411’s Worst Wrestler of the Week 04.14.09

Welcome to 411’s Worst Wrestler of the Week! I am your humble host, JP “JP II” Truss.

In the Worst Wrestler of the Week, I will focus on all things concerning wrestling. Every aspect of the product will be considered and in the end, two things will be decided. One will be the top event in the wrestling industry (the Worst of the Week) and the second will be the wrestler whose actions make him/her the Worst Wrestler of the Week.

JP’s Spotlight: Petty Officer Jesse Neal and TNA Wrestling

So, everything seems to have gotten back to normal in the realm of professional wrestling. I myself was more than happy to take some time and enjoy the Easter weekend while completely being cut off from the Internet. Quickly, I’d like to thank Chris Lansdell who stepped in and did the Weekly Smackdown Report in my absence.

However, once I got back only I did something that I originally was not intending to do; read the TNA Impact Report. It has nothing to do with Randy Harrison, who does a great job covering the show. It’s just that my own view is still a little tainted from the lead up and execution of Destination X. However, I decided to at least see if TNA Wrestling proved me wrong just yet. After all, like I have been saying, professional wrestling is stronger with at least two major promotions. In any case, I’m thinking that I chose the wrong time to check in.
If Harrison is right (and he usually is spot on) the flow of nonsensical “entertainment” has not stopped or even slowed down from TNA. However, one thing in the report stuck out to me; well two things. First is Harrison’s reaction to a backstage vignette involving Rhino and a Sailor that was on the USS Cole on the day it was bombed by terrorists. Here is his observation;

Random Impact Observation #1: Call me oversensitive, but that was disgusting. Trying to build sympathy for a guy off of an event that was an actual tragedy and trying to drum up some tears from Rhino for this was terrible. Beyond the bad acting from both of them, the whole idea is just desperate and sad. I’m tolerant of a lot of the things that wrestling shows put out, but this was manipulative, exploitative garbage.

Well, anyone who’s been around 411 Mania for longer than 4.5 seconds knew that wasn’t going to go unchallenged. One of the more interesting comments sounded something like this;

Posted By: Donners (Guest) So I take it you never watch NCIS, Law & Order, The West Wing, etc? Enhancing a fictional storyline/character using known real-life events is a perfectly valid and very common approach. What makes wrestling so special that it can’t be done here?

Maybe this is just an excuse for me to talk about something I really wanted to touch on for a while now, but I’m going to roll with the current here. Why? Well because TNA Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment and nearly every other promotion in America eventually tries to tie real life events into kayfabe. Sometimes it works very well, the most recent example is Shawn Michaels’ being an ‘employee’ of John Bradshaw Layfield. Despite some hesitation from many IWC fans, it was very believable since it’s something actually happening. This was enhanced by the raw talent of HBK and JBL. The next best example would be the recent feud between Matt and Jeff Hardy. The anchor of their storyline was the very real personal demons Jeff Hardy went through in his career and how they affected Matt.

However, usually this approach ends up flat on its face. One of the best known cases of this involves Muhammad Hassan. Without a doubt, Hassan had a very promising future in the WWE. However, when the real world intertwined with kayfabe it ended with his untimely removal from professional wrestling. During his feud with the Undertaker, Hassan ‘summoned’ masked attackers that were visually reminiscent of terrorist groups such as Hezbollah, Islamic Jihad, and Hamas. These men attacked the Undertaker and carried out a fallen Khosrow Daivari (aka Abdul Bashir in TNA) in a manner that was clearly inspired by the burial processions of suicide bombers. As controversial at this segment would have been on its own, it was made worse by the fact that a terrorist attack occurred in the United Kingdom hours before the segment aired. The backlash not only from regular viewers but form the Arab-American community ended Hassan’s career before it could even start.

Without a doubt there is a veil separating the issues of the real world from the realm of professional wrestling. Piercing that veil has always been a gamble and continues to be so. What does that mean for TNA Wrestling? This brings us to the point of this article. As I’ve often stated journalism is the goal here at the 3W. I spent time doing research into the Sailor himself and his story. Now, unless it’s all an elaborate, extraordinarily dense ruse; Jesse Neal who also goes by the ring name “Tribal” is the real deal. He was enlisted with the United State Navy and was on the USS Cole on the day it was bombed by al Qaida. He did lose his best friend in the attack and afterward entered Team 3D’s Wrestling Academy. He’s well known among Florida wrestling circles and I’d be remiss if I didn’t note that much of my information came from Florida Wrestling Fans.com. So before I go any further the 3W would like to thank Jesse Neal for his service and his sacrifice.

I respect TNA Wrestling a little bit more now for allowing Jesse Neal to live his dream, however how they go about using him and the tremendous story he brings with him is troublesome. As previously noted, some storylines simply do not work in professional wrestling. This is not NCIS or Law and Order. There, something like the USS Cole attack is often used as an episode arc and finished in an hour. However, wrestling is all together a different animal. This sort of things, using a real life situation to build a wrestling character is something that can easily be taken over the line and has been in the past.

Jesse Neal’s story goes to the very core of his character in TNA and it’s already off to a rocky start. As previously pointed out, many reviewers on this very site did not believe Jesse Neal’s story when he first said it. Of course, the foreseeable minefield awaiting TNA will be a possible feud between Neal and Abdul Bashir, which could quickly become a grenade that’ll blow TNA’s hands off. And of course there is the situation surrounding TNA Creative, which is still in free fall after the debacle that was Destination X 2009. So once Jesse Neal is out in the ring he’ll virtually be out there alone with very little guarantee that whatever he’s given will pay dividends for his career.

Of course, all of this is currently speculation. I can only go on TNA’s track record…which has not been favorable to them and only have my dire hope that I am proven wrong. So here’s the bottom line. What you’ve been hearing about this particular angle is not the full story. However, that doesn’t mean TNA is out of the woods. Using Jesse Neal’s personal story to build his character is a gamble because there are multiple ways it can go wrong. It will either propel him into main event status or cut his legs out from under him. This doesn’t qualify it as either Worse or Worst Wrestler; it’s simply something the 3W will be keeping its eyes on for the next few weeks. How TNA handles Jesse Neal will tell whether or not the company has learned anything these past few months and if they’re ready to accept the responsibility that comes with being a major promotion. So stay tuned to this article for developments.

Now then, with that said there is no Worst of the Week or Worst Wrestler this week due to…well…everyone actually doing their jobs. It really does gut my article however before we get out of here there are a few things that needs to be noted;

First, the 3W will have a special report next week on the Supplement Draft this coming Wednesday. Historically, the Supplement Draft has been a reliable way to flag those who will soon receive a notice wishing them the best in their future endeavors. I will be going over the list and note who will be getting the Worst Deal out of the Supplement Draft.

Second, I had the opportunity to talk to with several people over the weekend that will be attending the Tea Party rally in Washington on Wednesday. While I will be unable to attend my local rally due to previous engagements, I promised I’d take the time to voice my support in this forum. For those who want more information about the rallies or more information on the spiraling debt gripping our nation with the help of our elected officials go to Tax Day Tea Party.com.

JP’s Replies

Posted By: You wanna piece of me Stid? (Guest)
Santino/a is quality humor. Every era of WWF since Hogan beat Sheik has had someone that were intended to provide comic relief, from the good (Heenan, Okerlund, even the Godfather) to the not so good (Oddities, Nikolai Volkoff singing, Doink and Dink). Santino does a pretty good job of entertaining on the mic, and fills his role well. It’s sad it took away from any potential diva storyline, but the crappy battle royal format and lack of introductions for Sunny, Molly, Victoria etc. had already done that. The Kid Rock thing is a joke, the fact that he received that much (or any) time of Wrestlemania is a horrible mistake on Vince’s part.

Excellent observations concerning the Miss Wrestlemania match, but considering “Santina” quality humor is kind of hard for me. I don’t get it but maybe someone reading this can explain the humor of Santino in drag? Because not only can I not see it, the thought of it makes me vomit a little in my mouth.

Posted By: Egomaniac (Guest)
I’m still trying to figure out the connection you were going for with Steamboat/Savage & Hogan/Andre in comparison to Finlay & Regal??????

As I’ve stated before it’s only Steamboat and Savage that I’m comparing to Finlay and Regal and that is based on the style of match that Finlay and Regal can deliver. When allowed to do what they do best, Finlay and Regal can both have very solid catch as catch can matches. It allows for variety that was sorely missing in this year’s Wrestlemania. That’s what should make the event special; that it’s a showcase of all shades and styles of professional wrestling. That’s what made Steamboat/Savage so memorable and until it changes I strongly believe we’re being robbed of a great Wrestlemania moment.

Posted By: Pedro (Guest)
I think you’re wrong to say that the WWE title match between HHH and Orton wasn’t bad per se, just a bad WrestleMania main event. The match was BAD period. It probably would have gotten shitted on (and rightfully so) if it main evented Backlash or No Mercy. The crowd was DEAD. Yeah Taker/HBK was great and left the crowd tired, but last year, Edge and Taker were able to revive the crowd after seeing fans burnt after HBK/Flair.

True and that’s something I neglected when posting the article last week. My point though was that considering the stage the flaws of the match where amplified while it wouldn’t have been the case on a Raw or even Backlash. But Pedro, you are right in the fact that considering the talent involved there really isn’t an excuse for why they did not at least meet the expectations of the match. It was not HHH or Orton’s finest moment but I’m sure it’ll be fixed in the near future.

You got questions, comments, or just want to bite my head off? Leave a comment and I could answer it right here next week. And be sure to drop by this Friday for the Weekly Smackdown Report! And don’t forget that 411 Mania.com is available on Twitter and Facebook, or just bookmark this site to get instant news from the most reliable wrestling source on the web!

Until next week; JP is DONE SON!