Brady Hicks has been writing about wrestling for more than 15 years, for Web sites, newspapers, and magazines. He is a contributing writer for Pro Wrestling Illustrated, and the host of his renowned wrestling radio program, IN THE ROOM.
IN THE ROOM is LIVE Tuesday nights on WEXP Philadelphia and thebradyhicks.com, at 9:30 PM EST. Call the show at (609) 755-5ITR.
Call The Show: (609) 755-5ITR
Voicemail: (206) 337-1031
E-mail: intheroompodcast@gmail.com
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Special thanks to co-hosts Derrick McDonald, Ray Bogusz, Anthony Sarlo, and Kathie Fitz for all of their dedication and hard work! Also thank you to all of those who take the time to listen and/or call in!
Also thanks to former stars of the show such as DJ and Kevin McElvaney, who - although choosing to no longer be part of what we do - will always hold an important part of ITR's legacy.
Also thanks to periodic contributor Mike Bessler.
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CAUTION — WHILE RICH JONES DID A GREAT JOB WITH THIS STORY, AS USUAL, IT DOES CONTAIN A SPOILER FOR THIS WEEK’S SMACKDOWN.
This week on WWE Smackdown, Wade Barrett secures his place in history by winning the Intercontinental title for the first time. In fact, Wade Barrett has never won any championship belt since joining the main roster and becoming the first NXT winner.
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Harry Barnett poses the question what is wrong with the wrestling business? Listening to his show will provide you with many flaws in the industry today. However, there are problems that exist is every wrestling company today, some of these are unique to each specific company, others are problems they share. While many people feel TNA does a poor job of making stars, WWE is guilty of the very same thing. The original Nexus gave off a feeling of a possible youth movement in WWE, this would never come to pass. Nobody is this group has amounted to anything substantial, this includes Wade Barrett. CM Punk has done a poor job of building up members of the new Nexus, most of these guys have now been written off of the show.
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The WWE has a storied past on par with any sport in the world today. To be removed from that history is not something easy to accomplish, unless you deserve it. In the case of Chris Benoit, this is one wrestler that should never again appear on a DVD, PPV or any wrestling program branded by WWE, WCW or ECW. While some of his fans may hope that he will some day receive the honor of a spot in the hall of fame, it would be a dark day in hell before this occurs. Above all else, Chris Benoit is a wife beater and murderer. After an extensive history of abusing his wife, he killed her, his son Daniel and himself. If Chris wanted to die, he could have easily taken his life. However, he decided that it would be best to kill his family, he then killed himself to avoid the consequences. Benoit had no such death wish, he simply took this action to avoid the consequences. Running away from a problem is something that a coward does, Chris is as cowardly as they come. At least the murders in jail are paying a debt to society, he has done no such thing. While Chris has been removed from the history of the WWE, he deserves to serve a lifetime in jail. Inducting such a terrible human being into the HOF would be very poor judgment under any circumstance.
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I recently received an email from a colleague that read, “ I ask you, if a tree falls in the forest, and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?” Translation,does anyone actually care about the upcoming TNA Victory Road? Sure, maybe you will watch it with a friend named Justin, but you likely laugh at him for throwing his money away in such a foolish manner. During an interview with Dave Meltzer, Paul Heyman discussed all of the problems with the current TNA product. His explanation was quite simple, branding is important, but not more important than a quality product. Presenting a product that is filled with great matches and believable storylines is the only way that branding will become effective. Without these elements, you are marketing garbage to anyone that will buy it. While Paul is spot on, there are other problems that TNA must overcome in order to attract fans that would be willing to pay for their product.
Several sources have reported that there will be no Money In The Bank match at Wrestlemania XXVII. Instead, the concept will now become exclusive to the gimmick PPV event. This dramatic change in the format of Wrestlemania is likely an attempt to keep the match fresh while avoiding the possibility of having several briefcase holders at once. However, removing this match will likely lead to some horrible booking decisions in the very near future. If WWE were to keep this match on the Wrestlemania card, Jack Swagger, Christian, Drew Mcintyre, Evan Bourne, and John Morrison would have a place on the card that people actually enjoy. Without the match, these superstars will likely be placed in mixed tag matches and thrown together matches that take away from the overall quality of the show.
The best option for WWE would be to keep the match at Mania; the winner of this briefcase would then challenge any champion of his choosing. The Miz and Kane would both confined to specific branded briefcases, there should be no problem with three different briefcases. Giving the win to someone like John Morrison at Wrestlemania would allow him to challenge The Miz in the future. Wrestlemania is intended to be the blow off for a year of feuds. Allowing the MITB match to remain at Wrestlemania would help to springboard mid-card talent into main event feuds. If the creative staff at WWE is serious about making new stars, Money In The Bank should remain at Wrestlemania.
Loyal followers of In The Room have likely heard discussion of having HBK referee a match at Wrestlemania XXVII. However, many Internet wrestling websites have been reporting that Steve Austin will be named the special guest referee for the Lawler Vs Cole match. As a wrestling fan, I can only hope that the WWE decides to leave Austin off the card. If Austin were placed into the match, this would only serve as promotion for the upcoming Tough Enough premier. There is very little logical reason for the rattlesnake to play a part in this match. Forcing him into the match would come off as nothing more than an attempt to stack the card by offering Rock and Austin at Mania.
WWE needs to work HBK into the match between Undertaker and Triple H, this is the only way it comes off as unpredictable. HBK has contributed a promo to the feud that came across far better than what either man added to the buildup. Adding HBK into this match would make it appear more realistic. Wrestling could strive to provide compelling television; WWE can achieve this by adding the element of HBK to the match. Playing up a struggle between doing the right thing and helping his friend would add layers to this conflict and help to create some memorable moments. Mania needs some sweet canvas music, Austin as a referee would be a wasted opportunity for something much bigger.
