Two years? Nuh uh! There's no way that it was that long ago that I first decided to put fingers to keys and join the ranks of the unrequited writers of the world and poop out a pointless column about that nutty professional sports wrestling entertainment thingy.

Can it really be? Can it? Ah shit. I guess it can.

It's been a very long time since I retired from this gig, but I have been a daily visitor of Slashwrestling, lurking amongst the new names and opinions that pop up daily in the space I once called my own. Is that really Dean Malenko writing here now?

A lot has happened since I started my permanent sabbatical. I think a bullet list will look nice here.

THE GOOD

• Austin is now playing a comedic and cowardly heel, and doing a hell of a job of it.
• WWFE acquired the WCW and is going to attempt to relaunch the promotion.
• WCW and ECW have formed an alliance and are taking it to WWF in a big, big way.
• Chris Jericho and Chris Benoit both finally got the pushes we have been clamoring for, and they were very successful.
• Tajiri signed with the WWF and is giving us incredible matches.
• Mae Young and The Fabulous Moolah have all but vanished from WWF television.
• The joint MTV/WWF reality show Tough Enough is extremely well done and provocative. It really shows the fans what the men and women of Sports Entertainment are truly all about.
• Paul Heyman replaced Jerry Lawler as WWF color commentary and has totaly blown the King out of the water.
• Scott Steiner jobbed gracefully to Booker T on the last ever Nitro Broadcast.
• On that same show, Sting and Ric Flair brought tears to my eyes as they faced off in a simple match that will remain in my memory forever.
• I am now living with CyanIndigo and have been for quite some time. (Natch!)

THE BAD

• WCW finally imploded under the weight of poor booking, locker room politics, and contractual bullshit. 
• Vince's grand experiment in "smashmouth football" tanked heavily in spite of (or as a direct result of) a barrage of product placement all over his wrestling shows. 
• The Rock is off in Hollywood filming an illogical spin-off of a one-line part in a formulaic and disappointing summer cinema offering. 
• There have been a rash of injuries that have threatened to cripple the sport as of late. Two of the most notable are Triple H and Chris Benoit, who are both out for the better part of 2001 with serious injuries. 
• Goldberg, Sting, and Flair have yet to sign with the new WCW. (More on that below.)
• Hulk Hogan is trying to start up his own wrestling promotion.
• Lita has gone from interesting to totally annoying and boring...not to mention dangerous. It's only a matter of time before she breaks someone's neck with her faulty execution.
• Chyna has gone the way of Sable. Say goodbye to your career Joannie.

THE UGLY

• Vince McMahon stripped down by Torrie Wilson.
• The footage of Sid Vicious snapping his leg in two on a WCW Pay Per View.
• Shane McMahon's insane bumps (all of them).
• Buff Bagwell's WWF debut and subsequent firing.
• Wrestling's popularity is on a downswing once again. The Monday Night wars are over, ratings are dropping, and people are losing interest in the whole sha-bang.

It's an abbreviated list, I know, but my memory ain't what it used to be. 

Before I sign off for another year, let me take a moment to rant about the current WWF storyline, Invasion.

Like every true fan of Wrestling, it was always my dream to see the WWF and WCW collide in the ring. Cross promotion of the two companies was always pure gold in my book. When these two companies were at the top of their respective games, it couldn't fail.

However...

WCW is nowhere near the entity it used to be. In order for the WCW to be a viable force against the WWF there are three men that they need to sign.

The first is Sting. He represents loyalty. He is a man who is synonymous with WCW, having been a part of the company, in all of its incarnations, for an uninterrupted period longer than just about anyone. His presence is mandatory.

The second is Ric Flair. He represents tradition. Flair should be leading the charge against WWF. His charisma and workrate have never faltered in all the years that he has been a competitor in the squared circle. What better way for him to end out his career than with the greatest wrestling company in the world?

The third is Bill Goldberg. He represents the future. Goldberg is the meanest, toughest sonofabitch that WCW has ever cranked out. He gave The Big Show a jackhammer, for crying out loud! Vince McMahon needs to drive a dump truck full of money up to Big Bill's house and get his name on a contract. I want to see him mow over the WCW locker room for a couple of weeks before leading to a Goldberg versus Austin match at Summerslam. Rocky who?

But eh, that's just my opinion.

Happy Anniversary CRZ. Here's to another two years.

I am still Michaelangelo and will be forever.