22 Days Of WrestleMania (#3 Best WrestleMania And Match)

3. WrestleMania XX
WrestleMania was being hyped as "Where it begins...again". 20 years after the first WrestleMania, they returned back to Madison Square Garden for the third time to put on a 5 hour event with just about everyone on the roster getting some air time. So yes, there are some thrown together matches, but perhaps the greatest WrestleMania moment lies within this show. Often in professional wrestling, no matter how talented a certain wrestler is, they may not have exactly what the promoter is looking for. Sometimes politics plays a part, or their "look", or even their mic skills. In the case of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit, no matter what their spot on the card was, they gave the crowd something worth remembering. Stuck in the upper-mid card for years, Guerrero was finally given his first title reign by defeating the soon to be exiting Brock Lesnar at the pay-per-view prior to this. Benoit won the Royal Rumble and was given the opportunity to face a champion at WrestleMania. Finally, after years of putting on great matches in the mid-card, these two professionals got to headline the biggest event of the year in two different matches. Knowing that this was the big pay-per-view, I didn't want to get my hopes up that both guys would win, since they aren't the "big name" guys Vince typically likes to have win. In the first of the two bouts, Guerrero defeated Kurt Angle in a very good wrestling match. Using his "lie, cheat, steal" philosophy, Guerrero's victory was greeted to a large MSG ovation. Next, Benoit stepped in the ring with two of the biggest stars in the last decade, HHH and Shawn Michaels. Triple threat matches are often sloppy, but these three guys did everything they could not just to make the match entertaining, but to make Benoit look like the champ he was. When Benoit got HHH to tap to the Crippler Crossface, I remember literally jumping out of my couch with excitement. Just as I thought the moment couldn't get any better, who was there to help in the celebration? None other than Benoit's close friend Mr. Guerrero. The two finally got the respect they deserved at the biggest event of their careers in the greatest WrestleMania moment ever.

3. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (WrestleMania X)
1994 was around the time that I took a hiatus from watching wrestling. It wasn't that I no longer had an interest in it, I just didn't find the time to watch it anymore. As soon as I got back into it, I kept hearing about this ladder match with Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon. I quickly found a rental store that carried WrestleMania X (which was not easy to do) and waited for this match to come on. When it came, I had hoped it would not disappoint. Usually when the WWE has to hype up a match, it means it's not as good (example: Andre the Giant/Hulk Hogan). This match more than delivered. Since I really only had exposure to WWE at the time, I had never seen such innovative "hardcore" wrestling. My jaw hit the floor on more than one occasion. When I recently revisited this matchup, I had expected it to seem tame due to the TLC matches and ECW in general. After watching that, I realized that all of that actually made the match better. This was the original ladder match that was the catalyst for all of great (and not so great) hardcore stuff to come out in the years to come. Now, yes I am aware there were other ladder matches and some even more violent brawls before this, but this match took it to the mainstream with two guys who were by no means garbage wrestlers. This is a match that is well worth it's reputation, even 12 years later.

Sound The Alarm Review

Review for "Sound The Alarm" by "Saves The Day":

Saves The Day has done it once again. They have transformed into an entirely new band like they always do for every album they release. The only difference, this time, is that Saves The Day has taken every sound that they have ever created and combined them all into one 13 song album. However, this doesn't mean that Saves The Day is not bringing you an entirely new sound, because I can guarantee you that you have never heard anything quite like this come out of you stereo before. This album is more gruesome than anything that they have ever released. With lyrics like "I took a wrench to my chest, cracked all my ribs, let the blood run over my hands" in "Shattered," one can easily see that singer/songwriter, Chris Conley, has something on his mind that has been haunting him for quite some time. The album grabs your attention the second that Conley's new snotty-tinged vocal style comes ripping through your speakers like nothing you have ever heard before. The jump from the Beatle-esque "In Reverie" to "Sound The Alarm" is such a drastic change that only a band like Saves The Day could pull off. Lead guitarist David Soloway unleashes on a few of the tracks, such as "34," with solos that sound like they could be played in a garage rock song, adding a unique twist to the new sound that Saves The Day has created. Pete Parada, who has been the drummer since the previous album, "In Reverie," shines brightly with his lightning-fast fills and technical beats that any drummer will appreciate. Conley obviously shows a ridiculous amount of talent in song writing by constantly creating music that sounds like nothing he, or anyone else for that matter, has ever constructed before. And last but not least, Manny Carrero, formerly the bassist of Glassjaw, fills the shoes of their previous bassist, Eben D'Amico, quite well. Although D'Amico will never be able to be replaced, Carrero brings a whole lot to the table and adds a unique flair to the songs. There are a few moments on the album that send any Saves The Day fan back into the past, which are the only times that you can be reminded that you aren't listening to a band that you just discovered today. "Don't Know Why" is very reminiscent of "In Reverie," while "Dying Day" is a throwback from the "Stay What You Are" era. Even some traces of their first album, "Can't Slow Down," can be heard when the speed drumming kicks in at the end of "Bones." The album closes with a track called "Hell Is Here," and that is exactly what it sounds like. It gives you a feeling like everything in the world is coming to an end. Saves The Day has never created anything that sounded quite like this before so be sure to go and pick it up when it hits stores on April 11th, 2006.

Overall Rating: 4.5 out of 5

22 Days Of WrestleMania (#4 Best WrestleMania And Match)

4. WrestleMania 21
I'm not quite sure many people would consider this WrestleMania as one of the five best ever, and I can see that argument. Neither championship match was spectacular, the Big Show sumo match was a joke, and women's match was pretty bad in it's own right. But what was good on this show, ranks among the best the event has to offer, and was enough to make up for all the wrong. Yesterday, I spoke of the Owen/Bret match (#5 Best Match) being the greatest opener, the opener here (Eddie Guerrero/Rey Mysterio) wasn't too far off. This began a long feud that deservingly dominated the Smackdown airwaves for a good portion of the year. Then it was the first ever Money in the Bank ladder match featuring six of the top wrestlers. Despite featuring ladder match veterans such as Christian, Chris Jericho, and eventual winner Edge, it was Shelton Benjamin who stole the show. Of course the WWE really did nothing with his popularity, which was a huge mistake. The Randy Orton/Undertaker match is actually much better than I expected, mostly because it was one of the few times we were led to believe the Undertaker's streak may actually be in jeopardy. But best of all was the classic between Kurt Angle and Shawn Michaels (#6 Best Match). Even if it wasn't the last match or so, it still had the main event feel. So even though Batista and John Cena's world championship wins were special in the sense that they were both first time winners, it was Michaels and Angle who left their stamp on this industry forever.

4. Dudley Boyz vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Edge + Christian (WrestleMania X-Seven)
These three teams were the reason that tag team wrestling made the comback it did in the new millenium. At WrestleMania 2000, they stole the show with their ladder match. At SummerSlam '00 they took it up a notch by adding tables and chairs to the mix. The bar was already set at a level where they pretty much had to kill someone to make it as good. Somehow the six men in this match found a way to top themselves with all six men walking out of the arena on their own two feet. In a card that featured two top technical wrestlers going at it (Benoit/Angle), two WrestleMania superstars going toe-to-toe (HHH/Undertaker), and the two biggest stars since Hulk Hogan squaring off in their "sequel" to WrestleMania XV (Rock/Austin), the six competitors found a way to still steal the show with their daredevil antics. Some of these wrestlers have gone on to make their names as singles wrestlers, but they will forever be remembered for laying their body on the line in the TLC matches.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (#5 Best WrestleMania And Match)

5. WrestleMania XIX
WrestleMania XIX was the first WrestleMania to feature the brand extension, giving us two world title matches, also a first. The card for this event was stacked, but is infamously remembered for pushing the tag team title match to Heat prior to the event so that they could fit the Miller Light catfight girls on the air. How anyone could think that Kane and RVD, two of the most popular stars, would be less of a draw than the catfight girls is a question I will never have an answer to. Despite this debacle, this event was filled with five matches of main event caliber. Thanks to HHH's ego, Booker T was unable to win the championship in a typically overlooked match. Hulk Hogan returned to WrestleMania, this time to take on the boss himself, Vince McMahon. Hogan's match was memorable while watching live, but gets worse upon repeated viewings. Shawn Michaels made his first 'Mania appearance since WrestleMania XIV in the match of the night against Chris Jericho. The Rock finally got a victory over Steve Austin in their WrestleMania trilogy. All of these matches were huge, but the big news was almost witnessing the end of Brock Lesnar's career. Surprisingly they stuck with this match being last and both competitors pulled out all the stops. Just as the match was getting to a close, we saw Lesnar do something he normally doesn't do, go to the top rope. WrestleMania is your best chance to make an unforgettable moment, and that's exactly what Lesnar was going for. He attempted a shooting star press and landed straight on his face, almost breaking his neck. He was out of it for a few minutes, but was later able to fix the botched ending. That is a moment most people will never forget.

5. Owen Hart vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania X)
This match-up is one of the most intriguing in WrestleMania history. First off, it is the greatest opening match ever. I know I haven't seen every wrestling pay-per-view ever, but I guarantee no opener has ever been as effective as this one. Second, Bret Hart had a title match later on with the winner of the Lex Luger/Yokozuna match. Third, they actually let Owen win! This really is the moment that made Owen's career. It was obvious from the get go that these two were going to pull out all the stops to make the other look good. There were numerous close pinfalls, keeping the crowd into it the entire way through. Just when you thought Bret had it won, Owen pulled off the shocking upset, leaving the crowd stunned. This is perhaps the biggest "upset" in WrestleMania history and a match that gets better each viewing.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (#6 Best WrestleMania And Match)

6. WrestleMania XIV
If there were a large amount of wrestling fans reading this countdown (which there aren't), some might question putting this one as high as it is. To me this was a no brainer. This event marked the beginning of a whole new era in professional wrestling, the Attitude-era. This would be the beginning of the WWE's dominance that still stands today. Who carried the company on his back during this time? None other than Stone Cold Steve Austin. While his match with Shawn Michaels and special enforcer Mike Tyson was definitely the highlight of the show, the undercard was very solid all the way through. We saw future WrestleMania headliners HHH and the Rock successful in European and Intercontinental title matches against Owen Hart and Ken Shamrock, respectively. We saw hardcore legends Mick Foley and Terry Funk team up to take on the hot tag team of the time, the New Age Outlaws. Even Sable carried out a solid match with her partner Marc Mero against Goldust and Luna. While none of the matches will be featured in my top ten, this is an event that changed wrestling forever, and for that it is deserving among the top WrestleManias of all time.

6. Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle (WrestleMania 21)
WrestleMania is the type of event that often features "dream matches" that have never been seen before. By the time 2005 rolled in, there weren't a whole lot of possibilities left. Fortunately for us, the WWE realized that Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle had never really gone at it. When the news leaked that these two legends would go toe-to-toe at WrestleMania, the internet was drooling in anticipation. The result of this match-up did not disappoint. The chemistry between these two competitors was uncanny, it was as if they had grown up wrestling one another. There was a great flow to this contest that even the most casual of wrestling fans would be able to know that this was a WrestleMania moment that will forever stand out as one of the best.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (#7 Best WrestleMania And Match)

7. WrestleMania VIII
WrestleMania VIII was supposed to be the end of the Hogan era. I remember as a kid being so overjoyed by the fact that he finally would be gone. Unfortunately, we know this wasn't true as he ruined the show the following year, and has shown up at other more recent events, but those have been much more tolerable. WrestleMania VIII was more than just Hogan's swan song, it was the legendary Ric Flairs first WrestleMania, as well as Shawn Michaels' and Bret Hart's first as singles wrestlers. Michaels made an impressive debut, defeating Tito Santana in a solid opener, but it was Hart's match with Rowdy Roddy Piper that almost stole the show. In a matchup between two face wrestlers, they told a great story and the match was very impressive. It was a great example of what WrestleMania should be about. Ric Flair's debut was even more impressive, even if he did lose. In what should have been the main event, Randy Savage defeated Ric Flair in one of the most memorable feuds of the 90s. Ric Flair ended up a bloody mess (something that got him in trouble) and Savage had won his second World Championship. Outside of these matches there were a few nonsense matches (Skinner/Owen Hart, the 8-man tag) and a terrible "main event" in Sid vs. Hogan, the moments created by Bret Hart, Roddy Piper, Ric Flair, and Randay Savage rank among the best WrestleMania has to offer.

7. The Rock vs. Steve Austin (WrestleMania X-Seven)
When these two top stars met at WrestleMania XV, we knew it was just the beginning of what would be a wonderful rivalry. The closest thing in popularity the WWE had ever experienced to this was the Ultimate Warrior/Hulk Hogan match at WrestleMania VI. The Rock was moving on to Hollywood after this match, so most of the fans knew that Austin would reign supreme again. What we didn't know was how perfect of a match we were in for. The Reliant Astrodome was jam packed and these two refused to let them down. They had already witnessed plenty of terrific matches that night, so the bar was raised even higher than they expected. Being the two entertainers they are, they went out there and laid it all on the line. In a surprising move, after the matchup, Steve Austin joined arch nemesis Vince McMahon, turning heel. It was something that was always a possibility, but I never thought they would go through with it. Although the heel turn was short-lived, it still provided a classic ending to a fantastic show.

Guest Writer: Dave Distelrath

Thank you to the Toolbox for allowing me to vent. I am sure nobody will read this as it clearly is a brutal article, but ultimately I appreciate the space to talk.
I want to start by saying that I was once one of the biggest and most knowledgeable Detroit Red Wing fans around. I feel this way because I have been lucky enough to have been born into a family that has had season tickets forever. I was in the building when they won the Stanley Cup in 1997, and have been fortunate to attend some of the most memorable moments in the past 15 years. Before they won the Stanley Cup in 1997 I would get so ornery and upset after every playoff loss. I felt as if the world was ending. I would always say that Detroit hockey fans were the best around. Unfortunately I feel that is absolutely no longer the case. I have gone from an avid Red Wing supporter to someone who would rather see them lose in most cases because of a couple of events that have happened the past few years
This all started so innocently on a Saturday July morning in 2003. I was sitting watching Ben Curtis of all people win the British Open golf tournament. I happened to switch over to ESPN News to see the following thing appear on the bottom line “Mighty Ducks of Anaheim sign Sergei Fedorov.” My initial reaction was shock, and disappointment as my favorite athlete ever was moving to another team. Then I thought about it and I really couldn’t blame him. He never got the credit he deserved for helping the team win three championships in seven years. He was always the person who got blamed when they lost, but hardly received any credit when they won. He won two Selke Trophies as the top defensive forward, and the Hart Trophy as the leagues MVP. Was he the only reason the team won? Clearly he was not, but he was a main cog that helped shut down the opponent’s top line, and would come up with a clutch offensive play whenever the team needed it. He is still the only player in NHL history to have 20 points in the playoffs for four straight postseasons. I initially stated that the Mighty Ducks were my new favorite team, but then after some thought I knew I couldn’t switch allegiances because of one player.
Then on December 2nd of 2003, I officially washed my hands of the Detroit Red Wings. That was the day Sergei Fedorov returned for the first time as a member of the Mighty Ducks. Of course I was going to the game, and was going to wear my Fedorov Mighty Ducks Jersey which I just spent $275 bucks on (may have been a mistake, but he is my favorite player). I thought he would get a nice ovation, as a thank you for the three championships he helped win, before the game started or when he took the ice for the first time. Instead every time he touched the puck he was greeted with a chorus of boos. During the game their were three “Fedorov Sucks” Chants. I am not saying people should love the guy. He did leave the team, and had some nights where his effort could be questioned, and they should show loyalty to their own club. However to boo someone that helped your team reach the pinnacle so many times was a low blow. Every time he has returned since, he still receives the same treatment. I think it is an absolutely classless move on the fans part. If he scores, or does something to hurt the Wings fine, go ahead and boo, but to boo just because is absolutely brutal. Red Wing fans should be consistent and boo Martin Lapointe and Slava Kozlov because they left for new teams because of money. However, I believe the fans are too stupid to know who those two are and that they are still in the league or played on the wings.
I should come to realize that Wings fans really have no clue what is going on. This is not “Hockeytown” as many call it. As much as I love the game of hockey it is still probably the third most popular sport in the city. When the Wings sucked in the 80’s they had to give away cars just to have some people go to the games. When the Wings get knocked out of the playoffs, nobody watches to see who actually wins the Stanley Cup. Nobody watches the NHL when its on if the Wings are not playing, hence the strike from last year, which I’m sure some “hockey fans” did not even realize took place. Compare that to the Lions who unfortunately have been struggling, yet still manage to sell out every game, and people watch the NFL even when the Lions are not playing. Same for the Pistons, people still go and will watch the NBA even if the home team is not playing. Wings fan reached a new low with me last night. Of course they booed Fedorov every time he touched the puck. I was expecting that so I wasn’t shocked. However, the Wings were beating the Columbus Blue Jackets, 3-0 with 11 minutes to go. The BJs somehow managed to score four straight goals and take the lead. They then took a shot from center ice, that Chris Osgood saved, and these “great” fans gave him a sarcastic cheer. Osgood had absolutely no chance on the goals, as his defense hung him out to dry. However, red wing fan does not realize that and takes it out on the easy scapegoat. These were then the same fans who were chanting “Ozzy, Ozzy” seconds later after he made a great save. Red wings fans need to learn to be consistent and “loyal” to their team. However, they have no clue how to do that, because most of them are just fair-weather fans and have little to no hockey knowledge, and follow the trend of what the person next to them is doing or saying. The Red Wing organization is known to have lot of class and tradition, that is true as the team they put together each year is in contention for the Stanley Cup. However, the fan base they have collected is far from it, and is like an expansion team with no knowledge or passion for this great sport. You go to a game and the only time there is any noise is if a goal is scored, a fight is happening, or the sign on the jumbotron says “Make some noise.” I will take the experience I get at Ford Field and the Palace any day of the week, as the fans are into the game, for the most part respectful and knowledgeable, and the stadiums are nice and clean. As the playoffs are approaching and the Wings will inevitably get bounced I wonder if the fans will even care, and who they will blame this year now that Sergei Fedorov and Curtis Joseph are no longer members of this team.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (#8 Best WrestleMania And Match)

8. WrestleMania III
WrestleMania III is often called the peak of Hogan's dominance in America. The WWF was able to pack in 93,173 people (75,500 paid) into the Pontiac Silverdome to witness one of the most anticipated matchups of all time, Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant. This was also a time when tag team wrestling was actually something someone cared about. 4 of the 12 matches were tag team matches (not counting the midget match). While the quantity of matches usually effects the overall quality, nothing here was so bad that it left a sour taste in your mouth. Now, this pay-per-view was a little bit before my time (WrestleMania VII was my first) so it doesn't have as much sentimental value, but this is the first classic WrestleMania. One of it's finer moments is Brutus Beefcake turning into "The Barber" by shaving off Adrian Adonis's hair. Then of course I'd be silly not to mention Hulk Hogan bodyslamming Andre. However, WrestleMania's truly first special moment was when Ricky Steamboat defeated Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Championship (scroll down for more). The first two WrestleMania's were just okay, but this one really made the fans buy into the fact that WrestleMania is the Super Bowl of wrestling.

8. Ricky Steamboat vs. Randy Savage (WrestleMania III)
In a time where the WWF was more about gimmicks and getting the crowd involved, these two superstars stepped into the ring to battle over the Intercontinental Championship. Savage was the young and cocky champion, accompanied to the ring by the lovely Elizabeth. Steamboat was the man on a mission, he wanted Savage destroyed. Steamboat brought down George "The Animal" Steele, a former nemesis of Savage, down to the ring to watch his back. Once that bell ring, you just knew you were in for a show. This match was non-stop action, giving the fans something that had been missing the first two WrestleMania's, a classic. Featuring numerous pinfalls and outside interference, they never lost the crowd. When Steamboat finally pinned Savage, the reaction from the fans still gives me goosebumps to this day. Everyone who saw this show mentions the Hogan/Andre match, but if they don't mention this as one of the finest WWF matches of the 80s, then they probably don't deserve to be a wrestling fan.

Ace and Asher (Concert Review)

"Just to let you know, this is the second Ace and Asher concert ever!" Howls Nate Rivard midway through the set of what actually is their second show ever. Rivard comandeers the stage with a kitsch that is oddly endearing, and suits his Bowie meets Doug Ingle vocal style completely. There are literaly 27 people at Paychecks Lounge in Hamtramck for this show, which is to include The Garden Party and Sugar Brown, but Rivard, his brother Charlie (drums), and guitarist Xander Buckingham, play as though they're the headlining act at Small's (think big boys, think big!) They open the set with the infectious, ticky-tack stomp of "Girl You Gotta Learn," a blues/funk jaunt anchored by Rivard's distinctive drawl. Musically, Ace and Asher tend to opt for the derivative stylings that much of the Detroit rock scene has embraced, and create a fusion that is equal parts, garage, soul, blues, funk, and pop. Although stiff at times, Buckingham's playing is crisp and controlled--a perfect anithesis to Rivard's vocals. Eight songs in, Nate gives up his duties on bass, grabs the tambourine and shakes to the back-beat supplied by younger brother Charlie, ushering in the dance friendly, and garuanteed fan favorite, "Ball and Chain." As Ace and Asher end the set with the riff heavy "Brother Brother," it's hard to believe that this is in fact their second show. Expect with time, that the brothers Rivard, and Buckingham will only get better, and will likely find their place amongst the many great bands striving to be the next big thing out of Detroit.


Chris Hoelscher
The Tool Box

22 Days Of WrestleMania (#9 Best WrestleMania And Match)

9. WrestleMania VII
After the previous year's highly successful WrestleMania VI, Mr. McMahon and company easily could have done a sequel to the Ultimate Warrior/Hulk Hogan main event. However, with the war in Iraq, he made an controversial decision. He turned Sgt. Slaughter into a heel, trashing America. Now at the time, it seemed like a terrible decision, and in many ways it may have been. But by him doing that, Hogan actually had a decent main event with Slaughter, and the Ultimate Warrior had the best match of his career that then led to one of the greatest moments in WWF/E history. This was the first WrestleMania I ordered, so you can imagine the excitement running through my 8 year old body. Every Saturday on Superstars they would announce a few more matches, and no matter how pointless of a match it was (Greg Valentine vs. Earthquake, Dino Bravo vs. Texas Tornado, Tito Santana vs. Mountie, and so on), I still would run around the house to go tell my whole family the news. When the event finally hit, it was pure joy. As I've previously documented, the Rockers/Haku And Barbarian match is a personal favorite of mine as is the historic reuniniting of Macho Man and the lovely Elizabeth. I've seen this 'Mania literally at least 50 times and I believe it to stand the test of time, even if they didn't end up going with no-brainer big money match.

9. Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (WrestleMania XII)
This of course is the Iron Man match I was referring to in yesterday's post. At a time when the business was struggling, I enjoyed that they gave two great wrestlers the opportunity to go out there and do their thing. Even though we all knew Michaels was going to finally realize his "boyhood dream", you still watched in amazement of how these guys gave it their all for over an hour. We were led to believe that Michaels could not out-wrestle Hart, and the announcers played that out brilliantly. Michaels was able to show off his technical skills and Hart sold during this match like only he could. The one disappointment is that there was only 1 fall, I was hoping for 3, but everything else was near perfection. Unfortunately this was one of the major causes for the hatred between these two stars, as Michaels told Hart to get out of the ring after his victory, so that he could "have his moment". Controversial finish or not, this was a once in a lifetime main event that is one for the history books.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (#10 Best WrestleMania And Match)

We have now reached the final 10 posts for the 22 Days of WrestleMania. With these last 10 posts, I am going to count down both the top 10 WrestleManias and the top 10 matches. I will release one a day until we reach number 1 on Sunday.

10. WrestleMania XII
This was definitely a little bit of a down time for the then-WWF. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were on their way out. WCW was starting to dominate the ratings. Vince McMahon was stooping to making fun of the Macho Man and Hulk Hogan in stupid skits. It was a rough time to be a WWF fan. However, with the lack of star power on the roster, they made a brilliant decision. They decided to have their two top guys go at it in an Iron Man Match. 60 minutes of two of the finest performers of their time battling for the World Championship. And boy did they deliver. Yes, it's true, there isn't too much else on this card. With only 6 matches, it is the fewest matches to ever be on a WrestleMania card, many of them being meaningless (Warrior/HHH, Austin/Savio Vega, Goldust/Piper), but the last hour is breathtaking. If you want to see quality wrestling, I suggest you take an hour of your time and watch Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart square off at WrestleMania XII.

10. Edge And Christian vs. Hardy Boyz vs. Dudley Boyz (WrestleMania 2000)
WrestleMania 2000 was a definite disappointment, but these 3 tag teams stole the show. It was such a great success, they had multiple re-matches, eventually leading to the first ever TLC match at WrestleMania X-Seven (something tells me that one might make the countdown as well). This is one of the matches that was so good, that who won wasn't that important, you never forgot any of the wrestlers involved in the match. These teams gave the crowd everything they had and received a standing ovation for a fantastic match.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (Top 10 Worst Matches)

WrestleMania is definitely the pinnacle of the wrestling business. However, through the years, us fans have had to sit through some pathetic matches. Sometimes you can't help but wonder how some of these guys even made it as far in the business as they have. These are the 10 worst matches I've seen in the 21 WrestleMania events. (Prediction: Mark Henry vs. Undertaker may join these ranks after this years 'Mania.)

(Note: Big Show vs. Akebono did not make the cut because it was not a wrestling match.)

10. Undertaker vs. King Kong Bundy (WrestleMania XI)
King Kong Bundy surprisingly put on a decent match at WrestleMania 2 against the Hulkster, but that was 9 years before this. Trust me, age has not done Bundy well. Not to mention this is one of the worst feuds I can remember. You figured that the fake Undertaker gimmick would have killed the whole feud, but nope, they somehow thought King Kong Bundy and 'Taker would draw them some big bucks. 11 years later, I think it's pretty safe to say they were way off.

9. Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar (WrestleMania XX)
This contest may be the strangest in WrestleMania history. On paper, it actually had a little bit of potential. However, both men were on their way out and the fans in attendance knew it. This led to what seem to be hours of both men just standing at the ring trying not to be embarassed for themselves. Even special guest referee Steve Austin could hardly stay awake during this one.

8. Jake "The Snake" Roberts vs. Andre The Giant (WrestleMania V)
Now for the record, I do like both of these guys (not necessarily as wrestlers). Both are legends in the industry. Both have their own DVDs. But let's face it, Andre really wasn't capable of a good match, especially in 1989. I can't say Roberts was in top form either, because in order to have a bad match, both participants really need to be off. Trust me when I say this is a dud.

7. Al Snow And Steve Blackman vs. T & A (WrestleMania 2000)
Being the Al Snow fan that I am, this is a bit of a shocker. But if you witnessed this match, you'd most likely agree. This is one of the best examples of 4 competitors not clicking at all. Al Snow should use this at his wrestling school on what happens when you wrestle guys with no talent. On a side note, Test just got re-signed by WWE. Brilliant.

6. Demolition vs. Tenryu And Kitao (WrestleMania VII)
This match wasn't just horrible, it also made no sense. Yes, I understand Demolition was on their way down, but what is the point of bringing in guys from Japan for one match. I'm not really familiar with either guys' work, but this certainly didn't impress me much. Stupid, stupid match.

5. Terri vs. The Kat (WrestleMania 2000)
Oddly enough the only one-on-one matchup at WrestleMania 2000 was this one. A match featuring two of the WWE's divas who were not actually wrestlers. I usually go lighter on the women's matches, but this one was just plain old stupid. However, this isn't even the worst women's match in history. One topped them all. I'll get to that shortly though.

4. Undertaker vs. Big Boss Man (WrestleMania XV)
Another one of those matches you can't help but wonder about. Who in their right mind thought that Big Boss Man was going to defeat Undertaker? Let alone in a Hell in a Cell match. Let's just say if they make a best of Hell in a Cell DVD, this won't make the cut. And just when you thought the match was bad enough, Undertaker goes on to "hang" the Boss Man. Ugh.

3. Sable vs. Tori (WrestleMania XV)
Wow, two WrestleMania XV matches in a row. That can't be good. Without question one of the most pitiful women's matches ever. I'm not even sure why they had a women's division at the time. To make things worse, this led to the debut of Nicole Bass (that "thing" best known for their fame from Howard Stern). I highly recommend you stay as far away from this match as you possibly can.

2. Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna (WrestleMania IX)
This is the absolute worst moment in WrestleMania history. Hulk Hogan is a terrible wrestler. There I said it. He punches. He kicks. He clotheslines. We get it already! Very few matches involving Hogan are even decent, but this one is even worse. Hogan just had to get himself (and his ego) into the main event somehow. So the brilliant idea is you have the young star (Bret Hart) job to the fat guy who can't wrestle (Yokozuna) so that the egomaniac (Hogan) can come to the aid of the young star. Then the big fat guy who can't wrestle challenges the egomaniac to a match. The egomaniac can beat the big fat guy who can't wrestle in under a minute, making the young star look like a jobber. Great logic.

1. Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzales (WrestleMania IX)
As bad as that last match was, at least it was short. This match featuring the Undertaker (who made the list 3 times) in another horrible angle, this time against Harvey Whippleman. Smell the buyrate! I once met Giant Gonzales and I must say he was as unfriendly of a person as he was bad at wrestling. He was a total jerk. I guess that explains why he was sitting all by himself. He is possibly the worst wrestler I have ever seen and if one man is going to have a watchable match with him, it sure as heck is not going to be Undertaker. Did I mention that WrestleMania IX is by far the worst one ever? Yes even for those who watched it live at the age of 10, it still sucked!

22 Days Of WrestleMania (Top 10 Worst Gimmicks)

Wrestling always seems to get bad publicity. Despite this fact, I still love it to this day(obviously). However, there have been some times where I just can't help but shake my head. Some of the characters Vince and his braintrust have come up with over the years have been absolutely horrible. You wonder how these ideas even came out of someone's mouth. With that being said, I am going to take a look at the 10 very worst gimmicks in WWE history.

10. Skinner
Known as the "Alligator Man", Skinner came from the everglades to take over the then-WWF. He came down to the ring with his filthy looking beard and tobacco juice oozing out of his mouth. His crowning achievement under this gimmick was somehow making the card at WrestleMania VIII against Owen Hart. Of course he lost.

9. Duke "The Dumpster" Droese
Vince must have been really trying hard to capitalize on a large part of his fanbase being blue collar. So what was his idea this time? How about a wrestling garbage man? He went on to sell millions of dollars in merchandise and star in his very own TV show. Just kidding. He did fight in the first ever Free-4-All before Royal Rumble 1996 defeating HHH, giving him the number 30 slot in the Rumble match. He also made a triumphant return in the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X-Seven.

8. The Repo Man
Barry Darsow (Smash of Demolition) was left without a partner, so they packaged him up as (you guessed it) a Repo Man. He wore tights that had tire tracks on it and wore a burglar mask straight out of a Warner Brothers cartoon. He is best known for taking part in the 8-man tag match at WrestleMania VIII. In Darsow's defense, he did play this character very well.

7. T.L. Hopper
What's even worse than a wrestling garbage man? An evil wrestling plumber, of course! T.L. Hopper dominated the Superstars circuit for about a month before disappearing from the WWE, but not from our hearts. Mr. Hopper never made a pay-per-view appearance.

6. Fake Razor Ramon and Diesel
Everyone knew that Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were on their way to WCW. Vince still owned the rights to the names "Diesel" and "Razor Ramon", so he planned out a brilliant scheme to capitalize on this fact. Let's have two wrestlers, Rick Bogner and Glen Jacobs (a.k.a. Kane) dress up as them! You can guess how successful this was. Actually it lasted longer than expected. They made a couple of pay-per-view appearances, most notably the 1996 Survivor Series. This was definitely one of the more embarassing failures for the WWE as a company.

5. The Goon
Years after the film Slap Shot was popular, Vince decided to take his own stab at hockey humor by getting Bill Irwin to be "The Goon". He was also quite the stud on Superstars and I think he even made an appearance on Raw. I will say that his wrestling boots (hockey skates minus the blades) are legendary.

4. The Red Rooster
Terry Taylor at one time was considered to be one of the top wrestling prospects. That was until he tackled the Red Rooster character. Coming down to the ring with his hair spiked up and spray painted red while pecking away, even 5 year olds laughed at the poor guy. How much influence does Vince have over these guys? He defeated Bobby Heenan at WrestleMania V (how this made the card, you've got me), but Taylor's career would never be the same again.

3. Beaver Cleavage
WWE thought it was time to get a little bit more risque. So what did they do? They came up with a naughty character by the name of Beaver Cleavage. They did several Leave It To Beaver-esque promos, but with a twist. Cleavage was a sexual take on the Beav. There were no highlights to mention of this character.

2. Isaac Yankem, D.D.S.
Jerry Lawler and Bret Hart had one of the longest running feuds of the 90s. Just when you thought it was about done, Lawler brought in his evil dentist, Isaac Yankem (Glen Jacobs a.k.a. Kane a.k.a. Fake Diesel) to take care of the Hitman. They actually had a decent match together at SummerSlam '95 before he was jobbed out and later turned into his current character, Kane.

1. Gobbledy Gooker
Now the gimmick of all gimmicks. This my friends is the worst character in the history of professional wrestling. For weeks leading to the 1990 Survivor Series, it had been hyped that there would be a surprise that would shake the wrestling world. We were shown a large egg that would shake every now and then. It was decided that the egg would hatch at the event. After the suspense nearly killed a large amount of fans, Gene Okerlund had the privledge to be there as the egg hatched. What came out? The ugliest looking turkey I have ever seen complete with golf balls for eyes. He took Gene out and danced with him and did some somersaults. What entertainment! The Gooker was played by none other than Hector Guerrero (Eddie's brother). I'm sure he'll never live this one down. The Gooker also made his triumphant return in the Gimmick Battle Royal at WrestleMania X-Seven.


Photo courtesy of wikipedia.org (great website) through obsessedwithwrestling.com.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (Top 10 Announcers)

After a long and dull morning, afternoon, and night, I've decided to keep this one short. I'm sure this will disappoint no one, so I figured it was okay. After going to a live show, I realized how important an announcer's role is in professional wrestling. Someone needs to narrate the stories being told in the ring and these ten men are the best examples I could think of during my class tonight.

10. Sean Mooney
9. Larry Zbysko
8. Paul Heyman
7. Joey Styles
6. "Mean" Gene Okerlund
5. Jerry "The King" Lawler
4. Jesse "The Body" Ventura
3. Gorilla Monsoon
2. Jim Ross
And with no doubt in my mind...
1. Bobby "The Brain" Heenan.

Expect a much better post tomorrow.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (The Biggest Loser)

I've already discussed the man with the most impressive record at WrestleMania (Undertaker) as well as the "MVP" (Shawn Michaels), so now it's time to talk about the least successful performer at WrestleMania. Some would argue that Tito Santana's 1-7 record (7 straight losses) would easily win him the award. Personally, I find him to be too talented of a wrestler to be selected. Then there's Jaques Rougeau, but too many of his losses were just to insignificant to really make an impact on WrestleMania. My choice for the biggest loser is someone many would not expect to not have won a single match at any WrestleMania. I'm talking about none other than the Big Show. A former WWE World Champion along with being current WWE Tag Team Champion, Big Show is usually involved in a big story line. Despite not being especially talented, he still draws a reaction from the crowd whether he's a heel or a face. I'm going to take a look at his WrestleMania history.

WrestleMania XV - vs. Mankind
The Show's first WrestleMania ends in defeat, but when you look back at it, it makes sense in the storyline. They really didn't have much to do for him yet, as they were still developing him as a "monster".

WrestleMania 2000 - vs. The Rock vs. HHH vs. Mick Foley
The Show was sort of just thrown into this main event so they could have each McMahon represent a wrestler. To no one's surprise, he was the first to be eliminated as it eventually went down to what the main event should have been in the first place, The Rock vs. HHH.

WrestleMania X-7 - vs. Raven vs. Kane
Another multiple man match, this time for the Hardcore Championship. This was probably his best opportunity to win. Kane walked away with the title, who just so happens to be his tag team partner as we speak.

WrestleMania XIX - (With A-Train) vs. Undertaker
This year they decided to use him as an Undertaker jobber. Definitely not one of the finer moments of his career, he and A-Train were essentially beaten by just one man. I hear that's always good for the career.

WrestleMania XX - vs. John Cena
Who's jobber will he be this year? Why not John Cena? Big Show put his United States Championship up for grabs and of course lost to who most people thought at the time would be the next big thing.

WrestleMania 21 - vs. Akebono
In one of the biggest bonehead decisions ever, they decided to give Big Show a sumo match against Akebono. Who approved this garbage? Absolute horrible match that really made this show worse than it should have been. What was the point of having Big Show in this match and then lose? The world may never know.

The WWE seems to have a difficult time finding something for Big Show to do during the months of March and April. So many of his 'Mania matches seem thrown together or he's just there just to job. This year could be his first real chance of winning as he and Kane defend their championships against the team of Chris Masters and Carlito. Will he finally get the big number 1? Or will he still have the big fat goose egg? We shall find out on April 2nd.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (Saturday Night's Main Event Recap)

Saturday Night's Main Event had been absent from NBC for nearly 15 years, but on Saturday, March 18th, 2006, it made it's triumphant return. Where did they pick to host an event of such magnitude? None other than Cobo Arena in Detroit, Michigan.
Dave Distelrath, Chris Hoelscher, Joe Serra, and I arrived down at Cobo at about 5:45ish to discover a large line around the arena. While we froze our tails off, a camera man walked by every so often. Being the ham that I am, I always tried to get on there, hoping that the fact that I was wearing shorts would get me on TV. Once the doors opened, my adrenaline started pumping, I knew what was coming soon. We get to our seats, which were in row F. As I got close to the rail, I realized that row F was none other than the first row, directly across from the entrance ramp. Even Chris was stoked about that. I took the obligatory picture of the set up and couldn't sit still until the lights semi-dimmed. It was show time.
The first match was a dark match (a match for the live crowd only) featuring Big Show and Carlito. It ran about 4 minutes long, but the Big Show was over in a huge way (especially with Joe). The match was pretty blah, but just being there with a sold out crowd makes a match like that entertaining.
We were told the actual taping would be starting soon and were introduced to the hosts. Good ol' JR made his return and was followed by Tazz and Jerry Lawler. The fireworks went off and it was show time. We were then treated to the Raw vs. Smackdown tag team matchup. The crowd was into this big time, and whenever Cena made his way in, half the crowd obnoxiously booed, while others screamed louder than a woman giving birth. The match was a real crowd pleaser, full of action and drama, everything a WWE match should be.
Next we got a Cutting Edge featuring none other than Mick Foley. The flaming table was neat to see, as was Foley getting thrown into a huge pile of thumbtacks, but I have a feeling it will be better when I watch it on tape.
The beer drinking contest between JBL and Austin was vintage Austin, ending with JBL lying in a large puddle of beer (or was it apple juice?) after being stunned not once, but twice. A very entertaining segment straight out of something you would see in the late 90s.
The women's match and Undertaker segment are nothing really worth discussing, so I won't even go there.
Then we get to the highlight of the show, Shane McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels in a street fight. As soon as Shane brought out a ladder, Dave and I knew something crazy was going to go down. Within the next few minutes both Shane and Shawn were superplexed off the ladder through two tables. Without question this was worth the price of admission alone. The ending saw Shawn getting screwed while in the sharpshooter, making all of us fans think that there's a small, maybe even minuscule chance that Bret Hart may get involved at WrestleMania 22. Don't get your hopes up.
All in all it was a great night spent with three of my best buds. Joe, thanks for sitting next to me and always keeping me entertained. Chris, thanks for driving and being a good sport despite being ill. Dave, thanks for one of the best birthday gifts ever received.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (10 Most Underappreciated WrestleMania Matches)

Later on during the 22 Days Of WrestleMania, I will go over the 10 best matches in WrestleMania history. But for now, I'm going to take a look at some of the matches that have been overlooked. Some due to the fact that the rest of the show wasn't so good or maybe because there were just too many other good matches on the card. One thing I think you'll notice is that most are from more recent times, mostly because the earlier WrestleManias only had 1 or 2 high quality matches. Also, this is not ranked according to how good the matches are, rather how underappreciated they are.

10. Marc Mero And Sable vs. Goldust And Luna - WrestleMania XIV
This was neither the peak of Mero's nor Goldust's career, but it didn't really matter. The crowd was so hot on Sable at the time that they ate this up with a fork and spoon. It will never be remembered as a technical masterpiece, but it was entertaining enough to be a solid 'Mania match.

9. Undertaker vs. HHH - WrestleMania X-7
This sometimes gets a bad reputation due to who is involved, but this is quite possibly Undertaker's finest WrestleMania moment. On a card that featured TLC 2, Rock/Austin 2, Angle/Benoit, it is easy to see why this one doesn't get so much hype, but in reality it was a very solid brawl.

8. Terry And Hoss Funk vs. Tito Santana And Junkyard Dog - WrestleMania 2
On paper this just seemed as if it would be just another tag team match thrown together just so these wrestlers could make the card. However, this was a great example of a high quality 1980s tag team match, despite it often being overlooked.

7. Kurt Angle vs. Kane - WrestleMania X-8
WrestleMania X-8 is full of odd matchups, and this one is no different. Why give one of your best wrestlers a feud with Kane at the biggest show of the year? I have no idea, but if anyone can pull a solid match out of the big red machine, it's Angle. This is not among Angle's finest moments, but definitely among Kane's.

6. HHH vs. Owen Hart - WrestleMania XIV
This whole card was essentially based around Austin winning the world title, but really a lot of the undercard was very solid. This battle for the European Championship was a very high quality pay-per-view match that really fails to ever get mentioned despite having two big stars involved.

5. HHH vs. Chris Jericho - WrestleMania X-8
While WrestleMania X-8 featured odd matchups, it also was all about Rock/Hogan. Surprisingly, WWE still stuck with putting the title match out last. While it was not as good as I had hoped for (being the huge Jericho fan I am), it was still a very entertaining match and a good ending to the night, even if the crowd didn't react as much as they probably hoped for.

4. Diesel vs. Shawn Michaels - WrestleMania XI
This match is famous for two things. One, for being on one of the worst cards in the history of WrestleMania. Second, for being put on BEFORE the Lawrence Taylor/Bam Bam Bigelow match. What I remember it for is the fact that it saved this pay-per-view from being the worst ever.

3. Chris Jericho vs. Christian - WrestleMania XX
Two of my favorite competitors of all time going against each other with a great storyline (fighting over Trish). WWE went with the swerve and had Trish turn on Jericho, giving Christian the victory. With this being a 5 hour show that featured Benoit/HHH/Michaels, Guerrero/Angle, and the return of Mick Foley and The Rock, it's easy to see how this one got overlooked.

2. The Rockers vs. Haku And The Barbarian - WrestleMania VII
Anyone who knows me knows how much I love this match. While my appreciation may be based on childhood memories, I still think this match holds up to this day. Plus, I am one of the few who thought Haku and the Barbarian were two of the better mid-card big man the WWE ever had.

1. Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio - WrestleMania 21
The night featured a 6-man ladder match and Angle/Michaels, but the opener was almost as good as the best opener ever, Bret vs. Owen. I've seen these two go at it many times, most notably at Halloween Havoc '97, but this one deserves to be right up there with their best matches and WrestleMania's greatest matches as well.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (WrestleMania's MVP)

If you were to look back at all 21 of the WrestleManias that have occurred, it may be difficult to choose one performer who really stands out. On one hand you have Hulk Hogan. He main evented 8 of the events and also had a big role in 3 others. Some may say Bret Hart who had classic battles with stars such as Steve Austin and Owen Hart. The Undertaker is 13-0 at the prestigious event. Steve Austin dominated the later WrestleManias. The Rock defeated Hulk Hogan among others. The list goes on and on. But for me, the decision is simple. There is no doubt about it, Shawn Michaels is the MVP of WrestleMania. I am going to take a quick match by match look at Michaels career and will provide my rating for each of the matches.

WrestleMania V - The Rockers vs. The Twin Towers
Any match involving Akeem and Big Bossman was pretty much a dud. Throw in a young, talented team by the name of the Rockers into the mix, and just like that you have an entertaining contest. The Rockers played the big team/little team dynamic perfectly and pulled out a solid match out of their two large opponents.
Match Rating: 2.75 (out of 5)

WrestleMania VI - The Rockers vs. The Orient Express
When I recently revisited this match, I was very intrigued at how good it could be. While it was an entertaining match, it was a little disappointing, mostly due to the stupid finish. Still very solid stuff.
Match Rating: 3

WrestleMania VII - The Rockers vs. Haku And The Barbarian
This was the first match on the first pay-per-view I ever ordered. Even at the age of 8, I was in love with this match. It still holds up to this day, as the crowd was hot, and both Michaels and Jannetty were on for this match.
Match Rating: 4

WrestleMania VIII - Shawn Michaels vs. Tito Santana
This was Michaels first solo appearance at a WrestleMania. He was given a solid opponent in Santana, but unfortunately it didn't reach quite the level most had hoped for. A decent opener, but not much more.
Match Rating: 2.75

WrestleMania IX - Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka
Michaels was in the opening bout for the third year in a row, this time defending his Intercontinental title against the undefeated Tatanka. The show was a bomb and this match didn't help due to another silly ending.
Match Rating: 2.5

WrestleMania X - Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon (Ladder Match)
This is where things really start to heat up. Often considered among the best matches of the 90s, both competitors set the bar for the now very popular ladder match. Thousands of jaws dropped as Michaels and Ramon tore the house down.
Match Rating: 5

WrestleMania XI - Shawn Michaels vs. Diesel
This match is more infamous for the fact that it was for the World Championship, but not the last match. Despite the involvement of Diesel, this was a very high-quality match where Michaels worked his butt off in his first World Championship at WrestleMania. Despite losing, this would not be his last chance at the title.
Match Rating: 4

WrestleMania XII - Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (60 Minute Iron Man Match)
This is the infamous moment where the whole Shawn/Bret feud really took a turn for the worst. Put all of that aside, this is a great technical battle, where two of the greatest athletes in the history of professional wrestling took center stage at wrestlings biggest event. An absolute classic.
Match Rating: 5

WrestleMania XIV - Shawn Michaels vs. Steve Austin
Michaels back was in horrible shape at this point, but that didn't stop him from putting on a fantastic match. This was Austin's moment, no question, but Michaels deserves a lot of credit for giving it his all despite his injury.
Match Rating: 4.5

WrestleMania XIX - Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho
Shawn Michaels finally returned from his retirement, I couldn't think of anyone else I would rather him feud with. This was a great WrestleMania, and this was perhaps the finest match of the evening.
Match Rating: 4.5

WrestleMania XX - Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Benoit vs. HHH
Michaels is always involved with the main event scene and this years 'Mania was no different. I couldn't think of a better way for Benoit to have won his first title than being involved in a match with two of WWE's top stars. This match is absolutely fantastic.
Match Rating: 5

WrestleMania 21 - Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle
Depsite competing for years, neither man had ever competed against each other. This had most fans drooling at the mouth and neither man disappointed. While watching this match, you knew you were witnessing something very special.
Match Rating: 5

Breakdown
# Of Matches At 2.5 Or Above: 12 (out of 12)
# Of Matches At 3 Or Above: 8
# Of Matches At 4 Or Above: 8
# Of Matches At 5: 4

There's no guarantee that Michaels/McMahon at WrestleMania 22 will be a classic, but I have a hunch that despite the fact he'll be competing against a 60 year old non-wrestler, Michaels will have the ability to make it interesting.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (Top 10 Managers)

One aspect of pro wrestling that has really almost disappeared is the manager. What happened to all of the great managers? There was a time when almost every heel wrestler was managed by someone. Well I'm going to take a stroll down memory lane and pick my 10 favorite managers.

10. Slick
The master of style, as he was often called, looked like he was dragged off the streets and thrown into a managerial position. I don't think he ever managed anyone good, but man was he funny. A jive soul bro fo sho.

9. Miss Elizabeth
The first lady of the WWF, she was constantly involved in great storylines, but none better than the reunion with her husband at the time, Randy Savage. When you think of the WWF in the late 80's, it's hard not to think of Elizabeth, may she rest in peace.

8. Sable
As annoying as she was, when she first entered the WWF in 1996, I had never laid my eyes on anyone more beautiful. Granted I was only 13 at the time and a huge moron, but you get the point.

7. Paul Heyman
Also known as Paul E. Dangerously, Mr. Heyman can cut a killer promo. Used to carry a Saved By The Bell-esque cell phone down to the ring and smash it on people's heads. Oh yeah and he was the owner of that one promotion, what's it called? Oh yeah, E-C-F'n W.

6. Bobby Heenan
Although more known for his announcing skills (I'll discuss that at a later date), the weasel knew how to get a crowd to hate him. I don't know if there's ever been a funnier manager.

5. Mr. Fuji
Despite being around forever, it seemed like he was always had a bunch of jobbers in his stable. However, as long as he was at ringside, his wrestler always had a chance thanks to the old salt in the eyes trick.

4. Jim Cornette
Known for his polyester suits and his tennis racket (despite looking like he never had done anything athletic in his life), Cornette is as old school as old school gets. He had great mic skills and loved giving shoots on whatever was on his mind.

3. Sensational Sherri
Obviously I'm not the only one who thought she was sensational, Sherri is being inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame this year. It is a very deserving honor for one of the first great heel ladies of wrestling.

2. Jimmy Hart
The mouth of the south was able to annoy any person on the planet. Shouting out sentences that always ended in "baby" through his megaphone, Jimmy Hart was one of the most successful managers of the 80s and 90s.

1. Sunny
My personal favorite not only because of her looks but because she made even the lamest feuds interesting (and trust me, she was involved with a ton of them). Even though she has a lot of off-television problems, Sunny was the first valet to really have an attitude.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (The Undertaker's Winning Streak)

Since the Undertaker's first appearance in 1990, he has gone on to become synonymous with the world of sports entertainment. Never before has a character so over the top been so successful, making it even more interesting that his popularity has not declined one bit. His 3-disc DVD set is one of the best selling DVD's in WWE's history. His merchandise is still a hot seller. But what's even more impressive than all of that is that he is 13-0 at wrestling's biggest yearly event, WrestleMania. However, there are some people like myself who never really cared for the dead man. Yes, I consider him to be one of the greatest big wrestlers of all time, but his character is lame and he lacks the ability of having good matches with anyone who isn't in the same league as someone like a Kurt Angle or Steve Austin. I am going to breakdown his streak and look at how many of his WrestleMania competitors were legit.

WrestleMania VII - "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka
While there is no doubt that Snuka had a huge impact on modern wrestling, in 1991 he was nothing more than a glorified jobber doing his best to make sure the 'Taker got over. This was just your typical 5 minute TV match.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 0 for 1

WrestleMania VIII - Jake "The Snake" Roberts
This was an intriguing feud, but Roberts was already on his way down at this point. Even at the age of 9, I knew Roberts didn't stand a chance.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 0 for 2

WrestleMania IX - Giant Gonzales
Of all the bad matches the Undertaker has competed in, this one takes the cake. This is without a doubt the worst match in WrestleMania history. This was not all the Undertaker's fault though. Vince seemed to have no idea what to do with him and kept feeding him lame characters to feud with.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 0 for 3

WrestleMania XI - King Kong Bundy
Undertaker was in a looooooooong feud with the Million Dollar Man, and this is who they give him to fight at the biggest event of the year? King Kong Bundy was well past his prime at this point and this match was horrible. Next.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 0 for 4

WrestleMania XII - Diesel
Despite the whole world knowing Kevin Nash was on his way to WCW, this was still a well built match featuring two of the top stars at the time. So even though technically we all knew who was going to win this, I'll give him the benefit of the doubt.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 1 for 5

WrestleMania 13 - Sycho Sid
After 5 WrestleManias, Undertaker finally made it to the main event, even if it was by default. This is often regarded as one of the worst WrestleManias, and having this as the main event is a good reason why. Undertaker finally got a chance at a real title reign and it failed big time. Boring.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 1 for 6

WrestleMania XIV - Kane
Vince McMahon's next brilliant idea was to have the Undertaker have an evil brother by the name of Kane. The build for this match was actually quite good, especially compared to most Undertaker feuds. I didn't know that it was going to go on forever, but at the time, this had a big match feel.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 2 for 7

WrestleMania XV - Big Boss Man (Hell In A Cell)
Ugh. Another star past his prime, this time in a Hell In A Cell match. When you have a Hell In A Cell match, it should have a special feel to it. This one was just horrible.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 2 for 8

WrestleMania X-7 - HHH
This was definitely one of the finer moments for the Undertaker. This was a quality match that sometimes gets overlooked because of the numerous great matches that were on that card. It figures that the one time an Undertaker match is good at WrestleMania that it's not even the best of the night.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 3 for 9

WrestleMania X-8 - Ric Flair
Another solid match featuring one of the greatest of all time, Mr. Flair. Undertaker was the heel in this and it made for a more compelling storyline. Even though at this point it seemed as if the Undertaker would never lose a WrestleMania match, if there was one man they'd let defeat him, it'd be Ric Flair.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 4 for 10

WrestleMania 19 - A-Train and Big Show
This match was a joke. It was supposed to be Nathan Jones teaming with the Undertaker, but he sucked so bad that he got dropped. Then he came out and helped Undertaker out. This match should have never made the show.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 4 for 11

WrestleMania XX - Kane
This was the return of the "dead man" Undertaker after a few years of the "biker" Undertaker. They had nothing better to do with Kane, so they had him job to his "brother" 6 years after he got jobbed for the first time. Boring.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 4 for 12

WrestleMania 21 - Randy Orton
I'm one of the few geeks who think Orton is a solid superstar and I think they did a good job of making it seem that the "legend killer" was going to be the one to end his streak. This match was also overlooked due to 3 high quality matches that same evening.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 5 for 13

Looking Ahead...WrestleMania 22 - Mark Henry (Casket Match)
What in God's name did we do to deserve this one? I mean I guess the one positive is that the card is going to feature a lot of matches and this should be kept short. I'm predicting this to be about a 0 out of 5.
Quality Opponent Scoreboard: 5 for 14

Like I said, Undertaker is as good as any big man I have seen, but that really isn't saying all that much. I've seen him in some memorable matches, but for the most part he has been in a lot of average-to-terrible matches. His 13-0 undefeated streak is definitely overrated, but I do have to give him credit for staying on top for so long.

22 Days Of WrestleMania (Top 10 Wrestling Entrance Themes)

(Editor's Note: Tuesdays are really long days so I am posting a short and sweet article.)

One of the more overlooked aspects of professional wrestling is the entrance theme. No matter how hated or how popular a wrestler may be, the entrance plays a big part of how big the pop they may receive from the fans in attendance. I thought I'd share my 10 personal favorites from over the years.

Honorable Mentions: Owen Hart, Mr. Perfect, Ric Flair, Randy Savage, The Hart Foundation.

10. Goldust
9. D-Generation X
8. The Big Bossman
7. Ultimate Warrior
6. Hulk Hogan
5. Shawn Michaels
4. Legion Of Doom
3. Steve Austin
2. Chris Jericho
1. Demolition

Here comes the Ax, here comes the Smasher, they're Demolition, walking disasters (or something like that).

22 Days Of WrestleMania (What Monday Nights Mean To Me)

For over 13 years, WWE and Monday Nights have gone hand in hand. Now, I'm not saying that Monday Night Raw is more synonymous with Monday nights than Monday Night Football is, but it definitely has found its niche. Some of wrestling's greatest moments have happened on Raw (the infamous Brian Pillman/Steve Austin gun angle, the ECW invasion, the Steve Austin beer truck incident, Razor Ramon upset by the 1-2-3 Kid, Shawn Michaels forfeiting the world title, and so on...). However, Monday nights mean a little bit more to me. For the past 7 years or so, I have been the host of Raw for my friends to enjoy. While their interest in professional wrestling has varied from time to time, it is a tradition that still lives on today. Every Monday night, no matter what the world has to offer me, I know that I have something to look forward to. Sure the wrestling is great (at least to me), but it's also the fact that I know my friends are going to be around to listen to my terrible jokes, complain about whatever I feel like complaining about, or listen to me ramble on about such things as Lions football or what bands I think suck. Sure there have been a few down moments (the short time span no one came, Brandon Byrd throwing a screw driver at me and busting my lip open, the time I stomped my foot in Marc's face, etc.) but I wouldn't trade any of these times we have spent in my basement for anything in the world. So on this note I would like to thank the following people for making Monday nights so special to me:

(in alphabetical order by last name)
Amanda Burnett
Brandon F. Byrd
Justin Carmichael
Dave Distelrath
Mike Forster
Marc Granger
Chris Hoelscher
Scott Moore
Adam Stolz

And also a thank you to Joe Thomas, who often has discussed Raw later on that night or the next day.

My Spring Mix

We won't be seeing the real signs of spring for another few weeks, but I think it's important to mentally prepare for big changes. Anyways, I'm sure most of you have been prepared for spring for some time now. Regardless, this music should not only prepare you, but get you excited for spring as well.

This was the most difficult mix for me up to this point (refer to headdresstattoo.blogspot.com for other mixes). I arranged it with a sort of "April showers bring May flowers" theme, and tried to maintain a fresh quality througout. The first half is subdued, rainy day music, and is even an extension of winter in some ways. After all, weather in Michigan (and I'm sure Chicago too) is always unpredictable and ever-changing. Then around the halfway point, things start to liven up. The music reflects the awakening of the sleeping beast that is Mother Nature. By the end of the CD, the Dandy Warhols are bumping and you're ready for summer.

Now for an explanation of the songs. Some of the songs are new to me (The Clientele, The Pogues) and just sound like a rainy spring day or St. Patty's Day, respectively. Some of the songs are very personal to me (Cat Stevens, James Taylor) because my family used to go on road trips to the Great Smokey Mountains in Tennessee and pretty much only listen to those two CD's (and Fleetwood Mac). Also, these trips usually occurred in April on our school's Spring Break. Everything was extra damp and smokey, and we would search out waterfalls and hike mountain trails.

The third and final category of songs (The Postal Service, Aloha, Belle & Sebastian, etc) come from MSU's campus radio Impact 89 FM. I was a DEVOUT listener of this station, and it always seemed that the music was extra special in the spring. The Impact songs on this mix came from springs '03 - '05. And spring was an extra special time of year at MSU also. The first sign of spring brought students out of their winter slumber and everywhere they would be playing frisbee and sunbathing by the Red Cedar River -- I'm talking sudden beach party. Also, during the past two years the porch at 312 Grove St would become constantly occupied by roommates with beers in hand and radio blasting. Homework was immediately forgotten. We had people watching to do!

God I miss 312 and my old roommates. What I would give for another weekend back there. The memories evoked from this mix are definitely bittersweet for me. I still hope to create comparible memories in this segment of my life, but have had little luck so far.

Well my thoughts have sufficiently wandered for this endeavor. So without further delay, I give you My Spring Mix. (For more Mix CD's, check out headdresstattoo.blogspot.com).

1. The Clientele - E.M.P.T.Y.
2. The beatles - penny lane
3. cat stevens - peace train
4. james taylor - carolina in my mind
5. the pogues - a pair of brown eyes
   
6. dirty vegas - simple things, pt 2
7. aloha - boys in the bathtub
8. yo la tengo - little eyes
9. the sugarcubes - birthday
10. turin brakes - average man
11. the postal service - clark gable
12. the smiths - william, it was really nothing
13. the cardigans - your new cuckoo
14. belle & sebastian - i'm a cuckoo
15. junior senior - boy meets girl
16. stereolab - margerine rock
17. ted leo & the pharmacists - where have all the rude boys gone?
18. saves the day - anywhere with you
19. of montreal - the party's crashing me
20. the dandy warhols - bohemian like you

22 Days Of WrestleMania (The Night The Legacy Almost Died)

reNow before I dismiss this as THE worst WrestleMania, I want to go out and say that there have been others (II, IV, V, XI, XIII), but this one takes the cake.

The date was April 4th, 1993, the site was the world famous Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The WWF was coming off a solid pay per view showing at the Royal Rumble, and at a time where there were only 4 pay per views (the 5th was added this year), usually the best was saved for WrestleMania. This was going to be a big night, the night they did their first WrestleMania with out the Hulkster. Well it seems as WrestleMania drew nearer, Vince McMahon lost faith in his champion, Bret Hart. So we soon find out that Hulk Hogan will be apart of the show, but not in the main event. Even the biggest Hogan-haters can be okay with that. So we have ourselves a double main event Brutus Beefcake and Hulk Hogan vs. Money, Inc. and Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna. No, it's not exactly Flair/Savage, but it will do.
The event gets underway and the set up looks awesome. It was the first ever outdoor WrestleMania and everyone is dressed in togas. Bobby Heenan comes out on a camel backwards and Jim Ross makes his WWF debut. Unfortunately, this is where the fun stops. Match after match, this show feels like nothing more than a house show. Shawn Michaels is almost a sure thing for a high quality match, especially at this time, and his match with Tatanka is just average. The Steiner Brothers, perhaps the greatest tag team in the world at the time, pull off just an average match against the Headshrinkers. As a fan, you can't help but think to yourself, if those matches are bad, how bad is the rest going to be. We would soon find out. I won't go over every match, but if you want to watch what is perhaps the worst wrestling match ever, go ahead and watch Giant Gonzales vs. Undertaker, I dare you.
But that's not where my story ends. After pulling off a decent match, despite being way too short for a main event, Bret Hart gets the ultimate insult. Yokozuna defeated Bret Hart for the Championship and who comes to his aid? The same man who put on a terrible match earlier in the card, Hulk Hogan. And what does Mr. Hogan do? He gets challenged by Yokozuna to a impromptu match. Of course, being the hero he is, he accepts and beats Yokozuna 19 seconds later. Great job of building for your future Vince. Did Hogan hold a gun to your head? Who came up with this garbage? Sure the 9 year olds were happy, but at this time, there weren't many people watching anyways. He's lucky Bret Hart was as loyal as he was, for only a year later they would put on one of their greatest shows, WrestleMania X. Who was the star of that show? You guessed right, Bret Hart.

Match Listing:

Shawn Michaels vs. Tatanka
The Steiner Brothers vs. The Headshrinkers
Doink vs. Crush
Razor Ramon vs. Bob Backlund
Money, Inc. vs. The Mega-Maniacs
Lex Luger vs. Mr. Perfect
Undertaker vs. Giant Gonzales
Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna

What I Would Have Done:

Shawn Michaels vs. Mr. Perfect
The Steiner Brothers vs. Money, Inc.
Undertaker vs. Bam Bam Bigelow
Lex Luger vs. Tatanka
Razor Ramon vs. Crush
Bob Backlund vs. Doink
Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna

22 Days Of WrestleMania (Top 10 Favorite Wrestlers)

After brainstorming ways of getting more people to view the Tool Box, I came up with "The 22 Days Of WrestleMania". If you're looking for credibility, writing about professional wrestling is probably the best way to go about doing so.
For those of you who do not know me, I have been pretty much hooked on pro wrestling (WWF/E in particular) since I saw my first match in 1990 (Demolition vs. The Hart Foundation at SummerSlam). My interest died down a little during the WrestleMania IX period, but somehow I was hooked once again in a period where a typical main event was Mabel vs. Diesel.
Still to this day, I spend oodles of money on worthless wrestling stuff (DVDs, tickets, etc.) and while I'm not proud of it, I consider myself to be a top tier fan. So my first top 10 countdown to celebrate WrestleMania 22 is my top 10 favorite wrestlers of all time. Away we go...

Just Missing The List: Ric Flair, Christian, Matt Hardy, Brian Pillman, Owen Hart

10. Curt Hennig
I credit Hennig, or to many fans "Mr. Perfect", to being the first bad guy I really rooted for. Had the gimmick come out today, no question about it, it would still be effective. Oh and then there's the fact that he was one of the top wrestlers that WWF had to offer at the time. Hennig has since passed away, but his legacy still lives on.
Match You Have To See: Mr. Perfect vs. Bret Hart for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam '91.

9. Mick Foley
Humor and blood seems like an odd combination, but Mick Foley was perhaps both the most hardcore and hilarious wrestler to ever grace the squared circle. Any wrestling fan will forever have his horrific Hell In A Cell performance engraved in their memory, but Mick Foley has put on plenty of other terrific matches throughout his great career whether it was Mankind, Cactus Jack, Dude Love, or just plain old Mick Foley.
Match You Have To See: Dude Love vs. Steve Austin for the World Championship at Over The Edge '98.

8. Kurt Angle
The only ever WWE competitor to have won an Olympic Gold Medal (Atlanta '96), Kurt Angle still felt like he had more to offer the world of wrestling. When he stepped into the WWE rings for the first time, it seemed like another Olympic bomb for Vince McMahon (a.k.a. Mark Henry). Boy were most people wrong. Kurt Angle, in his short career, is already, in my opinion, one of the greatest wrestlers in history. His mic skills are top notch and you know everytime he steps in the ring, he'll bring out the best of his opponent.
Match You Have To See: Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania XXI.

7. Rob Van Dam
Known for being perhaps the "spottiest" wrestler in the world today, there's still no question that RVD sends you with your money's worth every time you see him. Perhaps the most flexible wrestler in history, RVD can hit just about any move at any time, making him one of the most exciting performers in the business. He made a name for himself in ECW, and hopefully the WWE will reward him sometime soon for his consistency.
Match You Have To See: Rob Van Dam vs. Jerry Lynn for the ECW Television Championship at ECW Living Dangerously '99.

6. Eddie Guerrero
The most recent superstar to pass away, Eddie Guerrero had a big impact on thousands of fans. He was a true David vs. Goliath story when he defeated Brock Lesnar for the World Championship back in 2004, and many people quickly related to Eddie's underdog mentality. Eddie was also one of the most technically sound competitors in the ring and you knew he could adapt to any style there was. I will forever miss having Eddie Guerrero in the ring.
Match You Have To See: Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio for the WCW Cruiserweight Championship at WCW Halloween Havoc '97.

5. Chris Benoit
Of the hundreds of wrestlers I've watched perform, I'm not sure I've seen a harder worker than Benoit. He has been a favorite of the so-called smart fans for years, and in 2000 he did the unthinkable when he won the WWE World Championship. It is one of those memories I will never forget and couldn't have gone to a more deserving athlete. Hopefully he still has at least 5 more years left in him, because I can't picture the WWE without him.
Match You Have To See: Chris Benoit vs. HHH vs. Shawn Michaels for the World Championship at WrestleMania XX.

4. Bret Hart
While my first favorite wrestler may have been Ultimate Warrior, I was also only 6 years old. As I understood the business better and the fact that a good wrestler doesn't necessarily need to be a steroid freak, I latched onto Bret Hart very quickly. There was just something about his performances that often left you breathless. Whether it was his 60 minute classic with hated rival Shawn Michaels or defeating the Bolsheviks in record time, he always made it look like it was his toughest match to date.
Match You Have To See: Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart at WrestleMania X.

3. Shawn Michaels
Although I never really liked his good guy persona as much as his heel character, Shawn Michaels is in my opinion the greatest performer of my lifetime. He has been in so many classic matches, you'd need a 5 disc DVD set just to give a good representation. He battled back from a bad back injury to extend his career a few years, and is still putting on great matches night after night.
Match You Have To See: Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon in a Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship at WrestleMania X.

2. Steve Austin
While it may seem like the equivelant of choosing Hulk Hogan this high, I must say that I was a Steve Austin fan long before the masses. I even cheered for this guy as "The Ringmaster". Steve Austin is the greatest wrestler of the 90's and brought wrestling to a new high. Still to this day, he receives huge pops at any arena. Known mostly for his catchphrases, he was also a teriffic wrestler, and sometimes doesn't get enough credit for that.
Match You Have To See: Steve Austin vs. Bret Hart in a Submission Match at WrestleMania XIII.

1. Chris Jericho
I first saw Chris Jericho in WCW back in the late 90's and was immediately impressed with his in-ring skills. Little did I know he would also be my favorite personality in wrestling history. Week after week, Jericho found a way to come up with a fresh routine to make him entertaining, while at the same time still putting on fantastic matches. Jericho also has the ability to elevate his opponents and to make any of his feuds, whether they're with mid-carders or main eventers, feel like they're special.
Match You Have To See: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit in a Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship at Royal Rumble '00.

Top 10 Live Bands I've Seen

Last night's Nada Surf concert has inspired me to look back at the list of musicians I have seen live (over 200 I believe) and pick the 10 best. I decided that I would do it objectively, meaning I'm not going to have my 10 favorite bands be my top 10 for this. I am going to look at it as if I was just a casual fan of all of these artists and judge them based on their set list, energy, presence, and so on. So here goes nothing...(I wrote this in like 5 minutes, so don't expect it to be well written)

10. Van Halen
Yes, I've only seen them with Gary Cherone and Sammy Hagar. Yes, I've seen them when they are way past their physical prime. But you know what, both shows tore the house down. Eddie's playing isn't for everyone, but I've never seen a better guitarist live in my life (and I've seen Jimmy Page).

9. The Black Crowes
Channeling a 1970's vibe, this band knows how to jam. The brothers Robinson are better represented when playing live. Whether it be a small theatre or a large amphitheatre, they get everyone from the front row to the last grooving.

8. The Vines
They may have never lived up to all the hype, but The Vines are a darn good band, especially live. While Craig Nichols may have his microphone and guitars up way too high, he brings unpredictability back to rock and roll. Whether he's throwing his guitar at his drummer or chugging a 12 pack of Coca-Cola, you never know what he's going to do next.

7. R.E.M.
With a catalog of 13 albums, R.E.M. digs deep to give their fans the best set list they can possibly give. Although they may not be a hard rocking band, Michael Stipe is one of the most captivating frontmen I've ever seen.

6. Alice Cooper
So many rockers owe their live performances to Alice Cooper. Always adding more gore to his show, Cooper stops at nothing to entertain a crowd. Plus he has some of the greatest tunes in hard rock.

5. AC/DC
I've seen hard rocking bands from Aerosmith to Tool to Motley Crue to Queens of the Stone Age and no one has been harder rocking than AC/DC. Even at their age, they are louder than ever and have more energy than bands half their age.

4. Red Hot Chili Peppers
For a band that loves to jam, there aren't many bands that play as tight of a set as the Peppers do. Not only do you get to hear a lot of great songs, but you get to witness two of the finest players of the past 15 years, John Frusciante and Flea.

3. ...And You Will Know Us By The Trail Of Dead
The Trail of Dead are over the top, insane, and beautiful all at the same time. Conrad Keely's talents are underappreciated by the mainstream, which must mean only one thing, they have never seen the Trail of Dead live.

2. Rage Against The Machine
With the fury of a punk band, heavy metal riffs, and more energy than the thousands that attended every one of their shows, Rage Against The Machine is one of the greatest live bands ever. Sure, the mosh pits are filled with a bunch of idiots who know nothing about music, but the bands live performance is something everyone should have had the chance to experience.

And Number 1 is...

1. The White Stripes
The White Stripes are everything a good live rock and roll band should be; loud, out of control, and just plain fricken sweet. If the Stripes are in your town, do not miss your opportunity to see one of the great bands of our generation.

Incubus - Make Yourself (Sony; 1999)

Now I’ll begin a series of reviews on my favorite albums of all time. The first album is one of the first I ever considered to be a forever favorite. Incubus’ “Make Yourself” was released in 1999, which was a time of uncertainty and despair not only for music, but also for society as a whole. This music goes hand in hand with the Fight Club mentality (which was an influential movie released in the same year). That philosophy is rather simple: do something with your life. Don’t adhere to the restrictions and guidelines of society. Don’t sleep your life away. Don’t waste any more time. Find out how to make your life fulfilling. Incubus display activism without exploring the realm of politics. After all, there was no George W. to attack yet. This was a time coming up to the new millennium. The big Y2K scare. The world could explode, the time-space continuum could be disrupted, or…maybe our precious PC’s would just fry out.

As far as the music world, 1999 marked a culmination of everything that was depraved and uninspired. The 90’s were a decade littered with Nirvana copiers, or at least, that’s what popular rock radio consisted of. And growing up in the Detroit suburbs, rock radio was my only source of music. That said, “Make Yourself” was a call to arms. A rebel yell saying, “Break this spell. Rock isn’t dead. We can and will do be better.” Think for yourself. Stop waiting for the world to explode and get on with your life.

Sonically, “Make Yourself” finds Incubus coming into its own as a group of sophisticated music makers. “S.C.I.E.N.C.E.” found them carving their niche in the world of nu metal, but “Make Yourself” was a truly defining moment. Mike Einziger employs effects pedals without sacrificing creativity. Most songs would (and sometimes do) work well in acoustic versions, which is proof of that. Brandon Boyd learns how to put his voice box to use in ways never heard before. The threesome of drums, bass, and DJ hold up the back end of the music. Everywhere there is balance and careful collaboration between instruments (especially the rare tie between guitars and drums, probably due to the longtime friendship of Mike and Jose Pasillas II).

The album opens with “Privilege,” which became a staple opener for their shows over the next few years. Despite the gratuitous use of power chords, they manage to set the tone for the entire album. They follow suit on the next few tracks, but really outdo themselves on “The Warmth,” which starts a trend of underwater sounds characteristic to much of the band’s later work. There are a couple love songs, the prominent one being “Stellar” (the girls just loved the idea of Brandon being inside them). Of course “Drive” was the little hit song that could. Its vast popularity doesn’t change the fact that it’s a well written, acoustic-hop track, enjoyed by 16 year olds and their mothers too. “Battlestar Scralatchtica” hints at the group’s future as well-prepared performers and improvisers, while sounding scarily like Super Mario Bros music at times. Another standout track is “Clean,” which urges someone to stop holding back and let out their feelings (and also might be a Jack Kerouac reference). But the shining star of the album is “Pardon Me.” By my opinion it’s one of the greatest rock songs ever written. I still remember the intense rush I felt upon hearing it the first time. Memorize the lyrics and sing along, and it’s even more rewarding (but embarrassing if anyone hears you).

Some may say that the music is slightly dated. After all, something so relevant to the time it’s released has to stay in that time to some extent. But “Make Yourself” lives on because it was the best album Incubus could have released at that time. They had something to say and they and they knew exactly how to say it. It was a window into their past, but also a glimpse into their future. In the following years, the band has had down moments (cough….”Morning View”…cough). But they have matured into amazing performers (thanks in part to the addition of bassist Ben Kenney) and definitely have a bright future despite their obligation to the world of popular rock. They are now leading in the area of alternative metal and I have faith that they won't disappoint in their future efforts. So call me crazy if you’d like, but I’m sticking to my instinct. “Make Yourself” is and will always be one of my favorite albums, and it serves as a perfect opener to my series of reviews. Stay tuned for more...