The 1st Installment of the Palace Report Card

My friend "TheRedRocker5150" hit me with about, I guess, close to 30 names for the report card. With that being said, instead of teasing it, let's just do it. Let me follow this list, and give you my take on these talents.

New Jack
Grade - C
Personally, I did not follow ECW back in the day, as I wasn't in to the biz like I am now. I have seen a couple of his matches on DVD, and from what I can see, he's just insane. Which is good, from my standpoint. What I like about this guy is he doesn't bring anything else to the table. He says he's going to knock your head clean off your shoulders, and then he does it, albeit a tad more dirtier than you would like.

Spike, and the Dudley Boyz
Grade - C+
Spike as "The Boss" was the dumbest thing I have ever seen. However, Spike as Runt did get involved in some massively enjoyable matches, especially Monster's Ball at BFG in Detroit, where he got destroyed by Abyss. His heart is always tops in my book, because nobody can be that brave and be that sane. Team 3D, well, back in the day I was a huge fan of 3D. Are they one of the best tag teams out there? Sure. With their titles, who would discount that? But, from my point, I've just soured on them.

Jeff Hardy
Grade - C
Jeff is an amazing tag team performer. No question about it. He has begun to show more signs with his time in TNA and his return to WWE that he can survive as a singles. His mike is still suspect. His talent can overcome it, but it is sports entertainment. Is he entertaining? Indeed. But not the complete package.

X-Pac
Grade - D
I'm not a kliq guy. Do I like H and HBK? Sure. But Hall, Nash, and Waltman have never been my favorites. With that being said, there's too much baggage with Waltman for me to give him a high grade. Yeah, he has high spots with me, like the handicap table dumpster match with the Dudleys, and then he no shows when Alex Shelley wants to challenge for the tag titles after winning the Candido Cup. Way too inconsistent in my book, and hence, not one of my favorites.

Kid Kash
Grade - Incomplete
The brief time I saw Kash in TNA was impressive. Obnoxious, but impactful. His time in WWE was a joke. He was a midcard joke with Jamie Noble, where he could've been a staple of the cruiserweights, but we all know what happens with the cruisers on Smackdown. He gets an incomplete because bluntly, I didn't see him enough on TNA to make a judgment.

The Sandman
Grade - B
Sandman has a special place with me for one reason. I'm at a UXW show in Februrary of 2005, and Sandman does his entrance for a ladder match with Justin Credible, and nearly falls in to my lap from standing on the chairs. His entrance, when properly done, is second to none. Is it the total package? Hardly, but is it memorable and entertaining? Damn straight. High grade.

Terry Funk
Grade - A
One sentence. His performance at Hardcore Homecoming against Sabu and Shane Douglas in the no-rope Barbed wire match was absolutely insane. 61 years old, and put through that hell. The man is certifiable. I'll be damned if I'm going to try and insult him with a poor grade.

Raven
Grade - Incomplete
This is tough, for this reason. Early part of TNA, up to one year ago, Raven was a lot of fun to watch. Lately, with his health and/or ridiculous booking, he's become an after thought. With that being said, I have to remove some of the praise I was going to bestow on the man from the Bowery, because of his lack of performance currently in TNA, and like I said, not being around enough to observe him in ECW. I will say though, Barely Legal, Raven vs. Funk for the title, that is an amazing moment.

Mantaur
Grade - F
Why am I giving this thing even this many words?

2 Cold Scorpio
Grade - Incomplete
Don't get me wrong, I like Scorpio, and to be able to be doing what he is doing at his age is beyond description. However, I haven't seen enough matches from him to make a proper judgment. It's not anything else to say except I just haven't seen enough of him in action.

Cactus Jack
Grade - A-
From where I sit, Mick Foley would've done better to either be himself, or this guy. Although the Mankind persona did have a lot of success, his three faces thing took a lot away from the substance behind their characters, and Jack was the one who was hurt the most. Or, maybe it was just Foley trying to save himself from himself. Who knows? All I remember is the Royal Rumble at MSG, Triple H vs. Cactus Jack. WWE title vs. retirement. What a match.

Al Snow
Grade - B
Love him or hate him, Al Snow is entertaining as hell. But, I gotta be honest, having him walk by me at the UXW show while waiting on line to get in was cool, too. Ok, who said these opinions were going to be informative! :)

The New World Order - Hall, Nash & Hogan
Grade - A
Whatever my feelings for these three men individually, when they got together it was compelling television, without question. I'd be a fool not to respect that, and show the appropriate respect here. As singles, they're tough to stomach. As a group, they were incomparable.

Randy Savage
Grade - C
When he was in WWE, he was a lot of fun to watch, and I enjoyed what he brought to the table. In WCW, he became more difficult to stomach. My last impression of the Macho Man was his cup of coffee in TNA when he looked like a shadow of his former self. The C is a respect gesture of his time in WWE. If it was for last impression, it'd be a lot worse.

The Four Horsemen - Ole, Arn, Tully & Ric
Grade - A+
What can I say? To this day, occasionally, you see me walking the halls of my job, putting up the hand symbol and smiling. They were, are, and always will be, the group to end all groups. Nothing has even come close to these guys, and to my money, nothing ever will.

Bam Bam Bigelow
Grade - B
There's a match on the ECW Extreme Rules DVD with Tazz and Bamm Bamm where they both go through the ramp, literally, and end up masses of broken bones, figuratively speaking, on the floor. That match still rings in my head, and that, combined with Bigelow's look, athleticism, and mean streak gives him the B.

Psicosis
Grade - Incomplete
I don't know Psicosis out of WWE, where he's been able to shine his talents to the fullest extent. With that being said, I can't honestly grade him and be fair about it.

The Radicalz - Benoit, Malenko, Eddie & Saturn
Grades - As a group, an A. As singles, Benoit gets an A, Malenko a B, Eddie an A, and Saturn a C
When the Radicalz came to WWE, I was thrilled. 4 men who can go from the word go, and their group work was fun to watch, as they seemed to be able to feed off each other. When they split and went their separate ways, I followed Benoit and Eddie much more than Malenko and Saturn. Saturn's comedy skits were embarassing, and the concussion angle was revolting. Malenko's skit with Lita was fun, but his prime time was back in WCW, and I didn't see much of that, which is why (Malenko) he gets a B. Benoit, don't talk to me about the present. Benoit the wrestler is who I am grading here, not Benoit the person. When I think of Eddie, I think of the Cow Palace, and No Way Out 2004 when he won the WWE title from Brock Lesnar, and how I cry every time I see that match.

Chavo Guerrero
Grade - C
Chavo is an amazing talent. No question. His feud with Rey is a lot of fun to watch. But, I am mad at Chavo. Not for making a mistake, like he has appeared to do with the drug issues that has plagued WWE. But because I would've thought the wake up call he got when his uncle passed would've gotten through his head and stuck there. Thick headedness gets you nowhere in life, and Chavo lost a lot of my respect by making this mistake. I'll change my mind when he comes back and has another good match with Rey, but for now, he's in my dog house.

Ultimate Warrior
Grade - F
The man is an idiot. His career was entertaining, but now it's entertaining for all the wrong reasons. End of story.

Diamond Dallas Page
Grade - B
Here's a line for DDP. ANYONE who has the guts to stalk the Undertaker's wife, and then get in to a tag team cage match with Undertaker and Kane, while Undertaker is playing off this angle of having his wife stalked has my respect. I remember that, and I remember the ass kicking DDP took at the hands of the Dead Man back at a King of the Ring in the Meadowlands right at the beginning of the WCW alliance thing. ANYBODY with that much intestinal fortitude, or insanity, has my respect.

Bill Goldberg
Grade - A-
While I love Goldberg for what he's done for my family in the past, I am angered by his unprofessional comments made public about TNA. Yeah, TNA may be futile and reprehensible by signing Pacman Jones and going in the direction they're going, but Goldberg can be professional, and take the high road. By saying TNA doesn't deserve to have him wrestle there just turns me off. And that's why I give him an A-, and not an A. His stock is dropping with me as I write this.

There's still a ton of names on this list. Let's move through them a little quicker, due to time.

The Eliminators - Incomplete. I never saw them.

Shane Douglas - B - His performance at Hardcore Homecoming is a lot of fun to watch.

Kidman - D - His whining when he was released from WWE was really poor.

The Pitbulls - Incomplete. Never saw them.

Bret Hart - B - I HATE his personality currently, but I have to salute his wrestling ability. I'm a fool if I don't.

Jeff Jarrett - B - His professionalism during this time with his wife passing away has been second to none, from where I sit. Now, if he were to make some decisions go away for TNA, I can change that to an A.

The Steiner Brothers - C - I can't give Scott the due anymore because he looks bad. Just so roided out it's not even funny. Rick coming back to the ring after this much time is a lot of guts, but the DFG has guts banked up for years. In WCW and WWE, they were one of my favorites. Now, they're just a team.

Sting - D - I am sick and tired of Sting's preaching. Shut up and fight, or go back to taking care of your kids. The holier than thou attitude's gotta stop. It's degrading.

Dusty Rhodes - B - I'd say A, but Rhodes taking the match with Orton at the Bash bothered me. He wasn't even remotely ready for a match like that, and I think it showed. Yes, loyalty goes so far, but do you need to put yourself at risk like that for the product when you've given it as much as Rhodes has? Good question.

Roddy Piper - A - Always a laugh riot, always unpredictable, always entertaining. Not much bad can be said about the Rowdy One.

The Motor City Machine Guns - A - For potential only. They have the chance to be a major player in TNA, if given the opportunity. I hope they do.

Sonjay Dutt - D - I liked Sonjay from minute one, but the "Guru" has to go. It's repulsive.

Triple X - B - It should just be Senshi and Daniels, but the trio is a fun team to watch. I like Senshi and Daniels a lot, and Elix does know the deal. It's good to see XXX back in TNA.

Buff Bagwell - D - I didn't like the gimmick. It reminded me of a pompous individual who was too obnoxious for his own good. Yes, that's what he was trying to portray, but I didn't like it.

The Blue World Order - B - One Night Stand 1 in the Hammerstein Ballroom. A day that will forever be etched in the mind of yours truly for the brawl before the main event, and Big Stevie Cool's decree of "We're taking over", before getting his clock cleaned by Sandman, Dreamer, and the Dudleys. A lot of fun.

Ian an Axl Rotten - A - Yeah, they're not scientific machines. Who the hell cares? I watched and have on DVD the taipei death matches between these two. ANYONE with that much in their collective bellies gets my ultimate kudo.

Sabu - D - Sabu had all the makings of being a major star in the business, and being set for the remainder of his life, and he blew it for a few puffs of the wacky tabaccki. One thing to be said here, stupid.

Justin Credible & Lance Storm - As a team - incomplete. As individuals - Credible gets a D, Storm a B - My only experience with the Impact Players is ONS 1, and the match with Storm and Jericho. Credible as a singles never seemed to get out of his own shadow. Some thing always seemed to be dogging him. Storm, while his career in WWE wasn't the greatest, Storm has my respect for being so candid with his commentaries on his website. His knowledge and ability to use it is unparalleled. If I were EVER to go in to the business and try and become a talent, Storm would be one of the guys on the list of people I would try and get to train me.

Andre the Giant - A - The Eighth Wonder of the World. What can you say about him? Nothing. You just heap the kudos and move on.

Beefcake gets a B with me, Rude a B, DiBiase an A for being an amazing heel with the microphone. Rude is also an amazing mike worker, but I was never too fond of the "ravishing" gimmick. Blackman's no nonsense hardcore style gives him an A with me. Yeah, I know, it's not right, but it's my opinion, and that's what you guys asked for.

I hated Too Cool when they started, but they grew on me. I give the team an A. As singles, Sexay gets a C, Rikishi a B, and Scotty an A. Scotty for his longevity, Rikishi for being that gutsy to do the gimmick, and Sexay for not sticking around and being what he could be in the ring for WWE.

The Freebirds, B. I wish I had more of a chance to watch them. I'd like to see WWE do a DVD on them, or the British Bulldogs. Two of my favorite classic teams.

Rhino gets a C, because I would've thought he'd think twice about doing an angle like he presently is doing with James Storm. It's offensive.

Tajiri gets an A. Anyone that can hit that hard and be that small is right on the money with me.

Guido and Crazy as well get B's for having the guts and the drive to keep going, even with the lack of push WWE has given him over the years. Sure, they've gotten their time here and there, but overall, they really hasn't had much, and yet, they've been the loyal soldiers.

Konann - C - I feel sorry for Konann and his health troubles these days. But his political viewpoints and his bitterness in the wake of the drug scandals turns me off.

The Nasty Boys & the Acolytes - Virtually similiar in style. Both hard pounders - Both get As.

Gangrel - C - The Brood had legs, but he didn't.

Steve Corino - A - See Lance Storm, read Corino's blogs, they're a terrific read.

Chris Jericho - B - A great worker, but he appears to be stringing WWE along lately, which bothers me, but I understand why. He's not at the top with me, but he's damn good.


damn, man, my fingers are killing me. I missed one last one.

The Road Warriors get an A+. They were and still are one of my favorite teams ever. End of statement.