Straight Shooting - Issue #93
Since 1997 - The Standard Bearer For Wrestling Columns
by Fritz Capp
For PWBTS.com
October 23, 2000
The Internet rumor mill is heating up with the news that K-1, a Japanese shootfighting
organization, is out to do their best at stopping the sale of WCW to Vince McMahon so they
themselves can purchase it. It would be interesting to see what the product would be like
if this would in fact happen. Japanese promotions for a long time have tried to get a
foothold in the U.S. pro wrestling scene but have not found a viable way to do this. Word
has it that a lot of the people in WCW would rather see the sale go to Vince McMahon. This
is a no brainer as I am sure that they realize that they would not be able to pull the
lazy role with a Japanese owner. The Kevin Nash's of the world would either have to
actually have a workrate or get out of the business. This could only help the promotion as
for far too long the older established names in WCW have put in absolutely nothing to help
turn the company around. It has been an ego fest in Atlanta with everyone vying for the
big push. Of course the political bull that is so prevalent backstage in WCW today does
not allow the booker, no matter who it is, to actually have a say in what is going on. I
for one would like to see someone other than McMahon get a hold of WCW because this would
not only bring us a fresh product but would keep the competition level up on all sides
with the wrestling fans being the winner overall.
Goldberg is the latest pro wrestler to take shots at Internet reporters. Shawn Michaels
recently has as well as DDP. Now it is no secret that the person the Goldberg shot on, Bob
Ryder, and myself are not best friends. We have gone round and round many times on a
variety of subjects but before I revel in the fact that he was outted by Goldberg let's
dig a little deeper.
If Bob would have kayfabed his feelings Bill Goldberg never would have said a word. This
is just a fact. But because Mr. Ryder felt it necessary to speak his mind Goldberg decides
he doesn't like what he said so he will take it to a more public forum than what is
afforded Bob, this being a CNN interview. But let's look at this piece by piece.
Ryder is reported to have said, "Goldberg is one of the biggest names in the business
because WCW allowed him to be, because of the push that they gave him. In the process
they've created a monster, in more ways than one."
If you go back to early columns of mine during Bill Goldberg's first undefeated streak you
would see that I said the same thing. Bill Goldberg did not deserve the push he received.
He was green and Bischoff needed something to boost his ratings. In essence, Goldberg was
nothing more than a "ratings" champion. That is not attempting to take anything
away from Goldberg at all, it is just a statement that is true. It does not take away from
his intensity, it does not take away from his in-ring presence. It just states that
Goldberg was pushed well before his time by general standards , but as I said it was
necessary due to help push WCW's ratings. This push also came at the expense of many
workers who had "paid their dues" which is something Goldberg never has had to
do.
Goldberg then goes onto say that his response will take the high road and then goes on to
say that Ryder is fat, bald and goofy looking. This is the high road? Now this is either
one hypocritical person or one elaborate work on both Goldberg's and Ryder's part to help
take Ryder's name even farther into mainstream media, which was accomplished I might add
by these statements. In my best estimation though, I will give Bob the benefit of the
doubt about it being a work, as he wouldn't admit to it anyway. It's just he has been the
focal point for so many WCW works that he himself has cost himself some credibility in
this department. Be that as it may be though let's look at sudden fame of a green wrestler
and how that can affect his judgement.
You take someone who's original career is over due to injury, throw in a monster push, new
found fame and adulation, a ton of money and some old school guys who warp your way of
thinking and what do you have? Bill Goldberg. Before his push at WCW Goldberg lived in
obscurity. No one outside of Atlanta even really knew who he was. Now Goldberg is a
household name and has even testified in Washington in behalf of animal rights. He has
been in movies, is sought after by mainstream media and now lives lavishly all due to his
role in World Championship Wrestling. Does new found fortune and fame warp a person's
mind? Sure it does, this has been proven time and time again. Does it give someone an
extra large ego? Of course. Now add to this people such as Hulk Hogan and Kevin Nash, who
have historically only been out for their own agenda, feeding into Goldberg's mind set and
what do you get? A rather large ego that is hard to control.
This was evident when Goldberg refused to do the program with Chris Jericho. Goldberg went
from humble worker to someone who knew what was good for the company and what wasn't all
in a very short amount of time. All of a sudden he knew all there was about the mind set
of pro wrestling and refused to work with Jericho due to size difference and
believability. How would it have hurt Goldberg to work a program with Jericho? Now if
WCW's mind set would have been having Goldberg job to Jericho in 20 seconds for four
months straight I could see his concern. There must be a certain amount of believability
in what ever is being shown to the mass populace. Of course this wasn't the case. But to
do a series of matches with Jericho would not have hurt Goldberg one bit. In fact it may
have helped. This shows that ego reared it's ugly head and as time goes on it just may be
getting worse.
Goldberg goes on to say, "I don't think I'm above the wrestling business, I just
think that I can help it, and I would appreciate if people would listen, because they at
least owe me that." Why does anyone "owe" Goldberg anything? He has been in
the business a few short years. I think he is a bit misguided as I believe it is Goldberg
who has been piling up the debts. No one owes Goldberg, or for that matter anyone else,
anything. Workers today seems to want to "live the gimmick" far too much. In
fact I think it is safe to say that each and every worker owes their biggest debt to the
pro wrestling fans. That's right, THE FANS! Without the fans pro wrestlers would be
bagging groceries, working construction jobs or be sitting in an office with 9-5 jobs
making about $35,000 a year. But wrestlers are the ones who historically call the fans
"marks" and they do mean it in the most degrading way. They see fans as nothing
more than "open wallets" for them to pluck from. They view fans as idiots who
really have no lives. They see fans and laugh at them, show no respect and view them as an
annoyance. Has Bill Goldberg joined the ever growing ranks of pro wrestlers like Curt
Hennig, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Terry Bolea and yes even Bret Hart who view fans with
disdain and contempt? If ego's are to be shown let's have Goldberg say it in his own
words, "But when Bob Ryder's punching at that typewriter when he's fifty years old,
and I'm sitting on an island, that's named "Goldberg's Island" I'll be laughing
at him then, just like I'm laughing at him now."
Again taking the high road I see. Well Bill, all I can say is if Vince does buy WCW I hope
you are a bit more humble. You may be a viable product but Vince doesn't need an ego
ridden cancer in his locker room. You may have been blessed with the tools but all things
aside you don't solidify your position in the wrestling world by being a tool.
For those interested this is the end of the column. The next paragraph is basically just
in response to someone who feels the continuing need to take cheap and unwarranted shots
at me because I showed him to be childish and unprofessional by using a memorial shows
results to take a cheap shot at a wrestling promotion he does not like, due in large part
to his friendship with the promotions former owner. While this guy still insists it was a
tongue-in-cheek joke, it is not funny to even hypothetically accuse a wrestling promotion
of trying to disrupt a memorial show for a fallen wrestler. It shows no class and has no
place in wrestling reporting.
To Phil Varlese : And the desperate cries for attention continue. Oh for the days when
people would just be what they pretend to be today. But in today's long winded Internet
wrestling positioning fest, those days are long gone. No more can people stand on their
own two feet. It is one thing to expose someone for the fraud they are. It is another
thing to try to discredit someone under that particular guise when you have nothing
relevant or substantial to say. Little pictures of animals and a lot of double talk does
not an argument make, in fact those methods are childish and hold no merit. Nor does
writing up a column and e-mailing it to the world in the hopes that you can put yourself
over in someone's eyes. To say you speak your mind when you are nothing more than a tool
for someone else's vengeance shows that you indeed have no intelligence. To try to place
blame for your actions on someone else shows you have no moral fiber. There is nothing
wrong with being loyal to a friend. I know this from first hand experience. But there is a
problem when your loyalty blinds you to the truth. All you have become is the answer to
Mr. Coralluzo's prayers and that is a voice on the Internet. That is something Dennis did
not have with his son Mark or with his former or current mistress, one of which whom
Dennis's actions caused her to lose everything she had. While you say I "sold out for
the big bucks" with my association with NWA-Jersey, you have whored yourself out to
Dennis just for the sake of being a whore. By e-mailing your last column to no less than
64 different e-mail addresses you show that you are doing nothing but trying to put
yourself over at my expense, which is fine because that shows that is all you have to
offer. This is also easily shown by who you sent your last column out to. I have received
many letters from you and this is by far the biggest cry for attention I have ever seen
from you, it is also the saddest attempt I have witnessed in a long time. While you
continue to post Dennis's dribble as your own and continue to take unwarranted shots at me
remember one thing, when the smoke clears and all is said and done I will still be who I
have always been but you my friend will realize that you were duped and used like so many
before you. You have my deepest sympathies.
And with that I am outta here. Remember wrestling is nothing more than it appears to be
but also remember a quote from James Billington, "Intellectual and cultural freedom
is the most important single precondition for the breakdown of the kinds of tyrannical and
totalitarian systems that periodically threaten us."
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