Some "purists" have said that Crash TV (for lack of a better term) would the downfall of the quality television match. There's no time to get into a match, there's no time to tell a story.

Normally, I'd be all for those statements, but anyone who watched this week's RAW or last week's Smackdown know that's not necessarily true. Like everything, you just have to do things the right way.

The WWF, a company not associated with workrate in recent years, gave us two outstanding contests that all the things a good match should have. And they did it each in a little more than five minutes.

The Chris Jericho-Eddy Guerrero and Dean Malenko-Taka Michinoku matches may have been short, but they were certainly sweet. All four men busted their butts in the ring and were able to tell a story in their respective matches. Eddy even got to use some psychology, working on the Lionheart's leg (and gasp getting to use the figure four. Whoo!)

No, they both didn't have clean finishes (more on that in a moment), but the endings made sense. Malenko took all Taka could dish out and still won with his finisher, Eddy, being the cowardly heel, won through devious means and kept his belt.

We don't need Flair-Steamboat on TV to make old school fans happy. We just need GOOD matches to make them happy.

And some quick shots.

Remember how in this space I said Benoit and company look more and more like the Horsemen. Either I'm displaying some degree of psychic ability or "great" minds must just think alike. They have evolved over the last month or so into 4H2K that it's not even funny. Benoit is the technically superior champion that occasionally needs outside interference to retain the belt. Perry Saturn is the man who more often than not saves Benoit. Guerrero is the ladies' man and does the sniveling heel better than anyone in years. Malenko is the technical expert. And 75% of the team have belts. Certainly sounds like the Horsemen to me.

Do I have thoughts on WCW? Not only is the new boss the same as the old boss, IT IS THE OLD BOSS. Funny, based on the personas they present to the public (work, shoot or combination of the two), there are few people that I dislike more than Bischoff and Copernicus. And darned if they didn't get time to one of the few people I dislike more than those two - Shane Douglas. Dr. Fat Ass rips Ric Flair for the better part of a decade and he finally gets his wish - to try and get a rub off the Nature Boy. And we just know who's going to end up doing most of the jobs, don't we?

Lucha fans may want to search out the new issue of Pablo's Inferno, an indy comic about a little boy and his trip through the mythological hell of Central American mythology. This issue features Pablo and his guardian meets the ghost of the most famous luchador of them all and their adventures to find a mystical candle. Very cool.

And, on a personal note, this week sees the debut of Odessa Steps Magazine, produced from our very own O-Goshi Studios. Covering the world of popular culture, the debut issue features some of my pre-WL WrestleManiacs columns, an interview with Dave Meltzer, an Indy Spotlight on Maryland Championship Wrestling and a column by manager Platinum Nat. For more information, zip over to the Odessa Steps homepage at www.odessasteps.com.