When speaking of Triple H, I frequently bring up the year that he destroyed Rob Van Dam, Kane, and Booker T. I just feel that it's a footnote in The Game's resume that can't be overlooked. 9 times out of 10, when Triple H has had the chance to make a new superstar, he's balked.
Recently the UK's Power Slam magazine had a chance to ask RVD about HHH. His answers were very interesting:
UKS: Is it true you had problems with Triple H when you worked for WWE?
RVD: Problems? I had problems liking him. I had problems feeling compatible with him on any other level other than the fact that we're both wrestlers. He would be one of the last guys you would see sharing a car with me. If we weren't both wrestlers, I doubt I'd have anything in common with him.
UKS: There were a few occasions -- Unforgiven 2002 springs to mind -- when it seemed like the perfect time for you to defeat Triple H. After he attacked and beat you down on the September 16, 2002 Raw, you sought revenge in a singles bout at Unforgiven six days later. A win there would have been a tremendous boon for you. Meanwhile, a loss for HHH would have done his status no harm at all. As it turned out, HHH won by pinfall. It seemed like he cut you off.
RVD: Well, I don't disagree with you. And that's why I'm glad my career is caught on videotape and DVD, so the fans can watch what happened in my career and say it all for me, like you just did.
UKS: You've nothing further to add about HHH?
RVD: When you're watching RVD TV (his online TV show), don't look for HHH to be in Rob Van Dam's house.
You can't blame Rob for feeling the way he does, as Triple H is solely responsible for the fact that Rob is not looked at as a legit main eventer, but instead a second tier guy. However, with this interview, old Robbie V may have just signed a verbal contract never to return to the WWE again.
Below is a stop motion animation I found that pretty much sums up every encounter these two have ever had:
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Thursday, November 29, 2007
Initialed Enemies?
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
Save_Us.TNA
Solve the following analogy. If Raw is Jericho, then Impact is ______.
Multiple adjectives can describe TNA right now. The one that came to my mind personally is terrible. Oh, here come the smarks. “How can a 411 writer say TNA is bad?”
I am not the type of fan to forgive an entire wrestling company just because they throw out a decent match now and then. Especially when every decent match ends in some type of screwjob bullcrap ending.
I talked two weeks ago about the possibility of TNA getting an outlet on CBS in leiu of the Hollywood writers strike. I am hearing rumblings of that being more and more plausible. My concern is that the company is nowhere near ready for that type of audience. There are a number of reasons I find TNA hard to watch. Here they are, in no particular order.Teaser
Abyss: Abyss should be a major part of TNA. He has flirted with that role many times since the inception of TNA, and has proven himself as one of the best working big men in the business. So when will his feud with Jim Mitchell’s never-ending parade of wrestling misfits finally be over?
Kurt Angle: Without doubt, Kurt Angle is a great in-ring competitor. However, without the WWE handcuffs on him, he has somehow gotten worse. The storylines run continuously teasing tension between him, his wife, and Kevin Nash were ridiculous to follow. The break up to make up to break up to make up storyline was far from interesting. Angle is interesting in that he is the only WWE reject in TNA that actually would have benefitted from getting a chance to be put under on the way out. There is something about Angle that seperates him from guys like Booker T, Christian Cage, and Jeff Jarrett. Angle might actually be a bit too big of a star for TNA, as the list of truly believable contenders is very short.
Black Reign: Black Reign has been more than dissapointing to me. Each and everytime Goldust is released from the WWE, I get upset. I never understand why. He is typically over and works had to put on a good midcard match. Obviously he is more valuable than Hardcore Holly, and to be honest, he would make a much more interesting component in that Cody Rhodes respect storyline as well. Everytime Runnels gets out from the WWE umbrella, he ends up doing something lame. I would much rather have seen the rumored Platinum character than Black Reign. Black Reign is lame.
The Dudley Boyz: You ever notice that no matter how long Billy Gunn and the Dudleys are in TNA, people still refer to them as Billy Gunn and the Dudley Boys. The proposed Deadly Brothers of Brother Ray and D-Von Deadly was much more interesting to me. Brother Ray tried to do comedy wanting ding dongs last week on Impact, but like every other promo on Impact, it came off terrible. Why can’t these guys talk anymore? The whole X Division angle is retread, and there is really no interesting payoff for it.
Christian Cage: Cage is stuck in the same rut he was in the WWE. After a few successful title reigns, new additions to the TNA roster have him stuck in limbo. Everyone recognizes that the guy is talented, but he somehow manages to position himself right in the middle. Cage and Booker really both have a responsibility to one another to steal the show and make each other if either want to be viewed as a legitimate contender to Angle.
Christopher Daniels: Well, that stupid eye paint didn’t do a whole lot for his career, now did it? Daniels is stuck between a rock and a hard place. He will never break through the TNA glass ceiling. For those that argue the X division title is enough to elevate stars to the next level, look no further than Daniels as proof that you are an idiot. He could hold the belt for 20 years, and it won’t do shit for him in the 21st. Daniels is too good to be in Triple X, but not even considered to compete with the real TNA main eventers. A shame really.
Chris Harris: How did TNA miss the ball with this guy? Oh, the same way they did with Monty Brown? Take note Samoa Joe, because this is the road you are most likely headed down. Wrestling fans are fickle, and they can forget you quick. There was a time when the TNA faithful really wanted to see this guy break out. Now he is stuck in the worthless TNA midcard after being responsible for many of the companies best matches and feuds. His gimmick is that he’s a whiny bitch? What will that do for him? Like so many others, TNA missed the boat on making this guy into a star that people would want to see.
Havok: Who gives a crap about Havok?
Sonjay Dutt: Who gives a crap about Sonjay Dutt?
Lance Hoyt: Who gives a crap about Lance Hoyt?
Jimmy Rave: Who gives a crap about Jimmy Rave?
Shark Boy: Who gives a crap about Shark Boy?
Elix Skipper: Who gives a crap about Elix Skipper?
LAX: At one time the hottest tag team in all of wrestling, what are they now? Glorified job squad. Why are these guys getting beat by Lance Hoyt and Jimmy Rave? They should have the belts until there is a better team. Quite frankly, there isn’t. However, an LAX/Motorcity Machine Guns feud would be fun to watch. Can’t have that though can we?
VKM: These two frankly shouldn’t have jobs. I wanted a New Age Outlaws reunion as much as anyone, and these guys couldn’t have done more to make it any lamer. First The Outlaw changes his name so he can be some kind of butt buddy brother of ol’ BG, then they obsess over their past glory for year, and are made to look like total assholes. Are they heels or faces? I don’t know and I don’t care. They have no upside without the whole New Age Outlaws schtick. I’d rather here Road Dogg sing “With my baby tonight”
Kazarian: I’m all for elevating new guys, but Kaz? Seriously? Kaz? Kaz? I’m sorry, but I just can’t believe this. The dude leaves TNA for WWE, then leaves WWE cause he doesn’t want to cut his hair or some dumb shit like that. He’s in a weak-ass Raven stable, but then his character is so “strong” that he breaks out. Then he wins that pointless fight for your right tournament, and loses to Angle in the Impact Main Event. Did any of the fans pop for him? Did anyone really care when he lost? Would anyone honestly want Kaz as their World Champion? The guy has no personality, his character isn’t developed at all, and somehow he leapfrogs Christopher Daniels to this role. Frankly, TNA didn’t make a new star when they did all this for Kazarian. It was too much, too soon, for the wrong guy. Fans will continue to be underwhelmed by Kaz’s lame-o character, regardless of the fact that he can put out a decent match. Being “this close” to beating Kurt Angle on Impact for Kazarian is as good as being “this close” in horseshoes. It didn’t do half of what Shelton Benjamin’s wins over Triple H did for him years ago, and look where Shelton is now. This time next year, Kazarian will either be gone from TNA or in a shitty X Division tag team. You read it here first. People wanted to see Daniels, Joe, and Monty Brown break the glass ceiling. People didn’t want to see Kazarian do it.
Ron Killings: Every time this dude gets a rebirth, someone pulls the rug out from under him. He’s relatively worthless now that Booker T has arrived back in the Booker T character. I worry about Booker T, because frankly something smells racist down in TNA. Monty Brown should have held a World Title there, and Ron Killings should have kept his momentum as a main eventer. Makes me think Booker T will be wrestling Shark Boy on Xplosion in a year.
Kevin Nash and Scott Hall: No one likes to mark out for these guys more than me, but it’s a bit hard when Nash looks older than my grandpa, and Scott Hall is looking all bloated in his lame ICP t-shirt. Nash never seems to give a damn about TNA, and the same goes for many of the people that TNA brings in. Did Junior Fatu care? Enough to compare the company to WWE, and then call Robert Roode “Ravishing Rick Rude” and a Jabroni. Nash treats the most serious aspects of the show as though they were a joke. Die your hair and give a damn, or give up your spot. You were fine as backstage comic relief, but you are back as a main event wrestler now. Stomp making faces at the camera and act like it.
Raven: What left is there for Raven in TNA honestly? More contrived gimmick matches with Abyss and Rhino? He most certainly shouldn’t be a World Champion again. I think it’s time that Raven either resigns himself to being strictly a manager or just calls it a day. The same tired rehash of the dark characters storyline is really testing my patience. Rather than have a flock that follows Raven, Raven needs to serve as a true guide to someone with a half decent dark gimmick, and Raven has to teach him the ways of the dark.
Rellik: Cool mask, cool tights, cool that he jobbed on his first night. Oh wait, that last part is not cool. I am not trying to say that Johnny the Bull was going to make a ton of money in this role, but he sure had his legs cut out from under him. Teaming with Black Reign he can’t even beat Abyss. That sure gives you something to be excited about for the future. This is a huge problem in TNA. Right at the most critical points to give new talent wins, they job them out. It’s like they have the right idea right up until the finish. Hell, it’s amazing that Rellik had a chance to job on TNA without 50 dudes running in.
Rhino: Ah, that midcard slot is beginning to feel more comfortable isn’t it? There are many more familiar faces in it. TNA Rhino is a lame version of WWE Rhino is a lame version of ECW Rhino. This dude is just a shell of any former self and anything interesting. They keep magically finding stuff for him to do, but I actually kind of wish they’d stop.
Robert Roode: Here’s a guy they can’t find anything for. Roode has no title that he actually can contend for, so he is stuck in feud limbo. There are other guys with him. Chris Harris and James Storm for instance. Roode is not even considered for a spot in TNA main events, although fucking Kaz is. Roode is above the X title, so what can he do? Feud with his valet. Pathetic waste of talent. I’d love to see this dude show up on Raw and take the IC title right out of Jeff Hardy’s rainbow-stained hands.
Petey Williams: This one trick pony is tricked out. Every since turning babyface, it’s been all downhill for Mr. Williams. Too bad Team Canada isn’t still together to give you some purpose, eh Petey?
Eric Young: Pudgy Eric Young somehow made himself the most over babyface in the company, but TNA did a good job of teaming him with Shark Boy and putting a stop to all that. Way to go bookers.
Knockouts: Frankly there are two women in TNA that anyone cares about Traci Brooks because she is hot, and Awesome Kong because she is, well, awesome.Gail Kim may be a fantastic women’s wrestler, but she is boring. The rest of the Knockouts aren’t even really worth mentioning, unless I want to mention how beautiful Talia Madison (Velvet Sky) is. The problem with the division is that despite the fact that they are outwrestling the WWE divas by leaps and bounds, no one cares about the participants, because they all came in at once with no character development. There are fans who hate Melina and Beth Phoenix and love Maria and Mickie James. Maria can’t wrestle worth a lick, but she is probably a more valuable asset right now, unfortunately. TNA, if you are trying to push the division, push the components of it, not the division in its entirety.
Jeremy Borash, Don West, Mike Tenay: All three of you are terrible in your respective roles. Period.
TNA is supposed to serve as an alternative to the WWE, but it’s greatest miscue is that it’s the same damn show. You might as well call it fourth brand.So what is a wrestling company to do?
First off, trim the fat. A wrestling company with a 2 hour show once a week has no reason to have that large of a roster. Point blank Black Reign, Sonjay Dutt, Havok, Lance Hoyt, B.G. James, Kip James, Jimmy Rave, Raven, Rellik, Rhino, Shark Boy, Elix Skipper, Petey Williams, and Eric Young add nothing to your company at the moment. Most of them show little to no upside value either. Set them free.
A few weeks back I talked about wrestling’s current crop of free agents. TNA should be looking currently to get their hands on the following guys:
Mistico: Mexico’s biggest star could do good to get away from his home country. The overexposure of Mistico was brought to my attention by my colleauge Nikita Allenov. The guy is like a bigger Rey Mysterio, and he has some moves that are more impressive than old Rey Rey.
Rob Van Dam: The only legit main eventer that TNA can probably afford, because I know Big Show is gonna expect a giant paycheck. RVD chose to leave the WWE. If he is in the market for a lighter schedule when he decides to return, it would be a huge feather in TNA’s cap.
Giant Bernard: Say what you will, I was a huge mark for Doc and Gordy, and Tomko and Bernard are the closest we have to it now. I wouldn’t mind seeing Tomko turn on AJ, AJ become a babyface again, and team with Christopher Daniels against the monster IWGP tag team champions. It books itself, and I bet the matches would be awesome.
Vampiro: If they want to insist on running the same damn storyline with Sting, Abyss, Raven, and whoever else, bring this guy in to do it. Make Vampiro so dark that he kills off the lesser characters involved, until only he, Sting, and Abyss remain.
Bring back the Bashams. For the love of God, you think Hoyt and Rave are better than Doug Basham? I will apparantely have to go to my grave insisting that these two guys were better than anything they ever got from any promotion other than OVW. Release Hoyt, Rave, and Hemme, and let these two tear up in tag matches with LAX. It’s a simple formula.
The Sandman: Novelty character? Sure. But Sandman was over when he was released from WWE, and TNA should milk everything they can get out of that. Keep the same cuffs on the Sandman that the WWE had on him, but give him a cover of Enter Sandman as his music, and you have an insanely over midcarder.
Cryme Tyme: Here we go. The hate mail cometh. How dare I say bad things about Kaz and put over these two? Well, easy. These two got over. The Cryme Tyme name was retarded, so these are two guys that TNA can actually look good by signing, because instead of a crappy rehash, they can do better. TNA is the only place where tag team wrestling lives, so let it live. TNA wants to be an alternative? How about Shad and JTG cut shoot-style promos about how they were forced by racists to portray a negative stereotype.
As long as we are talking tag teams, what if La Resistance returned as a three-man stable. Dupree and Grenier as the tag team, Conway as the singles wrestler. What if they feuded with a revamped LAX, with Homicide and Senshi as the tag team, and Hernandez as the break out singles star? Hmmm…
While we are on the subject of revamping TNA, get rid of the X division. This is controversial, I know. Months ago, I was arguing for them to keep it. Why? It is what gave them an identity as being separate from the WWE. Now, it is just the same as the WWE cruiserweight division. You still have Daniels, Lethal, Homicide, Senshi, AJ, and others who can work the X style; you just don’t need a specific belt for them. All the dudes we cared about have moved past it: Daniels, Styles, Sabin, Shelley… Who is left? Dutt, Shark Boy…
Keep Black Machismo under contract, but make him compete at a higher level. Why? Because you have Robert Roode, Chris Harris, James Storm, Rhino, Ron Killings, Kazarian, Christian, and others with nothing to do while guys like Angle and Sting keep the World Title warm.
Roode, Daniels, Harris, and others have not been able to be properly elevated because of the lack of a secondary title. Remember how Bret Hart, Mr. Perfect, and Shawn Michaels were elevated through the Intercontinental title. Frankly, this would be more valuable to TNA right now than an X division title belt. Former champions can then move into the main event and be accepted properly. Guys like Roode need some type of purpose, other than getting into pointless feud after pointless feud forever and ever.
Another thing: Stop booking change for the sake of change. Heel LAX, AMW, and Team Canada were the best things you ever did to make new stars. Now the Team Canada guys are all floundering. Notice how WWE split the Spirit Squad and kept the one stand out? You needed to break Roode off from the group, and leave the rest in tact. You also shouldn’t have cut the legs out of LAX and jobbed them out each week, as they were the hottest stars in your company that weren’t from the old WCW or WWE. AMW might have run its course, but there is no point breaking them up if you are not going to push either member. They put on a fantastic feud with one another, and get rewarded by having nothing left to do afterwards. Since you decided to break them up, at least one of them should be better off now than they were then.
Just because TNA sneaks in one good match in between hours and hours of total bullcrap, don’t let yourself be convinced that it’s this awesome alternative product. The storylines are nonsensical, the promos are self-serving, and most of the characters are floating in purgatory with nothing to do.
Here’s some mail on Last Week’s Article:
Jadd Naamani offered the following on a Legends of Wrestling game:
Just wanted to commend you on your legends list for a hypothetical Smackdown Vs Raw 2008 roster. I actually posted a message on one of the SvR 08 message boards talking about how they should make a game full of legends (better than Legends of Wrestling that came out before – that franchise sucked), and we named a lot of the same legends to appear. Here’s the post I had:
I've been pretty happy with the Legends in the last 2 SvR games, but I was thinking...it'd be SICK if someone created a game with old school wrestlers (and yes I know they had Legends of Wrestling 1&2, but they both sucked and you know it).
But put in other wrestlers than the usual Hogan/Rock/Austin/Foley deal.
How bout Arn Anderson, the surfer Sting, Vader, Ron Simmons, Magnum TA, Ted DiBiase, IRS, OWEN HART, British Bulldog, Yokozuna, Lex Luger, Barry Windham, Psycho Sid, Diesel, Razor, The Rockers, LOD, Tracey Smothers and that dude he teamed with, The Fabulous Freebirds, Tully Blanchard, Warrior, Rock n Roll Express, Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes (before Golddust/Reign), BRIAN PILLMAN (or the Hollywood Blondes)
I'm talking wrestlers from back in the hay-day of wrestling. The old school people we loved to watch and loved to hate -- now THAT'S a game I would TOTALLY buy.
Just found it remotely cool that I thought of a list that was similar to a 411 writer.
Jeremy Addison clarified the Smackdown vs. Raw 2008 Roster
Yo dude,
A good column as always. Just wanted to give you a few facts on SVR 2008. I picked it up last night.
Your dream roster?
1. Shelton Benjamin-NO
2. Lance Cade-NO
3. Carlito-YES
4. Charlie Haas-NO
5. Jeff Hardy-YES
6. Brian Kendrick-NO
7. Mr. Kennedy-YES
8. Santino Marella-NO
9. Paul London-NO
10. Shawn Michael-YES
11. Trevor Murdoch-NO
12. Randy Orton-YES
13. Cody Rhodes-NO
14. Snitsky-YES
15. Triple H-YES
16. Umaga-YES
17. Chris Jericho (Unlockable)-NO
18. John Cena-YES
19. Bobby Lashley-YES
20. DH Smith-NO
21. Val Venis -NO
22. Batista-YES
23. Deuce-NO
24. Domino-NO
25. Kenny Dykstra-YES
26. Finlay-YES
27. The Great Khali-YES
28. Matt Hardy-YES
29. Mark Henry -YES
30. Kane-YES
31. Rey Mysterio-YES
32. Jamie Noble-NO
33. Chuck Palumbo-NO
34. MVP-YES
35. The Undertaker-YES
36. Jimmy Wang Yang-NO
37. Edge-YES
38. Ric Flair-YES
39. Chavo Guerrero-YES
40. Gregory Helms -YES
41. Big Daddy V-NO
42. Elijah Burke-YES
43. CM Punk-YES
44. Tommy Dreamer-YES
45. John Morrison-YES but he is still Johnny Nitro
46. The Miz-NO
47. The Boogeyman-SORRY CAN’T REMEMBER
48. Stevie Richards-NO
49. Matt Striker-NO
50. Kevin Thorn -NO
Notable New Legends:
Terry Funk
Sabu
Hope this doesn’t dissuade you from buying the game. The graphics are top notch and there are several new interesting features. My only initial disappointment was that during the career mode there are only 19 selectable wrestlers you can use.
Peace
It doesn’t dissuade me at all Jeremy. I didn’t expect what I wrote to be on the game. I just thought it would be a sweet roster.
Watch the Bashams on Velocity:
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Tuesday, September 18, 2007
A Suitable WWE Alternative: The McMahon Plan to Put TNA Out of Business
CM Punk is a World Heavyweight Champion. Regardless of what brand he is a champion of or the circumstances surrounding his win, at the end of the day CM Punk has a World Heavyweight Title around his waist.
Is that enough to satiate the ever-critical Internet Wrestling Community? Likely not.
Is it enough to get more fans watching the ECW brand? Probably still likely not.
Much like Samoa Joe, CM Punk lost the payoff match that would have made his title reign significant. Due to a wellness policy suspension, he is afforded the luxury of keeping the belt warm for the impending return of John Morrison. This makes him a glorified Ronnie Garvin in the annals of wrestling history.
Punk's title win came at a TV taping, and was spoiled on WWE.com before it aired on the poorly rated ECW on Sci-Fi.
The WWECW experiment has been an interesting one to say the least. Beginning with Rob Van Dam's title run, the brand has experienced nothing but issues. It's hard to determine what WWE's actual plans were for the brand, as additions of RVD, Kurt Angle, and the Big Show imply that they expected the brand to draw on it's own.
All three of those aforementioned wrestlers are gone. Bobby Lashley took the ball, but when he ran with it, he often ended up on the Raw brand. Lashley was removed from ECW and stripped of the World title, but fans kept hope with the announcement that Chris Benoit would be putting on fantastic matches with young athletic workers. We obviously all know how that turned out.
Outside of Morrison and Punk, the supporting cast of ECW wrestlers is a veritable who's who of wrestling jobbers as ECW originals Balls Mahoney, Nunzio, and Tommy Dreamer haven't won a match in recent memory. Wrestlers receiving half-pushes like Stevie Richards, Kevin Thorn, The Miz, and Big Daddy V are hardly anything to get excited about.
This leads to the ECW World Heavyweight title having a feeling of being more on par with Raw's Intercontinental title or Smackdown's United States title.
TNA on the other hand has somehow been able to keep the big belt feel around their World Heavyweight Title. Kurt Angle, Sting, Christian Cage, Samoa Joe and others have all been built to be legit title contenders.
Despite the fact that the logic of having Kurt Angle lose clean to Jay Lethal to return and defeat Abyss is seriously flawed, the belt itself only moderately suffers. The main argument of most wrestling fans would be that Lethal should now be considered the number one contender. I agree, but would rather personally not see Angle squash Black Machismo to get his heat back.
Still, TNA has it's own fatal flaw. TNA's purpose in the wrestling game is to provide an alternative to the WWE. When I started watching wrestling in 1989, the NWA/WCW provided a suitable alternative with a different and often superior in-ring product.
Years later, when WCW acquired Hulk Hogan and other former WWE stars and looked, sounded, and felt more like their competitor, Extreme Championship Wrestling stepped up and truly did something unique in the world of wrestling, blending world class grapplers, unique high flyers, and hardcore wrestling.
Since the original ECW folded, many have come and tried to rekindle the magic. XPW and CZW have appealed to a specific type of fan, but they have been unable to capture the imaginations of America the way ECW did. One might suggest that they're overboard tactics and sort of lower class, if not dirty, feel has a lot to do with their lack of mainstream marketability. If ECW was comparable to edgy magazine Playboy, XPW and CZW are BSDM specialty mags.
Undoubtedly, pro wrestling fans have been looking for something new and different. For some fans, this is found in Ring of Honor. To make another analogy, if WWE were beer, ECW is WWE Lite, and TNA is WWE Ultra Lite. Ring of Honor is Natty Light. Cheaper, but at least it tastes a bit different. Fans are looking for a Miller to compete with their Bud, and have been since the dissolution of WCW and the original ECW years ago.
With TNA shoving VKM, Black Reign, Rhino, Team 3D, and various other WWE rejects down the collective throats of their fans, it has appeared at times that they might get rid of the X Division entirely. Obviously the TNA brass doesn't understand what brought them to the dance.
So why doesn't a millionaire-wrestling mogul like Vince McMahon understand that there is a demographic he is not reaching? After all, there is a great deal more money to be made.
Jim Ross has recently stated in his Barbeque Blog that "ECW is still a work in progress and the final form it eventually takes could be termed as ‘still to be determined.' I am not a major fan of a weekly hardcore or extreme rules match because they cease being special if one sees them every week and these matches increase the odds of a wrestlers getting injured. With the overall lack of quality depth available, injuries should be avoided when they can."
While many fans cannot accept this, I am perfectly fine with it. I grew tired of WWE style hardcore matches, and I detested watching bums attempt to recreate and outdo them on the Indy circuit. I don't want anyone to get seriously injured for my dollar. That is not why I am a wrestling fan.
So what can the WWE do to reinvigorate the ECW brand and provide the alternative that TNA is failing to be, essentially shutting them out of the market entirely?
Well, the first step is to get a deal for ECW to move to a different network. ECW is handcuffed by their Sci-Fi affiliation, as characters like The Boogeyman and Kevin Thorn must be there to grab any type of crossover audience from the network itself.
If ECW could score a deal with FSN, FX, or another network with a more general theme and a larger audience, it would benefit them greatly. I personally am unable to watch ECW on the television in my room, because we only get digital cable on one TV in the household.
The second move would be straight to Thursday nights to compete directly with Total Nonstop Action Impact! What is a bigger slap in the face than to send your third and lesser brand into direct competition with your rival? Writers and wrestlers would both be expected to step up their performance.
The next step is to introduce a Women's Championship to Smackdown. This will undoubtedly be the most controversial point. However, Victoria is on the brand, and she is undoubtedly the most talented wrestling diva in the company. She would like to see a belt there, and I would like to be her unconditional love slave. Therefore, what Victoria wants, Victoria gets.
Plus, this opens up the option of taking the Cruiserweight title off of Smackdown and moving it to ECW. Along with the title, any wrestler from any brand who is considered a cruiserweight should be moved as well. This would place Daivari, Santino Marella, Super Crazy, Funaki, Chavo Guerrero, Shannon Moore, and Jamie Noble all on the ECW brand.
Cruiserweight title matches would be contested under a highflying, hard-hitting cruiserweight style. One huge difference between WWE and TNA is TNA lets their X Division separate itself from the rest of the program, while WWE essentially has smaller guys working a heavyweight style for a cruiserweight title.
Other wrestlers who might be considered for movement to the ECW brand depending on their storyline involvement on their respective brands would be the Hardyz, Rey Mysterio, and Kenny Dykstra. These men would be ECW World Title contenders.
The ECW World Heavyweight title would only be contested under extreme rules, which can mean as much or as little as the performers involved want it to mean. There was a great difference between Jerry Lynn/RVD matches and Tommy Dreamer/Raven matches in the old ECW. Still, it gives wrestlers the option of pushing the envelope in matches where it would be worthwhile to do so, i.e. World Heavyweight title matches.
Now that pay-per-views are tri-branded again, the ECW brand would actually be set apart and provide one or two unique and exciting matches for each.
All members of the ECW roster should wrestle with a hardcore mentality. This does not necessarily mean Extreme Rules. Kurt Angle's intensity upon joining the ECW brand, and Big Show's attempt to work a different style and use a new move set while in ECW were fantastic examples of what I mean. Hardcore doesn't necessarily mean going through a table. It's about wrestlers pushing themselves to the limit.
It's likely that a reworked ECW could destroy TNA's market share, as WWE would provide a suitable alternative themselves. If done correctly and given a more legit feel, it may also attract some of the ever-growing MMA audience.
Without a doubt, it would increase ratings, increase merchandise sales, and give fans a reason to once again chant ECW, ECW, ECW!
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Thursday, May 17, 2007
It’s All About the Wrestling: The Brothers Steiner, RVD, the Walls of Jericho, TNA Gold and What About a Diet?
At this past Sunday’s TNA pay-per-view, Sacrifice, the dog faced gremlin resurfaced. Rick Steiner came to the defense of his brother Scott and it seems like he might be around for a little while. The pair will have a match against current TNA tag champs, Team 3D, on next week’s Impact and rumors are swirling that they will have another match at the upcoming June pay-per-view, Slammiversary. Bringing Rick in only helps the TNA tag division, which has been struggling over the past few months.
Rick also helps out his brother the Genetic Freak. Scott seems to have a new commitment to wrestling but is still at his best with a partner and he has always worked well with his brother. The Steiner Brothers are a storied wrestling team and while some may see this as TNA trying to recreate the past, I only see good things for the future. It’s about the wrestling and the brothers do that quite well.
Someone else who does wrestling quite well is Rob Van Dam. RVD recently rejected a WWE contract proposal and the WWE has now released him. His no compete clause in his contract prevents him from joining TNA immediately but it is thought that he wants to take off the summer anyway. Could RVD be coming to TNA this fall? It’s very possible, especially considering TNA’s relaxed schedule.
In addition to RVD being released the WWE has also released Sabu. It is thought he will be making his way to TNA. If both men sign on to TNA it is thought that they would begin feuding right away. Their possible additions add a lot of talent and experience to an already loaded roster.
If
Finally, what the hell has happened to Raven? The guy was one of my favorite wrestlers from ECW and while his ridiculous gimmick over the last few months, with Serotonin, has been odd I was OK with it. That is until he came out to the ring on Impact, looking like a tattooed version of the Pillsbury Dough Boy. I’m having a terrible vision of a giant sized, shirtless Raven walking through the streets of
As always you can e-mail me with your questions, comments and flames at pwp.chris@gmail.com. I’ll catch you next week.
More on This Story...Wednesday, April 04, 2007
Lashley Backlash? Will His Biggest Win Become His Biggest Regret?
Reposted from Volume 13 of The Wrestler.
By Brady Hicks
It seemed like the crowning achievement of a very young career. Newest ECW star Bobby Lashley—in his first title match since joining the brand—speared ECW champion The Big Show and made the pin. The fans in attendance at the James Brown Arena in Augusta, Georgia, came alive, realizing they had witnessed history. And Lashley, with a smile on his face and a new title belt, looked as if he had just conquered the world.
He finally won a big one: the ECW heavyweight title. And Lashley hadn’t just defeated The Big Show, he had also outlasted four other stars—including Hardcore Holly, C.M. Punk, Test, and Rob Van Dam—in the “Extreme Elimination Chamber” at December to Dismember. To nearly everyone in attendance, it seemed that Lashley had made the right decision leaving Smackdown, where he had been running in place for about a year, never really making a good name for himself, and always coming up short in the few World title opportunities that had been given to him.
“I’ve talked with him about this before. It’s a disagreement we’ve shared for a long time,” said Chris Benoit, who mentored Lashley during his time on Smackdown. “In Lashley, I see youth and determination and a whole lot of strength. But I also see over-anxiousness. Bobby Lashley just loves to jump into the deep end for everything he gets involved in. It’s just his personality. He thinks his time is now and thinks he is invulnerable to all of the shortfalls that have derailed all of those young guns before him. Even though Bobby won the ECW championship right out of the gate, I think it may be too much, too soon for him.”
Many insiders agree with Benoit. They say Lashley is far from fully developed as a wrestler. His inexperience didn’t prevent him from beating some mid-card talent or even lucking his way into a title belt or two by catching opponents by surprise. There is also fear he will start to believe his own hype. “I’ve seen it many times, where a young wrestler develops some sort of a ‘false reality’ as to how good he really is,” said Matt Hardy, another of Lashley’s backstage friends on Smackdown. “I worry for him that by achieving the successes that he has this early in his career, that it could actually harm him in the long run.”
In other sports, they call it “peaking too early.” In wrestling, it has spelled many a long, frustrating period for those who achieved too much, too soon in their careers. For every Tom Brady to step off the bench late in the season and unexpectedly help his team win the Super Bowl, there is a story of an athlete who sets a goal for himself, achieves it early in his career, and founders from that point forward. And many of Lashley’s peers feel his early success in ECW could also potentially signal the end of his effectiveness.
By beating an injured Big Show so easily, Lashley may assume that titles, fame, and marketability are all within his reach. He may assume that these successes are just the beginning for what is to be a long and prolific career.
Lashley’s inexperience continued to be a factor until he switched from Smackdown to ECW. During the King of the Ring tournament, that inexperience caused him to lose his temper against Booker T, who went on to win the crown and cape. It caused him to lose the U.S. title to a physically inferior but more experienced Finlay. And—most recently—it cost him at No Mercy when he seemed more consumed with showing up Batista than actually winning the Smackdown World championship.
Fortunately, there is no solid evidence that Lashley will become the latest victim of his own success. He enjoyed a considerable amount of success before becoming a pro wrestler. When Lashley attended Missouri Valley College, he was able to win national wrestling championships in 1996, 1997, and 1998 after placing fourth in the U.S. during his first try in 1995. Throughout 1997 and 1998, Lashley was the NAIA National Wrestling champion and later became a champion in the U.S. Army.
Even after entering pro wrestling, Lashley pinned former Smackdown World champion John Bradshaw Layfield to win the U.S. title only eight months into his run on Smackdown. Lashley has shown an ability to cope with success in the past, but he has never experienced such high-profile success as his ECW title victory. Will it be too much for the young man?
“One thing’s for sure: You have to admire the kid’s guts,” said Tommy Dreamer. “He set a goal for himself, and he went out and achieved it. And he was able to do so very quickly, too. That doesn’t mean that he’s finished developing as a wrestler. It just means that he was fortunate enough to bring home a title belt in spite of all that he still has to learn.”
Unfortunately for the ECW champion, enjoying success before gaining experience can be a dangerous thing. But, if anyone is up to the task, it just may be Lashley.
More on This Story...Friday, October 20, 2006
Game Over: At Whose Expense?
The road to the top for Triple H was a long one. Under the downright abysmal pun name of Terra Ryzing, he made his way from the independent scene into World Championship Wrestling. After a fairly unforgettable run wrestling on WCW Saturday Night, he was lucky enough to find a spot on the WWE roster. The Greenwich Snob, Hunter Hearst Helmsley certainly didn't have an easy climb to the top, but he eventually made it there, and upon his arrival he unleashed a reign of "Terra" that has prevented more than one superstar from "Ryzing." His latest victim however, baffles the mind.
Triple H effectively destroyed the credibility of Rob Van Dam, Kane, and Booker T in 2002. Time heals all wounds, however, and Rob Van Dam and Booker T both have been positioned into World Heavyweight Championship roles in 2006. Possibly Kane will get a chance to run with the ball for more than a day as well.
However, the latest victim of the Cerebral Assassin might not be so lucky. On the August 28th edition of WWE RAW, Triple H and Shawn Michaels were slated to face mystery opponents. A little over a week removed from overcoming five members of the Spirit Squad, Ken Kennedy, William Regal, Fit Finlay, ECW World Champion The Big Show, Umaga, and both McMahon's at Summerslam, DX was unreasonably on top of the world.
Despite the fact that the McMahon/DX angle had more than run it's course, and most agree that the reunion of Degeneration X reunion has largely been unable to recapture the group's past magic due to religious beliefs amongst other things (like the fact that no one wants to see two 40 year old guys acting like high school sophomores), we are still in the middle of a McMahon vs. DX feud.
Smackdown's number one prospect, Ken Kennedy, and their two strongest mid-card heels, Finlay and Regal, showed up on RAW to gain a measure of revenge in a handicapped match against Degeneration X. All three men, and the Smackdown brand itself took a huge blow as Triple H pinned Regal for the victory.
After the match had concluded, Shane brought ECW World Heavyweight Champion, The Big Show, out for his vengeance. I breathed a sigh of relief as together with the three defeated Smackdown superstars, Big Show was finally getting the advantage.
Both Michaels and Triple H were worked over with Finlay's Shillelagh. Both Michaels and Triple H were chokeslammed. Michaels laid in the ring and played dead. Triple H on the other hand was showing signs of life.
Out comes Vince McMahon. Now, Vince McMahon is not a wrestler, but we've all seen that he's no normal man either. He's built, and there is some credibility to the idea that Vince can hold his own. Add to the equation, Vince is carrying a lead pipe.
Michaels took his beating and laid prone on the mat as expected. Triple H, however, does not stay down so easily. Between Vince and Shane, Triple H had to have taken approximately 20 blunt strikes to the head the aforementioned lead pipe.
Now, I am certainly not built like Vince McMahon, but if I were to hit you in the head with a lead pipe once, I am pretty sure I could muster up the amount of lethal force required to kill you in one or two blows. Since you are an O Show reader however, I'll not test my theory...
Shane hit both men with running lead pipe strikes right in the head. At no point did Triple H ever simply lay down and act as though he was unconcious like his stablemate. Triple H, after 20 or so blows to the head with a "lead pipe" continues to crawl around the mat, as if somehow he was going to get up and exact a measure of revenge.
Only days after what should be considered a deadly assault, Triple H and Shawn Michaels announced that they would be back in action that Tuesday on ECW against the Big Show. Wait, wha?
Maybe it's my fault. Maybe, I underestimated the amount of pain that Triple H can withstand. I didn't forget about the time that Steve Austin operated a crane and lifted Triple H and his car 50 feet in the air and pulled the release. Triple H not only lived, but wrestled the next week on Raw as Jim Ross explained it as a "miracle."
This is in stark contrast to the wrestling world I grew up watching. Hulk Hogan, wrestling's equivalent of Superman, took three Earthquake splashes from Earthquake and was out of action for months. If a wrestler was hit with a chair or piledriven outside of the ring, you could expect him to be out of action for some duration of time. A table or the ring bell? That was months off TV. Many major stars spent time at home selling injury angles. Very few had ever incurred anything nearly as serious as being struck in the head with a lead pipe.
Somehow, we had moved from there to a place in wrestling where the only credible weapons used by wrestlers are the baseball bat, lead pipe, and sledgehammer. Thanks to the Cerebral Assassin's resistance to lay down, we can now cross another off that list.
What has happened to injury angles in professional wrestling? Can the lead pipe be rebuilt as a credible wrestling weapon? Is there anything in this world capable of stopping Triple H?
Indeed the Game is Over, but his book fails to mention that talent and traditions that have been completely destroyed while "Making the Game." More on This Story...
