the need to sprinkle in some hard-core action. After all the hard-core title was on the line. Give credit where credit is due. The booking team was absolutely fearless back in the Attitude Era. Power bombing women through tables never even crossed their minds as offensive, let alone politically incorrect.

As always the Canadian fans were unbelievable. If you go back and watch that addition of Raw it wasn't only the Trish Stratus segment that brought them to their feet. Toronto's crowd support throughout the entire two hour show was top notch. This match in particular though really brought the testosterone out in the crowd. As to be expected whenever "deep dish" Trish (a term I coined) was in attendance. She is bar none, hands down my favorite diva of all time by a mile. She was an absolute ring general who had the ability to control the crowd with a single facial gesture. No matter where she went the crowd melted in her hands. Jazz on the other hand may not get the notoriety from the fans, but was definitely respected by every diva on the roster. She and a few others are responsible for taking female wrestling to the next level. She played an intricate part in teaching these girls the ropes, choreography, and more importantly the ability to work an audience. She instilled a hard work ethic in the women's division and will forever be respected in my book.

This match is the epitome of the attitude era, and if nothing more and entertaining tidbit in wrestling history.

Notes: Bubba was still wearing glasses / Former member of The Impact Players made an appearance (figure it out) / JR said it best "this match ends with a cherry on top"

 Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit

May 8, 2000          Title: Intercontinental               Show: Raw

Once upon a time my friends and I would huddle around the television every Monday night religiously to watch wrestling. One of our ceremonies was as follows: Back in the day Chris Jericho had one of the best entrances. The Y2J five second timer would start, then they would kill the lights, stall with a 2 second pause and then hit you with some pyro! Whenever Chris Jericho's 5 second timer would start my friend Jason would instantly jump up and kill the lights. It sounds pretty gay I know. The point is this, Chris Jericho was one of the most popular wrestlers of the attitude era. At one point in time "Raw was Jericho" and we actually liked it. He had an uncanny ability to destroy people with his mic skills long before he ever got into the ring. Chris Jericho was so ruthless with his mouth back in the day that the McMahons wanted his head on a plate. (I added a best of Chris Jericho video that you cannot overlook.) So that brings us to May 8, 2000. Mr. McMahon had an alliance with DX because Triple H and Stephanie had just got hitched. After Chris Jericho insulted the entire McMahon family earlier on in the night (in best of also) Mr. McMahon vowed that Chris Jericho would not leave the arena with his title. So he booked him in a series of matches throughout the night. He was victorious in his first two matches, and then he met Chris Benoit in the Main event.

Notes: I will talk about Benoit in the future/Triple H was the guest referee/Mr. McMahon was already being referred to as Triple H’s father-in-law/ JR refers to Benoit as a relentless machine who is as technically supreme as anybody he has ever seen/Jerry "the King" Lawler was so much more enjoyable to listen to when he was unfiltered/ Stephanie was the woman's champion/

Best of Chris Jericho
Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit
 
 
Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel

April 28, 1996   Title: WWE championship   PPV: in Your House 7   Stipulation: No Holds Barred
 
Let's go back 13 years in time to a place where pay-per-view or $15 thanks to In Your House, “The Sexy Boy" vs. "Big Sexy". Shawn Michaels was in his prime and in the middle of the biggest push of his career. (Still unbelievably he had the same exact move set if you watch the video) Kevin Nash was on his way out, jumping promotions to the WCW for bigger paycheck. They billed this pay-per-view “Good Friends Better Enemies" and the ironic thing is that they were better friends than they ever were enemies. This match signified the end of the "Kliq" a dominant group that had a stronghold on the WWE booking team consisting of Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Sean Waltman, and Paul Levesq. Bret Hart claims in his autobiography, Hitman, that he was actually asked if he wanted to be part of the group, as his relationship with Michaels was far less adversarial back then: "The thing I remember most about that tour was Shawn, Razor, and Nash talking to me in Hamburg about the idea of forming a clique of top guys who strictly took care of their own." Hart declined the offer. It was less than a month later that the infamous curtain call deemed the Madison Square Garden incident took place. A final embrace amongst the crew that found these wrestlers completely breaking character and pissing Vince McMahon off in the process. The Kliq was also the primary catalyst for the two most controversial stables in wrestling history. DX in the WWE, and the N. W. O. In the WCW. Two factions that would go on to control the rest of the decade. One can only imagine what would have happened if the two companies had merged earlier and the Kliq were reunited. Could you imagine all the great matches we would have gotten out of a combination of these two great factions merged into one giant promotion? We will never know my friends. This is a key moment in wrestling history though that any true wrestling fan should be educated on.

Notes: The King Lawler is without fear as he eggs on his partner Vince McMahon in the commentary booth. Shawn Michaels looks a lot like John Morrison in his pre-match promo. Power bombs through announce booths were unheard-of.

HBK vs. Diesel (part1)     HBK vs. Diesel (part2)                         
Infamous Curtain Call, The MSG Incident      
                      
    
HHH vs.HHH

April 21,2002    Title: Undisputed Heavyweight Championship      PPV: Backlash

Triple H vs. Hulk Hogan, both men were coming off of huge wrestlemania matches. Triple H just beat Chris Jericho for the titles, while Hogan was coming off a loss to the rock in what was one of the most hyped non-title matches in wrestlemania history. (Just like HBK vs. The Undertaker this year) just a few months earlier Hogan was in the middle of a heel push as the head of N.W.O. It was only through the overwhelming fan support for Hogan vs. The rock at wrestlemania that forced Hogan to turn face. Let it be said that I was never a giant fan of his growing up. In fact I was probably his biggest hater next to Bobby Heenan. It wasn't until Hulk jumped ship to the WCW, turned heel and formed the N.W.O that I pledged his allegiance. So when Hollywood turned face after wrestlemania needless to say I wasn't all that thrilled. Nevertheless this was an inevitable business move that was just too tempting for Vince. All McMahon saw was dollar signs. He knows how marketable the yellow and red is when it's running wild. After all that's how he got started in the first place. Looking at it from that perspective it kind of took all the pleasure out of it for me. I never was a fan of Triple H either, and he was definitely running stale in 2002. Just like today he was being force-fed to us. So as far as I could see it this was the battle of the two biggest egos in professional wrestling history. These two guys single-handedly held down more superstars collectively then all the other wrestler's combined.

This match had undeniable chemistry though and was a giant draw. The fans were really popping for the rebirth of Hogan and it seemed as though the entire crowd had Hulkamania still rules T-shirts on. Even though they both came in as baby faces, if the rock couldn't win the fans over Hogan, then how in the hell was triple H. supposed to? In short, he couldn't. The Triple H. chants were quickly drowned out by all the little Hulksters that were all grown up. It seemed as though dads were bringing their kids to see their childhood hero. Kind of like a day at the ballpark. As Hogan made his entrance to Jimi Hendrix you feeling you were watching history before your very eyes. Believe it or not these to put on a really good match. It had all the makings of a WWE classic. Several technical back-and-forths, plenty of signature maneuvers, tons of momentum changes, and quite a few counters. Not to mention a run in by both Chris Jericho and the Undertaker. At the end of the day though the immortal landed the big leg drop in the middle for the 1...2...3... the crowd literally went crazy. And the Fink called it as he always does "And new…. Undisputed Heavyweight Champion of the world Hulk Hogan".

As the years go on this match will be more and more appreciated as the day two of the biggest power mongers the industry has ever seen stood toe to toe, eye to eye and put on one of the biggest matches in wrestling history. A few months down the road Hogan would go on to lose his title to the Undertaker. After a sad string of sorry losses Triple H was forced to make his unfortunate departure from the company. Just kidding, but wouldn't it be great!