WWF/WCW Merger, GYEAH Says...

March 23, 2001...a day which will live in infamy to wrestling fans world-wide. On that epic Friday, World Wrestling Federation Entertainment, Inc. announced that it had purchased World Championship Wrestling. Many consider this a monopoly that could be the Microsoft of its genre. Wrestling fans are already calling it the greatest alliance since the days of the "Mega Powers." But is it really that epic? Is it really good for the people who matter...the fans?

We at GYEAH.com can't speak for everyone, nor can we tell the future like Miss Cleo. But we all have our opinions on the merger, and we'd like to share them with you....

The Goc's Opinion:

"I want some things to be known before I express my opinion. For years as a child I was the epitome of a wrestling fan. I'd fight with my parents so I could stay up and watch Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy on Saturday Night's Main Event. My love lasted up until the Undertaker years, when wrestling became too corny for me.

But when I became a teenager, something pulled me back. I can't tell you for sure what it was. But I started watching RAW and Nitro..and I was hooked. Every Monday night my friends would gather at my house and much pizza and eventually beer would be consumed as we argued over things like: "Is Raven the most hardcore bastard ever?" or does "DX need to shut the hell up?". We didn't have a watercooler to discuss things over, but every free second in high school wrestling talk would come up. Every PPV, no matter what the fed or how bullshit (WWF No Way Out, anyone?) it was we would purchase it. Fights would start over someone's love for a certain wrestler. We'd practice finishing moves in the pouring rain as our parents screamed at us. We were truly "marks" in the best sense of the word.

Then something happened again. I got tired of WWF's repetitive programming and the cheapening of titles. Stone Cold vs. The Rock, SCSA vs. Foley, HHH vs. Rock...100 times over got old to me. They're refusal to elevate someone else to the upper echelon just ruined my love. Why plop down 30 bucks each month to see the same matches we've seen a thousand times? So as of about 6 months ago..I lost my love for the second time.

But once you're bitten by prowrestling, there's always spinning DDT's, powerbombs, and Torture Racks in your blood. And as soon as I got wind of this merger, I was back to fiending. Like a crackhead, I'm back to Vinnie Mac's corner, begging, pleading for another hit.

So with that said, obviously my opinion of the merger is..I'M ALL FREAKEN FOR IT. If there is one thing Vinnie Mac has proven over the years, it's he can create controversy better than anyone. And with that controversary comes interest. Just as the XFL is getting all the horrible press and Vinnie is getting everything negative thrown his way...what does he do? He stregthens what he knows best...the squared circle. He signs his #1 competitor and in turn, FLIPS THE WRESTLING WORLD UPSIDE DOWN!

Vinnie's job is to create interest, and there was no better way to do it. I can't wait to see what's going to happen next. And with Wrestlemania just around the corner...damn! All I can say, is I'm back baby...and I'm loving it!"

Aron Rave's (The crazy French Canadian) Opinion:

"I'm a WWF mark. And you know why? Because it's a good show. I didn't like WCW because they were not entertaining me. Now, WWF IS WCW. Things are going to change.

WCW was slowly dying. If there's one thing it needed, it was for somebody to buy it. Let's face it, Bischoff is no billionaire. He is an ok promoter who knew which ideas to steal from Japan, but he didn't really build WCW. McMahon IS wrestling. McMahon IS the guy that can build WCW right.

But let's face it, WWF now has the entire wrestling business. Is it a good thing? I doubt it. But between WCW with 0.7 rating or WCW owned by WWF, we all know what's better.

I can't wait for next year's Wrestlemania."

Hoss' Opinion:

"WCW is purchased by none other than the WWF. Big f*ckin deal I say. A long time ago I wrote off the WWF as having no entertainment value whatsoever. What sparked this? The Undertaker thinking he can go around crucifying people, namely Stone Cold Steve Austin. What kind of junk are they trying to pass off to the public as entertainment these days? Who is it fueled by? A bunch of Jerry Springer imitators from Atlanta, Georgia and a family of idiots in Connecticut.

Last night I tuned in for what I thought would be a match for the ages, Ric Flair vs. Sting. The only reason I watched that match was to see the last straight wrestler on earth attempt to gain glory one more time. Did it happen? NO! Sting the, hi I wanna be a goth when I used to wear hot green pants and paint my face pink, ended up winning. Now i'm sure the staff is gonna shit on me and say "what business does he have commenting on something he has written off?" Well i'll tell ya. Somewhere deep inside maybe i was waiting for straightness to return to the ring. Im sick of hearing about fathers wrestling sons , fools "stealing" other peoples wives, and most recently a battle over our northern border. Have I watched my last match ever? Probably. Will I miss the WCW and its new "owners" the McMahons? Judging by the garbage i watched last night, probably not. F*ck wrestling and f*ck the McMahons."

Skizzow's Opinion:

"What can I say? I considered myself a WWF fan through college and up until about 5 months ago when I lost total interest. I can't put my finger on why I stopped watching but I did, it just wasn't exciting anymore. Then came Vince like so many times before with this move that made him the Bill Gates of the wrestling world. I now have the thurstin' for wrestling like never before, he has caused me to once again become a wrestling mark like I knew I could be. If nothing else Vince knows how to gain the general(or not so general) publics interest and for that I will be following this whole acquisition of the WCW with the most devoted fans..........In parting I have one thing to say LIVE ON XFL. You can hate me now."

Nemesis' Opinion:

"My thoughts on the recent WWF/WCW deal? To be honest, I'm a bit skeptical. Oh, it'll provide for good television, seeing WCW wrestlers on Raw and vice versa. But what happens after the novelty wears off? To the average fan, this will be great, but with Mcmahon the master of all that is big time wrestling nowadays, you have to feel for the wrestlers. They've just lost a serious contract negotiation tool with WCW now under Mcmahon's thumb, thus it allows Vince to pay wrestlers whatever he feels like, and put together shows however he wishes. A wrestler doesn't like what he's being paid? He won't make nearly as much on the indy circuits. A wrestler doesn't like the way he's being used in a particular angle? Tough...he has little say in the matter, that is, unless he likes the idea of grappling in front of crowds in some seedy gym in Vanceboro, North Carolina.

I see one of two things coming out all of this. One, the wrestlers finally band together and form an union. This, moreso than the days of when WCW routinely kicked WWF's butt in the ratings, would be perhaps the worst nightmare of wrestling's most infamous promoter. The second would be the rise of another promotion. With Turner now out of the game, it may open up the possibilities of another corporate businessman opening up his wallet and putting together an organization to do battle with Vince. Hello, Rupert Murdoch and Fox, are you listening?"

Vigilante's Opinion:

"I am just a fan of wrestling, in every shape and form…ECW, WWF, WCW, smokey mountain, all of it. I'm probably the only person who used to stay up on late Saturday nights watching the short lives WWF Shotgun Saturday night. I remember the days WCW used to release quality television programs. I used to watch their flagship program air on Saturday mornings, right before "Saved by the Bell". Flair, Vader, Sting, Wildman Marc Mero, the whole gang was there. They used to put on a quality show. WCW then moved from the slot and shortly found themselves going head to head with WWF's Monday Night program with a show of their own called Monday nitro. Because they aired about the same time, and I was already a fan of the WWF…I didn't even bother watching Nitro religiously. I would flip back and forth every now and then to catch a glimpse of some of the stars I had seen some early Saturday Mornings. Then, one day I flipped back and forth and I saw a familiar face from the WWF on WCW television…it was Scott Hall. I couldn't turn the channel back. It was like a moth to a flame. I couldn't wait till the next week to see what Scott Hall had in store for those idiots over at WCW. The next week, Nash shows up!! OH my…I was hooked!!! I hadn't had that much fun being a wrestling fan in years. I ordered my first WCW pay per view, and saw that the outsiders mystery partner was none other than Hogan. The nWo was born, and it was no greater day to be a wrestling fan.

There are things about that 2 year ride that I will never forget. Nash throwing Rey Mysterio into the trailer like a dart, the Hennig/Flair saga, and just wondering what stars sold out to the nWo and who didn't. It was breathtaking TV, and for a moment…I forgot the WWF existed. But what a difference a few years make. The WCW didn't know how to keep a good thing going, and completely bastardize everything the nWo was about. Soon, the WCW began to lose fans in droves to the 'staying ahead of the times' WWF…and their production value began to show its wear. It soon became hard to watch a WCW show without falling into a deep coma, and I soon found myself drawn back to the excitement of the WWF.

Now, I feel that the time for WCW to rise back to the top has once again come. McMahon is unlike the people who ran the WCW of yesteryear. He knows how to make a company work. With this merger, sure wrestlers may find themselves out of work. And, as harsh as this may sound, so what?! I'm not a wrestler, I'm a wrestling fan…and there is no better day to be one than now. Vince is going to take the shoddy production work in WCW and make a real contender out of it. He's going to bridge the fans of WWF with the fans of WCW. The great cruiserweights and athletes of WCW are going to mesh with the high production values of the WWF, and soon there will be two great wrestling feds together under one roof. The day of all our wet dreams is upon us, seeing our favorite wcw stars take on our favorite wwf stars. You people can talk down about it all you want, but like the nWo did…people outside of the wrestling world are talking about wrestling now. Let's sit back, and enjoy what is going to be one hell of a ride."

Those were the opinions of some GYEAH.com Staff members, but what effect will the merger have at Wrestlemania? We'll just have to wait and see, but for a look at the card and other info on the epic event, check out WWF's official site:

wrestlemania.jpg (2400 bytes) Wrestlemania X-7 - The Official Site

The effects of this merger will send shock waves through the wrestling world for weeks and months to come. What will be done of WCW? What wrestlers will sign contracts? How will those that clashed with McMahon in the past coexist with him now? The future will tell. But one answer can be found with certainty. Are we at GYEAH.COM hyped about the merger. As Kaintai would say? Indeed.

-Now that you've read our opinions, it's your turn to tell us yours. Get your arse to the GYEAH.COM MESSAGE BOARDS!!.