When the WWF started changing the wrestling business in the mid 80's one the first TV networks to broadcast there shows nation wide was MTV. The than Music TV television broadcast several special events such as the War to Settle the Score. Than in the late 90's MTV also broadcast a couple of special but forgettable matches with WCW talent during spring break. In 2007 got back into the wrestling game with Wrestling Society X. WSX was a clear attempt to be different from the normal wrestling shows being put on by WWE and TNA at the time. The was set in a sound stage built to look like a bunker, The rules were more relaxed even using gimmicks like light tubes and explosions more often seen in CZW or Death Matches in Japan. The problem of course is well it aired MTV witch meant dealing with censors and other cooperate types. The show was pulled when MTV refused to air a fireball spot in one episode it briefly returned only to get pulled again due to poor ratings and than most remaining episodes from season one to air in a marathon.
Now the truth is WSX has several handicaps against it. For one the show only had a half an hour with commercials and I remember this was a time where TNA Impact was only an hour long and people felt that wasn't long enough. Also each show began with a a song from the musical guest of the week who than sat in on commentary. Yes MTV the channel that by this time had pretty much given up on Music felt this was the one show that had to have a musical guest so even less of the run time could be used for wrestling. Also the show only got the one ten episode run. All those were pre tapped in front an audience of actors hired to fill it. The show was pretty much mocked by wrestling fans and faded away to the ranks of the mid 90's UWF or GWF. (Guess that means in like 20 years ESPN Classic will air reruns of WSX) But was there something worth remembering? DId they show enough promise early on that had they been given a second chance they could have turned it around? Like the XWF DVD I won't be reviewing everything on the set I'll be ignoring Web Show that aired on MTV.com that was mostly a recap and featured one match it be like reviewing the sunday night heat that aired before a WWE PPV.
Episode 1- Our commentary team of Brent Ernst and Kriss Kloss welcomed us to the show. Our Main event will be the WSX rumble with the two winner advancing to the first ever title match in WSX history. They than throw down to Fabian Kaelin who I say is the worst ring announcer in wrestling history. The guy start running around like an idiot screaming. I get a ring announcer is hype man but there is going to far with it. I should note none of the musical performances are included on the DVD and all I can say is thank god where there were a few acts that I liked such episodes ones Zack Wylde there were many that I didn't. Sadly they didn't block out the commentary the musicians did.
Matt Sydal with Lizzy Valentine vs Jack Evans- Sydal is now better known as Evan Boure and just to note at the time these two were stable mates in ROH as members of Generation Me. First thing they did after the bell rang was cut to Lizze on the outside I think just to remind the boys watching they had a hot blonde. Commentary was awful Wylde, Ernst, and Kloss talked all over each other. Just watching it I have a feeling like a great match got left on the editing room floor. As they kept cutting back to Lizzy and I think they used that to edit out moves and not make it look to awkward. What's sad is watching you could tell Jack and Matt really were trying to give this company a great start. Evans won after a 630 and when LIzzy's interference backfired. Match was freaking butchered to hell by editing. So as result we got a very crash and burn match going from high spot to high spot. Also there were some weird cuts and camera angles that made it hard to tell who was doing what. I think we have two issues showing themselves one the show only getting a half an hour time slot means they can't let the matches go to long and two wanting to be fast paced and exciting they removed any slower portions. I know most TV matches are short but this felt like it was 90 seconds long. Commentary also killed this match it seemed like Zack just wanted to make jokes and the regular two were trying to set up the story line of Lizzy having a roving eye except Lizzy really didn't act like she had one here.
We than get a video of the various tag teams on the WSX roster. It's a nice touch with the video but again it was so short I don't know who was in the video. We than get a series of promos by various guys in the WSX rumble I think they were trying to recreate the old ECW Pulp Fiction promos and given the time limit issues it was a nice way to get a few names out there.
WSX Rumble- This was a ladder match mixed with a Royal Rumble. Basically 10 guys entered the two to climb up a ladder and pull down a contract would advance to the match for the WSX title. You would be eliminated if you were thrown over the top rope. The thing to note about the first episode was it was tapped months before the other nine were so it was a true pilot. As a result some of the wrestlers used for it weren't around for example Justine Credible, New Jack, Chris Hamrick, and Puma only appeared once. Yet guys like Teddy Hart, Kaos, or Vampiro returned. In dumb editing moves Puma who was the first elimination was eliminated during the break and they kept randomly jumping around shot to shot during the match not just angles on what went down during the match but showing the fans and showing the announcers reacting to the match. Now the ring filled up real fast and when elimination's started there were about five in about thirty seconds so I quickly lost track of who was in and who was out. Plus each one featured a big spot stacked right on top of each other. 6-Pac (Sean Waltman) got the first contract. While Vampiro managed to grab the second one. This match was a real mess. I mean it was jump cut after jump cut after jump cut I have no idea what I actually watched.
All and all the first episode is a very poor start. I get having such limited time really hurts the show but there not doing themselves editing it like this. I also understand they weren't going for the fan that loves technical wrestling and can watching exchanges on the ground but jumping around kills any of the spots you just saw. Remember the Hell in a Cell with Foley and Undertaker? Remember how those bumps Foley took had time to be absorbed as you saw him on the ground in pain as they replayed them over and over again as JR and King reacted. Now pretend that instead of taking a second to let the fans react they cut to the Rock and Steve Austin brawling backstage as Austin tosses Rock through a plat glass window. Get my point? As I said the rest of the series was tapped later on so maybe its gets better as we go on.
Episode 2- This weeks musical guest was Three 6 Mafia who were so annoying I longed for a Mike Adamle and Michael Cole broadcast team. They were freaking awful throwing out pretty much any annoying line the could think of trying to be funny.
Luke Hawx vs The Human Tornado- Luke had interfered in the WSX rumble the week before helping Alkatrazz eliminate Kaos. Tornado no sold a low blow and I know that was something he always doing but I hated it it just makes zero sense. Your hit int the balls sell the damn blow. Another fast paced match with some decent high spots. Tornado picked up the win after a Tornado DDT. Post match Aaron Aguilera jumped Luke since he's Kaos tag team partner. Pretty soon Alkatrazz and Kaos made there way out to join in the brawl. Briefly Aguilera and Kaos had control but when Aguilera turned his back to gloat that allowed Hawx and Alkatrazz to put Kaos through a table. Decent storyline idea and thank god the didn't jump around as much from shot to shot. They still did it but not was bad as week one.
We get a quick promo by Teddy Hart and MDogg 20 Matt Cross the team known as The Filth and TheFury. I hate Teddy Hart but this was a effective promo. We got a taste of each guys personality found out who was who for a new viewers and we got a look at the high flying spots these two can do. We also set up an open challenge by The Filth and The Fury for the next show.
That 70's Team Joey Ryan and Disco Machine vs Team Dragon Gate Horiguchi and Yoshino- Ryan of course worked a entertaining but all to short stint in TNA and Disco like Ryan was one of the founders of PWG. Team Dragon Gate has appeared in various companies around the world and I do like them having a international team the problem is the never explained Dragon Gate was a company in Japan. There was actually some pretty good wrestling exchanges in this match. Of course Joey and Disco managed to work in some decent comedy spots as well. That 70's team pulled off the upset after Joey hit the super kick on Horiguchi. If you like Joey and or PWG your going to enjoy this so far best match in WSX so far.
We than get a promo by "White Trash" Johnny Webb a former XPW ( you know the shitty porn and wrestling company) introducing his "relations" Josh Raymond (Josh Abercrombie) and Nate Webb. They were dong a shitty redneck gimmick witch I have been told was a rip off of a TV show and like most ripoffs it wasn't that good.
WSX Championship 6-Pac vs Vampiro- These two were the two biggest stars and the most experienced guys in WSX so credit for that but again its Waltman who was a huge star in the MNW era but he was usually a sidekick in both DX and the nWo. Vamprio was a big star in Mexico at one time but never got to that same level in the US. Pac did many of his usual spots. And there was some outside brawling the problem is the "Bunker" is pretty poorly lit so when they weren't in the ring it was hard to see what was going on. At one point Pac hit a Tornado DDT through a table to the floor and Vampiro kicked at two. Now I really dislike that given Human Tornado was using a regular Tornado DDT as a finisher earlier. Vampiro got the win after a Tombstone piledriver into an exploding coffin. In real stupidly the announcers kept asking "Who wins?" even though it was clear Vampiro landed on top. This match was ok but like the XWF main events it never felt that big and this also should have been a huge moment with there first champion crowned. It wasn't a bad match since both guys are decent workers even on off days but it lacked that huge moment feel. Compare that to Low Ki winning the ROH world title after a tournament a 4 way iron man match or Ken Shamrock winning the NWA title in TNA after a brutal gauntlet.
The second episode was a step in the right direction. The cut down on jump cuts helped and had time to understand what I had just seen. There are still issues thought the half an hour really fucked over this company and they are trying to cram to much into such a short show. Another issue I have noticed is WSX loves explosions but since they can't set off massive pyro like WWE does for a explosion they instead use computer graphics to make it look bigger instead it use makes it look lame. Another issue is both weeks feasted a quick cut away almost the second the main event was over to go right to the credits.
Episode Three- This musical guest this week was Sparta. Two guys who I think had never been on TV before and seemed nervous. We get a recap of the WSX title match and than a pyro by Vampiro. Good news is WSX didn't do what XWF did with Vampiro and make him white meat instead he was allowed to do his gimmick. He declared the WSX was his life and destiny. He was also surround by what appeared to an satanic alter of some kind. Sadly ring announcer Fabian Kaelin still feels the need to run around like an idiot and I don't just mean he ran around at the start he was alway running around anytime he was on screen.
Trailer Park Boyz Josh Raymond and Nate Webb with Johnny Webb vs The Filth and The Fury Matt Cross and Teddy Hart- Filth and the Fury came to a song I'm sure TNA would know that Adeline Rush song TNA often was using at this time. Look I get it was mostly likely just a some band had put out but WSX should have changed it they were airing after TNA had already used it. Just like if TNA had a song ready to use and than it turned out to be used by WWE the week before. Sadly the jump cutting every five seconds was back. It really does hurt the match and even makes you feel kind of dizzy. And I hate during a match that they would cut back to to the announcer table. Stupid spot where Teddy pulled a "live wire" and used it to shock Nate twice. And that's the kind of BS that is that hurts wrestling as a whole it doesn't make the show better you just wind up laughing at how stupid it is. Teddy hit a massive dive off a platform onto Nate while in the Cross hit a 450 on Raymond for the win. The match was to rushed here the same issues the rumble had. Not helping thing was Brent Ernst who felt like it was a good time to interview Sparta.
We see footage of Kaos and Aaron Aguilera arguing about about Aguilera has let Kaos down. This was use to set up a TLC match. TLC standing for Tables Ladders and Cervezas. in this case. I am all for building a storyline and so far this is the only one WSX has but why a TLC? Using the term TLC will make fans think of the WWE stipulation match with a title belt above the ring only this was just a hardcore match. Now all WSX matches were NO DQ matches so I don't get why they didn't just bring those weapons down.
Quick Silver vs Jack Evans- Quick Silver who many would know from PWG actually had a different name but it's got four parts and all in spanish and I have enough trouble with names to begin with so I'm calling him Quick Silver. Seemed like they wanted El Generico instead of Quick Silver give some of the comments they made about him implying he was a white guy playing Mexican but that could just be me. Evans picked up another win with the 630 splash. This was another typical WSX match witch means about ten mins worth of moves crammed into a two minute match. Again I just like the rushing and putting numerous big spots into a short match isn't making it exciting we need slower parts of a match just like an action movie does need quite moment to set up for the real action.
We get a introduction to Matt Classic. For those that never heard the story Matt Classic gimmick was that he was a old school masked wrestler thad been in a coma for forty years. In reality he was Classic Colt Cabana of ROH fame who also got a run in WWE. The producers actually had a long term plan for Colt, Matt Sydal and Lizzy Valentine. Season one was used to introduce Matt and Lizzy and imply she's cheating on him. Season two Colt debuts as Matt's frat brother who is there to help him find who Lizzy is cheating with only for it to be revealed it was Colt all along. Witch would led to a feud in season three between Colt and Matt. The Matt Classic gimmick was only done to get Colt under contract and give him something to do during that first season. But Colt being well Colt he turned into one of the more entertaining parts of the show and even uses it now. And actually I like the gimmick its some what funny and you know having a long term plan like that for three talents makes sense. Now how is it WSX had that yet they didn't understand it's not a good idea to cut to the crowd for a reaction after every single move?
TLC Match LosPochos Guapos Kaos and Aaron Aguilera vs Alkatrazz and Luke Hawx- Both these teams had a bigger guy with a little guy. You know how I just explained the long term plan for Colt, Sydal and Lizzy? It seems like WSX wanted to do a broken up team feud with Aguilera and Kaos only they wanted to go right into the break up instead of the team. I guess maybe the two could have teamed before but again fans that hadn't seem them before wouldn't know that. Throughout the match Aguilera ordered Kaos around and it alway backfired getting Kaos hurt. Alkatrazz picked up the win powerboming Kaos through a table. It seems like they are going for a gimmick with Alkatrazz and Hawx of Hawx being willing to pick fights with anyone because he know his parter will always have his back and his partner is bad ass and can beat anyone up. Match was ok but the advertised stipulation didn't add to much. Again since all match in WSX are No DQ why not have that stuff just get introduced during the match.
Episode three felt like a step back from they production side. It felt like they cut to the crowd after every spot not just big ones. I know WWE, WCW, ECW, TNA, and even ROH show the fans reacting to they wait for a big moment, a insane spot. something that would get a reaction from everyone not just one person. Also Brent Ernst clearly isn't a big wrestling fan as he makes little comments that tells me he knows wrestling but not really or hasn't watched in years. Stuff like "6-Pac was in DX they were cool." Storyline wise they aren't doing to much there is a little stuff but nothing week to week outside of Kaos and Aguilera. The wrestling is all just ok when every match is at best five minutes long it's hard to get into it. Yes the usual TV match is pretty short but there is always one longer match to sink your teeth into now a days. Just a simple fact the thirty minute time-slot was killing them. The production team needed ask MTV to give them at least an hour.
Episode 4- The musical guest thing is really getting annoying as most of them have no idea about the wrestlers they are watching. Another things is they are starting to move Kloss into the classic face loving play by play guy and Ernst into the classic heel color guy. Again I have no idea who this rap group of this episode was but it seemed like they were Three 6 Mafia part two with dump jokes and at one point even claimed they could bet up a few of the wrestlers.
Matt Sydal with Lizzy Valentine vs Scorpio Sky- Sky most people would know from PWG he briefly appeared in TNA as Mason Andrews but turned down a deal form them to appear on WWE TV in a stupid sketch thinking it would mean a WWE deal that never came. His gimmick here was he was an over achiever in high school and walked around with his awards. According to Ernst both these guys had beat Matt Classic on WSXtra and I like they taking that little step to mention stuff like that. Both these guys are pretty good workers and it showed here but strangely it sounded like both guy were supposed to be heels in in there gimmicks. Sydal won the match with a top rope over head belly to belly suplex. Post match Lizzy wrote H8ter on Scorpio's back which I guess makes her and Matt bigger heels or I'm just wrong and Scorpio was supposed to be a face. But it's nice to see Matt pick a win here.
We get a set up for the match on WSXtra. Witch again I find strange if they intended for the two guys Jack Evans and Marcus Riot to feud why not have there first match on the actual TV show? We than see Keeping it Gangsta of Rukus and Slime. Slime gave Rukus a blinged up ladder and again it appeared the used a editing tool to add a fake sparkle to it and it looks fake and stupid. I mean the concept of the blinged up ladder is stupid to begin with but than adding a fake shine to it is even worse.
Keeping It Gangsta Rukus and Slime vs That 70's Team- Rukus has worked for CZW and ROH and has that style that kind of fits with guys like Sydal and Sky. Slime I think I have seen before but I'm not sure. Rukus, Joey, and Disco were always guys I knew I could get a decent match out of but Slime seemed a little rough at first but he did play the role of the bigger guy well. Rukus got the win after hitting a flipping leg drop off the later into Joey's face. Decent match but the idiot rappers would not shut up and the editor again was out of control again.
We than get a promo of Arik Cannon beating up a friend. This was meant to hype his debut for the next show but it I think really missed you would think the guy would be really intense instead he was just bland. I mean the idea as supposed to so dangerous he would do that to a buddy he should be fired up about it.
Quick Sliver was in the ring for his match with The Human Tornado only the Tornado was a no show. After Kaelin introduced the cut to the back showing Tornado was laid out. Now the WSX has always said they take place in a bunker but the area Tornado was at looked like he was laid out in the hall of college dorm. A very pissed off 6-Pac showed up and laid out Quick Sliver and than called out Vampiro. Vampiro made his way out. Than the massive Ricky Banders (Judas or El Mesias) debuted and jumped Vampiro. Banders who had a massive burn mark on his face threw the fireball that got WSX pulled into the champ face as the show ended. Now I think to appeased MTV they blurred out Vampior's body like you would a crime victim on TV. But I want to give WSX credit this was a very well down cliff hanger ending. Banders was never named instead the announcers declared "Who is this guy?" and they even questioned if he was acting alone or if Pac had a role in it. And the image of the monstrous new comer standing over the fallen champion is pretty effective.
Now as for the whole fireball thing that got the show pulled from what I understand MTV was worried that kids at home was try to it. Now this is MTV the network that gave Jackass and it's various spinoffs. As a matter of fact the lead in for WSX when it first aired was a show featuring Bam Mageria. Now of course Jackass got big ratings why WSX never really caught on so I think it was easier to pull than well Jackss. But give me a break you show the guys on Jackass doing tons of dangerous stuff and than you pull WSX for a fireball.
Over all number had some good and some bad. The end of the show worked pretty well and the wrestlers are trying to give us good matches with the limited time they have. I give them credit for using the WSXtra show a little bit to add story lines but its kind of like TNA doing an angle on Xplosion how many people are really seeing it. The bad is the stuff like the editing it better at time but never great.
Episode Five- We get the recap of the attack on Vampiro and to there credit they still played it off like mystery but than they kind of damaged it by going to a camera with Banders witch I feels kills the idea he is some unknown guy that doesn't work for WSX. They simply could have said "We received this the mail." The promo had some good parts to telling the story that the "burns" on Banders face were caused by a match with Vampiro even showing the footage from a match the two had in the past. The bad was well Banders isn't the easiest guy to understand so the subtitled the promo but they couldn't just do it normal they had to have to words moving around. The musical guest Jibs was actually pretty good on commentary he didn't over talk and he actually had a few funny jokes.
Team Dragon Gate vs The Filth and The Fury- One thing I don't like about the teams in WSX is most of them don't dress like a team. I can assume some guys may not have known they were going to be in a team but even if you not wearing the same gear try to mach the colors or something. I'm amazed TNA never brought Cross in for run or that ROH never used guy more he could some amazing things. The match was fast paced and thankfully it one of those times we didn't get jumped cut to hell I feel like this match could been match on ROH or in TNA and really gotten over TFTF won as Teddy hit Open Hart Sugary and Cross hit the Shooting Star Press for a double pin. Really good match and I mean that. We got everyone some time to look good as both members of Team Dragon Gate got some moves in. And it felt like I was finally truly watching a wrestling show that was produced, directed and edited well. No crazy cuts all over no going to the crowd every five seconds.
Lacey interviewed Scorpio Sky. Sky was pissed he lost to Sydal and challenged Jack Evans to a match and there actually was a decent logic to it. Sky wanted to beat the guy that beat Sydal. First man I really miss Lacey second it felt like Sky just ignored the gimmick WSX gave him to do his indy gimmick at the time.
6-Pac vs Human Tornado- This match sprang from Pac attacking Tornado the week before and they showed Tornado challenging Pac on WSXtra. Pac came out in a pink shirt and pants that didn't look like wrestling gear. I don't get why when the two other matches Pac had to this point he wore his usual singlet. I don't know if some how the gear got damaged in the match with Vampiro of if someone decided they didn't want him looking like he did in WWE but this made him look awful. I was worried this would be a one sided squash given the time of the show, the fact Pac was the most well known guy on the roster, and the fact they clear were making Pac a top heel but they actually gave Tornado a good amount of offense. Pac won after repeated low blows an eye poke an 6-Factor from the top. Kloss even stated that Tornado could have won if the match had been clean. Again another good match and I do think Tornado got a bit of a rub here.
We get footage of Team Dragon Gate getting kidnapped by some guy who said they had to be reprogrammed. A problem I have is the guy single handled managed to shove both member Horiguchi and Yoshino out of the building and into a van even though he was about there size. I could buy the idea of the 0-2 Team Dragon Gate pissing off the home company but it could have done a little better. Again they never explained that Dragon Gate is a company in the Japan also would it have been that hard to get a couple of bigger wrestler put them in masks and film them helping put Team Dragon Gate in a van?
Delikado vs Arik Cannon- Delikado is B-Boy from PWG and CZW while Cannon has worked for CHIKARA and AAW and both have done time in pretty much anyone indy company out there. Delikado is a member of The Cartel. The gimmick was Delikado didn't talk and wore a mask so he couldn't be linked to the various crimes he had committed. Cannon is one of those guys who always had good matches but never got that break I hunk due in part to his look. Just as the match was getting going The Cartel came out and jumped Cannon. One guy double stomped Cannon through a table and than the Cartel dunked Cannon in a wheel barrow filled with oatmeal that was gray to pass for wet cement. Match like I said was just getting started so I don't know what the logic is with the cartel jumping Cannon so quickly other than just to show they don't care about rules.
Episode five was so far the best one. The matches were good the the bad production was put aside for once. One thing I've noticed is is alway feels like they go a step to far with stuff. They either need fire or explosions or its not enough to jump a guy we have to put him wet cement. I think they are going "We are more extreme than WWE or TNA" but keeps making them look silly. They could have wrapped up the show with a beat down on Cannon and him going through a table but they had to go that step to far. Next time I look at the final five episodes of WSX.
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