The World Wrestling Federation decided to not cancel their show in Houston, TX tonight, instead airing it live on UPN’s Smackdown.
The show was vey tasteful, with vignettes from the wrestlers and other personel on the show giving their thoughts and condolences.
Thank you, WWF, for putting a smile on many peoples faces for the first time in several days, including mine.
I totally concur. The show was a wonderful tribute to the spirit of America and to a smaller degree wrestling fans as a whole. Seeing the wrestlers, staff, and creative people of the entire WWF on stage signing the national anthem was very, very touching.
I am proud to say that Houston’s own Mattress Mac (Jim MacInvale, the owner of Gallery Furniture) give a speech during the vignettes. He is one of our finest Houstonian business men, and I think he did a wonderful job bringing not only Smackdown! to Houston, but also Wrestlemania X7.
I would also like to thank the WWF, not for going on with Smackdown! tonight, but for something much more important. They are having a show coming up soon at a civic center near me. The WWF donated 2 front row tickets, plus a chance to meet the wrestlers backstage. They were given to a radio station, and the radio station auctioned them off and gave the proceeds to the Red Cross. The last I heard, the bidding was around $2,000. This is with an hour to go even. Thank you WWF and thank you z93!
Ok, I didn’t get around to turning it on until about 8:30, and they started wrestling about 5 minutes later so I turned it right back off. But what did The Rock say? I was really dissapointed to miss that.
(Thoughtful silence, while he wonders how to express his thoughts. Finally, )
So, you must get a different WWF in the States than we get here in Australia. The one we get here is about pretend wrestling and audiences screaming and people being thrown out of the ring and chairs broken over their heads, and the “bad guys” getting together and “knocking out” the referee and then doing mean things to the “nice guys”, and a whole lot of stuff like that.
I look forward to seeing the stateside version some time.
Redhulk
I actually cried at the beginning.
Picture it, all the WWF stars and staff come out and stand together, regardless of storyline. As Lillian Garcia (the ring announcer) sings the Star Spangled Banner, they sing along, some in tears.
During the show they did the previously mentioned vignettes. Taz mentioning his famliy back in NYC, Lance Storm talking about his children, and most of all, Ivory’s plea to people not to hate.
Redboss, this is not the thread.
I think you have to be an American to understand this… yes, it’s all fake, but we KNOW that! It’s a weird kind of modern play… it’s fun! And stupid! And it gives us a chance to forget everything and just root for good versus evil (knowing, all the while, that it’s all fake…).
I’m not a big fan of the WWF, but when it is on TV it is irresistable, I have to watch…
It’s symbols, and that in my opinion, is what Americans need right now…
you want to know what happened at the show?
This show was very tasteful. Nowhere did I claim that all WWF shows are tasteful. That’s not even the freakin’ point.
Actually I think that the Aussie version is different from the US version. Thursday’s Smackdown! was one of the greatest wrestling events (outside of PPV’s) that I have seen in a long, long time. I give Vince and the entire McMahon family massive props for their show.
I thought it was very well done myself. All clean matches, no run-ins, some comedy but not over doing it. And having the wrestlers speak as people and not in charachter was a nice touch.
The only problem I had was with Stephanie McMahon’s little diatribe. She could have handled things so much better.
By the way, for an almost word for word, blow for blow recap, try Slash Wrestling. CRZ usually does a recap for both RAW and Smackdown.
Sorry guys, I wasn’t trying to be mean. I was tired and strung out and emotional after reading so much of the pain contained in the recent posts and responses, and it just seemed funny to me.
But if I got up your noses, please accept my apology and know that all over the world people are feeling for you and especially admiring your pride and determination.
It’s quite clear that this has not defeated the US in any way.
warmest wishes
R
[nitpick]They didn’t sing along. Unless they sang it again at the end of the show and I didn’t see it.[/nitpick] But Lillian’s presentation was one of the most moving I’ve ever seen.
The intensity of their faces, and furthermore, their stances, was awe-inspiring. This is what bin Laden’s up against: American determination, American fury, and American power. I will not ask god to have mercy on his soul.
Also, I have to agree that the format of the show was classy. I had expected the performers to work the crisis into their regular routine, challenging bin Laden from the ring, and beating up on props to show what was in store for his people. Having the vignettes separate from the action in the ring was indeed tasteful. It’s also a bit chilling: if the WWF deviates from their regular routine, that’s f-in’ serious.
does anyone remember the show when owen hart died? i didn’t see smackdown thursday, but it doesn’t surprise me to hear about what happened.
I saw bits and pieces of the Owen Hart tribute, and this was done in a very similar manner.
I don’t know why people are amazed that they could put on a show like this. Yes, the WWF is an over-the-top soap opera with violence, but there are real people behind the characters. It’s nice to see the reactions of the real people in instances like this and not the people they portray on the show.
It could have been done very poorly. Any apperance by Sgt. Slaughter, or the Iron Sheik, or hell even Dan Wilkins (The Patriot) would have cheapened the sentiment. I’m glad that the WWF and it’s writers can show class when needed.
Actually Sgt. Slaughter was there. I belive he is a trainer/writer for the WWF now.
I should have quantified that, my bad. I meant the charecter Sgt. Slaughter (with mike time, in fatigues etc.) not the real man Robert Remus.