ZeeWI: Rockstar Spud’s Struggle

The complete and utter disrespect displayed by Impact Wrestling’s Swoggle these last few months has been staggeringly infuriating. The way he’s treated two time X Division Champion Rock Star Spud since his arrival has been disgusting. What started as a misunderstanding has grown into a full war, with Swoggle taking things too far. However, when one breaks it down, one can see that most – if not all – of the recent bad events to take place fall squarely on the shoulders of Swoggle. Yet, perhaps owing to a bad rep historically, Spud has had to watch as the fans have sided with Swoggle, regardless of the facts of this feud.

Some may recall that it was Spud that took it upon himself to invite Swoggle to Impact Wrestling in the first place, enlisting the man to be his partner in The Broken Hardy’s Tag Team Apocalypto extravaganza. Those same people may recall that Swoggle also turned on Spud almost immediately, and did so after Spud recorded an elimination for their team!

Of course, Swoggle is such a glory hog that instead of celebrating the elimination, he decided instead to take offense at Spud being the one to get the pinfall! With Spud celebrating the elimination, Swoggle would sneak up on his partner and powerbomb him, before leaving Spud to be pinned by Andrew Everett.

Impact would take the rest of 2016 off, and Spud would use those few weeks to reflect and regroup. He was still so taken aback by the betrayal, that he questioned whether his heart was in it anymore Friend after friend had simply used Spud to go to higher places, and this left the Rock Star in a bit of a bind. In the cutthroat world of professional wrestling, you need to have at least one person you can trust to watch your back. Spud, however, watched as anyone with whom he placed his trust eventually managed to make him regret it, from Ethan Carter, III all the way to freaking Swoggle.

When the company returned to television at the start of 2017, Spud was ready to act. He would challenge Swoggle like a man, and once he defeated him, Spud would be able to resume his career as he desired. Unfortunately, we all know what can happen to the best laid plans.

Instead of finding his redemption, Spud would suffer an embarrassingly fast loss to Swoggle. While he had previously lost to 1-year-old King Maxel, Spud was able to sweep that moment in time under the rug, blaming it all on the nefarious tactics of Señor Benjamin. This time, however, Spud had no one to blame but himself. He clearly had underestimated his opponent, and his bravado led to a quick defeat.

Unable to handle the loss, Spud would immediately grab a microphone, throw a bit of a tantrum, and announce that he was done with Impact. To be honest, it sounded like hollow posturing at the time, and so this columnist was anything but surprised when Spud reappeared one week later, now working alongside Aron Rex.

Now, about Aron Rex… he just wasn’t built for the long haul in Impact, which led to his quick flame-out with the company. However, Rex provided the one thing that Spud was looking for – someone he could trust to watch his back. While it always appeared that Rex was the one who needed Spud – at least as far as managing his affairs were concerned, along with proper ring introductions – it was without question true that Spud needed Rex, as well. And Rex was a good friend to Spud, even assisting Spud in matches with Swoggle once Robbie E decided to help out Spud’s nemesis.

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, and Rex would leave Impact. While he didn’t betray Spud like all the others had before, he still abandoned Spud, leaving him to deal with all the enemies that Rex had made. Spud, realizing that he was perhaps finally in over his head, would quietly cease to wrestle, opting instead for the safety of being a ring announcer. As an official, there’d at least be some sort of punishment for anyone looking to get retribution on the man for his past sins, he figured.

For a little bit, things were working out all right. Spud did his job quietly and professionally, announcing each talent as they made their way to the ring. Sure, he had sacrificed his love of attention and glory, but he did it in the name of his own personal safety. On top of that, his new role seemed to be a pretty secure spot, one that didn’t rely on someone else remaining in a position of power or friendly to Spud. He had lost pretty sweet spots before – assistant to ex-boss Dixie Carter, assistant to EC3, and as Rex’s manservant – all because of the whim of someone else. As the ring announcer, all he had to do was his job, and he’d be okay. He didn’t want any trouble from anybody anymore. He just wanted to work.

Swoggle, sadly, wasn’t ready to let it all go. Incapable of letting anyone get one over on him, Swoggle would harass and badger Spud nearly every week. He’d appear in the crowd, and sneak behind Spud, attempting to muss his hair. He’d throw Spud’s notes all over the place. Spud, to his credit, repeatedly tried to keep it professional. It was obvious that he wanted to just move on from his past life. He had no hate in his heart anymore. Swoggle refused to acknowledge this. Spud would be forced to stand up for himself.

In a split second, Swoggle went from brash antagonist to humiliated victim as his attempt to go through Spud’s legs ended in his pants being accidentally removed by Spud, who was simply trying to end the shenanigans. Swoggle would bolt backstage screaming, and Spud would resume his duties, hoping that he had finally brought this all to an end.

Knowing Swoggle, it was obvious that it wasn’t over. Swoggle exists to bother and annoy, and turns into quite the horrible troll when the tables are turned on him. If his losing a match to Spud would lead to weeks of on the job harassment, there was no question in this columnist’s mind that Swoggle would be seen again, and that he’d try do something to get Spud back.

While I was right in my idea that Swoggle would look for some payback, I never once considered just how far Swoggle would go to get it. In all the years I’ve watched Swoggle, he’s only at worst shown himself to be a petty hypocrite, one who can absolutely dish it out, but refuses to take it. The man harassed Chavo Guerrero for what seemed like years during 2009, even after beating the man! So while he’s got all sorts of personality traits that I find distasteful, at no point did I ever consider Swoggle to be someone that would go absolutely too far over something that really wasn’t that big of a deal in the long run.

And man, did he ever prove me wrong on that count.

Swoggle would return later that night, still without his pants on (he had a towel on instead) – a clear move to remind himself of the humiliation he had suffered earlier – and would approach Spud as he sat ringside. Brandishing a hammer, I first suspected that Swoggle would simply use it in a menacing fashion, one designed to make Spud blink and possibly run for his life. Then everyone would laugh at Spud, while Swoggle could finally breathe again because he wasn’t the one that was embarrassed anymore.

Instead, he swung the hammer. Repeatedly. Violently. He threatened the cameraman, Josh Mathews and The Pope, and referees with it. He smashed Spud in the legs, arms, and even used the hammer on the man’s face, all while continuing to threaten anyone that came in close to stop the massacre. As he walked away with a smirk on his face, the complete crybaby nature of Swoggle could be seen. In his world, getting pantsed means you have to criminally assault someone with a lethal weapon. Mr. Jokes clearly cannot take one.

All along, the fans have cheered and supported Swoggle. They see him as an underdog who has persevered, and for some reason, this gives the man a free pass to do anything he wants to anyone he wants, regardless of how horrible it is. Spud had tried to explain that the pantsing was an accident, and Swoggle instead chose to beat him mercilessly. What a great guy.

This also stinks of the same type of laid-back management we saw last year while Matt Hardy was running around attacking fans, and it’s more frustrating since we know that that particular group is gone. This new group, however, still values headlines and tweets over the safety of their workers. This has, for the time being, cost Rock Star Spud the opportunity to make a living, all because Impact Wrestling officials think it’s funny when Swoggle does whatever he wants.

This man’s pain and suffering are totally fine because, hey, Swoggle makes them laugh!

Unfortunately for Swoggle, I feel as though he’s made a grave error. Spud has not had the greatest year. He was beaten in his feud with Braxton Sutter, and injured so badly that he needed adult braces. He’s lost any friend he had made during his time with Impact, and he’s then had to think about how that company allowed him to be savagely beaten on television, without any type of punishment handed to Swoggle for his actions.

Spud may, for the first time ever, really understand that he’s got to watch his own back. He’s got to protect himself. No one’s going to do it for him. Not another wrestler, and certainly not the office.

He’s held in his insecure rage from day one. From being told he was too small coming out of British Boot Camp, to being told he wasn’t good enough to win a title, to having his loyalty taken advantage of, to being betrayed constantly by those he trusted most, Spud has simply kept on. He’s tried to maintain a stiff upper lip, but has absolutely broken at times into a rant. At the same time, we’ve also seen glimpses of that fire, where he lets the other person know, in no uncertain terms, that he isn’t someone to be taken lightly. He has stood up for himself before. It just hasn’t happened a lot lately.

Maybe the Sutter feud forced him to doubt his abilities. Maybe working for Rex made him consider a career outside of the ring. Maybe the issues with Swoggle had him shut down a bit, as he was humbled by someone he didn’t consider on his level. Maybe. Only Spud knows for sure.

What I do know, however, is that one day, Swoggle’s going to be held accountable. It won’t be by someone like Bruce Prichard or Karen Jarrett, either. It’ll be by Rock Star Spud, the two time X Division Champion that has gone tooth and nail with guys like Ethan Carter and Kurt Angle. The guy who, when he truly believes in himself, has completely dazzled the Impact audience with his incredible accomplishments. He may have lost that self-belief recently, but I have to assume, with all this time he has to himself, he’ll find a way to get it back.

When he does, this columnist will cheer loudly to see Swoggle get what he’s got coming to him.