Julian’s Thoughts: What Makes a Good Wrestling Theme Song?

A good wrestling theme needs one key thing: it has to be recognizable right away. If a theme doesn’t have a strong opening, it can fall flat. Glass shattering, a big guitar chord, “If you smell…”, the list goes on and on. Having a good theme is essential. These days, everyone in WWE has a good theme, but that wasn’t always the case.

Themes like what X-Factor had, Test’s 2nd theme, and David Flair’s WWE theme, just to name a few, are examples of bad themes. A couple of those songs improperly and suddenly change tempo. David Flair’s theme was just the same generic guitar riff over and over, ad nauseum.

Suffice it to say, keeping the same tempo is pretty important. Test had a great theme, for example. Then they took the opening and slapped it on another song. Just like X-Factor’s Uncle Kracker theme, the whole thing changes tempo to become slower for no reason, not to mention the lazy edit of pasting “X-Factor” over “that fact” without even *trying* to remove the original lyrics. If you can’t, for some reason, then you leave it alone and *don’t do the edit*. Changing the tempo *can* work if the transition is good. A good example of this is Doink the Clown’s heel theme. While it retained the same opening, it stepped down into a slower, dark theme. Not only does the theme fit the character, the tempo shift from the opening is done well.

Next thing, the theme has to fit the wrestler. For example, Triple H’s main theme is “The Game” by Motorhead. The Triple H character is a very hard-nosed, tough-as-nails fighter type. The song features heavy guitars and ideal vocals. Adding in his Evolution and “King of Kings” themes and you have the Motorhead trifecta, a band that Hunter was very close with. These songs suit the character perfectly like the themes do these days. The X-Factor theme is another good example of a theme that doesn’t fit the workers who are using it. Uncle Kracker’s “Whatchu Lookin’ At” does not make a good theme where and how they edited it. It doesn’t fit the combination of power and speed that X-Factor was supposed to represent.

Finally, the theme should prepare the crowd for what they’re about. This is a little like fitting the wrestler but, since themes are for the audience, it’s good to prepare them for what they’re about to see. WWE does a really good job of this… these days. Take Randy Orton. His original theme suited his character well. Egotistical and boastful. Now, his character is more stealth than anything and his current theme suits that. Vance Archer used to have a theme that was far too fast for a big power wrestler. It would be better suited for a cruiserweight or somebody who does a lot of aerial attacks or “flippy stuff”. Vance should have a much slower theme. Not slow since he isn’t a slow, methodical character. Something like “Wild Child” from W.A.S.P. is good for him.

So, it needs to quickly be recognized, the same tempo, fit the wrestler, and prepare the crowd. Not too much to ask, right? These days, in WWE, they seem to understand. What themes do you think are good and what do you hate?

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My thoughts: today’s product of WWE since after Wrestlemania 32

While Wrestlemania 32 gave us some fantastic moments, I think most would agree the ending left us feeling underwhelmed and disappointed, a sour note in an otherwise very solid show. I for one had went to sleep that night feeling very deflated, and quite frankly pissed off that they would so blatantly ignore the fans wishes, just to get the title on the good looking, muscular, Samoan dude. Everything was going to remain the same, Raw was going to kick off with a 20 minute Authority promo, and conclude with Reigns beating every member of the League Of Nations while Cole screams, “Roman Reigns has overcome all the odds tonight!” It felt like WWE had no plans on changing the product, being content with their current stagnant state, despite the outcry of smarks and casuals alike, for change.

Until… Well, the next night.. 

The Raw after Wrestlemania felt fresh, the focus on young stars was a welcome change of pace, and something just felt different, it didn’t feel like an average Raw, it started with Shane being put in charge and ended with AJ Styles becoming the Number 1 Contender in an incredible Fatal Four Way, with 4 of the best workers in the business. However, I still wasn’t convinced, Shane’s tenure in charge seemed like a one-week thing, and this focus on the younger and more ‘IWC friendly’ guys may just have been to please the crowd the night after Mania, who they knew, if they gave them the same old stuff, would crap all over it, their fear of which was apparent through the commentators’ “boo the people they normally cheer” shtick. My skepticism seemed warranted given what we’d seen in the past. 

Boy was I wrong! 

The weeks that followed have kept with this theme of intriguing storyline development, new stars being built in the likes of Apollo Crews, Baron Corbin, Enzo and Cass etc, and overall simply a better product. The card for Payback looks amazing, I’m looking forward to pretty much every match, the build has been fantastic, every match has been given meaning, purpose, and most importantly air time to build organically, little to none of it seems shoe-horned in, and there are two major plots which could give us a massive indication on the companies direction for the foreseeable future . The introduction of Anderson and Gallows has made for some compelling television, and an aura of mystic surrounds their inevitable eligance. Though it seems set up for Balor to join forces with Gallows and Anderson to turn on AJ, they could just as easily throw us a curve-ball, which hasn’t been felt in a very long time. Vince’s decision on Sunday, will shape the company for the next while at least, I can’t see it being as cut and dry as him picking one or the other, the possibilities are endless, which is very exciting.

Ratings…DO NOT PANIC! 

Yes, the ratings have been fairly poor, but that should be expected, the new talent needs to be given time to settle in and get over with the casual audience. These guys are mostly unknown to casual fans, so when the guys they’ve known to be the stars aren’t on the show, they won’t tune in for a while, which is exactly why this opportunity needs to be taken, while a lot of your money and ratings draws are out, to enhance the new guys, and give them time to establish themselves with a new audience. Don’t go rushing back to the old guys in a panic because the ratings have dropped, it would completely derail all the good things that have been done since Wrestlemania. 

Potential For Change: 

I refer back to the title, the sense of change is looming, the opportunity to usher in a new era in WWE is very much in the companies hands, this Sunday, is a huge night for the WWE and professional wrestling in general, you can give back to us fans, and make us once again proud to call ourselves wrestling fans, the feeling of unpredictability once so synonymous with professional wrestling, feels like it’s slowly creeping it’s way back. The potential for two, company altering swerves, is here, my skepticism though not fully gone, is fading, don’t disappoint WWE. 

Top 5 WWE Attitude Era Mishaps

Television ratings were at an all-time high. Interest was at an all-time high. Live attendance was at an all-time. WWE couldn’t do any wrong. Their business was booming, and WCW (and ECW) were falling behind in the wrestling war. Vince McMahon and his team had found the right formula and made a fortune during the late 1990’s. It is an era that will never (ever!) happen again and looked back on with many fond memories.

However, let’s be honest. There was plenty of garbage sprinkled in as well. Fans can reminisce now with rose-tinted glasses on, and that is understandable. For lots, it was their childhood. Of course, only the good moments will stand out. The bad? Who cared, right? WWE was on fire, and the top stars made you instantly forget about the previous 15 minutes of terrible television. Well, lucky for all of you, I do not wear rose-tinted glasses. For all the of the amazing moments, I also seem to recall plenty of not-so-amazing moments. Here are just a few…

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5. Wrestling – If you think a 2014 edition of Raw features little in-ring action, go watch a 1998 or 1999 edition of Raw. Oh my! You will appreciate the action you see today A LOT more real quick. Outside of big pay-per-views, the actual ‘wrestling’ during the Attitude Era was non-existent until the year 2000 when guys were brought over from WCW and ECW such as Taz, Chris Jericho, Dean Malenko, Eddie Guerrero , Chris Benoit, Raven and more. Nearly every match featured Hardcore rules or just broke down into an all out brawl. Very entertaining, just not any kind of mat classic some expect.

4. Risks – It is just cringe worthy to watch some of the stunts from the Attitude Era back now. The obvious culprits came from ECW, but Mick Foley brought that type of thing to WWE. He knows it. This is not some sort of knock on him. He is one of my all-time favorites. However, he just rose the bar so high. Everybody remembers his falls off the cage, but there was just so much more. Not just Foley but everyone! The unprotected chairs. The excessive blood. The ladder matches. The table bumps. The piledriver spots. Absolutely amazing to think that was ‘normal’ back then but now 90% of those Attitude Era stars regret even doing those things in the first place now looking back at it.

3. Stories – Where to begin? The ‘Higher Power’ was Vince McMahon the same man who won the Royal Rumble and WWE Championship in 1999. Yay! I think Jim Ross’ instant reaction after the reveal summed up that story line. A “Vince Russo swerve” took place every week. The WWE Title changed hands over ten times in 1999. If that happened today, the uproar would be unreal. A Hardcore title that just gets passed around? The WrestleMania XV scenario with Triple H and Chyna made zero sense. That brings us to the actual story lines. Mae Young gave birth to a hand. Road Warrior Hawk fell off the stage. Val Venis and his ‘Choppy Choppy’ moment? Big Bossman was ‘hung’ after a match?!?! Come on folks, I could go on forever here. People can smile back on Stone Cold and The Rock feuding, but don’t just forget about THAT programming either folks!

2. WrestleMania 2000 – As noted before, WWE was on FIRE during the Attitude Era. They could do NO wrong. Fans ate up anything given to them and accepted it. That is fine. Sadly, that was the complete opposite of WrestleMania 2000. There were about 800 million problems with this event. I won’t go through every single one of them, but this whole show just never clicked with me. In 2000 and even now! Outside of the triangle ladder match, this event was not Mania worthy at all. There was not even one single’s match. On top of that, the entire main event scene was a mess. The OFFICIAL WWE Title match for WrestleMania was not even announced until less than two weeks before the show. Think about that. Under 14 days, and there was no WrestleMania main event! To this day, the show ranks as one of my least favorite pay-per-views ever put on. Too bad it was smack dab in the middle of the Attitude Era…

1. Stone Cold Turns Heel – It is fitting that many remark WrestleMania X-7 as the final Attitude Era show. The WCW crew was watching from a luxury suite. ECW was about to be bought out. WWE delivered an epic event with tons of great main event matches. A jam packed stadium and tons of rabid fans? Yet, it fell into the same trap as before. A No DQ brawl as a min event with Vince McMahaon getting involved! To make matters worse, Stone Cold turned heel…in his home state…to get back the WWE title…after returning from serious neck surgery! We were supposed to boo that?!?! Sorry, the whole thing was doomed to fail from the beginning. I’m not big on ‘fantasy booking’ at all, but everyone had to know better. They just had to. Sadly, it happened. Vince McMahon shaking hands to ‘end’ the Attitude Era? Perfect on so many levels.

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5 Reasons why wrestling fans should get the WWE Network

Once again WWE has surprised the WWE Universe. Last week at the Wynn Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, Vince McMahon along with other notable WWE superstars and personalities officially announced the launch of the WWE Network.

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The specific details of the Network have been rumored for months, but with the irresistible force (the inclusion of all 12 WWE pay-per-views – including WrestleMania) meeting the immovable object (the “No way, Seriously??” price point), shit just got real. The 24/7 Network + Video on Demand service is the first of its kind.

After listening to the highly entertaining and informative press conference, it is clear that the WWE Network is a monumental step on how wrestling fans will consume content.

Here are five reasons why the WWE Network is a must have for any wrestling fan around the world:

#1: 24/7 LIVE FEED

A 24/7 network that is strictly wrestling. It’s a wrestling fan’s dream come true. You’ll feel the same adrenaline-pumping emotion when you watched Hulk Hogan body Slam Andre the Giant for the first time in front of 93,000 screaming fans.

No more NCIS before RAW or Sharknado (it’s not the worst movie in the world) before SmackDown. The WWE Network will have wrestling related content streaming all day every day, not to mention pre-shows, post-shows, behind the scenes action and interviews from superstars at RAW and SmackDown every week. Never before has there been so much content available to the WWE Universe.

#2: ORIGINAL SERIES ON THE NETWORK

Not a fan of Total Divas? Have no fear; there is no doubt that the WWE Network will have at least one exclusive series tailored just for you. Here is a brief run-down of each series announced at the press conference:

Legends House: A spin-off of MTV’s Real World – 8 former WWE superstars and personalities such as Roddy Piper, Mean Gene Okerlund and Pat Patterson will be living under one roof.  Of course, a camera crew is there to catch all of the hilarious, emotional and heart-stopping moments that these Legends endure in their everyday lives.

WrestleMania Rewind: With WrestleMania Rewind, the WWE Universe will get never-before-seen interviews and reactions from past and present superstars that have performed at the “Showcase of the Immortals”. Superstars such as Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton talk about their all-time favorite WrestleMania moments, Shawn Michaels talks about “the perfect match” he had with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 25 and Andre the Giant has a sit-down interview after his match with Big John Studd at WrestleMania 1. These are just some of the things that will be showcased on this series.

WWE Countdown: WWE Countdown is a one hour long series that will feature the top…well, whatever you can think of really. The very best matches, factions, catchphrases, villains, entrances, finishing moves, couples, managers, tag teams, divas and moments are just some of the categories highlighted at the press conference.

Monday Night War: Ah, of course, the Monday Night War. Everything you want and need to know about the battle between WWE and WCW will be featured in this series. Get exclusive reactions from superstars such as The Undertaker, Triple H and Shawn Michaels as they witnessed the fight right in front of their eyes. Did they honestly think they were going to go out of business? Find out by tuning in!

NXT: What better way to scout future talent and get behind a new favorite superstar than by watching WWE’s extremely popular developmental program NXT? Finally, wrestling fans will have an easily accessible, hassle-free way to watch the young superstars of tomorrow showcase their talents and try to make a name for themselves as they climb the ladder for a spot on the main roster.

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#3: LIBARIES OF WWE, WCW, ECW AND MORE

Get ready for more 80′s, 90′s & 2000′s wrestling action than you can handle. The WWE Network will have over 100,000 hours (4,166 days) of WWE, WCW and ECW footage, including every WWE, WCW & ECW PPV in history – as well as every single episode of RAW, SmackDown that has ever aired.

It would take you 11 years to watch all the footage the WWE Network has to offer – and that’s just what will be available at launch.

The WWE Universe will also have access to replays of RAW, SmackDown, Main Event, Superstars and NXT each and every week with just the simple click of a button.

#2: ALL 12 MONTHLY PPVS INCLUDED

One of the main reasons why the WWE has sold me into subscribing to the WWE Network is their dedication and vision when it comes to showcasing past and present PPVs. With the WWE Network, not only are you going to get all 12 monthly PPVs, but you will have the chance to relive every single WWE, WCW and ECW PPV in history.

In the mood to watch some old Mania’s before WrestleMania 30 airs? Just type “WrestleMania” in the search box and you will see a list of all 29 events. The same goes for any other PPV your heart desires.  That’s right, no more typing in “watch Royal Rumble 2002 for free” into the Google search engine.

Oh, what’s that? I haven’t convinced you into buying the WWE Network yet? The next category might change your mind.

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#1: THE PRICE

This one is the proverbial Stone Cold Stunner that seals the deal and wins you your first WWE Championship in front of 90,000 screaming fans – with your 22 year old fitness-model girlfriend eagerly waiting for you backstage.

For just $9.99 per month, this is what you’re getting if you subscribe to the WWE Network:

  • A 24/7 live stream of WWE programming
  • Over 100,000 hours of archives and exclusive footage
  • New series such as Legends House, WrestleMania Rewind, WWE Countdown and the Monday Night War(s)
  • All 12 monthly PPV’s
  • Every single WWE, WCW and ECW PPV in history.
  • Every episode of RAW and SmackDown in WWE history

It is astonishing how cheap the WWE Network is going to cost considering all of the content that will be displayed on a 24/7 basis.  Instead of paying over $600 a month for PPVs every year, you’re paying just $9.99, and that’s one hell of a bargain if you ask me. The WWE could have charged $20-$25 a month and Twitter still would have blown up. Come on, this is a no brainer for wrestling fans.

At launch, the WWE Network will be available on virtually any platform, including WWE.com, iOS, Android & Kindle devices (via the WWE App), Playstation 3 & 4, XBOX 360. Support for XBOX One and Smart TVs is coming this summer. All you have to do is sign up at WWE.com, follow the simple instructions and you’re all set. It really couldn’t be easier.

As John Cena announced out at the press conference, the WWE Network will officially launch on February 24, 2013 at 11:05pm directly after Monday Night RAW has concluded. The WWE has struck gold with this idea and the network will truly be a one of a kind experience and will change the entire landscape of the professional wrestling industry

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Also to note out, According to a report from F4Wonline.com, WWE sent out a memo stating that  footage of Benoit will be allowed to air on its new network, but with a caveat.  There will reportedly be an advisory played before every piece of video he  appears on.

For the FAQ, click on the link here http://www.wwe.com/help

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My Thoughts on Triple H’s World Title run from 2002-2003

There are a couple of “internet wrestling community myths” that have been passed on from generation to generation.

Ultimate Warrior died years ago

Macho Man and Stephanie McMahon – enough said

The ECW/WCW Invasion in 2001 bombed

Vince McMahon hates certain wrestlers

The list goes on and on. All of them are just pure fiction that people make up,believe, and then pass on as fact. They are just ridiculous and laughable claims. The worst part is that fans actually believe them. To a certain extent, you see it EVERY SINGLE DAY with all of the news reports that come out. Most are flat out false, yet certain fans continue to buy into ANYTHING that is posted online. Today’s topic is just like the previous mentioned myths.

Did Triple H “bury” the roster in 2003?

For those who read my work, they know that the term “buried” means nothing. Nobody is ever truly buried in WWE. The term is baseless, and I do not use it whatsoever. However, the topic has come up time and time again. As most remember, Triple H won the World Title in late 2002 and held it until September 2003. Throughout the year, he dominated the Red Brand and kept the gold through thick or thin. Let me just go through the year as it went…

Just to stall time before WrestleMania XIX, we saw the rematch at No Way Out in February between the two men( Triple H and Scott Steiner). At this point, the steam from their feud was all but over with. Evolution was formed, and Triple H was not going to drop the title a month before the biggest show of the year. On top of ALL that, Steiner was hurt. Again, nobody can convince me Steiner should have won here.

Okay, this is the biggest controversy.

I have said it before, and I will say it again.

My entire “WrestleMania party” had picked Booker T to win the World Title. Seeing as I thought that wasn’t happening, I bet with each and every friend/family member a couple of dollars each. Needless to say, I collected after the match.

The argument is that Triple H winning proved that “racism is right.”

As usual, that is not true.

Booker dominated their feud. He owns a few victories over The Game, and the record books show that. When it came time to decide who should win, the decision came down to two things:

A) Have Booker win the title

B) Build up Triple H even more

The answer was simple.

Bill Goldberg had just signed on with WWE. In order for his run to be worthwhile, he needed to become World Champion. He was bigger and more well known than Steiner. Thus, WWE had to have a big, bad heel for him to crush down the line. Instead of going right to the big Triple H vs. Goldberg showdown, they waited a few months. Booker getting the title would have only thrown a wrench in the long-term payoff.

Sorry folks, King Booker won the World Title a few years later, and the moment was well worth the wait.

fter that, Triple H was in a huge six man tag team match at Backlash. Obviously, the gold was not on the line. The Game, Ric Flair, and Chris Jericho ended up getting the win over Kevin Nash, Booker T, and Shawn Michaels. It was a great match that many fans forget.

For May, Triple H took on Nash for the World Title. The big man had recently returned from injury and was looking to take out HHH. It was the classic “best friends, better enemies” story line. At Judgment Day, they ran a DQ finish with Nash just destroying Triple H. As in most cases, this was done to set up a FINAL grudge match.

We saw that at Badd Blood in June.

Mick Foley was the special guest referee. With Nash ready to take some time off and go film a movie, the decision was another easy one. Triple H had to retain. I am sure he would have been more than happy to give his friend a nice title reign, but it just wasn’t going to happen. Fans were NOT behind Nash as the top face on Raw. He was “over” but not nearly enough. Thus, the feud came to a close, Nash teased a heel turn shortly thereafter and left with his new hair cut a few months later.

Summerslam was set to be the HUGE battle beween Triple H and Goldberg for the World Title!

Dream match.

One on one.

World Title.

HHH vs. Goldberg.

Then Triple H got injured. As World Champion, he decided to work through the pain and try to continue on. That is very admirable, but his big showdown with Goldberg was now in doubt. You can’t push your limits too much. That would just cause even WORSE pain. Thus, WWE had to switch things up a little bit in August.

The main event was Triple H vs. Goldberg vs. Nash vs. Jericho vs. HBK vs. Randy Orton in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Title. it would give a few guys some shine in the main event, as well as let HHH heal up. Also, it brought back the big steel structure in grand fashion for WWE.

I understand some folks did not like the ending of the match.

Triple H wrestled about a minute long and pinned Goldberg, after he had ran through just about everybody else before that.

That is fine. I am not going to argue that point. Goldberg was on FIRE and ready to become World Champion. That was (probably) his best night in a WWE ring. However, there is one reason that WWE didn’t do the title switch at Summerslam:

Tradition.

Call in old school. Call it predictable. Call it whatever you want. The fact of the matter is that a lot of people believe that a title switch should ONLY happen in one on one matches.

Not wild tag matches with stipulations.

Not an Elimination Chamber match.

Not a ladder match, where nobody is pinned.

None of that!

Simply a one on one match with two men wrestling where the better man wins.

That time was Unforgiven 2003.

Triple H vs. Goldberg for the World Title with EVERYTHING on the line: If HHH wins, Goldberg had to retire. If Goldberg wins, the long, long, long title reign of HHH was over.

Those were huge stakes!

Something had to give. Either fans were guaranteed a new champion (finally!) or Goldberg was going to retire.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a great selling point for a pay-per-view.

They did the match. Triple H lost the gold (and multiple rematches), and Goldberg was “the man” on Raw. The Game took some time off and even returned to lose again at Survivor Series 2003. Fans got their “moment” with Goldberg on top. He had his World Title, and all of the sides had won.

Without that lengthy title reign, Goldberg winning wouldn’t have meant much. There was no reason for Kane to win the title in 2002.  There was no reason for anybody to defeat HHH in 2003, except Goldberg.

Look at Honky Tonk Man’s IC title reign.

Look at HHH in 2000.

Look at JBL in 2004.

Look at CM Punk now.

The longer these reigns go, the more fans want a new champion. The more they groan every time the heel wins. The more fans cheer for the next challenger. The more intensity it adds to the match. The more and more and more and more it adds to the eventual World Title switch.

When HHH finally lost, it was HUGE!

When JBL finally lost, it was HUGE!

When Punk lost, it was HUGE!

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