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RADICAN'S TAKE
RADICAN: Thoughts on Rebuilding the Sheik, Geoge Steele shoots, Early Glory By Honor VI: N1 reax Feb 22, 2008 - 2:08:06 PM
-I had a chance to watch “Rebuilding the Sheik” from Kayfabecommentaries.com, which takes a look inside the mind of the Iron Sheik. Sheik’s agent, Eric Simms, is also interviewed alongside Sheik to discuss the resurgence of Sheik’s popularity in the past few years. This is one release worth going out of your way to see, as Sheik and Eric Simms frankly discuss how much of Sheik’s antics exactly how much of Sheik’s antics are real and why he really acts the way he does when the spotlight is on him on the convention circuit. This is very different from the usual shoot style interview you’re used to from Sheik and Simms.
Of course, Kayfabecommentaries asks all of the tough questions on and gets some truthful answers out of Simms about whether or not he is exploiting the Sheik’s antics to make money. All of Sheik’s most famous incidents in public are discussed, including his blowout with the Ultimate Warrior at a wrestling convention. In the past, I’ve said Simms was intolerable, but he added a lot to this interview.
The last part of the shoot is scary, as Simms admits Sheik has a big drug problem, but he feels Sheik would die if he stopped using drugs in a separate solo interview that is spliced in alongside the sitdown footage with Sheik and Simms talking together.
If you’re looking to get a better idea of what it’s like for the older wrestlers to be on the legend circuit and what someone like Simms has done to make Sheik more marketable, I highly recommend this shoot. Sheik’s story is a really sad tale, as he’s now nearly broke and living off the money he makes doing his appearances. If you purchase this release, you’ll gain a lot of insight into why he’s broke and why Simms markets Sheik as a lunatic. Kudos to Kayfabecommentaries for putting this release out, as I didn’t ever thing I would see something like this that exposes so much of the work/shoot aspect of the Sheik’s gimmick.
-RF Video recently conducted a shoot interview with George “The Animal” Steele. I’m really looking forward to watching his shoot after watching this trailer. You can view the trailer here. I’ll be reviewing several of the newer RF Video releases on the site in the upcoming weeks.
-I watched ECW this past Tuesday. I think it’s still just a really boring show with very little going on. Of course, the show is still heavy on Raw recaps and short matches. I thought John Morrison was on the verge of being a bigger star than he currently is in 2006, but his interviews and in-ring performances never have been good enough to take him to another level. I liked Colin Delaney as a jobber, but seeing Morrison involved in this type of angle reminded me of how far he’s fallen in the past 2 years. His gimmick change has done him any favors either.
Ric Flair appearing on ECW was a real letdown. His storyline should have a ton of momentum, but his appearance seemed not to mean anything at all. It’s really sad his final months as an in-ring performer are being handled in this manner. He deserved better.
The main event tag match with Flair & Punk teaming against Benjamin & Burke match was fine, but nothing special. This show at least broke the mold of having Punk and Chavo being the centerpiece of the show, but otherwise, it was completely skippable.
Overall score: (4.5)
-I watched the first half of “Glory By Honor VI: Night 1” and I really didn’t enjoy it as much as some of the other ROH releases I’ve seen lately. The first few matches were average. I just couldn’t get into the last two matches before intermission. The Briscoes-Richards & Strong match featured too much back and fourth action for my liking and very little selling.
I found the pacing of the match difficult to watch. Immediately after the match, more chaos ensued and it was too much. There were so many wrestlers running out and doing dives. Right after that chaos had occurred, there was a Scramble match between the Vulture Squad and the Age of the Fall, which was just more of the same with men doing moves and flying all over the place. I was burned out watching all of this unfold on my couch, so I can only imagine how the people in attendance felt. I am looking forward to watching the second half of the show, as there is a Danielson-Aries match still to come, along with the NOAH tag match main event with Misawa. VIP members will get a complete review of this show up online this weekend.
If you have any thoughts on ECW, the George Steele shoot, or Glory By Honor VI: Night 1, feel free to email me here.
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