Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Pay for what you get…

In last week’s column I discussed the first TNA 3-hour pay-per-view and how much they have changed for the worse in the past four years. Consistent readers know I gave up on both WWE and TNA a while back in favor of independent promotions like Ring of Honor, so this week I’ll discuss why ROH produces ppv shows that are superior to those of both the “big 2”, WWE and TNA.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - The road to victory?

Once upon a time there was an American pro wrestling promotion with a different approach to the business called Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (or TNA for short). They showcased a special breed of modern athlete in a unique, six-sided ring, and proudly stood apart from the style of show produced by the global juggernaut known as World Wrestling Entertainment. This “little-company-that-could” breathed new life into the stale and stagnant scene and was poised to blaze an innovative trail straight through major league professional wrestling.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - The Charismatic Enigma wins the big one…

At the Armageddon ppv last weekend, perennial also-ran Jeff Hardy finally won the big one and walked away as the new top dog on SmackDown!, capturing the WWE Championship in a triple-threat match against defending champion, Edge, and Vince McMahon’s favorite son(-in-law), Triple H.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - New England Championship Wrestling

Continuing my exploration of independent wrestling in the United States, I was recently exposed to a company called New England Championship Wrestling, which offers a unique alternative to many other indy promotions: a free, weekly Internet broadcast.

Alternate Reality: The Life and Times of Grizzly Redwood…

Beloved indy fed Ring of Honor recently caused an uproar amongst their fan base via a drastic change in the creative department which I recently discussed.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - GEAR shift…

GEAR is a small promotion created to allow up and coming young wrestlers the opportunity to work with, and learn from, more experienced and established pros in a unique on-the-job training environment while entertaining live crowds along the way. Of course being a “completist” I started with their debut release, the aptly titled First GEAR, recorded on March 21st of this year in Brooksville, Florida.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Guerrilla warfare…

The Southern California-based, active wrestler-owned Pro Wrestling Guerrilla (PWG) promotion boasts a roster of phenomenal athletes and takes a somewhat tongue-in-cheek approach to the business. Their incredible and affordable 3-disc collection called PWG Sells Out: The Best of Pro Wrestling Guerrilla, Volume 1 was my introduction to the fed.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Austin versus Angle…

While the 2001 storyline of WWF’s invasion by the WCW/ECW “Alliance” was generally regarded as a horribly botched flop and a rushed, uninteresting, unfulfilling waste of one of the biggest potential money-making angles of all time, a bright spot emerged from the endless stream of WrestleCrap and provided some hot matches, namely the feud between Stone Cold Steve Austin and former Olympic Gold Medallist Kurt Angle over the World Wrestling Federation Championship.

TODAY’S ISSUE: Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - A hidden gem…

Regardless of the genre, fans are often draw like flies to the big name events, the classics, the famous must-see editions that everyone always talks about. But sometimes you get lucky and stumble on a hidden gem, a rockin’ B-side track (for those who remember 45 rpm vinyl) or relatively unknown find that might not have been critically acclaimed, but pleases you as a consumer even so. That’s what I discovered in a Ring of Honor DVD I watched this week titled Caged Rage.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - The Death of ROH?

By now, everyone who cares already knows that Ring of Honor owner Cary Silken and former booker Gabe Sapolsky have parted ways, and former NWA World Heavyweight Champion Adam “Scrap Iron” Pearce was brought in to take over all creative responsibilities for the beloved indy promotion. While some devoted ROHbots are calling this a death knell, I’d rather sit back and see what happens before pronouncing Ring of Honor DOA.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Heel and Soul…

If you show an audience a selfish, dangerous, evil bastard who wants to take things that aren’t rightfully his and hurt people along the way, then most fans will automatically support the forces pitted against them, and roar with support when the bad guys are given their comeuppance.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Evolution (no, not the stable)…

Character development. It’s one of those phrases you hear insiders discuss regarding ongoing professional wrestling angles and storylines, and it keeps things fresh by ensuring the same folks don’t just do the same things, the same way, week after week and month after month. At least that’s what GOOD character development does.

TODAY’S ISSUE: The evolution of characters and performers.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Merciless…

Unforgiven didn’t exactly live up to my expectations, but it did have a few things I enjoyed, and without watching any of the weekly episodes between the two ppvs, I decided to check out the follow-up last weekend.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Modern Legends…

When Wrestling’s Country Kitchen opened for dinner, it got me thinking about the legends of American professional wrestling. Norine Stice is hopefully going to continue cooking up wonderful batches of goodies focused on the elder statesmen of the squared circle like Harley Race, Gorgeous George, Bruiser Brody, and the Funk family, so let’s take a look at the men who made a dramatic impact on the US wrestling scene during my 25 years as a fan of this unique performance art.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Bang For Your Buck

Five dollars. It’s a value meal at most fast food joints, a single drink at your average bar, a pack of smokes, or a dessert in a restaurant, and you might be surprised to know what else $5 can get you.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Punk’d…

CM Punk: Former World Heavyweight Champion of World Wrestling Entertainment. One year ago that seemed impossible to fathom, but after a run as the ECW champion and a victory in the annual Money in the Bank ladder match at WrestleMania XXIV in March, Punk was paid the ultimate compliment by Vince McMahon and the powers that be - he was drafted to RAW.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Is WWE forgiven?

While I’m no longer a WWE fan (I’ve watched less than 10 hours of original programming in the past year), I do keep up with current storylines, and a few things about Unforgiven made me curious enough to tune in, especially considering the price (free for me, serving overseas in the USAF).

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - The son also rises…

In any profession, there’s a special interest in sons and daughters who carry on in the family business a generation later. Although these legacies were bred for success from the moment they were conceived and likely grew up learning the ins and outs, sometimes the expectations of them are so great and the spotlight so bright that nobody could ever live up to the massive amounts of hype. But when one of them does make it big, their careers are truly special to behold.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - Stable-ity…

Within the realm of professional wrestling storytelling, there are several tried-and-true devices that bookers utilize over and over to tell the tales that make men climb between the ropes and beat each other senseless. Some classics include love triangles, mismatched/feuding tag team partners, protégés who turn against their mentors, and authority figures who manipulate the playing field to their own liking. But perhaps none is more time-tested and proven than the very simple concept of combining a team of wrestlers with a common goal under an official banner and group name. I’m referring of course to factions, or teams, lovingly referred to by wrestling fans as “stables”.

Alternate Reality by Vin Tastic - To each his own…

Professional wrestling contains the unique struggles of fact versus fiction, real athleticism versus predetermined outcomes, and larger-than-life characters versus real people. There’s no other form of entertainment or sporting event that quite compares, so it’s no surprise that die-hard fans are so diametrically opposed regarding their love for the business.