Where to Find Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling
Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling: Episode One Review
October 21, 2008 
Wow...this show is going to be car-crash good.
The inaugural season of Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling is underway and here is your first episode review. In case you missed it, Hogan is doing a reality show with 10 celebrities on becoming a professional wrestler.
They'll have to learn moves and perform in front of an audience with the goal of winning the CCW Title. The show airs new every Saturday on CMT Network, the same group that has My Big Redneck Wedding in their stable.
First Quarter Hour
The show will be an "eight-week showdown." I assume there isn't a house and these celebs just show up for practices and such.
Brian Knobs and Brutus Beefcake are called "legendary coaches." Between them and the judges (Hogan, Jimmy Hart, and Eric Bischoff), this comes off as a cavalcade of Hogan's LinkedIn of cronies.
Bill Goldberg and RVD make appearances this season.
As part of the season preview, we are shown Danny Bonaduce getting upset at being slapped by Screech, people crying, and injuries. The formula for reality success will be followed strictly here, I think.
We're introduced to our celebs: Dennis Rodman, Trishelle (Real World), Dustin Diamond (Screen/Saved By The Bell), Danny Bonaduce, Nikki Ziering (Playboy), Butterbean, Tiffany (pop singer), Erin Murphy (Bewitched), Todd Bridges (Different Strokes), and Frank Stallone. These are truly the B-Leaguers of celebs...awesome!
Bischoff is really playing up his role as a judge, talking in pure heel promo voice. Apparently, he was President of the world's largest wrestling organization.
Hogan is introduced and he follows suit, questioning the celebs on why they are there. You can tell he's been studying these reality shows non-stop as this comes off like almost every other similar show out there: make the judges seem like hard-asses, spout off a few catchphrases and attempt to scare the competitors.
Oh boy. If you have this DVR'd, watch when Hogan holds up the belt around the 10 minute mark for some horrendous special effects on the close-up. Yikes.
Second Quarter Hour
The participants are divided up between Beefcake and Knobs. I keep thinking Rodman has a huge advantage as he's actually wrestled before on PPV.
The judges have to teach the celebs three moves every single episode they have to learn and implement. This week: forearm smash, kick to the midsection, and clothesline. Upon the demonstration, Tiffany is quite concerned. She will last all of three shows.
The teams have their first practice, complete with some "dummy" wrestlers to work on which looks like UPW guys, led by Rick Bassman...I think.
As they learn the kick to the midsection, Ziering and Bridges both manage to kick the dummy wrestlers' balls. Apparently, cups and pro wrestling don't mix.
Along the way, the celebs are learning bumps and we get the expected "This really hurts!" type reactions. Wrestling is amazingly difficult on the body...no wonder everyone is so drugged up.
Already, Beefcake is emerging as the calmer coach while Knobs is playing up his crazy, angry character.
The coaches are working on tag team matches with managers for the first challenge, so they have to choreograph everything and hope it looks good for the crowd.
We're not given a perspective on exactly how long they've been training (apparently it's four hours a day), so the fact they are about to work a match for a live crowd is a bit..well...surprising? It will be interesting to see whether insiders feel this hurts the business at all by being too honest.
Third Quarter Hour
We're in the "CCW Arena" which looks like the Wrestling Society X set from the short-lived MTV series. I'm guessing my earlier UPW connection thought was correct.
Team Beefcake is up first as it's Bonaduce and Tiffany vs. Butterbean and Trishelle. Bridges is out and about as well, but not actively competing, acting as a manager.
Good lord...Bubba The Love Sponge is commentating.
Bonaduce (seen here at right) and Butterbean start out and Bean is having a tough time selling. Bonaduce is a natural already, playing to the crowd and looking like this is his natural environment—even working against Trishelle.
Tiffany is struggling early, making a turnbuckle smash look terrible. Trishelle is showing some spunk with her corner-to-corner turnbuckle hits on Tiffany.
It's a hot tag to Butterbean! Bubba suggests that Bonaduce is going too fast in getting clotheslined by Bean. His commentary seems forced and read off a script to fit here. He's revealing what people should look for, but it's just strange.
Bean gets the pin following a powerslam of Bonaduce and then, a terrible post-match attack by Bridges and Bonaduce on Bean happens. Ugly. The match itself? Surprisingly good.
Final Quarter Hour
Stallone/Diamond with Nikki are taking on Murphy and Rodman for Team Knobs.
How long are these matches supposed to be? No idea.
Diamond looks to be a natural heel, as Rodman's offense looks a bit too stiff. You can tell that Rodman has had some training though, which they're not referring to at all. The way Bubba is talking though, you feel like he might be positioned to win on status alone. I hope I'm wrong.
It's time for some judging and one person is already going home. Team Nasty gets a pass from elimination as Hogan felt they put on a better show or as he put it, "You made me feel like I was at the best wrestling event of all time...which I was!" Huh?
Bischoff says Trishelle should stay, Hart selects Bonaduce, and Hogan picks Butterbean. It's down to Bridges and Tiffany and the latter goes home via Hogan's ridiculous closing line, "You're a jibroni...get out of my ring!" Good lord.
Apparently, her ring work wasn't up to par, while Hogan liked Bridges' post-match run-in. I agree with the Tiffany cut. She wasn't in great shape and didn't have the look. Hopefully, her money was paid up front.
Well, it could be worse. Bonaduce is going to win this whole thing unless he does something to mess it up. He's just too good.
Josh Nason has written and maintained Ropes, Ring and Cage since 2007. He can be reached at josh@ropesringandcage.com.
Where to Find Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling
Source: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/71234-hulk-hogans-celebrity-championship-wrestling-episode-one-review
0 Response to "Where to Find Hulk Hogan's Celebrity Championship Wrestling"
Post a Comment