Handicapping the News 10.26.12

Hello one and all, welcome to Handicapping the News. I’m your host for a slightly less serious look at the headlines of the past week in wrestling, Gavin Napier. If you’re joining me for the first time, try not to get your hopes up too much. Keep those expectations low, and you’re much less likely to be disappointed. Besides, if I were any good at this I’d probably be getting paid for it, right? Right. There’s quite a bit of stuff to cover this week, however I’m going to throw in a quick, shameless plug before we begin.

If you’re within a couple of hours of Nitro, WV this weekend, go check out IWA East Coast’s show. They’re usually reliable for an entertaining show, but I’m plugging them for a reason. The main event features WWE legend Goldust taking on a friend of mine, Chance Prophet. I can speak first hand to the amount of time and energy that everyone involved with this match has put into making it something above and beyond what you usually see for indy shows, so if you’ve got nothing else to do, come on out. I have no affiliation with IWA East Coast, I’m not getting paid or compensated in any way for this plug. I just think it would be neat if a lot of people came out and saw what should be a good match that happens to feature one of my best friends on the planet.

And now, headlines.

Dark Matches

10.25.12 Vince McMahon donates $5 million to Donald Trump to cover the Obama publicity stunt. What are the odds…
This is a response to sagging poll numbers for Linda? 3 to 1
Vince thinks Donald Trump is still running Raw? 10 to 1
It will amount to anything above and beyond a publicity stunt? 250 to 1

10.19.12 An announcement regarding the WWE Network is expected by the quarterly share holders meeting on 11.1.12. What are the odds…
The network is up and running by 12.31.13? 100 to 1
The network is up and running by ever? 10 to 1
@CrankyVince (on Twitter) will remain the best source of information regarding the network and everything else WWE-related? 3 to 2

10.24.12 Sami Callihand works Smackdown tapings; IWC immediately complains that he’s being “held back”

This past week, independent wrestler Sami Callihan worked the Smackdown tapings for WWE, losing to Johnny Curtis in a dark match. If you’ve never seen Sami wrestle, you’re missing out. The guy is flat out good. He’s still working with Dragon Gate USA, which should give any of you uninitiated an idea of his level of ability inside the ring, and is scheduled for at least three more matches with the company. I sincerely hope that all three of those matches take place, because they would all be legitimate match of the year candidates (in my humble opinion). Even if we don’t get to see the matches vs. El Generico, Samuray del Sol, and CIMA, it’ll be a good thing. Why? Because if those matches don’t come off, it likely means that Sami has signed with WWE officially. Rumors have been circulating that he’s going to sign “any day now” for a while, but it has yet to come to fruition. I’m stunned that somebody with a television deal – WWE, TNA, RoH – hasn’t snatched up Sami to this point, unless he just doesn’t want to give up his indy gigs yet. He’s talented enough to be an immediate asset to any company that gets him. Here’s hoping we see a lot of Sami on television in the near future. What can we expect next for Mr. Callihan?

Sami Callihan remains an independent worker for the rest of 2012: 15 to 1
Dragon Gate has shown a willingness to allow talent to leave for WWE, and do so on good terms. However, Callihan is still obligated to some very high profile matches for the company. I would be surprised if the matches don’t happen, but I wouldn’t go as far as to say I’d be shocked. Callihan on NXT or in FCW for the New Year makes sense, though.

WWE announces Sami Callihan has been signed before 12.1.12: 30 to 1
Never say never, but WWE doesn’t seem to be in a place where they’re going to add talent in the immediate future. Just the vibe I get from them. They seem more intent at the moment on developing Dolph Ziggler, Team Hell No, Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes, Ryback, Sheamus, and CM Punk. For all the talk about the weakness of the WWE roster and their lack of depth this year, they’re doing an excellent job of positioning themselves for the future. Plus there’s the Network and an election to worry about before there’s much more addition or subtraction.

A guy named Calvin Samuelson shows up on Smackdown next week: 100 to 1
The name would be much more ridiculous than that.

WWE purchases Mid South library from Bill Watts’ ex wife; Max Andrews and Joe Pedecino anxiously await offer on the Global wrestling library

This week, World Wrestling Entertainment finalized the purchase of the Mid South/UWF wrestling library from Ene Watts, Bill Watts’ ex wife. She gained possession of the footage in a divorce settlement, further proving that absolutely nobody except Jim Cornette can tolerate Bill Watts for more than a few months. The footage opens up a world of possibilities for WWE in terms of their On Demand service or the long-rumored WWE Network. The old UWF in the 1980’s was very much like ECW in the 1990’s. It was physical, highly entertaining, and was just a little too popular for its own good. Several legends passed through the UWF at various points, including Jim Duggan, Ted DiBiase, Steve Williams, The Freebirds, Sting, The Ultimate Warrior, Rick Steiner, and several others. The promotion captured the best of southern style wrestling and added their own twist to it, and the result was a territory that was as hot as anywhere else in the wrestling world for a short time. The UWF pioneered episodic wrestling television, as their matches told a story from week to week much more than the World Wrestling Federation or the National Wrestling Alliance at the time.On those shows, stories were furthered by promos and occasional run-ins. With the UWF, physicality dominated the air waves. With a world of potential at their feet with this footage, what will WWE do with it?

Hold it back until the debut of the WWE Network: 20 to 1
That would mean it likely would never be seen again.

Quietly slip it into the rotation of On Demand programming:2 to 1
If they went chronologically and let Jim Ross introduce the episodes, they’d have a winner here. I really can’t stress to you enough how good this promotion was.

Use the footage to show how guys like Terry Taylor, former UWF Television Champion, underachieved in WWE: EVEN
Why? Because shame on those guys for getting over anywhere on the planet without Vince McMahon’s approval. That’s why.

CM Punk and Eve rumored to be cast in WWE Films projects soon; I was tempted to make the picture here CM Punk

Well this was a no brainer, right? Coming off the success of critical and financial successes such as The Marine, See No Evil, The Condemned, 12 Rounds, The Marine 2, Knucklehead, The Chaperone, Bending the Rules, and Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia, it makes sense for WWE to want to put their WWE Champion and WWE Divas Champion into their future projects, right? After all, the ratings during CM Punk’s reign have been among the lowest in a decade, and Eve just starred in a reality show full of D-list celebrities. It’s a natural fit! Using in-house, below average acting talent seems like a much better business decision here than spending the money to hire decent character actors and hoping to get a reputation for turning out at least watchable films that may be devoid of star power, right? Right. What do the future film careers of Punk and Eve hold?

Vandalized personal items courtesy of Randall Keith Orton: 7 to 1
After all, he can’t have them stealing potential starring roles from him.

Strong booking and enhanced roles on television: 30 to 1
I mean, it worked for Mr. Kennedy, Ted DiBiase, Jr., and The Miz, right?

The death of the “PG Era” with Eve’s first starring role:10 to 1
You do realize that Vince McMahon is still in charge here, right?

10.25.12 Mike Graham’s death officially ruled a suicide

Mike Graham had a remarkable pedigree in the wrestling business. He was the son of legendary promoter Eddie Graham, who dominated the Florida wrestling scene for years and years. He was trained by two of the greatest of all time, Boris Malenko and Hiro Matsuda. Because his greatest successes occurred in the 1970’s and 1980’s, a lot of modern fans probably don’t know much about Mike Graham aside from his appearances on WWE Legends roundtable discussions and appearances on shoot interviews and guest booker DVD’s with Kayfabe Commentaries. That’s a shame, because Mike Graham was a big part of a lot of important events in wrestling history during that era, and deserves to be remembered by wrestling fans for more than brief on camera appearances or the way that he died.

For instance, Mike Graham helped facilitate the career of one of the greatest heels of all time. Graham was the victim of Kevin Sullivan’s heel turn, which directly led into Sullivan’s reign of terror in Florida and the National Wrestling Alliance as a cult leader character that was often portrayed as Satanic. He was a multiple time AWA Light Heavyweight champion, largely because of his abilities in the ring and his trustworthiness outside the ring. He helped a young Dustin Rhodes break into the business, helping him gain in ring experience by teaming with him and mentoring him in Florida in the late 1980’s. Graham was a part of WCW’s Power Plant team dedicated to training young wrestlers and finding new talent. He made the rounds as an agent with several promotions, and was at WWE’s Hall of Fame induction, representing his father in 2008.

Mike Graham was a husband and a father, and a huge contributor to the industry that we follow so closely. He left behind friends and family members that I’m sure will miss him dearly. As a wrestling fan, I’m saddened at the loss of someone with such a great history in the business. This isn’t the time or the place to go on rants about the underlying causes of suicide and what following through on such an act indicates about a person. That’s a topic for psychologists and support groups to discuss.

I’m not going to put any odds on this, because I feel that it would be disrespectful. Instead, on the off chance that anyone is reading this and may be considering suicide or any form of self-harm due to depression or any other reason, I’d like to encourage you to reach out to someone. Find a friend or family member that you trust, and talk to them. Get counseling. No matter how bad things may seem, there is always hope. There are always people willing to listen.

You can reach the National Hopeline Network at 1-800-442-4673 (HOPE). The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is 1-800-273-8255 (TALK).

It’s time to end The Streak.

Word came out this week that The Undertaker may not be able to make this year’s Wrestlemania. While I feel absolutely certain that he’ll get there and manage to have a match, the fact that there’s legitimate doubt about the subject speaks to the urgency of ending The Streak. I’ve long said that if The Streak is never broken, then The Streak means nothing. As a wrestling fan, you cannot allow yourself be caught up in “records.” You must remember that this is a sport of predetermined outcomes. This isn’t like someone breaking Cal Ripken, Jr.’s consecutive MLB games played streak, or Wilt Chamberlain’s 100 points in an NBA game. The Streak is a collection of matches where someone decided that for storyline purposes, The Undertaker should win.

Before you get outraged at the prospect of The Streak ending and whine about disrespectfulness or wrestling heresy, you should know something. The Undertaker himself has said that The Streak should end. He’s suggested that it end multiple times before, notably at the hands of Kurt Angle and Randy Orton. The problem isn’t ending the streak, but who should be given the honor. If and when The Streak ends, it has to mean something. It has to be used to get a young superstar on the verge of a huge breakthrough over. The weight of The Streak is enormous, and it can’t be wasted on just anyone.

There have been legitimate candidates in the past, including Edge, Batista, Shawn Michaels, and Triple H. It wouldn’t seem that at this point the WWE roster contains many viable options for ending a win streak that encompasses over two decades and several hall of fame careers. There are candidates, though.

Should Dolph Ziggler cash in and become World Heavyweight Champion, he’ll be positioned to make a sustained main event run. He’ll be in a much stronger position six months from now than he is at the moment. What better way for a show off to cement himself as a true main eventer than sending The Undertaker into retirement? Would he be my first choice? No. He’s an option, though.

Daniel Bryan has long had a legitimate claim to being the best wrestler on the planet. Trained by William Regal and Shawn Michaels, he has defied the odds by succeeding wildly in WWE. He is smaller and lighter than nearly every superstar that isn’t Rey Mysterio, and employs a style that very few have used to great success in WWE. After a solid title run as a singles competitor and now part of a successful tag team with Kane, a win over The Undertaker would certainly push Daniel Bryan onto a level where he would be a main event presence for years to come.

Sheamus keeps hammering away at his breakthrough moment. While fans seem to be growing somewhat weary of him, he’s learned from watching Cena what it takes to be “the man” for WWE. He is tireless with charity work, even if he doesn’t have as many requests as Cena does. His style lends itself to a match with the Undertaker, as he’s physical and could simply have a fight with the Dead Man that sees him wearing down the old warrior and claiming the torch for himself as the baddest man on the block.

And don’t forget Cena. Cena has a legacy defined by feuds with Randy Orton and Edge, but has yet to have a singular moment aside from fancy entrances that cements him as one of the all time greats. What better way to reward the hardest working WWE Superstar ever than with arguably the biggest win in company history since Hogan pinned Andre?

I’m not saying that I’d go with any of the above; I’m simply pointing out that there are options. If the Undertaker retires at 21-0, it’ll be a nice accomplishment to bring up at his Hall of Fame induction. However, the years will be filled with the void created by the opportunity missed to put a stamp on a new superstar.

That’s it for me. I’ll try to do better next time. Use the comment section below to tell me what you thought about this week’s column, or you can message me on Twitter @GavinNapier411 if you want to tell me how much you love me or hate me, or just say hi. Odds are I’ll be back next week.