The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks: 10.02.09
Posted by John Meehan on 10.02.2009
RAW is Racially Sensitive and The Hitman is mulling a WWE return. CONTROVERSY!
Howdy, folks -- and thanks for tuning back in for the regularly scheduled week-end dose of intrawebz 'rasslin optimism. As usual, I'm here to tackle the big stories of the week with a fresh (and hopefully more positive) approach than you might usually find elsewhere on these world wide intrawebz, and we've got plenty of news to discuss in today's report as WWE inches their way toward the Hell in a Cell pay-per-view this Sunday night.
By the way, if you haven't yet seen The Rock's video message from the Smackdown broadcast that will air tonight, do yourself the favor and Google that sucker right away. I'm normally hesitant to echo the sentiments of Dave Meltzer, but it really is one of the very best promos to have aired on a major wrestling broadcast in the entire year.
(I'd link to the YouTube vid here, but it would undoubtedly get yanked down by virtue of the sheer volume of clicks the link would likely attract).
Go ahead and Google away -- I'll wait for you here.
Ready?
Set?
Rock & Roll.
The SELL of the week goes to Chris Jericho, who continues to play his petulant smartmouth role to perfection while cheering The Big Show on from the sidelines. This past week on Smackdown, Jericho's partner squared off against Batista (who made short work of Y2J on last week's broadcast). But Jericho was quick to put himself right back in The Animal's radar, as he spent the duration of the bout jeering the former World Champion on from ringside to add insult to each new injury that The Big Show managed to inflict. This is a fantastic way to underscore the mismatched dynamic of the heelish tag champs, and it underscores the threat of a psychological menace (Jericho) to help fuel the fire of a physical threat (Show).
The TELL of the week goes to John Cena. Look, John -- I like you, and I accept that you're Superman. Heck, I really don't even have a problem suspending my disbelief when you totally no-sell your opponent's offense at the tail-end of every match under the premise of a sudden burst of adrenaline (hey, I grew up on Hulkamania). But would it *really* hurt you all that much to show at least SOME lingering effects of a gauntlet match when scaling a steel cage wall in order to kick the crap out of Randy Orton for the umpteenth time? I mean seriously. Jericho and Big Show put the hurtin' on John Cena for the better part of a quarter hour. Showing even the *slightest* limp or slowdown would really go a long way in making their efforts look realistic.
Al Sharpton - the controversial civil rights leader made his one-off appearance this week as the guest host of Monday Night RAW. Though Sharpton didn't do much in the way of onscreen performance, his appearance on the show was tremendously polarizing nonetheless, largely as a result of what many fans perceive to be the man's longstanding history of race-baiting and out-and-out racism. Incidentally, a handful of these critics chose to boycott this week's broadcast, and (whether by coincidence or direct corelation), RAW's rating dipped accordingly.
MeeThinks?
Wrestling fans most certainly have the right to boycott shows whenever they feel that the caliber of the broadcast is not up to their own personal moral standards. There were certainly a lot of families who did exactly that during the sex-and-violence-fueled "Attitude Era," and there will undoubtedly be additional critics and protesters on down the line the next time WWE decides to do business with a performer or a storyline that similarly pushes the boundaries of people's individual sense of decency.
That said --
I can't help but find it at least *somewhat* humorous to see all of these "indignant" RAW boycotters suddenly coming out of the woodwork once WWE decides to do business with "that racist asshole" in Rev. Al Sharpton. Riiiiight -- because professional wrestling has never had a history of racism before. Isn't that right Akeem?
One Man Gang? Never heard of him.
Err, I mean, Colonel Tom Parker?
A rich, white Southerner leading two black men to the ring in chains?! Nonsense.
Yikes -- Chavo Guerrero?!
If it's not white, it's not right.
Wow. Help us out here, Slick...
Eesh.
On second thought -- that's really not fair. After all, each of these gimmicks were out-and-out "bad guys" intentionally designed to rile the crowd into a frenzy. Since they were presented as heels, it's hardly fair to think that the company actually wants fans to support such a negative portrayal or their actions.
Now if wrestling ever did business with an open racist *backstage* that'd be a different story...
How could I possibly be racist when I gave Ron Simmons the belt?!
Good question, Bill.
"If you own a business and you put the money in it, why shouldn't you be able to discriminate? It's your business. If free enterprise is going to make or break it, you should be able to discriminate, it's your business. It should be that by God, if you're going to open your doors in America, you can discriminate. Why the fuck not? That's why I went into business, so I could discriminate. I mean really, I want to be able to sell to who I want to and be able to serve who I want to. It's my business. It's my investment. So they (the government) come in and say `No.' I can't tell a fag to get the fuck out. I should have the right to not associate with a fag if I want to. I should have the right to not hire a fag if I don't want to. I mean, why should I have to hire a fucking fag, if I don't like fags? Fags discriminate against us, don't they? Sure they do. Do blacks discriminate against whites? Who's killed more blacks than anyone? The fucking blacks. But they want to blame that bullshit `Roots' that came on the air. That `Roots' was such bullshit. All you have to do if you want slaves is hand beads to the chiefs and they gave you the slaves.' What is the best thing that has ever happened to the black race? That they were brought to this country. No matter how they got here, they were brought here. You know why? Because they intermarried and got educated. They're the ones running the black race. You go down to the black countries and they're all broke. Idi Amin killed more blacks than we ever killed. You see what I mean? That's how stupid we are. But we get caught up in all this bullshit rhetoric. And so it's ridiculous what's happening to our country. Lester Maddox was right. If I don't want to sell fried chicken to blacks, I shouldn't have to. It's my restaurant. Hell, at least I respect him for his stand. That doesn't make me anti-Black."
- "Cowboy Bill Watts Pro Wrestling Torch, 1989
Oy. Well that's a "Good Ol' Boy" for ya. Maybe a forward-thinking New Yawkah will have a different perspective...
Sonny Onoo? Sonny Onoo!?! Lemme' tell you something about that sneaky sonofa...
Ouch. Well at least he's not working for WWE anymore, right?
I have no comment at this time.
Well alright, maybe backstage racists are a different story. After all, nobody sees 'em on television most weeks, and so we can probably excuse a lot of their bigotry, right? Now of course, if there were a racially insensitive babyface character...
An African-American spearchucker? You stay classy, Tony.
Whoops, I mean...
Mexican con men who lie, cheat and steal? Well at least that was a few years back. It's not like they've got anything so flagrantly racist on television these days.
Money, money.
Yeah, yeah.
None - In a welcome development, there are no wrestler obituaries, retirements, or contract terminations to report this week.
Tiffany - The ECW General Manager broke her humerus (that's the uppermost bone in your arm) during a Florida Championship Wrestling TV taping last week. Onscreen, it was announced that the ECW GM had been injured in "a car accident" -- though no definite date has yet been issued for her return at this time. In her absence, William Regal has been named the brand's Interim General Manager.
In this segment, I'll be firing off a handful of micro-commentaries at some of the industry's biggest stars and stories. For those of y'all who aren't familiar with Twitter-style posting, the format is simple:
@Recipient's Name - 140 character message goes here. #MessageTopic
And before you ask: No, these aren't actual tweets.
FAKE TWEETS OF THE WEEK
@Samoa Joe - Sad as it may be, any bets on the over/under for a Samoan "Nation of Violence" Tsunami joke on TNA programming? #VinceRusso #TooSoon
@Mick Foley - You *do* realize that the Legends Title is actually worth less than your framed photo, right? #BookerT #Invented
@Teddy Long - Held hostage all week long, and STILL had time to hang the boss's portrait. Nice. #Priorities
@D'Angelo Dinero - Care to share with the class how well Vince's "personal blessing" worked out the last time around? #DrewMcIntyre
@Rey Mysterio - Fresh off of suspension and right back in the title hunt. THAT'll teach ya! #WellnessFailureFail
@Statler @Waldorf - Good to see the two geriatric hecklers back up to their old tricks. Hey wait a sec... #dX
@Viscera - Yo "World's Largest Love Machine" -- I think I found your long-lost pajamas. #AlSharptonsOutfit
@Randy Orton - If you walked faster, Cena might still be feeling the effects of that beatdown. #SloMoJoke
@Tiffany - "Injured in a car wreck on Monday night," eh? I think I saw the accident. #MondayNightRAW
Samoa Joe - An 8.3-magnitude earthquake hit early Tuesday Tuesday morning about 125 miles southwest of the Pacific island of American Samoa at a depth of 20.5 miles. The quake triggered a 10-foot tsunami, devastating the South Pacific's Samoan islands and killing at least 141 people in its wake. The following afternoon, Samoa Joe, a native of the island nation and the TNA X Division Champion who is currently touring with TNA across Europe, posted a video on his Twitter account this week urging fans and supporters to donate to relief efforts sponsored by the Red Cross.
The 411mania family extends its thoughts and prayers to the people of the Samoan islands during this time of crisis, and encourages our readers to lend their support in whatever manner possible. To find out how you can help, visit The Red Cross.
Bret Hart - The Excellence of Execution made his return to the annual rumor mill this week, as recent reports are suggesting that The Hitman could well indeed be mulling over the idea of some sort of limited-basis WWE return in the near future. Of course, Bret Hart has been virtually absent from WWE programming since the famed Montreal Screwjob in 1997 (save for his Hall of Fame induction and a one-off video interview prior to "Vince McMahon Appreciation Day" several years ago) -- but The Hitman has reportedly been telling friends and fans that he hasn't ruled out the notion of some sort of role with World Wrestling Entertainment in the future.
MeeThinks?
They say "time heals all wounds," and The Hitman's beef against Vince McMahon and company is probably one of the most well-documented confrontations in the history of professional wrestling (save perhaps Vince versus Bruno Sammartino). And if these rumors are indeed true, it would appear that the current generation of wrestling fans could be in for a real treat. Bret Hart might not be able to compete as a regular performer any more, but he may well indeed be "the best there is, the best there was, and the best there ever will be."
The only problem, of course, is whether or not Bret Hart could still remain relevant to a modern audience. Sure his character is (and really always has been) "kid friendly" (the "never-say-die" hero is a great fit for the TV-PG generation) but the bulk of WWE's young fanbase is barely over age 12. That means most of the kids sporting John Cena t-shirts and Jeff Hardy armbands WEREN'T EVEN BORN the last time Bret Hart set foot in a WWE ring. Now is his legendary status more than enough reputation to precede him? No question. But if he's not going to be able to compete as an active performer -- one has to wonder what else besides his reputation Bret Hart can possibly bring to the table at this stage in his career.
Obviously, the die-hard "old-school" fans who were once so loyal to the WWF during the "Attitude Era" would likely perk up their ears and tune in once in a blue moon to WWE programming if and when the Hitman made an onscreen appearance. But once the nostalgia factor wears off, what then? Once the shock of seeing Bret Hart back on WWE television had faded, is there really any place where The Hitman could remain on a WWE roster without looking like the latest "onscreen authority figure" who really amounts to nothing more than yet another in a long line of Vince McMahon's puppets and flunkies?
Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Paul Heyman, Eric Bischoff... you name it -- Vince bought 'em all, and when he brought 'em back as onscreen characters on HIS program, he made sure that the world remembered just who, exactly, the big dog in town was when all was said and done. Sure each of 'em made for great television -- in limited runs -- but the history books ultimately saw each of these guys fade off into the sunset on Vince McMahon's terms. And we all know too well that this already happened to Bret Hart once before.
The only way this works?
Bret agrees to return to WWE programming, but gets it in writing (in no uncertain terms) that he will always have creative control over his (presumably non-wrestling) character. And unlike the last time the Vin Man violated their agreement and so unceremoniously gave The Hitman the heave-ho, Bret would likewise be sure to get it in writing that World Wrestling Entertainment would owe him an absolute fortune if they were ever to so much as *think* of screwing him over or making his onscreen character look bad again.
But then again, this doesn't guarantee that WWE will actually honor the agreement.
"Bitch and complain and ye' shall receive"
So three weeks ago, I compiled a season-long guide to the Monday Night Football matchups and attempted to venture an educated guess as to how WWE's ratings would likely fare against each game accordingly. Basically, we sized up the relative appeal of each Monday Night Football offering, and tried to anticipate what sort of effect it might have on WWE's audience as a result.
For three weeks in a row, my predictions have been dead on, and so I've decided to keep it around as a regular feature to keep an eye on RAW's competition through the NFL playoffs. I've found that this helps us set reasonable, positive expectations for each new week's broadcast, and it saves us from the typical "sky is falling" knee-jerk pessimism that is often so rampant among internet wrestling fans.
LAST WEEK'S PREDICTION:
WEEK 3 (Sept. 28): Carolina at Dallas: It's the Panthers, it's Cowboys, and it's Monday Night Football. Though Tony Romo is easily the single most overrated player in the NFL (win a game after November and THEN we'll talk, pal) -- the hype machine and a big-time NFC rivalry will simply be too much for RAW to take this early in the season. Expect RAW's rating to suffer accordingly, which could be trouble for the last big go-home show before Hell in a Cell.
ACTUAL RESULT:
WWE Monday Night Raw scored a 3.1 rating -- down from last week's broadcast, which scored a 3.4. Raw's main competition, Monday Night Football, scored an 11.5 rating -- up from the previous week's broadcast of 11.0.
BOTTOM LINE:
They laughed at Mee when I said that the Cowboys and Panthers would outdraw the first two weeks' ratings. But guess what? This week's MNF broadcast did exactly that. And if a lowly internet wrestling columnist with ZERO "professional expertise" in broadcast television could have seen this one coming nearly a whole month in advance, chances are good that the WWE brass likewise anticipated the drop and won't soon be panicking as a result.
Now then --
This week's game is a good one, but I stand by my prediction from September 11 that once the initial novelty of a Packers versus Brett Favre showdown wears off, the MNF audience will shrink enough to allow for a slight rebound in the overall RAW ratings once the final Nielsen tally is counted.
THIS WEEK'S PREDICTION: (Cut-and-pasted from my September 11 column)
Brett Favre is taking the field against his old team, and fans will be there in droves to watch this storied division rivalry from the 8:30 p.m. kickoff as a result. This means RAW should still be feeling the MNF effects when it goes live at 9 p.m. But can a single player convince a nation to stick around for a full three hours? Not likely, and WWE's numbers will probably rebound throughout the show as a result.
Ben Roethlisberger to Host Monday Night RAW Pittsburgh Steelers QB to Helm WWE's Flagship Next Week
The biggest onscreen news of the week came in the form of Monday night's announcement that next week's guest host of RAW would be none other than Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Ben Roethlisberger (henceforth, "Big Ben" -- simply because his last name is a monster to type out time and again).
For those of y'all keeping score at home, by the way -- Big Ben's arrival as RAW's GM makes Mee a solid four for six in the prediction department over the past three months. Now if only Edge or the Hot Rod would step up to the plate.
But getting back to the point --
Ben Roethlisberger is a huge WWE fan, and he has a fair amount of "mainstream celebrity" exposure as a result of his position as the winning quarterback on a team that claimed not one, but TWO Super Bowl trophies since his 2004 NFL debut. Sure, the Steelers aren't off to the strongest of starts this year -- but the season is still very young, and Big Ben and the Steelers remain the defending Super Bowl champs until they're ousted from playoff contention this year.
In other words: "he's still a bona fide NFL star" -- which should be a great draw against a particularly interesting Monday Night Football game this coming week (see: Pakers/Vikings rant above).
Is he a big dumb meathead? Well that helmet-free motorcycle accident doesn't exactly work in his favor. But the guy is as blue-collar as they come, and his lifelong fandom of professional wrestling should gel nicely with his modicum of "celebrity" in order to make for one of the strongest guest host outings since Bob Barker.
In short --
He's a great choice for RAW's guest host, and the WWE will likely pull a decent chunk of last week's wandering audience members back to their broadcast as a result. The Vikings and The Packers will most definitely draw a respectable rating, no question, but WWE's Nielsen numbers will probably rebound substantially from last week's drubbing nonetheless.
On Tuesday night of this week, I skipped my normal ECW viewing routine in order to make the trip down to nearby FedEx field for the Washington, D.C. leg of U2's much ballyhooed 360 tour. Sure, I've been to concerts before, and plenty of wrestling shows and pay-per-view events, too (most recently, WrestleMania 24 comes to mind).
Now I'm hardly the world's biggest U2 fan, but having never had the opportunity to see U2 live in concert before, I figured I owed it to myself to check out the show regardless. Besides, this was "THE 360 TOUR!" for cryin' out loud, and my friends were adamant that the show would be "like nothing I'd ever seen before."
And yet for this WrestleMania 24 guest... it was like deja vu all over again.
A two-hour car ride to travel a mere 15 miles due to ungodly amounts of gridlock and stadium traffic? Check.
Overcrowded restrooms and a stadium that can't figure out a proper parking solution in spite of the fact that its sole reason for existence is to attract as many guests as humanly possible? Check.
75,000 screaming fans flocking to see a some guy named "Edge" alongside a "legendary" main event performer who's best days are probably behind him? Triple check.
Oh yeah, and this thing...
Say, where have I seen something like *that* before?
There ya' go.
All in all -- U2 at FedEx field was a blast. Between the lights, the sounds, and the sheer spectacle of the thing, it was really hard not to rate it ahead of WrestleMania 24. The crowd was louder, the lights were brighter, and the weather actually decided to cooperate. Plus there weren't any fireworks miscues which resulted in serious injury this time around -- which was a nice added bonus.
But at the end of the day, no matter how you slice it -- Bono is no Ric Flair.
Advantage? WrestleMania 24.
And With That, I'm Outta' Here
And so ends another weekly wrap-up of the 'rasslin world. 'Till next time, enjoy the Hell in a Cell PPV this weekend, find a way to make a dent in that deadly Baltimore defense, and always stay positive.
Rocky seems to be heading towards a showdown with Cena come WM26. First, he wants "The Rock" added back to his movie credits. Then he shows up to an indy event. Sure it was to support his family, but he never showed up before now. Finally, he appears on SD this week in a taped promo. That is a lot of 'coincidences' right there.
Posted By: JUSTINW (Guest) on October 01, 2009 at 11:07 PM
My WrestleMania XXIV photo FTW!
Posted By: TRUTH (Guest) on October 01, 2009 at 11:21 PM
You forgot "The NaturaL" Butch Reed, a black wrestler with "naturally" blonde hair.
Posted By: Brawler (Guest) on October 01, 2009 at 11:38 PM
"By the way, if you haven't yet seen The Rock's video message from the Smackdown broadcast that will air tonight, do yourself the favor and Google that sucker right away. I'm normally hesitant to echo the sentiments of Dave Meltzer, but it really is one of the very best promos to have aired on a major wrestling broadcast in the entire year."
To be honest, I didn't really think the promo was all that good. Aside from the line about Ziggler it was pretty boring.
Posted By: Metalingus (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 03:26 AM
I always enjoy reading your columns but I couldn't help but notice that you didn't make mention of Big Ben's recent court case involving alleged rape. Sure, most people probably think (rightfully so) that the chick is exaggerating a little bit, or flat out lying. However, I think it should at least be mentioned. No one in the sports world seems to care, and I'm surprised that Vince and company were so eager to get him on-board while all this is going on, seeing as how the 'E is "PG" and all. I'm pretty sure the criminal case was thrown from court, but I recall reading on the espn ticker the other day that the judge in the civil suit refused to throw the case. I know it may seem like nitpicking, but it's just something that I thought you would address, since you're usually right on the money on most things. Either way good stuff!
Posted By: amusing comments (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 03:29 AM
Bill Watts comments sound to me like something of an unfortunate truth. In that, IN THEORY you should be able to tell somebody not to patronize your business, or not sell to certain people... at least from a LEGALITY point of view I see what he's saying.
But from an ETHICAL point of view making those distinctions the way he does is quite the douche thing to do...
Posted By: M:-X (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 05:42 AM
The Rock's promo is easily one of the best this year. There is only one jabroni beaten, pie eaten, never afraid to sweat, never afraid to bleed, still delivers the best promos guaran damn teed, The Rock! Dont be surprised if he does guest host Raw soon
Posted By: Guest#5143 (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 05:53 AM
John - love the column, but I always have to say this when someone brings up Saba Simba.
It might just be because I'm in England and had access to different things than you (less WWF television over here at the time, so WWF Magazine had more prominence for me), but it was always very clear to me that the character of Saba Simba was acknowledged as being Tony Atlas. The story was that he had explored his roots and was now paying tribute to them through his character.
They did the same thing the following year(?) with Tito "El Matador" Santana, and it was much better received.
I'm also not convinced that Akeem and Kerwin were racist gimmicks. Aren't they more playing up the ridiculousness of actual trends in society that see people adopting mannerisms etc. from other cultures? The modern equivalent would be Slam Master J.
Stuff like Cryme Tyme, on the other hand...y'know, that's more of a racist gimmick to me. Difficult to get too annoyed at the WWE for it, though, when it's not all that far away from Ice Cube's "Friday" movies. Or 50 Cent.
Posted By: Dave_W (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 06:08 AM
Great f'n promo. Much better than the last one. I don't think an appearance on the 10th anniversary of Smackdown is 'coincidental', but Cena-Rock would be huge.
Posted By: Chungles (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 07:36 AM
The Rock's promo was great.. he didn't necessarily say anything different to what he usually does but it's the delivery and energy that makes him better than anyone in the history of the biz.
I'd love a showdown at WM26 with Cena, WWE has been starved of 'Mega matches' in recent years with that geniune big time feel. I pray that it happens.
Posted By: Andrew Barbarash (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 08:49 AM
I never understood why people hated Kerwin White that much. I thought it was awesome and not racist at all (well you could argue that the way Kerwin thought "white people" behave was racist but I guess thats not the point of those who critize it) - he was playing a racist but the gimmick itself wasn't (similar to the old Nation of Domination stable).
Posted By: mr. nym (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 09:14 AM
If Bret DID come back, wouldn't he be the perfect fit as manager of the Hart Dynasty? It'd get them some screen time too!!
Posted By: jayzhoughton (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 09:16 AM
Chavo needs to go back to being Kerwin White. Its better than jobbing to Hornswaggle.
Posted By: MydniteSon (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 10:11 AM
Bill Watts was, is, and will always be The Man.
Posted By: Hello (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 10:13 AM
Two truths, Im black and Bill Watts is probably the most honest person that I have ever seen quoted. I dont agree with everything he said, but I cant do anything except............. respect his opinion. He's got a point, if you dont want to serve someone because of whatever reason, you shouldnt have to. Is it morally wrong? Possibly, but that's why there's more than one person offering the same thing.
Anyway, Meehan, thanks for the laugh this morning. The WWE has ALWAYS done something that would make you do a double take. Biker Gang Skinheads. Black Militants. A Coalition of Latin Wrestlers. Shoot, at one point in time during the Attitude Era, we all were literally choosing a side based off of our nationality. LOL! You pointing all of them out was just the icing on the cake this morning! Racism is about the most ignorant thing ever! You HAVE to be able to make fun of it. Why? Well.....as far as we know we're the only planet that sustains life and we ALL hate each other, but NONE OF US can actually get off the planet to go somewhere else to get away from it. So, its the greatest act of futility known to man!
Back to what matters, JUSTINW started it and Im going to ask you. The Great One's return: SELL or TELL? Your thoughts?
Posted By: Joulz Il (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 10:19 AM
"Bono is no Ric Flair."
I hope for your sake you aren't being serious.
Posted By: Propagandhi (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 10:29 AM
There are two easy outs for Bret Hart hosting Raw (if it truly is just hosting as opposed to a becoming the guest-host-ending official GM of Raw): show videos and/or match clips in the weeks leading up to his appearance to reintroduce him to the WWE audience. This in turn also generates hype and could pop the rating.
Or simply hold the friggin event in Canada. If there's something other than Rush and hockey that will always be over in Canada it's Bret Hart.
"...The Hitman's beef against Vince McMahon and company is probably one of the most well-documented confrontations in the history of professional wrestling (save perhaps Vince versus Bruno Sammartino)."
They still both get far more WWE love than Randy Savage.
Posted By: neverAcquiesce (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 10:52 AM
The thing about Tito is that, that was pretty racist. Heenan always referencing the Flying Burrito and making a Latino dude a bullfighter...why? Because he's Latino. Christ, Tito was one of the WWF's top faces for most of the '80s. He was #2 under Hogan until like '86 or '87 when Savage turned face. There wasn't any need to regimmick him as a bullfighter. He could have been promoted as the future legend he was.
And about Watts. I'm kind of on the fence about his racism. He's said some stupid shit, like the quote above but the dude has a track record for promoting strong black wrestlers. If he'd only pushed Simmons to the World Title as a cynical ploy then I'd believe it, but, besides Simmons, the dude was also responsible for turning Junkyard Dog into one of wrestling's biggest stars pre-WWF, and he was the first guy to give a black booker, Ernie Ladd, a chance. Watts is a weird fucking dude which makes it hard to automatically write him off as a racist.
Posted By: Guest#6094 (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 11:18 AM
Why would Brett need a guarantee in his contract when he was in on the Montreal screwjob? It's the best work in the history of wrestling. It elevated both wrestlers to the top of the game and cemented their careers in the ring and well past it.
Posted By: Guest#0173 (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 11:20 AM
That WMXXIV photo isn't too far off from where I was sitting
Posted By: Guest#5853 (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 11:42 AM
"Rocky seems to be heading towards a showdown with Cena come WM26. First, he wants "The Rock" added back to his movie credits. Then he shows up to an indy event. Sure it was to support his family, but he never showed up before now. Finally, he appears on SD this week in a taped promo. That is a lot of 'coincidences' right there.
Posted By: JUSTINW (Guest) on October 01, 2009 at 11:07 PM"
Prepare to be disappointed. I'd be surprised if he ends up hosting Raw.
Posted By: Propagandhi (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 11:53 AM
If you need more proof that The Rock is the best in the business then take a look at that promo. Look at how many times the guy stopped for crowd reaction, how many times he was dead on timing for cheers/boos and facial expressions to signify both. Then realize this was pretaped.
Posted By: Guest#0132 (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 12:21 PM
I don't think it would be too hard to explain who Bret Hart is to the 12 and under crowd. I mean they buy anything WWE feeds them, so if the announcers kept saying he's great, he's a legend, they'd buy into it. It worked for Flair. One of the amazing things about Jeff Hardy, was the fact he came back after 3 years and a large portion of the kids had never seen him before, and he got over INSANELY, just as he was before. That being said, unless he needs the money, Bret doesn't need to come back in an onscreen role IMO, outside of maybe hosting a RAW. The only full-time job he should do is maybe being an agent.
Posted By: FRS (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 02:28 PM
Two comments:
1) The Packers/Vikings game is lining up to be the most watched MNF game in years and certainly the most watched since ESPN took over the franchise. It's not a novelty, and if it is a competitive game in any way, RAW will suffer and will not rebound later in the broadcast.
2) Regarding Bill Watts, the charges of him being racist have a lot more to do with things he said vs. things he actually did. In my mind it is actions not words that define that kind of labeling. Bill Watts was the first promoter in the country to headline a major show with two African American workers (Ernie Ladd vs. Ray Candy), hired the first African American booker (Ernie Ladd), awarded the first African American World Champion (Ron Simmons) and built the careers of Butch Reed, Savannah Jack, Junkyard Dog and Ron Simmons. In fact, there may not have ever been a hotter main event star in the history of the industry than JYD while he headlined Mid-South. Watts may have made some racist statements in the past, but no one has ever done more for African American wrestlers in the history of the industry than Bill Watts.
Posted By: KidNatural (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 04:52 PM
Cryme Tyme is a parody. That much is clear from the narrator in their intro track. Chavo playing Kerwin was kind of like Robert Downey in Tropic Thunder. And besides, they never hid that it was Chavo. The only reason that ended was Eddie's death. The point really is that yes, wrestling has always played on stereotypes, but wresling is a SHOW. It's known that it's staged, scripted, fixed, and specifically designed to entertain people (doesn't always work, but it's designed to). Al Sharpton, on the other hand, is a legitmate race baiter, in addition to being an out-and-out racist in his own right. For the life of me I don't understand how he continues to have a voice.
Posted By: someguy (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 10:18 PM
Don't get me wrong Meehan .. I enjoy your column .. but it's started to get old that half your column is filled with "I was right" and "Oh look, I was right AGAIN".
We get it, you're smarter than all of us, probably the smartest person on the planet .. but do you have to keep reminding us so often? Once a column would be sufficient .. not 10 times in the NFL section alone.
Posted By: Nyte (Guest) on October 02, 2009 at 10:34 PM
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