Guest Booker with JJ Dillon - A month of WWF TV [KayfabeCommentaries]

The Good
JJ Dillon is one of my favorites to listen to because he is very articulate and is able to express a deep understanding of the business. I knew this "Guest Booker" would be excellent and it truly delivered. The premise is that JJ will book a month of WWF TV around the 91-93 era that will include a late night special and build up to a pay-per-view. The catch is, it's an inter-promotional deal, so people like Sting, Nikita Koloff and others who never set foot in a WWF ring are thrust into fresh matches with Hulk Hogan, Bret Hart and The Undertaker. While JJ does not touch on angles and such for all the matches, he hits on the big ones and has some very simple, politically aware and effective stories that help build everything up. They spend ample time talking about Vince McMahon's creative style, his micromanagement, the process of writing TV and the use of "A" and "B" shows. While getting into one of the great minds of pro-wrestling is great, it is the sharing of that process that only a few have been privy to that is so amazing.

The Bad
"Guest Booker" is always limited by time and scope, but usually it works out. They spend so much time going into the details of weekends at Vince's that JJ does not have as much time to develop his TVs. He keeps it basic and is working in the old squash match format, so the TV expectations are a bit different nowadays. Instead of numerous angles, intricate details and every match having a backstory, Dillon keeps it simple. Some might find this less interesting in that regard than, say, Kevin Sullivan or Jim Cornette when they were the "Guest Booker," but that is largely up to your perspective. JJ Dillon is certainly an acquired taste as he is not particularly funny, does not cuss out or bury people and has a very measured approach. I guess that is why he was such an effective Head of Talent Relations for over five years.

The Rating: ****1/2

Timeline of the WWF - 1987 - Honky Tonk Man

The Good
The Honky Tonk Man is always a cut-up and this different venue does not detract from his ability to make you laugh. Whether he's ripping on road agents, the druggies backstage or the wacky things that he saw, he is always good for a laugh. Here, he talks about the build-up to Wrestlemania III, the fallout and the goings-on around that epic event. This was about 75% his own angles, matches and such, but you have to expect that. This was certainly funnier than the Don Muraco Timeline, but I'm not sure that it was better. If you prefer stories about Roddy Piper being insane, Jake Roberts' guitar-shot-induced drug problems or Adrian Adonis' fabulously expensive set to the intricacies of angles, changes in talent and development of the company, than you'll really prefer this.

The Bad
I like the Timeline concept and think it has great potential, but these are just going to be hit-or-miss it seems. Honky was not an office guy, so he lacks some significant perspective. Although he can share his thoughts on Tom Magee and why he flopped based on his experiences with him in Stampede, he cannot really explain why the WWF chose the Pontiac Silverdome as the site for Wrestlemania III. I almost think this series needs to have multiple people talking about multiple years, but I can realize the logistic problems there. This is the second one I've seen and it seemed to be enjoyable, but lacked the insight I was hoping for and that I felt Don Muraco provided more of in his contribution.

The Rating: ***3/4

The Great Debate `08 - Bruno Sammartino vs. Harley Race [KayFabe Commentaries]

The Good
Two huge stars from the 1970s, Bruno favors the 1960s a little and Harley worked well into the late 1980s, but regardless, two true legends. I think if you like listening to either of these two you'll find this enjoyable. Bruno Sammartino had such an amazing career and he is as opinionated as he is experienced. Harley's career perhaps had more variety and scope to it and while he has his views, he's not really abrasive. Since this was billed as a "debate," I expected questions that would put them on opposite sides of a topic. Largely they saw eye-to-eye, so there was little disagreement between them. So, this turned into a tandem shoot of sorts. If you accept that reality, then you can probably see this as a very good one. Sean Oliver is excellent at organizing questions and making things flow well and these two have so much mutual respect that it makes for good back-and-forth. The structure and specific questions made this a little different and I'd certainly recommend a one time listen.

The Bad
If you wanted a heated argument about the supremacy of the NWA versus the WWWF, why a champion should be a heel versus a face or what makes a good promoter, you won't get it. Bruno and Harley are largely in agreement on the issues raised and other than a few slight differences of opinion (that are usually played down as being relative to a region). Those agreements aside, these two are very respectful of one another and seem unwilling to even try to steal the spotlight here. While the Great Debate concept is a neat one, it simply did not happen here. This needed to be like Jim Cornette and Vince Russo, Jerry Lawler and the Honky Tonk Man or Billy Jack Haynes and a sane person to have a real debate. A nice shoot, but not an out-of-the-park-homerun.

The Rating: ***3/4

KayFabe Commentaries' Guest Booker with Gabe Sapolsky

The Good

Gabe Sapolsky is not the most charismatic interview, but he gets his points across and when paired with Sean Oliver, it all clicks together pretty well.  Here, Gabe rebooks the early stages of the ECW rebirth under the WWE banner.  I have to say, while many Guest Bookers get pretty wild and crazy, Gabe's approach is very doable and convinced me that he could actually contribute significantly to the WWE product…if he was ever given the chance.  He is pragmatic about which talent he can use, what he can get away with, what he can do to make the brand stand out and seems to book a nice few months of TV and builds up a pay-per-view nicely.  Sure, it is not a dream card, but it is something notably better than the WWE's attempts at the time even with Paul Heyman at the helm…kind of.  Gabe explains his logic, explains his approaches and reveals his abilities as a booker.  The goal of the series is to do those things, so I would consider this a success.

The Bad

Gabe is certainly an acquired taste.  He has a good mind, but is so do Kevin Sullivan and Gary Hart and their shoots are decidedly more enjoyable.  Instead of getting caught up in anecdotes, even from his own ECW days, Gabe focuses on the task at hand.  I think that sort of detracts from this in a way.  While the goal is achieved, this is not particularly exciting and you don't have those moments where you feel like you getting a glimpse at a genius.  JJ Dillion is certainly not the most entertaining and I found his Guest Booker to be much more fascinating.  I guess the difference between Gabe and all those other aforementioned talents is that he has never been an on-air talent himself.  Perhaps if people like Dave Lagana, Court Bauer and other former WWF writers get their own Guest Booker shoots, we'll see if this is a trend or not.  


The Rating: ****

Timeline of the WWE - 2000 - Rikishi



The Good
The Timeline series has so much potential and if the right people are chosen they can really provide some good insight or at the very least a unique perspective on the year in question. Rikishi seems like a pretty honest guy and much of this focuses on his particular experiences in the year 2000. Sean Oliver is a fantastic interviewer and he pulls a solid interview out of someone who might not be the best interview. He poses some pretty standard questions, covers some key figures and throws in a few hardballs. This was a fun interview and, in my opinion, one of the better jobs by Sean Oliver.

The Bad
The fault of the Timeline series, which I've stated before, is that they often leave out a lot because of the narrow focus of a single. Rikishi had probably the biggest year of his career, but a lot of this focuses on his career before and after 2000. He also is not particularly insightful about the goings-on in the WWF at this time. I've never heard an extensive interview with Rikishi, but this did not convince me to seek one out. He was affable and all, he is probably a fun dude to have a beer with, but shoot interviews are not his thing. This was a good idea, but I'm three in and this series has yet to improve. C'mon Superstar Graham!


The Rating: ***1/2

Guest Booker with Kevin Sullivan [KayFabe Commentaries] 



The Good
The first "Guest Booker" is arguably the best. Kevin Sullivan is excellent at explaining psychology, capable of booking in this theoretical capacity and is able to really show off his genius. I think getting into the minds of these guys can be so difficult, yet some people make it so easy. Sully is one of them. He was so well traveled and understands so many aspects of the business and sees so many holes in logic that he is able to roughly book a year and makes you really want to see it. His main stars (the premise is that Hulk Hogan is not coming) are Paul Orndorff and "Superstar" Graham with people like Ricky Steamboat, Barry Windham and the Freebirds in key supporting roles. He thinks very critically about keeping the title sacred, keeping the angles simple and building the heat for a worthwhile payoff. Like Cornette with the WCW Invasion, he recognizes the hypothetical nature of this session and does not get to caught up by that. Some talk too broadly, some don't really book much and some can really capture your attention and get their points across. Kevin Sullivan does that in what I would deem his best shoot interview performance!

The Bad
I really hate to nit-pick this because it is so excellent, but there are a few issues. One is the wide-open nature of this, which KFC reeled back on for future "Guest Booker" episodes. Sullivan cherry picks talent and there are guys he never even brings up again, so that seems unfortunate. He seems to be talking about guys as versions other than their 1984 version, specifically "Superstar" Graham, Rick Rude and even Curt Hennig to an extent. Graham had had his meltdown and was not the man of five years earlier. Rude and Hennig, while they became excellent four or five years later were not at the level that Sullivan seems to put them at in 1984. There are always little points like that in these "Guest Booker" shoots, so I shouldn't be too surprised.

The Rating: *****

Guest Booker with Greg Gagne [KayFabe Commentaries]



The Good
Overall, I'd say I'm a fan of Greg Gagne. I thought he was a very good worker, I thought he was a solid babyface and I believe he really knows the AWA-style of pro-wrestling. In shoot interviews, he is enjoyable to listen to for sure. He is extremely blunt, he has sharp insight and he can be funny at times. His series with Gary Cubeta has been excellent, so I figured in the guest booker seat, he'd make a strong showing. He did bring many of the aforementioned good qualities to this and really explained the AWA method of booking, which is perhaps the closest we'll ever get to understanding Verne's logic for things. I recently heard Bill Irwin give his take on Verne's approach that I thought had great merit, but it was not discussed here. Basically, he felt Verne kept around the stars of his generation because he was in denial about the generational shift that happened. The Crusher, Mad Dog Vachon, Baron Von Raschke and others still had some steam, but seeing them 10-20 years past their primes going toe-to-toe with the Road Warriors, Hulk Hogan and other `roided up comicbook-like stars just turned off their audiences. Greg Gagne approach here is so revealing in regards to why the AWA machine failed to compete with the the WWF juggernaut.

The Bad
While guests on Guest Booker vary in their preparedness, Greg Gagne seemed completely unprepared and embarrassingly so at times. This series works if a booker comes in with some thought out ideas that they can explain, so as to expose their booking mind. When Greg tries to get Sean Oliver to book things, you know things are going poorly. He lacks the conviction and passion that is needed to get himself over as a great mind. He seems to cop out by saying that AWA basically on shot four angles per year, which I have a hard time buying. Regardless, it shows why their old-fashion style lost out against the booking of the WWF. Instead of making a case that more current pro-wrestling is over-booked and over-planned, it seemed like his generation under-booked and under-planned and that's why that style died out. Greg Gagne is not a bad interview, just like he was not a bad wrestler, but this one was an underwhelming effort.

The Rating: ***1/2

WWE Timeline - 1983 - Don Muraco



The Good
The "Timeline of the WWE" is a tremendous concept that if executed properly could give historians and fans some different perspective. This series could go over 25 parts, assuming they go into the current product, but it seems as though they'll probably hold off on the last decade (although I could be way off on that). Don Muraco is a solid interview with all the honesty, experience and knowledge that you'd want in a concept shoot such as this. He talks bluntly about the Jimmy Snuka "murder" incident, gives good insight to many of the stars of that time period and touches on psychology a bit. This was a great interview and you can really see the great potential in this series, although like the Guest Booker series, it still has a few problems to work out.

The Bad
Although the "Timeline" concept is excellent, this highlighted some of the potential problems. One, Don Muraco had worked for years prior to and after 1984 and so information was often skewed. Two, Muraco is a pretty honest on shoot interviews, but he was simply not an office person, so he was ignorant to much of office goings-on. Three, trying piece together a logical narrative meant heavy editing and the chopped up product felt anything but flowing.

The Rating: ***3/4

Youshoot with the Honky Tonk Man [Kayfabe Commentaries]



The Good
The Honky Tonk Man was the ideal person to debut the Youshoot series. Although the wacky and even spiteful submissions were not as plentiful in this one, it certainly sold you on the greatness of this series. HTM really comes across as honest and even bitter to an extent, but unlike people like Paul Orndorff, Ole Anderson and Billy Jack Haynes, you do not end up really disliking him. He is, at least in my opinion, hilarious with all his voices and facial expressions that make him a great storyteller. Mud-slinging can get tedious, but Honky just spews it in such a way that you cannot help but love it. And no one seems to be immune to his wrath. Billy Gunn was worthless, Blackjack Lanza was two-faced, Ric Flair was "woooo" a repetitive "woooo" cartoon character, Dynamite Kid is a lying bully, Hulk Hogan was a huge druggie, Jim Ross was a sabotager and on and on. Honky Tonk is very open about his own drug use, promiscuity and limitations as a worker, which allows him so credibility when he rips on others. I still question whether or not he is not working everyone (like the Iron Sheik is).

The Bad
I never liked Honky Tonk Man as a worker, I still don't care for him, yet he was gifted in so many ways. Talking, his strong suit, allows him to get himself over regardless of his physical abilities. He is undoubtedly getting himself over here. He is very careful in what he says and while he may not be entirely accurate or even fair, he says things with a conviction that gets him over. Part of me feels like I get swept up in that charismatic delivery and sometimes I fail to see the gaping holes in his statements. That being said, this is wildly entertaining.

The Rating: *****

Guest Booker with Luke Williams

The Good
Luke Williams has an unusual resume and a booking style that is not necessarily well thought of by some. His over-the-top antics arguably led to San Antonio's demise, yet they've worked well in the more violence-inclined pro-wrestling island of Puerto Rico. What was really interesting about this was the little details because the big picture was kind of goofy. The premise is to take the cartoonish WWF of the early-to-mid 1990s and transform it into a hardcore product more akin to the Sheepherders' signature style. Luke takes a few midcard feuds: Ron Simmons vs. Goldust, Godwinns vs. Headshrinkers and Bushwackers vs. Smokin' Gunns and makes them blood feuds complete with gimmick matches galore, cross-dressing, implied animal-slaying, double juices and all the rest of it. Luke's attention to detail for TV angles is interesting because many guest bookers seem to be mostly big picture people.

The Bad
As interesting as parts of this was, it did not sell me on Luke Williams as a great booker. He seemed to be the blood n' guts, hot-shotting, gimmick match pushing type that is so often buried. Although he has his strengths, this did not convince that he was great. The fact is there are only a handful of notable bookers still around today and it seems that Kayfabe Commentaries has exhausted much of the supply. Would I prefer to listen to Vince Russo, Ed Ferrera or some others do the same thing? Probably not, but I want to get excited by the glimpses of genius. Although many of the true legendary bookers are deceased, the likes of Paul Heyman, Red Bastien, George Scott, Dutch Mantell, Len Denton, Konnan, the Funks and Buck Robley are all great candidates for Guest Booker episodes that I'd prefer to see.

The Rating: ***1/2

Inside the Office - Rene Goulet



The Good
There are only a handful of people who have worked in the capacity that Rene Goulet has in the WWF and few of them have had extensive shoot interviews. Many of the company's more recent road agents have only had short runs, little authority or limited varieties of experience. Goulet had a strong run with the Fed from the mid-80s until the mid-90s and has great experiences to draw upon. The main focus seems to be on running things during house shows, reporting back to the office and gauging good shows from bad ones. This has a lot of inside info that you may never hear otherwise.

The Bad
For the uniqueness and longevity, I expected so much more here. Sean Oliver is great at pulling a quality interview out of almost anyone, but this just did not click for some reason. Goulet hinted at some things and seemed fairly honest, but was unwilling to say anything too juicy, controversial or of great interest really. This had a few good stories and some worthwhile information, but was pretty dull and that probably explains why it clocked in at under two hours.

The Rating: **3/4

Gabe's Book of ROH Secrets

The Good
Gabe Sapolsky is a well-spoken, well-educated person who can be an excellent spokesperson for pro-wrestling.  Brought into the sport through ECW, Gabe learned booking from Eddie Gilbert and Paul Heyman and rose to prominence by booking Ring of Honor (ROH) from its first show in 2002 until October of 2008.  He innovated a different brand of pro-wrestling and developed different strategies and ultimately was the brains that turned ROH into a winner.  Here, he shares how he would have finished out 2008 and what directions he might have taken the company in the following year.  Gabe literally brings a book and goes through his tricks and methodology to booking.  This is a like a spin-off of the Guest Booker series as he is largely explaining what he was planning to do, rather than take an alternative scenario and figure things out.  Therefore, this is very thoughtful, very realistic and very detailed.  I stopped following ROH month-by-month in 2006, but I'm familiar enough with the talent and style that I could follow this and recognize its quality.  This is a great lesson in indy-level booking that this series has not approached.

The Bad
If you don't really know Gabe Sapolsky, if you've never seen Ring of Honor and if you don't know the talent, this would be confusing and probably boring.  Even if you were familiar with all those, you might find this boring.  Gabe comes across as a detail-oriented fast-talker who is not as charismatic or funny as other guest bookers.  I can't fault him for the potential ignorance of the audience, but I can fault him (at least at little) for being boring.

The Rating: ***3/4

Guest Booker with Jerry Jarrett [Re-Booking WCW in 2000]



The Good
Jerry Jarrett is widely considered one of the great minds in pro-wrestling and here he has the chance to demonstrate. This episode, like many of the others, does not consist entirely of fantasy booking, as Sean Oliver is always trying to get at the nuts and bolts of booking. Jerry Jarrett definitely explains the core of his booking approach and offers up some examples where that was successful and why that psychology works. He also waxes philosophical and it makes you wonder, why am I listening to this and not spending time with my family? Luckily, I was on my evening commute home and they eventually got back to the rasslin'. This is pretty good, but I honestly expected more.

The Bad
The Guest Booker series seems so hit-or-miss. I think someone could easily come away from this thinking Jerry Jarrett is out-of-touch, too old-fashioned and too Southern in his approach. Would I have wanted to see the cards he builds here? Not especially, but his logic is sound and you begin to believe that he could have really picked WCW's activity up in 2000. I doubt it would have been any worse than what we got!

The Rating: ***3/4

  

Reinventing the Sheik

The Good
Since his infamous shoot interview where he first revealed another side of himself, Khosrow Vaziri aka The Iron Sheik has been an internet pro-wrestling phenomenon.  From Youtube clips of him freaking out at conventions to his eventual hook-up with Howard Stern, the Iron Sheik has been reinvented as a controversial character.  His drunken anti-Semitic, homophobic, misogynistic tirades where he threatens to "humble" his enemies through sodomy may not be seen as high comedy to some and this shoot interview takes a unique look at this carefully crafted character.  He is a drug addict, he is an alcoholic, he is totally broken down physically and practically penniless after being a near millionaire at one point, yet he has been made this vulgar and maniacal babyface through his own brilliance and the guidance of his carny-inspired agent Eric Simms.  Here, the two of them talk about their complicated relationship and how it has helped the Iron Sheik regain some of his former fame.  They go into the original shoot interview; his true feelings about Brian Blair, Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior; his struggles with "the medicine" and how much of his persona is a work.  This is fascinating rather than exploitive as two crazy characters are unveiled in a totally different type of shoot interview.



The Bad
If you hate this new Iron Sheik character, you probably won't care for this.  The character is explained, rationalized and demystified to an extent.  While it is a part of the real man, it is largely a fabricated character who rants and raves to capture interest.  Eric Simms, however, has always seemed like a scumbag and while he takes the edge off a bit, he still seems like a profiteer on the Iron Sheik's unfortunate situation.  He explains away securing drugs, videotaping him talking to a drug deal (from an infamous RF Video shoot) and providing him with anything he demands.  This could reinforce some negative feelings people have about the new Sheik for sure.

The Rating: ****1/4

Lipstick & Dynamite: 
The First Ladies of Wrestling
Directors: Ruth Leitman
Distributor: Koch Lorber Films
Released: 9/05
Featured Talent

Mary Aquaviva (fan), Rita Cortez-Lee, Penny Banner, Marie Bernardi, Cathy Branch, Karin Dromo, 

The Fabulous Moolah, Gladys “Killem” Gillem, Judy Grable,  Joyce Grable, Sylvia Hackney, Joe Hamilton [The Assassin], Karl Lauer (promoter), Marie Laverne, Sara Lee, Ida May Martinez, Jim Melby (referee/magazine publisher), Sputnik Monroe, Sandy Parker, Anthony Piazza (fan & collector),

Stu Schwartz (referee), Millie Stafford, Ella Waldek, Johnny Wall Jr. (Gladys Gillem's son), Bonnie Watson, “The Great” Mae Young

The Good
This may very well be the greatest documentary ever made about pro-wrestling.  It has the shocking moments like Beyond the Mat, it has the scope of Heroes of World Class, it has production value better than all of the WWE's documentaries and it succinctly investigates one dimension of pro-wrestling.  The overall feel of this is fantastic with a post-war art deco and rockabilly combination that adds greatly.  It should also be noted that much of the music is provided by Memphis-based surf rockers Los Straightjackets who are known for wearing luchador masks.  The stories and anecdotes are tremendous and only add to the overall package, although it seems likely that some great ones were left on the cutting room floor.  The stories of political maneuvering, sexual promiscuity and bitterness between the stars adds a lot of zest to this effort.  Furthermore, the openness of the ladies featured is incredible and the perfume is practically radiating through the camera lens.  The overall story is simple.  Women's wrestling went from the carnivals to arenas through the manipulation of seedy men like Jack Pfefer and Billy Wolfe, but eventually the Fabulous Moolah seized control and helped transition the control to the McMahon family where it is today.  It is interesting to hear linkage from the carnies to Vince McMahon.  There are numerous morsels of intrigue to this from the Fabulous Moolah's disturbing relationship with “girl midget wrestler” Diamond Lil to Penny Banner describing her abusive relationship with legendary babyface Johnny Weaver.  This documentary is exactly what it aims to be and it ends up being one of, if not the best documentary of its kind.

The Bad
While any documentary on pro-wrestling has its flaws, this one has very few.  Clearly, it only takes a small portion of pro-wrestling (women's wrestling) and is mostly limited to a certain time period (1940s-1980s), although it talks about the time before and after.  There is a level of kayfabe from some of the ladies that you expect from old-schoolers.  Yes, they had tough matches and yes, sometime people took liberties or went into business on their own, but there is a feeling that there was a level of shooting going on that seems implausible.  The other facet that bothers me is burying the “divas” of today, specifically those in the WWE.  One is led to believe that the women's wrestlers of today are purely sex objects with no athletic ability, but that is simply untrue.  While sex is perhaps the strongest part of the package, it is only a part and demeaning the athleticism (as opposed to the working ability) of current female pro-wrestlers is unnecessary.  The cult of Japanese women's wrestling is never acknowledged, although it was more successful and arguably better than the generation of wrestling featured here, but you can always check out Gaea Girls for that.  Another strong knock I've heard about this is that Moolah & Mae Young snatched up filmmaker Ruth Leitman and led her to believe that they were the pioneers of women's wrestling, so people outside the clique like Penny Banner and others did not get accurately depicted.  Thankfully Penny has a book out and I'm sure it is much better and more credible than Moolah's.  Overall this documentary is excellent and an example for any that follow it.

The Rating: *****

KC Guest Booker - Jim Cornette "Re-booking the Invasion"

The Guest Booker series is really hit-or-miss. The goal of Kayfabe Commentaries is to expose the creative mind of the booker. Some do well, some do not. While the scenarios are getting better, the pool is theoretically diminishing.

Jim Cornette is a shoot interview god. He is vulgur, he is honest, he is funny, he is insightful, he flings mud, he gives great compliments to his peers and that is why this one was a must-see. He rants and raves, but really gets at the core of several issues. One is booking vs. writing. One is the "funny doesn't draw money" concept. Another is the idea of building young talent and long-term vision in a company. Unlike other guest bookers, Corny did some homework. He did enough to make a good showing, but not so much that his thought process is not on display.

Cornette, along with J.J. Dillon, Raven, Bill Watts and a select few others is one of those shoot interviews that I want to never end.

This is the proverbial "lightning in a bottle."

Rating: *****