wrestling / Columns
411 Fact or Fiction 09.27.12: Cena at HIAC, Team Hell No, Aces & Eights, More
Hi, hello & welcome to 411 Fact or Fiction! I’m Steve Cook, and it’s been another eventful week in the world of wrestling. It seems that elbow surgery will not be enough to keep John Cena out of Hell in the Cell, which comes as a surprise to pretty much no one. Daniel Bryan & Kane dominated the tag team roster on SmackDown and were given a team name on Raw. Should have been Team Friendship if you ask me. Rumors have been running rampant about Beth Phoenix’s status with WWE. Some say she’s leaving, some say she’s staying, and others say you won’t notice either way. Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre & Jinder Mahal joined forces to attack Brodus Clay on SmackDown. (Big Show attacked both Brodus & Tensai on Raw and didn’t need to find other jobbers to help him. Just saying.) The Aces & Eights continued to wreak havoc in TNA even though Shaquille O’Neal told Hulk Hogan that he’d be across the street if he needed him.
Ring of Honor held their Survival of the Fittest tournament over the weekend, and I figured it was appropriate to discuss it in this column. If you watch ROH’s TV show and don’t wish to be spoiled, I’ve got a nifty little picture that you may stop reading the column at.
Here are our participants! First of all, the man who writes the Hammer of Doom News Report over in the Music Zone…Robert Cooper!
His opponent LOVES Manny Fernandez and has two dream matches at the moment: Sami Callihan vs. Big Van Vader & a wolf vs. a coyote. Please welcome Real Championship Wrestling‘s own Chris Methods!
1. John Cena is returning too soon from his elbow surgery to compete at Hell in a Cell.
Robert Cooper: FICTION. I do want to say fact, because I don’t think that Cena should rush anything, but at the same time, I think Cena knows what he’s doing, and considering that he came back from a completely torn pectoral muscle in what seemed like half the time it should have taken for him to heal. I also think that if he can get back to continue the in-ring part of his storyline with CM Punk, it would be a good thing, because they are on a roll right now, and it would definitely help the buy numbers for the Hell in a Cell PPV if Punk vs. Cena for the WWE Championship were on the card.
Chris Methods: FICTION. Would it serve John Cena, as well as the majority of the fan base to have a slight break from John Cena, Fact. However I believe you are asking this question wondering about John Cena’s physical well being. As Mick Foley said, the beauty of pro wrestling is an injury can be masked by a match. If there is anyone the John Cena can have a great match with one arm against, it is CM Punk. Their chemistry is off of the charts. I expect a Hell in the Cell match chalk full of intrigue. Can Punk keep finding ways to beat Cena? Can Cena find a way to overcome the arm injury, the Cell, and the longest reigning WWE Champion in modern history?
Score: 1 for 1
2. Daniel Bryan & Kane are the most entertaining act in wrestling.
Robert Cooper: FACT. This is for sure a fact, usually the comedy on the show is something absolutely stupid, or Santino. But for once, they took two upper card guys that will more likely than not end up having match after random match for the next few weeks, and gave them a storyline that has let them do something unusual for them, as well as create random tag teams for them to face. An act in wrestling is a success when you hear people randomly yelling about how they’re the tag team champions.
Chris Mehods: FACT. I put Fiction and wrote out this big explanation as to why they aren’t, yet in doing so I convinced myself that they actually are. They have done something that no one has done since the attitude era, and that is make the fans care about the tag team division. After so many years of Big Show, or Kane , or Khali, or The Yeti destroying an entire tag team division singlehandedly, it is nice to see an actual tag team destroying it now. The skits have shown just how multitalented Daniel Bryan is, and just how great Kane is. They are taking us on a very entertaining journey and are able to weave some good wrestling matches within the fabric of that story. Also it is bringing us the Rhodes Scholars, so I count me in on the fun. The sticking point will be overexposure. Anything great is even better in moderation. Go Team NOvaKANE. (Team Hell No is proof wrestling fans should not be bookers.)
Score: 2 for 2
3. You have accepted Michael Cole as the Voice of WWE.
Robert Cooper: FACT. I hate to say it, but the fact that he is on both of the televised shows, as well as every Pay Per View, kind of makes it to where he has been forced as the Voice of WWE. I don’t see anyone else who is a viable option to be said Voice, unless you want WWE to remain voiceless, and personally, the experience with mute RAW a few weeks ago was quite jarring and I am fine without having to go through that again. I know that some(including myself on occasion) have tired of Cole’s schtick, but I guess for better or worse, we’re stuck with it, and besides, I think if you can get someone like JBL with him every week, his bad points are better covered.
Chris Methods: FACT. The Jerry Lawler heart attack was the single best thing to happen to my wrestling viewing habits. For a while, due in large part to Johnny Ace and Michael Cole, I was not watching wrestling at all. Then the Saturday morning show started, and I watch that with my son. Then I heard about the heart attack, which of course made me watch Raw. Cole has dropped the grating Heel persona, and is quickly becoming not only tolerable, but a great guide to the action. I will also say this, if my broadcast partner and friend had a heart attack on air, I would no way keep as composed as Cole did.
Score: 3 for 3
4. Beth Phoenix leaving WWE would be the right decision.
Robert Cooper: FICTION. I at first had said fact, because when I think about it, she’s not been booked all that strongly and the other divas seem to be getting a push rather than her. But there also seems to be a habit by the WWE to push people randomly when it comes to the divas, division, so she might benefit from their seemingly random lady pushes. The other factor is, if she were to get released, what would she do?, TNA’s track record with their women is not exactly the most shining example of greatness, and while Ms. Phoenix could probably do decently on the indy circuit, one must think that it probably wouldn’t be as much as she would get with WWE.
Chris Methods: FICTION. I have never been so sure of a response. Seeing as how it is not true, and also that within time, I see Triple H shift more of a focus to the ladies. We heard rumors and scuttlebutt that Triple H was going to push tag teams, and there are now more established tag teams then in years, and more makeshift teams that make total sense then ever before. The new scuttlebutt is that he wants to establish a solid women’s division. With that being said, it will not happen overnight, but Beth Phoenix will be an important cog in that machine. Also we have to see Sara Del Rey and her lock horns under the bright lights. Also, Kharma and Beth have yet to hook it up, and I for one do not buy that the Kharma door is closed at all.
Score: 4 for 4
SWITCH!
5. Putting Heath Slater, Jinder Mahal & Drew McIntyre in a faction will make them more interesting.
Chris Methods: FICTION. This is more a statement of the wording of the question then the actual spirit of the question. Will it make one member more interesting? Absolutely. Will it make all three? I doubt it. Will the Encore (EnCORRE?) be the next Disciples of Apocalypse? Will it be the new New Nexus? Or could it be the next Dangerous Alliance? No matter what, and no matter what group, there is always one member that just doesn’t carry their own weight. Encore in my opinion can have some traction and I hope it does, however it will not catapult all three men to super-stardom.
Robert Cooper: FACT. This kind of reminds me of X-Factor for some reason, but regardless I think the only way for this angle to go for these men is up. Heath Slater is a decent worker and has an annoying gimmick, Jindal Mahal seems to be passable, but is pretty much a stereotype that has not done an interesting and competitive angle in what seems like forever, and Drew McIntyre is someone that I really like work wise, but the dude has been jobbing like it’s going out of style. I guess if you want to try to make them interesting as well as to make them a threat to anyone on the roster, putting them together is a decen move to make.
Score: 4 for 5
6. The Aces & Eights angle has been compelling.
Chris Methods: FACT. At times I wonder if TNA cares where they are going with this stable, however at times I have been enjoying the ride. I understand some people complaining about the weekly out of control brawls. After so many times it can get repetitious. Compelling also is the “who is leader” stick we have seen before. Jeff Jarrett has great storyline reasoning, they point at Storm and Bully, however I think we will see something crazy and out of left field. I am stating here that none other then merchandise leader Jeff Hardy will be the leader… No not really, it will be Austin Aries. Yes, A Double. Sorry I messed that up last time, I blame dyslexia.
Robert Cooper: FICTION. It’s been a good angle, but I don’t think it has been good enough to really be considered compelling. It started out intriguing, and now has kind of just melded into TNA’s fabric with them just attacking random people and then the locker room emptying out to make them haul some tail. I find the mystery on who the leader of the gang is to be a foregone conclusion, so perhaps that is why I don’t find it to be compelling, but it is still a good angle. I think the ending of this angle will really be the thing that proves whether or not this angle was worth all this time and manpower.
Score: 4 for 6
7. A match featuring Shaquille O’Neal would draw new fans to Impact Wrestling.
Chris Methods: FACT. Many, maybe not, however Shaq is still a draw. We all bought Shaq Fu for our home arcades. We all watched Steel marveling at his comedic acting chops. There will be people who will watch TNA solely for a Shaq match. The problem is that even if the rest of the show delivers good to great quality like TNA has been of late, the ratings will not move after the Shaq segments are done. Why the every 13 year huge bust hasn’t started yet is beyond me. Regardless Shaq is not the answer to what ails wrestling. Neither is any one person. It is a new idea and a new concept and a new way of presenting it. It will happen, and until then TNA bringing in people like Pacman and Shaq gives people things to talk about until then.
Robert Cooper: FACT. The question doesn’t say how many fans, I know that unlike their Pacman Jones debacle, this will get some pretty decent sized coverage from the sports world, and it might even get some build-up if the Shaq Diesel PR Machine gets rolling. I think if that TNA can build a really good show, like they have as of later, around the event of Shaq coming to Impact, then they may get some fans that enjoy their product and realize that there is good wrestling beyond WWE, which is what happened the first time I watched Impact about 6 years ago.
Score: 5 for 7
8. Jay Lethal was the right choice to win ROH’s Survival of the Fittest tournament.
Chris Methods: FACT. Adam Cole should have won it. Jay Lethal goes in line with the heart of what SOFT is. He is a deserving main eventer. However I have to say something. Screw Ring of Honor. Not the wrestlers, the bookers, or any of that. Last time I was on here I said ROH will not last. I was hoping at this point that I could eat crow, but then they not only have another bad IPPV experience, but they act condescending with their replies to the consumer. I stated that I did not think that they could survive the bad IPPV practices, which I felt was fair since the majority of the fans that would buy the IPPVs would hear of the issues. They survived losing many great talents, and the RF incident. I HAD faith in Ring Of Honor. I have none in Sinclair Broadcasting. Jerome Cusson and Ari Berenstein already wrote perfect articles about the issue. Seriously. Read them. It’s not like Cook still has a column.
Robert Cooper: FACT. You have to look at who he faced in the finals (SPOILERS IMMINENT), Adam Cole has been on a good run as of late, but he’s the Television champion, so I don’t think he’ll be beating Kevin Steen for the title. Roderick Strong and Michael Elgin are having a House of Truth storyline, so they’re not really in the picture, though I think a match between Elgin and Steen would be great. Mike Mondo has had some steam as of late, but I don’t think he’s had enough main even experience. This leaves, Davey Richards, who can not challenge for the title anyways, and Jay Lethal, who is hot off a fued with Tommasso Ciampa, can talk pretty well, especially for ROH, and can tear the roof off with anyone. While Davey Richards would be a solid choice and a good storyline, Steen just got done with a series of matches with him not too long ago, so I think that for the sake of a fresh match-up, as well as a viable challenger, Jay Lethal is your best bet.
Final Score: 6 for 8
Robert & Chris ended up agreeing on most of our topics this week. Do you agree with them? Let us know down in the comment section! I thank them for participating, and invite you to join us next week for more Fact or Fiction!
