Welcome back to another edition of Pain Tolerance. Let’s cut the small talk and get straight to the part that matters.

Firstly I was too hard on ECW’s Living Dangerously. It wasn’t a great show, but it was much better than the recent happenings of WCW. I guess I can only watch so many WWF or WCW shows before being "spoiled" with story lines and gimmicks. The wrestlers in ECW do give it there all and do deserve credit for what they do. When I wrote my Monday night column I wasn’t looking back on Living Dangerously in the proper perspective. I was looking through the perspective of a sports entertainment fan rather than a wrestling fan. I do still enjoy a straight forward wrestling match and really enjoyed the Crazy/Guido match up. 

When I referred Kid Kash to the likes of Taka Michinok I meant that no one expected him to win the title off of Mike Awesome. I brought up Kash’s gimmick, to point out that whenever the average ECW fan discusses wrestling, they bring up the fact that Paul Heyman is the god of booking. I do not find Kid Kash's character to be anymore appealing than that of Prince Albert's or the Bossman. In the emails I received many of you took that as an insult and thought I was stating that Kid Kash couldn’t work a match any better than Bossman or Prince Albert, not the point at all. 

The New Jack/Grimes bump was spectacular to say the least. However I do not find excitement in near death or serious injury. No one asked me this question, but I will mention it. Why do I condone Mick Foley’s bumps? Take a look at the WWF pay-per-view No Way Out. Foley’s back body drop through the ceiling of the roof and down to the mat was ORGANIZED and was well planned. New Jack’s insane leap from the scaffold on Living Dangerously didn’t look like much thought was put into it for either the performer’s or the fans in attendance. The security guards surrounding the site of New Jack’s bump can only hold so many people back. What if one of those fans had of sneaked past the guards and got injured from the fall of Grimes/New Jack? It would have put a very negative spotlight on the wrestling industry. Getting back to New Jack, I believe he cannot get over unless he does those mega bump spots or hits someone over the head with a guitar or even staples someone in the head with a staple gun. I have yet to see an actual wrestling match of his, I really don't think he could keep the average fan awake.

I had a discussion with a fellow columnist about ECW Versus the WWF. We may not have agreed with everything we discussed, but I believe we both walked away more insightful and respecting the other’s views. ECW has marketed it’s self as the superior wrestling product. They’ve also tried to stress the point that the WWF is loaded with cash. Yes the WWF is much more profitable, but that’s thanks to great marketing.  The WWF may not have ever been as small as ECW is, but they certainly didn't become a money making machine over night. The fact that ECW revolutionized wrestling may be true, however it's not the WWF's problem that they know how to market something better than ECW does.

I did enjoy Living Dangerously upon viewing the pay-per-view a second time, however I will still stand by my word. I don't believe ECW will ever over take the WWF in ratings, popularity or even value. ECW fans stressed that ECW was pure wrestling, the WWF is drama, comedy and even horror, mixed in with some wrestling. There is a larger market for what the WWF presents rather than what ECW puts out. I hope this clears up my "absurd" opinions from my last writings and I would like to hear the opinions of ECW fans. You may not agree with everything I said, but you have to agree the truth is pretty blatant, the WWF is overwhelmingly popular, and that ECW is so-so. 

Before I conclude this ECW rant I have to bring up something that really irritates me about the online wrestling scene. Actually there are two parts to this. Let’s start with the first part. It deals with a certain amount of ECW fans. Not all of them, but quite a few. ECW fans aren’t like the normal "wrestling fan". They don’t cheer on one wrestler, they cheer on the entire ECW locker room. It’s almost as if ECW’s based the fans as a part of the show. Whenever an ECW wrestler leaves they get heckled with "You Sold Out" chants. This is quite ironic, since these "fans", were to be put in the same situation and were wrestling in a mediocre federation, and then had the chance to join the big federation, they would jump on it in a second. Some of the ECW wrestlers are loyal however. I’m under the belief that Rob Van Dam has turned down WCW and WWF contracts. Getting back to the ECW fans, they basically think that the WWF is fake and full of catch phrases and flashing lights and T&A. This may be true, but last time I checked ECW had T&A and lights. They may not be flashy but they have lights! WCW is compared to a bunch of dinosaurs stumbling around, and is considered wrestling hell. They believe ECW is the supreme wrestling product and that’s the bottom line. NOT EVEN CLOSE. For these ECW fans I ask, have you heard of AMATEUR WRESTLING? Grappling, pure technical submission WRESTLING. The wrestling we see on WWF, ECW and WCW television is not wrestling. It’s definitely physical, however it’s not real. There’s that word that wrestling fans around the world hate. Allow me to elaborate. When I state real, I mean professional wrestling is "rigged" as we all SHOULD know. The wrestlers know what to do inside the ring and they know the outcome before the match is actually performed. Performed, sounds like play. How bout before it’s actually executed. In amateur wrestling, the competitors do not know who will until they actually wrestle. It’s pure shoot style. Even though professional wrestling as it’s often termed, may not be "legitimate" and the wrestlers know who is to win each match ahead of time, these performers are still injury prone and often they will put themselves through pain to get the roar of the crowd going. Using barb wire in a match, if it’s legitimate barbwire and not rigged, it can and WILL hurt, however that’s not wrestling. What we see on television each week from the big three federations is "simulated violence". However that’s often not the case, just look at Mick Foley, among others. So next time someone says ECW is wrestling, and that the WWF is fake crap, they are just fooling themselves. ECW may look more faster paced and the wrestlers may risk more, but it’s just the same as any WWF or WCW match.

The second part is of how some people act when you propose an opinion of yours to them. They jump all over you about it and try to bury your thoughts into the ground. Some of them seem to be too proud to admit that they are just an average wrestling fan. It seems they do not want to be considered a mark. Let’s put it this way, if you’ve watched a wrestling show, then you’re a mark. YOU definitely marked out for something within that hour or two of television. I’ve heard many definitions of "Mark". I personal definition on this word would be "A spectator that buys into a story line, or acts emotionally to a move or gesture from a wrestler". Disagree with this definition?  Let me hear yours. I’ll post some of the responses in my next column. Send your definition to [email protected]

In regards to my dilemma of which WWF wrestling video game to buy, Wrestlemania 2000 for N64, or Playstation’s Smackdown. I must say I appreciated all the feedback I got on this question and read all of your pro’s and con’s for each game. The feedback was pretty much split in favor of both games. Many of you asked me why I didn’t just rent the games, I tried but basically no rental store had it in INCLUDING Blockbuster. They actually had a reserve list, so yesterday I finally got to play Smackdown. Wrestlemania was taken out and has yet to be returned by whoever, so I’ll have to wait a couple days before I get my hands on it. Like the feedback I received, Smackdown is a very great game. However many of you stated that you were disappointed that their was no commentary during the matches. I was disappointed there was no commentary either and eventually got over it, but I still feel that the commentary is a main part of the fun factor and that no commentary brought the game down a bit. Although I must say the artificial intelligence in the game is spectacular and more then makes up for the missing chit-chat. I must say I really enjoy the backstage areas, however the backstage story lines are a quite plain. The most annoying backstage story line scene is of two wrestlers walking to a corner to discuss something. The close caption comes up and states that Wrestler 1 and Wrestler 2 look to be up to no good. Or the other one I find annoying is the "I wonder what Wrestler 1 and Wrestler 2 are talking about"? I found the backstage story line ambush scene to be hilarious. The way they gloat and strut away after handing a beating to the their foe. The season mode is so-so. It’s got a nice look, however it seems a bit disorganized. Also one thing I hate about the season mode is, if you have created a wrestler, your able to alter his moves in the pre-season but once you go into the regular season you’re not able to. Also it would be nice to be able to create your own backstage story line scenes and decide to attack someone, or propose a plan to another wrestler to attack a foe of yours, rather then having to wait till a wrestler proposes an attack to you, only in the pre-season mode. 

Rather than discuss the recent rumors of WCW’s changing of the guard so to speak behind the scenes, right now, I’m going to wait till Monday’s edition of Pain Tolerance. There isn’t much on it right now except that Brad Siegel is stepping in and may demote Bill Busch and Kevin Sullivan and promote Bischoff and Russo. Would Russo and Bischoff get a long? That and many more opinions of mine on WCW’s recent state in the next Pain Tolerance.

As I write this it’s St. Patrick’s Day. I’ll clear up another question that many readers have asked. What Heritage is the surname Parr. Well, it’s not Italian as many of you guessed. It’s not Jewish either. Nor is it Spanish. It’s Irish. From the land of the four leaf clover came my name. To be more specific Belfast, Northern Ireland. However, I’ve lived in Canada my whole life and nearly all my relatives have moved out here as well. So as I wrap up this column, may I bless you with the luck of the Irish.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy ECW on TNN tonight if your going to watch.