The Piledriver Report 07.30.09: GET IT? The WWE Does Not.

Posted by Ronny Sarnecky on 07.30.2009

After the WWE decided to take the World Heavyweight championship off of CM Punk, and put it on the soon to be exiting Jeff Hardy, the Piledriver Report realized that the WWE doesn’t “get it.” This week, TPR examines what it is about the title loss makes the WWE clueless, and what they should have done to change things.

During the Super Bowl in 1999, the World Wrestling Federation ran a couple of thirty second commercial spots where they poked fun at themselves. They talked about being a non-violent form of entertainment, never using sex to sell their product, and being pure wholesome family entertainment. Meanwhile, Steve Austin is hitting an office worker over the head with a chair, two co-workers are fornicating as Sable is talking about the WWF not presenting a sexual, and all hell is breaking loose as The Rock, the Undertaker, and Mankind talk about the WWF being clean family fun. At the end of the commercial, Vince McMahon asks the viewers if they "get it."

WWE HAS ATTITUDE

At the time, while the non-wrestling audience may not have "gotten it," Vince McMahon sure did. At the time, Vince McMahon presented a risqué, cutting edge product. The WWF was Must See TV every Monday, and also later Thursday, night. During the "Attitude Era," the World Wrestling Federation was hitting on all cylinders. The main events stars were household names. The tag team division was awesome. The storylines were compelling. More often then not, the WWF provided great wrestling action. Even the stuff that missed, like Mae Young giving birth to a hand, or Val Venis having his pee-pee go chop-chop thanks to Kaientai, were still mildly entertaining. Back then the fans were like Pavlonian dogs to Vince. Whatever he fed us, we bought. Al Snow came to the ring with a mannequin head, and the crowd went nuts for it. Sure, he debuted it in ECW, but when Al brought it to the WWF, a worldwide audience popped for it. Could you imagine if the WWE gave a wrestler like Chavo Guerrero a head to carry around? The fans, especially the IWC would be killing the WWE's creative team.

A HEEL IS BORN



While Vince "got it" in the late nineties, it has become more and more apparent that the WWE doesn't "get it" in 2009. While this has been noticeable for awhile, I thought that the "Night of Champions" pay per view proved that the WWE has lost touch with the fans. Following the opening contest, the WWE had CM Punk cut a very heel-like promo. In the promo, he talked about how rooting for Jeff Hardy will lead to alcohol and drug use for children who looked up to him. Punk said that he didn't blame these children, but placed the blame squarely on the shoulders of their parents. Correction. Single parents, who are enablers, and do not discipline their children. It was one of the best promos of the year.

Vince loves to spout the company line about giving people "opportunities." Unlike last year, CM Punk is taking this opportunity as the World Heavyweight champion, and is breaking the door down. Not since Edge broke through the glass ceiling after he beat John Cena for the WWE World title in January 2006, has there been a wrestler that exploded on to the main event scene like CM Punk has this year.

Punk is proving to be the WWE's best heel act today. Taking nothing away from Chris Jericho, as he was the best heel and all around performer in 2008. However, Punk is rising to another level. Chris Jericho insults the fans, and uses a cold "Mr. Serious" persona to show his heelness. Jericho has been doing a terrific job with it, to the point that he causes min-riots at house shows. Punk is taking a different approach. Like Jericho, the Punk character is passionate in what he says, and believes in what he is talking about. With his "straight-edge" gimmick, when you hear Punk talking about not drinking or doing drugs, you realize that Punk is right. He is the true role model. Drugs and alcohol lead you down a dark path. He should be cheered for his philosophy. Instead, he is being portrayed as a heel. Professional wrestling is a weird industry.

It's because the fans really should salute him, that he makes an awesome heel. Remember when Kurt Angle first arrived into the WWF? He would preach the three "I's" to the fans. Intensity, Integrity, Intelligence. These three words were Kurt Angle's way of life. Instead of buying into his philosophy, the fans turned on him.

In the eighties, when Hulk Hogan preached to "train, say your prayers, and take your vitamins," he was the biggest star in the history of the industry. Ever since the late nineties, this type of wrestler would get booed out of the building. Now, I'm not saying that Punk should be a face, and the WWE is dropping the ball. Just the opposite. I think the WWE realizes that the fans don't want to cheer a squeaky clean babyface. They want to root for a baby face with an edge to him. Having Punk turn heel is the right move for both business, and for Punk himself. Punk is proving that he was born to play the heel.

DROPPING THE BELT, DROPPING THE BALL



Where I think the WWE just doesn't "get it" is by having Punk drop the title to Jeff Hardy at Night of Champions. This move made absolutely no sense whatsoever. First off, Jeff Hardy is leaving the company in a matter of weeks. Whatever happened to the days of putting guys in a territory over on your way out? Wasn't that one of Vince McMahon's main points in his argument on why he had to "screw" Bret at the 1997 Survivor Series? Remember the interview where Vince preached about the "time honored tradition?" So, Vince doesn't believe in that anymore? OK, so maybe TNA isn't much of a challenge to the WWE. However, it would still look bad if the World Heavyweight champion Jeff Hardy showed up to the Impact Zone with the Big Gold Belt.

CM Punk has gained so much momentum since capturing the title at "Extreme Rules." It seems way too early to cut him off at this time. If CM Punk regains the title at SummerSlam, then I ask you what was the point in him losing the belt in the first place. Did Hardy's win this past Sunday turn him into the WWE's next big star? No! Even if it would, we would never know because he is LEAVING THE COMPANY! The WWE loves to use the "even stevens" booking philosophy where each wrestler in a feud has to get his win back over the wrestler he is going up against. Forget the "even stevens" philosophy. That style of booking gets nobody over. It's parody booking. Try this booking idea, and let me know if this wouldn't work better.

WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN

After weeks of getting under Hardy's skin with his "anti-drug" promos, CM Punk finds a way to beat Jeff Hardy at the Night of Champions. Hardy gets frustrated that he failed to win the title yet again. Punk gets to puff out his chest even more, and spout his virtue of "look what happens when you are an addict." Since everybody loves Hardy, this would get Punk over even more. Jeff Hardy challenges CM Punk to one final match at Summer Slam. CM Punk's title vs. Jeff Hardy's career. While the Internet fans are aware that Jeff Hardy is leaving, the non-hardcore fans, especially little kids, would think that Jeff Hardy would have to win. After all, Hardy can't be leaving the WWE. When Punk would successfully defend his title at SummerSlam, he would then get to brag about ridding the WWE of "Druggie Jeff." This would draw more heat for his character. Instead, we get the parody booking that gives us such thing as Edge winning 9 World titles for a total reign of about a year's time span.

RATED PG

The WWE preaches that the days of "Attitude" are over. NO KIDDING! The WWE is now Rated PG. They claim to be kid friendly. They want to get the "respectable" advertisers to sponsor their shows. How do they try to draw these huge companies over to the WWE product. They cut out blood. They limit the sexual nature of the program to an occasional bikini Divas match. They are trying to get rid of the adult-oriented stigma they received in the "Attitude Era," and repackage it with fifth grade toilet humor, and kiddie characters.

While trying to show these advertisers that they are a respectable company, the WWE brings up Jeff Hardy's past drug abuse in one of their main angles. While I don't mind them doing this, because I feel it brings realism to the show, I'm not sure how companies like Chevrolet or Ford would feel about this. Would they really want to endorse a product that celebrates the fact that one of their main champions is a multi-time drug test failure? Having Jeff Hardy as one of the top two title holders makes the WWE look more like a Rated R company, especially when he is being promoted as someone that children should look up to. Meanwhile, his heel rival preaches the anti-drug "Just Say No" campaign. In the eyes of advertisers, that would be like Mickey Mouse in a cartoon smoking a blunt. OK, maybe not THAT bad.

The point is that the WWE has dropped the ball by taking the belt off of Punk, even if it's only for one month. Punk should have held the belt until WrestleMania XXVI. By that time, Punk would have built a ton of steam, and him dropping the belt would actually mean something. It still can. All they have to do is have Punk win the belt back at SummerSlam, and hold it until Mania 26. In the WWE world, where you are in the land of title changes, something tells me that the World Heavyweight title will change hands at least two or three times before next year's WrestleMania. Unfortunately, this accomplishes nothing. Showing once again that the WWE just doesn't "get it."