Greetings, sports entertainment fans! I think I've finally recovered from my trip abroad to talk about wrestling! First of all, I send a big shout out to the Marvellous One, who made my trip a very memorable one indeed! The U.K. doesn't get RAW until Friday night and Smackdown is on Saturday but that's a moot point since we missed both. (Well, actually he did make sure he taped the RAW after the big WMX-7 PPV.)

I don't know, I wasn't very moved by WM this year. I think the whole monthly PPV schedule has jaded me to feel very excited about the so-called show of the year. Of course when I come back to damn near every IWP salivating over it, I started to feel like the boat left without me. (Well, Dusty sort of vindicated my feelings but then he IS a bitter cat) I do know it sucks being a smark sometimes, as I knew the Stone Cold one would turn heel but doing it in his home state totally perplexed me. People LOVE SCSA and Rock has been overexposed so seeing him get a beat down wouldn't exactly cause much heat. Of course, Vince must've realized that so they had to show Stone Cold aligning himself with THE WWF heel, Mr. McMahon. Pretty much every show since has been a 'LOOK you stupid marks, he's a HEEL!! STOP your cheering, dammit!!!' We've seen him go after the mid card babyfaces, including the sweetheart of the WWF, Lita!

Now, he's a team with HHH (a VERY slashy team if you ask Rebecca!) I call them Cold Game-what the heck! Makes more sense than him teaming up with a guy who tried to run him over. The thing is, Steve's ALWAYS been a heel But the people cheered him anyway. I laugh at all these plot points to drive home how terribly BAD he is now-Martin suggested him treating Debra roughly. I just wonder when we'll see actual spousal abuse to REALLY get him heat.

So now Rock has been 'suspended indefinitely' so who was pushed to be the top babyface in his absence? Hhhmm....Jericho?....Benoit? Nope, last week we got to see the Hardys face the top guys. (Btw, CRZ, I was very happy and thrilled for Jeff to win but I dreaded the rematch and my fears WERE realized). I've noticed quite a few Jericho fans are disgusted that he hasn't been elevated, while some see it as a plot the Kliq is doing to keep him down. Well, that's what I heard on the LAW anyway.... I did get an interesting mail from Crippler Hellspawn about it-

You know something, about this Hardly A Push, I mean Hardy Push, Do you remember last year,in these very weeks (Pre-Backlash)? Jericho gets an upset Victory over HHH for the WWF World Title !!!! Wow! Jericho is gonna be pushed Whooo!... just to be buried in the next shows and returns to wrestle Benoit.

I hadn't even tied those two together-very observant, Crippler! The LAW guys, though big HHH fans are noticing his use of stroke to avoid job-dom lately too. Wait-I KNOW he lost to UT on the PPV and to Jeff on Smackdown but really, did it affect his position? No. Did it serve to get UT & Jeff over? No. It's sad that the Hardys ended up as fodder for this upcoming UT/Kane/SCSA/HHH match at the next PPV. Why wasn't Jericho just as incensed at HHH taking his belt? Where was HIS rematch? Btw, why do the Brothers of Destruction have the belts now?

It wasn't that long ago that the tag team division was teeming with talent but it's ended up being the same 3 fighting each other over and over! Yeah, adding Rhyno and Spike spiced things up a bit but still! They broke up Al & Blackman (the Snow Bunnies), Scotty 2 Hotty got hurt, Farooq & Bradshaw were recovering from injuries, LoDown was ostracized, T&A split up, Kaientai are now 2 little GOOFS.....hhmmm.... So now we have X-Factor. *Shudder* Ever notice in their matches, Justin usually takes all the punishment (and usually the pin too)? And I thought I was the only one who got douche chills when Xpuke comes out to that HORRIBLE song but I got a note from Todd Thomas-

I actually like, for some reason, the XFactor theme song...until Waltman tries to be cool and dance to it.

Obviously no one has tried to talk to Sean about rhythm.....

Anyway-I find myself hoping WCW comes back and gives the WWF a real run for their money. It's pretty obvious the WWF is getting much too comfortable Sitting at the top of the heap-or rather, what once was a heap. Without Russo and with Shane at the helm, I certainly think they have a good shot. Geez, I read that interview with Russo; do the WOW people realize what a nut they may be hiring? How soon before the WOW wrestlers are wearing g-strings and wrestling in oil? And what's the point of revealing the father of Stacey's baby when that angle was oh so obviously killed? Oh, right, a desperate plea for attention-forgot who I was speaking of for a minute...

So one thing that's very interesting in the U.K., they will show no violence against women! At first I was confused by the crowd shots during the Steph/Trish match on the post WM RAW but then I got it. Well, not really-this is a country where I saw male full frontal on TV plus naked women in daily newspapers! Well, I guess it IS that whole well-mannered British culture thing...

I'm never sure about the rumors I read on various wrestling websites but I found it very interesting that the latest RAW magazine has an article on HBK saying he's more humble now and would do whatever he could to get people over. Then I read something about him storming off last week's Smackdown because he didn't like his part in the UT/HHH angle. Hmm...who to believe?

And I guess Jerry Lawler figures he won't be working again anytime soon so he's letting his real feelings known-of course he's intrigued the girls on the slash board by admitting there ARE gay guys on the roster but he wasn't naming names! His remarks against Paul E. have been far less kind but what can you expect-this man has his job! I disagree with his assertion that Paul E.'s not a good foil for J.R.

His retorts and facial expressions are funny and biting especially when directed at J.R.! His impression of J.R. screaming Stone Cold was very funny too! I think Jerry just has a serious case of sour grapes and should remember he QUIT, he wasn't fired. And I really didn't near to hear how he doesn't need Viagara with Stacey around. Ewwwww!!! Thanks for the visual, Jerry.

On that revolting note, that's it for me this week.

Until next time, dear readers....................

Sharon
First Lady of the Oracles