<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss version="2.0">
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<title>wrestling</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/tags/wrestling</link>
<description>New posts about wrestling</description>
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<title>A Tale of Two Bronze Medals</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Sports/A-Tale-of-Two-Bronze-Medals.237145</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/08/31/olympicpodiumsm_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p>Objects have no intrinsic meaning attached to them, rather they are attributed meaning and value by individuals and cultures, by slow gradual process or by great sudden calamity. It is amazing how a single object can mean something wonderful to one person while another casts it away. What follows is the tale of two bronze medals, each tells a very different story despite being so similar.</p>
<h3>Wrestling</h3>
<p>Ara Abrahamian was born on the 27<sup>th</sup> of July 1975 in Leninakan,  Armenian SSR, which was then part of the Soviet Union (now after extensive renaming the city is known as Gyumri, in the now  independent Republic of Armenia). The country of Ara's birth is a landlocked and mountainous country that is rich in rugged beauty (and lies between the Black Sea and the Caspian Sea on the eastern border of Turkey). One of the symbols of Armenia is Mount Ararat, where it is said Noah's Ark was trapped after the floods receded.</p>
<p>Abrahamian began his wrestling career at the tender age of eight and won the title of Armenian junior champion three times. In 1994 he journeyed to Stockholm, Sweden, to compete in the Stockholm Junior Open, which he then went on to win. Following this he left his own nation's team to join the Swedish one.</p>
<p>In the course of his career representing Sweden, he has won 2 World Championships as well as a silver medal at the 2004 Summer Olympics.</p>
<p>Abrahamian gained widespread infamy at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing, when (after the August 14th Men&amp;rsquo;s Greco Roman 84 kg semi-final against Italian wrestler, Andrea Minguzzi) he gracefully accepted his bronze medal only to walk away and throw it down. Suddenly this was the moment in the Olympics everyone was talking about.</p>
<p>It seems natural to assume the worst; bad loser throws down medal &amp;ndash; but the truth becomes a much harder thread to follow. Could it be that the judges are corrupt, and Ara's actions were carried out in the hope that the international community can be made aware of it?</p>
<p>During the match Minguzzi took a point in the first period of the bout. Abrahamian then took a point in the second bout, thus staying in for a third round which would be the decider. The mat chairman then conferred with the judges and referee to give Abrahamian a warning. This warning caused the point to be taken back off him and subsequently reassigned to his opponent costing him the match. Immediately the Swedish coach requested a video replay to see if the warning had been justified but this was denied. An appeal was filed to FILA (F&amp;eacute;d&amp;eacute;ration Internationale des Luttes Associ&amp;eacute;es) who refused to take it.</p>
<p>The IOC (International Olympic Committee) soon held a disciplinary hearing that disqualified Abrahamian and revoked his discarded bronze medal, for violating the Olympic spirit of fair play.</p>
<p>An inquiry conducted by CAS (The Court of Arbitration for Sport) was held at the request of the Swedish Olympic Committee. The report issued by CAS criticizes FILA for not providing any mechanism through which Ara's claim could be promptly heard, as well as for awarding the point after the bout when Ara would be unable to take this into account in his sporting strategy (violating the Olympic ideals of fair play).</p>
<p>While the inquiry is a step in the right direction, nevertheless the bronze medal now lies in limbo. Abrahamian has retired from the sport in disgust, it can only be hoped that his actions prompt changes for the better.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/2008/08/31/olympicmedalsm_1.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<h3>Taekwondo</h3>
<p>Rohullah Nikpai  was born on the 15<sup>th</sup> of June, 1987 in Afghanistan, where he began to practice Taekwondo at a young age. Fleeing the bloody conflict in the capital city, he and his family settled in an Iranian refugee camp. Even under the circumstances Nikpai continued to train and joined the refugee Taekwondo team. When his family returned to Kabul in 2004 his passion for the martial art remained firm. In 2006 he competed at the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar and was knocked out in round sixteen by Thailand's Nattapong Tewawetchapong.</p>
<p>At the 2008 Beijing Olympics Nikpai was beaten in the quarterfinals by Guillermo P&amp;eacute;rez of Mexico (who would go on to take gold). The main bracket was a single elimination tournament, determining gold and silver.</p>
<p>A repechage was subsequently held to determine the bronze medal winners. Each of the competitors who had lost to the finalists took part in this, and it took the format of another single-elimination competition. Each semifinalist faced the opponent in the opposite half of the bracket. In the repechage Nikpai defeated Michael Harvey of Great Britain and then Juan Antonio Ramos of Spain to take home Afghanistan's first ever olympic medal.</p>
<p>In caf&amp;eacute;s throughout Afghanistan people broke out into smiles and congratulated each other as they proudly watched their hero receive his bronze medal. Sadly many were unable to watch the win first hand due to power outages, but the win brought smiles and joy to those who did. While Nikpai's win dominated the news that evening president President Hamid Karzai called personally congratulate him.</p>
<p>"I hope this will send a message of peace to my country after 30 years of war," Nikpai told the press after his win.</p>
<p>For his efforts on behalf of the nation, Nikpai has been awarded a house by the government and a $10,000 prize offered for the bronze Ehsanullah Bayat, chairman of the Afghan Wireless Communication Company.</p>
<p>In a country ravaged by war, where survival takes precedence over training and facilities are less than adequate the win sparks hope that this may change, and in future Afghan athletes might strive for gold.</p>
<p>The 21 year old returned home to Kabul and received a hero's welcome, being met at the airport by vice-president Karim Khalili who then brought him to the national stadium in an open topped truck. 5,000 delighted fans greeted him and cheered his success while the TV network broadcast the festivities along with Nikpai's winning bout. He is the pride of the nation.</p>
<h3>Two Tales</h3>
<p>The contrast between the two medals is fascinating. One is a national hero, while the other has sparked controversy, and shed light on possible corruption and politics getting in the way of fair play within his sport. Another 351 bronze medals were awarded to various countries, an each has its own story. 958 medals (gold, silver and bronze) were awarded to countries in the course of the games. Along with Afghanistan; the nations of Bahrain, Mauritius, Sudan, Tajikistan and Togo also won their first Olympic medals. Each medal has its own meaning for the athletes who competed for them and the nations who watched their athletes strive to be the best. Medals take on this meaning, symbolizing both the spirit of the games and the manner in which they were won.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FSports%2FA-Tale-of-Two-Bronze-Medals.237145"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FSports%2FA-Tale-of-Two-Bronze-Medals.237145" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 01 Sep 2008 05:16:38 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>The Five Coolest WWE Titles and What You Didn't Know About Them</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Wrestling/The-Five-Coolest-WWE-Titles-and-What-You-Didnt-Know-About-Them.198461</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/sportales/2008/08/06/253467_1.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/graphics/WWFIC.jpg" target="_blank">image source</a><br /><br />The Intercontinental Championship has been held many times and Chris Jericho has held it a record of 8 separate occasions. This title has been around in Wwf. The title's creation came as a result of Patterson defeating Ted DiBiase to win the WWF North American Heavyweight Championship and defending the title in a tournament to be unified with a South American Heavyweight Championship in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The title later became known as the WWF Intercontinental Championship.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/sportales/2008/08/06/253467_2.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://www.ecw-zone.de/mediac/400_0/media/ECW-WORLD.jpeg" target="_blank">image source</a></p>
<p>The ECW World Heavyweight Championship was in the original ECW. Sabu won this title in a barbed wire match where he ripped his bicep open. This title has some violent history. This was the original ECW title and it was active until April 11, 2001 when ECW shut down and Wwe bought its Assets. It was revived in June 2006 when ECW became a third brand for Wwe.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/sportales/2008/08/06/253467_3.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://sekaiedge.files.wordpress.com/2008/03/worldheavyweightchampionship2.jpg" target="_blank">image source</a></p>
<p>The World Heavyweight championship has been held by people such as Batista Triple H and the legendary Ric Flair. The title was introduced in 2002 by Eric Bischoff because Raw had no World Title he handed it to Triple H because he was the last superstar to have the Wwe Undisputed championship which was currently held by Brock Lesnar</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/sportales/2008/08/06/253467_4.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://www.100megsfree4.com/wiawrestling/graphics/wweus1.gif" target="_blank">image source</a></p>
<p>The Us Title has been held by many people such as MVP and Shelton Benjamin and this title has been around since Wwf. The title was originally called the WCW United states title but during SummerSlam 2001 Edge won the intercontinental title while he had the U.S Title causing it to be inactive. It was reactivated as the Wwe United States Championship by Stephanie McMahon on Smackdown.</p>
<p><img src="http://images.stanzapub.com/readers/sportales/2008/08/06/253467_5.jpg" alt="" /><br /><a href="http://www.comparestoreprices.co.uk/images/vi/vivid-imaginations-wwe-title-belts--championship-spinning-belt.jpg" target="_blank">image source</a></p>
<p>The Wwe championship is the richest prize in this business and this title design was made by John Cena. The title was the first Title in the Wwf and it became the Wwe title after the name change. The title was unified after the Wcw Invasion</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FThe-Five-Coolest-WWE-Titles-and-What-You-Didnt-Know-About-Them.198461"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FThe-Five-Coolest-WWE-Titles-and-What-You-Didnt-Know-About-Them.198461" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Wed, 06 Aug 2008 10:36:47 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>On Second Thought, Vince McMahon Was Right in Sending Jim Ross From Raw to Smackdown</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Wrestling/On-Second-Thought-Vince-McMahon-Was-Right-in-Sending-Jim-Ross-From-Raw-to-Smackdown.180137</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>"It's a very, very bad idea to send Jim Ross from Raw to Smackdown. Or so I thought at first. I was thinking the boss, the chairman of WWE(World Wrestling Entertainment)was an idiot for doing so. And it's very rarely I consider Mr. McMahon an "idiot."</p>
<p>I've always thought of Vince McMahon as a very smart businessman who knows how to make money and what's best for the viewer, often wishing I had his success and mostly the kind of moeny he has. He's a billionaire after all. But how is sending Jim Ross(or J.R.)good for viewers? Or for the WWE for that matter? Some people such as myself tune into WWE, yes for some of the wrestling matches but mostly I love to hear what Jim Ross and Jerry(The King)Lawler are going to say during the broadcast.</p>
<p>By getting rid of J.R. from Raw would mean losing viewers who will not tune into Raw again. Watch Smackdown instead? "You've gotta be kidding me" I screamed! "I could care less about Smackdown" and without both J.R. and The King side-by-side broadcasting why bother? I never could get into Smackdown, with the rare time when one of my favourite WWE Divas Ashley Massaro was on, then I'd fast forward through all the matches just to see her in action.</p>
<p>I still tune into Raw and now alongside Jerry(The King)Lawler is Michael Cole. Cole's doing an excellent job as is Lawler so I don't mind continuing watching Raw. Surprising myself I still enjoy Raw. Sure takes some adjusting to the new announce team though. But any change is difficult at first and takes time to adjust.</p>
<p>Missing J.R.'s commentary I also watch Smackdown the entire 2 hours. With J.R. at the announce table is Mick Foley. And while I've always been a Mick Foley fan, I didn't think I'd enjoy Ross announcing alongside anyone else. I was wrong!</p>
<p>Damn Mr. McMahon! Why did you have to be right? People such as myself now watch Smackdown to hear Jim Ross. Wonder how many extra Smackdown viewers there are now as a result. Guess McMahon was right. Sending Jim Ross to Smackdown would help with the ratings since Smackdown was behind compared to Raw.</p>
<p>Obviously McMahon(or Vinnie Mac)does know what's best for the WWE and for the viewer. He in fact is a very smart man who does know what's best. Guess that means I was wrong and owe Vince McMahon an apology for thinking he's an "idiot."</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FOn-Second-Thought-Vince-McMahon-Was-Right-in-Sending-Jim-Ross-From-Raw-to-Smackdown.180137"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FOn-Second-Thought-Vince-McMahon-Was-Right-in-Sending-Jim-Ross-From-Raw-to-Smackdown.180137" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 24 Jul 2008 01:30:37 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>The Great NBA Hoax</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Basketball/The-Great-NBA-Hoax.160271</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>This week, sports fans around the world have been tuned into the latest installment of the Los Angeles Lakers/Boston Celtics rivalry. It's up there with the Yankees versus Red Sox, Ohio State versus Michigan, and my wallet versus gas prices. Having grown up watching the classic 1980's battles between Magic and Bird, McHale and Worthy, Kareem and Parrish, part of me can't but help feel as giddy as Ryan Seacrest at a Coldplay concert (you know how I know he's&amp;hellip;). Unfortunately, there's a little voice inside my brain that's telling me I'm being duped by the &amp;ldquo;Dick Cheney&amp;rdquo; of sports commissioners, David Stern.</p>
<p>Last year, the N.B.A. Finals between the ultra-vanilla San Antonio Spurs and Lebron James (yes, it was just him) garnered the lowest television ratings in Finals history. You see, sports are entertainment, whether us purists want to admit to it or not, and we're not going to waste hours watching that super-groovy stalwart, Tim Duncan, go against the biggest stiff since Ron Jeremy, one Zydrunas Ilgauskas (again, it was Lebron against the entire Spurs team).</p>
<p>Enter the puppet-master, the dream-weaver, the illegitimate child of Barnum and Bailey - Mr. David Stern. He did what artists, musicians, and businessmen have been doing throughout history when times get tough - he got back to basics. I can imagine him in his silk pajamas, dreaming away in his New York Penthouse, when he suddenly sprung out of bed and scribbled down just two words<strong>&amp;hellip;</strong>Lakers&amp;hellip;Celtics. It's no different than Bono falling out of bed and scribbling down a good lyric or an Exxon Executive falling out of bed and scribbling a higher gas price (you can tell I'm a little upset about the gas prices).</p>
<p>Once he had the two names, Stern went to work. That was and has always been his genius. First thing he did was make sure that the game's greatest player, Kobe Bryant, stayed on the Lakers. Who knows, maybe he even kicked a little extra into Bryant's bulging coffers so the Lakers' star would for once behave like an adult.</p>
<p>Next, Stern made sure that Kevin Garnett left that media juggernaut, Minnesota, and landed on the Celtics. Amazing, considering everyone in the league was after him. Stern even added Ray Allen to the mix, since the Celtics were going to need A LOT of help if they were going to make the Finals.</p>
<p>And still he wasn't done. Stern realized that &amp;ldquo;Baby-Shaq&amp;rdquo;, Andrew Bynum, was probably still a year away from helping the Lakers advance, so Stern arranged the most lopsided trade in N.B.A. history - Pau Gasol for some less than stellar talent and what are sure to be less than stellar draft picks - simply, brilliant.</p>
<p>Everything fell into place. The Celtics and the Lakers had the two best records in the Eastern and Western Conferences. The playoffs started and all looked well. Both teams started off with impressive wins. Unfortunately, the Celtics and Father Time didn't keep up their end of the bargain. While the Lakers cruised through their opponents like George W. through a Second, no, First Grade Spelling Bee, the Celtics suddenly looked, well, old. They struggled through two seven game series with the Atlanta Hawks and the Cleveland Cavaliers (oh, now I remember, that's the name of Lebron James' team).</p>
<p>During their Conference Finals, the Lakers worked over the Spurs with a combination of Kobe, speed, and youth. Celtics, however, found themselves in a grueling grudge-match with the Detroit Pistons. The series went to 3-2 after a Game Five nail-biter. I can imagine the Prince of Darkness, um, I mean David Stern, realizing that his Celts were probably headed to a Game Seven. Not once to leave things up to fate, I know in my heart that the Detroit/Boston Game Six was not the real deal, Holyfield. I'm sorry, but I smell a rat and yet at the same time, I'm still as giddy as Ryan Seacrest at a Hannah Montana concert (again, do you know how I know he's&amp;hellip;see 40 year old Virgin for punchline). You see, I've come to accept the David Stern-led N.B.A. for what it is - a souped up version of &amp;ldquo;professional&amp;rdquo; wrestling. I accept it, because I too want to watch the purple and gold versus the green and white. Sure, they don't wear the short shorts anymore, but still there's something magical about the Lakers/Celtics and all great rivalries. It's why we watch sports, even if it's kind of, sorta rigged.</p>
<p>*Of course, now it appears that those old geezers, the Celtics, are going to win the title, so what do I know? Who knows, maybe Stern purchased some Viagra from former Boston great, Roger Clemens, to help the old guys with their &amp;ldquo;endurance&amp;rdquo;. The bastard!</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FBasketball%2FThe-Great-NBA-Hoax.160271"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FBasketball%2FThe-Great-NBA-Hoax.160271" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 08 Jul 2008 02:10:59 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>Will Competition Return to Pro Wrestling?</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Wrestling/Will-Competition-Return-to-Pro-Wrestling.156509</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>Will pro wrestling ever see competition again?  That is a question many wrestling fans are wondering about since the death of WCW.  TNA is the closest to competition but that is going to take a lot more with brand awareness and of course putting on shows people want to watch.  The WWE is the big dog in the yard and there hasn't been really a lot of companies wanting to challenge them and can't financially.  That is going to be the big factor on that.</p>
<p>TNA itself has its own problems and for whatever reason doesn't believe in advertising their product out.  If you watch TV, you're most likely to see a WWE commercial and unless you are a regular TNA watcher, you wouldn't know when it's on.  It is true that there are some talented performers in the company but it needs more work as far as getting more recognized.  There isn't a wrestler from the past that could go in there and all of a sudden cause people to change the channel and watch TNA because of a big star.  That type of effect has worn itself out and could not work with these times.  It will come down to getting people to want to watch and think the show is great and worth watching every week.  How do they expect to have a growing audience if they're not willing to get advertising for their shows or the big PPV events?  You can't no matter how great the product may be in your own eyes.</p>
<p>The WWE right now is sitting pretty and at this moment will have 9 championships pretty soon.  It is divided up really into two main shows and one for development purposes.  The brand extension has really made it seem like being a World Champion has become a bit too easy.  Before the death of WCW, you had one World Championship and that person was to be considered the best in the industry or the man.  To me, it makes it seem like the challenge has just been somewhat taken away but that's just one opinion on that.  There shouldn't be 2 sets of tag titles since it's blatantly obvious that the tag team division is very weak in separate entities and should just be a tri-branded title.  As far as a new Woman's Title, I'm against it because I believe there should be one Woman's Title and should be defended on all shows.  Even to an extent, I would prefer there to be one World Championship because to be the leader, there should be one, not two, don't even think about three if you count the ECW Title as a World Championship.</p>
<p>Can someone come in there and become an immediate competition?  Obviously that can't be done.  What about financially?  Unless you got either Bill Gates or Donald Trump backing you as the third promotion, you are pretty much out of luck.  The only way for that to happen would be having a few guys that some may recognized that are actually pretty good and not a bunch of guys that are either past their prime or have never been a real success as a top talent.  You always need new guys and that is a foundation to continue the evolution of wrestling.</p>
<p>Pro Wrestling needs competition to return because without it, it becomes stagnant.  Look at what would happen to certain business's without competition.  In the video game industry, you have Nintendo, Sony, and Microsoft as the primary competitors and without that, one company would control the market and the system may be too expensive to buy and the same can be said about the games.  Same can be said in the restaurant world and without someone in competition, you won't have to be at your best to keep customers.</p>
<p>Will it happen?  I don't know at this moment in time but if the industry is to propel any higher, it needs it big time.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FWill-Competition-Return-to-Pro-Wrestling.156509"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FWill-Competition-Return-to-Pro-Wrestling.156509" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 03 Jul 2008 11:27:18 PST</pubDate></item>
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<title>The Hardys Drafted in 2008 WWE Draft</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Wrestling/The-Hardys-Drafted-in-2008-WWE-Draft.149697</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>This week's Monday Night Raw was a special one. The WWE draft captured everyone's attention. But there is one trade that had my attention more than any other one that night, Jeff Hardy traded from Raw to Smackdown. Feeling very happy that the Hardys will be reunited! But there was a twist. After Jeff had been traded the GM of Smackdown (Vickie) had made a proposition. Instead of Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder going up against The Miz and Morrison, she had an &amp;ldquo;EXTREME&amp;rdquo; match in mind. The Hardys will face The Miz and Morrison but upon a literally stolen win by The Miz and Morison the reunion of the Hardy's was ended shortly when Matt was traded to ECW. Although the fans were disappointed I was not. ECW really deserved and really needed Matt Hardy because the ECW had lost a lot of big superstars and therefore needed an equal share of the superstars. But enough said what I am really trying to get to is Jeff and the benefit he will bring to Smackdown. Not only his talent but also more fans.</p>
<p>Jeff Hardy is a great and popular superstar. Yes he has made some mistakes but he has made up for it in pleasing the fans with his high flying tactics and outrageously dangerous stunts to shock the fans time and time again. Of course if Matt stayed on Smackdown there might be twice as more fans because two Hardys are better than one. Smackdown has earned one Hell of a trade with Jeff and I have a feeling he will do better on Smackdown than on Raw. I mean with too many main eventers on Raw and too many people on Raw it makes it harder to obtain WWE gold!</p>
<p>Now Matt Hardy I think is screwed. He worked so hard to grab the United States Title. Yes, he keeps the title but he is going to a less popular less viewed brand. But who knows, maybe Matt will bring more fans to ECW like Jeff might to Smackdown, no one knows. But I do know this, Matt Hardy will get a hold of the ECW World Title and he will win it sooner or later. Well sooner rather than later.</p>
<p>In conclusion I hope both Hardys will pull through better than they ever have on there new brands. And maybe, just maybe, they will reunite again and win the World Tag Team Title&amp;hellip;AGAIN!!!</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FThe-Hardys-Drafted-in-2008-WWE-Draft.149697"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FThe-Hardys-Drafted-in-2008-WWE-Draft.149697" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 26 Jun 2008 06:17:04 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>A Meaningless Title</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Wrestling/A-Meaningless-Title.142429</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>For the past two years, ECW has not lived up to the original ECW created from the genius mind of Paul Heyman.  Heyman was with the new Extreme Championship Wrestling when the WWE re-birthed it back in "06, but he was given rules, boundaries and had no control over anything. He was given as many ECW original superstars as possible, including Rob Van Dam and Sabu.  Today, only four ECW originals sit on the &amp;ldquo;roster&amp;rdquo;, Tazz, Nunzio, Tommy Dreamer and Steven Richards.</p>
<p>Oddly enough the only limit the WWE gave ECW to push was about sex.  Hiring 19-year old Kelly Kelly (real name Barbie Blank) to do an exhibitionist role where she would go out and dance and strip.  No surprise when you really think about it since the one thing Vince McMahon has never limited any of his products to would be when the Diva"s and sex came into play (pardon the pun).</p>
<p>The old or shall I say original ECW, pushed the limits of extreme and produced brutal matches combined with matches that showcased some of the best technical wrestling in one show.  The sordid history of ECW has been told over and over again in the DVD and book;  The Rise and Fall of ECW.  Though the company struggled to find air time on any network as well as pay-per-view, it also struggled financially  One thing you can't take away from ECW the Original, is that many great stars today and of yesterday were produced out of that small company who used to wrestle in a bingo hall.  Guys like Mick Foley, Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Rob Van Dam, Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio, Raven, and more.  The birth of the man who would become one of the most legendary wrestlers of the late 1990's came out of ECW.   Before Steve Austin became &amp;ldquo;Stone Cold&amp;rdquo;, he worked in the now debunked WCW (World Championship Wrestling) alongside the late Brian Pillman as the Hollywood Blondes.  WCW never used Austin to his full potential and eventually while out on injury, he was fired by Eric Bischoff over the phone.  ECW took advantage and talked Austin into coming to their company and have free control over what he wanted to do.  Austin did and the personality of Austin came out in spades.  WWE jumped at the chance to acquire him and turned him into the ringmaster.  As we all know that gimmick fizzled but unlike WCW who dumped him right away without giving him a chance to shine, the WWE sat down with Austin to determine what else they could do to push him into super stardom.  Stone Cold was born.  ECW found a gem and the WWE polished it.  That's just one of the examples of ECW talent finding more prominent places in our wrestling history.  If WCW saw the potential in Austin, things today would be different, and we probably would be watching Sting vs. Triple H.  God help us if that had happened.</p>
<p>ECW was a great company producing something that either WWE or WCW produced.  Something that was more accepted over in Japan or even Mexico.  That low budget look wasn't just a look for the small company, it became a lifestyle.  Fans were not just fans, they were also an important part of the show. They would bring anything they could think of to give their favourite wrestlers to use as weapons.   Anything from irons, cookie sheets, frying pans, brooms, you name it as long as it was legal.  Anything went back in the day.  Today, not so much.</p>
<p>WWE acquired all ECW's footage and rights after buying out the company in I think 2001.  I currently don't have access to check my information at the moment because I'm at work, so please forgive me.  When WWE decided to resurrect ECW, I was skeptical because I knew that the new ECW was never going to be the same as the original.  It was going to be too flashy, to scripted and too controlled.  I also knew that it wouldn't have the cult following the way the original ECW had which as part of it's charm.  Instead those original followers crapped all over the new product.  Even the mastermind behind the cult monster couldn't gain enough control to make it the product that it once was.  Everything he suggested got show down by a McMahon. Didn't matter what his suggestion would bring in the fans and make them happy or even better the entire company as a whole, he was always shot down.  He was then fired by the WWE and lost his baby altogether.</p>
<p>Along with the new ECW, came yet another new championship belt.  The ECW championship was re-introduced despite the fact that the WWE did not need another championship title to be floating around with the eight the already had.  ECW was to be a completely separate brand, except that right away it's identity was mixed with the WWE's SmackDown brand.  It shared the shows tours, Tuesday night tapings and even on occasion superstars (especially now).  So much for being a separate brand.  If they actually stayed separate, allowed Paul Heyman to run things as he pleased, the ECW Championship might have meant something instead of becoming the ninth championship in a company where the title &amp;ldquo;Champion&amp;rdquo; means jack-squat now days.</p>
<p>The WWE had plans to make the title mean something in the summer of 2007.  At Vengeance pay-per-view dubbed The Night Of Champions, was to be the start of that plan.  Their Challengers for the vacant title were suppose to be CM Punk and Chris Benoit.  Except Benoit was a no-show calling to inform his employers that there was a family emergency.  Johnny Nitro (now John Morrison) stepped in instead to work with CM Punk and won the ECW Championship.  The next day the news of the deaths of Chris Benoit, his wife and son was announced.  The day after that the terrible story of his murders and suicide took over the airwaves.  I'm not sure if it's just a coincident or not but after that the ECW championship seemed to take a back seat to everything else.  It wasn't defended the way a major title would have been and the fall of the importance of the title declined even more so over the course of the past few months.  There was no heart left in the title.  Through several months the WWE took all meaning away from this title and it got lost in the shuffle.  The ECW championship was supposed to be the equivalent of RAW's WWE Championship and SmackDown's World Championship, but it is now it is more along the lines of the forgotten Cruiserweight championship.</p>
<p>I think I began to notice the lack of importance in the ECW Championship at this years Royal Rumble.  As most of you know the Rumble gives everyone a chance to face their brands (or any brands) champion.  Thirty men enter the ring with the object to toss the other superstars over the top rope to be the last man standing in the ring.  Normally the current champions of either brand would not be in this match.  However this year had then ECW champion Chavo Guerrero entered in the Royal Rumble.  I had to stop and think this through.  Shouldn't he be in the back waiting to see who won the event just in case they challenged him?  Doesn't this make the ECW championship pointless?</p>
<p>It happened again a month ago, just after SmackDown General Manager, Vickie Guerrero stripped The Undertaker of the World Championship for using an illegal choke hold (the Gogoplata) in his BackLash match against Edge to retain the championship.  She set up a small tournament with the winners in the various matches to meet in a Battle Royal later in the night. A Battle Royal is the same concept of the Royal Rumble only a lot smaller.  The winner of the Battle Royal would go on to face The Undertaker at Judgment Day for the vacant World Championship.  This concept made zero sense anyways, what also made little sense was placing current ECW Champion, Kane, into the match giving him a chance at the Battle Royal.  He won his match and entered the Battle Royal as a favourite to win.  He didn't.  The point is, why invite the ECW champion to partake in this opportunity?  Shouldn't Kane be busy keeping his focus on his championship and not another one?  This makes me believe that the ECW championship was never prestigious enough to run with the other two brands top titles.</p>
<p>The ECW brand is like the new version of WWE's HEAT.  Like HEAT, it will one day end up as just a web show on <a href="http://www.wwe.com" target="_blank">WWE.com</a>.  And since WWE.com just canceled their own web show, it doesn't bode well for ECW's future.  The ECW brand means very little to the WWE and the championship is a stones throw away from joining the retired Hardcore and European Championships.  It doesn't matter that there are some very talented wrestlers on that show, who put on some excellent matches, they're stuck on the weaker show.</p>
<p>I guess in a way, it's both the brand and the championship that really have no meanings.  Why not just split the ECW roster up between RAW and SmackDown, and put this dying horse out it's misery.  The legacy of ECW is already dead, the WWE killed it.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FA-Meaningless-Title.142429"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FA-Meaningless-Title.142429" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Thu, 19 Jun 2008 03:14:25 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Outside Looking In</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Wrestling/Outside-Looking-In.133213</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>I have always thought that the creative end in this unique form of theatre has always lacked the perspective of the informed fan who watches from the only source that they can, the idiot box.</p>
 
<p>Right off the bat, I see that there are major talks about a stable of second generation wrestlers and it sparked a thought about something . They are looking for something for Flair to do, what about a second generation of horsemen . What about having Flair pop up on various shows looking for something and in the process he reforms the four horsemen . What he is really looking for is someone to carry on the name of the &amp;ldquo;Nature Boy&amp;rdquo;.</p>
 
<p>Part of the problem was they didn't prepare for Flair's retirement properly . They had to have known that the day was coming and yet they gave no thought to what he would do after he hung up his Robe .</p>
 
<p>Next problem , the tag team division . For a wrestling company that was at the very least partially built on its tag teams , the attention to the tag team division has been spotty at best for a long long time . When they had Booker T and Bobby Lashley on the same show, why wouldn't you at least think about reconstituting one of the greatest tag teams of all time Harlem Heat. The precedent has already been set when they dusted off &amp;ldquo;the animal&amp;rdquo; and the legion of doom was reborn. Heidenreich comes no where near hawk but you went ahead and did it anyway.</p>
<p>My idea involves Eric Bischoff coming to raw one night for a closed door meeting with Vince . He is seen minutes later leaving Vince's office later in the show but he leaves the arena completely , he stops Jeff Hardy in the back and asks him if he has a dollar. Eric hands him a legal type document and tells him if you play that right you'll drive the boss nuts . The meat of story is the only thing that Vince didn't get when he bought WCW was the rights to the Crockett Cup, a huge tag team tournament PPV. You get some teams together and have some qualifying matches on all three of your shows and have the finals at a later PPV.</p>
 
<p>Well that's all for know . Hope to talk to you soon&amp;hellip;&amp;hellip; .</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FOutside-Looking-In.133213"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FOutside-Looking-In.133213" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:47:47 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Sambo: The Russian Martial Art</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Martial-Arts/Sambo-The-Russian-Martial-Art.133137</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>The founders of Sambo relentlessly searched through all of the worlds martial arts to solidify the elite Russian Military hand-to-hand combat system. Sambo became the first eclectic method of combining many styles to form one style. In essence it was the first true mixed martial arts training. Sambo is a combination of wrestling, karate, judo, jujitsu, boxing, and  kickboxing to name a few.</p>
 
<p>Each technique was carefully dissected and considered for its merits, and if found acceptable in unarmed combat, refined to reach Sambo's ultimate goal, to stop an armed or unarmed adversary in the least time possible. Bruce Lee was also an innovator and was quoted as saying, "Take what is useful and use it and what is not useful throw it away."</p>
 
<p>Bruce was referring to martial arts because many of the techniques that are taught are not useful in a real fight. Many of the techniques taught look good and sound good on paper, are ineffective in a real situation and will only serve in getting one in a compromising situation.</p>
 
<p>Discipline and the ability to instantly estimate the complex situation of a battle, to make the right decision with a lightning speed, and to govern ones own body is the object of pursuit of any combat art. To anticipate the action before action is required is being keenly aware of your surroundings and the possible conflict that can occur with-in the moment.</p>
 
<p>However, it's insufficient just to master the close fighting art. It is also necessary  to possess a strong spirit and be ready to give your life to defend what is important to the individual. The genuine close combat is effective even when he or she has to act rightly, in an unpredictable situation, when there is no time to spot and think, and no mistake is permissible.</p>
 
<p>Sambo has been tested in so-called hot spots and showed its military efficiency, saving the lives of those who mastered it.  Its detachment have conducted operations to stop illegal drug and arms trade, to fight against customs crimes, and to provide personal security for customs officers and their relatives, or even to rescue hostages. The close fighting, as well as each phenomenon in our lives, is governed by certain laws. The same is true for the close fight psychology.</p>
 
<p>Modern combat Sambo is renown for its aggressive style and rigorous training. It includes techniques that are dangerous and prohibited in sport MMA. The elite Red Army are renown the world over for the brutal training the solders must pass through before being accepted as an elite solder.</p>
 
<p>The philosophy behind the training, "to survive". To survive is to push the mind body to the outer limits to visualize the complete endurance that the person is capable of. Once the outer limitations can be achieved does the person ever recognize how true life is and the importance of the survival of the spirit. To have a complete disregard for ones own limitations to serve the better good of other members. The frigid cold nor the searing heat can concur the warriors spirit and the mission will be completed at all cost.</p>
 
<p>There are some schools that teach Sambo in the U.S.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FMartial-Arts%2FSambo-The-Russian-Martial-Art.133137"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FMartial-Arts%2FSambo-The-Russian-Martial-Art.133137" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Tue, 03 Jun 2008 04:03:16 PST</pubDate></item>
<item>
<title>Have WWE PPVs Lost Their Meaning?</title>
<link>http://www.sportales.com/Wrestling/Have-WWE-PPVs-Lost-Their-Meaning.126457</link>
<description>
<![CDATA[<p>The WWE has had a PPV every single month this year and the question that comes to mind is do they mean anything anymore?  This upcoming PPV Judgment Day had very poor hype that it's not going to have people wanting to buy an event that has no need to.  Much like Backlash seems like a Wrestlemania rematch show, this one is more of a rushed out event with no hype and having one major rematch and two bouts coming out of the Fatal Four Way for the WWE Title.   By my analysis, there really isn't a lot of thought put into the event.</p>
 
<p>I've seen many shows over the years and back then the PPVs were hyped up and you had more of a reason to watch than what you see today.  If you miss the match the first time around, don't worry as you can get a chance to see it on the next event.  I can understand long-term booking but how many times do you have to do a certain match before it wears out its welcome.  It wouldn't be the first time as it has happened with other feuds.  A good example would be the feud with Punk and Morrison where it seemed like the whole plan would be for Morrison to make Punk look like a loser and would never obtain the championship.  I hate to say this but the reason CM Punk got the title was because of John Morrison getting suspended.</p>
 
<p>Now, the current feud that seems to now wanting to drag would be Undertaker and Edge.  Now, don't get me wrong the match ups have been pretty solid and enjoyable but if it continues to be the monthly Main Event, it's going to wear out its welcome and quite honestly won't be as appealing as it once was earlier in the year.  It happened when Batista was facing off with Undertaker and for that matter challenging for the World Title on a monthly basis pretty much last year when he lost the gold.</p>
 
<p>Anyhow, we got Judgment Day coming up and is this PPV going to be good or is it going to be horrible?  That is in the eye of the beholder.  The events have lost all meaning and just don't seem to put up enough effort to get anyone to watch it.  Personally, I don't think it's worth $40 but that's just me.  That doesn't mean the event will be horrible but it's just not worth the money considering that there is a PPV and you need to give people a reason to buy it.</p>
 
<p>Maybe there should be less PPVs but that's not likely and if anything, there's more likely of an increase in the amount of events being added to the calendar if I had to venture off and guess.  Though it's not going to happen as far as an increase of PPVs, you would have to think that would be the most likely option.  All I can say if you're going to have a PPV with a price about $40, it better be worth it otherwise it will feel like a waste of money.  In conclusion, have WWE PPVs lost their meaning, well you make the call.</p><a href="http://www.pheedo.com/click.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FHave-WWE-PPVs-Lost-Their-Meaning.126457"><img src="http://www.pheedo.com/img.phdo?x=&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.sportales.com%2FWrestling%2FHave-WWE-PPVs-Lost-Their-Meaning.126457" border="0"/></a>]]></description>
<pubDate>Mon, 19 May 2008 00:33:24 PST</pubDate></item>
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