For kicks and giggles, I put in an old TNA DVD. AJ Styles Best of, Volume 1, specifically, the cage match from the Nashville Asylum where he was subbed in for an injured Chris Harris, and defeated Jeff Jarrett for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship. My how times have changed. Here you had the only triple crown winner in TNA history, only to be eclipsed in one match by a former WWE guy, here you had the absolute star of the future, home grown, in your own backyard, and yet, he's now been turned in to an absolute fool and a lackey for who?
A former WWE guy.
Wrestling can be awfully fickle sometimes, don't you think?
3 comments:
Mike,
You know I happened to have the same type of feelings when watching some of my older DVDs... only difference is mine are a lot more somber. Cue up Vengeance 2003... the opening bout... a classic 20-minute showcase for the United States title... Chris Beniot vs. Eddie Guerrero.
If you're like me... and I know I am... you seem to have an uneasy feeling whenever you watch a Chris Benoit match after stepping into the wayback machine. It has nothing to do with the quality of the matches or the opponents he faced... it's just the horrible events that followed. What's odd though is that you don't get the same feelings after you watch an Eddie Guerrero, Brian Pillman, or (insert great technical wrestler who has left us) match.
I was fortunate enough to watch Benoit's final live performance in person when we came to Charlotte earlier in the year for an ECW/Smackdown taping. I have the stub laminated and framed in my "dork den"... right next to my other memorabilia (Autographed copies of all books released by wrestlers, and my prized possession.. autographed pic of me and Bobby Heenan)
Sorry for going off on the tangent. Just thought I'd give my three cents on reminiscing matches from the past and sitting amazed at what wrestling has come to now. Just mind-boggling.
that's why this blog is here, Doug. to do this type of talking. I am glad I was able to provide this type of forum for you. I hope you enjoyed writing your thoughts, and do so more times in the future.
Wow, I'm glad I'm not the only one that has noticed the demise of AJ Styles. He is THE reason I started watching TNA regularly. This to me is a huge example of not utilizing a phenomenal talent. They could do so much with Styles. I may be way off, but it seems to me that maybe all these ex-WWE/WCW stars may be a little heavy on the creative side of their contracts, which doesn't leave any room for guys like Styles. Either that or he got into either Dixie Carter or Jarrett's doghouse in a big way. BIG mistake to not use this guy!
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