From the human side and last week's thoughts on class people...

WCW ran a house show at the Spectrum last Wednesday night. As I mentioned in an earlier column, we got the Chris Jericho/Eddie Guerrero-Chris Benoit/Dean Malenko tag match. It was, as you would expect, out of this world. It blew away anything else on the show, even Flair's return to Philadelphia.

Talking to Benoit, Jericho, and Guerrero after the show, I commented on the match and ceremonies they'd done for Brian Hildebrand in Knoxville in November, and complimented them on what they did. At this point, they all pointed to one guy for what they'd done...Dean Malenko. Additionally, they mentioned Ric Flair.

When I asked Dean about it, he got really serious, seemed appreciative of the show being reported on, but didn't seem to want to get any credit for it. His response was more or less "...it was what we should have done".

True. But that isn't the way things always work in the wrestling business....and what these four men did, along with Ric Flair, Mike Tenay, Bobby Heenan and others did deserves recognition.

Then again, Brian Hildebrand isn't exactly a typical person within the business. I spoke to Brian on New Year's Day...he wanted me to express his thanks to all readers who've sent him e-mails, letters, cards and the like. Brian seems somewhat embarassed at all the attention he's received..yet I can tell you it HAS meant more to him (and to his wife Pam) than you could possibly know.

On a related subject... I'm not sure if readers have seen the piece that Bruce Mitchell wrote in the Pro Wrestling Torch back in early December. If you haven't, find a friend that has a copy. It's well worth reading. The article, which shares Mitchell's experience with a father who died from cancer, reminds us not to take those in our lives for granted. Given Mitchell's reputation for being controversial, this is a really special piece, and deserves being read...and thought about.

One more somewhat related subject...mark your calendars for the annual Eddie Gilbert Memorial Weekend, held as always in the Philadelphia area. This year's events, including a Fan Convention, Dinner, and the Eddie Gilbert Memorial Brawl will be held March 27th, on WrestleMania weekend. This year's Gilbert Memorial will see others honored, including former WWF referee Joey Marella.

Watch this column and PWBTS for information on the events of this annual commemoration.

Until next time...

If you have comments or questions, I can be reached by e-mail at bobmagee1@hotmail.com