Following the special Raw Tri-Branded Draft that added some excitement and fresh possibilities, the creative forces behind WWE did not disappoint.
The Night of Champions PPV was a solid show. Miz and Morrison retained their tag titles over Finlay and Hornswaggle, as it should be. M & M are perhaps the best team working in the company at the moment. Morrison has some great in-ring work when he's paired properly, and I can't believe I'm going to admit this, but Miz has become a decent worker and is improving all the time. The other Tag Team Champioship match launched Ted DiBiase Jr and his partner the sudden heel Cody Rhodes in to the tag titles and with what followed later in the evening and on Raw the subsequent night, set the stage for a new, younger drive on RAW.
Mickie James had a fine women's match against a still coming into her own as a single Katie Lea. The recent injury to Melina leaves very few solid in-ring divas on Raw, So I'd expect another feud coming between Beth Phoenix and Mickie in the next few weeks.
Matt Hardy retained his US Championship, though there was little doubt he would. What his move to ECW will mean for his career is hard to say. It all depends on how he is used, but he is clearly one of the top stars on the show.
The stunner of the night was the IC lost by Chris Jericho. Not that he lost the belt, but whom he last it to. Kofi Kingston, recently drafted to RAW, stunned the audience by delivering a flying kick, with a little help from an HBK distraction, to claim the IC title from Y2J. Another salvo from the 'youth movement'.
The three World Championship matches were solid, though the ECW Triple Threat was a bit slow. You can't place too much blame as the three monsters were in there battling it out. The only guys missing her Khali, Umaga, and Snitzky and all the big beef would have been in there. Mark Henry's win was probably a way to smooth his ruffled feathered, but Henry has worked really hard to get back from a slate of recent injuries and I think the idea has long been to use ECW to highlight the big monster types anyway.
Edge had another classic weasel heel victory over Batista, something he does so well. The loss puts Batista onto Raw as an angry animal which is how they've been booking him on Smackdown for a while now. He's in the middle, not face nor heel...just a lone wolf, and I expect that to continue, eventually either leading to a full on heel turn or pushing him along with HBK and Y2J as upper echilon guys who don't need a strap to draw.
The final match featured the Cena-HHH 2, or at least that's how it was pushed. When Edge won I wondered if they'd really go through a PPV cycle with the two big champs on Smackdown, because I full expected HHH to win this match, evening up their big championship rivalry. They had a great back and forth match that used Cena's brawling skills with HHH's cerebral assassin mat work, leading to a great series of false finishes and reversals that really had the crowd into it from start to end.
I think there will be plans for a Cena-HHH 3, possibly at Wrestlemania 25 where Cena finally wins back the title, but March is a long way, and they're on different brands now. They are clearly the two biggest draws in the business, but they need to use their name to rub some of the second tier talent into main event status. Cena has CM Punk, Randy Orton, Kofi Kingston, Rhodes and DiBiase as the young lions, while there's the old guard of JBL, HBK, Y2J and Batista to be served as well. Raw is an interesting place with lots of possibilities, and the Monday Night Raw stunner, of C.M. Punk's championship, cashing in his money in the bank, against a Batista battered Edge was a brilliant, bold, and challenging move. So while Raw lost HHH and Jeff Hardy, two of its biggest crowd pleasers to Smackdown, it instantly elevated serveral young guns ready (or hoping to be ready) to be big stars.
Saturday, July 5, 2008
Thursday, June 12, 2008
McMahon Million Dollar Mania
The concept seems pretty simple: register, watch, get thousands of dollars cash when Vince calls.
The logic behind the contest is equally simple: get ratings.
The problem is the concept and logic are not only simple, but simplistic.
Years ago Vince, not to be confused with "Mr. Mahon", told us the audience had grown too smart for tired old "wrasslin'" storylines and good guys versus bad guys. Instead, he promised a new era, the "Attitude Era" to be exact, filled with fresh stories and angles that didn't insult the intelligence of fans, nor made us embarrassed to be called fans in the first place.
Largely Vince, and a roster of incredible stars surrounding him, delivered on the promise.
Yes there was still the odd Katie Vick vignette that made one wonder (and cringe), but with Austin and The Rock at the helm RAW and the WWE product was exciting and 'must see' television.
Then came the collapse of WCW, the movie-stardom of Dwayne Johnson, and the career-ending injury of Stone Cold. Combined with the deaths of Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero (top tier talents in their prime) and the bizarre Benoit epsiode, WWE has been battered in the press and in the ratings.
To be sure some of this is beyond the control of Vince and the Creative Team, yet rather than craft compelling stories to highlight a wide array of talent, they have fallen to cheap (or in this case somewhat expensive) stunts to draw an audience.
I appreciate the Million Dollar concept for what it was meant to be, and perhaps what it still might become, but at first blush the first night of MMDM was a disaster.
The number of segments were too many, and ran too long. Their timing often killed any heat from the in-ring performances which, on the whole, were good. The drama of a Cena-HHH-Hardy confrontation to culminate the broadcast, the serial cliffhanger to make us tune in next week, was lost in a slow and tedious phone call to yet another winner.
I hope, as has been speculated elsewhere, that the creative team will streamline or otherwise correct some of the parts of the contest to take less away from the product (after all the contest is meant to enhance the audience, not drive it away).
On the whole though, the concept seems more like something for a mid-afternoon radio program than a prime-time television show.
The logic behind the contest is equally simple: get ratings.
The problem is the concept and logic are not only simple, but simplistic.
Years ago Vince, not to be confused with "Mr. Mahon", told us the audience had grown too smart for tired old "wrasslin'" storylines and good guys versus bad guys. Instead, he promised a new era, the "Attitude Era" to be exact, filled with fresh stories and angles that didn't insult the intelligence of fans, nor made us embarrassed to be called fans in the first place.
Largely Vince, and a roster of incredible stars surrounding him, delivered on the promise.
Yes there was still the odd Katie Vick vignette that made one wonder (and cringe), but with Austin and The Rock at the helm RAW and the WWE product was exciting and 'must see' television.
Then came the collapse of WCW, the movie-stardom of Dwayne Johnson, and the career-ending injury of Stone Cold. Combined with the deaths of Owen Hart, Eddie Guerrero (top tier talents in their prime) and the bizarre Benoit epsiode, WWE has been battered in the press and in the ratings.
To be sure some of this is beyond the control of Vince and the Creative Team, yet rather than craft compelling stories to highlight a wide array of talent, they have fallen to cheap (or in this case somewhat expensive) stunts to draw an audience.
I appreciate the Million Dollar concept for what it was meant to be, and perhaps what it still might become, but at first blush the first night of MMDM was a disaster.
The number of segments were too many, and ran too long. Their timing often killed any heat from the in-ring performances which, on the whole, were good. The drama of a Cena-HHH-Hardy confrontation to culminate the broadcast, the serial cliffhanger to make us tune in next week, was lost in a slow and tedious phone call to yet another winner.
I hope, as has been speculated elsewhere, that the creative team will streamline or otherwise correct some of the parts of the contest to take less away from the product (after all the contest is meant to enhance the audience, not drive it away).
On the whole though, the concept seems more like something for a mid-afternoon radio program than a prime-time television show.
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Heading to One Night Stand
The two week build between Judgment Day and One Night Stand has been rather hit and miss.
Much of this might be due to the recent suspension of William Regal who it seemed was being pushed for an even bigger role.
In the big main events we've had Cena and HHH laid out by JBL and Orton, setting up their decision for extreme stipulation. Cena/JBL will be a first blood match, while Orton/HHH will be a replay of their best match in the last year, a Last Man Standing Match. Whether Orton and Hunter can capture lightning in a bottle twice is difficult to predict. This match will either finally move Orton away from the WWE Championship chase for a while, or provide another short HHH run.
The opening segment to tonight's (05.26.08) Raw, was one of the better interactions between the two of late. Orton actually played the wounded babyface, reminding Hunter of how HHH's ego can never let someone live with the top spot over him. Meanwhile HHH reminds Orton that he was groomed to be the future, but couldn't handled the pressure once he was champ. It was one of those worked interactions that had a twinge of shoot interjected. What it really was meant to do is make us buy a PPV so close to the last two for yet another Orton-HHH match. It moved us to that direction so it was a success.
Other than that opening, and another interesting match between Y2J and HBK thrown in for whatever reason, the go-home RAW was rather lacklustre.
We had innumerable vignettes where talent interacted with Mr. Mahon after his enigmatic pronouncement that he was going to reward the audience (appreciate us I guess) with a big announcement. The tease continued throughout the night.
There was a sloppy match between Kennedy and Carlito, who seems to be phoning it in at this point, which led to Kennedy received a British beatdown from Paul Burchill and Katie Lea referencing their departed countryman Regal. Kennedy is fully a babyface now and he's finding it isn't easy to draw decent rivalries from that side of the ring when there are already more than enough main event faces working RAW.
Which leads us to the McMahon announcement, some of which we knew, some of which we didn't. First the known, next month will see a new WWE Draft where hopefully all three brands find some shakeups and some new storylines that give the audience something fresh. The second announcement is clearly a ratings push to end all ratings pushes. Vince will give away $1 million every week to someone- the details were sketchy (naturally) but I'm sure it will picque the interest of fans and the mainstream media- which is what Vince was/is hoping for.
How ECW and Smackdown set up their pieces of One Night Stand will be interesting. How much carnage can we expect at the hardcore night of no holds barred? Check in later this week for predictions and next week for a recap.
Much of this might be due to the recent suspension of William Regal who it seemed was being pushed for an even bigger role.
In the big main events we've had Cena and HHH laid out by JBL and Orton, setting up their decision for extreme stipulation. Cena/JBL will be a first blood match, while Orton/HHH will be a replay of their best match in the last year, a Last Man Standing Match. Whether Orton and Hunter can capture lightning in a bottle twice is difficult to predict. This match will either finally move Orton away from the WWE Championship chase for a while, or provide another short HHH run.
The opening segment to tonight's (05.26.08) Raw, was one of the better interactions between the two of late. Orton actually played the wounded babyface, reminding Hunter of how HHH's ego can never let someone live with the top spot over him. Meanwhile HHH reminds Orton that he was groomed to be the future, but couldn't handled the pressure once he was champ. It was one of those worked interactions that had a twinge of shoot interjected. What it really was meant to do is make us buy a PPV so close to the last two for yet another Orton-HHH match. It moved us to that direction so it was a success.
Other than that opening, and another interesting match between Y2J and HBK thrown in for whatever reason, the go-home RAW was rather lacklustre.
We had innumerable vignettes where talent interacted with Mr. Mahon after his enigmatic pronouncement that he was going to reward the audience (appreciate us I guess) with a big announcement. The tease continued throughout the night.
There was a sloppy match between Kennedy and Carlito, who seems to be phoning it in at this point, which led to Kennedy received a British beatdown from Paul Burchill and Katie Lea referencing their departed countryman Regal. Kennedy is fully a babyface now and he's finding it isn't easy to draw decent rivalries from that side of the ring when there are already more than enough main event faces working RAW.
Which leads us to the McMahon announcement, some of which we knew, some of which we didn't. First the known, next month will see a new WWE Draft where hopefully all three brands find some shakeups and some new storylines that give the audience something fresh. The second announcement is clearly a ratings push to end all ratings pushes. Vince will give away $1 million every week to someone- the details were sketchy (naturally) but I'm sure it will picque the interest of fans and the mainstream media- which is what Vince was/is hoping for.
How ECW and Smackdown set up their pieces of One Night Stand will be interesting. How much carnage can we expect at the hardcore night of no holds barred? Check in later this week for predictions and next week for a recap.
Monday, May 19, 2008
Judgment Day Review
I cannot remember a PPV that had less build-up than last night's installment of Judgment Day. Perhaps that was due to the fact that there was little difference in the matches from the last PPV (Backlash), or perhaps the fact that Judgment Day comes in the middle of a 3 PPV in 2 months run, sandwiched between the aforementioned Backlash and One Night Stand (June 1st).
Since Vince McMahon likes to draw an analogy between the WWE and filmmaking, I'd liken Judgment Day the sort of movie that has great performances but somehow feels empty in total.
In short, the PPV felt more like a really good house show, rather than an event, which I believe PPVs should be.
The feud between JBL and Cena could be a good program given the past history between these two. Their "I Quit" match a few years back is still one of Cena's best matches, and JBL is the sort of over the top heel that mutes some of the anti-Cena crowd. There were several problems with last nights match, however. With Cena filming his movie two of the three weeks leading up to Judgment Day, there was little interaction between the two. JBL was left to destroy lesser competition and then glare at the camera for two weeks. Last night's match led off the PPV and it wasn't the sort of 'out of your seat' match that leads a show. Instead it was a beat-down by JBL with a clean, sudden win by Cena. While I can understand keeping Cena strong with the win, it virtually kills a rematch. Cena took JBL's best and beat him anyway. There's no drama for a return, or a longer program. On top of the booking, JBL still seems rusty and almost disinterested in the ring. His promos are still some of the better heel mic moments, but the physical action has yet to come back to where it was before his retirement. The sad thing is that I felt he was just starting to click in the booth before abruptly returning to active wrestling. Where they go from here, whether this program will continue or not is a mystery.
The tag-team match between Miz/Morrison and Punk/Kane had much better action. Punk showed some great work, good considering that a guy with the MITB shot has been getting jobbed of late, and Kane was his usual solid self. Miz has been better of late, and his partnership with Morrison, who I think is highly underrated, has been good for both. I didn't expect the outcome to be anything other than it was. A solid match, but nothing special.
Perhaps the most anticiapted match for me was the HBK-Jericho match. I've enjoyed this program and the interaction between Michaels, Jericho, and Batista has been wonderful. All three men are above the bill guys and having them work with each other means you always have a top-flight match no matter what the combination. All three are also shades of gray when it comes to their character. They are all popular but none works straight babyface, they have touches of heel in them as well. This makes for an interesting dynamic that I think Creative could use for a summer's worth of matches. However last night's match did not really advance that scenario. Jericho and HBK had a fantastic match, filled with great move-counter move-counter move action- what you would expect from great mat generals. There were nice touches, as when Y2J feigned his own injury and hit HBK with a finisher, but ultimately a clean HBK victory and then a standard two babyface handshake effectively killed any heat between the two men. Sure Batista later showed to threaten Michaels, but I was disappointed because they could have gotten so much more from this.
What I would have liked to see would have been a Batista interference in the match. An attack on Michaels that inadvertantly speared Y2J and cost him the match, then some Sweet Chin Music to Batista. This would have set up a three man chase, with each guy having heat with the other two. You could have then had months of the three interfering with each other, building to perhaps a Summerslam Triple Threat. They also could have thrown the IC belt into the mix, bringing that title back to some type of prominence. You could even have Batista win it and take it to Smackdown for a while, giving it some play on the other brand and establishing it as an interbrand title that all brands fight over.
Finally we had a Diva match that featured solid wrestling. After months of giving us inferior Diva matches, Creative put Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, and Melina together in a Triple Threat for the title. All three women worked wonderfully together, and the match featured THE spot of the night- Beth Phoenix' double back-breaker. The crowd loved it and it was so impressive that it is the one thing I guarantee everyone talked about leaving the arena. Keeping the belt on James and having her pin Melina keeps their feud going and it gives Melina a cause to continue to interject herself as well. I really enjoyed the match and I have to say that for me, it was the best of the night from both work and booking. It was the one match on the card that I'd love to see again. When is the last time one could say that about a Diva match?
Undertaker-Edge was another solid effort from these two. However they've now had 4 months or so of this program and despite the continuing vacated-title storyline, I feel as though I've seen it all between these two. I don't necessarily mind booking the match the way they did, however, I'm not looking forward to yet another rematch in three weeks. Edge is the best heel in WWE at the moment and I think he could use a change to Raw to feud with some new blood.
The unannouced match between Jeff Hardy and MVP was perhaps the biggest disappointment of the night. Both men are fabulous workers, however they were rather sloppy with each other. The ending makes sense as Hardy needs a quick rebuild, and MVP dominated most of the match showing a harder physicality, but I expect more from these two and the match seemed like something I'd see on Raw rather than a PPV.
The final match was the cage match for the WWE Championship. Unlike some I'm fine with HHH carrying the belt again. Cena needed a break from holding the title, and Orton as the young star chasing the older veteran works for me better than the other way around, at least for a while. HHH can show the younger guys like Orton, and Hardy, Punk, Kennedy, and other potential main event guys how to work as champ for when their time comes. The problem I had with the match last night was that it really need not have happened in a cage. There was no juice, no real high spots, so the cage was manufactured drama rather than being a natural part of the drama.
The constant flashes to Regal in the luxury box seems to me to be a signal that there's some changes perhaps in the near future on Raw. Perhaps the rumoured draft will be a way to shake up the lineups and rejuventate some of the competition.
Since Vince McMahon likes to draw an analogy between the WWE and filmmaking, I'd liken Judgment Day the sort of movie that has great performances but somehow feels empty in total.
In short, the PPV felt more like a really good house show, rather than an event, which I believe PPVs should be.
The feud between JBL and Cena could be a good program given the past history between these two. Their "I Quit" match a few years back is still one of Cena's best matches, and JBL is the sort of over the top heel that mutes some of the anti-Cena crowd. There were several problems with last nights match, however. With Cena filming his movie two of the three weeks leading up to Judgment Day, there was little interaction between the two. JBL was left to destroy lesser competition and then glare at the camera for two weeks. Last night's match led off the PPV and it wasn't the sort of 'out of your seat' match that leads a show. Instead it was a beat-down by JBL with a clean, sudden win by Cena. While I can understand keeping Cena strong with the win, it virtually kills a rematch. Cena took JBL's best and beat him anyway. There's no drama for a return, or a longer program. On top of the booking, JBL still seems rusty and almost disinterested in the ring. His promos are still some of the better heel mic moments, but the physical action has yet to come back to where it was before his retirement. The sad thing is that I felt he was just starting to click in the booth before abruptly returning to active wrestling. Where they go from here, whether this program will continue or not is a mystery.
The tag-team match between Miz/Morrison and Punk/Kane had much better action. Punk showed some great work, good considering that a guy with the MITB shot has been getting jobbed of late, and Kane was his usual solid self. Miz has been better of late, and his partnership with Morrison, who I think is highly underrated, has been good for both. I didn't expect the outcome to be anything other than it was. A solid match, but nothing special.
Perhaps the most anticiapted match for me was the HBK-Jericho match. I've enjoyed this program and the interaction between Michaels, Jericho, and Batista has been wonderful. All three men are above the bill guys and having them work with each other means you always have a top-flight match no matter what the combination. All three are also shades of gray when it comes to their character. They are all popular but none works straight babyface, they have touches of heel in them as well. This makes for an interesting dynamic that I think Creative could use for a summer's worth of matches. However last night's match did not really advance that scenario. Jericho and HBK had a fantastic match, filled with great move-counter move-counter move action- what you would expect from great mat generals. There were nice touches, as when Y2J feigned his own injury and hit HBK with a finisher, but ultimately a clean HBK victory and then a standard two babyface handshake effectively killed any heat between the two men. Sure Batista later showed to threaten Michaels, but I was disappointed because they could have gotten so much more from this.
What I would have liked to see would have been a Batista interference in the match. An attack on Michaels that inadvertantly speared Y2J and cost him the match, then some Sweet Chin Music to Batista. This would have set up a three man chase, with each guy having heat with the other two. You could have then had months of the three interfering with each other, building to perhaps a Summerslam Triple Threat. They also could have thrown the IC belt into the mix, bringing that title back to some type of prominence. You could even have Batista win it and take it to Smackdown for a while, giving it some play on the other brand and establishing it as an interbrand title that all brands fight over.
Finally we had a Diva match that featured solid wrestling. After months of giving us inferior Diva matches, Creative put Mickie James, Beth Phoenix, and Melina together in a Triple Threat for the title. All three women worked wonderfully together, and the match featured THE spot of the night- Beth Phoenix' double back-breaker. The crowd loved it and it was so impressive that it is the one thing I guarantee everyone talked about leaving the arena. Keeping the belt on James and having her pin Melina keeps their feud going and it gives Melina a cause to continue to interject herself as well. I really enjoyed the match and I have to say that for me, it was the best of the night from both work and booking. It was the one match on the card that I'd love to see again. When is the last time one could say that about a Diva match?
Undertaker-Edge was another solid effort from these two. However they've now had 4 months or so of this program and despite the continuing vacated-title storyline, I feel as though I've seen it all between these two. I don't necessarily mind booking the match the way they did, however, I'm not looking forward to yet another rematch in three weeks. Edge is the best heel in WWE at the moment and I think he could use a change to Raw to feud with some new blood.
The unannouced match between Jeff Hardy and MVP was perhaps the biggest disappointment of the night. Both men are fabulous workers, however they were rather sloppy with each other. The ending makes sense as Hardy needs a quick rebuild, and MVP dominated most of the match showing a harder physicality, but I expect more from these two and the match seemed like something I'd see on Raw rather than a PPV.
The final match was the cage match for the WWE Championship. Unlike some I'm fine with HHH carrying the belt again. Cena needed a break from holding the title, and Orton as the young star chasing the older veteran works for me better than the other way around, at least for a while. HHH can show the younger guys like Orton, and Hardy, Punk, Kennedy, and other potential main event guys how to work as champ for when their time comes. The problem I had with the match last night was that it really need not have happened in a cage. There was no juice, no real high spots, so the cage was manufactured drama rather than being a natural part of the drama.
The constant flashes to Regal in the luxury box seems to me to be a signal that there's some changes perhaps in the near future on Raw. Perhaps the rumoured draft will be a way to shake up the lineups and rejuventate some of the competition.
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Save_Us 222
Is it just me, or has the steam of the Save_Us viral campaign been lost?
There was an instant build leading up to No Mercy, and everywhere one looked on the net, within the wrestling fan community, there was quite a bit of excited talk. But the resolution seems to now be targeted for Cyber Sunday (perhaps), which will making more sense given the theme of the campaign, is still perhaps too long of a tease.
The Save_Us campaign was, in its first week or so, clearly the strongest idea the creative team has had in a long time. Initially there was some intrigue, whether or not Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, or even a new Hart Foundation was behind the reveal. Now however, HBK has returned, and the much talked about Hart Foundation Redux seems put off for the time being with the departure of one of its potential members. So all signs point to a Jericho return- something that will be greeted in a very positive manner by the fans.
WWE needs an infusion of talent, even returning talent, and Jericho fits the bill. With the loss of John Cena for perhaps close to a year, and some recent departures and other injuries, the ranks of the elite WWE roster is really thin.
The Michaels return is a first step. A Jericho return, and hopefully soon thereafter a return by Edge would put two main event talents back into the mix. But the future still looks shaky.
I recently watched a few pay-per-views from 2001 on DVD. The thing that stood out most was how in 6 years, most of the participants are no longer with the company, either retired, in another company, or sadly, passed on.
What will be the state of the roster in another 6 years. Certainly there are quality stars on the roster now among the under-30 set: The Hardys, MVP, Kennedy are the stand outs. Orton and Edge are also top draw who have already moved to main event status. Beyond those few however, there doesn't seem anyone on the horizon that can carry the company after HBK, HHH, and Undertaker have hung up the boots. Even someone like Batista who is a top star is actually quite old comparatively.
So, while the WWE has pushed Cena to the top and he has worked strong in the spot, I feel creative needs to work hard to bring some talents up to that type of level.
They seem to want to push Morrison and Lashley (when he returns) and this is fine. But in the process they need to keep pushing CM Punk, Matt Hardy, Kennedy etc, so that in a moment of injury or disaster there are people ready to step forward.
It isn't just about "superstars stepping up" as is notoriously the fall back position. How the talent is produced plays a big part as well. It is one thing to say "Well Jeff Hardy is a fine athlete but he needs to prove he can carry the ball", however he has to be handed the ball before he can prove anything.
The possible return of Chris Jericho will be met with much excitement, but it shouldn't come at the expense of other stars in the making.
There was an instant build leading up to No Mercy, and everywhere one looked on the net, within the wrestling fan community, there was quite a bit of excited talk. But the resolution seems to now be targeted for Cyber Sunday (perhaps), which will making more sense given the theme of the campaign, is still perhaps too long of a tease.
The Save_Us campaign was, in its first week or so, clearly the strongest idea the creative team has had in a long time. Initially there was some intrigue, whether or not Chris Jericho, Shawn Michaels, or even a new Hart Foundation was behind the reveal. Now however, HBK has returned, and the much talked about Hart Foundation Redux seems put off for the time being with the departure of one of its potential members. So all signs point to a Jericho return- something that will be greeted in a very positive manner by the fans.
WWE needs an infusion of talent, even returning talent, and Jericho fits the bill. With the loss of John Cena for perhaps close to a year, and some recent departures and other injuries, the ranks of the elite WWE roster is really thin.
The Michaels return is a first step. A Jericho return, and hopefully soon thereafter a return by Edge would put two main event talents back into the mix. But the future still looks shaky.
I recently watched a few pay-per-views from 2001 on DVD. The thing that stood out most was how in 6 years, most of the participants are no longer with the company, either retired, in another company, or sadly, passed on.
What will be the state of the roster in another 6 years. Certainly there are quality stars on the roster now among the under-30 set: The Hardys, MVP, Kennedy are the stand outs. Orton and Edge are also top draw who have already moved to main event status. Beyond those few however, there doesn't seem anyone on the horizon that can carry the company after HBK, HHH, and Undertaker have hung up the boots. Even someone like Batista who is a top star is actually quite old comparatively.
So, while the WWE has pushed Cena to the top and he has worked strong in the spot, I feel creative needs to work hard to bring some talents up to that type of level.
They seem to want to push Morrison and Lashley (when he returns) and this is fine. But in the process they need to keep pushing CM Punk, Matt Hardy, Kennedy etc, so that in a moment of injury or disaster there are people ready to step forward.
It isn't just about "superstars stepping up" as is notoriously the fall back position. How the talent is produced plays a big part as well. It is one thing to say "Well Jeff Hardy is a fine athlete but he needs to prove he can carry the ball", however he has to be handed the ball before he can prove anything.
The possible return of Chris Jericho will be met with much excitement, but it shouldn't come at the expense of other stars in the making.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
No Mercy Review
For the first time in a long time, a WWE Pay-Per-View was filled with intrigue that had little to do with current angles on the weekly programming. With the injury to John Cena, not only the main event at No Mercy, but the immediate future of the RAW brand (and the company at large) was in limbo. Additionally, the rumors of a possible return of Chris Jericho, lent a sense of surprise that made the show a must buy.
While the Jericho return was non-existent (either put off for another time, or simply an unfounded rumor completely), the show on the whole proved highly satisfying.
It cannot be overstated how much the company has placed its forseeable future in the hands of Cena. He had been the WWE Champion for a full year, and despite the division among fans over his character's popularity, Cena has shown himself to be quite capable of carrying the WWE mantle. For whatever one may feel he lacks in ring-skill, and I for one think that criticism is overstated somewhat, one cannot deny that Cena is one of the hardest workers in the company and he seems to have the right sort of attutide to be the top star. Therefore his injury is not just a normal absence. Furthermore, the recent loss of the company's other top draw, Edge, leaves the WWE without, arguably, its top two stars.
Creative had its hands full, then, heading into the No Mercy show. How would they resolve the title situation would go a long way into setting up the second half of the calendar build to Wrestlemania.
The opening and Orton v HHH
Putting the title on Randy Orton to begin the show was a smart move. It created instant heat on Orton, and set up the rest of the show as an 'historic' night. The immediate match between Orton and HHH for the title was a nice surprise and the two men found just the right tone for the match. They had a great deal to do in this match beyond simply tell the story of the individual match itself. They had to open the show with an exciting match, something that is very important to the way the audience will respond to the rest of the program. They also had to make compelling the HHH vs Umaga match that would follow later, and build to the eventual main event rematch. While do this, they also had to leave something out there unresolved to that the main event had some higher point to attain. That is a very difficult set of tasks and Orton and HHH found the right balance. Orton losing the match in a clean roll-up pin after making a mistake, made his shock at losing so quickly after being crowned a legitimate reaction. The interplay between HHH and Vince backstage which would lead to the other two matches was spot on as well.
Cade/Murdoch/Kennedy v London/Kendrick/J. Hardy
The unannounced 6-man tag match was a continuation of one story and the start of another. The match allowed for the further expansion of the tag team division race with Kendrick & London and the tag champs, Cade & Murdoch continuing their rivalry. It also allowed for the beginning of a new feud between Hardy and Kennedy. These are two solid workers who are on the cusp of being top tier stars with the right push. The match was short, which was to be expected after the long opening and championship match, but it provided for some excellent spots which are always going to take place when Kendrick, London and/or Hardy are involved.
ECW Champ CM Punk v Big Daddy V
Unfortunately this match was a disappointment. Punk was returning home to Chicago and his match lasted only a few minutes as it finished with a DQ and a Big Daddy V beatdown of the champ. Now that former champion John Morrison has returned from his suspension, he and Punk will likely continue their program and I expect Morrison to regain the title likely at the next PPV, Cyber Sunday. Morrison is a guy the office loves, and I'm not sure they are sold on Punk yet. I hope they'll keep the title on Punk for a while and let him grow into it as it would serve not only to push him as a top guy, but it raises the level of the brand as a whole if they have more than one solid top draw.
HHH v Umaga
The first title defense of HHH's 11th title reign comes roughly 40 minutes after he won the belt. I expected he'd retain as I was fairly certain at that point the plan was for an Orton rematch and vicotry in the main event. He scored a clean win over Umaga, which I think was a result of a non-finish in the previous match, but Umaga put a post-match assault on him that set up the weakened champion having to overcome even more in the main event scenario. The match was good, if short, but I would have preferred to see it and the previous match booked differently.
The idea I'm sure was that Punk should not score a clean win over BDV because to do so would eliminate him as 'the monster'. But Umaga is also a 'monster' and at this point he is on a bigger stage therefore it makes more sense to me to keep him intact. The way they booked the matches, Umaga looks rather weak. It would have made more sense to have Punk score a clean win, following some sort of interference by Matt Striker, which would have still kept BDV strong, and then have Umaga lose control and destroy HHH which would keep them both strong.
Rey Mysterio v Finlay
This match started well, but ended in yet another no contest as Finlay 'faked' an injury and then attacked Mysterio after the match had been stopped. Again this ending may have been the result of its placement in the show, but it did not have a big time PPV feel. So it was a mild disappointment. Clearly this is a feud that is just beginning and I like the pairing, but I think Creative could have done a bit more with this installment.
Women's Champion Candace Michelle v Beth Phoenix
The time had come for a title change in the women's division. After the victory Candance scored at the last PPV, I assumed this would be Phoenix's chance to run with the title. She beat Candance fairly easily, as she should, and the only issue now is do they have someone they feel can run with Phoenix. The obvious person is Mickie James, but they have not pushed her of late so it could be they will let Candance continue the feud for a bit. I wonder if the rumored call up of Nattie Niedhardt in a new Hart Foundation might also be a possibility in the future. Whatever the decision, the Diva division is in desperate need of some additional blood.
World Heavyweight Champ Batista v The Great Khali
This Punjabi Prison match was a step back even from the last one. I like the idea and the design of the 'prison' is something that can work every once in a while (though something needs to be done to improve the visuals since the shot from the hard camera gives a fairly blocked view). Essentially the match had one big spot, the Batista leap from the inner to the outer cage. Normally a match with one big spot would be a huge disappointment, however, given the situation of the workers involved (two big men) and the fact that they could not afford to lose another top draw, I can understand holding down the action. However this match is billed as brutal and barbaric and there was nothing in the match itself to prove either claim. Batista retaining was an obvious choice, and I'm certain the feud will continue until Edge returns.
HHH v Orton rematch (last man standing)
The fact that they retained the stipulation was an added bonus, and something that likely needed to be done given the two had just wrestled to a clean pin a few hours before. HHH and Orton really worked hard, and the back and forth action allowed both men to be seen as strong. The finish was likely as it should be. Orton has the capability of being a top heel, and has the arrogant personality that is perfect for playing off of. Given what the rumors are about his backstage behavior it is a bit suprising they put the title on him, and perhaps a big risk, but if it helps to rein him in and improve the situation then it is worth it. Orton is very popular with the audience, and has a number of made feuds waiting for him beyond HHH. Sadly, I think the Cena injury forced Creative to move in a different direction that perhaps they needed to go.
If over the course of the next year, they can elevate a few stars to the top tier, it would only serve them better when Cena returns. I have always been of the belief that raising the level of championship contenders is good for the title and the product as a whole. The more viable champions you have, the more matches can be made and the more it protects against such tragic losses due to injury.
While the Jericho return was non-existent (either put off for another time, or simply an unfounded rumor completely), the show on the whole proved highly satisfying.
It cannot be overstated how much the company has placed its forseeable future in the hands of Cena. He had been the WWE Champion for a full year, and despite the division among fans over his character's popularity, Cena has shown himself to be quite capable of carrying the WWE mantle. For whatever one may feel he lacks in ring-skill, and I for one think that criticism is overstated somewhat, one cannot deny that Cena is one of the hardest workers in the company and he seems to have the right sort of attutide to be the top star. Therefore his injury is not just a normal absence. Furthermore, the recent loss of the company's other top draw, Edge, leaves the WWE without, arguably, its top two stars.
Creative had its hands full, then, heading into the No Mercy show. How would they resolve the title situation would go a long way into setting up the second half of the calendar build to Wrestlemania.
The opening and Orton v HHH
Putting the title on Randy Orton to begin the show was a smart move. It created instant heat on Orton, and set up the rest of the show as an 'historic' night. The immediate match between Orton and HHH for the title was a nice surprise and the two men found just the right tone for the match. They had a great deal to do in this match beyond simply tell the story of the individual match itself. They had to open the show with an exciting match, something that is very important to the way the audience will respond to the rest of the program. They also had to make compelling the HHH vs Umaga match that would follow later, and build to the eventual main event rematch. While do this, they also had to leave something out there unresolved to that the main event had some higher point to attain. That is a very difficult set of tasks and Orton and HHH found the right balance. Orton losing the match in a clean roll-up pin after making a mistake, made his shock at losing so quickly after being crowned a legitimate reaction. The interplay between HHH and Vince backstage which would lead to the other two matches was spot on as well.
Cade/Murdoch/Kennedy v London/Kendrick/J. Hardy
The unannounced 6-man tag match was a continuation of one story and the start of another. The match allowed for the further expansion of the tag team division race with Kendrick & London and the tag champs, Cade & Murdoch continuing their rivalry. It also allowed for the beginning of a new feud between Hardy and Kennedy. These are two solid workers who are on the cusp of being top tier stars with the right push. The match was short, which was to be expected after the long opening and championship match, but it provided for some excellent spots which are always going to take place when Kendrick, London and/or Hardy are involved.
ECW Champ CM Punk v Big Daddy V
Unfortunately this match was a disappointment. Punk was returning home to Chicago and his match lasted only a few minutes as it finished with a DQ and a Big Daddy V beatdown of the champ. Now that former champion John Morrison has returned from his suspension, he and Punk will likely continue their program and I expect Morrison to regain the title likely at the next PPV, Cyber Sunday. Morrison is a guy the office loves, and I'm not sure they are sold on Punk yet. I hope they'll keep the title on Punk for a while and let him grow into it as it would serve not only to push him as a top guy, but it raises the level of the brand as a whole if they have more than one solid top draw.
HHH v Umaga
The first title defense of HHH's 11th title reign comes roughly 40 minutes after he won the belt. I expected he'd retain as I was fairly certain at that point the plan was for an Orton rematch and vicotry in the main event. He scored a clean win over Umaga, which I think was a result of a non-finish in the previous match, but Umaga put a post-match assault on him that set up the weakened champion having to overcome even more in the main event scenario. The match was good, if short, but I would have preferred to see it and the previous match booked differently.
The idea I'm sure was that Punk should not score a clean win over BDV because to do so would eliminate him as 'the monster'. But Umaga is also a 'monster' and at this point he is on a bigger stage therefore it makes more sense to me to keep him intact. The way they booked the matches, Umaga looks rather weak. It would have made more sense to have Punk score a clean win, following some sort of interference by Matt Striker, which would have still kept BDV strong, and then have Umaga lose control and destroy HHH which would keep them both strong.
Rey Mysterio v Finlay
This match started well, but ended in yet another no contest as Finlay 'faked' an injury and then attacked Mysterio after the match had been stopped. Again this ending may have been the result of its placement in the show, but it did not have a big time PPV feel. So it was a mild disappointment. Clearly this is a feud that is just beginning and I like the pairing, but I think Creative could have done a bit more with this installment.
Women's Champion Candace Michelle v Beth Phoenix
The time had come for a title change in the women's division. After the victory Candance scored at the last PPV, I assumed this would be Phoenix's chance to run with the title. She beat Candance fairly easily, as she should, and the only issue now is do they have someone they feel can run with Phoenix. The obvious person is Mickie James, but they have not pushed her of late so it could be they will let Candance continue the feud for a bit. I wonder if the rumored call up of Nattie Niedhardt in a new Hart Foundation might also be a possibility in the future. Whatever the decision, the Diva division is in desperate need of some additional blood.
World Heavyweight Champ Batista v The Great Khali
This Punjabi Prison match was a step back even from the last one. I like the idea and the design of the 'prison' is something that can work every once in a while (though something needs to be done to improve the visuals since the shot from the hard camera gives a fairly blocked view). Essentially the match had one big spot, the Batista leap from the inner to the outer cage. Normally a match with one big spot would be a huge disappointment, however, given the situation of the workers involved (two big men) and the fact that they could not afford to lose another top draw, I can understand holding down the action. However this match is billed as brutal and barbaric and there was nothing in the match itself to prove either claim. Batista retaining was an obvious choice, and I'm certain the feud will continue until Edge returns.
HHH v Orton rematch (last man standing)
The fact that they retained the stipulation was an added bonus, and something that likely needed to be done given the two had just wrestled to a clean pin a few hours before. HHH and Orton really worked hard, and the back and forth action allowed both men to be seen as strong. The finish was likely as it should be. Orton has the capability of being a top heel, and has the arrogant personality that is perfect for playing off of. Given what the rumors are about his backstage behavior it is a bit suprising they put the title on him, and perhaps a big risk, but if it helps to rein him in and improve the situation then it is worth it. Orton is very popular with the audience, and has a number of made feuds waiting for him beyond HHH. Sadly, I think the Cena injury forced Creative to move in a different direction that perhaps they needed to go.
If over the course of the next year, they can elevate a few stars to the top tier, it would only serve them better when Cena returns. I have always been of the belief that raising the level of championship contenders is good for the title and the product as a whole. The more viable champions you have, the more matches can be made and the more it protects against such tragic losses due to injury.
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