Wrestling & the C's - Allen through Pierce

You knew this was coming. Just last week I posted, "As the All Star game approaches and the losses mount I have begun to think about my next big gimmick. So if anyone can think of a wrestler from the 1980s or 90s that reminds them of a current Celtics player..." Maybe this is not your cup of tea. And it's a little played out at this point. But I spent more time on this last week than I did my job. Enjoy.

In his 3 professional seasons Tony Allen has become a bit of a tragic figure. He’s been derailed by 2 knee injuries and lived with the uncertainty of a looming assault trial. However, the former Oklahoma State standout has shown flashes of brilliance. His energetic approach is reminiscent of Koko B. Ware who formed one half of the tag team High Energy. Sadly Koko B. Ware never reached the apex of the WWF although the jury is still out on Allen. Finally, if any current Celtics player is going to show up for a game with a macaw it is Tony Allen.

In the WWF wrestlers on the rise often competed for the Intercontinental Title before getting their shot at the World Championship. Randy Savage and the Ultimate Warrior are two of many who followed that career path. However, not every wrestler makes the leap from the Intercontinental level. Similarly, it goes without saying, but not every player in the NBA can be a star. Ryan Gomes is a role player instead of a star. He has had some excellent stretches of basketball in his 2 pro seasons. This is in spite of the fact that Doc buried him on the bench for half of his rookie season and that he now hangs out on the perimeter even though he has a nose for rebounds and an effective post game that relies heavily on pump fakes. Gomes is reminiscent of an underrated WWF wrestler – Ricky Steamboat. Steamboat was a face for almost his entire career mainly because he was so likeable. Who doesn’t like Ryan Gomes? Outside of Jim Calhoun that is. Just as Steamboat was effective despite lacking the athletic prowess of some of his peers (Randy Savage and Jimmy Superfly Snuka) Gomes gets it done even though he is a tweener.

Even before Tony Allen’s season ended on a dunk gone wrong, Gerald Green had established himself as Boston’s resident high flier. And recently Green's reputation spread further through the Sprite Slam Dunk competition. Since I’ve been focusing mainly on the early 80s and 90s I have to compare Green to the highest flier of that era. With apologies to Randy Savage, it has to be Jimmy Superfly Snuka. This is thanks in large part to his Superfly Splash off of a steel cage in Madison Square Garden in October of 1983. You know what I’m talking about. But here’s the thing. Despite the way he is remembered Jimmy Superfly Snuka was never a major star in terms of bookings and championships. He had the potential but struggled with real life controversy and limited promo skills. Similarly Celtics fans are wondering what is in store for Gerald Green. He has all the potential. But is he more Harold Miner than Kobe Bryant? So while I’m fired up about Green’s dunk championship I hope it’s not the crowning achievement of his career.

Though he only started playing basketball at age 17 Michael Olowokandi joined Pacific’s squad, made one NCAA tournament, and skyrocketed to the top of the 1998 draft (some guy from Kansas went 10th). Unfortunately the Kandi Man never quite justified his draft position. Similarly Giant Gonzalez never lived up to big expectations. Though best remembered for his bizarre hairy muscle suit, there was a time, albeit a brief one, where he was a legitimate force in the WWF. I can still remember all of the hype surrounding his SummerSlam match with the Undertaker. However, the phenom easily dismantled Giant Gonzalez, effectively ending his career in the process.

It’s hard to remember now but there was a point where Doc's refusal to play Al Jefferson and Kendrick Perkins at the same time was a point of contention amongst Celtics fans. The argument against the pairing was that Jefferson benefited from playing with Ryan Gomes who unlike Perk did not have to play in the post and therefore could spread the defense. Numerous injuries and one epic losing streak later this seems like ancient history. And Big Al and Perk have actually seen some time together. Unfortunately the results have been inconclusive at best. This is due in large part to the plantar fasciitis that has dogged Perk all season. In fact Perkins has become one of the biggest question marks on the squad, as people are reluctant to evaluate his game without knowing how hurt he actually is. Regardless I’ve decided to stay positive here. I’m calling Al and Perk the Legion of Doom. Granted it’s probably foolish to compare the two Celtics big men to one of the greatest tag teams of all time. However, Perk and Al are still young – 22 and 21 respectively. I like to think they’re always hanging out, lifting weights, working on jump hooks with Clifford Ray, playing video games, hitting clubs, and so on. If they can improve defensively, grow more comfortable, and get a better understanding of the game they could be a pretty feared duo. Meanwhile, with Ratliff out and the Kandi Man sitting on the bench, Scalabrine is the other big man in the rotation. Think of him as the Droz of the group. That’s not a compliment. Finally, when the Knicks come to town on the 28th and Nate Robinson attacks Gerald Green (could happen) it would be great if Perk and Al took care of the former Washington star with the Doomsday Device.

I thought about this one for a week. In my wildly popular Celtics/Nintendo piece I argued that Pierce would be more Christian Okoye from Tecmo Super Bowl than Mario until he took the C’s to the next level. Obviously by the “next level” I meant the NBA finals and not an epic losing streak and altogether terrible year. Much of that has to do with Pierce’s foot injury, which has made it difficult for me to change my evaluation of Pierce. However, how many superstars can really do it on their own? Michael had Scottie. Larry and Magic played with several Hall of Famers. Shaq had Kobe and then Wade. Meanwhile Kevin Garnett, Allen Iverson, and a host of others have struggled to do it on their own. Long story short Pierce is legit and might need a little more help. So I’m going to compare The Truth to the Rock. Think about it. Pierce came into the league with a bit of a chip on his should after falling to 10th in the 98’ draft and won over Boston fans. He surpassed Antoine as the guy and eventually dragged the C’s to the Eastern Conference Finals. Overtime the team’s ceiling was evident, Ainge traded Walker, and it became somewhat difficult to be a fan of The Truth from about 2003-2005. However, in the 2005/2006 season Pierce turned it around and remains the centerpiece of the franchise. Similarly the Rock started out a face, turned heel in the Nation of Domination and later the Corporation, and ultimately became a face again before taking off to shoot movies. Furthermore, The Rock turned out to have a great sense of humor (think SNL and numerous promos for the WWF) just as Pierce has shown on FSN. Finally, while neither are the greatest stars of their respective industries, they’re both pretty damn good.

Powe through West tomorrow.