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Tough Enough Reunion Special
Original airdate: 6-6-02Everybody scoops Planet Buzz...
Both Tough Enough casts got together for an un-hyped, uneven and very unusual reunion special, which promised to reveal "where are they now" for our favorite and least-favorite wannabe contenders and answer the burning questions about what really happened during the taping.
Unfortunately, it didn't reveal anything that you couldn't learn from Chair Shots weeks ago and the burning questions were at best lukewarm.
With one noticeable exception: I present the first, probably last, Fanboy scoop to come from my corner: Hawk had an audition to play Colossus in X-Men 2.
(At least this is what he said. I take no responsibility for the veracity of his claims, especially not after he admitted that he's been medically diagnosed as having a split personality.) (Sarah and Goodson both get the scoop, as all internet movie sites today are going nuts with this news; nobody knew Colossus was in the script. I'm hoping he's just insane. -- Derek)
So where are they? Season 2's Matt, after leaving with a knee injury, received a developmental WWE contract this spring, and Paulina, also sidelined from Season 1 with an injury, has been with Ohio Valley Wrestling for a while now. No word on when we'll see them in WWE shows, but I'd look for them sooner rather than later.
Of course, Chris "Harvard" just showed up on Raw, a bit surprisingly. And here I respectfully disagree with Mr. Goodson; I think the snotty Harvard boy persona he's playing is perfectly in line with the natural persona he displayed on Tough Enough. And with that hair, he looks like he's taking over for Ryan O'Neal in a "Love Story" remake. He is a preppy asshole with a huge sense of entitlement; it's not just a character gimmick.
Season one's other runners-up, Taylor and Josh, are both wrestling on the indie circuit, as is "CK" (Christian). Greg, a clear front-runner who left with three herniated disks in his spine, has been wrestling since his surgery last year.
Jessie, Season 2's spunky little contestant, now has a job in the WWE Production Department.
The family way: Bobbi Jo, the potential Playmate from season 1, was not able to appear because she is about to have a baby. Jason, the first drop-out, is happily married to the woman he didn't want to leave behind for life on the road.
Tool Time, part 1: Darryl. Season 1. Wearing a "Misunderstood" t-shirt, and unlike my TV boyfriend Mick Foley's "Commissioner" shirt, Darryl is fully fat enough to render all the letters readable. He says he only ever wanted to be on MTV, which is why he was disrespectful and difficult. Tazz calls him on that crap, and Darryl stalks away like the petulant juvenile he is. (He returns from his hissyfit after the commercial break.)
Jake is so cool: Much of the night was given to "never-before-seen footage," though most of Season One's could be found on the DVD release. But Season Two's cutting room floor only proves how much of a character assassination the producers pulled on Jake. His verbal fights with Kenny, whether real or facetious, reveal a humor and charisma that he was never able to display in his promos.
Tool Time, part 2: Pete tried to reassure Jackie that there were no cameras watching them while they messed around in the hot tub. He also denied that he ever felt strongly about her, though the subsequent clips belied that right quick.
Say What? Alicia, Jessie's white-trash nemesis, expelled a lot of hot air and effort calling Jessie a drama queen. "I do not like drama at all," she claimed. Uh huh. Aaron (Season 2) also tried to defend his crappy performance and early cut, but Al Snow wouldn't let him get a word in edgewise. Robert (Season 2) didn't think there would be so much running involved in the training.
Who's Tougher? Harvard Chris says that the first season was much tougher because they were all on completely unfamiliar territory, while the second cast could have learned a lot of lessons by watching what their training was like. Pete retaliates that the second season was harder, solely because of Optimum Fitness (the beach confidence course). The special ended with Season 1's Jason arm-wrestling Season 2's Matt, with Matt the ultimate winner.
Here's to seeing Jake join the other "losers" in development, and to hearing how well Hawk can do a Russian accent!
