Dave's Battle Axe: Wherefore Art Thou Mickie James

When future Hall of Famer Mickie James stepped back into a WWE ring last November to take on Asuka at NXT Takeover Toronto, it marked the return of one of the pioneers of the women’s revolution not just within the company but across the wrestling spectrum.

Her epic tussle with the Empress of Tomorrow that night was supposed to usher in a new era for Mickie as she was shortly signed thereafter to the main roster for a multi-year deal with WWE, first on Smackdown and now currently on Raw.

Or should I say Main Event? In the months since her inclusion to the main roster, Mickie has drifted further and further into the background, occasionally serving as just ‘enhancement’ talent to put other, younger Superstars over. I get that that’s the formula WWE likes but we are talking about Mickie James here, right?

The 6 time WWE women’s champion. The crazy glue that held the late Attitude Era women’s division together. The 18 year veteran/singer/mom/superheroine who’s won championships all over the world and has a bag of tricks a mile deep for anyone who really wants to challenge her in the ring.

Now sure, it’s easy to overlook the body of work of Mickie James if you’re a current WWE fan. The next generation of fans don’t remember her stellar past matches and so far, the booking for her has been unmemorable to say the least, so how can you remember anything other than her colorful, old school ring gear?  And this generic baby face thing they’ve got her doing? So NOT Mickie. I’d say it’s sad to watch but that would be elevating things where they are not.  

But maybe I’m reading too much into it. Maybe she needs time during her schedule for family or work on other projects. If that’s the case, I hope Mickie is smiling all the way to the bank. But if not, ask yourself this - would Chris Jericho be treated like this upon return? 'Hell no' is the correct answer.  

Mickie James left WWE in 2010 before being sucked into the sad direction the whole Divas era took. Now that 'Divas' is just the name of a TV spinoff and the women’s division is back stronger than ever, would the real Mickie James please stand up?

I don’t care if it’s crazy stalker Mickie or crazy awesome Mickie, I just need more of her and a legit push for another title. As I look over the roster for the #MaeYoungClassic, I see a lot of young Mickie’s waiting to come up. Let’s give those ladies a shot of the original, rattlesnake tough, 80 proof flavor in the women’s division.  

Glitter SUMMER & SLAM: The Predictions

Previously in Glitter and Slam we looked at a moment from Summerslam's past. Now we'll lay down predictions and explore the field for the women this Sunday – as well as predictions for the entire card.

NAOMI (C) vs. NATALYA – Smackdown Women’s Championship

The big question in this match isn't who will win the title, but if Carmella will cash in her Money In The Bank contract. Signs indicate that it is likely she will.

(Princess Mella has been the focal point amidst otherwise lackluster booking through the summer for Smackdown's women. Source: WWE.com)

First, Baron Corbin's failed cash-in attempt on Smackdown Live eliminates a one-or-the-other scenario. At the second biggest show of the year, it's a great time for a cash-in, as Summerslam is the event WWE hopes to expand its audience the most, aside from Wrestlemania. Fans would have a built-in feud to connect with. A sneaky little opportunist who gets by with her pet flunky James Ellsworth as a Get Out of Trouble Free card could draw great heat whether she steals the title from Naomi or Natalya. It would jumpstart the division ever since they lost lightning in a bottle, when internet backlash compelled WWE to redo the MITB ladder match, after Ellsworth handed a barely concious Princess Mella the case the first time around. The move was bold, but with a knowing hand. She was riding a mountain of heat, but the fact that Ellsworth physically handed her the case caused outrage across social media apparently gave WWE brass cold feet, and the do-over became reality – even though his interference was on par with anything Maryse has done for The Miz.

(Naomi's feel–good story lost some glow when she was stuck in a trio of matches with the woefully inadequate Lana. Source: WWE.com)

After that, all we had was Lana forced upon viewers in a trio of lackluster title bouts against Naomi that she obviously did not earn, which hurt the reign of this year's most poignant rise to prominence. Naomi is exciting, genuine and athletic, but she is not the ring general to get a great match out of a green talent like Lana, who should have been in the ladder match in June, rather than fighting for the belt just because Vince McMahon will have his femme fatale at all costs. This match with Natalya will be the first since her abbreviated bout with Charlotte Flair post-wrestlemania that has a compelling energy about it.

(The Queen of Harts has been booked strong in recent months, especially in her rivalry with top face and technical equal Becky Lynch. Source: WWE.com)

Natalya is a veteran of bad storylines, underutlization and sometimes misdirection. Only after the original Divas Revolution did she begin getting a chance to remind the world that she is one of the finest female wrestlers in the world. That energy picked up. Even though Nattie is a heel, the feel—good moment a title win would bring is palpable. If she holds the belt high, WWE is basically saying "hey, sorry for that whole Khali/Midget thing and the farting gimmick, plus all the other crap we put you though." What better time to ignite audience fury then to have Carmella and her pet slimebucket come down to the ring to take theirs.

PREDICTION: Natalya wins. Carmella cashes in and becomes champion.

ALEXA BLISS (C) vs. SASHA BANKS – Raw Women’s Championship

(Don't you just hate the fact that you love to hate her? Source: WWE.com)

2017 has been Alexa Bliss's year. Yeah we all thought Hugamania would engulf the globe, but weak booking and a creepy segment with Bayley and Corey Graves ended that in a hurry. An apparent heel turn for Sasha Banks was scrapped, and while Bliss made history swapping one show's title for another, the Boss never lost a step.

As Little Miss Bliss became the clear darling in booking, Banks was used to give a rub to Alicia Fox and Rich Swann on 205 Live, keep Bayley afloat as long as possible, and help the world see Nia Jax as the rampaging beast with big warm brown eyes that she needs to be. This match gives us a return bout with the top heel and the top face among all of WWE's women. The Boss has surprisingly become an even better wrestler than she was last year during her hallmark feud with Charlotte Flair. The energy she could bring was obvious in their previous title bout, in which she made Bliss pay dearly for getting herself counted out. The crowd rumbled as she took to the air from the announce table and laid the champ out flat with her trademark double knees.

(Banks used Jax as her personal climbing wall en route to earn her title shot against Bliss. Source: WWE.com)

After teasing a rematch with Bayley, injury (perhaps kayfabe) launched Banks back into the title picture to give fans the women's fight they want the most. After a seesaw battle with Nia Jax, The Boss is dialed in and primed for a fourth title. Given the deeper roster, the possibilities of a feud with a game Emma, as well as Jax and a deepening feud with Bliss, a title win eight months removed from her last reign is a great way to keep eyes on the Raw women going into the fall.

PREDICTION: Sasha Banks becomes a four time champion

AND THE REST...

KICKOFF SHOW

Jason Jordan and The Hardy Boyz vs. The Miz, Curtis Axel and Bo Dallas: The Miz and the Miztourage win. This feud is just beginning. Look for Matt Hardy to get more broken. Ready those "fuck that owl" chants, folks.

Cruiserweight Title: Akira Tozawa (c) vs. Neville: tough call but Tozawa wins because of WWE's current highlighting of Asian and Indian talents. The company wants to seriously draw the eye of the eastern markets.

Smackdown Tag Championship: The New Day (c) vs. The Usos. The Bootyos are too tasty. New Day wins, but this feud isn't over yet.

SUMMERSLAM 2017

Big Cass vs. Big Show w/ Enzo above the ring in a shark cage: Enzo isn't the sexy pinata Jericho was. Look for the trashtalk to entertain, but for Cass to win and continue to establish his power as the next angry big man.

Randy Orton vs. Rusev: Not sure how long WWE wants to roll with this. Orton wins, but we still don't find out why we should hate Bulgaria.

John Cena vs. Baron Corbin: I say Corbin wins, but losing a cash-in didn't bode well for the career Damien Sandow. Going over Cena would be a great rub and negate the failure, although there was no reason Corbin wouldn't be angry enough to destroy Mr. Nikki Bella anyway.

Raw Tag Championship: Sheamus and Cesaro vs. Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins. You saw it coming after the reluctant fistbump and all the "I got your back, but I don't really mean it" moments. Shield Lite wins in one of the most compelling tag title bouts in recent years.

Finn Balor vs. Bray Wyatt: Metaphysics dominates this bizarre feud. Balor wins, returning the Demon.

United States Championship: AJ Styles (c) vs. Kevin Owens: Shane McMahon is the guest referee. Owens owns as the "face of America." Plus, Styles provides star power for the world title scene. Owens wins, Shane kicks somebody in the face and/or takes a nasty bump.

WWE Championship: Jinder Mahal (C – it's still all too surreal, you know?) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura. Nakamura went over Cena, the prospect of an AJ Styles dream match on a future Far East tour makes Nakamura the favorite here. He'll raise the title high.

Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Samoa Joe vs. Braun Strowman. Hard to call, except Lesnar dropping the title, given the stipulation he will leave WWE if he loses. I'm going with the upset special, because Strowman vs. Reigns for the title has more of a Wrestlemania feel. Samoa Joe wins.

GLITTER & SLAM SPECIAL: THE NINTH WONDER, SUMMERSLAM AND THE IC TITLE

In this edition of Glitter and Slam the summer hiatus ends with a look back at Chyna winning the Intercontintental Championship at the 2000 Summerslam – by pinning Trish Stratus.

Chyna becoming Intercontinental Champion in an era dominated by bra-and-panty matches was astonishing enough, in hindsight. What made the former bodyguard to a young HHH and her title win even more remarkable is that she pinned another woman to do it. This is the only time in the history of professional wrestling that a woman did not win a male title by pinning a man.

(Before winning men's gold, Chyna was already an attractive anomaly who rose to intial fame as Triple H's bodyguard. Source: Cageside Seats)

Chyna had already broken down many barriers. At Triple H's insistence she became the official Degeneration X bodyguard. Her physique opened up possibilities to grapple with her male counterparts and believably go over. Fans responded to her positively in a milieu where kink and general debauchery were the order of the day. This led to the 9th Wonder of the World becoming the unlikely top pinup dream of the Attitude Era.

(Eddie and Chyna were WWF's "it" couple at the beginning of the 21st century. Source: Wrestling Observer)

The storyline was simple. Basically, Eddie Guerrero was enamored with his "mamacita" Chyna and they accompanied each other down to the ring when they weren't being all loveydovey backstage. A match with Val Venis went sour for Eddie and Chyna decided to stick up for her man by powerbombing Venis from the ring apron onto the floor. In the bedlam, Trish got her Stratusfaction my smashing the Ninth Wonder in the back of the head with a bottle, knocking her out cold. The match for Summerslam would be a tag match. Eddie Guerrero and Chyna vs. Intercontinental Champion Val Venis, with a stipulation that whoevever could pin Val would become the Intercontintental champion.

(Trish avoided contact at all costs, but in the end she paid for knocking out the 9th Wonder of the World. Source: WWE.com)

The match itself was solid, if unspectacular. After the story unfolds, I found myself wishing for a riveting 25 minutes of Eddie and Val telling their in-ring story amidst the tag-ins with Chyna. However, Latino Heat's mamacita showed she was good enough beyond her muscularity to hold her own in a match with many of the company's men, Venis included. The crowd popped as Chyna tagged in, closelined Venis and then, after Latino Heat kissed her on the hand in a rare show of gentlemanly decorum, they dropped their opponent with a double-team flapjack off the ropes.

(Guerrero's over-the-top adoration of his storyline "mamacita" underscored the fact he was among the best wrestlers in the world, as Val Venis could attest. Source: WWE.com)

The match would end with Trish tagged in after Venis took Guerrero down with a powerbomb, then after a last rally he closelined Guerrero off the ropes. Out of breath, Venis was unable to capitalize. Trish convinced him to tag her in, wanting to insult Chyna a little extra by not only saving the Porn Star's title reign but pinning her man in the middle of the ring, her plan imploded quickly as Eddie kicked out and got the hot tag before she could find the safety of her own corner. After that, the crowd gave Chyna another huge pop and continued chanting her name as Venis tried in vain to intervene and Guerrero stopped him from finishing a double clothesline on Chyna. After that Trish took a military press slam to loserville and Chyna became the only woman ever to win a man's title by pinning another woman.

(No one else will win the IC title the way Chyna did at Summerslam 2000. Source: WWE Network.)

Today in WWE the company has made a concentrated effort to give women a more opportunities to showcase their talents and drawing power. The Mae Young Classic, highlighting independent wrestlers from all over the world is coming at the end of this month. The women even have their own line of Barbie dolls.

(Chyna never had her own Barbie doll, but then again, no woman currently has won the Intercontinental title either, never will. Source: @BayleyWWE Instagram.)

When you look back at the opportunities Chyna was given, the fact that her eventual women's championship reign was actually not the apex of her career, and then see the rut women's wrestling in WWE fell into by 2010, it's hard to understand why the great things we're seeing now didn't happen ten years ago. In light of this, we still must acknowledge that in an era WWE would like you to regard as the worst for women, it wasn't, for many reasons but mainly because of Chyna. No other woman in pro wrestling history was able to be a man's bodyguard, wrestle and go over numerous men, win a man's title, a women's title and pose nude in Playboy all in the same career. In the end, that is the legacy of this match that made this quirky affair something to remember as we look forward to Summerslam in 2017.

(Beat up dudes, pose nude, repeat. Source: Inquisitr.com)

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

Unlike some wrestling journalists (i.e. anyone who writes for Bleacher Report) I'm not too proud to admit when someone else's commentary serves as a springboard for one of my columns. In this case I give props to Simon and the gang the WhatCulture Wrestling channel on Youtube. He touched briefly on Chyna's IC title win during a factoid montage about Summerslam 2000 and I knew this had to be talked about a bit more in depth as we approach WWE's second biggest spectacle of the year. So thank them yourself when you go over and check out their humorous and insightful commentary on pro wrestling.

In the next Glitter and Slam we'll look at NXT Takeover: Brooklyn, the 2017 Summerslam and where WWE's women are going as summer winds down.

Follow me on twitter: @weskozalla

Follow Ace and Wrestlementary: @WrestlementaryT

The Future of Professional Wrestling is in YOUR Back Yard!!!

Listen up, Pencil Neck Geeks! By back yard I do not mean Back Yard Wrestling, or your back yard. I mean your area! The Town, City, State Where you live! Got it! Good! (Written with respect to Classy Freddie Blassie!)

Recently (Saturday, July 29) there was a great wrestling show right here in Glendale, AZ – The AWF (Arizona Wrestling Federation) once again killed it with their Summer Explosion event. For the first time in nearly two years, the whole WrestleMentary crew was there.

The consensus – AWF’s Summer Explosion was better than WWE’s Battle Ground.

It had me thinking again – on a subject something I have thought about a lot. The more things change, the more they stay the same. Life can truly be called a circle at times.

As great as NXT is, as good as a job as WWE Developmental seems to be doing, the future of Professional Wrestling isn’t WWE Developmental or NXT. It is right where it has always been. Once it was called the Regionals. Today:

THE INDIES

Yep, the Indies. What used to be called Regional promotions many years ago, the Indies are the same beast – close to it – different name. Want proof?

Look at the WWE current roster – how many of these guys plied their trade on the Indie for years (as little as two or three up to twenty). A few names: John Cena, Kevin Owens (Kevin Steen), Sami Zayn (El Generico); AJ Styles; Karl Anderson; The Hardy’s; Chris Jericho, Samoa Joe.

How many are WWE Only? The only name that comes to mind is Baron Corbin – and that may not be 100% accurate.

Look at NXT – The majority of these men and Woman come from the Indies. Where else?

This is NOT a condemnation of WWE Developmental or NXT, I love both. It’s is just proof that the Past, Present and FUTURE of Professional Wrestling and the WWE is out THERE!

Just on the local scene I can name a number of talent who I think are as good if not better than talent in the ‘Big Time’ (for the sake of argument New Japan; TNA/GWF; ROH and WWE). Who?

Chris Evans Johnny Saovi Awesome Andy Palafox Exciting Evan Daniels
R-Three Spray Boy Roy Alexander Hammerstone Owen Travers
The Fifty Year Storm’ Mike Camden Suede Thompson Gino Rivera

Other names across North America who are good enough:
The Whirlwind Gentlemen The Keepers of The Faith Reno Scum (in TNA/GWF now)
Alex Chamberlin Jay Lethal Willie Mack
Joey Ryan Cheerleader Melissa Chelsea Green
Hudson Envy

This is a very small sample of name – I have kept it to guys and girls I know, have meet and seen wrestle in person. One could write a 10,000 words piece on nothing but indie names of good to great talent.

But the truth is, much like minor league baseball or NBA’s D-League, or even College Football to the NFL, the Independent Promotions around North America are the true breeding ground for the next-gen talent of professional wrestling.

Yes, long gone are the days when someone can become a legendary performer without being in the WWE at some point – except for very special talent (Christopher Daniels). But the Indie’s are still the backbone of the Wrestling and the WWE.

Just ask Hunter.

The Indie Promotions put on the same shows as TNA/GWF and WWE, just on a much smaller scale. In bingo halls instead of Arenas, Gyms instead of Coliseums, in front of 15, 50, 250 people instead of 15,000.

What isn’t on a smaller scale is the talent and passion. Guys and Girls going all out to give 75 people the best they can, just because they want to.

Imagine this, you go to a local event, see a wrestler you like and get to know him or her. Some young talent, still honing their skills, but has the passion to survive and thrive. Fast forward a few years and imagine the feeling you might have seeing that same person show up on RAW.

If you want to see the direct future of the WWE, watch NXT (even that isn’t a given). You want to see the overall big picture future – check your back yard. Hop on Facebook, do a search for promotions in your area, shell out the $10 for tickets and strap in for the ride.

Ace.

A Note

WrestleMentary Universe. WrestleMentary is still Ace.

I posted on Thursday that I was back to writing for WrestleMentary, and I am. I said I would have a piece up on Sunday about the Future of Pro Wrestling.

Well, as the owner and operator of the WrestleMentary Blog I made an executive decision. I have postpone the piece till . . . Wednesday!

I decided that if I am going to post a piece on the Future of Pro Wrestling, I should post it to coincided with what most people see (and what is promoted as) the future of the industry: NXT.

So, my piece: The Future of Professional Wrestling Is In Your Own Back Yard will be posted on Wednesday.

Ace.

WrestleMentary is ACE

Wrestling Universe! This is Ace, I am back in the ring and hitting the mat!

It’s been a little while since I’ve stepped into the WrestleMentary Ring and posted, but here I am. I am current on RAW and SD Live, but behind on NXT, TNA/GWF and Lucha Underground. For now my commentary will be on WWE (Main Roster), once caught up on the others, those commentaries will begin again.

I will also be covering what Indie Wrestling I can. Most of the local stuff, Fite TV app and what I can online, as time allows.

For now I will probably post on a Weekly basis, covering that week’s shows. I will do this as I work on a schedule that best fits my life (and other projects).

My first piece back will be this Sunday, on the Future of Professional Wrestling.

I hope to be rejoined by Dave Parrish and Chris Rose soon as well.

And as always, keep an eye out for Wes’ GLITTER & SLAM!

Ace Masters