Top 10 AC Pro Wrestling Articles of 2006

10 - WWE, TNA, UFC: A Woman's Guide to Spike TV by Christine Cadena

If you are a woman who can't make heads or tails of the testosterote-fueled offerings on Spike TV, here is a simple guide. Men may find this article too simplistic, but not everyone follows these shows as closely as many of us do. I guess now we need someone to write:Golden Girls and The Nanny: A Man's Guide to Lifetime.

9 - Most Outrageous Wrestling Gimmicks by Evan Polisher

You can tell Polisher watched the WWE in the early 90s, since all of his choices are from that eras. Still, they are his picks, so who's to argue. That was a period that featured a lot of goofy gimmicks, like Repo Man; Papa Shango the voodoo priest; and The Mountie. I would like to see someone write similar articles focusing on the gimmicks of the 80s and the 2000s.

8 - Junk Science Detractors of the Sweaty Mat by Jetlag Democracy

I don't agree with a lot of what Jetlag says here, but it is an interesting article to read. He makes a good point that wrestling may contribute partially to teen violence (according to a study that Vince McMahon dismissed as "junk science"), but so do a lot of other things like Grand Theft Auto and bad parenting.

7 - The Dangers of Amateur Backyard Wrestling by Kate J. Chase

I had no idea there were 700 official backyard federations in the country. You know there have to be a lot more unofficial ones. You have to know that despite all the warnings from the WWE, kids are going to do this. In a perfect world, these kids wouldn't risk their livelihood for a cheap thrill, and the ones who are serious would go to a good wrestling school. Unfortunately, those schools cost a lot of money. Also, some wrestlers have gone from battling in the backyard to becoming successful, most notably Mick Foley and Matt & Jeff Hardy.

6 - A Look at the Best Wrestling Websites by Mustafa Samiullah

This is a great look at the wrestling world on the internet, which can often be a vast wasteland of misinformation and stolen news tips. Samiullah wisely puts The Wrestling Observer at the forefront, as it is the premier news source in wrestling. He concludes by giving props to my two favorites wrestling message boards, The Smart Marks and Death Valley Driver. One note, the article notes a lack of mixed martial arts (MMA) coverage on The Pro Wrestling Torch. Since the article came out, the Torch has launched a companion site for MMA news called mmatorch.com. 5 - The Top Five things you should know before attending a WWE live event by George Kouri

Checking out a WWE event can be expensive (although the author doesn't seem to think so), so it's important to maximize your enjoyment of the experience. Getting an aisle seat if you have vision problems is a good idea. So is watching out for the fireworks if you are sensitive to loud noises. Kouri's best advise is to take care of your snacks and potty break before the show if you are attending a TV taping.

4 - Why You Should Not Watch Extreme Championship Wrestling by Lee Andrew

That title makes me want to turn the TV on and watch ECW right now. Andrew actually wrote this article in response to Mike Steele's piece on why you should watch ECW. Andrew makes the point that the current ECW (which is run by the WWE) bears very little resemblance to the independent version that was so groundbreaking in the mid-90s. Mike Steele even wrote in to say he had become disillusioned with the new ECW and had stopped watching. My opinion: I really liked the original ECW, and I was fortunate enough to work (as an announcer) with a lot of the group's stars after ECW fell apart. With that said, I knew going in that it wouldn't be as outrageous as the original product. I'm just glad to see guys like Tommy Dreamer, Sandman, Sabu and Balls Mahoney get a good regular paycheck after all of the beating they have taken over the years. The new ECW has also been a great showcase for C.M. Punk, who toiled in the minors for a long time and is making the most of his opportunity.

3 - Ohio Valley Wrestling: The Minor League of the WWE by Kevin Mejean

Many people don't know the WWE has a minor league group. This is the most important small federation in the country because it (and Deep South Wrestling) are run by the parent country. The other independent federations may be better than OVW, but the wrestlers there are desperately trying to get noticed by WWE, while the OVW are noticed every week. Mejean gets extra points for telling us how much it costs to enroll in the OVW training school.

2 - WWE and the Mormon Wife by Sharon Cohen

This is a great article, detailing the real-life effects of marriage on TV viewing habits. First, Cohen and her husband miss their favorite shows to be together. Then, they allow each other a little down time so they can get their respective TV fixes. Finally, they are drawn together again to watch each other's shows. My wife and I have one TV in the house and we work such crazy hours that our TV time is our togetherness time. I'm still able to watch wrestling on tape or even on the computer when she falls asleep.

1 - The 22 Most Important Events in Pro Wrestling by Jon Scott

It will take you a while to read this article, but if you're a wrestling fan, it will bring back a lot of good memories. This is the kind of article that inspired some good debates about which moments should be ranked higher or lower. My picks for the top two events would be the Montreal Incident (which Scott ranks eighth) and the first episode of WCW Nitro (which Scott has at No. 5) .