WWE Confidential January 25, 2003

February 8, 2003

WWE Confidential January 25, 2003

Gene kicks the show off this week by bringing up how the Rock was the WWE's first 3rd generation superstar. This lead to the segment that was bumped back a week because of Eric Bischoff's return.

Cover Story: Randy Orton- 3rd Generation Superstar

Randy is sitting with Bob Jr. and Bob Sr. He credits them for getting him involved in the business. Randy's earliest memory was traveling with his father and hanging out backstage with the rest of the boys. His peers would always ask Randy if he was going to become a wrestler. He was unsure at the time and his mother was trying to steer him away from wrestling. Randy decided to get into wrestling after he graduated from high school, but he joined the military instead. Randy figured out the military wasn't for him, so he ran off to St. Louis, where he stayed for about 80 days before turning himself in. The US military had Randy court marshaled for about a month. A couple of months later, Cowboy Bob put in a good word for Randy with the WWF. Randy was flown up to Stamford where he got in the ring with Tom Pritchard. He had no in-ring experience at this point. Bruce Pritchard ended up signing Randy to a developmental deal. In the OVW, many wrestlers didn't like Randy because he was handed his spot because of his family. Randy understood that and busted his ass in Ohio Valley. Mark Henry thinks that Randy has been doing a good job in the WWE. And why should we value his opinion? D-Von thinks that the other wrestlers don't really criticize Randy Orton because the Rock is also a third generation wrestler. Randy looks up to the Rock as a role model. Randy finds it hard to fit in because he is the youngest guy in the WWE and the locker room etiquette can be a pain in the ass. Val Venis thinks that Randy is very good in the ring. Bob Sr. adds that Randy is better looking than George Clooney and a better wrestler than Lou Thesz. I guess Bob Sr. is at that age when senility starts to set it. Randy wants to be the WWE Champion. Then again who doesn't?

Segment 1: .5/1

Before They Were Superstars: Rob Van Dam

This should be good. His mom, Pat, remembers that Rob wasn't afraid of anything. When a dog down the block used to bite the neighborhood kids, Rob would beat up the dog. Rob used to get made fun in school because he wore glasses. Sometimes this would escalate into fights, which Rob won for the most part. Some baby pictures. At age 3, Rob would jump off boats and diving boards. He wouldn't just jump, he would do flips like the handspring moonsault. Rob was considered academically gifted, but then in 3rd grade he decided to start having fun. He used to get in a lot of trouble. Rob put his Phys. Ed. teacher in an airplane spin (!). When Rob would see his guidance counselor outside of school he would say, "That's not the man I saw you with last time." Meanwhile, her husband was standing right next to her. Once in a while he would bruise his Phys. Ed. teacher when he was putting wrestling moves on her. Rob was suspended from school for doing not one, but two (!), somersault backflips off the roof of the school. Around this time, the WWF had a show at the Kiel Center. Ted DiBiase was there and was offering anyone $100 to kiss his foot. Rob took him up on that offer and the clip was shown on WWF TV for several weeks. Rob decided not to join the school wrestling team because they wanted him to lose weight. Rob took up kick boxing instead. He was told by almost everyone that he would never make it as a pro wrestler. He built a ring in his backyard and participated in many tournaments, including a Tough Man Competition. Rob turned down a scholarship and trained with the Sheik. He worked in the north for a little while, but attendance was low, so he moved to the south. ECW signed him in 1996 and the rest is history. RVD considers himself a normal guy.

Segment 2: 1.5/2

4/27/98- DX "attacks" WCW. So this was the "WCW" segment they were pimping last week. This was by far one of my favorite moments in wrestling history. DX drove down to the WCW show in a tank with a huge cannon on the back. They ask one fan how much he paid for the tickets and he said, "WCW GIVES THEM AWAY FOR FREE BECAUSE THEY SUCK!!" DX tried to get some free tickets, but they weren't allowed in. Then they tried driving into the garage, but WCW closed the door. X-Pac wishes they went to the garage first that way no one would have known to close the gate. Bischoff was thoroughly pissed when this happened. He couldn't believe that Vince had the balls to pull it off. Kevin Nash arrived at the arena around 5:30 and he couldn't understand why there was so much traffic. Once he saw DX he couldn't believe his eyes. I really have to find that episode of Raw and watch it again. Great stuff.

Segment 3: 2.5/3

A lot of old Bob Sr. and Bob Jr. clips are shown. Bob Sr. actually pulled out a powerbomb, called a piledriver at the time. Bob Jr. also shocked me with a Vader Bomb. Sr. and Jr. were the Florida State Tag-Team Champions for a while. From here on, I'm just talking about Bob. Jr. Orton's arm actually was broken for a year and a half because he never took time off to heal it. Gerald Brisco thinks that Bob and Randy look very alike, but Randy is much better looking than Bob was. We see a comparison of how all three guys have similar mannerisms. I mark for old footage, so I liked this.

Segment 4: 3.5/4

Al Snow takes us around his house. Two rooms in his house are considered "formal", as in no one uses them. Al collects EVERYTHING just like me. He has old canes, swords, statues, comic books, Simpson action figures, a barber shop chair, a gas pump, a prosthetic leg. The list can go on forever. He introduces us to his kids. His daughter’s room has an Arabian look to it, while his son's is all camouflage. His son is one lucky SOB because he possesses the Avatar mask. Al pulls out his 1964 T-Bird and that's that. Al is a really funny guy. I just watched the SMW 1995 BBQ, classic stuff.

Segment 5: 4.5/5

You know that commercial for SummerSlam where Trish is driving an ice cream truck? Well we get to see how it was made. Nothing special really.

Next Week: Booker T's house.

Segment 6: 4.5/6

Really good show this week considering there was no really special feature like Bischoff last week. I just wish the WWE didn’t cop out and decide not to air the history of WCW segment that they mentioned last week.

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