Final RAW for Foley?
Posted: Nov 30th 2015 By: Mick Foley
WWE is at a real crossroads. Allow me to paraphrase Albert Einstein, who said "the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over, and expecting different results". Wrestling historians can argue about when the AttitudeErain wrestling officially began. But for me, it will always be at a meeting called by Mr McMahon in the Spring of 1997, where he admitted that what had worked for them for so long in the past (I interpreted that to mean one-dimensional characters that tended to be job-related) was no longer working, and that if they were going to survive, the wrestlers themselves were going to have to step up, and help create those dimensions that would establish the emotional bond between the wrestlers and the fans - part of the lifeblood of professional wrestling.
Today's WWE Superstars (I'm including the women here, since the term "Diva" had its time, and that time is done) are at a distinct disadvantage in some ways. They can't flip birds, and use the colorful language. They can't bleed - even when the situation seems ripe for it. Man, Roman Reigns life would be so much easier if he could survive vicious assaults - and be left bloodied, but unbowed - the way guys in my era did. But all the blood, the language and the violence paled in comparison to the real secret weapon of the Attitude Era; FREEDOM! The freedom to CREATE..the freedom to TRY... the freedom to FAIL - the idea that going down swinging (I hope I'm not losing you guys in all the non-baseball playing countries) was almost as important as hitting the ball out of the park - as long as you took your best swings. There's a difference between playing to win, and playing not to lose: one breeds confidence, the other breeds fear.It's the difference between cutting the type of promos Stone Cold Steve Austin and Dwayne The Rock Johnson gave, and the cookie-cutter approach all too often employed these days by WWE creative. One style allowed for creativity and emotion. The other calls for memorization and recitation.
I hope I don't sound like I'm picking on WWE. There is a big part of me that loves this company, and always will. Why else would I be up at 4:15 am, writing things that are likely to banish me deeper and deeper into the WWE doghouse? One of my favorite wrestlers proposed a storyline that would allow me a four of five week storyline that would allow me to dig in deep, and swing for the fences - and in the process, maybe advance a few of the super-talented but underutilized athletes on the roster. I would love to do it....but I doubt it's going to happen. After all, I might want to do something crazy like go out there without a script, and try to create some real emotion - in other words, the type of thing that saved WWE in the late 90's.
The talent pool has never been deeper. But the creative flow is stagnant...and it's been stinking for a while. I quoted Einstein to begin this thing. Let me conclude with the immortal words of Owen Hart: "Enough's enough: it's time for a change!"
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What changes would YOU like to see tonight on RAW, and in WWE in general?
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- 1979 Jim Garvin & Herb Calvert def. Oki Shikina & Sugar Bear Harris for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
- 1980 Hector Guerrero & Ron Sexton def. Ron McFarlane & Doug Somers for the TSW Tag Team Titles
- 2002 Jeffrey Parker def. Li'l Joe for the ACW Hardcore Title
- 2004 Luc Lapointe def. Prophet for the SRPW Boys and Girls Club Title
- 2004 Dirty Harry Sanchez def. Beau Dalton for the SRPW Hardcore Title
- 2004 Beau Dalton def. Dirty Harry Sanchez for the SRPW Hardcore Title
- 2005 Justin Lee & Michael Faith became the TPW Tag Team Champions
- 2011 Michael York & Ignition became the ComPro Tag Team Champions
- 2011 Brandon Walker def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Title
- 2011 X-Rated (Kevin James Sanchez & David Kyzer) became the SWCW Tag Team Champions
- 2016 Kareem Sadat def. Dean Lambert for the EmpCW Independent Hardcore Title
Week of Sun 11-01 to Sat: 11-07
- 11-01 1960 Tony Jiminez & Jesse Jiminez became the TSW Louisiana Tag Team Champions
- 11-01 1981 Ted DiBiase def. Paul Orndorff for the MSW North American Heavyweight Title
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- 11-01 2008 El Hoto def. Martin Justice for the OECW Southwestern Title
- 11-01 2008 The New Age Syndicate (Scott Sanders & Shawn Matthews III) def. The New York Express (Jeff Knight & Thomas Knight) for the OECW Tag Team Titles
- 11-01 2013 Steven Sterling def. Bobby Starr for the ComPro Showtime Title
- 11-01 2014 Guy Atticus became the IZW Impact Division Champion
- 11-01 2014 Kevin James Sanchez def. Kareem Sadat for the SWCW Hardcore Title
- 11-01 2019 Brock Landers def. Tego for the ASP Inter-County Title
- 11-01 2020 Double D became the EPW Heavyweight Champion
- 11-01 2020 Drake Gallows became the EPW All-American Champion
- 11-01 2020 Revan became the EPW Internet Television Champion
- 11-01 2020 The Sidekicks (Kevin James Sanchez & Gemini [2nd]) became the EPW Tag Team Champions
- 11-01 2020 High Times (Father Padge & Dean Lambert) def. The Sidekicks (Kevin James Sanchez & Gemini [2nd]) for the EPW Tag Team Titles
- 11-01 2025 Iron Mountain (Duke Blanchard & Jack Davenport) def. The Trendsetters (Andre West & Nelly Rivers) for the WFC Tag Team Titles
- 11-02 1978 Ray Candy def. Ernie Ladd for the TSW Arkansas Title
- 11-02 2002 Terry Montana def. Shadow of Death for the OCW Oklahoma Hardcore Title
- 11-02 2003 Ty Magnus def. John O'Malley for the ACW Hardcore Title
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- 11-03 2001 The VIP Crew (Rocco Valentino & Vinnie Valentino) def. The Texas Outlaws (Beau Dalton & Butch Dalton) for the OPW Oklahoma Tag Team Titles
- 11-03 2001 Splash Jackson def. Big Daddy Moore for the OPW Oklahoma Hardcore Title
- 11-03 2012 The Old School Suckas (Randy Price & Bryan Cruize) def. Big Business (Damon Windsor & Kevin Morgan) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
- 11-03 2012 Erica def. Angel Blue for the IZW Queens Title
- 11-03 2018 Damon Windsor def. Randy Price for the WCR Revolutionary Title
- 11-04 1985 Rick Rude def. King Parsons for the WCCW American Heavyweight Title
- 11-04 1988 Kerry Von Erich def. Jerry Lawler for the WCCW World Title
- 11-04 2005 Beau Dalton & Bobby Dalton became the SRPW Tag Team Champions
- 11-05 1979 Jim Garvin & Herb Calvert def. Oki Shikina & Sugar Bear Harris for the TSW United States Tag Team Titles
- 11-05 1980 Hector Guerrero & Ron Sexton def. Ron McFarlane & Doug Somers for the TSW Tag Team Titles
- 11-05 2002 Jeffrey Parker def. Li'l Joe for the ACW Hardcore Title
- 11-05 2004 Luc Lapointe def. Prophet for the SRPW Boys and Girls Club Title
- 11-05 2004 Dirty Harry Sanchez def. Beau Dalton for the SRPW Hardcore Title
- 11-05 2004 Beau Dalton def. Dirty Harry Sanchez for the SRPW Hardcore Title
- 11-05 2005 Justin Lee & Michael Faith became the TPW Tag Team Champions
- 11-05 2011 Michael York & Ignition became the ComPro Tag Team Champions
- 11-05 2011 Brandon Walker def. Steven Sterling for the ComPro Showtime Title
- 11-05 2011 X-Rated (Kevin James Sanchez & David Kyzer) became the SWCW Tag Team Champions
- 11-05 2016 Kareem Sadat def. Dean Lambert for the EmpCW Independent Hardcore Title
- 11-06 1977 Dick Murdoch def. Jerry Oates for the TSW North American Title
- 11-06 1978 Jerry Stubbs became the TSW Mississippi Champion
- 11-06 1999 Joey Casanova became the OPW Oklahoma Light Heavyweight Champion
- 11-06 2010 Jermaine Johnson def. Aaron Neil for the IZW Heavyweight Title
- 11-06 2010 Awesome X (Kevin Morgan & Xavior) def. Aerial Assault (Ky-ote Joe & Eric Rose) for the IZW Tag Team Titles
- 11-06 2021 Koko became the WAH Living Hope Champion
- 11-06 2021 Tino Valentino became the NCWO Oklahoma Champion
- 11-06 2021 For God And Country (Pastor Brent & Cpl. Punishment) def. Most Wanted (Dan Webber, Reese, & T-Arsenal) for the WAH Tag Team Titles
- 11-06 2021 Danni Bee became the NCWO Women's Champion
- 11-06 2021 Samedi def. Tommy Dean for the CPW Heavyweight Title
- 11-06 2021 Ky-Ote became the NCWO Choctaw Nation Champion
- 11-06 2021 Tino Valentino became the NCWO Heavyweight Champion
- 11-06 2021 Akbar Farat def. Tino Valentino for the NCWO Heavyweight Title
- 11-06 2022 Jason Jones def. Dimitri Alexandrov for the WFC Prime Title
- 11-06 2022 Leo Fox became the ASP Mid-American Champion
- 11-06 2022 Olivier Vegos def. Skylar Slice for the ASP Women's Title
- 11-06 2022 High Ratings (Maui Mike & Beau Betten) def. Chosen Influence (Malik Mayfield & Luke Richmond) for the ASP Tag Team Titles
- 11-06 2022 Gatekeeper def. Mr. Nasty for the ASP 5-Star Title
- 11-06 2022 Tino Valentino became the ASP Heavyweight Champion
- 11-07 1984 Bill Dundee def. Adrian Street for the MSW Television Title
- 11-07 2008 The Gentlemen Thugs (Cast-Iron Cothern & Shane Morbid) def. The Old School Express (Jason Jones & Jake Boulder) for the MStW Southern Tag Team Titles
- 11-07 2009 Dustin Heritage def. Randy Price for the IZW Impact Division Title
- 11-07 2015 The Terror Squad (D Money & Montego Seeka & Marce Lewis, Nytronis A'Teo & MVP) became the IWR Tag Team Champions
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