Killing Time Episode 008: Dick DeBartolo Interview!

Guest Starring Dick DeBartolo and his Air Conditioner.

Direct Download: Killing Time Episode 008

Having trouble getting the episode? Go to KillingTime.TV

Show Notes:
Lots of Gadgets discussed in this episode:

* Mini Water Dispenser
* Infomercials and Commercial Spoofs – Ionic Breeze / Ironic Breeze
* Magic Bullet Blender
* Showtime BBQ Grill
* Show-Off T-shirt – shirt with built in equalizer
* Billboard Hat
* Wavy Wand
* Tempo Tags
* The Cruizin’ Cooler

Daily Giz Wiz

The origin of Killing Time (Dick DeBartolo Interviews I.A?)

MAD Talk:

* The new issue of MAD Magazine
* Dick gets paid to watch TV
* Yell’s Kitchen and Deal or No Deal
* Snakes on a Plane
* The MAD magazine process
* 24 – Dick DeBartolo liked it – but he’s tired of Keifer Sutherland running and screaming.

Randomness:

* I.A. teaches Dick some things
* BitTorrenting
* Call For Help
* Cracked Magazine
* Cargo Magazine
* iTunes
* D**k and S**k and Censorship.
* Changes to the Daily Giz Wiz
* WBAL Baltimore

Kurt Angle Released

Today, Kurt Angle was released.

“Due to personal issues, Kurt Angle has been granted an early release from his contract. WWE looks forward to establishing a new relationship with Kurt in the near future.” (Source: WWE.com)

I am a big Kurt Angle fan – so I’m in shock that he won’t be wrestling any time soon. I just hope he uses the time off to get that proper neck surgery and heal the rest of his body so he can one day return to the WWE. I know that Angle wants to be known as the greatest wrestler of all time but he lacks longevity. Maybe this time off will be good for him.

If he never wrestles again, he’s one of the best ever. There’s nothing like watching a Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit match. It’s interesting how well those two worked together when Angle was a pro for about 5 years and Benoit was an 18 year veteran. It just shows how quickly he adjusted to the world of professional wrestling.

The statement from the WWE looks as if Angle asked for the release and since he’s a company-man, I’m sure he’ll be welcomed back if he choses to return. Either way, good luck, Kurt Angle.

Readers?

I’ve been writing stuff on this blog because I want to get my thoughts on professional wrestling to the world. I’ve been checking the stats and this site has been getting a lot of page views. Do any of you readers want to contribute to this site with show reviews or columns? E-mail me at killingtimeshow@gmail.com. Hell, if you want, we can talk about pro wrestling on my podcast – KillingTime.tv.

Monday Night Raw: August 21st Edition

Edge opens the show with a new tile belt. I was hoping the Undisputed WWE Championship belt was coming back, but the Rated R championship looks alright. I’d rather not see Jeff Hardy in the main event scene, but at least he’s got (say it with me) direction.

The Bearded Idiots vs. The World Tag Team Champions, Spirit Squad
The USA chant was a bit odd since Duggan’s own teammates are supposed to be from Scotland. The Spirit Squad’s tag team maneuvers are refreshing. Nothing like a team acting like a team. Kenny still looks like he’ll be the break out superstar of the group. I’m sick of the face in peril tag team match scenario. How about some back and forth action? How about finding out that one team member is a better wrestler than the other? The double slingshot reverse suplex finisher – I’ll call it the Highlander Leveler.

Informercial vs. Edge
The Bowflex, McMahon DVD and the Marine movie poster? Alright.

Orton whines about losing to an old man. Then he is going to take on another old man (BTW, didn’t Flair and Orton already feud with Orton winning in his failed face turn?). Carlito vs. Orton – now that’s cool. Maybe Carlito can teach Orton a thing or two in the ring.

DX and the New Triple H (Where the three H’s stand for Ha! Ha! Ha!). So H is harassing his father in law? It’s odd seeing HBK as a sidekick. Nothing like vandalism by two guys who are fathers. Hey, howabout some wrestling. I’d like to see some wrestling.

Trish Stratus had a good showing against Victoria. A match that made Trish look strong – what a great idea. Trish has been booked weakly recently and she needs this kind of match. I’m glad the McMahons didn’t interrupt the match.

I thought DX had vandalized the WWE headquarters a month ago. Vince is hurt. Poor guy.

“You called me Vince” Segment with Mick Foley.

10PM Main Event: Edge vs. Jeff Hardy:
Why does Hardy have pyro? Is the WWE serious about this guy again? Edge gets heel heat on demand (he called for the crowd to boo him and they did). The Cena-Edge brawl, while predictable was fun. I enjoy that the WWE lets the main event guys go beyond the ring. I’m aware this kind of stuff was done before (with the Rock and Stone Cold) but it hasn’t been done for a while. After watching Edge get thrown into that body of water I thought – now that’s a champion. A heel champ should get his ass kicked. Cena is very good as an intense face and challenger. His title reigns should be kept short to keep him popular just like the Rock.

Kane vs. Nitro turned into Umaga vs. Kane. I assume that Kane spitting up blood was a work as the show would probably cut away if Kane was really injured.

Aside: The quality of commercials since Raw is back on USA is much better. The lack of energy drink and crappy video game commercials is very nice.

Diva Bathroom Break

The Marine Trailer: I’ve actually watched this on WWE.com. It’s over the top and could be a dumb action movie. That being said, it’s been a while since there’s been a dumb action movie so I think The Marine might not suck. Maybe I’ll cover it on my podcast, Killing Time. (Cheap plug).

Ric Flair vs. Orton. Ric Flair has already cemented himself as the greatest wrestler of all time. In his old age, he’s still having amazing matches. The fact that I’ve seen a Ric Flair ladder match and two hardcore matches shows Flair’s commitment to wrestling. He is a legend in the business and does not need to be a full time wrestler. Ric Flair at his age is still better than probably 80% of the roster. Orton needs to expand his moveset and borrow some of Carlito’s charisma. BTW: Anyone else notice that 3/4 of the Evolution members are now faces?

Kiss My Ass Segment = Main Event? I hate when a segment is the main event instead of a wrestling match. I assume that Melina will turn on Mick and allow Mick to turn face. (I wrote that at 10:53 PM EST). It would be interesting to see Vince act as a guy who runs the company. Vince should be a man who is forced to deal with crap since Vince would rather see some green than personal vendettas being handled. I say this because Vince would be an idiot to fire Melina – she’s money in the bank. So Foley kissed McMahon’s ass. Now what? Yup, the Melina turn.

Raw ends on a sour note. Bleh. This segment should have been the 10PM main event and the WWE Championship storyline should be the true main event. Looks like the WWE Creative was watching American Graffiti and not Mythbusters when they showed the axle being removed from that vehicle by a chain. Mythbusters proved that such a thing was impossible.

Vince screams like Mumm-Ra of ThunderCats.

SummerSlam 2006 Thoughts

Now I had said I didn’t want to pay for SummerSlam 2006 because the card didn’t seem too great. But then I got caught up in the SummerSlam hype. I actually attended the first SummerSlam with the MegaPowers vs. the Megabucks – so I’m a SummerSlam fan.

They got me to pay up the 40 bucks and I watched the show. Here’s my opinion on it: It was a decent show that was quite fun and set up storylines for a while. Did anyone else notice that every match (except the DX one) had the loser enter the ring first?

The night opened up with Rey vs. Chavo because no other match could open. I enjoyed the match and the two have very good chemistry. Chavo selling of Rey’s offense is believable and the two did not disappoint. I think their No Way Out match was better and no Vicki Guerrero interference would be nice, but all in all a good opener with some nice highspots.

Hogan/Orton was what I expected except for the finish of Hogan going over. It’s not like he needs to protect his spot so I don’t understand why he didn’t job to Orton. Hogan played the crowd excellently and he’s the smartest man in wrestling – I wonder how he would do as a booker (assuming he was no longer an on-air talent).

Show vs. Sabu was alright. I was surprised there was no interference by Paul Heyman or RVD or someone. The two didn’t work together that well and the match was sloppy in parts.

The I Quit match was more hardcore than the ECW match. Some crazy bumps had me cringing for both wrestlers. The match ended abruptly with Mick quitting to save Melina and quite possibly means that the feud will continue.

DX vs. The McMahons (+10): I enjoyed seeing Ken Kennedy getting such offense on DX. It would be nice to see a Kennedy vs. HBK feud since the two can be loudmouths very well. Since Kennedy is such a star on SmackDown! it’s only a matter of time before he is sent to Raw. Anyway, the match portion was weak, but I enjoyed seeing the McMahons using tag-team finishers from the past. I was disappointed they did not use the Midnight Express’ finisher. It also set up a Kane-Umaga feud to give both men direction.

King Bookah vs. Batista: Batista needs some conditioning work since he nearly botched the Batista Bomb. Bookah retains and the feud will continue. That’s good for SmackDown!

Edge vs. John Cena: Cena loses in front of his home crowd so Edge will do the job at Unforgiven in Toronto. I’m glad Edge successfully defended the WWE championship at such a major PPV. It was a good match and I still think that Edge is a great champion. He seems like he could lose any match to any opponent (take a look at his ladder match against Ric Flair or his recent match against Carlito). He draws good heel heat and fans want to see him get his butt kicked in the ring.

BTW: I also liked the interaction between the champions. It makes the two shows really seem like two different promotions.

SummerSlam 2006

SummerSlam is upon us and I really have no interest in paying for this pay-per-view.

As I was driving my car listening to Metalingus by Alter Bridge (Edge’s theme), I realized I want to see a couple of the matches on the card. I don’t care about the Rey/Chavo storyline. I’m sure the two will put on an excellent match, but I can always watch their No Way Out Cruiserweight Championship Match (the same No Way Out where Eddie become WWE Champion) if I want to see them wrestle.

DX vs. The McMahons – I’ve got some words for you: I don’t care. I understand that “Mr. McMahon” is a character and will have feuds from time to time, but I have no interest in watching Vince wrestle. I would rather Vince act as a manager of sorts where he sends out wrestlers to take on other wrestlers.

Hogan vs. Orton: The Second Legend vs. Legend Killer match for SummerSlam (last year was Taker vs. Randy). Orton had a decent match against Taker and had a great match against Chris Benoit (but then again, Benoit could wrestle a broom) but I don’t think he can get a good match out of Hogan. It will be a punch, kick, rest-hold-fest that I don’t want to watch. I expect Orton to prevail since he’s got a 2 SummerSlam win-streak and I also expect Hogan is willing to do the job for the promotion of his daughter.

The “I Quit” match, bleh. I know these guys can go and have a brutal match, but once again, my interest is low. Foley’s promos have been excellent – but once again, these guys are old enough to start their own stables. These stables could fight. Foley’s Stuntmen vs. Flair’s Non-horsemen.

I’m only interested in the championship matches considering it determines the main storylines on the shows. I’ve been enjoying seeing Edge as WWE Champion and I think Cena is doing well as the babyface challenger chasing the heel champion. (BTW, I think Edge should retain because that guy is getting great heel heat and looks like he could lose to any challenger. Once again, he reminds me of Ric Flair as a mouthy, chicken, heel.) Since SummerSlam is in MA and Cena’s the hometown boy (plus he’s the WWE’s golden boy) I expect Cena to win his 3rd WWE Championship.

I’ve enjoyed King Booker’s reign as well. He had me cracking up when he was on commentary duty last week and I hope he keeps the king character for a bit longer. The King’s Court is a good loose heel stable which gives purpose to matches. (Such as if someone has a problem with Booker, they go through his court first. It separates the challenger from the champion).

Show vs. Sabu can be pretty good – and I’m sure I’ll get my fill through free recaps on ECW.

So that’s my look at SummerSlam 2006.

Killing Time Episode 007

Upcoming Interviews, Snakes on a Plane, New Segment, Spider-Man 3 and more!

• Taimak and Dick DeBartolo are coming to Killing Time
• Jack Bauer Stole My Week: I.A. Watches 24: Seasons 3, 4, and 5 in six days.
• Is Jack Bauer better than Batman?
• Contains Spoilers (So if you don’t want to hear about the show, don’t listen.)
• Jack Bauer = Captain America?
• Snakes on a Plane: Prank Calls available – snakesonaplane.varitalk.com – excellent marketing
• New Segment: Stump the Sultan of Some Cinema
• Spider-Man 3: Too Many Villains?
• More stuff – just listen to the show, it’s free!

Direct Download: Episode 007
Having trouble getting the file? Visit KillingTime.TV.

Transvestite Vito and the Ambassador to Canada

So I’m watching SmackDown! on my DVR and I caught the Vito vs. Sylvan match. Now, why would I watch such an awful match? I watched the match because it’s a good sign for WWE Creative. While I know both men have terrible gimmicks, at least the two have gimmicks and storylines.

For some time now the midcarders would come out and just wrestle without any clear direction. Now both Sylvan and Vito have direction and terrible storylines – but at least they have direction and a storyline. Not too long ago, a bunch of wrestlers were let go because the WWE had “nothing for them.”

These two will never be World Champion (they’ll probably never reach U.S. Title contention either) – but creative has something for them. Something is better than nothing.

BTW, King Bookah is great in his role as “The King.”

Last Week’s WWE Supershow

Last week, I attended the WWE Supershow in East Rutherford, New Jersey. For those of you who don’t know, a WWE Supershow is where the WWE records both SmackDown! and Raw at the same event. SmackDown! is taped first and then is followed by the live episode of Monday Night Raw. Telltale signs of the Supershow include black ring ropes and the Raw polygon-shaped Titantron.

The show started with a dark match featuring the return of Bob “Hardcore” Holly. The fans were supportive of Holly’s return to the ring.

SmackDown! followed the dark match and the fans were pretty much sitting on their hands until Ken Kennedy and Batista had their match. The crowd did not care for SmackDown! as evidenced by a sign I saw, “I only came here for Raw.” The Chavo/Rey segment did not get as much heat as it should have. Two people in front of me tried to start an “Eddie’s Dead” chant. I found that quite distasteful and disrespectful of the late, great Eddie Guerrero.

King Booker and Undertaker had a quality match that the fans appreciated. However, the crowd was hot for Raw even though the episode of Raw was really no better than SmackDown!

The WWE Red and Blue brands shouldn’t be competing, all the WWE should see is green.

It just shows the sad state of the WWE. WWE constantly puts over Raw as the “flagship of the WWE” and puts down SmackDown! At least JBL tries to put over SmackDown! as the “A Show.” The fans have bought into the WWE thinking that SmackDown! is the B show and not worth watching. For a short time, SmackDown! was the real A show with Kurt Angle, Edge, Rey Mysterio, Los Guerreros, John Cena, Randy Orton, Big Show and Brock Lesnar.

Every time SmackDown! has some momentum, the WWE undercuts it. Take a look at that list – who is left? Rey Mysterio and Chavo Guerrero are left. Triple H took Edge and brought back Orton to Raw. Show and Angle are anchoring the WWECW with star power.

SmackDown! is usually saved by a Raw wrestler coming over to the show. When Batista vacated the World Heavyweight Championship, Raw’s Kurt Angle managed to win the SmackDown! championship. Shortly thereafter, HBK got a pinfall victory over Angle on Monday Night Raw (while Angle was the SmackDown! Champion) to further show the fans that Raw is superior to SmackDown!

I cannot understand why the WWE would bother to do this considering any WWE brand brings the WWE money. For some reason, WWE is choosing to bury one show at their own expense. WWE could be making money on all of their brands, but chooses to do so with Raw and the new ECW. SmackDown! has quickly become the third brand.

So if anyone from the WWE is reading this, build up SmackDown and ECW to be equal to Raw and just make some serious money. When the brands are built up, fights between SmackDown! and Raw during the big-money PPVs would generate buyrates. The perfect example is the interpromotional classic, Raw’s HBK vs. SmackDown!’s Kurt Angle. Two superstars whose interactions were limited by being on separated brands allow for a slow building feud that can take months and their match will make money on a joint-brand PPV.

The WWE Red and Blue brands shouldn’t be competing, all the WWE should see is green.

Killing Time Episode 006

Taimak coming to Killing Time, Heath Ledger is the Joker, Click, and Spaceballs.

• Taimak (Star of “Berry Gordy’s The Last Dragon”) is coming to Killing Time.
• Heath Ledger is the Joker in “The Dark Knight” (the sequel to “Batman Begins”).
• Fight: Click, the Adam Sandler Movie
• DVD Pick: Spaceballs

About 30 minutes of show. Enjoy. New episode next Monday Night.
Direct Download: Episode 006
If you have trouble getting the file, visit KillingTime.tv