The Outsiders' Edge

Welcome back to the Edge everybody. Before we get waist deep in everything, I want to offer my support to all the folks dealing with great difficulty right now in Haiti. The Hope for Haiti telethon was held on television tonight and had some good performances by the likes of Bruce Springsteen, and the trio of Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow. I can’t say the same for my beloved Bono. The combination of Bono and The Edge with Jay-Z and Rihanna = no buys. However, all their hearts were definitely in the right place. I encourage all of you to make a donation of some sort to help out our poor brothers and sisters to the South.

Send a few bucks along to help our poor pals in Haiti.

I personally used The Clinton-Bush Haiti fund as an  avenue to send a few bucks along. Their website accepts PayPal and its really easy.  You know that your donation will be used in a serious, helpful way with two Presidents leading the initiative. This fund was also extremely helpful in collecting relief aid for the Tsunami and Katrina victims.

Please visit: http://clintonbushhaitifund.org/

Like The Boss said tonight, “We shall overcome.”

That goes for you too Conan. Your final Tonight Show entertained the hell out of America. I’ve loved watching you for as long as I can remember, and you’ll knock ‘em dead wherever you land. The Free Bird final number with Beck, Will Ferrell, and Billy Gibbons was beyond surreal and extremely entertaining to watch.  On the other hand, Charlie Manson is more beloved in American right now than the long chinned jackass Jay Leno. For the love of God people, don’t watch Leno when he returns to the Tonight Show. He has less moral fiber than the Alien from Alien.

We all are.

And now for something completely different.

After watching TNA and WWE the past few weeks and seeing guys like Bret Hall, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, and Scott Hall stalk our televisions like its 1996, I have decided to create a little concept here at The Outsiders Edge that I will hopefully stick to for the next few months.

I have decided that for the next 20 weeks I will be doing a countdown of the 20 greatest wrestlers from the last 20 years. Now before a few of you purists start sending me angry e-mails like “You moron, where the hell is Misawa?!” or “Add Mistico or I will kill you!”, this countdown will only include American based performers who wrestled in WWE, WCW, ECW, or TNA.

Also this list only counts for performances from 1990 through 2010. Although Terry Funk, Ricky Steamboat and many other top legends from older decades performed in the 90s, they can only make this list for their in ring actions between 1990 and 2010. Lou Thesz was obviously bigger than Mick Foley in wrestling history, but Lou retired in 1990.
With that out of the way, I am proud to present number 20 on our list:

Self High Five

That’s right baby #20 from the last 20- Mr. Diamond Dallas Page

(Since 1990)  WCW: 1991-2001 / WWE: 2001-2002/ TNA: 2004-2005.

3 Time World  WCW Heavyweight Champion.

Who better to start our countdown than DDP?  Despite getting his start in wrestling at a very late age, DDP proved that hard work and amazing physical conditioning can defeat the perils of aging. For better or worse Diamond Dallas Page was one of the endearing faces of WCW. He was an expert at creating a unique brand all to himself (Diamond Cutter hand sign.) and for having an awesome finishing move. (The Diamond Cutter always looked way cooler than the RKO.)

People will remember his notable WCW feuds with many of the top guys in the company including Scott Hall, Randy Savage, Goldberg, and Hulk Hogan. His great Halloween Havoc 1998 match was completely overshadowed by the trainwreck that was the Hogan-Warrior main event at that same show (if we were doing a worst 20 wrestlers of the last 20 years list, Ultimate Warrior would be like the anti-Rock.)

With his foxy wife, sweet Smells like Teen Spirit entrance music, and ultra positive attitude, DDP emanated an attitude of coolness that few wrestlers have been able to give off.

Some people have complained that DDP’s matches were too formulaic and seemed too rehearsed, but I disagree. I always loved watching him and felt that his incredible natural charisma and tremendous drive helped overshadow any of those criticisms.

DDP also reached huge mainstream popularity in 1998 when he teamed up with Karl Malone to take on the team of Dennis Rodman and Hulk Hogan at Bash at the Beach 1998.  He followed that up by teaming up with Jay Leno to defeat Hogan and Eric Bischoff at Road Wild. He was also the main villain in the WCW centered movie “Ready to Rumble.” Unfortunately that movie led to David Arquette being WCW World champion. That was a bad thing.

His WWE and TNA runs were mostly forgettable due to political circumstances he could not control. He could have made huge money for the WWE had they handled The Invasion angle properly. A long-term feud with either the Rock or Austin would have done massive business for Vince McMahon. However, his Positively Page gimmick was extremely entertaining and his “That’s not a bad thing…it’s a good thing” lives on to this day in dozens of messages sent between former Edge co-founder SJX and myself.

All in all, Diamond Dallas Page was one of the most over performers in a period where WCW was the biggest wrestling company on the world. He was criticized by some, but DDP will never be forgotten.

DDP forever baby! Everoyne give yourself a self high five.

Alright everybody stay tuned for #19.

~ by lordelevation on January 23, 2010.

Posted in Uncategorized
Tags: Beck, Billy Gibbons, Bruce Springsteen, Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund, Conan, Conan O'Brien last show, DDP, Diamond Dallas Page, Freebird, Hope for Haiti telethon, Ready to Rumble, Tonight Show, We Shall Overcome, Will ferrell