High Road/Low Road 07.10.09: The 15 Superstar Trade
Posted by Sat & Chad Nevett on 07.10.2009
Fifteen Superstars traded; an exciting development to freshen the brands, or a pointless move with very little relevance? Let us know what you think.
Welcome back to the High Road/Low Road!
A brief explanation of the column: Sat takes the High Road (positive view) on angles, gimmicks, and other wrestling related "stuff" while Uncletrunx takes the Low Road (negative view).
Results for Samoa Joe in the Main Event:
High Road: 50%
Low Road: 12
Both Roads: 38%
Fifteen Superstar Trade
High Road:
The Fifteen Superstar trade was a good idea because it was a smart way to move wrestlers around. The WWE had a draft a few months ago and it would not have made sense to have wrestlers appear on different shows without an explanation this soon. By saying that Donald Trump made this trade, you were allowed to reshuffle the roster with a practical reason.
Low Road:
What you were also able to do is utterly devalue the draft, if indeed it meant anything in the first place. Given that wrestlers from all brands routinely appear on every show, changing brands is virtually meaningless anyway. I've said it many, many times before but if events like this are to have any meaning at all, WWE needs to keep the wrestlers on their own shows; cross brand appearances need to be very rare and made out to be a special event. Otherwise, nobody will care at all. With some of these wrestlers, I'd actually forgotten which brand they were on in the first place.
High Road:
Jack Swagger and Evan Bourne had basically done all that they could do on ECW. Evan Bourne was stuck in a feud with Mark Henry which was doing favors to nobody. Jack Swagger was involved in the title picture, but that was because there was nothing else for him to do. Both guys are going to benefit from a move to RAW.
Low Road:
Both guys are going to be shuffled into the midcard on Raw, get less TV time and risk losing all of their momentum. Swagger in particular was entertaining me on ECW, but with the move I can't see him getting anything like the exposure; it's a step back for him, given the crowded nature of the RAW main event.
High Road:
The WWE has been making an effort in making Shelton Benjamin into a major player for a long time now. Shelton Benjamin was basically a mid-carder on SmackDown and the odds were very good that he was not going to be elevated any higher. I think that on ECW, the WWE can give him an opportunity to become the ECW champion and find out once and for all if he is capable of being a world champion for them.
Low Road:
Shelton has been bounced between brands for years and has never managed to get to main event level. It seems only recently that he was last on ECW; I'm not sure the move will do anything except mean he has to start all over again for the twentieth time.
High Road:
The Fifteen Superstars Trade allowed for another thing to happen. I am of course talking about the fact that it allowed for new superstars to be introduced on ECW. ECW lost seven superstars to other brands and those are spots for some talent from development. Who knows if any of these new superstars will be able to make an impact, but the best chance for them to make an impact is on ECW.
Low Road:
So once again, ECW gets raided for the other brands? I know ECW is basically the bridge between developmental and main roster, but it gives very little incentive to watch if several of the best guys are going to get taken every two months. At least with the draft being an annual event, there's time to build them up; here, no sooner have they arrived than they're gone again.
High Road:
The WWE introduced the Fifteen Superstar Trade in a smart way. First, they announced three of the superstars drafted in the gauntlet match. Evan Bourne had a good match with Orton, but he really did not need to win this match. I loved that Jack Swagger took a DQ loss because it allowed him to stay a heel and set up the Mark Henry baby face turn. I thought it was a smart thing to have Mark Henry pin Randy Orton because it allowed for Henry to get a huge win and it made sense because Orton was tired from his match with Bourne. And then it was smart to announce the other superstars traded on WWE.com with the news that the amount of hits on WWE.com has gone down.
Low Road:
The Gauntlet was ok, if a little confusing. As for the WWE.com debacle, I assume that there is an underlying cause behind the drop in hits and I'm pretty sure that this will only provide a temporary spike in the number. If WWE wants to make their website more popular, perhaps a more long term approach is needed rather than using it to announce the results of their latest barely relevant mini draft.
High Road:
I do have a problem with this next High Road, but I think the good outweighs the bad. The next high road is going to be about Matt Hardy on SmackDown. It may be a mistake to bring him back on the same show as his brother after their feud. But, I think there would have been problems with Matt Hardy on RAW. I do not think he was going to get a chance at all to main event on RAW, but he will get that chance on SmackDown because Michael Hayes is a huge fan of his. I think at the end of the day, the good outweighs the bad.
Low Road:
At the risk of using my own cliché, I think the bad you've identified outweighs the good. He's either got to resume his feud with Jeff, in which case I have to ask why move him in the draft and stop it, or they've got to ignore one another in a situation which will stretch credulity.
High Road:
The one thing that I really like about this Fifteen Superstars Trade is that it opens up a spot for Vladimir Kozlov. Kozlov had been missing from ECW for a few weeks and it was because ECW had a ton of talent to showcase. Now that talent has been shifted to other brands, I think that Kozlov will now get an opportunity to show if he can be a main event player for the WWE.
Low Road:
If you're lost in the shuffle on ECW, there's very little hope for you! Kozlov needs more than a bit of exposure; he needs a complete rebuild having been the monster heel that was fed to Triple H and then crushed. Monsters only work when they're strong; it may have been long enough since the Triple H mauling but having been boosted to the top so fast and then fallen to an occasional appearance on ECW, a little more TV time will not be enough on its own.
What we have, in short, is an unnecessary mini draft, taking place too soon after the last one and thus devaluing it. It is also rendered completely meaningless by WWE never sticking to the brand split anyway. All of this points to the Low Road.
Simply write "High Road", "Low Road", or "Both Roads" in the comment section.
Comments:
Below are the comments for last week's columns and our responses. Every comment will not be included because it makes our lives a lot easier.
KanyonKreist Writes:
While I'd argue that it's too early to say, my inclination right now is Low Road. Here's why....
First of all, regardless of Nash's "we couldn't beat him, so we- uh, HE joined US" rationalizing, Joe does NOT come out of this development looking strong. He comes out looking like he dropped the entire motivation of his character. Almost like he was a character in the third season of 'Heroes'. He goes from being "the nation of violence" to being yet another in the long list of TNA wrestlers who pulled a shocking(ly ridiculous) swerve and, in doing so, forfeited a title belt and/or their entire persona, with the benefit gained being questionable at best. The benefit Joe gains here is - I swear TNA has used this line a million times now - "to rule the wrestling world." Seriously? That megalomaniacal motive kinda ties in to point number two...
I guess I'll mention the obvious next: HE NEARLY MURDERED MORE THAN ONE MEMBER OF THE M.E.M. Even in COMIC BOOKS, this circumstance makes characters more hesitant to team up. Why can't any member of TNA's roster seem to react to things as rationally as Wolverine or the fucking Punisher?
Like I said, this is one of those "too early to call" situations. That being said, we've seen this type of thing from TNA before, and even before that, we saw it all the time in WWE back in 1998/99. But I still like to be sure before making judgments... They could think of ways around the glaring inconsistencies and make this a really compelling character development for Joe, but since this is TNA, let's not hold our breath, huh?
Sat: They did kind of explain the attacks by saying that it was a swerve. I would argue that it would have been much cooler had Joe taken the title from Angle and taken the cash.
Uncletrunx: Simply put, it defies sensible logic and leaves Joe's character in limbo.
Chris Writes:
"This could be a brain fart on my part, but I do not remember these guys having a one on one match up and I would love to see it."
Epic brain fart; they main evented the last Bound for Glory event haha
Sat: Yeah, I remember about three hours after the column went live. I was hoping that Trunx would mention something. The main problem I have been having with TNA is everything is getting blurred together and I can't remember what has happened and what has not happened. That says a lot about TNA.
Uncletrunx: For some reason, I missed that too! I guess my focus was on the here and now. I think you're right, it does say a lot about TNA.
The Gold Standard Writes:
Both Roads.While I think Joe in the mafia is a step backwards for him, I actually care for the guy now.He now has a role as a henchmen to do the dirty work for the mafia.I just hope theres a big pay off in all this and the mafia does break up and become mafia red and black or something dumb like the later nwo did although wolfpac ruled.
Sat: Good point, they get a henchman that can actually do something. And I think this whole angle needs a huge payoff.
Uncletrunx: Joe as a henchman is a waste.
David Writes:
Low Road.
Joe just needs to retire because when ever I see him now, all I can think of is him holding a knife to someone's throat. Some booker destroyed Joe and nothing he will ever do can ever fix it. Just quit now Joe.
Sat: Maybe I miss interpreted what Angle said on Impact, but I took it to mean that Joe was just faking with the knife.
Uncletrunx: Joe with a knife is going to be hard to get past. It could be done, but it'll need a decent, logical build to get there.
SuperJeff Writes:
First off, I don't watch a lot of TNA. However, I do catch a few segments a week while channel surfing and get the 411 from this site.
I will take High Road, for the simple fact that Joe can play it anyway he wants. Stay in the MEM and see if your character can handle the change, if not, you have "infiltrated" and can start new old feuds. Lets see where it goes.
Sat: Good point, it can play out multiple ways.
Uncletrunx: It can. I have little confidence that it will play out well, but the potential is there.
Your reasons for taking the High Road, Low Road, or Both Roads and suggestions for future High Road/Low Road are welcome at satuncletrunx@gmail.com or in the comment section. Your reply will be included in next week's column.
I'm going with High Road on this one. In addition to SmackDown and RAW getting an influx of fresh faces, it also allows ECW to bring up some FCW talent for a shot at the big time.
Posted By: Anonymous Smart Mark (Guest) on July 10, 2009 at 04:05 PM
High Road. I think Swagger will blossom on RAW and Bourne will make some great matches. Logic notwithstanding, these two going to RAW make it worthwhile.
Posted By: HBK's Smile (Guest) on July 10, 2009 at 04:36 PM
High Road.While I dont like the constant juggling of my man Benjamin him back to ECW puts him automatically in the ECW title contention also we cant forget an epic Christian and Benjamin feud.I think this draft will prove does he have a lot of promise to be a world champ like myself and some others see or is he just a spot monkey.
Posted By: The Gold Standard (Guest) on July 10, 2009 at 07:18 PM
both roads. its great to see the young guys get moved to the main shows, which opens up more opportunity for FCW guys to work in ECW. But the odds of Bourne, Swagger, ect to keep the momentum now that they are small fish in a big pond are against them. We should all know by now that ECW is nothing more than a training ground for new people, and I like it that way.
Posted By: dogpound7382 (Guest) on July 10, 2009 at 07:44 PM
Both Roads
Posted By: BPN (Guest) on July 10, 2009 at 08:34 PM
High Road .
Because I Said so .
Posted By: Larry Csonka (Guest) on July 10, 2009 at 08:51 PM
I will say high road .
RAW Becomes a bit fresh , SD Gets a solid heel & a heel faction which may make up a bit for the Edge injury .
ECW Is Developmental on TV , they will be fine .
RAW Benefits the most from this trade , as evidenced by :
Evan Bourne likely going for the US title ,
Gail Kim refreshing her career by becoming Divas champ in the future ,
MVP - Jack Swagger feud , which will be good and benefit both of them .
If people have to become Main Eventers , they must do it on RAW , it is the A show , regardless of what we think .
Jack Swagger & Bourne were ready , hence they were asked to swim in the ocean instead of being a big fish in a small pond .
Whether or not not they succeed is up in the air , but the intention is good .
Posted By: Lexie (Guest) on July 10, 2009 at 09:00 PM
To continue last week's debate with one general comment on TNA: why should anybody care about guys fighting each other if one of them is eventually going to pull a swerve and join the other? If you condition your fans to expect it, nobody will put any faith or belief into the conflicts you're presenting.
As for this week, I'm going Both Roads...
On one hand, these "new talent initiatives" have usually provided at least one new superstar of worth. New superstars can be very exciting.
On the other hand, they didn't leave ECW with JACK SQUAT besides Christian. A show which has been really enjoyable lately has just been turned inside out like a tiki hut in a hurricane. It's just disappointing overall.
Posted By: KanyonKreist (Registered) on July 10, 2009 at 09:11 PM
high road, even if ECW knocks off a little while they push the new guys
Posted By: Hejashadan (Guest) on July 10, 2009 at 09:28 PM
High Road.
I don't think that going from the ECW Championship to mid-card RAW is a demotion at all. Even the IWC openly admits that the ECW Title is not on par with the World Titles. ECW is the place to learn and to have the WWE see if you are ready for the bigger shows. If they graduate, they should be ready for mid-card runs, unlike a guy taken right out of FCW. Bringing in guys out of the blue right into Smackdown or RAW doesn't need to happen any more, which I think is great.
Posted By: Guest#2863 (Guest) on July 10, 2009 at 10:27 PM
High Road. The argument that trades devalue the draft is completely ridiculous. You take any pro sport, I'll use the NBA as an example, they have a draft and trades as well. Do those trades devalue the draft? Granted the draft is for new players, but the idea is the same. Said player/wrestler gets drafted. Said player/wrestler, or others may be traded at a later date. The logic can even be the same as one team/brand feels that person no longer fits the direction they wish to go in and look to trade him for someone who is a better fit. Trades exemplify the constantly changing environment and each brands effort to freshen things up and put on the best show they can.
Posted By: Guest#3815 (Guest) on July 11, 2009 at 12:10 AM
High Road: Raw gets a few guys who can potentially be worked with under guidance of mega stars and hopefully become elevated to credible contenders. Smackdown gets a new tag team which will freshen things up and give Cryme Tyme, and Edge and Jericho some possible fueds. As well as a solid womans wrestler in Natalya, plus they got Finlay (which is always good)ECW lost alot of talent but I see it as having them move up from the minor leagues, and now they got a bunch of new guys from FCW to begin to work with and help them in the same way they helped this current batch of talent that was traded
Posted By: J.J.T (Guest) on July 11, 2009 at 01:32 AM
High Road. The argument that trades devalue the draft is completely ridiculous. You take any pro sport, I'll use the NBA as an example, they have a draft and trades as well. Do those trades devalue the draft? Granted the draft is for new players, but the idea is the same. Said player/wrestler gets drafted. Said player/wrestler, or others may be traded at a later date. The logic can even be the same as one team/brand feels that person no longer fits the direction they wish to go in and look to trade him for someone who is a better fit. Trades exemplify the constantly changing environment and each brands effort to freshen things up and put on the best show they can.
Posted By: Guest#3815 (Guest) on July 11, 2009 at 12:10 AM
Logic? In MY 411? We can't have THAT!
Posted By: Vince Russo (Guest) on July 11, 2009 at 01:59 AM
No road yet. It's still too early to tell. I have liked much of what they have done so far. Raw should do well. Evan vs. Kofi could rock if given the time. Swagger has "star" written all over him. Henry gets to go out on a high note. ECW gets two veterans to help out with the new talent with Regal and Goldust. SD gets to pad their roster with a face(Finlay)who can also be a heel, a heel(Matt Hardy)who can also be a face, and a nice faction in the Hart Dynasty. It all sounds good now, but you never know what will happen.
Posted By: The Great Capt. Smooth (Guest) on July 11, 2009 at 09:05 AM
I go with High Road. I think they took the wrestlers that needed to be moved the most and put them where they needed to be. Regal, Shelton, and Goldust are perfect for ECW (not sure about the Bella Twins.) Swagger, Mark Henry, and Bourne can now become big time players on RAW. Everyone that moved to Smackdown was also perfect.
Posted By: JLAJRC (Guest) on July 11, 2009 at 07:52 PM
High Road. While I could see Evan Bourne maybe staying in ECW to become an underdog who wins the belt (A lot more likely to happen to the ECW title than to the World or WWE titles), Swagger didn't have much left for him, and like everyone else I'm happy that it seems like they're gonna give Mark Henry a shot at the main event.
3815, while I agree that trades can work between brands, I think the problem some people have is that they're trades no sane GM would make. ECW traded Swagger, Henry, Finley, Bourne, and the entire Hart Dynasty for Benjamin, Regal, Goldust, and the Bella twins? That's retarded. Its like the Lakers trading Kobe Bryant for Tina Fey.
Posted By: Deathpool (Guest) on July 12, 2009 at 07:23 AM
High Road.
If Evan Bourne is in the US title picture (he has already got a win over Kofi) it's a step up, and I think Smackdown is the right place for Matt Hardy. Those are my two favourite guys from the trade, and I think they will do well from it.
Posted By: Ryan (Guest) on July 14, 2009 at 08:21 AM
