The Boz Report
Respect Smith
by Jim Boz
This past year has been one of the greatest in St. LCW history; we have seen bloodshed, concussions, broken bones, bruises, sprains, falls and just plain hard work pay off for a number of people: Thanatos enjoyed a successful run as world champion, Hardcore Yorkie proved the doubters wrong, Dave Daniels tasted European gold for the first time and Boden added the commissionership to his impressive list of credentials, but there was a notable downside from years past: the lack of frequent in-ring participation by the Apocalypse Al Smith. We all know that Apocalypse has the ability but does he still possess the work ethic required to succeed in St. LCW? Let me elaborate and clarify, since Al�s arrival in St. LCW, his actions and hardened potential have made him one of the company�s top stars and there can be no denying that Smith has worked hard for the company in the past.
Amongst the list of evidence is Apocalypse�s now infamous year 2000 intercontinental title drop to Dave Daniels at the first annual Hell Freezes Over; there can be no doubt that for its time this match was a show stealer, additionally it had the memorable moment of Al being busted open. Furthermore, there is no doubt that Smith can still physically reach these heights but does he still have the perseverance and love for the business to re-capture former glories? The sad reality is that because of �other commitments� and all he has accomplished during his tenure in St. LCW (i.e. winning the Revolution tournament, winning the vacant world title at Double Jeopardy and defeating St. LCW great Moriarty at Hell Freezes Over 2001) Apocalypse may have lost his desire for success, you may say that I am over reacting, after all in the recent past Al�s record has been pretty darn good (defeating Se7en at Lost Souls and winning best match of Volume Ten in the process and defeating his former friend Sid Justice at Hell Freezes Over 2003).
However, the fact of the matter remains that the memories of the Smith of old sting his modern day attitude like iodine on a fresh wound; at one time it was hard to justify a reason why Apocalypse shouldn�t have the world title (because he, more than most people, deserved it), I remember telling friends and anyone who would listen that Al would have more world title reigns than Michael Jackson would have nose jobs. The guy was not only a marketable champion but he could also produce the quality of contests that were worthy of being called world championship matches, nevertheless, the question now becomes: have Smith�s two stints as world champion done him justice? In my opinion no! As far as I am concerned, Apocalypse still has the ability and longevity to top St. LCW once again.
But now that Al�s priorities have altered is it realistic to suggest that he could ever be world champion again, with him you never know, the recent additions to Smith�s r�sum� suggest that he can still defeat any St. LCW member on his day and thus should never lose our respect or admiration. Lest we forget, Apocalypse has amazed viewers with excellent matches, falls from great heights and battles with every major name in St. LCW, also (at the risk of overtaxing his achievements) Al has had one of the greatest matches in St. LCW history against Boden at Day of Reckoning. Anyone who saw that contest must have realised that Smith was a great worker; dropping his prestigious belt in the best possible way � in a classic match, thus, the Apocalypse Al Smith is an integral part of our history and for this reason alone he is entitled to our respect. |
