wrestling / Columns
The MeeThinks Saturday Spectacular 6.02.07
Welcome back, all. Your week-end dose of IWC optimism is jam-packed this time around, so no point in jibber jabberin’ when there’s PLENTY of ‘rasslin to be discussed!
On tap this week:
No time to dilly-dally… LET’S DO THIS THANG!!!
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Rock & roll.
WWE News
John Cena Stares Down Ron Killings
WWE Star Crosses Path with Former NWA Champ in N.C. Airport
Well, this is officially our “non-news” news item of the week, as the IWC has pretty much taken to getting their collective buzz on over nothing more than the grown-up equivalent of a staring contest. Sorry folks, but two performers from rival companies having a “real-life” beef is hardly unprecedented in the wrestling world. Heck, it’s hardly unprecedented for two guys not to get along in the same LOCKER ROOM!
In typical carny-overreacting fashion (because let’s be honest here, folks, nobody is talking about Ron Killings these days unless he’s barking up the wrong tree or threatening to jump ship), Ron Killings had this to say in reply:
“John Cena did’nt approach me “Ron Killings” about sh$%# at the airport,,infact,,this is second run in that we’ve had..First one was kind of a calling his bluff type thang….even tryin to comunicate with him to see what’s up with what i’ve been hearing,,also all the interviews he did supposely calling me out..Big Mistake,,Then he leaves voice messages on my cell talking about battleing me and about thrashing my a**,,not to mention people he’s done interviews with tell me John Cena wanted us to call you so he could battle you…..Man Please!! He did what he should’ve done,,and that’s nothing!!I wish he would try to play that battle rap sh$%# with me,,I’ll just eat his a** alive,and spit and sh#$% out the pieces i dont like,,Just like I told him,, He’s a Punk ass,,rap wanna be ME!”
Sigh.
So what have we learned from this latest c-lebrity feud?
1) Ron Killings hasn’t yet mastered the art of the elipsis (three periods, Ron. As in “…”) or the apostrophe (it’s “didn’t,” Truth, not “did’nt”).
2) Capitalization is not Killings’ strong suit.
3) The Truth’s grammar is about as impressive as his freestyle raps, which is to say “not at all.”
But frankly…
In the grand scheme of ‘rassler beefs, the Killings/Cena standoff doesn’t even seem to scrape the surface of any noteworthy significance. Cena’s over like rover and making scads of money, while Killings is stuck whining out the duration of his TNA contract as he shoots craptacular b-movie trailer knockoffs and cuts “battle raps” about his nicotine addiction.
Killer stuff, Truth.
Bottom line, if WWE *wants* Ron Killings and they think he can make them some money (not all that likely), then they’ll hire him no matter what he says or who he pisses off. If they *don’t* consider him a lucrative investment (more likely), than he can run his mouth all he wants and nobody will bat an eye. Cena’s WWE’s license to print money, and impulsive though he may be, I guarantee you he’s WAYYY to savvy a businessman to piss away a fortune getting into a fight or a lawsuit against a guy who ultimately amounts to nothing more than a curtain-jerker with a MySpace page.
In any case, MeeThinks this latest scuffle is nowhere near the top five “real life wrestling feuds” of all time… heck, it’s probably not even in the top ten. Since it seems quasi-relevant, though — if you had to ask Mee what, exactly, the top ten wrestling feuds of all time would be, I’d say the list looks something like this:
The MeeThinks Top 10 Real-Life ‘Rassler Beefs of All Time
1. Bruno Sammartino / Vince McMahon – Wins hands-down on longevity alone.
2. Bob Backlund / Arnold Skaaland – in the era of kayfabe, the controversy between these two was LEGENDARY.
3. New Jack / Vic Grimes – might be the only feud on record where one guy actually tried to kill the other.
4. Bret Hart / Shawn Michaels – I’m ranking this higher than Bret/Vince simply because it’s still unresolved.
5. Bret Hart / Vince McMahon – For the better part of a decade, fans swore it’d never end.
6. Randy Savage / Hulk Hogan – this on-again, off-again beef warrants mention simply for the battle raps alone.
7. Ultimate Warrior / Hulk Hogan – Ranks lower than others simply because Hogan refuses to return fire.
8. Eric Bischoff / Vince McMahon – Was, at one time, THE real-life feud to beat. Would have ranked higher if Easy E didn’t sell out.
9. Goldberg / Triple H – Their real-life scuffle had fans convinced that Goldie would never work in this business again.
10. Matt Hardy / Edge – Ultimately underwhelmed, but buzz after this bona-fide falling out was once off the charts.
Throw in a few (dis)honorable mentions for scuffles like Regal/Goldberg, Jericho/Goldberg, Blair/Shiek, Booker/Batista, Tiger Mask/Akira Maeda, Hennig/Lesnar, Meanie/JBL, Dupreé/Holly, Piper/Mr. T, Melina/Mickie, Melina/Candice etc…. and it’s pretty clear that this latest broohaha between Cena and The Truth isn’t all that impressive.
I should point out, of course, that Killings probably isn’t all that bright if he thinks that slagging on WWE’s Golden Boy is going to help him land a job with the guy’s employer.
Speaking of unimportant beefs and cheap shots…
WWE Takes a Pot-shot at Samoa Joe
Company Website Cleverly Puts Umaga Over Samoan Submission Machine
For the four of y’all who actually take the time to keep tabs on the half-kayfabed net-drama that pours out of WWE.com (much of the time it goes nowhere, as we’ve learned), there’s a featurette on there that lists the 10 wildest stars in WWE history. Not surprisingly, current WWE-superheavyweight Umaga ranks in at number two. But what *is* surprising about all of this, however, is how exactly the kind folks over at WWE.com chose to bill just how wild their resident Samoan really is. Take a look:
“Hailing from the Isle of Samoa, WWE.com’s No. 2 Wildest Superstar is far from any average Joe; he’s a savage of the highest order. His power is fierce, his fury explosive. Reasoning with him is useless.”
Hahahahahahaa. Awesome.
This will niether go anywhere nor will it ever really amount to anything, but holy crap is it awesome to see WWE continue to “not acknowledge” the competition while they continue to acknowledge the competition. Kinda like when HBK and Triple H made a goofy imaginary elevator-like entrance on RAW the week after Angle debuted in the same fashion in TNA.
Petty, petty, petty… but pretty fun and hardless stuff, regardless.
Vengeance to be “Night Of Champions”
June PPV Likely For an All-Title-Matches Card
YES!!!
Folks, this is further example that Vince McMahon is a genius and that WWE is still the smartest wrestling company in the history of this business. From the moment Vinny Mac announced a “Night Of Champions” PPV way back in the conference a few weeks back, the intrawebz have been buzzing with all sorts of thoughts and rumors as to what all (and WHEN) the WWE Chairman would possibly unleash this latest-and-greatest creation.
Initial buzz, of course, was that we’d be looking at a WWE-adaptation of the WCW Clash of the Champions concept; free, specially-broadcast television supercards where stars from all three shows joined in the fun for a one-night championship showdown.
Not so much.
Then, when word broke that RAW would be getting an extra hour in two week’s time (and that stars from all three shows would be in attendance), immediately the IWC went into typical kneejerk overdrive, as “experts” across the webz thought for sure this must mean that we’d be in store for a special Monday Night Of Champions where all of the matches on that card would be contested with titles up for grabs.
Not so!
Instead, WWE played their cards right and has scheduled this all-championships-on-the-line show to take place on June 24 of this year at the Vengeance PPV. In case you haven’t already guessed, I’m a HUGE fan of this idea… but here’s why:
1) It’s 2007, and there is really no major cable competition for WWE or its programming. That means winning a week’s worth of cable ratings really doesn’t mean all that much these days. Why squander a blockbuster card of dream matches and “firsts” on free television? (coughStingSamoaJoeImpactcough)
2) It’s pay-per-view, and so WWE can make a TON of money on this event since people will actually pay to see all of the company’s major titles on the line in one night.
3) It’s a good three-and-a-half weeks away, giving WWE all the more time to build to this event rather than simply rushing out a series of title matches on a throwaway, soon-to-be-forgotten episode of Monday Night RAW scheduled for just 9 days away.
4) It gives fans an incentive not only to BUY the PPV, but also to CARE about the thing as it will prove unique (and hopefully, distinguished!) from the rest of the onslaught of PPV’s that surround it. Every summer, WWE finds itself in a wicked major-show-a-month cycle (sometimes it’s even more frequent than that!), and writers are forced to churn out enough hotshot booking and sloppily-programmed matches to fill out the company’s next PPV installment. This usually leads to a TON of rematches, a string of interchangable (read: forgettable) PPVs, and a veritable audience burnout by SummerSlam.
Which leads Mee to something of a bigger point here, really…
WWE’s PPV Calendar Gets Gimmicky — In a Good Way
Thanks to the “all titles” gimmick, WWE not only bought themselves a new and easily-marketable PPV, they’ve also helped to pad out their summer PPV calendar with an exciting addition to help break up the all-too-easily-dismissed string of “what’s it’s name?” PPV’s that has haunted them ever since day one of the brand split. Backlash, Unforgiven, Vengeance — call it what you will: fans are smart enough to know that certain PPV offerings simply aren’t as important as some others out there.
Looking at the current WWE PPV calendar, for example, we all know you’ve got your typical “big four:”
Royal Rumble — easy sell, thanks to the Rumble match.
WrestleMania— easy sell, ‘cuz it’s freaking WrestleMania.
SummerSlam — easy sell, since it’s traditionally the number two PPV of the year.
Survivor Series — easy sell, thanks to “classic” Survivor Series team matches.
But thanks to this latest development, throw in the three latest “gimmicky” PPV tweaks/additions, and you’re looking at:
Cyber Sunday — easier sell than normal, since there’s a GUARANTEED fan-participation gimmick.
One Night Stand — easier sell than normal, thanks to the GUARANTEED all-gimmick-match card.
Vengeance — easier sell than normal, since every match is GUARANTEED to be for a title.
This helps WWE deepen each PPV’s respective “brand identity” by setting it apart as different and unique from the other shows around it. Plus, it gives WWE not just its usual “big four,” but SEVEN pay-per-views with a clearly-defined selling point that can really help each show stand out from the pack. After all — at face value, can anyone really tell Mee the difference between “No Way Out” and “No Mercy” again?
Not the case, thanks to the gimmick-centered PPVs we’re seeing unrolled before our eyes.
Cyber Sunday? Fans know off the bat that they can vote on stipulations for each match! One Night Stand? Guaranteed to be a tribute to extreme when anything goes for each bout on the card! And Vengeance? Now we know going into it that we’re in for a full-on “Night Of Champions!”
While true, certain all-gimmick PPV shows (King of the Ring, TNA Lockdown) have proven forgettable and/or insignificant in terms of popping a buyrate — if WWE remains savvy enough not to overkill the concept here (for even in their “all-gimmick” PPVs, each of the gimmicks are versatile enough so that none of the shows really feels all that confined by its respective schtick) — MeeThinks fans will bite and buyrates for these new all-gimmick-PPV’s compared to last year’s shows of the same.
And if that’s the case, expect to see WWE do more stuff like this in the future.
Because let’s be honest here — who among us is gonna’ plunk down $40 or more for a show like the Great American Bash or Unforgiven when we’re basically guaranteed to get nothing more than the same matches wesaw (with WAY more hype and/or cooler stipulations) just three weeks before?
Since we brought up the topic of gimmicks…
Bad News for Goldust
Former WWE Star Believed to Have Fallen on Hard Times
In a most depressing turn of events, I found this little gem while trolling on over at F4Wonline.:
Dustin “Goldust” Runnels was scheduled to work last Friday night’s Bad News Allen Tribute Show in Cochrane, Alberta as he got a $900 advance. He not only no-showed, but cashed the plane ticket in for cash the day before the show.
The promoter, who worked as Hannibal in the main event, had done shows in Puerto Rico and knew Dustin from working down there, so he was particularly incensed. They sent out his planned opponent, Ravenous Randy, to cut a promo on him, utterly burying him and then calling him up on his cell phone to leave a message of all the fans booing at the top of their lungs.
It’s been said that Runnels has seen some rough times recently and there are people very worried about him. Between the advance, airfare (which is very expensive in Canada) and hotel, the promoter probably lost $5,000 on him alone. He was also scheduled to appear at Monday’s SNME taping, but pulled out for some unknown reason.
This is just bad news all around, as while Runnels bailing on an indy show is suspect enough, he likewise no-showed the guaranteed payday of an appearance on NATIONAL NETWORK TELEVISION with WWE’s Saturday Night’s Main Event broadcast less than a week later.
Not to sound too much like a milk carton here… but:
If you or anyone you know might be in contact with Dustin Runnels, PLEASE get in touch with the guy to make sure he’s doing alright. I just went back last week and re-watched a bunch of the matches and such off of the Roddy Piper DVD set — and I just can’t reiterate enough how truly GREAT a performer Dustin is when he’s “on” at the top of his game.
Shooting Star Press Banned
WWE Continues Trend Toward Curbing High-Risk Maneuvers
As I’ve said in the past, I’ve got absolutely no problems with certain high-risk moves being banned as a matter of principle. Three main reasons for that, as I see it.
1) With WWE racked with injuries all over the place these days (and with Wellness still going strong), it’s just bad business to take your remaining stars and let them go out there busting out high-risk spotfests rather than looking out for their protection as best as you can. As we saw in CM Punk’s recent slip-up on ECW this week, even the most notoriously “polished” of in-ring generals still can fall victim to the errant misstep, from time to time.
2) Instead of falling victim to the same criticism that so frequently plagues TNA’s X-Division (“vanilla midgets who are all spots, no psychology.”), WWE has made it clear that one of their new goals for 2007 is to focus more heavily on improving the actual quality of their in-ring product. This is GREAT news for wrestling fans the world over, as rather than trotting nameless cruisers out there for senseless and high-risk spotfests, WWE (so they say) is actually hoping to give their performers the time to tell a sound and well-developed story and get over accordingly. Even if it doesn’t work, it’s certainly a lot safer than trotting the same guys out and letting them risk their health (and the health of their opponents) in a vain attempt to do the same.
3) As I’d said last year when this nonsense all began, “you’ve gotta walk before you can run.” WWE has curtailed the ECW “Hardcore/EXTREEEME/etc.” elements a great deal… so much so that they’re actually able to get people excited about a PPV with less than two weeks of actual hype simply because they’re willing to lax the rules for this “one night stand” of a special occassion. The same “all things in moderation” principle holds true for the cruisers. Giving fans lightweights with a flashy moveset is nice and all, but very quickly audiences become desensitized when all they’re seeing is the “same old, same old” from performers who can’t manage to keep people’s attention unless they’re relying on the more dangerous stunts along the way. Space things out, deepen your arsenal, and save the big-time high-risk super-flashy stuff for when it counts… that way it’s all the more impressive (and marketable)!
So yeah — I have absolutely zero problems with this latest WWE ruling. Strangely (NAHHT!), this is not necessarily the case for some of the company’s employees. Take, for example…
Shooting Star Press Banned, Paul London Does it Anyway
WWE Tag Star Earns “Final Warning” From Vinny Mac
This is pretty awesome, actually.
A year or so ago in the wake of some serious injuries and shakeups to performers across the board (Brock Lesnar, Chavo Guerrero, etc.), WWE cruiserweights were told to knock it off with the super-crazy high flying nonsense (the 450 Splash, for one). Paul London chose instead to push Vince’s buttons by performing the maneuver at a house show, and so he saw his Cruiserweight Title reign go up in smoke faster than you can say “Rob Van Dam,” and he was summarily buried in undercard obscurity before eventually (and gradually) returning to company favor thanks to his tag-team success with Brian Kendrick.
Flash-forward to this week, and WWE stars were told to nix the Shooting Star Press and a few other similarly-high-risk top-rope maneuvers. Once again, London said “thanks, but no thanks” to Vin-Man’s request and decided to bust out an SSP at a house show shortly thereafter. Not surprisingly, Vince McMahon was said to have been pretty steamed about the whole thing — and so he confronted London (in what has been reported as being a surprisingly civil encounter, believe it or not) and told him in no uncertain terms, “you do it again, you’re fired.”
Considering the fact that Paul London is, first and foremost, a real-life trainee of one Shawn Michaels, is anybody *really* all that surprised to hear that a product of the Heart Break Kid school of discipline has trouble taking orders from on high? After all, “like father, like son,” and of Michaels’s thirteen WWE title reigns — longtime wrestling fans will point out that London’s mentor’s backstage antics/attitude/shenanigans/etc. have made it such that he’s only lost FIVE of those puppies (less than 40%!!!) in an actual “OK Vince, I’ll do the j-o-b” match:
Michaels forfeited the WWF Championship and “lost his smile” ONCE (Feb. 13, 1997).
Michaels was “stripped” of the Intercontinental Championship TWICE — first on September 27, 1993 (“failure to defend in thirty days”) and again on October 22, 1993 (the infamous Syracuse mugging).
Michaels was stripped of THREE of his Tag Team Championships, including his ill-fated “Good Friends, Better Enemies” pairing with Diesel (November 23, 1994), his second run with Nash (ended September 25, 1995 due to Clarence Mason shenanigans), and his famed “comically mismatched tag champs” run with Steve Austin (vacated due to injury on July 14, 1997). While we’re at it, Michaels (kayfabe) walked out of his most recent tag run as well (so make it FOUR) — quitting on John Cena in a Battle Royal (April 2, 2007).
And, lest we forget, Michaels (effectively) vacated the European Championship (and added oh-so-much legitimacy to the belt along the way) ONCE by laying down for Triple H as an early “Christmas present” (December 11, 1997).
Throw in the fact that a number of Michaels’ remaining title losses have (conveniently?) come at the hands of his real-life chums such as Nash, Hunter, and Hall… and all of the sudden, it seems pretty obvious where our latest rabble-rouser in Paul London might well have learned his “attitude” from after all.
While we’re on the subject of attitude problems, however…
TNA News
Johnny Devine Breaks Character at Tribute Show
Seratonin Member Rants Against Current TNA Gimmick
In YOUR “Beaver Cleavage” moment of the week, TNA jobber extrordinaire Johnny Devine a.k.a. Havok of Seratonin recently caught a bit of flack after breaking character at the most recent Bad News Allen Tribute show held last Friday in Alberta.
In case you missed it…
Before his match with indy wrestler Scotty Mac, Devine tore off his Seratonin gear before grabbing the house mic and telling fans he “wasn’t going to wrestle dressed up like a stupid comic book character.”
Well, Johnny…
I suppose you’re right, and your current “stupid comic book character” gimmick is certainly far worse than when you were the “stupid comic book sidekick” to Alex Shelley for a week or two in Paparazzi Productions. Before that, I’m pretty sure you were the easily-forgotten “stupid comic book goon” in Team Canada. So yeah — it *must* be the gimmick’s fault that you’re stuck where you are and haven’t been able to get over despite two years of regular exposure on TNA television.
Sigh.
Word on the ‘webz is that Devine is catching a due amount of heat for this little blowup, and so he may well end up in TNA’s unemployment office before long. That’s alright, though — as with guys like Scotty, Nick Mitchell, Sabu, Conway and the rest of the crew likely to be looking for employment since WWE cut their losses a few weeks back, it’s probably best for everyone involved if a guy like Devine who’s so clearly “unhappy” with the company just saved everyone the drama and stepped aside to make room for the latest influx of talent.
While he’s at it, feel free to tell him to take Ron Killing and Austin Starr away with him. That way, TNA will be left with performers willing to work for the good of the company on the whole (Christian, Styles, Joe, even Angle etc.) instead of whining about their respective lots in life.
Scott Steiner Delivers Early Candidate for Promo of the Year
Former World Champ Lays Into Team 3D in Killer Diatribe
In case you missed last week’s iMPACT — (for shame!), you also just so happened to miss one of THE (long sounding “eee”) single greatest promos I’ve ever heard in my entire 20-plus year fandom of this great pseudo-sport of kings. Thanks to the wonders of YouTube, it’s still available for your viewing pleasure — but holy crap, did this one catch Mee by surprise!
Why’s that, you ask?
Because the bulk of the promo I’m referring to just so happened to be delivered by none other than SCOTT FREAKING STEINER!!!
Yup, as I stood watching last week’s TNA broadcast, my jaw was literally left hanging open in shock and awe. For right there before me, the guy who’s usually notorious for little more than a mushmouth of swear words and/or the obligatory icoherent sort of roid-rage usually reserved only for Lex Luger’s most difficult of encounters with a T-Shirt was ABSOLUTELY KICKING ASS on the microphone, and singlehandedly giving TNA fans a reason to tune in to see what otherwise be dismissed as two over-the-hill teams in the Steiners and the Dudz go at it one-on-one in a “dream match” that’s easily a good ten years past relevant.
No matter, however, as this promo was just so outstanding that I for one want to officially offer it up for contention in this year’s nominations for THE (long sounding “eee”) PROMO OF THE YEAR! Awesome effort by all parties involved, no doubt — but Scotty really knocked it out of the park on this one.
Take a look:
Brother Ray: The word on the street is that The Steiner Brothers wanna have a talk with us. Steiners — we’re in the ring. Whatever ya’ need, come on out.
Mike Tenay: Well, when it comes to legendary tag teams… when the historians write the books on the best of the best… when you look at the number of championships won and how dominant a particular team is in an era — NOBODY, and I mean NOBODY, can top The Steiner Brothers. And possibly the most important element in forming a successful team is trust. Trust in your partner. Scott Steiner hasn’t had that in TNA until now. It’s Big Poppa Pump, it’s the Dog-Faced Gremlin — they’re on the same page. Last week on iMpact!, they broke down the door of Jim Cornette’s office with a challenge to come face to face with Team 3D.
Don West: We talk about the dream matchup later tonight with Joe and Sting, but *this* is a dream matchup. In fact it’s a dream that we get to see The Steiner Brothers together! But think about what these four can do in the ring…
Brother Ray: Hold on, hold on. Scott, before I say a word, I just wanted to let you know — that on behalf of me, my brother Devon, it is an absolute pleasure to be standing in the ring with one of the greatest tag teams of all time.
Mike Tenay: Anyone who cares as much about wrestling history as Team 3D is going to have the utmost in respect for the accomplishments of this night.
Brother Ray: If it wasn’t for you and your brother Rick, guys like me and Devon would never be here today.
Don West: The Steiners paved a path… they laid the groundwork for Team 3D!
Brother Ray: I’d like everybody in the Impact Zone to stand up and give The Steiner Brothers the standing ovation that they properly deserve.
[Crowd stands and applauds The Steiners]
Mike Tenay: Wow! What a great moment this is to see the respect from Team 3D.
Scott Steiner: Whoah whoah whoah… listen up, fatass — I don’t need YOU, I don’t need any of these rednecks out here to tell me and my brother how great we were. I know how great we were! The question we wanna’ talk about is — how great *you* were. We wanna’ talk about your “legacy,” or lack thereof.
Mike Tenay: Wow! It doesn’t sound like the respect is mutual from the Steiners…
Scott Steiner: You say you were multiple time WWE champions, but I want you to name ONE tag team, just one [that you beat], that these people out here would even recognize. I tell ya, the one big problem that I got is that you say you guys were WCW World Tag Team Champions. See I got a big problem with that, ‘cuz see we were the FIRST WCW World Tag Team Champions, we spent most of our career in WCW, and not one time did I see it even say your name on the roster. Matter of fact, not one time did I even see you step in the ring.
[Crowd begins chanting “Three-Dee-Sucks!”]
But the biggest joke of ’em all, and when you call yourself ECW World Tag Team Champions. See that’s the difference between you and us. See when we were World Tag Team Champions, we actually TRAVELED THE WORLD defending our belts. We went to the Tokyo Dome in front of 69,000 people. We went to Japan and won the IWGP WORLD tag team titles. We went to North Korea in front of 170,000 people [holds up three fingers] three nights in a row and defended our titles. You jokers? Never left the bingo hall.
Don West: Aww! They don’t deserve that!
Scott Steiner: See I don’t have a problem with your fat ass callin’ yourself ECW “STATE” champs, ECW “STREET” champs, or ECW “Bingo Hall” champs… but one thing’s for damned certain, there is no “World Champion” in ECW. I know it, and YOU should know it — by the paychecks you got.
Don West: Whoa-ho!
Mike Tenay: Ohhhh! Is that ever stiff!
Scott Steiner: So when it comes down to it — you want a legacy? I’ll GIVE you a legacy. See you mighta’ won a bunch a’ titles, but you beat NOBODY. You wanna’ listen to our legacy? Tell ’em who we beat, Ricky —
Rick Steiner: [unfurling a long sheet of paper] Lemme’ see… Road Warriors! Four Horsemen! Samoan SWAT Team! Nasty Boys! The Outsiders! Lex Luger and Sting! Midnight Express! Freebirds! Money Inc.! Hase, Sasaki! Ron Simmons, Buch Reed – Doom! Harlem Heat! Rock and Roll Express…
Scott Steiner: [cutting him off] Ricky, hey, hey, hey, Ricky, Ricky, Ricky, hey, hey, hey… [to Ray] Recognize any of those names? Matter of fact, how many names on that list do you think will be in the Hall Of Fame? And ya’ know what? We beat ’em ALL.
Brother Ray: I don’t understand why you guys are so hot and pissed off at us. We’re givin’ you the respect that you deserve. You know damned well that we’re old-school wrestlers, we’re the same kinda’ guys as you guys. We’re not like these punk, young-boy wrestlers who come into the business and have no respect. We realize that you’re one of the greatest tag teams of all time. You are the goddamned Steiner Brothers, and we appreciate that! And I don’t understand, Scott, why you can’t get it past that steel on your head that we actually LIKE you and RESPECT you!
Mike Tenay: You can tell that’s coming from the heart of Brother Ray.
Scott Steiner: What it comes down to, is your legacy don’t mean shit.
Mike Tenay: WOW!
[Brother Ray turns, drops title belt, and begins walking out of the ring]
Brother Devon: You know somethin’ — he may be done talkin’ to you, but I’m not. My brother has come out here and put you and your brother on a high pedestal. Bottom line, Scott — you mighta’ been a great tag team in your era. You’ve run down the list of all the tag teams that you’ve beaten. But there’s ONE tag team that you HAVEN’T beaten, and that’s [gets right in Scott’s face] TEAM 3D!
Don West: I mean this guy is the quiet assassin. He usually lets Brother Ray do the speaking.
Mike Tenay: Yeah but when Brother Devon talks, people listen!
Scott Steiner: Well that’s about to change because you say we’re bad? I KNOW we’re bad. Come Slammiversary, you got the balls, we’re gonna’ kick your ass right then and right there.
Brother Ray: You know what? That sounds perfect. Because I hope you DO kick our asses. I hope you kick our ass real damned bad. Because I want the whole world to see it! I want the whole world to know that The Steiners kicked Team 3D’s ass and we took your BEST! AND we BEAT YOU! All on the SAME FRICKIN’ NIGHT!
Mike Tenay: Wow! What an intense situation between Team 3D and The Steiners.
Brother Devon: Oh my brotha… TESTIFY!!!
No gimmicks or catch-phrases required, and, absolutely phenomenal work from all parties involved.
YouThinks Reader Mail
Tons of ‘Thinks this week, so let’s start with first-time MeeThinks e-mailer Thomas Williams:
Am I the only one who has a problem with Christian being classified as a
WWE-reject? He actually left WWE of his own choice, as in asked for a
release, so he could go to TNA? You can still put him under the category of
WWE guy they pushed to the top, but I’m pretty sure he took a drop in his
income to go to TNA. I’ve got one more minor gripe. People want to bitch
about pushing people like Lashley. Meehan, name one person on the current
ECW roster aside from Lashley that would be ready to carry the belt? RVD
already blew his chance, and my personal favorite CM Punk just isn’t ready.
Can people stop being so damn smarky and just watch the show? I read this
analogy somewhere, comparing wrestling to a five ring circus. If you don’t
like the clowns or the elephants, that’s why there are trapeeze artists.– Thomas Williams
Thanks for writing, Thomas, and to answer your question — “no, you’re not the only one who has a problem with calling Christian a WWE-ject.”
Rhino? Sure. Killings? No question. Angle? Given his Wellness issues, you could probably say “yes” there too. Heck, even Styles and Daniels probably warrant a certain amount of flack for their all-too-short tenures with the ‘E. But Christian? No freakin’ way.
As I pointed out WAAAAAAYYY back in my debut column just about three years ago (wow!), Christian is a proud anomaly in the wrestling world, because he’s one of *very few* talents to ever WILLINGLY walk out of the big company for the chance to make something of himself in the smaller one. So in a sense, he doesn’t have that stank of a guy who “was let go” or who “couldn’t hack it in the big leagues” that haunts so many of his peers. In addition to the guys rattled off in the last paragraph — folks like Raven, Hemme, Miss Jackie, The Bashams, The Voodoo Kin Mafia, etc. all come to mind.
For as much flack as I give Rob Van Dam, I will say this: he, too, would be an exception to the “WWE-ject” rule were he to sign with TNA when he could have easily inked a new deal with WWE. Sure he’s had run-ins with Wellness, but the bottom line is that if Van Dam wanted it, he’d pretty much be secured a job for life with WWE… and so it’d be a pretty noteworthy jump if he just flat-out decided to hop ship to their biggest rival instead.
But yes, Christian rules and has been a TREMENDOUS asset to TNA since signing on two years ago. It’s great to see him rewarded with a top-of-the-card push, and it’s encouraging to see that he’s signed a new two-year deal with the company.
Mike proves that flattery will get you everywhere, even if he just so happens to disagree with yours truly on a point or two:
Again another great read. This is the only column I read consistently, so nice job! For the first time I find myself disagreeing with one of your points. Well sort of. I totally agree that in about a month or two WWE television will be high quality with the returns of Booker T, Kennedy, HHH, HBK and even Rey Rey. It will most definitely give both shows a boost and make this years Summerslam more anticipated than any other in recent memory (besides Flair vs Foley from last year of course!)
Now while I agree with you on what “will” happen to the WWE product, I don’t think there is enough emphasis on what “is” the WWE product right now. This last weeks Raw, and this is hard coming from a die hard WWE/Vince supporter mind you, was bad. (At the time writing this I am speaking of the 5/21/07 edition of Raw)
I just don’t think I am prepared to accept my main eventers as Bobby Lashley, Umaga, Great Khali and Vince Mcmahon. With all these big guys and crazy gimmicks I don’t know whether to change the channel or pretend it’s 1992. Two out of those four don’t even talk on the microphone, and I’m starting to wish Bobby Lashley wouldn’t either. I know WWE has been hit HARD with injuries, and when those guys start coming back things will get better as we both agree on. But as of right now, having those guys take up the majority of Raw is making me yearn for episodes of WCW Thunder from 1999. Ok maybe not that bad, but thank God for WWE 24/7.
– Mike
Great letter, Mike, and thanks for writing.
I’ll have to say that you’re half-right on this one. Cena vs. Khali (again!), Batista vs. Edge (again!), and Lashley vs. McMahon (AGAIN!?!?) certainly is proof that injuries have taken their toll on WWE’s roster and so the company can’t help but stick in something of a holding pattern for the time being. But where I think you’re wrong is that WWE’s writing team has done an INCREDIBLE job of giving fans plenty of other non-title-program stuff to keep excited and/or talking about, which I think provides a great and WELCOME distraction from the current repetition/dearth of top-level programs.
I mean, looking at just the next calendar month alone — fans are already buzzing about:
Saturday Night’s Main Event (pre-taped or no, people are talking)
One Night Stand (an all-gimmick-match PPV that doesn’t actually feel too gimmicky after all)
The Return of the WWE Draft (three brands due for reshuffling = money)
The Three Hour RAW (hand in hand with the draft, of course)
Vengeance/The Night of Champions (a first in WWE’s history, and a cool concept at that)
So in short, yes the main event picture is a bit stale until the injured reserve list starts turning over in a month or so (ALL HAIL KING BOOKER!!!). But when you stop to look at what all WWE is serving up until the main event gets its start-of-summer-shot-in-the-arm, you’ve simply gotta’ admit that the company has really done wonders to mask the most obvious of its shortcomings.
Dan97 has some Thinks about the Madness. OOOoooooh YEEEEEEEaaaaaahhhhhh:
Do you think that there is any chance that Macho Man Randy Savage will ever be inducted into the Hall of Fame, during our lifetimes? Do you have any clue as to why he and McMahon have legitimate heat between them? It’s sad that they refuse to ever talk about what a great champion and performer the Macho Man was but they’ll put out a DVD about a total sell out like the Warrior or a piece of garbage like Hulk Hogan.
– Dan97
Thanks for writing, Dan!
Will Macho Man ever be offered a spot in the WWE Hall of Fame? No question whatsoever, as the guy was unquestionably THE (long sounding “eee”) number two or three guy in the company for much of its 80’s heyday. As to whether or not he’ll accept the offer, of course, that one’s a bit of a crapshoot (and sort of the answer to your question as to the real-life heat between Vince and Savage).
Some nasty IWC rumors have long speculated that the reason for Savage’s abrupt departure from WWE (and his total absence from WWE ceremonies thereafter) are actually the result of The Macho Man having some sort of sexual relations back in the day with a *very* underage Stephanie McMahon. You might recall that during the Steph/Vince feud of some years ago, Steph basically said — in character, mind you — that her dad had whored her out to whatever star he was hoping to recruit, and so chances are pretty good that this is where much of the buzz behind the Macho rumors got started.
In truth —
Nobody that I know of (and I’ve read/seen/etc. TONS of shoot interviews, documentaries, biographies, etc.) has ever gone on record with any proof behind the Macho/Steph allegations, so MeeThinks that one is pretty much an urban legend. In a business where dirty laundry is pretty much the norm, it seems virtually impossible that everybody and their brother would be willing to take any proof behind such a juicy and scandalous secret to their collective graves. So yeah, not likely.
Which leads Mee to the most likely “real” answer of ’em all: Savage simply priced himself out of the market, as he just wants more money than Vinny Mac thinks he’s worth. Macho Man has always been something of a mark for himself (hey, most of the old-school guys are!), and so it’s not all that hard to believe that he thinks he should command a pretty hefty payday if WWE is ever to acquire his services again. Vince, for his part, has milked a good bit of mileage out of his Hall of Fame AND his 80’s DVDs WITHOUT the help of the Macho Man, and so the WWE Chairman (understandably so) has every reason to believe that he can continue to do so without Savage’s help.
Thing is, there’s bound to come a time when the nostalgia well of the current crop of WWE old-time stars runs dry (after all, how many DVDs can feature Bruce Pritchard already?!), and so MeeThinks Vinny Mac is probably holding Macho Man as his fallback “ace in the hole” once he’s done all he can do with Hogan, Piper, Flair and the rest of the crew. WWE has always been very smart about spacing out their Hall of Famers so as not to exhaust an entire era’s crop of “A-List” stars in one fell swoop — and so I have every reason to believe that he’s well aware of Savage’s marquis value, and he’s just sittin’ on that one for a rainy day.
The question, of course, is whether or not when Vince comes knockin’ if Randy Savage would ever be willing to take the bait and whatever pay WWE was willing to offer up his way. But that’s pretty much an all-Macho decision to make, and probing the thought process of Randy Savage? Ha. There’s a story for another day!
Speaking of the Hall, though… Chris Jacobs starts with a related question, and then two more:
I didn’t know who to write and ask about this, but hey you do wrestling columns so it’s a good start. Anyway I was watching my old HBK video “Boyhood Dream” it’s from Coliseum video, and they were talking about Mae Young and they referred to her as Hall of Famer Mae Young. Some older footage and reports I have heard them refer to people as Hall of Famers way before WWE started up there Hall of Fame, so is there another Hall of Fame for wrestling? Or do they just consider certain people that had an impact a Hall of Famer unofficially?
2) I was watching a older PPV, I only really remember two matches and that was Juvi vs. Blitzkreig which was AWESOME, and then Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Hak. I don’t remember the name of this one, but I the description of this question may help. The match was Bam Bam vs. Hak (Sandman obviously), and I remember Sandman doing a flipping Senton off of a stagecoach on Bam Bam through a table. This was for the WCW Hardcore title, either that or they actually used these two for a awesome hardcore match, they used ladders, tables, chairs, rubber tipped barbed wire HA!, and a fire extinguisher. The finish was a Greetings from Asbury Park off the second rope dumping Sandman on the top of his head ON THE FIRE EXTINGUISHER! Anyway Tony Shivone I believe said this, I hate this guy by the way, as they were using a garbage can he said “Those don’t take a lot of affect they just give a loud bang”. Now why would he say that when these guys are selling it like it kills them? I mean he made them look like pansies by that, did he pull a Jerry Lalwer thinking that wrestling was garbage and just decided to run them down, because in a hardcore match that statement right there would really upset me if I was those wrestlers. He basically said the weapons don’t hurt they just make loud noises…
3) Whats weird about it being so close to another PPV, the first one it didn’t really matter, there were really no story lines. It was all original ECW, they promoted it yeah, but they NEVER mentioned anything on the next night, it was almost as if it didn’t happen. Kinda like going to a indy show and watching someone play heel, then going to another one in a different county and having that same guy be a face, possibly tag teaming with the guy that three days ago were in the middle of a blood spilling feud and hated each other’s guts. ECW was ECW, and WWE didn’t say anything about that PPV after it was over, maybe saying a few wrestlers were bruised here or there, but in all, no reference. Then on the second one it was more WWEized, such as Edge and Foley vs. Dreamer and Funk, Cena vs. RVD for the title, Sabu vs. Rey for the title, Sandman beatin the crap out of Eugene, and not using Metallica as his entrance music. Then the aftermath was carried onto WWE programming because there wrestlers were involved and they lost a title to the other team, now this year its more WWEized in the breath that its more than likley not going to have any real originals except RVD, maybe Dreamer, and I believe it is called WWE One Night Stand. But the first one was awesome, but never mentioned afterwards, the second one was awesome, but pretty much a split show, the third one still may be awesome, but it is definitley fully WWE PPV.
– Chris Jacobs
Great letter, Chris! To your points in order:
1) The “official” WWF/E Hall of Fame founding actually dates back to 1993 when Andre the Giant received such an induction, thus necessitating the need for a “Hall” into which to induct the guy.
(Kinda like Wayne’s World — what good is a gun rack with no guns to put in it, ya’ know?)
For the next few years thereafter, WWF continued to quietly go about inducting new honorees, which is where we got people like Gorilla Monsoon, Moolah and the like (1994 and 1995, respectively). Oddly, Mae Young was *not* inducted into this beta-Hall, so perhaps the video you’re referring to was talking about Moolah instead. From ’96 through WrestleMania XX (2004), the Hall sat in limbo as Vince and company were more concerned about sexing up their product and fending off WCW than in honoring old-timers, many of whom (conveniently) just so happened to still be making good money for their biggest competitor. And of course, in 2004 the Hall was “reopened” (well, it never technically closed — but whatever), thus providing us with the current crop of “Hall of Famers” we’re used to discussing, like Hogan, Piper, Hitman and the like.
As to older (pre-’93) references to Hall of Famers, chances are pretty good that they might be referring to older, lesser-known, or defunct Halls of Fame (Sammartino, for example, is a Hall of Famer outside of WWE, Harley Race is a WWE AND NEW AND WCW Hallof Famer). Barring that, you might just be looking at more of the usual misnomer or carny-speak hyperbole that tends to exaggerate a performer’s accomplishments in order to help sell the latest venture (for love him though I do, calling guys the level of Koko B. Ware a “WWE Legend” is a bit of a stretch).
2) The show you’re talking about here is Spring Stampede 1999. Not a blowaway show by any means, but hardly as bad as the later-day WCW ppv offerings would turn out to be before all was said and done. In any case, the trashcan shot and Schiavone’s whacky no-sell of the thing is a bit of a mystery. On the one hand, you’ve got Schiavone who’s pretty notorious for making boneheaded comments on the air (“Mick Foley world champion? Yeah, that’ll put butts in the seats”) — but on the other hand, that PPV was right about the time when things backstage in WCW started to go south in a hurry. The nWo angle had all but run its course, Hogan’s heyday was behind him, the Monday Night Wars started taking a turn for the worse, Bischoff was burning out creatively and the undercard was a mess — so there’s just as much reason to believe Schiavone was fed and/or written a dumb line simply because the writing crew didn’t know their asses from their elbows by that point in the game.
3) You’re totally right in that this year’s One Night Stand is 100% assimilated into full-blown WWE-PPV-dom. What’s interesting to see, however, is how even the harshest of the “old school” ECW fans have pretty much kept silent on the matter, long having ceded that the “new” ECW simply ain’t what she used to be, and so there’s little point in getting worked up over a WWE-commandeered PPV that further “bastardizes” what shred of a “legacy” the ECW name might still have had. MeeThinks a good chunk of this simply has to do with the fact that the ECW die-hards have all but given up hope, and so they simply don’t feel the need to voice their criticsms of a WWECW pay-per-view. On the other hand, part of the credit here goes to the fact that WWE has been pretty darn clever in booking the once-ECW pay per view as a fun little “no rules” distraction of an event, so much so that fans are willing to look past the fact that it’s really a “One Night Stand” in name only.
From legends of yesteryear to superstars of tomorrow, David Burcham thinks its high time we show some love to The Great Khali!
I’ve noticed something about the Great Kahli that has increased my respect for him as a professional wrestler. I’d say that more than 95% of the wrestlers on television perform for the cameras. Kahli performs for and interacts with the crowds in attendance at the actual events. He goes beyond yelling at the odd fan here and there to and from the ring. He is constantly reacting to the live audience during his matches. Just watch his matches then compare how little other wrestlers work the crowd. Whatever he lacks in work rate, he more than makes up for in working an audience. That’s the sign of a true professional.
– David Burcham
Couldn’t agree more, David. And even though Khali is pretty freakin’ abysmal when it comes to his in-ring abilities, it’s nowhere near the guy’s fault that Vince & company insist on pushing him to the moon and hanging him out there to dry when the best opponents they can muster against him are less-than-technical-marvels like John Cena and Kane.
In turn, Khali makes the most of the natural, God-given skill set he was born with. He’s huge, he’s ugly, and he’s a scary giant of a man that most people aren’t all that used to seeing. As a result, he plays his “character” (which is to say, he plays the part of, well, himself) to perfection in front of a live crowd. Screaming at audiences and basking in their boos is a CLASSIC way for a heel to get himself over, and since he’s all too well aware that he isn’t likely to bust out any ***** matches or life-altering promos (English is his second language, ya’ know) — he simply plays to his strengths by jaw-jacking at the fans and then standing there like a monster, daring them to do something about it.
Might not be Benoit/Guerrero in terms of workrate or style — but it is damned sure effective when a guy standing close to EIGHT FEET TALL starts slobbering all over the place while he screams incomprehensible epithets towards a 12-year-old kid in the front row.
Alan Thomas chimes in with some of HisThinks on TNA’s own future Hall-of-Famer, The Man Called STING:
Sting DVD: While I wanted to see this maybe 3 years ago, I think Sting’s current TNA run has exposed him was a so-so wrestler.
Besides his matches with Flair (Clash of Champions) and Hogan (Starrcade), there isn’t much else in his library worth watching.
I think he could have a huge final run in WWE, but his stock has plummeted this past year.Eric Young regularly gets bigger pops than Sting, that says a lot.
-Alan Thomas
Interesting points, Alan. While I will say that Eric Young is monster over with the TNA crowd, MeeThinks it’s probably also worth mentioning that since tickets are free to all theme park guests in Orlando’s Universal Studios (I’ve been there, so I’m speaking from experience on this one) more than a handful of a TNA “fans” aren’t actually all that well-versed in their ‘rasslin history 101. True, the smarts outnumber the marks in terms of easily-discernable crowd-wide cheers and “insider” buzz — but the simple fact of the matter is that a BUNCH of the Impact Zone audience members don’t really know all that much about the product they’re about to see before them, and so it is MUCH easier for them to cheer for a likeable fella like Eric Young (who’s strength is in a comedy act that plays to the crowd) than it is for them to get particularly excited for some middle-aged goof in corpse paint and a trenchcoat.
In fairness, MeeThinks you should probably judge the current TNA crowd’s acceptance of the Stinger based on how the live audience reacts in those off-site shows (like the PPVs) where fans are actually paying for tickets outside of The Impact Zone. For the PPV’s and whatnot, you’re much more likely to see the stands packed with bona-fide “smart” wrestling fans, and so it’s probably a much better indicator of how modern audiences feel about the former WCW/NWA champ.
As for his in-ring skills (or lack thereof) I’ve got news for ya: MOST of THE (long sounding “eee”) big names of the past twenty years really haven’t been all that great in terms of their pure wrestling ability. Sure, we’ve had exceptions like Michaels, Angle, and Bret Hart (and even Triple H or Undertaker on his best days) — but as for the rest of the pack? The Hogans, the Nashes, the Lugers, the Austins, the Rocks, the Cenas, etc. — none of them were really all that highly regarded in terms of their pure in-ring ability.
Where each of them shined (as was the case with Sting) was in the ANGLES and STORYLINES that surrounded those big-money matches. In terms of actual in-ring merit? You’d be hard-pressed to find ANY Hulk Hogan matches that actually break the *** mark (one exception, perhaps, COULD be Hogan/Warrior I). But in terms of that elusive “big match feel” and the all-out hype surrounding their most famous of battles? Match after match, guys like Hogan, Sting, Austin and the rest really stepped up their games and made people care about what all they were about to see — even if the actual caliber of the in-ring product wasn’t up to Savage/Steamboat levels of kickassery.
So if Sting’s run in TNA has been lackluster or wishy washy, it’s hardly something new. The simple fact of the matter is that the guy’s been stuck in meaningless and/or laughable storylines (ala Sting/Vampiro in WCW), and so fans could care less when it actually comes time to see him in the ring.
For the record, though, MeeThinks there’s still a boatload of quality Sting material (even if the matches weren’t all that great) that you’re missing out on. The last Nitro vs. Flair (again, not a great match but a ***** emotional to-do nonetheless) comes to mind, and stuff like the entire nWo/Crow storyline was loaded with some killer Sting moments (the Spring Breakout episode with the helicopter descent!). Throw in a good bit of backstory with a bunch of his earlier stuff like the old feuds with the Horsemen, plus the War Games matches and what have you, and you’re looking at a solid DVD retrospective — even if the matches themselves (like Hogan/Sting) weren’t all that spectacular.
While we’re talking “big names” who managed to get over in a big way despite their in-ring shortcomings, Dylan Brennan serves up a question on ECW’s proudest original, The Sandman:
Hey man,
I really dig the column. How much longer do you think the Sandman will survive in WWE? I really thought he was gonna get the boat when Sabu got tossed but he seems to still be kickin’.
Anyway, that’s just some food for thought I guess. Thanks!
-DB
Good question, Dylan. In truth, I really can’t see Sandman lasting out the summer — but that all can change pretty drastically come the Draft in two weeks. If he’s drafted away from ECW (say, sixth round or later), expect him to have one last hurrah on the new brand before being jobbed out on the way to unemployment. If he’s drafted to stay in ECW, chances are marginally better as he could easily be used to give the rub to whatever incoming heel-against-ECW draftee the show happens to aquire. But again, the window of opportunity is pretty limited there as well, because he’s likely to wind up on the losing end of that battle as the new import gets the push.
Regardless, Sandman has been nothing short of a true professional in his ECW/WWE run, and he fully deserves all of the kudos (and paydays) that have come his way since joining up with the ‘E last summer.
Troy has a YouThinks rant ready to go, so I’ll step aside for a sec and let him have the floor:
I’m back again. I am sick and tired of seeing the Vince vs Lashly feud. The guy (Lashly) is not on Raw but over in ECW, yet every week he main events Raw. This has to stop. Lashly has zero charisma his mic skills are so bad Kahli cuts a better promo. He’s getting a Cena like push. He needs to be left on ECW until his character develops more. He simply is not good enuff to deserve the push he’s getting. With that being said, I’d like to see a new version of the N.O.D. The players in the group could be Burke, Alpha Male, Lashly, and Booker T. The manager for the group DAMN himself Ron Simmons.
Next the IC title. I’m wondering if they could devalue it any more than they have since Santino won it. The title has become a complete joke. Hell they have made the US title more important. MVP and Benoit have delivered a great program for the belt. Before that they let Benoit(one of the best pure wrestlers) hold onto the title until someone was finally ready for a run. Even then MVP lost plenty of times to Benoit before finally beating him which at least added a little drama to the feud. Why not take the IC title and put it on someone for say 8 or 9 months. Have them defend it on a regular basis and be involved in main storylines every week. The question is who to put it on? How bout Randy Orton or Umaga once again or what about Carlito. And here’s a crazy idea one night on Raw let the IC champ actually be named the #1 contender and get a title match on Raw. Hell they could even have a title vs title match no DQ must be a winner.
Finally, UnderTaker…should the streak at Mania end? I say yes. It’s time for someone to beat the deadman. In my mind there are only three choices.
#1 Orton. I know he’s lost to UT already at Mania but his gimmick (The Legend Killer) is perfect reasoning to give him the rub and cement him as the next big star.
#2 Edge. If he got a shot at UT this year at Mania give him the win and cement him as the companys’ top heel.
#3 The one I predict right now that will beat UT this year at Mania….who else CENA…They have the guy beat everyone else. He is clearly the choice to be this generations Hulk Hogan. And to the best of my knowledge he has not lost at Mania either. Everything is in place for Cena to be the guy that beats the deadman. That’s all I got for now…I’m out.
– Troy
Interesting scenarios, Troy. Since you basically broke things down into three smaller arguments — here’s MeeThinks on each of your cases, point by point:
1) The Current Main Event: You’re absolutely right that its stale, but like I said to Mike way back at the top of this segment, WWE is doing the best that they can to liven things up and help take the focus from off the (rather broad) shoulders of Bobby Lashley alone. It’s interesting that you’re pointing out that “he should stay on ECW until he’s ready” — because that pretty much cements what all the WWE-folk have been saying for some months now that ECW is really just little more than a developmental territory with a national TV deal. It will be interesting to see if things are a bit more evenly spread out after the draft.
2) MeeThinks you can expect the IC title to begin to get some major attention (well, comparatively so) in the weeks to come. As Vengeance is just around the corner (and as it’s rumored to be the “Night of Champions” PPV where every match will be for one belt or another) — there’s every reason to believe that Santino’s Intercontinental Title will likewise be up for grabs in just a few short weeks’ time. Dunno if that means he’ll be losing it, mind you (or that he’ll even necessarily be HOLDING it come Vengeance!) — but the bottom line here is that its a pretty good bet that the belt will be defended on PPV — which is something that hasn’t been done in a LONG time, come to think of it!
(Note: The last time the Intercontinental Title changed hands on PPV was WAAAAAAY back at Vengeance in 2006. Ironically, that show was held on June 25 — just one day shy of the date of this year’s broadcast!)
3) If Orton was going to beat The Dead Man at ‘Mania, he’d have done it already. So long as Triple H is alive, Edge will NEVER be THE (long sounding “eee”) number one heel in WWE. And with everything else they’ve done to make Cena a world-beater thus far, there’s simply nothing to be gained (and a LOT of ill-will to be garnered, even from the markiest of mark fans) should ‘Da Champ ever best The Phenom at the Big Dance.
I’ve said it before, but MeeThinks Undertaker should NEVER lose at WrestleMania so long as he’s an active competitor. If he retires unbeaten at ‘Mania, WWE can always dust him off in a pinch down the road for a GUARANTEED one-night-only matchup that’s certain to pop a buyrate and/or give a MASSIVE rub to a new star. Short of that, jobbing ‘Taker out at the Grandaddy of Them All should pretty much be considered the nuclear option — because once it’
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