Wooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

This past Sunday I went to a friends house to stay up past 12 to watch Wrestlemania XXIV on Sky Box Office PPV. I really wanted to see this event as it happened, not for the Big Show/Floyd Maywether "match", not for the triple threat match featuring John Cena, Triple H and Randy Orton, certainly not the Bunnymania match, not Edge/Undertaker and not even the Money in the Bank ladder match, it was really for one match only - THE NATURE BOY RIC FLAIR vs SHAWN MICHAELS in a career threatening match (for Flair).

Whilst the match wasn't neccesarilly a ***** classic, the match had it all drama, near finishes, signature moves, one sick bump involving Shawn Michaels moonsaulting onto an announce table. In the end, Michaels finished off Flair with the Sweet Chin music - but not before mouthing the words "I'm Sorry... I love you" to Flair, then like that Ric Flair's 35 career was over... he stayed in the ring as the crowd cheered for him and he hugged his family...

I also stayed up late the next night to watch Monday Night Raw live, which the finish saw Ric Flair standing in the ring thanking everybody including the fans, before an whole bunch of wrestlers - past and presents, face or heel, came out and hugged and clapped for Flair - there was not a dry eye in the house.

Well it's certainly true to never say never in the world of professional wrestling. Ric Flair's retirement after an incredible 35 years is a day I knew would come but always kind of worried it would. Ric Flair, for the longest time as been one of my favourite wrestlers (and actually my lone favourite wrestler for some time).

He was there wrestling at my first ever live WWE event. He stole the show, the crowd loved him including parents who where not neccesarilly wrestling fans dragged by there kids enjoyed is in ring antics. The 1992 Royal Rumble which he entered number 3 and won (along with the WWF Championship) is still my favourite, favourite Royal Rumble of all time, and I still watch it regularlly (thanks to it's inclusion on the great Ultimate Ric Flair Collection).

Thank you for all the hours of entertainment, Ric.

Fonzie's Wall of Cool

Approved by the Fonz*

Welcome to Fonzie's Wall of Cool, now I'm quite sure I know what cool is but not as much as the Fonz does, so it's actually not me choosing here it is Arthur Fonzarelli, every week he will choose two people who deserve to go on the Wall of Cool except for this week, the inaugral ceremony, 4 members will be accepted...

THE FIRST PERSON ONTO FONZIE'S WALL OF COOL IS...

Arhur Fonzarelli

Where would Fonzie's Wall of Cool would be without Arthur Fonzarelli, whose even cool in cartoon form and toy form (you should check out the awesome Mego toy from 70s of him), as any other person been so revered by his peers then Fonz, he's the idol to many including Ritchie Cunnigham, Potsie and Ralph Malph, as well as loved by the parents and of course the chicks. For instant coolness check out the music video to Weezer's 'Buddy Holly'- there's only few better dancers (see directly below). So here's to Fonz the first person to get a place on the Fonzie's Wall of Cool. THE SECOND PERSON ONTO FONZIE'S WALL OF COOL IS...

Christopher Walken

Have you seen Fatboy Slim's "Weapon of Choice" video, that alone guarantees Christopher Walken place on the Wall of Cool. Have you seen the scene with Dennis Hopper in True Romance, that alone guarantees his place on the Wall of Cool. The watch story in Pulp Fiction...Do you get the picture? He's an expert dancer and an ultra cool actor. From Russian Roulette in The Deer Hunter to playing the Angel of Death in The Prophecy, his rendition of Deliah in Romance and Cigarettes and his role as mobster Frank in King of New York, all this and he's played a Batman villain and a James Bond villain (A View to a Kill), Truly cool legend. He's also a funny guy with multiple Saturday Night Live guest hosting stints under his belt (You can't beat the Continentel). Christopher Walken is well deserving as the second person onto Fonzie's Wall of Cool. THE THIRD PERSON ONTO FONZIE'S WALL OF COOL IS...

Jack Nichoslon

Jack Nicholson as been effortlessly cool since the 1960s and is still effortlessly cool today, not many people can say that? Jack could get on the wall alone for his iconic role as Randle P. McMurphy in One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, cool, yes but also the hint of being somewhat scarily dangerous. Jack also wrote (and had a small role in) the psychadelic trip of a movie Head, which starred the Monkees which earns coolness point in my book. From B-movies to megastardom, Jack will forever be cool, even when new words are invented. Do yourself a favour watch One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and The Shining back to back and bask in the wonderfulness of Jack.

THE FOURTH ENTRY ONTO FONZIE'S WALL OF COOL IS...

"The Nature Boy" Ric Flair

The man is a bonafide legend in the wrestling ring, with his stylin' and profilin' and promises of been taken to Space Mountain. A seventeen time world champion (most of them back when it mean't something) was the wrestler who completely stole the show when I went to see my first ever WWE event, showing the young whipper snappers a thing or too about entertaining the fans. I hope he comes back to the WWE sooner or later just for one last run at the top, remember ---To Be the Man, You Got to Be the Man---. The first wrestler to be put on Fonzie's Wall of Cool.

*sadly not the real Fonz