The Greatest Professional Wrestler of All-Time: The Conclusion

This is the final installment in a three-part series to properly qualify how we could anoint a wrestler as the greatest of all-time and what grapplers carry the distinction as one of the greatest. It must be restated that this argument, opposed to who may be the greatest hockey player or basketball player, is much more complex and layered. I proposed six all-time greats in the last post, and they are listed as such (not a ranking order):

• Shawn Michaels
• Kurt Angle
• Ric Flair
• The Undertaker
• Chris Benoit 
• Hulk Hogan

Onto the final three...

Two of the greatest ever: The Rock & Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold Steve Austin

It's undeniable that Stone Cold Steve Austin was WWE's leading man during its most profitable and revered era in the near 60-year history of the promotion. Like Hulkamania, Austin 3:16 was a movement that propelled WWE's Attitude marketing strategy into the forefront of North American pop culture. Austin's popularity sky-rocketed after his epic and bloody contest with then fan-favourite, Bret The Hitman Hart; I'll go on record to say that's one of the greatest matches of all-time. Millions embraced Austin's rebellious attitude and his tendency to infuriate the boss, Vince McMahon. This rivalry provided us the most compelling  programming in the history of the company. Whether Austin was driving a Zamboni within Joe Louis Arena to get his hands on the Chairman or he was bathing McMahon and co. in Miller-Lite soda pops, even the most skeptical believers of pro wrestling needed to know what rebellious act Austin would perform next?

In the ring, Austin was a skilled technician, but could also brawl with the best of them; The Texas Rattlesnake brawled his way throughout many great matches in 1998. His matches with The Hitman are well-documented but the Bionic Redneck would end up a participant in some of wrestling's most dramatic matches. No one will forget the wars he waged with the likes of The Rock, The Undertaker, Chris Benoit and Triple H. 

Hulkamania may have originally pushed pro wrestling into pop culture prominence, but there's no denying that Austin 3:16 elevated pro wrestling to heights it has never seen. 

Dwayne The Rock Johnson

This is a highly-debatable suggestion. One could argue Dwayne The Rock Johnson would have never been the top guy in the WWE at any point if it wasn't for a year-long absence of Steve Austin who missed a year due to rehabbing a surgically repaired neck. However, what can't be argued is that The Great One would ultimately become the greatest pop culture export pro wrestling has ever produced. Now a multi-million dollar action movie star, Dwayne Johnson might be the most recognizable pro wrestler of all-time. 

While Rocky left a career in the squared circle for a career on the big screen, his tenure at WWE was highlighted by multiple runs as WWE Champion and Wrestlemania main events. While entertainment's most electrifying man wasn't Chris Benoit in comparisons to technical prowess, The Rock could hold his own in the ring and brought a unique style of grappling to some classic encounters with Steve Austin, Mankind and Triple H. Indelibly, The Rock will always be remembered for the plethora of catchphrases he's left in WWE lore. Only a few select wrestlers were able to captivate an audience with words only, like the Brahma Bull could. 

The Rock's full-time run as a pro wrestler was cut-off during the prime years but he trail-blazed a path towards stardom no other superstar could achieve; If you smell what's he's cookin'. 

Bret The Hitman Hart

WWE's flagship bearer of the mid-1990's, Bret Hart etched a path of excellence nearly unrivaled in pro wrestling history. The Hitman was as a technically sound as anyone and was a participant in many of wrestling's greatest matches. Whether he was paired with long-standing partner, Jim The Anvil Neidhart, collectively known as The Hart Foundation, or he was wrestling in singles competition, Hart was one of the sport's best storytellers. During the early 1990's, WWE was the land of giants where the top superstars were coincidentally the largest; however, you can only hold down greatness for so long. In comparison to many of wrestling behemoths, a diminutive Hart wrestled his way to five WWE Championships and owns the distinction of being the company's first-ever triple crown winner, collecting WWE Heavyweight, Intercontinental and Tag Team titles. 

No one will ever forget classic encounters Hart had with Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Diesel, The Undertaker, the British Bulldogs, Mr Perfect and his brother Owen Hart. If I was to list the 10 greatest matches of all-time, you may see Hart's name more than any other listed wrestler. 

Bret Hart truly has ever right to claim he is, "the best there is, the best there was and the best there ever will be". 

I presented 9 suggestions as to who may be the greatest of all-time; who is at the top of your list? There are some omissions that may come into question. History pundits will point to Madison Square Garden legend Bruno Sammartino as the greatest; or new generation fans believe that John Cena's ten-year run as WWE's main-eventer makes him the best. WCW advocates will point to the career of Sting and say he deserves mention or that Triple H was really "that damn good" and he stands atop this mountain. 

Well, that's what makes this argument so much fun!

The Greatest Professional Wrestler Of All Time Part 2 of 3

Is Ric Flair the greatest of all-time?

This post is part 2 in a series to understand a) how to qualify the best professional wrestler of all time and b) Who's in the conversation as the best ever. I wanted to write this series in a two week span but between this post and the initial post, we celebrated the holidays, a monkey ran amok in a Toronto Ikea and a school massacre shook the United States to its core. That said, my first post helped to explain the intricacies of how to decide who could be the greatest of all time and the next two will list the very few who are worthy of being labelled, simply the best.

Shawn Michaels

By the time Shawn Michaels finished his career in 2010, the Heartbreak Kid cemented his status as the best in-ring, big-time performer ever. "Mr. Wrestlemania" had a habit of stealing the show at the biggest event of the year. He had some of the most memorable matches in the history of the WWE, but none were better than his epic encounters with the Undertaker, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle and Razor Ramon at Wrestlemania.

Michaels had the uncanny ability to mix technical prowess with dazzling and flashy acrobatic maneuvers into his matches. Michaels had a flare for the dramatic and it was on full displays in his matches. He was well on his way to a hall-of-fame career before it was cut short by a career-threatening back injury. He only cemented his greatness when he came back after a four-year absence to wrestle for another eight marvelous years. The final chapter in the career of Michaels was penned by two of the best matches ever against the Undertaker, on the "grandest stage of them all", where else but Wrestlemania. If the pinnacle of this art of professional wrestling is the capability to convey a layered and dramatic story inside the ropes then Shawn Michaels can certainly lay claim to the best wrestler of all time.

Kurt Angle

Coming from a highly decorated amateur wrestling career that included winning a gold medal at the 1996 Olympics, Kurt Angle seamlessly transitioned to the pro ranks of wrestling. In fact, no one mastered the craft as quickly as he did. Within the first year of his tenure with World Wrestling Entertainment, Angle was already having the best matches on the card and was catapulted to main event status. Not only was he technically flawless but he also developed a humourous and entertaining on-screen character. He was simply put, a natural.

By the time Angle finished his tenure in the WWE he was having the best matches and rivalries in the promotion. His storied confrontations with Shawn Michaels, Chris Benoit, Brock Lesnar and Eddie Guerrero were the in best the WWE. He would go onto TNA in 2006 and quickly became the premiere attraction in that promotion and has stayed atop the main event throughout his six-year tenure. He's nearing the end of a storied career but to this day, what was said of Kurt Angle in 2002 can still be said today, "Kurt Angle can have a great match with a broomstick".

Ric Flair

"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair really epitomizes what a professional wrestler should be. He looked the part of a professional wrestler, he talked the part of a professional wrestler and he wrestled the part of a professional wrestler. Throughout the 1980's while pop culture was riding the wave of Hulkamania, the truest of wrestling fans were buying tickets throughout the nation to watch the, "wheelin' dealin', kiss stealin', jet-flyin', limousine-ridin', son-of-a-gun" World's Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair defend his title.

The legendary rivalries Ric Flair had with Ricky Steamboat, Dusty Rhodes and the Macho Man Randy Savage still rank among the greatest rivalries in the history of pro wrestling. Flair was also idolized by greats like Triple H and Shawn Michaels, that truly speaks volumes about the mark Ric Flair has left on sports entertainment. Ric Flair's 30-year run as the "Nature Boy" helped him accumulate a record 16 world championships and a legitimate claim to being anointed as "the Man".

The Undertaker

A name often disregarding when this debate comes up, The Undertaker should be given consideration for the  mere attraction he is and his long-tenured stay atop the main event in the WWE.

It's noted that if we are to equate the greatest attraction as the greatest wrestler, then perhaps Andre the Giant stands tallest (figuratively and literally) as the greatest professional wrestler of all time. However, I've chosen not to include the friendly giant into the conversation.

For over twenty years (let that sink in), the Undertaker has stood as the premiere attraction in the biggest wrestling promotion in the world. For the last five years, when April rolls around, it's his match that is the most hyped at Wrestlemania; even when he's not vying for a championship. His worked 20-0 record at Wrestlemania is discussed as a legit record among wrestling fans and even the casual fans that only feign interest in the biggest card of the year want to know who is in line to try and stop "The Streak".

When it comes to handling business inside the ropes of the squared circle, there has never been a better wrestling "big man" than the "Dead Man". A catch-as-catch-can savant, Taker can wrestle the technically sound Bret Harts of wrestling and also fly through the air with the greatest of ease with the high-flying Rey Mysterios of wrestling. Many may point to his epic encounter at Wrestlemania 25 with Shawn Michaels as the greatest match of all time, but the Undertaker has waged war against all the best wrestlers of his era and had to single-handily carry some of wrestling biggest disasters (Jon Heindenreich) to respectable matches in between. There is no question the "Dead Man" has lived his career among the greatest.

Chris Benoit

Chris Benoit doesn't have many legs to stand on to be in consideration as the best ever. He rarely cut a compelling promo, he was never a draw and he only had one World Title run to account for, but why we can consider Benoit the best ever, is for a five-year span, he was the greatest technical wrestler in the world. The way he mastered the craft of pro wrestling alone should give us all pause whether we should dismiss him from this conversation. No one has ever made pro wrestling look as real as he did, and I dare say, there is no bigger compliment than that. For the fact Benoit had absolutely flawless matches with William Regal, Kurt Angle and Bret Hart is reason enough for me to include Benoit among the best.

Hulk Hogan

Hulkamania was officially born on a chilly January night in 1984, when the man behind the movement, Hulk Hogan defeated the Iron Shiek to win the WWF Championship and start the said movement that would revitalize pro wrestling and propel it into the mainstream of pop culture, where it has lived for nearly 30 years. Many argue that with the marketing ability of WWE Chairman Vince McMahon, the Hulkamania movement could have been led by any of McMahon's hand-pointed henchmen. I beg to differ. "The Hulkster" brought an energy an aura that was severely lacking from pro wrestling. Spare me your thoughts on whether Superstar Billy Graham was the original Hulk Hogan. Terry Bolea is the authentic Hulk Hogan and the man that changed sports entertainment forever.

Hogan would never be confused with technical wizards like Chris Benoit but when the lights shined the brightest, Hogan could carry his weight in the ring. Former ECW and WWE Superstar, Al Snow, made a great point about Wrestlemania 3. While the epic encounter for the Intercontinental Title between Ricky Steamboat and the Macho Man Randy Savage is widely considered the best match of the night, the match of the night was in fact the historic WWF Championship match between Hogan and Andre the Giant. It was that match that filled the Pontiac Silverdome with 90,000 people. It was that match that delivered "the bodyslam heard around the world".

While never the most polished in the ring, Hulk Hogan remains as the greatest draw in the history of sports entertainment and the driving force that elevated wrestling into the forefront of North American pop culture.

To be continued...

The Antiquated 2nd Amendment & The Worst Plan B of All-time

It's been a week now since the unspeakable and unfathomable Sandy Hook Elementary School travesty; the world still remains in shock. When I first started to read the timeline on Twitter I initially tweeted that the conversation on gun control should be saved for a more appropriate time, whether that was in the coming days, weeks or months. However, shortly thereafter, after reading the tweets from Piers Morgan and Michael Moore, I came to agreement that NOW is the time to have an honest conversation about gun control in the United States. The deaths of these 20 innocent young angels cannot happen without change. I spent the next couple hours retweeting insightful articles and statistics about the gun control issue in the United States. I insisted that, because I don't have extensive knowledge on the subject and I'm Canadian, I would keep my thoughts to a platform of 140 characters or less. That was before I came across two pathetic stories I could not commit thoughts to, in 140 characters or less.

The first story I felt compelled to write about was from President Obama's speech at the Newtown memorial. Within the hour of the speech, Deadspin quickly compiled a running timeline of insensitive and racist tweets from individuals upset that the speech was interrupting the San Francisco 49ers v. New England Patriots game on Sunday Night Football. In the days following, I was appalled by the +NFL's cowardice to support NBC's decision to pre-empt the game to air President Obama's speech. A true #PRFail in my books.

The second story infuriated me much more than the first. An American armour provider, Amendment II is profiting off this horrific massacre. Yes, sales of Amendment II's armoured backpacks have tripled in the last week. That's correct, hundreds to thousands of American parents are rushing to strap armoured Disney Princesses, Avengers or Swiss Gear backpacks to their children and send them to school "protected" in case another deranged young male happens to stumble upon his mother's semi-automatic rifle in the "hidden cabinet". REALLY? This is the worst Plan B of all-time!

I quickly want to interrupt this train of thought to state that A) I'm aware and proud that since this massacre, thousands of Americans have admitted to the gun control issue and have relinquished their guns and B) I'm the last guy that buys into sweeping global generalizations about the American people. I'm the first guy to defend Americans. I love the United States and many of its people.

That said, for all the gun brandishing, armoured backpack purchasing, 2nd amendment-saluting Americans, I have to say that you are unquestionably delusional. To believe a reasonable solution to preventing another shooting of this magnitude is to strap handguns and rifles to your children's teachers or worse, don your children in armoured backpacks is beyond comprehension.

Armour has never been so stylish for your children!

Are we devolving as a species? I'm unequivocally sickened by this! The solution to this problem sits right in front of our faces; don't allow these guns to be so damn accessible! The thought of purchasing a semi-automatic rifle at the local Walmart truly boggles my mind. I truly could never bring myself to even walk over to that section of the store when I visited an American Walmart. This foreign concept was way too creepy to consider. To be blatantly honest, if I wanted to own a rifle of that kind, I have NO IDEA how or where I could find one. For the average American, it's easier for you to go purchase an AK47 than it is for me to unlock that gun in the latest Call of Duty video game.

If you're THAT pro-gun loyalist that is completely dismissing what I'm saying then I want you to do the following. I want you to strap the Disney Princesses armoured backpack to your little daughter. Then have this conversation with her...

Daughter: "Why do I need to wear this?"
Parent: "It's for your protection in case a bad person tries to shoot you"
Daughter: "Why do we let these bad people have guns?"
Parent: "Our 2nd amendment says we are allowed to bear arms"
Daughter: "I'm scared"

I'm almost certain that child will come to the realization of the real issue quicker than many of these gun-waving individuals. That precious 2nd amendment these people cling to is completely antiquated. It was drafted in 1791! For Pete's sake, SLAVERY had yet to be abolished. There were no semi-automatic rifles in 1791 either. Since that time we've abolished slavery, allowed women to vote, drove, flown, listened to the radio, watched TV, surfed the Internet, Facebook'd, Skype'd, etc. We've evolved in every possible way except for the 2nd amendment.

For the sake of the American people, I hope we see a revolution on the 2nd amendment.

IKEA - Why No Monkey Business?

It's been less than a week since Darwin the monkey aka IKEAMonkey was thrust into our lives with great fervour and hoopla. The well-dressed miniature primate, donning a faux-fur shearling coat caused a ruckus at a Toronto IKEA on Sunday, December 10th. It only took one minute for photos to be snapped and video to be recorded for Darwin to become a global sensation; the likes not even Bieber created. Well, in the same flash he entered our lives, he'll exit. Why didn't IKEA properly capitalize on the world's most lovable monkey?

Ladies & Gentlemen - Darwin the Monkey

From a social standpoint, IKEA hasn't really acknowledged Darwin except one post from IKEA Canada announcement of a donation to Darwin's new home at the Story Book Primate Sanctuary.

As social marketers, aren't we told a story of this virility is a social goldmine?

IKEA could have had great fun using Pinterest, #IKEAMonkey, etc. Why not parody content of the new Darwin Line at IKEA stores? A Pinterest board of shearling couches, love seats and ottomans wrapped in faux fur.

Darwin will be old news, this time next week; he may already be old news. Why no monkey business IKEA?

The Greatest Professional Wrestler of All-Time: Part 1 of 2

Sports & sports-entertainment fans alike all share an affinity for debate; these discussions fuel our fandom in sports. Is Gretzky or Lemieux the greatest to ever lace up skates? Are the expansion 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers or 2008 Detroit Lions the worse team in the history of the NFL? Does King James reign supreme over Air Jordan? We can dedicate several back-and-forth hours into those debates but none of those aforementioned arguments or any sports debate, for the matter, share the intricacies and layers as, who's the greatest professional wrestler of all-time.

It's been discussed several times, but I don't think the pro wrestling community has ever come upon a definitive answer; although, as of late, the argument seems to be swaying in the favour of Shawn Michaels. It's a compelling argument because of the discussed layers the debate has. It starts with a single question; what makes a pro wrestler the greatest? The debates of who's the greatest baseball player or hockey player aren't nearly as complex; these debates are predicated on statistics and the number of rings on the players' fingers. In pro wrestling, it's not nearly as black and white.

The Hitman can certainly lay claim to the best ever

If we equate greatness in pro wrestling to pure technical prowess, how do we not anoint Bret Hart or Chris Benoit as the greatest to ever lace up a pair of boots? If we're defining greatness by the ability to convey a story, Ric Flair may be the greatest. If drawing ability is the ultimate factor, was there any movements that drew as well as Hulkamania or Austin 3:16?

I will not, by any means, attempt to provide a definitive answer for this enigma; I'm not sure if we'll ever have a definitive answer. It's an entirely subjective selection, but my next post, I will provide a few choices for you to decide for yourself.

To be continued...

ATTN Joe Philbin: Let Tannehill turn it loose!

Sometimes the turning point in a game can transpire in the game's first minute. Such was the case in the Miami Dolphins' past two defeats. It wasn't Reggie Bush's fumble in the first quarter during the Dolphins Week 10 loss to Tennessee Titans or the first quarter punt return by Leodis McKelvin in the first quarter of a road loss in Orchard Park to the Buffalo Bills in Week 11 that would prove to be turning points and swing momentum in favour of their opponents. Momentum was already in the tight grip of these opponents before those respective plays ever occurred.

It was the Dolphins offense, led by rookie signal-caller Ryan Tannehill, that has started the last two games. In both of those games, the first drive resulted in alarmingly conservative play-calling. Against Tennessee, after one first down, the Dolphins would then run the ball three times, with a final uninspiring fullback carry from Javorski Lane on third and one leading to an opening drive punt. It was much of the same against Buffalo, save the one first down. After a predictable, minimal gain run on first down, Tannehill then completed a screen pass to Hartline for five yards. The Dolphins faced another third and short on the opening drive and again went conservative attempting a five yard out to Anthony Fasano, resulting in a punt (which would be the punt McKelvin would return for the TD). Of the nine plays from those opening drives, Tannehill did not attempt a pass that was in the air 5 yards past the line of scrimmage. It doesn't get much more conservative than that. 

Those early punts were the true turning points in the game.

While I will concede that you're always better off in third and short situations than third and long attempts, you simply cannot play to achieve third and short situations with each set of downs you have on a drive. Eventually, you have to push the ball up the field. I live by one credo in football:

THE MORE PLAYS YOU ATTEMPT, THE MORE LIKELY YOU'LL MAKE A MISTAKE

I understand yards and points are tough to come by in the NFL and even more so for the Miami Dolphins. Truly, running the Dolphins offense these days is no easy task for Philbin and Offensive Coordinator Mike Sherman. They are dealing with a rookie Quarterback, a shaky offensive line and a set of extremely ordinary pass catchers. That said, it's time to see what we truly have in Tannehill. To this point, Tannehill has provided highly promising performances. I don't think his numbers (6 Touchdowns to 11 Interceptions) are indicative to how good he's been this season, especially for a converted receiver who had only 19 starts previous to his entry into the NFL. Tannehill has been poised, collected and methodical in his approach. For Philbin, it's time to take Tannehill out of the crib and let him sleep in the big boy's bed aka let him loose!

Lately, Joe Philbin has no answers for the Dolphins offence 

The schedule won't lighten for Tannehill over the next few weeks, a top-ranked Seattle Seahawks defense travels to South Beach this Sunday to battle the Fish. However, it's imperative that Philbin has Tannehill push the ball up field because, as been the case the last two weeks, they continue to be on the short end of third and short.

My Adventure with Dirty South Food Truck - My Feeble Attempt at Food Blogging

There are two significant perks to being unemployed. The obvious first is that, for now, I no longer have to wear dress pants and shirts or any business attire for that matter. In fact, I've pretty much reduced my wardrobe to sweat pants, hooded sweaters and t-shirts. I've never been comfier.

I've been hooked to Eat St. for several months now and I smile a mile wide when a new truck pops up in the GTA/Golden Horseshoe. With that in mind, the second perk is the availability to dabble in the food truck world during the lunch hour. Well I'm aware that many food trucks cater to the dinner crowd, the optimal time to dine at a food truck vendor is at lunch. If all food truck experiences are similar to the experience I had this week with Dirty South, then I will have found a new lunchtime hobby!

For any local food bloggers to the GTA/Golden Horseshoe area, do not fret, I'm not treading on your territory; for the fact remains, while this may be food blogging, I'm nowhere near being a food blogger, a good one at least. The thought of becoming a food blogger has crossed my mind because, I suppose like all food bloggers, I love food! However, I'd assume most (if not all) food bloggers have culinary backgrounds. I'm just a dude that likes to cook and eat, pretty simple.

My wife and I have also discussed how good a food blogger I'd be. It's highly debatable how much weight my thoughts would carry for the fact that I love all food. Rarely do I find myself critiquing food to a point of labelling whatever I'm eating as something I dislike. I like it all! So I'd ask any readers to proceed with caution as I detail my experience with Dirty South.

Traditional southern cooking cuts to the core of the man I am. A man hasn't yet lived without having dined on fried chicken or fried chicken steak for breakfast. When thinking of southern cooking, my mind floats into euphoria with thoughts of fried chicken, chicken gravy, biscuits, waffles and fried apples. There would be no better place to try food blogging then at Dirty South.

Dirty South's location was at Eccels Auto in Dundas. I appreciated from the onset that their venue had ample parking which is necessary for those travelling to the location by automobile. Their menu was awesome. Deciding what to try first was tougher than last week's decision on who should run the free world. While Pulled Pork Tacos were RIGHT up my alley, I instead went with Dirty Southern Love. Let me tell you...
This triple-decker creation includes crispy fried-chicken with maple syrup drizzled candied bacon smothered in buttermilk ranch and Louisiana butter sauces. The bookends holding this beautiful concoction together? Homemade buttermilk waffles! There was an additional waffle in the middle as well, hence "triple decker". They had me hooked at "buttermilk"...

The sandwich cost $8.50 and was worth every penny. The sweetness of the waffles and maple syrup tied nicely with the finely battered chicken and delectable bacon. The most important criteria when judging food from a truck vendor, and I've seen enough Eat St. to figure this out, is that the creation has to meet a mess quota. It's simple math, the messier it is, the better it is! Dirty Southern Love exceeded my messiness quota!

That said, I'll try my best to be critical and say that near the end of the sandwich, the waffles became a bit dry. I think extra Louisiana butter sauce would have cured that dryness ailment, so it's something you may want to consider if you're giving it a shot.

Overall, it was an awesome experience and an awesome lunch; but did you expect me to say otherwise?