Dear John Cena,

I like you (not in that way), I like you a lot as a performer, doing promos and inside the wrestling ring. Your promos are good, your hold for hold wrestling has improved greatly over the course of your career. I also understand that you might not be asked to “wrestle” during your matches. I get that. Your movies have made me laugh, even if that was not your intent. You’ve been very kind to me personally and to many others though out the media and among the fans, even if they have booed you.  I don’t like how you wear that cities popular team’s jersey in their building to get a cheap pop or how you jumped off the Red Sox bandwagon and on to the Tampa Ray’s bandwagon during last years season. I do get playing to the hometown crowd even if I don’t like it, I understand why you’re doing it. Here is what I don’t understand. I was reading this piece that was meant to help you promote the movie 12 Rounds, which comes out soon overseas, I believe it comes out here in the states on DVD in June. I did one with you back in early March before the movie hit the theaters in the lower 48. One of the main points of the article is how you and Vince McMahon have to fight the outside forces because a wrestling company, sorry, sports entertainment company, is getting harsh reviews about being in the movie business. Movies that WWE Films has created include; “The Marine” staring you, John Cena, “See No Evil” staring Kane, “The Condemned” staring Steve Austin and “Behind Enemy Lines” staring Ken Kennedy. Before WWE Films, Vince McMahon and Titan sports gave us “No Holds Barred” staring Hulk Hogan and we’re not cynical about what WWE Films produces?

Sincerely,

James Stewart

I’m a critic of the current wrestling landscape, but I’m far from ignorant when it comes to knowing good “wrestling” or “entertainment” and bad “wrestling” or “entertainment”. I’ve seen Ric Flair and Harley Race, I’ve seen Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage, I’ve seen Hulk Hogan and the Warrior, I’ve seen Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, I’ve seen Steve Austin and Vince McMahon and I’ve seen Kurt Angle and Samoa Joe. Watching those programs from the beginning promos to the story being told through out to the final match speaks to what good wrestling and good entertainment is.

I don’t like much of what I see on Monday Night Raw or what I see Thursday Night’s on TNA Impact. Sorry TNA, I’m walking up to the line but I’ve not crossed over yet. In all honestly, I do enjoy much of ECW on Tuesday nights and Friday Night Smackdown so there is some good wrestling being produced by WWE. I watched Thursday Night’s TNA Impact and their Pay Per View on Sunday Night and saw Mick Foley, who you might also know as Cactus Jack, Mankind or Dude Love. I love Mick as a writer, wrestler and just as a wrestling personality, but i noticed one thing about Mick in TNA… he’s their heavyweight champion.  I thought he retired from wrestling full time 9 years ago, I guess not. I watched his match with a cardboard cut out of Rocky on Impact and his four-way title defense against Kurt Angle, Sting and Jeff Jarrett on their Pay Per View.

I have some advice for Mick, try the salad bar. And bring Samoa Joe with you.

Mick has always been a heavier wrestler, but if you’re going to be a company’s heavyweight champion, that doesn’t mean you have to be the heaviest wrestler in the company. And who’s idea was it to put the belt on him in the first place. He doesn’t need it. I have this on going discussion with one of my best friends about title usage in wrestling. We both agree that a title is either used to push a wrestler or it’s used as an acknowledgement that you’re the best our company has to promote. I don’t think Mick Foley fits either of those criteria for TNA.  

WWE, is usually not guilty of the wrong guy with the belt. Edge has the Smackdown Heavyweight Championship and they are trying to push Randy Orton as a top performer with Triple H, Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker on the side lines, with the Raw WWE Championship. I give them credit for trying, even if it doesn’t seem like the masses believe in Randy Orton as a number 1 heel. The open to Raw last night had me asking a simple question, “How does this draw money?” The answer; it really doesn’t. Randy Orton, has the chance of being someone who will draw money. We know he had the chance in 04, before becoming a verb himself at the hands of Triple H. I tuned in knowing full well that Vince would be front and center trashing the Denver Nuggets in his own way. It was bad but he kept it short. That is both bad wrestling and bad entertainment. 

As irony would have it, the Denver Nuggets, at the Pepsi Center, beat the Lakers in game 4 of their Western Conference Finals Series, tying the series at 2 wins a piece.

The goal in wrestling has always been to draw people and to draw money from the people through characters, stories and blow off matches. I don’t see enough of that in today’s wrestling world of sports entertainment. I see too many clowns and not enough tigers during my wrestling shows. Dave Finley doesn’t need a leprechaun and Bill Goldberg didn’t need a wig to get over. It’s ok to have a narrow wrestler as long as they connect with the people and what they do well is among the best going in your company.

Cowboy Bill Watts once said about the Junk Yard Dog, “I know what he can’t do well, so let’s show the people what he can do well.” Wrestling promoters, I’m begging you, show me what your talent does well and not what they don’t do well.

This Monday Night the WWE’s flagship show Monday Night Raw, will reportedly be moved to the Staples Center in LA. The WWE is expected to make an announcement shortly about the change in venue for the event.

Raw was to have been hosted in Denver at the Pepsi Center but the Nuggets reclaimed the building due to their playoff match up against the LA Lakers. The Staples Center is set to be the home for this years Summer Slam Pay Per View on Sunday, August 23rd.

August 8th, 2008: “Hello, I work for World Wrestling Entertainment. We would love to bring WWE Monday Night Raw, a sport entertainment live event, back to the Pepsi Center in Denver. What dates might you have open in the year 2009?

“Monday night May 25th should be open.”

“That sounds great! Let’s book our live event with doors opening at 7:30! You don’t think there would be any conflicts for that date do you?

“Nope, the Nuggets won’t make it that far into the postseason.”

I know that wasn’t the the conversation that took place more than 8 months ago but it’s a better story to think that actually happened.

Let’s face the facts, I’m sure this happens a lot between content providers and buildings and we, the public and media, just never find out about them. In this case, the Pepsi Center angered the wrong multi-billionaire. Vince McMahon is now hell bent on making the people who own the building and Nuggets look like jerks in this situation. If Vince wanted to, he’d keep quiet and be the good guy in this situation. Vince just can’t and you know what, Vince is right.

As late as a month ago, Vince received a signed contract in the mail, confirming the date for his Monday Night Raw event. Vince, being the smart media and business person that he is, saw this as a great chance to get pub for his less than thrilling Monday Night product. The NBA and it’s broadcasting partner, Turner Network Television, can pay out more money than Vince can and for some old WCW fans, I see you smirking because Vince will lose this small battle. Vince and the WWE are getting some great PR out of this as seen on ESPN and sending out press releases such as the ones below.

 In the end, Vince will move his flagship show to another building in the area or taping the show on Sunday night in Colorado Springs but it won’t be without kicking and screaming. Be entertained by what you see below, it might be the preview of the best part of next weeks Monday Night Raw, the shots taken at the Denver Nuggets.

STAMFORD, Conn. — The Denver debacle that has jeopardized this coming Monday’s edition of Raw in Denver’s Pepsi Center has yielded an outpouring by some of the biggest arenas in the world who have opportunistically offered to host Monday Night Raw live on Memorial Day.

While working to resolve the scheduling conflict between Raw and the Denver Nuggets’ NBA Western Conference Semifinals game against the Los Angeles Lakers, WWE officials have received proposals from numerous venues including Madison Square Garden and, ironically, the STAPLES Center – the home of the Nuggets’ Monday night opponents, the Lakers. In addition to numerous other venues, these major-capacity metropolitan arenas proposed to have WWE’s flagship program emanate from their locations instead of Denver’s double-booked Pepsi Center this coming Monday.

As reported by WWE.com and countless media outlets, officials from both WWE and the Denver Nuggets are still attempting to determine a resolution for the scheduling calamity in Colorado’s capital.

Check back with WWE.com as additional information becomes available regarding this Monday’s edition of Raw.

Ring of Honor Wrestling returns to the Boston area this Friday Night at BU’s Case Gym, 285 Babcock Street, right behind the home of the NCAA Men’s Hockey Champion, BU Terriers, Agganis Arena. In Preparation for Friday night’s card, I got the chance to ask “The American Dragon” Bryan Danielson a few questions.

James Stewart: How’s your health?
Bryan Danielson: It always has its ups and downs.  Right now I’m pretty beat up because I’m wrestling on weekends and then during the week doing quite a bit of grappling and kickboxing training.

JS: With the injuries in the ROH locker room that has changed the card up for this Friday night in Boston, does your mind set change going from a one on one match to a match with three or more competitors in it?
BD: Well, the match I was originally in was a three way, and it still is, just with different opponent.  I would much rather be in standard singles or tag matches though.

JS: What was it like being trained by Shawn Michaels and William Regal?
BD: It was great.  Most guys get trained by people who have no idea what they’re doing and then have to spend loads of time learning what they can here and there.  Training with them ensured that I was learning the right way from the very beginning.

JS: Is it to your advantage to have been mainly trained by two vastly different styles in the ring?
BD: Definitely, although to be quite honest I wasn’t able to learn Shawn’s style because when I was training with him I was still learning the basics.  You have to start with the basics and if you start anywhere else you’re going to find yourself in trouble.  When I trained with Regal, I had already been wrestling for a little while and had a good foundation.  Working with him really molded my style.

JS: How do you compare working in ROH to other companies around the world? What makes ROH different?
BD: I really feel like ROH is my home.  I was there when it first started and have been there through ups and downs.  For there’s a comfort level in the locker room and with the fans that I don’t feel anywhere else.

JS: How does it make you feel when ROH fans chant “Best in the World”? Do you think that you’re the best wrestler in the world?
BD: I am not the best wrestler in the world.  It’s an honor that anybody thinks I am.  But I really think most people chant it because its fun and to show that they like me, not because they actually think I’m the best.  But I’m flattered regardless.

JS: How did you feel when you won the ROH Championship? How did you feel about your regain as champion? What’s the most number of belts you’ve had to carry at one time and to the ring?
BD: It felt like an accomplishment, but then there’s the weight of having to live up to being Ring of Honor champion.   The guys who have held the belt have put so much into it, and so have the guys who have challenged for it.  The list of great ROH title matches is endless and you feel like you have to live up to that every night.  That said, I enjoyed the reign.  It definitely pushed me mentally and physically.  And I think the most belts I had to carry at once was three.  It was a pain in the ass getting them through airport security.

JS: How did you come up with your finisher, Cattle Mutilation, the double chicken wing with a bridge?
BD: I would love to say there was some cool story behind it, but unfortunately there isn’t.  I just saw it, liked it and learned to do it.

JS: Who is your favorite opponent?
BD: There’s too many to name.  Robby Brookside, Low Ki, Nigel McGuiness, Austin Aries, Tyler Black… the list goes on and on.

JS: What are your thoughts on Jerry Lynn as ROH champion?
BD: Jerry’s great.  Wait until people see his first title defense against Roderick Strong… it was awesome.

RING OF HONOR RETURNS TO BOSTON MAY 8 AT B.U.’S CASE GYM

Bristol, PA—Ring Of Honor returns to Boston May 8 in the Case Gym of Boston University at 8:00 p.m. (285 Babcock Street). With the debut of its weekly HDNet “Ring of Honor Wrestling” television program; the recent DVD release of Darren Aronofsky’s The Wrestler starring Mickey Rourke (with that final climactic scene shot at an ROH show), the recent DirecTV pay-per-view debut of ROH’s “Caged Collision” and the signing of 16-time World Champion Ric Flair, Ring of Honor has been making tidal waves in the ring world.

ROH World Title Match
Jerry Lynn defends vs. Chris Hero

Three Way Match
Bryan Danielson vs. Sonjay Dutt vs. World Tag Team Champion Eddie Edwards

Grudge Match
World Tag Team Champion Davey Richards vs. Kevin Steen

Special Attraction
Jay Briscoe vs. The Necro Butcher

Six Man Tag Team Match
Brent Albright, Erick Stevens, & Colt Cabana vs. Jimmy Rave, Claudio Castagnoli, & Joey Ryan with Prince Nana

Tag Team Action
Kenny King & Rhett Titus vs. Super Smash Brothers

Singles Action
Delirious vs. Ricky Reyes

There will be a special meet & greet autographs session at intermission with some of the stars of ROH.

Card subject to change!!!

Expect some surprises.

Tickets are available at www.rohwrestling.com, by calling (215) 781-2500 or tickets will be sold at the door.

You just heard Doc Rivers on with Dennis and Callahan tell us that Kevin Garnett might miss the entire playoffs. Now one of the owners of the Boston Celtics, Wyc Grousbeck, will join Dale and Holley in the lead off spot at 10:20am.

Also, with the Bruins starting their chase toward the Stanley Cup, Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli will join Dale and Michael at 12:10 this afternoon.

In case you missed it or weren’t able to get all the stats Dale and Michael were discussing about the Red Sox run differential after the first seven games, we’ve got you covered here on what you missed. Below is a list of how the Sox have done in the Terry Francona era after the first seven games of the season. Interestingly the numbers this year are extremely similar to last year:

C Ryan Doumit 
1B Lance Berkman 
2B Dustin Pedroia 
3B Aubrey Huff 
SS Jhonny Peralta 
OF Matt Holliday
OF Curtis Granderson
OF Brad Hawpe
UTIL David Ortiz
SP Roy Halladay
SP Carlos Zambrano
RP Joakim Soria
RP Bobby Jenks
SP Gil Meche
RP Carlos Mármol
RP Chad Qualls
BN Gavin Floyd SP
BN David DeJesús OF
BN Melvin Mora 3B
BN Denard Span OF
BN Conor Jackson 1B,OF