My comments on the Hulk Hogan situation

Anyone who is a wrestling fan will have heard the news by now; the story has been all over the Internet and reported by news outlets worldwide for more than 24 hours now. Hulk Hogan has been fired by WWE, and almost all references to him have been almost completely erased from WWE's website, due to his use of offensive racist language in an audio tape.

That Hulk used the language in question cannot be denied, or defended. Hogan has since put out an apology for what he had said, and is hoping to move on by trying to rebuild his reputation. Except, it won't be that easy since his now-former employer has taken the drastic decision of almost wiping away the memory of arguably its biggest ever star.

Whilst one has to commend WWE for distancing itself from Hogan, and whilst one cannot defend what Hulk had said, something doesn't quite add up as I will now explain. It's a bit long, but it's worth the read, I promise you ...

To give some background: Hogan is in the midst of a legal battle with the gossip website Gawker. The conflict, which will be reaching court imminently, centres around the site posting excerpts in 2012 of a sex tape involving Hogan, which had been filmed several years beforehand. Hogan is suing the site for $100 million for publicly broadcasting the video in which Hogan allegedly has sex with the wife of his then-best friend, American radio host Bubba The Love Sponge. (I say allegedly because I have never seen the sex tape, nor do I want to; hey, why would I want to see Hulk Hogan having sex? My childhood memories were of Hogan clanging and banging in the gym, not banging in the bedroom.)

The initial fall-out to the revelation of a Hogan sex tape and its elements in 2012 was negative, but more embarrassing than career-threatening. Plus, Hogan was working for TNA Wrestling at the time rather than WWE. I mention that because it has relevance to a point I will make later on.

Anyway, the sex tape was leaked, Hogan wasn't happy, and so the nine-figure lawsuit was filed by the Hulkster, which as I said earlier is soon reaching court. In the meantime, Hogan has spent almost 18 months as a WWE company ambassador (his early 60s age and his physical condition, including a serious back injury, has limited Hulk to working in a promotional capacity), with rumours that Hogan was training to have one final match at next year's WrestleMania, probably against John Cena.

But all that changed within the space of a few hours.

During the late hours of Thursday evening (US time), many noticed that Hogan's likeness had been removed from key areas of WWE's website, such as Alumni, Tough Enough (where he had been a judge as recently as this past Tuesday for the ongoing reality series) and even the Hall Of Fame, to which he was inducted in 2005. Considering that Hogan was still employed, and not in a wrestling capacity, this was all very strange. There had to be a reason to give him treatment previously seen only with one other former wrestler (who I will mention later).

Initial reports suggested that it stemmed from a 2012 radio interview wherein Hogan complained about black rappers being able to use the N-word but with others, such as himself, being unable to do so. This had been in the public domain for years, and whilst questionable, didn't come across to me as something to produce this reaction.

Then came the real reason: Hogan, during the aforementioned sex tape, had been discussing the fact that his daughter Brooke was dating a black man, and his conversation included several uses of the N-word, in a very negative fashion, as well as stating "I am racist." I am not publishing the details of said conversation here; it is easily accessible online if you wish to read it. But this discussion, which took place during what Hogan believed to be a private conversation, led to the abandonment of Hulk by WWE, and has subsequently led to widespread condemnation of Hogan by fans across the globe. The audio was revealed by The National Enquirer, which stated that the transcript had indeed stemmed from the sex tape, with Hogan's lawyer since suggesting there will be a further lawsuit and hell to pay if Gawker were responsible for the audio leak (which seems probable, but is unconfirmed). Hogan has since put out a public apology, but the WWE cleansing continues with all Hulk merchandise taken offline and with Hogan publicly removed from the upcoming WWE 2K16 videogame. TNA has since removed Hogan from its own online Alumni, and taken offline an upcoming Hogan DVD it was planning to release (why TNA were releasing it anyway since Hogan had left in late 2013 and only wrestled a few times during his TNA run was an unanswered question in itself, but that's another story).

Now, here's where my opinion on the story has complications. Well, what is the story? Is the story that Hulk Hogan used racist language, and has effectively admitted on tape to being a racist? Or is the story that WWE has fired Hulk Hogan as a result, and subsequently treated him as if he never existed? Or is it a combination?

Let's dissect the issue here. Firstly, Hogan has used racist language in such a way that it paints him as a racist. That's not an accusation; that is a fact. It is on audio and officially on the public record. Hulk has acknowledged this and has apologised for his language, and stated that this does not represent his real views. He has essentially owned up to it, and has apologised in an attempt to fan the flames and to take the first step towards trying to rebuild a damaged reputation. There is no justifying what he said, and he has admitted to it. So let's move on.

The first aspect of this saga to debate is the timing of the audio, in more ways than one. Depending on whose story you believe, the conversation in question took place in 2006, 2007 or 2008. But even if you call it 2008, that is still seven years ago. Seven years after Hogan made the racist comments, they have been revealed and he has been taken to task for them. Is it fair that Hulk has been punished for comments made almost a decade ago? I think yes, because had this been published at the time and Hogan been punished then and served his time, so to speak, then as we reach the modern day the issue perhaps could have been a thing of the past that he had, by now, rebounded from. I can understand some saying "but that was years ago", but realistically could you have seen Hogan appearing on Raw in, say, three weeks time or even three months time with WWE having not done a single thing to response to Hogan's comments from the 2000s being made public now? Had it been a more serious crime which only got revealed today, we would expect a reaction from the company, so I cannot fault WWE acting upon this, even if it were many years ago. I do wonder if WWE would have gone as far as to banish his memory if he were still at TNA, and the fact that Hogan was not an active performer made the decision easier to let him go, but they're besides the point.

Where I do ever-so-slightly sympathise with Hogan is that the conversation was in a private setting. What I mean is that Hogan was unaware that his sexual activity was even being recorded, hence the lawsuit when Gawker posted it online in 2012. But this also meant that the conversation where Hulk was being racist was included in the video. Therefore, not only was Hulk's bedroom exploits on tape, but so were his racist slurs. Now, it's debatable as to whether Hogan knew this at the time and was a reason behind the $100 million lawsuit, or if Hogan had only been reminded of it earlier this week when word came out that the audio transcript was to be published. But regardless: Hogan's comments, as negative and discriminatory as they were, were made in a private setting. Had Hulk knew that he was being recorded, even if not for public use, do you think he would have made those comments? I doubt it. Hogan made comments behind closed doors that he never intended to enter the public domain. That they did has sparked this controversy. Hogan was wrong to use the language that he did; I have no problem saying that. But I strongly suspect that there are many, many people out there, including a lot of those who have bashed Hogan, who have also used inappropriate and downright discriminatory language in the comfort of their own homes or in a non-public setting, knowing that nobody with an audio recorder will hear them and subsequently publish them for the world to hear. In Hulk's case, the problem was that his private comments have gone public.

Is Hulk Hogan a racist? He said himself that he was. Does that mean that he actually is? I don't know, because if Hulk said what he did from a point of anger and rage, then he may have said some things that he normally would not have said. If he made the comments because that's just what he does in a private setting, and that on this occasion they were publicly released, then I believe yes, he is racist. But we don't have access to Hulk's private life on a regular basis (excluding the awkward Hogan Knows Best series which used to be on VH1), we don't know whether the man himself truly is a racist. " Hulk Hogan makes racist slurs" and "Hulk Hogan is a racist" are not one and the same, despite what some would have you believe.

Hulk's current dilemma actually began not with the audio transcript being published, but with WWE removing all traces of Hulk from its website. That the company's biggest icon in history was suddenly absent from key website sections, whilst still under contract to the company, made it obvious that something had happened, and that it must have been serious because, if it were just a "normal" parting of the ways, Hogan would still be there somewhere. CM Punk still has his face on WWE's website if you look in the right sections. So does Alberto Del Rio, Rey Mysterio and every other key performer no longer with the company, even those who left on bad terms. There's only one ex-WWE wrestler, besides Hogan, who no longer has any form of promotion on the WWE site. And that is Chris Benoit.

For the benefit of those who have only followed WWE since late 2007 or since then, Benoit was a highly respected wrestler - one of the greatest technical wrestlers of all-time - and a former World Heavyweight Champion in WWE. In mid-2007, he had reached a status where a future Hall Of Fame induction was virtually guaranteed. But in June 2007, everything changed.

I want to say "allegedly" because to this day it remains something I try not to think about. But from June 23-25 2007, Chris Benoit murdered his wife Nancy and his son Daniel and then hung himself. This is not the place to delve into what was the biggest tragedy in the history of wrestling, but I must mention that initially WWE had paid tribute to Benoit on Raw, believing that something like a house fire had claimed the three lives, but when the grisly details came out, WWE chose to completely disassociate itself from the former Crippler: all traces of Benoit were removed from WWE.com, from his profile to stories about his in-ring exploits to any references whatsoever of him, actually. You can watch old Benoit matches on the WWE Network, if you so choose, but you will not find Chris Benoit anywhere else in relation to a WWE product or service (besides the odd Anthology-style DVD), and you probably never will.

I totally agree with WWE for doing this. Once the truth about the Benoit tragedy came out, I personally felt uncomfortable ever watching another Benoit match, or reading a Benoit story in an old wrestling magazine, or playing in a match that in any way involved Benoit on an old WWE videogame. That is more than eight years ago now, but my stance on Benoit hasn't changed.

Now, here's where I do feel for Hogan. Yes, his racist tirade reflects very badly on him. And yes I believe WWE was right to fire him as a result. But can Hulk's ill-advised language be treated the same as the actions of a man who killed his wife and son? I don't believe so. Has Hulk Hogan murdered anybody? No. Some say that Hogan's all-time legend status should give him some leeway too, but that's besides the point; Benoit was a World Champ himself. My point here is this: fire Hulk Hogan, disassociate from Hulk Hogan, but do not try to make out that Hulk Hogan did not exist, nor that he was such a vital part of wrestling history, because he was. And unlike Benoit, Hogan is still alive, so he can experience first-hand how WWE has basically tried to make out like he never existed.

WWE was commended for firing Hogan before the story went public, and rightly so. But in doing so, WWE confirmed that the story was true before its details even emerged, and by trying to suggest that Hogan never worked for the company due to his racist rant, WWE has now found itself heavily criticised by many (WWE lost $50 million in the stock market during the hours after Hogan's firing, although it's debatable whether this was because of Hulk's language or because of WWE's stance). And not just because of its treatment of Hogan.

The real issue here should be the use of racist language. Forget the context; use of racist language in any context. Private or public. Now, I have been a WWE fan since 1991 and, during the company's darkest times, I have occasionally felt that the company was treated unfairly. But during this current scandal, I have the point out flaws in WWE's thinking - because if Hogan's rant has seen him banished from the WWE history books, how do you explain the following:

Vince McMahon using the N-word in a comedy sketch at Survivor Series 2005, with the cameras getting "reactions" from black performers Booker T and Sharmell; Triple H in 2003 saying to Booker that "guys like you (meaning, black) don't get to be World Champion; guys like you are here to make me laugh"; Theodore Long recruiting D-Lo Brown and Rodney Mack that same year to essentially fight for blacks against whites, even having Mack in a "White Boy Challenge"; the Nation Of Domination faction from 1996-1998 being cast as an angry black militant group (who received a supposedly racist graffiti attack on Raw in 1997, with D-Generation X trying to make out that it was the Hart Foundation who had done it); DX having a parody of the Nation which included at least one performer "blacking up" to imitate a Nation member; Mark Henry being nicknamed Sexual Chocolate (so wrong for several reasons; the sexual bit was bad enough); Virgil as Ted DiBiase's man-servant; Roddy Piper unforgettably painting himself half-black against Bad News Brown at WrestleMania VI; and in an incident that I forgot until I went to write this article, a George Bush impersonator half-dropping the N-Word in a December 2006 skit with Cryme Tyme, who themselves had a gimmick based on a stereotype of black people being bandana-wearing robbers and hooligans? The above instances were scripted forms of "entertainment", so for example Rodney Mack didn't really go out onto the streets wanting a "White Boy Challenge". But they still happened. And the fact remains that WWE felt these were suitable forms of entertainment. And now they want to remove Hogan's name from history for his rant?

There are examples from other wrestling companies, most notably Booker T accidentally using the N-word about Hogan on live WCW television in 1995. Booker has admitted this was a mistake that could have potentially destroyed his career. Actually, a YouTube video somehow surfaced of Booker accidentally using the N-word again shortly after he became a SmackDown colour commentator in 2011, which didn't make it to broadcast (and rightly so). A group called The Gangstas were a featured act in SMW and ECW in the 1990s, and their sole purpose was to exploit racial tensions by portraying an angry black stable who wanted to attack white opponents. In SMW, this caused a major backlash, and this was back in 1994. These weren't in WWE, but others that were which stereotyped other groups or tried to cash in on racial tensions included Los Boricuas (a Puerto Rican fight clan); John Bradshaw Layfield targeting Mexicans with racist language and even stopping Mexicans from crossing the border in 2004; and Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter talking about Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez "sneaking across our borders" in 2013 and essentially telling them that they shouldn't be allowed in America. Oh, and I almost forgot Muhammad Hassan; he and Daivari were cast as Arab-Americans, rejected and insulted due to events in 2001, who seemingly tried to choke and seemingly slash the throat of The Undertaker in 2005 with the help of masked men. This was so terrible that the Hassan character had to be axed shortly afterwards (partly because the incident was taped right before the London Bombings in 2005, but the beat-down of Undertaker still aired that evening in the United States).

When it comes to controversy, WWE hasn't limited itself to races and cultures; sex is a hot topic, from Hot Lesbian Action to necrophilia (for the love of God don't look this skit up) to Edge and Lita's Live Sex Celebration in 2006 (which began a short-lived run of very high Raw ratings, by the way). Plus, we can't forget the multitude of Bra and Panties or Gravy/Mud/Chocolate/Egg Nog or similar matches, the lesbian stalker gimmick for Mickie James; and especially Trish Stratus being made to "bark like a dog" (again, don't look this up, especially if you're female). How about 77-year-old Mae Young humping Mark Henry (there's the Sexual aspect of Sexual Chocolate again)? Or Sable, The Kat and Mae Young going topless (and please don't watch Mae Young's topless routine at Royal Rumble 2000; they weren't her real breasts, but the prosthetic ones used looked like two drooping sausage rolls. It scarred my memory; that's how I can still remember the visual). And remember Extreme Strip Poker on ECW in 2006 when a few girls supposedly went topless? (Actually, you might not because WWE's version of ECW was horrid.)

Sexuality has been handled carelessly too, with Adrian Adonis and Goldust being effeminate characters seemingly booed as a result (although in the latter case, sexuality became less of an issue as time went on). Billy and Chuck, and their camp stylist Rico, almost had a gay wedding in 2002, praised by many, but it wasn't praised when they stopped short and revealed it was a publicity stunt (that aside, the revelation that Eric Bischoff was disguised as the priest was fantastic). Vito the transvestite was handled slightly better, but it didn't last long. And while Darren Young came out that he was gay in 2013 and had WWE's public support as a result, it has never been revealed on air for unknown reasons. He's never been booed since coming out, so what's the problem?

Then there's disabilities, from the one-legged Zach Gowen being thrown down a flight of stairs by Brock Lesnar in 2003 to Jim Ross being openly mocked by Hornswoggle and Vince McMahon for suffering from Bells Palsy in 2012 (WCW's Oklahoma also did this, to far more criticism, in 1999). Plus, Goldust supposedly had Tourette's Syndrome in 2003, which was played for laughs (although I have to admit that some moments involving Goldust having Tourettes were funny. Extreme Rules 2009 had my favourite instance; just watch Goldust speaking to Vickie Guerrero and enjoy.) And there's also religion, the best example being Vince McMahon trying to fight God in 2006, which included Vince going into a church and doing an impression of Triple H using holy water. (One could also use the example of Undertaker and his Ministry taking on satanic elements during the Attitude Era and using a symbol to seemingly crucify opponents, as well as characters like The Mad Monk which had to be scrapped because of complaints).

There's other controversial moments on WWE TV over the years too, from attempted rape storylines to child custody clashes (actually the last two were within months of each other on SmackDown! in 2005) to hints at rape, sex without consent or some form of abuse involving HHH marrying a drugged Stephanie McMahon at a drive-thru and, in 2004, Heidenreich and Michael Cole (I could never work out what Heidenreich was meant to have done or trying to do, but it freaked me out nonetheless). And who can forget Big Boss Man mocking Big Show when his dad had supposedly died of cancer in 1999 (to me, the most unsettling storyline ever in wrestling), and Randy Orton telling Rey Mysterio that the recently-deceased Eddie Guerrero was "down there, in Hell"? There's other escapades, such as the whole Sgt Slaughter/Iraqi sympathiser tale in 1991. I swear that at least one wrestler called Yokozuna a term which would be deemed racist, and I also recall Jesse Ventura and Roddy Piper using racist language in the mid-1980s. But I've given enough examples, so let's move on.

My point is this: there have been a lot of moments where the WWF/WWE used questionable content (I didn't even mention the saga involving Sammy the transvestite and, yes, Sexual Chocolate again Mark Henry; for Pete's sake don't look this up either. Actually, there was the whole "Mark Henry lost his virginity at 8 to his sister" thing, too ... you know what? That whole Sexual Chocolate character warrants an article of its own. Thank goodness Mark Henry doesn't have to do that stuff any more.) I'm not even talking about blood or violence or swearing; I've outlined many instances of content that has been controversial, risqué or downright offensive (and I actually didn't even realise how many moments there had been until I wrote them down. Damn, that's a long list. And they were off the top of my head; if I did some research, I could probably find more). Yes, WWE went PG in 2008, and since then the number of such instances has reduced. But we still had Paul Bearer's memory being mocked in 2013, and Jerry Lawler's heart attack (after which Lawler was legally dead for 10 minutes) being mocked a few months before that. How about John Cena using homophobic language in 2011, whereby GLAD stepped in and told WWE to put a stop to it (he had done so in the past too, but it wasn't considered a big issue at the time)? And remember the backstage skit at Survivor Series 2009 where Christian noted that he stood out because he wasn't black?

I guess what I am saying is that, given the WWF/WWE's track record, can they really purge Hulk Hogan from memory solely for this racist tirade?

Now, the argument would be "ah, but they were all examples of performers, characters or scripted entertainment. They weren't real-life statements or instances, unlike Hulk Hogan's comments". And that's true. But we're not talking about Hogan attacking a black man or even arguing with a black man here. We're talking about comments Hogan made about him in a private setting. And we haven't even heard them yet; we've only read transcribes. All the above examples from wrestling television were performed so that we could see and hear every single moment, and performed to try and elicit the strongest possible reaction from us. Is it really fair to banish Hogan from memory given the evidence of WWE's chequered past?

And I'm a huge WWE fan; I love WWE and have done for nearly 25 years, and I'll always be a fan. But the company does screw up sometimes, and whilst I agree with WWE for firing Hulk and distancing itself from him, trying to give him "the Chris Benoit treatment" is awful. Hulk's comments were tasteless and regrettable. But to categorise him in the same group as a murderer, for making those comments, by an organisation which has churned out all of the above examples of questionable and occasionally offensive content, was a terrible move and if anything makes people feel like Hulk Hogan actually has killed someone, if you're gonna treat him and his legacy that way.

I feel that WWE could at least own up that it has also served up content which would be deemed as racist, or offensive in other ways. This is the perfect time to do so, in order to cleanse WWE's image even more. But whilst WWE can dismiss scripted confrontations and dialogue as "entertainment", it can't say the same for the following.

Michael Hayes, a WWE writer, was suspended for two months in 2008 for using the N-word in front of Mark Henry, apparently whilst under the influence of alcohol. Reports suggested that he hadn't meant to offend Henry, but Hayes was also alleged to have used discriminatory language in reference to Bobby Lashley, a crucial reason for Lashley leaving WWE in 2008 (I can't confirm this one; there were other reasons but issues with writers was one of them, and racist language has been cited as a possible reason, with Hayes rumoured to be the source). Hayes remains with WWE today. I mentioned the racist characters before: did Jim Cornette leave SMW due to the backlash against the Gangstas, or Vince McMahon (or indeed anyone) leave WWE due to complaints over racist content? Of course not. If anything, Vince remains behind-the-times in that regard today; look at the way in which The New Day were initially presented in late 2014 (their gimmick has since been modified and is now very entertaining).

Bill Watts was dismissed as WCW booker in 1993 after a 1991 interview was made public of him apparently siding with the ideology of a man who wouldn't serve black people at his restaurant because he felt it was his right to feel that way. Watts claims that the interview had already been discussed before he joined WCW and that it was used as an excuse to let him go; still, his tenure ended, officially due to complaints over racist comments, just like Hogan. That was 1993. In 1995, Watts joined the WWF as a booker (for a short time, admittedly), and in 2009 he was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame. Bret Hart and Ric Flair both cite examples in their autobiographies of co-workers or even family members or ex-family members who were downright racist in their thinking. And many black performers will tell you that they encountered racism behind the scenes in wrestling, either from colleagues or fans, especially in the territory days. Some have noted that The Rock is the only black man to ever win the WWE Title (if you don't count King Booker as World Champ in 2006); whether this has been deliberate or not, I don't know (I think not).

Racism hasn't got a massive amount of attention when it comes to wrestling, largely because so few examples are reported (the Hogan issue is by far the biggest race story relating to wrestling). But whilst wrestlers being tarnished due to racism aren't great in number, at least in the public eye, there is a far greater number of performers whose names have been tarnished for other reasons. Drug-taking, steroid use, drug trafficking, homophobia, alcohol abuse, adultery, domestic violence, violence on the streets, kidnapping (in this case, admittedly it was years beforehand if you know who I'm talking about), shoplifting, bank robberies, and even accusations of murder. Not every wrestler has been involved with something controversial, of course; it is unfair to label them all as a group of scallywags. But there haven't half been a lot of wrestlers who have been in the news for the wrong reasons over the years. I hate how this happens, and wish that wrestlers would receive more publicity for their positive actions, not least for their charity work - but that's another story. The point here is that many wrestlers have done some questionable and, at times, very illegal, dangerous and downright awful things. But whilst some careers were never the same and others faded into obscurity, most have rebounded, eventually, And amongst high-profile, big-name performers who touched the lives of many fans and had built for themselves a legacy in the wrestling business, there is only one man who I can think of who did something so bad that his reputation has never recovered - and he is no longer with us. And that is Chris Benoit.

(And by the way, I attended the 2008 WWE Hall Of Fame ceremony where Ric Flair mentioned Benoit's name in passing, nine months after the double-murder suicide, and I noticed that fans ... cheered. Just thought I'd throw that in.)

Which brings us back to Hulk Hogan as I begin to wrap this up. When I heard the news, I immediately wondered what planet Hulk was on to come out with those comments, and felt WWE had taken quick and decisive action. But as the negativity came in and all I read was how Hogan's legacy is now dead and that he'll always be remembered basically as a scumbag, I couldn't help but feel that whilst his comments were out of order and he warranted a firing from WWE as a result, the overall reaction was a bit of an over-reaction. And when you look at all of the aforementioned instances of naughty behaviour from offensive comments to controversial segments to real-life instances of appalling conduct, I had to ask myself: do Hulk Hogan's comments really top that list?

In my opinion, no.

Hulk Hogan is the most famous wrestler of all-time and, therefore, when a news story involves Hulk, it will get a lot more publicity than for virtually every other wrestler in existence. I feel that some of the criticism has been over-the-top because it's Hogan, not because of what Hogan has said. And I couldn't but notice that some of those gleefully ripping Hogan apart were people who already didn't like him in the first place, so this gives them another reason to dislike the man. Of course, there were many who were offended and no longer like him purely due to these comments, and that's fine; completely understandable.

But as the number of people who, whilst not defending Hogan, were at least showing some support as he looks to rebuild his image continued to grow, from fans to wrestlers to celebrities, I realised that I wasn't alone in my thinking. Hulkamania has a stain on its legacy right now, but the big question is: can Hulk Hogan rebound?

This is a man who has overcome a ton of bad press in the early 1990s relating to steroid use. A man who carved out a reputation behind the scenes as someone who ensured that he was always pushed above anybody else, allegedly damaging career prospects for many as a result. A man who was essentially thrown out of WCW in 2000 like a piece of garbage. A man who has fallen out with Vince McMahon and WWE many times, only to find a way to return later on. And a man who had also been heavily criticised in 2008 when it came out that he had apparently blamed John Graziano for a car accident which permanently injured Graziano when it was his own son Nick that caused it. Can the man who rebounded from all that make a comeback from this latest damaging saga?

Over time, I think yes.

I think it comes down to whether or not people are willing to give Hogan a chance to rebuild his image, and it's understandable if many do not. Hulk Hogan made more than a mistake with his comments; he made a grave error which will result in months of negative press, especially as the Gawker lawsuit enters the courtroom. And if more negative comments arise due to the sex tape, it could be that he really does have no way back.

But I truly believe that whilst Hogan made some horrible comments and that he deserved to be fired as a result, I do not believe that he cannot resurrect his image. It will take time, it will take months if not years, and he will have to bear a whole ton of bad publicity, negative stories and mocking comments. However, if he can prove with his actions that he truly is sorry and that he is not a figure of racial hatred, as he claimed in his apology, then in a few years time I can see Hogan finding a way to make a return. His wrestling days are over, unquestionably; he'll be in his mid-60s by the time the saga has died down long enough to give him a chance. But when the time is right and Hogan has hopefully done enough to prove that he is truly sorry, I believe he can make a comeback, at least in terms of him re-establishing his legacy and ensuring that WWE will not erase him from memory forever. A long, hard battle awaits, one far tougher than his WrestleMania III showdown with Andre The Giant. But if he can find a way to make sure that he will be remembered as the Real American icon once again, then Hulk Hogan will have proven one thing: Hulkamania really is immortal.

Raw 1000 Moments

Ahead of the 1,000th episode of Raw this Monday night, here's a look at what I consider to be the most memorable (and best-forgotten) Raw moments, broken down into a number of categories.

Greatest (Announced) Raw Comeback Ever
Bret Hart - January 4, 2010 - A return that many assumed would never happen - and even fewer foresaw the Hitman/Shawn Michaels handshake moments later.

Greatest (Unannounced) Raw Comeback Ever
Brock/ Lesnar/The Rock - April 2, 2012/February 14,2011 - A tie between the eight-years-in-the-making return of the Pain, and the seven-years-in-the-making comeback of the Most Electrifying Man In Sports-Entertainment.

Biggest Episode Of Raw Ever
Raw Homecoming - October 3, 2005 - The first ever 3-hour Raw marked its return to USA Network with appearances from Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold, Roddy Piper and Mick Foley, plus the return of Triple H, an Iron Man match, a Ladder match, a WWE Title match and more.

Funniest Raw Moment Ever
The Rock Concert - March 24, 2003 - The Rock was at its funniest as the Hollywood sell-out bad guy in 2003, and on this night, virtually everything he said, from the Sacramento song to the insults at The Hurricane's expense, were hilarious.

Most Memorable Raw Speech Ever
CM Punk - June 27, 2011 - At a time when interviews rarely stand out, this one made an impact, and led Punk to an 8-month+ reign as WWE Champion.

Biggest Raw Upset Ever
123 Kid vs. Razor Ramon - May 17, 1993 - In 1993, big names never lost to unknowns. Here, however, "the Kid did it", to quote Randy Savage, and he would go on to have a memorable career in WWE.

Best Raw Debut Ever
Chris Jericho - August 9, 1999 - Y2J made an immediate splash after a great build-up to an arrival in WWE history. It's hard to imagine anyone who has never been in WWE before having a debut like this.

Most Embarrassing Raw Moment Ever
Diva Search - 2004 - The summer-long competition had several candidates which, in some cases, lasted almost a quarter of the entire show. For that reason, it gets the nod here.

Most Emotional Raw Moment Ever
Ric Flair's Farewell Address - March 31, 2008 - The Nature Boy's career had just ended at WrestleMania XXIV, but dozens of wrestlers, ex-wrestlers and more said "Thank you Ric!" in an unforgettable goodbye. Flair's subsequent activities in wrestling couldn't dampen this moment.

Most Emotional Raw Episode Ever
Raw Is Owen - May 24, 1999 - Raw was dedicated to Owen Hart, who had died 24 hours earlier. This particular Raw is a reminder that even the most important aspects of wrestling are insignificant in the grand scheme of things.

Longest-Running Mystery That Was Solved On Raw Ever
The Anonymous Raw GM - June 21, 2010-July 9, 2012 - Over two years passed between the GM's debut and the revelation that it was Hornswoggle.

Longest-Running Mystery That Was Not Solved On Raw Ever
GTV - 1999-2000 - So, who was behind the secret filming of various Superstars?

Most Entertaining Raw Segment Ever
The Rock: This Is Your Life - September 27, 1999 - A near 30-minute tribute to The Rock by Mankind got a massive rating in the US, and was incredibly entertaining for virtually the entire duration.

Best Parody On Raw Ever
DX impersonate The McMahons - June 26, 2006 - Triple H and Shawn Michaels' impression of Vince and Shane McMahon just beats the DX parody of The Nation Of Domination in 1998.

Most Chaotic Raw Match Ever
TLC IV - October 7, 2002 - Raw Roulette produced a carnage-filled TLC bout won by Kane.

Best Authority Figure On Raw Ever
Vince McMahon - 1998-1999 - At his peak, Mr. McMahon was the greatest wrestling villain ever - and yet he hardly wrestled. No GM has come close to replicating Vince, although Mick Foley as Commissioner is fondly remembered for being the complete opposite of Vinnie Mac.

Most Entertaining Raw Wedding Ever
Triple H & Stephanie McMahon's wedding vow renewal - February 11, 2002 - The moment that ended their 2 year+ on-screen marriage was entertaining in so many ways.

Most Uncomfortably Realistic Raw Moment Ever
Pillman-Austin - November 4, 1996 - Anyone watching Raw on this night may have genuinely felt that someone had been shot when Stone Cold invaded Brian Pillman's home. The incident almost saw Raw kicked off the USA Network.

Best Raw Build-up To A Debut Ever
Kane - 1997 - Paul Bearer first announced a dark secret of The Undertaker's in May 1997. In July, he announced that Kane was coming. In October, he arrived (at Badd Blood). And it was nearly seven more months before he finally collided with Taker.

Best Catch Phrase On Raw Ever
What? - 2001-2012 - A good catch phrase may sell a T-shirt. A great catch phrase may remain relevant for months. Austin's use of "What?" began in 2001, and is still widely used by fans to drown out their least favourite wrestlers 11 years later. "Yes!" is a close second.

Worst Raw Episode Ever
Jeremy Piven as Guest Host - August 3, 2009 - An annoying host, with an even more annoying sidekick. Stranger still, WWE classes this as a genuinely great episode. It wasn't.

Best Moment Solely Involving A Celebrity On Raw Ever
William Shatner - Februaty 1, 2010 - His segment wherein he sung the lyrics to WWE theme songs was hilarious.

Best Moment Involving A Celebrity And A Wrestler On Raw Ever
Tyson and Austin - January 19, 1998 - This confrontation got tons of mainstream media coverage all over the world, and was a major incident in establishing the new direction of the WWF.

Most Unexpected Raw Moment Ever
The Raw/Nitro simulcast - March 26, 2001 - When Raw was launched in 1993, the thought that a segment would one day go out live on both a WWF and WCW show was unthinkable. But it happened, as WCW was purchased and Nitro's run ended.

Best Raw Faction Ever
Evolution - 2003-2005 - Other groups got higher ratings or had more memorable moments, but Evolution ruled Raw for over two years, had the World Title for much of that time, as well as other Titles, and catapulted Batista and Randy Orton to stardom.

Greatest Raw Feud Ever
Austin vs. McMahon - 1997-1999 - What else? The icon of the Attitude Era vs. the king of villainous on-screen authority figures led to a rivalry that lasted for nearly 2 years the first time around, and served up more all-time memorable moments than the show has had in the last half a decade.

Best Raw Announcer Ever
Jim Ross - 1993-2011 - Good Old JR was a staple of the Attitude Era, in particular, and his voice helped to make some of Raw's greatest ever moments legendary.

Most Momentous Raw Draft Pick Ever
John Cena - June 6, 2005 - The Draft is (or was) meant to change the WWE landscape. Then-WWE Champ Cena became Raw's top star, and WWE's top star, and has been for 7 years since, suggesting that this Draft pick was more than successful.

Best Raw Match Ever
John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels - April 23, 2007 - This covers A LOT of ground, but a near-hour epic in London stands out above all non-stipulation Raw bouts.

Most Entertaining Villain On Raw Ever
Kurt Angle - 1999-2002 - Although Vince was king of the villains, and Triple H and Edge were also incredibly good at attracting fan hatred, in the first half of his WWF/WWE tenure, Angle was almost always entertaining outside the ring, and provided tons of action inside it.

Most Entertaining Fan Favourite On Raw Ever
Stone Cold Steve Austin - 1997-2011 - The Texas Rattlesnake edges out The Rock for being involved in everything from monster truck sessions to hospital beatdowns to singing the Beverly Hillbillies theme.

Most Unexpected Arrival On Raw Ever
Goldberg/Eric Bischoff - March 31, 2003/July 15, 2002 - A tie between WCW's biggest star and most notorious promotor, neither of whom fans realistically believed would ever appear on Raw.

Best In-Ring Debut On Raw Ever
Mankind - April 1, 1996 - In one night, he had his first WWF match and interrupted The Undertaker's bout, which led to a classic feud, which eventually led to the ultimate OMG match, Hell In A Cell at King Of The Ring 1998.

Best Raw Episode Ever
The Alliance Is Formed - July 9, 2001 - This also covers a lot of ground - after all, there's been 999 episodes - but on this night, WCW turned villainous, ECW was revived, and WCW and ECW joined forces, with a new boss for the reborn ECW. The inter-promotional war was on.

Most Missed Raw Attraction Ever
The Hardcore Title/24/7 - 1998-2002 - Anything goes combat with bouts that could happen at any time, and literally anywhere. This would definitely spice up Raw if it were to return.

Most Dragged-Out Feud On Raw Ever
Hornswoggle vs. Chavo Guerrero - 2009 - Literally the same thing happened, with the slight adjustment, every week for about 5 or 6 months running. Not the best time in Raw history.

Strangest Raw Moment Ever
Musical Chairs - July 5, 2004 - Guest GM Eugene organised musical chairs to determine a contender to a Championship that night. Chris Jericho won, but Ric Flair's stylin' and profilin' - during a game of musical chairs - stood out the most.

Edgiest (No pun intended) Raw Moment Ever
Edge & Lita's celebration - January 9, 2006 - This Rated-R display would either be a roaring success or an all-time low. Whilst not a total smash hit, it did get Raw's biggest ratings in years.

Most Notable Example Of An Anything Can Happen Raw Moment Ever
Mae Young - February 28, 2000 - The last thing anyone expects when watching wrestling is to see a 78-year-old giving birth to a hand.

Greatest Raw Championship Triumph Ever
Mankind vs. The Rock - January 4, 1999 - Mankind's first WWF Title win got a ratings win over Nitro on an incredibly pivotal night (albeit unintentionally assisted by Tony Schiavone).

Loudest Raw Crowd Reaction Ever
The non-appearance of Bret Hart - August 15, 2005 - Even without actually being there, the mere sound of the Hitman's music in Montreal came close to literally blowing the roof off of the arena. A close second is Austin's interference in the aforementioned Mankind-Rock clash from 04/01/1999.

Most Costly Raw Moment Ever
Shane McMahon blowing up Kane - October 6, 2003 - Shane sent a limousine with Kane inside crashing into an 18-wheeler. It costs tens of thousands of dollars, but had been forgotten within a month or two.

Most Unexpected Character Change On Raw Ever
"The Funkasaurus" Brodus Clay - January 9, 2012 - Brodus had last been seen as avillainous mnoster. He returned having, without warning, become the dancing Funkasaurus. Somebody Call My Momma!

Most Insane Moment On Raw Ever
The Dumpster Ride - February 2, 1998 - Cactus Jack and Chainsaw Charlie took a painful fall to the floor having been locked in a Dumpster, which was shoved off the ramp by The New Age Outlaws.

Best Birthday Celebration On Raw Ever
Edge's 27th Birthday - October 30, 2000 - The Rock's bash was on a grand scale, but the E&C interplay was hilarious, especially when Edge began annoying an already-enraged Triple H by singing his theme tune via a kazoo.

Most Surreal Raw Moment Ever
Austin Appreciation Night - August 20, 2001 - Few imagined when this Raw began that it would end with the Alliance singing for Stone Cold, and then being hosed down with milk by Kurt Angle.

Most Cringeworthy Yet Entertaining Raw Segment Ever
Mr. McMahon's "Club" - 2001-2008 - Even those who didn't want to watch had to - especially the first instance involving William Regal.

Most Unthinkable Raw Moment Ever
Hogan vs. The Rock - February 18, 2002 - Not many foresaw the day when The Hulkster and The Great One would square off on the mic, or in the ring (as they would at WrestleMania X8). Will a Hogan-Austin showdown ever happen?

Most Satisfying Pay-off On Raw Ever
Batista turning on Triple H - February 21, 2005 - Months of build-up finally culminated in Batista taking out Triple H, leading to his first World Title win at WrestleMania 21.

Oddest Seeing Double Raw Moment Ever
Two Undertaker's - 1994 - When it came out that The Undertaker who was brought back by The Million Dollar Man wasn't the real UT, it had many wondering where the real Taker was. He would resurface and defeat the imposter at SummerSlam.

Most Unexpected Finale To Raw Ever
Shawn Michaels superkicks Hulk Hogan - July 4, 2005 - HBK nailed his tag partner with Sweet Chin Music. Nobody saw it coming - but plenty couldn't wait to find out why he did it.

Best Example Of A Star Being Born On Raw Ever
CM Punk cashes in - June 30, 2008 - What began as an address by Jim Ross in his hometown ended with CM Punk cashing in Money In The Bank on Edge to win his first World Heavyweight Title.

Most Appealing Raw Moment To Internet Fans Ever
Matt Hardy returns - July 11, 2005 - For months, a story dominated WWE that was never mentioned in WWE. On this night, though, Matt Hardy shockingly returned, and plotted revenge on Edge and Lita.

Daftest Raw Moment Ever
Howard Finkel vs. Harvey Whippleman - 1995 - Who imagined that a Tuxedo match between a ring announcer and a manager would attract ratings?

Best Example Of A Raw Moment That Wouldn't Have Been Possible In Real Life Ever
Kane setting Jim Ross on fire - July 14, 2003 - Had this happened in reality, Kane would likely still be in jail now. As it was, JR decided not to press charges against The Big Red Machine.

Most Ludicrous Raw Moment Ever
Snitsky punting a baby doll - November 8, 2004 - I had forgotten this happened until it turned up on the OMG DVD.

Most Worrying Raw Moment Ever
Shawn Michaels collapses - November 20, 1995 - HBK fell during a match with Owen Hart, and the presentation of this meant that fans believed he was seriously hurt. As it turned out, he wasn't.

Most Unintentionally Funny Raw Moment Ever
Vader falling over - October 31, 2005 - This whole segment was surreal, but is best remembered for Vader exiting the ring and falling over in the process.

Best Example Of Something That Was Popular Back Then On Raw Ever
The Oddities/Too Cool - 1998/2000 - A tie between the hand-waving that greeted The Oddities' arrival and the post-match dance by Too Cool & Rikishi.

Biggest Business Just Picked Up Raw Moment Ever
The Nexus is formed - June 7, 2010 - WWE became a lot more interesting after Wade Barrett's troops took aim for the first time, destroying the ring in the process.

Best Insult On Raw Ever
Bret Hart - 1997 - During his anti-America phase, Bret came out with this corker on a Raw in Pittsburgh: "If they built a huge toilet bowl for the United States of America, they'd put the hose right here in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania!" No offence to Pittsburgh residents, but what an insult that was.

Most Bizarre Attempt To Enrage A Rival On Raw Ever
Kane - April 20, 1998 - To annoy Undertaker, Kane brought their dead parents' coffins onto Raw, and chokeslammed UT through them. Seriously.

Best Nonexistent Raw Character Ever
Little Jimmy - 2011-2012 - R-Truth's invisible enemy-turned-friend raises laughs for the sheer absurdity of Truth's subtle mannerisms towards Little Jimmy. Head, Al Snow's sidekick, is a close second.

Worst Example Of Raw Being Staged Ever
Coach-DX - October 2, 2006 - The "special" effects added to this ended any belief that wrestling wasn't pre-determined.

Most Unlikely Raw Guest Ever
Jose Mourinho - April 23, 2007 - Chelsea's manager was in the crowd for this episode, and was even mentioned (to loud boos) by Shane McMahon.

Most Hilarious Partnership On Raw Ever
Booker T & Goldust - 2002-2003 - At a time when the quality of Raw had dropped significantly, Booker & Goldie were responsible for many funny moments.

Silliest Only On Raw Moment Ever
Kaientai/Val Venis - August 3, 1998 - How this made the airwaves, and how whoever proposed it wasn't laughed out of the WWF offices, I don't know. Both hilarious and uncomfortable.

Best Raw Tag Team Ever
The Hardy Boyz - 1999-2002 - The Hardyz took tag teaming in the WWF to its highest ever level, in more ways than one.

Most Underrated Raw Match Ever
Bret Hart vs. 123 Kid - July 1, 1994 - This WWF Championship match was PPV quality, and many believed that the underdog Kid would upset the odds (again) and capture the Title. He didn't, but it was still a great match.

Worst Raw Match Ever
Trish & Bradshaw vs. Gayda & Nowinski - July 9, 2002 - Admittedly, I haven't seen this. But the fact that many put it on the all-time worst list must make it a bad one.

Best Execution Of A Finisher On Raw Ever
Shawn superkicks Shelton - May 2, 2005 - The superkick HBK caught Shelton Benjamin with to win their match was amazing. A close second is Randy Orton turning Air Bourne into an RKO on July 12 2010.

Least Remembered Raw Character Ever
Beaver Clevage - 1999 - The one-time (actually two-time, if you count a future resuming of the Headbanger guise) Mosh had a grand total of one Raw match before becoming Chaz.

Best Raw Female Ever
Chyna - 1997-2001 - A groundbreaking competitor who went from being a bodyguard to a wrestler (against male wrestlers) to IC Champ.

Most Unlikely Raw Weapon Ever
The kitchen sink - 2005 - The expression "Everything but the kitchen sink" was altered when Big Show used the very item on Snitsky.

Most Memorable Raw Theme Tune Ever
Raw Is War - 1998-2002. The song isn't great musically, but it got the adrenaline pumping during the heyday of the Attitude Era.

Greatest Raw Sidekick Ever
Mr. Socko - October 5, 1998 - Debuting by Vince's hospital bedside, before an attack by Dr. Austin, Socko helped Mankind to become more popualr than he had ever been before.

Most Embarrassing Raw Moment For The WWF/WWE Ever
Rick Rude - November 17, 1997 - The beard-sporting Ravishing One appeared with DX on the pre-taped Raw, an hour after appearing clean-shaven on the live WCW Monday Nitro.

Most Genuinely Risky Raw Moment Ever
Dudleyz/Mae - March 13, 2000 - A week after Buh Buh Ray Dudley, with D-Von's assistance, put Mae Young through a table off the top rope, he repeated the act - off the ramp. Somehow, Mae was okay.

Most Shocking Raw Moment Ever
Bang 3:16 - October 19, 1998 - This could be anything; "shocking" can be defined in so many ways. But I've opted for the moment when Stone Cold put a gun to Vince's head. Fortunately, it was only a toy: all that happened was that a message appeared saying Bang 3:16. Oh, and Vince wet himself.

Dopiest Raw Name Ever
Phineas I Godwinn - 1996-1998 - A few contenders, but having the initials PIG will hardly make you the next Hogan. Then again, it was probably better than playing the role of Naked Mideon.

Longest Forward-Planning Raw Moment Ever
The Rock vs. John Cena - April 4, 2011 - The night after WrestleMania XXVII, the main event was announced for WrestleMania XXVIII. The anticipation had reached fever pitch by April 1, 2012, when Rock would beat Cena.

Best Raw Superstar Ever
Stone Cold Steve Austin - 1996-2011 - Austin represented everything that Raw, and the Attitude Era, was about. That he still gets better reactions than virtually everyone competing in WWE today sums up the impact he had. Without Austin, Raw may not have made it to episode 1,000.

Greatest Raw Moment Ever
Beer Truck - March 22, 1999 - Six days before WrestleMania XV, Stone Cold sprayed The Rock, Vince & Shane with beer from a huge truck. A hugely memorable moment and, despite everything else, the greatest moment in Raw history.

The first 999 episodes of Raw have delivered a ton of entertainment and memorable moments, and episode 1000 will go down as a landmark in not only Raw history, but WWE history too. Will the next 1,000 episodes will be even better? Hopefully, "Yes!"

2011 In WWE

The year 2011 has been a memorable one in WWE. Almost every major star who could have made an appearance did so; some shocking incidents have taken place; and a number of stunning matches went down. These are my WWE Awards for the year of 2011:

Wrestler Of The Year: Randy Orton. The Viper has had great bouts with the likes of The Miz, CM Punk, Christian, Dolph Ziggler and more. Arguably his best year to date, The Legend Killer was the Man in 2011.

Rivalry Of The Year: Randy Orton vs Christian. As entertaining as John Cena vs The Rock was at times, it won't result in a singles match until 2012. Orton vs Christian, though, dominated SmackDown for months, running through four Pay-Per-Views, and with every match (including at least two on SD) being of a high quality.

Ultimate Moment Of The Year: The Rock's Return. On February 14, 2011, FINALLY, The Rock returned to Raw after seven years. Originally the host of WM XXVII, The Great One eventually agreed to face John Cena at WM 28, and returned to the ring at Survivor Series. But none of it would have happened had the People's Champion not shaken WWE up on Valentine's Day 2011.

Event Of The Year: Money In The Bank 2011. Featuring two great Money In The Bank Ladder matches, a win that set Mark Henry up to rule SmackDown for the rest of 2011, one of the battles between Randy Orton and Christian, and a memorable and significant main event between John Cena and CM Punk, MITB 2011 was not only the show of the year, but one of the best WWE events in recent years, if not ever.

Surprise Of The Year: Edge's Retirement. Rumours had spread that Edge would retire in the near future, but no-one expected it just eight days after WrestleMania. Retiring as World Champion, with his last match being a victory at WM, the Rated R Superstar went out as high as he possibly could.

Commentator Of The Year: William Regal. The Blackpool-born Superstar usually had something witty and interesting to say on NXT each week, and seemed genuinely interested in the show, unlike some announcers.

Shock Of The Year: Triple H becoming COO. When Vince McMahon walked to the ring on the July 18 Raw, seemingly to fire John Cena, few could have predicted that the show would end with HHH returning and "relieving Vince of his duties", and giving The Game total control over WWE.

Disappointment Of The Year: Sin Cara. When the Mexican arrived, it seemed that a newer version of Rey Mysterio was in WWE, and would eventually lead to Cara vs Rey at WM 28. As it turned out, Cara ended up earning a reputation for the wrong reasons when trying to pull off high-risk moves, then got suspended, and finally injured himself at Survivor Series doing a dive over the ropes, putting him out until long after WrestleMania. (Mind you, Mysterio is also injured for months, so that match would never have happened anyway.)

Unsolved Mystery Of The Year: The Anonymous Raw General Manager. So, who was he/she?

Low Point Of The Year: The death of Randy Savage. Savage's death alone was sad. Even sadder was that he was never inducted into the Hall Of Fame when he was alive, and sadder still was that, just before his death, Savage seemed to be on good terms with WWE for the first time since 1994 (he participated in a commercial for the WWE All-Stars game). Great wrestlers will come and go, but there will never, ever be another Macho Man.

Catch Phrase Of The Year: "Woo Woo Woo! You Know It!" Nowadays, top WWE stars don't have catch phrases, so this award goes to the tagline for Zach Ryder. Admittedly, he started using it in 2009, but when crowds of 10,000+ start chanting it, it means that it has caught on.

Interview Of The Year: CM Punk, June 27 Raw. In the course of one promo, Punk went from just another No. 1 Contender (albeit one supposedly leaving WWE) to one of the most-talked about wrestlers in, erm, wrestling. All the momentum that would carry him to two WWE Titles and a permanent top spot on Raw came from this one interview.

Warmly Received Occurence Of The Year: Daniel Bryan cashing in Money In The Bank. After a two-year period which saw Daniel Bryan start in WWE on NXT, despite his reputation, then fired days after the debut of the Nexus, followed by a return to become U.S. Champ, getting moved off the WrestleMania card, winning MITB, then struggle for TV time, all whilst receiving constant criticism from Michael Cole, many were more than satisfied when DBryan became World Heavyweight Champion at TLC.

Forgotten Moment Of The Year: A tie. It's either Dolph Ziggler's 10-minute World Title reign on SmackDown in February, or The Miz's short-lived decision to have an upside-down WWE Title between March and May. Actually, scrap that: it's Miz and John Cena's 5-minute Tag Title reign in February. Seriously, does anyone still remember that?

Mess-up Of The Year: The November 7 Raw Main Event. I was actually in attendance for this, in Liverpool. Awesome Truth beat John Cena and Zach Ryder when R-Truth booted Cena, and Miz held Cena's legs down for the three count. Only, it must have gone wrong because within minutes, the match was restarted (without a bell), and the sequence was repeated. Even worse, though, the ref's count went wrong (!), so the three count itself had to be repeated again. Cena afterwards complained on the microphone that "That wasn't even a match", presumably to divert attention from what the fans had just witnessed (of course, only one heavily-edited version was screened). The illusion must have been shattered for some fans that night.

OMG! Moment Of The Year: The ring collapse. At Vengeance, Mark Henry suplexed Big Show off the top rope down onto the ring, which exploded as a result. Having previously seen this with Show and Brock Lesnar, it was slightly predictable beforehand, but it was still an epic way to end a Title match.

What? Moment Of The Year: Booker T. Just before the Henry-Show match at Vengeance, Booker T tried to mention Mark Henry's recent win over John Morrison, but couldn't remember Morrison's name, referring to him as the "Parkour kid", and asking his fellow commentators who he was. This, after Morrison had been in WWE, on and off, for nearly nine years. What?

Chant Of The Year: Fruity Pebbles. Only in WWE would you get thousands of people chanting for a breakfast cereal.

Drag-Out Of The Year: NXT Season 5. At time of writing, it has lasted over 40 weeks, despite only being a Redemption series wherein the winner only gets to choose his Pro for Season 6. In addition, past NXT rookies have returned without explanation; the weekly competitions have disappeared; and the three remaining rookies have been featured on other shows anyway (being promoted to another brand is meant to be the prize). Hopefully, this will be finished soon.

Most Annoying Wrestler/Wrestling Personality Of The Year: Michael Cole. No explanation necessary.

Celebrity Of The Year (If you don't count The Rock): The Muppets. Seriously, they made Raw more entertaining on Halloween, which most celebs on Raw have failed to do.

Storyline Of The Year: CM Punk leaving WWE. What started off as an interesting plot ended up as a major development which saw some groundbreaking on-air comments, Punk establishing himself as a top name, Vince McMahon losing his on-air duties, HHH making a return, and by SummerSlam, two people claiming to be WWE Champion, which in itself ended with a Money In The Bank cash-in by Alberto Del Rio. This was something which made Raw well worth watching over July and August.

Tag Team Of The Year: Air Boom. Evan Bourne and Kofi Kingston have made a good partnership, and will hopefully continue their reign as WWE Tag Team Champs.

Most Short-Lived Partnership Of The Year: Hunico, Epico and Primo. On the November 11 SmackDown (which I also attended in Liverpool), the three teamed up to take out The Uso's. This would, strangely, be the only time that they were together. Primo and Epico are still together, though, which is something.

Most Unexpected Return Of The Year: Bull Buchanan on the November 14 Raw Gets Rocked special. I thought Brian Christopher/Lawler had got this one when he appeared in the run-up to WM XXVII, but at least he was related to a current WWE employee (Jerry Lawler). Buchanan, though, was only John Cena's partner (as B2) for a few weeks in 2002/2003. Not to suggest this was a great moment or anything, but let's be honest: who expected to see Bull Buchanan on Raw in 2011?

Most Pointless Event: CM Punk's match changing for Night Of Champions. I could understand if CM Punk went from facing Kevin Nash at Night Of Champions to meeting Triple H if the change was made one week later, or even later in the week. But, to do so on the same show, the question is: why?

Rewriting History Occurence Of The Year: Hornswoggle learning to talk. After winning an All I Want For Christmas Battle Royal on the 29/11/2011 SmackDown, Hornswoggle developed the power of speech. But wasn't he speaking clearly at WrestleMania XXVII? And when he was DX's mascot? And, going way back, occasionally when he was Finlay's sidekick? And . . . oh, never mind.

Unintentionally Hilarious Remark Of The Year: Jack Korpela. On an Autumn episode of NXT, after a run-in by Curt Hawkins and Tyler Reks on The Uso's, Korpela remarked: "The Party-Starter and The Dreadlock Demolition Crew!" Somehow, this was said with a straight face (or maybe it wasn't).

Most Missed Wrestler Of The Year: Chris Jericho. Although big WWE names have been absent for a while now, it became noticeable once Y2J departed in September 2010. The rumour mill says, however, that he may be back soon. Possibly at Royal Rumble?

Notable Absentee Of The Year: The Undertaker. WM XXVII aside, The Phenom has had no - ZERO - matches this year, mainly due to injuries. Will UT only now compete at WrestleMania, to defend his Streak? Might a "proper" return soon be on the cards? Or could it be at his 19th WM win in Atlanta was the end of the road for the Dead Man? Time will tell.

Welcome Return Of The Year: The classic Intercontinental Title. The version that Cody Rhodes unveiled at Hell In A Cell was actually a bit more updated than the original, but it was still good to see a comeback of sorts for the belt worn by the likes of Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and the Ultimate Warrior.

Non-Event That Should Have Been An Event Of The Year: The Raw Supershow. On August 29, Triple H announced that SmackDown wrestlers would appear on Raw, making it a Raw Supershow. However, whilst the likes of Randy Orton and Sheamus began appearing regularly on Monday nights, it didn't make much difference, and the favour wasn't returned in the form of Raw wrestlers appearing on SD every week. Unless the plan is to scrap the Brand Extension in 2012, hopefully this will be jazzed up, since at this point the Draft seems pointless.

Ironic Thing That Isn't Necessarily Good Of The Year: Superstars. The WWE show Superstars mainly features opening-match talent, wrestlers from NXT, or those for whom there was no space on Raw or SmackDown that week. No real story developments, nor major names like Cena, Orton or Punk. In other words, the show Superstars has no Superstars.

In And Out Wrestler Of The Year: Kharma. Before May began, Kharma was awaiting her debut. By the end of the month, she had made her debut, destroyed most Divas, but then left due to pregnancy. On the bright side, Kharma's in-ring debut will finally come some time in 2012.

Non-Existent Character Of The Year: Little Jimmy. We never saw him (unless you count the person at Capitol Punishment), nor do we even know what he looks like. But, for over 7 months, not a week on Raw would go by without a reference to Little Jimmy by R-Truth.

Apparently Unimportant Occurence Of The Year: Kaitlyn turning on AJ. This betrayal between friends was so significant, WWE didn't even air it, despite it taking place during a SmackDown taping.

Forgotten Prop Of The Year: The Cole Mine. Remember that?

Most Embarrassing Moment Of The Year: Trish Stratus' impression of The Rock and Booker T at Elimination Chamber. Not the best way to return after a near-18 month absence from WWE.

Funniest Moment Of The Year: The Rock. There weren't any stand-out hilarious events, either intentionally (Steve Austin singing with a guitar) or unintentionally (Mark Henry chasing the Nexus, but ending up in front of them). So, choose any lines that were spoken by The Rock, mainly as insults towards The Miz and/or John Cena. Mind you, CM Punk's "tribute" to John Laurinitis at the Slammy Awards was also quite humorous.

I Meant To Do That Moment Of The Year: Mark Henry. The World's Strongest Man fought Randy Orton on the October 13 Raw, when Cody Rhodes caused a DQ. Orton fought Cody away, but then was struck by Henry and his World's Strongest Slam. Then, the World Heavyweight Champion pinned Orton. After the match was over.

Least Memorable Period Of The Year: May. Extreme Rules and Over The Limit both took place during this month; but on-screen, I can only really remember Christian winning the World Title, The Rock's Birthday and the Randy Orton vs Christian matches as being noteworthy.

Unusual PPV Advert Of The Year: TLC. Not so much the advert itself, but David Otunga being the main face on it. Which is kind of like next season's Premier League coverage on Sky being advertised by Tottenham's Heurelio Gomes, in terms of current recognition.

Whatever Happened To That Guy Of The Year: Husky Harris. He was Punted by Randy Orton on the January 31 Raw, and hasn't been seen since.

Forward Planning Of The Year: Chris Masters. Or, rather, WWE's decision to feature The Masterpiece in the advert for SummerSlam, and then fire him before the show.

Rising Star Of The Year: Zack Ryder. I was going to say Daniel Bryan, but having already discussed his annum, the award goes to Zack, who started 2011 as someone waiting to be fired, but via a YouTube series, got fan support, then TV time, and by TLC, the US Title. Woo woo woo!

Pointless Championship Of The Year: United States Title. Nothing to do with Zack Ryder; and this seems hypocritical after saying Ryder is Rising Star of the Year for winning this Championship. But, still, especially with SmackDown wrestlers appearing on Raw, is there really any point to the US Title now? Ideally, the US Champ would face the Intercontinental Champ at WrestleMania in a Title Unification match, with the IC Titleholder winning and keeping his Title in existence (since it has been in WWE since 1979; why dump that for a belt which spent much of its lifespan outside WWE?). Something similar should happen with the WWE and World Heavyweight Titles - but that's another story for another time.

Fan Sign Of The Year: Vince, Please Buy Everton FC. Apparently things are getting desperate at Goodison Park. Yes, this was in Liverpool.

Biggest Drop Of The Year: John Morrison. At the start of 2011, he was No. 1 Contender to the WWE Title. He didn't become Champ, nor earn a Title shot at WrestleMania. Then, after apparently snubbing Trish Stratus at WM, and another failed opportunity, he was injured for months. When he returned, he went on a losing streak, winning one match in about four or five months. Finally, he lost on November 28 to The Miz, and then left WWE.

DVD Of The Year: Stone Cold Steve Austin. The DVD alone has almost 10 hours of coverage, including a career spanning documentary, a number of Austin's greatest matches, and a disc full of promos. One of the best WWE DVDs ever.

Hairstyle Of The Year: Sheamus. Mind you, there was Dolph Ziggler's one-week haircut in April, which, erm, made no difference at all. Anyway, Shemaus beats stiff competition from Mr Ziggles and Zach "Take Care, Spike Your Hair" Ryder.

Gang Of The Year: The Corre. Actually, Wade Barrett's army was the only proper stable, since The New Nexus died a slow, painful death; the Alberto Del Rio/John Laurinitis alliance never materialised; and there weren't any other groups. So, a gang that lost in 1:28 at WM XXVII was the year's best. Not a highlight of 2011, really.

From Out Of Nowhere Award: John Laurinitis. At the beginning of 2011, he wasn't known to WWE fans. In July, he began appearing in a minor role. Now, he is the Interim General Manager of Raw. Not bad, that.

Most Successful Wrestler Of The Year: Alberto Del Rio. A Royal Rumble, Money In The Bank and two WWE Title wins, plus a World Championship match at WrestleMania; ADR couldn't have done much more.

More Muscles Than Brains Of The Year: Mason Ryan. Have you ever seen anyone THAT muscular before?

Change For The Better Of The Year: 40-Man Royal Rumble. Extending the field meant a longer and, consequently, more enjoyable edition of the most anticipated match of the year.

Comeback Of The Year: The Rock. Well, there isn't anyone else, is there? Well, there's Kevin Nash, but at time of writing he has only a Rumble cameo and a one-minute match with Santino Marella under his belt. And Mick Foley's only been back for a little while.

And lastly . . .

Match Of The Year: The Undertaker vs Triple H, WrestleMania XXVII. Although the Orton vs Christian rivalry produced a number of great bouts, this showdown at WrestleMania was the most anticipated, the most memorable and the most exciting match of 2011. Taker went 19-0, but only after taking a ferocious beating from The Game. The Streak has never come close to ending, and there may be a rematch in 2012. Perhaps not to the level of the WM meetings between Taker and Shawn Michaels, but still the best match of WrestleMania 27, and of the year 2011 in WWE.

So, as you can see, it's been quite an eventful year in WWE. It was probably more momentous than 2010, and 2009 for that matter. As for what 2012 may provide: well, we already know the WrestleMania XXVIII Main Event, and have done since, well, the night after WrestleMania XXVII. So, a bit of the buzz that normally brings in the New Year is absent.

What is known, however, is that a number of familiar faces are set to return soon, which should make things interesting. If 2012 does see the end of the Draft, then that should also make a difference. In fact, after a year which saw The Rock come back to the ring, CM Punk speak his mind on WWE and Triple H take over the company, just about anything is possible.

I will focus more on possible 2012 developments in a future blog, as well as a "proper" month-by-month review of this annum; but, for now, that's  all on WWE in a memorable and unpredictable 2011.

It's Christmassssssssssssss!

It's that time of year again. The weather turns ice cold, the shops get packed, and G.O.L.D repeats festive editions of Only Fools and Horses on an almost hourly basis. Actually, that last one applies to the rest of the year as well.

 

Anyway, Christmas is coming and, at time of writing, is only 12 days away. I wrote a blog a while back about how certain people begin preparing for Christmas a little early (some stores began interviewing people for Christmas jobs in August; I know because I was one of them), and without doubt there is something nice about seeing the Xmas items gradually build up, from decorations to music to the sale of cards, but once it gets to December, that's when you know Christmas is coming, and every day that goes by is one giant step closer to Christmas Day.

 

Sometimes, I write a blog without necessarily knowing what direction it is going in. This piece falls under that label, as I am using this write-up to discuss why I personally enjoy Christmas, and why growing up doesn't change the feeling I get around this time of year. So, don't expect to see a template of how to write the perfect blog here, but hopefully my thoughts on Christmas may bring back some positive ones for you.

 

Something I always like to point out is why Xmas is celebrated at all. People do seem to lose sight of this, so I should remind people that Christmas is to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, in a stable in Bethlehem, on December 25 over 2,000 years ago. It's easy to forget due to the way in which Christmas has become a basis for presents, staff parties and TV specials, but the fact is that Christmas is, more than anything, about celebrating the birth of Jesus.

 

I remember years ago, back when I went to Junior School, once it got to December you began counting down the weeks to the birth of Christ with the Advent Wreath. Three red (or white) candles, one lit each week, followed by the purple one right before you broke up. Each week, with each passing candle, you realised that Xmas was getting closer, and in a strange way, I anticipated the lighting of each candle. By the time you got to purple, it was only days away, so there was a sense of excitement when that final candle was lit. Well, to me, anyway. Hey, it's better than getting excited over the Xmas work-related drinking session that ends in chaos.

 

Although this isn't carried on in work environments, I try to always remember this by attending the Christmas Eve Mass. It's a good reminder of what Christmas is really about, and ensures that, despite the changes in your lifestyle, and indeed your life, you never forget the reason why we celebrate Xmas - and, really, why we're all here today.

 

Something else that gets me thinking about Christmas is when the music TV channels begin airing the Xmas tunes. This is a relatively new practice, but while I have heard Wizzard or Slade as early as October in some places, when it gets to mid-November and I start seeing music videos for Band Aid and Cliff Richard, that's when I think "Christmas is coming now". I enjoy most of the songs, and even the ones I don't, I still listen to. Something strange is how, literally overnight, I go from loving them to feeling like there's been a death; once it gets to Boxing Day, or at least the 27th or 28th of December, for some reason I can't listen to them then. But, from mid-October onwards, I try to listen to them as much as possible, because within a few weeks the CDs used by the TV channels will go back gathering dust in the drawer. Okay, I may overdo it at times, certain VH1 hosts don't have the strongest connection to Xmas, and by Christmas itself people are probably sick and tired of hearing them, but without them, a lot of the anticipation over Xmas would be lost.

 

That gets me onto the subject of people who complain about Christmas coming early. Whether it's decorations, songs or something else, there seems to be a common dislike of certain aspects of Christmas - at least, at a particular point in time. I worked in a Christmas store twice, and often heard comments in mid-October about "Christmas, this early?" and "It's a bit early to be playing Xmas songs, isn't it?" Many of these were said jokingly, but occasionally I did hear a few who seemed genuinely angry. I wouldn't like to be around them when something really terrible or frustrating happened. Actually, it was the end of November - in other words, on the countdown to Christmas - when someone moaned about the existence of the store because "It's not even December yet". Crikey, if the world lived by that phiosophy, Lent would only be three weeks long, the World Cup qualifiers would start ten days beforehand, and the X Factor would only last three months. For those who complain, especially when it is getting close to Xmas, I would suggest maybe trying to get a little more Festive, or at least a little more understanding, because there's a reason why Christmas is celebrated so far in advance: many people enjoy it.

 

Whether it's kids anticipating the presents, young people getting drunk, or adults meeting up with relatives, for most people Christmas is special for a reason. To me, I have found it interesting how my own, personal perspective of the big day has changed. When I was younger, I loved every present I received. As I got a little older, I wanted specific gifts, and rightly or wrongly, got a right cob-on if I never received them. Later on, I realised that money is actually a good present, and not just an excuse to not buy a present. Then, some time ago, I started realising that, at some point in life, you're meant to actually buy people presents, as opposed to just giving them (if you know what I mean). Now, at age 23, I actually get a sense of excitement about purchasing gifts, and often begin planning months in advance so that, when the time is right and the best price has been discovered, I begin stocking up. Don't get me wrong, I'm not the second coming of Santa Claus (I do show some restraint), and I still receive gifts myself, but it's part of a natural evolution that at one point I wouldn't have considered, yet I now realise happens to everyone.

 

Speaking of Santa: regardless of whether you think of him as the guy off the cartoon similar in vein to The Snowman (I still enjoy watching them, by the way), the man at the Grotto in Lewis's (well, before it shut), or the uncle who dresses up as him on Xmas to be funny but ends up falling over and making a wally of himself, his existence adds a lot to Christmas. Okay, I know the truth (I wasn't prepared to hear it in a middle of an English lesson at age 8; I told people that I didn't believe in him, when really I did, and was left looking like I'd just bet £1,000 on Man Utd to win the Champion's League), but without Santa, Christmas would mean a lot less. As you grow up, maybe it doesn't matter, but when you're younger, Santa adds a lot of appeal to the event. When I think of Santa, I think, like everyone else, of the character drawn up by someone one day at Coca-Cola.

 

Oh, yes, Coca-Cola. It doesn''t matter whether you're three, 23 or 73: if you're watching TV and you see an advert that starts with "Holidays are coming, holidays are coming", you can't help but get excited. It was better years ago when it lasted longer and had a better ending (Santa whispering to the kid, rather than a white Coke bottle on a plain red background), but for some reason that one advert can make a lot of people excited. Seriously: it was on the other week, and within minutes my Facebook page was filled with comments about it. It was great, then, to see the truck itself in Liverpool not long ago. Okay, it wasn't snowing, Santa wasn't there, and THAT song wasn't playing, but it still felt good to see it.

 

On the subject of adverts: Christmas adverts are an interesting thing. In August or September, you may get a hamper advert (why do they never advertise for THIS year; by next December, you'll have forgotten about them). By October, possibly the odd couple of adverts for new products (such as CDs, or Comedy DVDs: I swear the entire Top 20 Chart in ASDA the other week was full of stand-up shows. Not that I'm complaining). But now, in December, virtually every ad is Christmas-related. Whether it's creating a feeling of excitement (Coca-Cola), using humour (the Irn-Bru one where the Snowman drops the person he's flying with to get a can of Irn-Bru made me laugh), or just something simple that captures the feeling of Christmas (most of them), although the adverts are, erm, advertising their products, to me they are succeeding more in promoting Christmas.

 

As for what else I enjoy: of course, there's TV and films. Most programmes have had Christmas specials or an Xmas theme (The Simpsons' first ever episode was a Christmas special), but the really good ones manage to not just base the story around Xmas, but make the specials themselves a staple of the Winter. Only Fools and Horses was great at it: I mentioned earlier that G.O.L.D has them on permanently, but during December, they are very enjoyable to watch on a nightly basis. Ironically, the best ones may have been shows that weren't related to Christmas. The one I prefer is The Jolly Boys Outing, which probably had more funny moments than three or four of the specials combined that will be on BBC1 this year. Other specials I enjoyed, or continue to enjoy, include The Royal Family (the 2008 and 2009 shows were hilarious) and Father Ted (which is on Channel 4 every year, mainly because it is really funny). To be honest, though, most shows seem funnier at Xmas, whether it's because of the Christmas theme, the normally longer episodes, or the general jolly feeling that you get when watching them on the day.

 

As for films: in recent years, I haven't had as much time as I would like to watch Christmas movies, but when I do, my own personal favourites are, unsurprisingly, the likes of Home Alone, erm, Home Alone 2, and Jingle All The Way. Sometimes, I wish I could write a Christmas film, because when you watch them, they capture the feeling of Christmas in a really magical way. Back in Senior School, an old teacher of mine did a film quiz, based on movies being screened over Xmas, wherein you had to guess the film from the drawing, and whoever got the most won something like £20. I never got all of them, and I never found out who won each year (actually, I never found out if anyone won), but it was something else that created an air of excitement around Christmas.

 

Strangely, I also get a bit of joy seeing the pre-programme channel Idents. You know, when it has a scene of a Christmas pudding or a tree and the BBC logo comes in; things like that are pleasing to see. The best ones were in the mid-1990s, but there are still some good ones today (like the Sky Sports snowmen). There's a website called TV Ark (http://www.tv-ark.org.uk/): if you have the time, and see some of the old ones, it really does bring back memories. Well, to me, anyway.

 

And, finally, there's the gifts. To youngsters, this is what Christmas is all about. The advent calendars, the music and the parties are all great; but the presents are what make Christmas Day itself a success or a failure. For me, personally, years ago I always had a "main" gift, usually a computer game or something, which was the thing I wanted most. When I was younger, I would get a lot of things in bulk; but, due to age and prices, this unsurprisingly would decrease over time. My favourite gifts were ones that I truly never expected; either I wanted them but assumed I wouldn't have them, or something I simply didn't expect. These were mainly big presents, like the Super Nintendo and a PC, but also more modest items like a Liverpool Away shirt. I also had a tradition wherein there were some "night" presents, so as to prevent boredom and tears once everything was opened by 11 am.

 

Of course, over time, you realise that some gifts aren't possible, and that no matter what you get, the main thing is that the person giving the present has made the effort. (Which reminds me of Bottom's Xmas show when the line "It's the thought that counts" is humourously responded to with "No, it's not, it's the size that counts!") And, when it's your turn, well to me anyway, the effort that is put into finding the right gift for the right person makes you realise how relatives must have felt giving to you years ago, and how disappointed they'd be if you told them the gifts were awful. Similarly, if I were to receive a similar response after buying a present, I would feel bad. So, over time, I have learned to appreciate gifts more. When you're young, it's hard to understand, but as you get older, you go around the life cycle, and once you're in that position, you realise why, whether it's a PS3 or a novelty tie, every present should be appreciated, as should the person giving it.

 

And so should Christmas. Some say they're glad when it's over, but there's no other time of the year like it. Not everyone will have an interest in the Premier League, or Coronation Street, or Britain's Got Talent, but everyone will have some sort of reason to anticipate and enjoy Christmas. And, as you can see, there's plenty of reasons why I enjoy Christmas - and I could have written a lot more (I didn't mention Advent Calendars much, or Selection Packs, or Carols, or Xmas dinner, or New Year celebrations, or . . . ). I may not be at the age now where I write my Lists in July (which I once did, by the way, many years ago), but I don't think you ever outgrow a feeling that Christmas is special.

 

So, the shops began selling the Xmas range in August. Christmas Temps began working in September. The tunes came on in October. The lights came on in November. Now, in December, as Christmas shopping reaches its annual peak, the TV Specials have started, and the annual parties are in full flow, there is only 12 days before someone can finally quote Slade and shout:

 

"It's Christmassssssssssssss!"

 

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, from someone for whom Christmas will always be cause to celebrate.

Countdown to WWE '12: WWF War Zone

I have played WWF/WWE games for over 10 years. With a new era beginning with the upcoming release of WWE ’12, I have decided to look back on the wrestling games I played to see how they have evolved over time. The journey starts in late 1998, with WWF War Zone.

Before War Zone, I had only played one WWF game, which was WrestleMania for the original Nintendo. Therefore, War Zone felt like the first ever proper WWF wrestling game. At the time, I didn’t know much about previous titles, or the (arguably superior) WCW games made by THQ. All I knew in mid-to-late 1998 was that, due to its new Attitude, the WWF was on fire, and that War Zone, for the Nintendo 64, looked like being an incredible game.

At the time, it was. Well, to me, anyway. If War Zone was released now as the flagship WWE game, chances are that it would get a 3 or a 4, maybe a 5, out of 10 by most game magazines and reviewers. In 1998, however, War Zone was something completely new. The producers, Acclaim, had created what I personally consider to be the first true WWF computer game.

If you think nowadays that a roster of 50-to-60 wrestlers is a bit stingy, consider this: War Zone had just 16 wrestlers on the main roster. Okay, so a handful were hidden, but for all intents and purposes, only sixteen WWF Superstars made it onto War Zone. Fortunately, it was a good selection of wrestlers: Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, The Undertaker, Kane, Mankind, Goldust, British Bulldog, Owen Hart, Ahmed Johnson, Faarooq, Mosh, Thrasher, Hunter Hearst Helmsley and Ken Shamrock. Dude Love and Cactus Jack were hidden, as were made-up characters including the Trainer and a ring girl. Apparently, Turok the dinosaur was hidden via a cheat code, although I don’t know for sure.

Although there weren’t many, most were welcome: besides The Headbangers, virtually everyone was a big name in the WWF at one point or another. In addition, Bret, Bulldog and Ahmed had left the WWF long before its release, so having them in beefed up the star power (which makes a change from nowadays, with cries of “The roster is outdated” if a wrestler leaves weeks before the game is due out). And each had their own unique unlockable. Goldust and Austin had a few extra attires; Mankind had Dude and Cactus as bonus characters; and the DX members had more items for Create A Wrestler.

Speaking of which: it’s hard to believe now, but War Zone was the first wrestling game ever to have a Create A Wrestler feature. You could make around 30 wrestlers, with basic options for attire. And yet they looked fairly lifelike, and as the equipment for certain wrestlers who never made the game were in, it was easier to make good creations of quite a few Superstars.

The main feature was Challenge mode, wherein you went through the entire roster, beating each wrestler as one Superstar, with a few grudge matches along the way. As you progress, you became Intercontinental Champion (making the cover of Raw Magazine afterwards) and then WWF Champion (which saw you grace the cover of WWF Magazine). It was basic, but it was still enjoyable for its time, and as stated, since each wrestler had their own unlockable, it was worth going through it with each wrestler. The only problem was the small window of time you had to save whatever item you unlocked, which could easily make 15 matches and several hours of game time rather pointless if you were too late.

As for the matches: there was a regular single match, tag team, gauntlet, weapons (hardcore), steel cage and Royal Rumble. Some of these hadn’t been in a game before, or at least not all together, and since many memorable match types (Table, TLC etc) hadn’t yet debuted, the line-up was fairly good. A big setback, though, was not being able to choose your adversary if it were the computer. Okay, so you could just redo the process until you get the opponent you want, but it was still an avoidable problem.

Other notes: although I didn’t know it at the time, the PS1 version featured an opening video (and possibly another cutscene or two) and the proper theme songs for wrestlers, which the N64 console lacked; in retrospect, this was understandable, but still annoying. That said, the N64 had no loading times, so it kind of evened itself out. Apparently, the PS1 version also lacked the Royal Rumble match, although I don’t know that for sure. There was the Training mode; an underrated feature wherein you practiced specific moves for each wrestler. High Scores kept a note of who was the best in the game. Each wrestler had alternate attire or, if you unlocked them, three for Austin and Goldust. Entrances were very basic, showing a wrestler at the top of the ramp; sometimes, not even that. Commentary was provided (with real voice-overs) by Jim Ross and Vince McMahon. And all matches took place at Raw Is War, although (in another I-should-try-and-confirm-this moment) if you win the Challenge and beat everyone again, apparently a WrestleMania ring became available.

Oh, I forgot to mention the control scheme. Various button combinations were required for moves, with finishers available when a wrestler’s health bar turned red. It was okay at the time, although it seemed very complicated when compared to the SmackDown games of years to come.

The main pros and cons are listed below.

Best Bits:

-         First WWF game for Austin, Rock, HHH, Mankind and Kane

-         Challenge mode was enjoyable

-         Innovate Create A Wrestler feature

Let-Downs:

-         Problems in saving unlockables

-         Limitations of N64 compared to PS1

-         Roster could have been a bit bigger

Overall, though, War Zone was a pretty good game. Even when looking back, whilst not the greatest game of all-time, it still stands up as a fairly enjoyable title. That said, it was only the beginning of bigger and better things to come, including games that offered features that in 1998 were unimaginable. But producers Acclaim would only be in control for one more game – which will be covered in the next post.