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http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Wrestling/DonCallis/2004/04/04/408734.html

Raven on his way

By Don Callis

One of the most exciting and enigmatic stars of the last 10 years is
finally coming to Winnipeg with his unique brand of sports
entertainment. He has been one of the most innovative and elusive
figures in the industry and he is headed in for promoter Tony Condello
on Thursday, May 6, in Winnipeg.

Raven is one of those wrestlers who changed the face of the industry.
When ECW was changing the way we thought about pro wrestling, Raven
was their flagship, and along with Sabu and Shane Douglas, likely
their most famous world champion. While Sabu was more innovative in
the ring and Shane Douglas more the classic heel wrestler, Raven was,
as a personality, probably the most representative of the new breed of
fan, and the most cutting edge.

While other wrestlers were still running around with mullets, Raven
was growing his hair all one length. When every wrestler going had
fancy spandex tights and shiny patent boots, Raven came to the ring in
cut-off jean shorts, an old T-shirt and a flannel shirt tied around
his waist. Raven represented for wrestling fans what Kurt Cobain had
represented for music fans: an alternative.

You need only have gone to an independent show in the last eight years
to see his influence. Witness all of the wrestlers wearing
non-traditional gear. Back when I was coming up, the only guy who
didn't have tights was a farmer who came to the ring with a live pig.
Witness the harder edged action. Raven was a part of starting all of
that.

Then there were the promos, vignettes and feuds. His ongoing and
multi-layered feud with Tommy Dreamer in the mid-1990s is one of the
most interesting and intelligently booked and executed feuds of all
time (kudos to both Dreamer and Paul Heyman as well here).

His interviews were not screamfests, over-the-top, one-dimensional
promos, as many of the guys were doing in the early '90s. His were
slow burners. He didn't get heat by telling you he hated you, he got
heat by asking "What about me? What about Raven?" -- echoing the
self-centred Generation X 'me first' crowd he represented so well.

Raven left ECW in the late '90s for a bigger money deal with Ted
Turner's WCW, then abruptly quit, walking out on Eric Bischoff after
Bischoff had made the statement that anyone who didn't like it in
Atlanta could just quit, "knowing" that no one in their right mind was
walking away from one of those contracts. Raven simply got up and
left.

You see, Raven has a passion for the business. He would rather take
the chance he took by going to WWE for less money than he could make
in Atlanta, because he cares about his legacy in this business. The
fact that he was able to distinguish himself there, despite some
pretty heavy odds as perhaps the greatest WWE hardcore champion of all
time, speaks volumes about him.

Now Raven is the number one babyface for the number two promotion in
the world, NWA TNA, and has had a huge part in building that company
these past few months. Raven is also one of the smartest people I have
ever been around, both in and out of the ring.

It should be a real treat for fans to be able to see him in the flesh.
We will have details on where to get tickets on NHB Radio tonight at 6
on 92 CITI-FM.

K-5 NEWS 

The Rock's movie Walking Tall opened up and has been getting mixed
reviews. The general consensus is that the Rock has lots of potential
as a movie star, but that this script is not the best ... Triple H did
a good job of making Shelton Benjamin look like a breakout star last
week on Raw. Perhaps he is finally doing what we all wanted him to do
for some time now ...

How about my pal Chris Jericho cutting a great babyface promo on Trish
Stratus? It is always hard to be the babyface who gets screwed over by
the girl, because you can end up having the crowd turn against you for
being a putz. But Jericho is such a good promo that he completely
turned the whole thing to his advantage ... I really hope they do
something with Lance Storm, who is one of the real underrated
wrestlers on their show.


--- Internet Rex 2.29