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THE JOHN REPORT
My Memories of Owen Hart plus Kane, Raw and Nitro Thoughts

This past Monday night we had two shows that had a lot of ups and downs. I wanted to bring back the old Raw Report and R&R yesterday but due to a lack of time I did not get it done. Therefore, today you will get a tribute to Owen, some Monday night things, random thoughts about the wrestling world and maybe an update on some of the other articles I am working on. Before I start, does anybody know when the Kid Rock CD comes out? Oh yeah, it was Tuesday. How could I forget after the WWF plugged it 3,728 times on Raw. I will not be buying the CD (not my type of music) although they sure are advertising for it. For now though, here she blows...

Remembering Owen
It was over a year ago when Owen Hart left us. It was a day that I, personally, will never forget. Although he was not one of my ten favourite wrestlers in the business, he was one of the wrestlers that I always enjoyed watching. If you came to me 18 months ago and asked where Owen ranks on my personal list he would have been in the top 25 or so. The fact that he was a Canadian like me made me notice him more than I would notice a lot of the other wrestlers. It always made me proud to see fellow Canadians having success all over the world and Owen was one of those people. I

n the last year we learned a lot about what Owen was like away from the ring. Most of the things we learned were about his private life and how much he cared for his family. Mick Foley's book told us about all the pranks that Owen loved to play. I found it amazing that Owen did his pranks in the ring too. The amazing thing about it is that most of the fans watching at home, including me, had absolutely no idea that he was intentionally screwing up. He was so good at it, we couldn't even tell.

I think my fondest memory of Owen would have to be his performance at WrestleMania X when he defeated his brother Bret. On that night, a star was born and his name was Owen Hart. He was no longer known as "Bret's brother" or "Stu's youngest son." He was known as the great worker Owen Hart. I remember that match vividly because I was so shocked when it happened. I was watching it in my living room with four or five friends (I was 18 at the time) and after he reversed the victory roll into a pin we all looked at each other and said, "can you believe that?" The thing that made the match so special was that Owen obviously knew how important a moment it was. It was a match that would either vault him to the top or keep him in his brother's shadow. Owen took advantage of the opportunity and delivered an extraordinary performance that I will never forget. His match with Bret at Summerslam '94 in a cage for the world title was another five star match although I remember the WM10 match more because that's the match that really propelled him into the level of superstardom.

When I look back on his career I will remember him as the greatest WWF performer to never hold the world title. Although he never held the world title he was one of the greatest tag team wrestlers the business has ever seen. I think he relished the role of wrestling as a heel tag team because he was a master of cheap tactics and he knew the perfect time to execute the moves. The Hart & Bulldog team dominated the WWF tag scene in the mid ‘90s and his run as the IC champion was good as well. His feud with his brother Bret was one of the greatest in wrestling and his matches with the likes of Michaels, Austin and Smith were memorable as well.

When I watch wrestling today I think a lot about Owen because the WWF today is a lot different than it was a year ago. A year ago there was more entertainment and less wrestling but today that philosophy has changed. I would have loved to see him wrestling against other great workers like Guerrero, Malenko, Jericho and his good friend Chris Benoit. I miss him the most when I see men like that in a wrestling ring because they are the ones that remind me of Owen more than anything.

Even though I did not know the man personally I will always never forget him. Thanks for the memories Owen and God Bless your family.


Another World Title Contender in the WWF
For the second straight week in a row Raw has a main event that does not feature a wrestling match. One thing about being a "smart" fan that bothers me is that I had a good feeling that it would not be a match. Considering the Undertaker is still two or three weeks away from being able to bump and have a real match I knew that this would be a schmozz more than anything. That is okay because it was a memorable moment. I also guessed that Kane was the one that attacked Road Dogg, Vince and Patterson because he returned at house shows. Did it spoil the main event for me? No, not really. I think it gave the fans something to remember for a long time because of Kane's return.

As you all know, I have been a big Kane supporter since the day he debuted in October '97. I have written several times about how I would love to see him get back into the world title hunt. The problem the WWF had in the past was that they would bring him back as if he was on fire and then slowly push him down the ladder. This Monday's Raw was not the first time he came back to a huge response. If you recall the excellent 10 man tag from Dallas in early February it was Kane who returned to the ring taking care of all the heels. In order for him to sustain heat this time around they will have to do something big with him. I think he is in line for a heel turn although I think they should save it for the King of the Ring or the Raw after KOTR. Doing it now would be too soon. They should build him up over the next few weeks and do the turn after the fans are fully behind him. The WWF needs a #2 heel right now and Kane should be that guy.

Other WWF Thoughts
Am I the only one that thinks Edge & Christian are the modern version of the Hollywood Blondes team made up of Pillman & Austin? In a future column I will take a look at the similarities between these two great teams because the more I see E&C, the more I remember the Hollywood Blondes.

I have enjoyed the Undertaker's new way of talking. On Smackdown when he told Vinny Mac that he was "going to kick his stank ass" I laughed because I used to know a guy that talked like that. I don't think the gimmick is great per se, it's just that it is much better than the "crazy dead guy" gimmick of '99.

In the past couple of months the fans have changed the behaviour of several wrestlers. They turned Jericho face, they turned the Dudley Boyz face and now they have turned Eddy Guerrero face. As I have said many times in the past, Eddy is much better as a heel although he is so good he can work as a face too. I think my buddy Matt Spence brought up a good point in his Raw breakdown when he said that Eddy is as talented as Chris Benoit (maybe moreso) but he is not looked upon in the same way because he cannot work with heavyweights like Benoit can. I think if Eddy is given the chance to work with the top heavyweights he will be able to shine just like Benoit has. I think Triple H and The Rock could work well with Guerrero, I just don't know if guys like 'Taker, Kane and The Big Show can.

Kurt Angle had the one of the best lines of the year on Raw when he delivered this gem as he talked to Edge & Christian: "There's no one that likes posing with midgets more than I do."

Edge and Christian have had some great lines too but this one had me rolling on the floor...well almost. The Ben Johnson line that Angle delivered was also terrific because he is one of our (Canada's) most disgraced athletes ever. Since I know many of you will email me asking who Ben Johnson is I might as well explain it here briefly. Johnson won the gold medal in the 100 meter sprint at the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul in 9.79 seconds which was by far a record. It turns out that he was on steroids so he was stripped of the gold medal. He was suspended and then returned to track for the '92 Olympics only to be suspended again for using steroids. He received a lifetime ban and has since done nothing but annoy the entire country. Last year he was in a race with a drag race car and a horse. Way to make us proud Ben! Oh well, at least OJ's not from here.

Why is my man Jericho back in the IC title hunt? He is past that point so move him up already!

Chris Benoit proved to us once again just how great he is. Last week he gave Val Venis one of his best matches ever on WWF TV and this week he did the same for Hardcore Holly. The good news is that he actually got a pop this week instead of receiving zero heat like he has in the past. His mic work has improved in the last year or so and his in ring work is consistently the best in the world. Slowly but surely Chris Benoit is becoming the most well rounded wrestler in the business today. In three or four months, he will be huge just in time for Austin's return. Did someone say match of the year?

Too Cool won the tag belts at a time when people did not really expect it. I think they are deserving of the titles because of their popularity and their solid workrate although I think Edge & Christian were doing a magnificent job as champions. As I predicted in the Judgment Day preview, these two teams will probably face each other at KOTR with E&C hopefully winning back their titles.

Fans of Dean Malenko say it is a "disgrace" to see him teaming with a bum like The Godfather. I think the WWF is doing it so that they could get Malenko over as a face. By doing that, they will be able to build him up so that his blowoff feud will actually mean something to the fans. Yes, The Godfather cannot tie Malenko's boots but he does have the heat Malenko needs in order to get over.

I do not think a musical performance should take place on a wrestling show although Kid Rock's fanbase is similar to the WWF's fanbase so it is not a bad move. When WCW had KISS on they put them on in the main event whereas the WWF put Kid Rock in the slot before the main event. That slot is usually saved for some meaningless match that does not interest the crowd too much. This week that match was Buchanan vs. Blackman, it's just that this time around it was placed in another slot. Do I like Kid Rock? No. When they came on I just read the latest Sports Illustrated until it was over. I did not notice when they said the word "fuck" so I have no comment on that "issue" I guess.

Be sure to check out WWF Byte This! with Steve Austin on Thursday. I got the latest edition of RAW magazine and in it there is a great interview with Austin. It will be great hearing him talk candidly again because he is one of the most honest wrestlers that this business has ever seen. RAW magazine is really good this month too so I advise you all to check it out. It's the first time I ever bought the magazine although several of my readers have recommended that I check it out in the past. I did and I liked it so maybe you should too.

Overall it was a solid show that I enjoyed more than the shows of the last few weeks. I think they will need to have a main event that actually delivers a match soon or else it will upset some of the fans. They can get away with it once in a while but not every week. Before I wrap up my WWF thoughts I just wanted to point out the "Mideon = Ratings" sign that was on Raw for most of the night. It's always great to see that!

WCW Thoughts
I have no more complaints about the WCW title situation. If Russo is going to pass that title around like a two dollar slut then I guess we will have to live with it. Jarrett is now a four time world champion just like Steve Austin. Is that logical? Of course not. Does Russo care? No and That's the saddest thing about the whole situation.

Goldberg's back? I really don't care. Maybe the guy should show me that he really is dedicated to wrestling instead of waiting for the right storyline. Prediction: Goldberg is out of wrestling by January 1, 2002. I give him one and a half years till he is gone because obviously he has no desire for it. If he did he would have learned how to wrestle and more importantly, how to control yourself in the ring. He'll be in the same boat as the Ultimate Warrior when it is all said and done. He has the intensity, he's just too naïve (or dumb) to learn what it takes to last in this business.

The biggest draw in WCW right now is Ric Flair. WCW realized that on Monday when he was the main focus of the show. If they were smart they would put him in a program with Jarrett now so that Jarrett could get over even more. It's always nice to see Ric, I hope they keep him around even if he retires.

Vince Russo says that Scott Steiner can be the next Austin or even bigger. I say that's absolutely bullshit. The Steiner of today is not the same as the Steiner of the early '90s. He was a good worker but now he's just horrible. He may get over because he can say the word "ass" every five seconds but there is more to a gimmick than that. There is more to Austin than that. There is not much more to Steiner. Do you really think fans are going to go nuts for him when he puts on his reverse chin lock? Hell no. It has to be one of the worst finishers in wrestling history and that includes the legdrop! Scott Steiner could get over as a big babyface but until he gets a finisher and until he finds his workrate he will be another cheap Austin imitator just like Hogan and Nash. Austin is one of a kind. Even Russo should be able to understand that.

I have received a lot of mail ever since my favourite WCW wrestler, formerly Booker T., changed his name. People expect me to dislike the name but the truth is I don't mind the name G.I. Bro all that much. The problem is that Booker (his real name) is feuding with Shawn Stasiak even though he is far superior than him. Stasiak has zero heat, zero credentials and offers absolutely nothing to Booker in terms of moving up the ladder. He's the Steve Blackman of WCW. I don't care what Booker's name is, just push him and I'll be happy. That's all that matters to me. Call him anything for all I care, well, anything but Kevin Nash.

Speaking of Kevin Nash, I want everybody to know where I stand with the guy. First of all, he is one of the wrestlers that I dislike the most. I always have and I always will. I think he is a good mic worker and he does elicit a response (at least he used to) but those are his only pluses. He is still lazy, he is a horrible worker and he has never had a good match in WCW. I can understand why some people may like him but for me he is near the very bottom of my likable list.

People in Utah like Karl Malone but once you leave that state I guarantee there are few Malone fans around North America. He is probably the biggest complainer in the NBA and definitely not the most well liked guy in the league. Here's a guy who showed up at the all-star game later than everybody because he was mad that he was not starting. He did not deserve to start! When Malone retires I will be happy, just not as happy as the referees who have to listen to this 260 pound baby. Putting Malone on Nitro proved to be a big mistake which is absolutely no surprise to me.

I was going to share some thoughts about Russo's latest WCW Live comments although I am tired of talking about it at this point. The fact of the matter is that Russo's biggest problem with the WWF is that he was never recognized while he worked there. Now, he is putting himself all over TV, the net and any place else where people will listen. Trust me, if he had a character on WWF TV while he was a writer he would still be there. That's the truth.

In Closing...
Instead of saying when my next column will be and what the subject will be I refrain from doing that in future columns. Just remember that I will preview every WWF, WCW and ECW (as long as they give us a card) PPV the Friday before the event. In addition to that, I will have at least one column per week and some other contribution to the Oratory. The column about HBK's greatest matches will be pushed back a bit as I have other things prepared and I feel I need a break from all the HBK stuff. In the coming weeks I promise plenty of original, fun columns that everyone can enjoy.

Speaking of the Oratory, you better head on over there quickly or else Matt "Somebody pass me the vodka" Spence will post explicit nude pictures of himself and the donkey he has that supposedly kicks him in the groin. According to inside sources, Matt and the donkey are more than "just friends" so please visit the site before we find out just how close they are. I wish I was joking but the reality is that it is true so please visit the site. Don't do it for me, do it for the children! You can visit the Oratory by clicking HERE! In all seriousness, we will be having some exclusive Oratory columns up in a few days so if you are a fan of my stuff then you better bookmark the site because that's the only place where these columns will be posted. Oh yeah and if you get the chance to vote for the major league baseball all-star game be sure to vote for Carlos Delgado because he is the best first baseman in the game.

If you have any questions or comments about this column feel free to MAIL ME and I will do my best to reply to you as soon as possible. Have a great week and go Lakers!

Smell ya later,
John C.
Big3 Oratory

Mail John C.
AOLIM: JohnC1104
Matt Spence dissects Raw, Samir gives props to the APA and Drq manages to say a few positive things! Click here or else Spence will come after you with the "XXX Donkey" pics.

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