411 Fact or Fiction Wrestling: Punk vs. WWE, Lashley as TNA Champion, NXT Takeover II, More

Welcome back to the latest edition of 411 Fact or Fiction, Wrestling Edition! Stuff happened, people loved/hated it and let everyone else know. I pick through the interesting/not so interesting tidbits and then make 411 staff members discuss them for your pleasure. Battling this week: First up is the one and only Jack McGee! He battles Todd Vote!

Questions were sent out Monday.

Participants were told to expect wrestling-related questions, possible statements on quantum physics and hydroponics.

1. Monday’s Paul Heyman/John Cena promo was one of the best non-wrestling segments WWE has done this year.

Jack McGee: FACT – And this is not going to be one of those “Paul Heyman carried the segment” arguments. I agree with many that say that Paul Heyman is the only guy left in wrestling that knows how to cut a money promo on a consistent basis. He once again proved that, delivering a dynamic performance. Almost Jim Jones like as he tried to convince Cena to finally give into the hate, to just tell the fans off in order to evolve and have an actual chance to defeat Lesnar. This is in line with Heyman’s podcast appearances, where he discusses the dynamic of the feud with Cena, and how you actually have to believe that Cena will have to cross a line that he never has before. He played the antagonist perfectly here. Judging off of Heyman’s work Cena could have stood there and it would have been “good,” but John Cena stepped up his game this week and I would have to say that this was his best promo in a VERY long time. I saw a great line on Twitter, I believe from Ryan Byers, that this was the pro wrestling version of “Temptation of Christ” and that’s pretty damn accurate. Heyman set the stage, but Cena to his credit knocked it out of the park on his end. Why? Because it wasn’t all about jokes and bullshit, this felt like John Cena being real, and showing real emotion. Discussing the reactions from kids and fathers, the honor he feels when he gets asked to be a kid’s Make-A-Wish, and the honor he feels when meeting a soldier that says Cena allowed him to be strong, that stuff is real and there was real emotion there, and that is why it worked. The mad genius worked his magic, Cena was real in replay and we ended up with an outstanding segment.

Todd Vote: FACT – Heyman can really do no wrong on the mic at this point. He is one of the few promo guys that seems to understand it is possible to make both his client, and his client’s opponent look like a million bucks, while still managing to make his guy look just that much better. He understands that a challenger needs to look strong in order for the champ to look strong. Cena, for all the flack that he catches, can more than hold his own when he has to. He did so on Raw. My only critique, and this is more towards creative than what either man did in the ring, I just wish they would stop the whole “Cena teases giving in to the dark side”. We get it, he’s not going to turn anytime soon. You don’t have to constantly tease that he might finally give in to the hate, just to have him change his mind and stay right on the path he has been on for the better part of a decade. Now where is that Paul Heyman rap album, WWE?

2. At this time, Bobby Lashley is the best-booked world champion in North America.

Jack McGee: FACT – Part of this answer is because Elgin just lost the ROH Title, and that Lesnar is in the beginning of his run. But even setting that aside, I would have easily gone fact anyway. I was extremely hesitant when I heard that Lashley was coming back to TNA. His initial run there was beyond forgettable, and at age 37 I wasn’t sure what he had left in the tank or how hard he was willing to work. I have, simply put, loved the booking of Lashley as champion. MVP is the hype man and does all of the talking, while Lashley looks cool/scary standing there in a suit like he may reach through the screen and kill you. While they have very different styles, it is similar to Lesnar and Heyman and I mean that as a compliment. But looking the part is only one part of this equation, the facts are that (in my opinion Lashley has been delivering in the ring. He looks motivated, the matches are good, and he has been winning almost entirely clean. I am not sure what it was that clicked for the guy, but I really feel that he has stepped up his game and is having a damn fine run with TNA. So yes, at this time, he’s easily the best-booked world champion in North America.

Todd Vote: FACT – But only with the caveat that we have yet to see how WWE plans to book Brock Lesnar as champion. He’s only just won the title. Lashley is being booked well as champion, and you have to think that will continue now that he has won his Bellator debut. He’s been booked as a fighting champion, even though his character is a heel right now. He’s taken on everyone, and defeated all comers. It’s great that TNA is booking their champion as being a cut above the rest of the roster. That is the way it should be. In my opinion, this not only elevates Lashley, but it makes the title seem important. Of course, this statement could be nullified by Night of Champions, if Brock Lesnar were to dominate Cena again, then Brock will the monster champion. Fans will be clamoring trying to find the guy they can get behind to finally unseat the champion. Either way, it is looking like both of the biggest North American promotions are finally booking their championship to mean something. That, is a good thing.

3. You are excited for tonight’s WWE NXT Takeover II special.

Jack McGee: FACT – I will admit that I am excited, because the first two shows delivered and were some of WWE’s better “special events” of the year. But I should clarify that I am not a excited about the show as I was for the past shows. I have no interest in Mojo vs. Dempsey, nor do I care for the hair match. It’s pretty sad that WWE has taken such an important and possibly money drawing stipulation like the “cabellera contra cabellera” and wasted it twice now on comedy acts. The tag match also worries me a bit, but I like Kalisto and am excited to see him get another shot to impress. Charlotte and Bayley should be good, and the four-way title match should be good, and possibly great. I generally enjoy the NXT product, and again am excited for the show, but not as much as I have been in the past. At the very least it will be good, and depending on the main event, this could be another great event. What may be the saddest thing about this is that I am way more excited about the developmental product than Raw, that show is DVR and fast forward through the next day. I refuse to watch it live these days.

Todd Vote: FACT – Absolutely. NXT has consistently been one of the best things about the WWE Network. I was actually surprised to see the tag match on Raw this week featuring the four men from tonight’s main event. I think Neville pretty much guaranteed himself a shot at the main roster with the way he woke that Monday night crowd up. Anyway, back to the statement at hand. Takeover 2, barring the lack of creativity in the naming department, looks to be another fantastic live special for the brand. Charlotte vs. Bayley can be good, though I have my doubts about them topping Charlotte vs. Nattie. Mojo is going to get killed by Bull Dempsey. The fatal four way main event is going to be sick. I’m hoping Sami walks away champ, but I’d be okay if Breeze stole it.

SWITCH!

4. The legal battle between WWE and CM Punk will likely get very nasty.

Todd Vote: FICTION – At least, I am hoping not. I think WWE will be looking to not let CM Punk get any more press off of them while he is not with the company. I think it would be wise for them to settle this in a discreet manner and then both parties can move on. Perhaps I am being hopeful, because I want to see Punk back in the ring some day. I’m no lawyer, so I could be completely wrong here.

Jack McGee: FACT – if I had to guess, I go fact. Listen, CM Punk is stubborn and thinks what he did is right and feels he is owed a certain amount of money. You don’t fire off a 22-page letter to WWE regarding royalties and the use of his likeness and image for the WWE 2K15 game unless you feel you are owed something. He may simply be looking to get part of it in a settlement, but he still wants what he believes is his. We know Vince McMahon, and his law dog Jerry McDevitt. They attack and go into a legal war guns a blazing. Vince thinks he is right, he thinks that Punk breached his deal, meaning under WWE contract terms of breach that the performer forfeits any royalties. I am not sure who is right and who is wrong here. I do not have access to CM Punk’s contract. What I do know is this, he quit with no notice and several months left on his contract. WWE believes this to be a breach, while Punk feels he deserves his just royalties; and due to what I know, I do not see either budging, and due to that we will likely get a potentially long and very nasty legal battle coming to a courtroom near you.

5. Judging by the new details revealed from the first set of tapings, you are excited for the El Rey Network’s Lucha Underground TV show.

Todd Vote: FICTION – It looks like we have a promotion that intends to make Chavo Guerrero the focus. I don’t understand that. Anyways, it looks like the show will feature a couple of decent matches, but I read nothing in the tapings that really got me excited to seek out the show and watch it. In addition to that, word has it that the talent is set to be working a WWE style. If I want to see WWE style wrestling, I will watch WWE. Part of the reason I seek out ROH on Fox on Sunday evenings is because the in ring product is different. I don’t have the El Rey network, but if I did, I am not sure I would go out of my way to watch Lucha Underground.

Jack McGee: FACT – But a tentative fact. I love wrestling, more importantly I love good wrestling but on top of that I love having choices. I skip most of Raw these days, been enjoying TNA and NXT, but wouldn’t mind something different to watch. I like Lucha, and I have hoped for years that it could break into the US. With the increase in the Latino population and Univision’s growing popularity (so far for the summer they are the No. 1 broadcast network among Adults 18-34 and No.3 among Adults 18-49 and beat out FOX and CW several times a week in total viewers) I always felt if done right that they could make a strong case for a #2 promotion in the US. While some of the contract news worries me, as well as some of the stuff like Chavo “LUCHA STYLE IS WEIRD TO ME” Guerrero being too involved, I like some of the talent they are using, and the “AAA meets Wrestling Society X” vibe could work. At least it won’t feel as sanitized as the WWE product, where everything looks the same. I wish them the best and hope they succeed, the more wrestling the better as far as I am concerned. As fans, I feel we deserve the chance to make choices, and the more variety out there, the better for us as fans and for the wrestlers trying to make a living.

6. WWE should not allow the producers of Total Divas to influence their storylines.

Todd Vote: FICTION – I’m a bit torn on this one. On the one hand, how much do the Total Diva producers know about wrestling? I’m guessing they don’t know much about it. On the other hand, there are more stories on WWE TV featuring the women, so is it necessarily a bad thing? Granted the story we are getting out of all of this is the Bella split, but that won’ t last forever. I would say WWE is wise to give a bit on this situation. I’m sure they make a truckload of money for the Total Divas show, so you have to keep the network and the producers happy.

Jack McGee: FACT – I understand that WWE has a relationship with the E! Network, and I also understand that they make a nice amount of TV rights fees for Total Divas. I am also perfectly fine with the producers wanting certain things, angles for lack of a better word, to happen on Total Divas as long as it doesn’t effect the main WWE product. I get that Total Divas needs to have stories, and that they have to draw ratings, but those things should not have a demand on the main WWE product. But unfortunately it does, and has, because that is why we have the Bella Twins feud. This was something requested by the Total Divas producers, because they view the twins as the main stars of the show. They told WWE what they wanted, and WWE wanted to keep those delicious TV rights fees, so they agreed to it. Who cares about focusing on rebuilding the Divas division and focusing on the champion and athletic women who look good and can wrestle, we need the worst feud in years between Nikki and Brie. Fuck this show.

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