The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks: 10.09.09
Posted by John Meehan on 10.09.2009
TNA stars weigh their options, while WWE fans brace for Bragging Rights.
Greetings, all. And welcome back to your regularly scheduled week-end dose of intrawebz 'rasslin optimism. New to the column? The rules are simple: we take the week's worth of wrestling stories, break 'em down into categories (debuts, departures, onscreen happenings, etc.), crack a few jokes here and there, and try to offset the usual slew of IWC pessimism in order to get right down to the heart of the story without the disaffected fanboy swagger. We highlight the heroes and try to see the good stuff in even the most critically drubbed of cases. And in the end, we might even learn a thing or two along the way.
It's fresh.
It's realistic.
And most importantly, it's POSITIVE.
(Well, more often than not, anyway).
Sound like a plan?
Rock & Roll.
The SELL of the week goes to The Undertaker. I don't know whether or not these latest rumors of a "career-threatening" injury are true or not, but The Dead Man most certainly went out of his way to show that he is indeed quite human during his Hell in a Cell showdown against CM Punk. Sure, Punk ended up on the losing end when all was said and done, but throughout the contest, The Undertaker was visibly grimmacing in pain as a result of Punk's repeated attacks on his lower body -- which is really saying something when you consider the fact that The Undertaker isn't exactly known for showing ANY signs of damage in the vast majority of his encounters. This could, of course, be the onscreen signs of a very real injury -- but for the moment, 'Taker gets this week's sell honors for making it look as if CM Punk wasn't anywhere near as easy an opponent as so many assumed he would be.
The TELL of the week goes to Rosa Mendez, who took a "kick" in the face from Mickie James this week that seemed to have missed its target by a solid country mile, yet still magically dropped to the canvas and sold its impact as if she'd been whalloped upside the head at full speed. WWE's divas division has been pretty laughable of late, and while it's great to see new performers getting the chance to shine, the simple fact of the matter is that few (if any) of these ladies are anywhere near the level of "television-ready" at this stage in their careers. Rosa, sadly, is among the worst of the bunch.
Lacey Von Erich - third-generation performer Lacey Adkisson (a.k.a. Lacey Von Erich) officially made her TNA debut last week, when she arrived in an ambush of the current TNA Knockouts Tag Team Champions and revealed herself to be the third member of the newly reformed Beautiful People stable alongside Velvet Sky and Madison Rayne. Lacey is the daughter of the late Kerry Von Erich and the granddaughter of the famed Fritz Von Erich. She spent four months in the WWE developmental program in 2007, but was quickly released before entering various independent promotions in the two years since. Most recently, Von Erich appeared in videos promoting Jimmy Hart's upstard women's promotion, "WrestleLicious."
(Plenty more on Lacey below in "The Drama")
Eric Escobar - Longtime WWE developmental talent Eric Pérez officially made his main roster debut as the "boyfriend" of fellow returning performer Vickie Guerrero. Escobar is a rarity in the professional wrestling business, as he has spent four whole years in WWE's developmental system (most performers are typically cut or promoted to a main roster within two years of their signing).
Needless to say, Escobar has certainly been waiting a long time for this opportunity. But will it pay off? The good news is that WWE has decided to pair him alongside of a proven heat-magnet in Vickie Guerrero, which should definitely garner some interest right off the bat. On top of that, Escobar will be playing the role of Vickie's "much younger boyfriend," which obviously elicits a fan response in memory of her late husband, Eddie Guerrero.
Plus, he's got a pretty suave look and what appears to be the makings of a catchphrase ("Esssscobar!"). Funny -- a Latino ladies man who elongates the pronunciation of his last name, eh? Sounds like somebody on the WWE Creative team has been watching one too many Burger King commercials.
Coming next month from WWE Shopzone:
Hey, I'd buy 'em.
Vickie Guerrero - former RAW and Smackdown! general manager Vickie Guerrero made her onscreen return to WWE programming this week, where she appeared in a backstage skit as the "girlfriend" of the newly debuting Eric Escobar. Vickie was last seen on WWE programming several months ago as the general manager of RAW, but made the decision to step away from the professional wrestling business at that time in order to spend more time close to home as a single parent.
Obviously, Vickie's return has raised at least a few eyebrows across the usual circles of criticism -- namely, from commentators who take issue with what they perceive to be her decision to put a career ahead of her family.
MeeThinks?
Vickie spent several months away from the professional wrestling environment, and probably learned all too quickly just how hard it is to step out of the only real life she has ever known since marrying into the Guerrero family all those years ago. Though I'm sure Vickie isn't thrilled about having to hit the road with WWE again (and thus make alternate arrangements for child care during her work days), the simple fact is a WWE contract is as sure a form of employment as Vickie Guerrero is likely to find these days. The travel ain't easy, but a reduced role (from "General Manager" of two programs to a mere manager of just one performer) affords her a lot more free time, and the money this job can provide her will most definitely go a long way in providing for her family in the years to come.
None - In a welcome development, there are no wrestler obituaries, retirements, or contract terminations to report this week.
Gail Kim - In a "strange but true" story, Smackdown! diva Gail Kim has been added to WWe's disabled list after rupturing a breast implant during a non-televised broadcast late last week. As fate would have it, Kim is the second WWE diva to go down (heh heh) to such an injury in the past 30 days, as WWE Divas' Champion Mickie James was recently out of commission for the same reason.
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
@Dolph Ziggler - Lex Luger called -- he'd like his gimmick back. #ChokeArtist
@Ron Killings - "What's up?" Your fifteen minutes of fame. #Truth
@Ben Roethlisberger - Wait, you're wearing THAT to host RAW?! Yeesh. Don't let The Dead Man catch you. #DressCode
@Jerry Lawler - A ring filled with divas and not a single "tight end" or "backfield in motion" joke? #MissedOpportunities
@Michael Cole - "Two Minute Drive?" Yup. Big time football fan, right there. #Vintage
@Jeff Hardy - I hear you're "in good spirits." I'm guessing there's a pill for that. #Zoloft
@John Cena - "Superman" in an "Iron Man!?!" Never thought I'd see the day. #DCvsMarvel
@Kofi Kingston - Ghana? Jamaican it hard to bust out the clever puns. #AdamleOriginal
@Christian - Don't be sad you're not on PPV, Matt Hardy is barely on Smackdown. #JeffsMysteryAssailantSwitcheroo
@Booker T - The "Braylon Edwards" of pro wrestling. Does that mean WWE will trade four stars to get you back? #Dellusional
Scott Steiner - Word 'round the webz is that Scott Steiner has been telling friends that he has no intention of re-signing with TNA Wrestling once his current contract expires. Steiner is apparently close friends with Jeff Jarrett, and has little interest in continuing with the promotion if the TNA Founder is no longer so actively involved in the company's day-to-day operations.
Honestly, at this stage of his career -- a departure from Scott Steiner is really no loss to TNA. The guy's in-ring abilities have become drastically limited due to size, age, and injury -- and The Main Event Mafia storyline has all but run its course, and will likely be drawing to its most logical of conclusions at the Bound For Glory PPV before the end of the month. Though his veteran presence was once a valuable addition to the TNA roster, that time has come and gone, and there really is no longer a reason to keep a talent like Steiner around after the "Jarrett era" of TNA has ended.
Looking back --
Scott Steiner has actually done quite well in TNA. Not only has the guy served his purpose as a recognizable face and a decorated tag team specialist, he has also -- amazingly -- remained more or less healthy and active throughout the duration of The Main Event Mafia storyline when a good number of his likewise aged and injury prone stablemates could not. Sure, he saw a heck of a lot less ring time in the past year than a guy like Kurt Angle -- but Scott Steiner has been a strong and valuable addition to the company's highest profile storyline nonetheless, and the company is better off on the whole for having had him as a member of their roster.
As such, it seems only to make sense that the end of his TNA tenure would coincide with the final chapter of The Main Event Mafia storyline.
Booker T - Scott Steiner's tag team partner, Booker T, has made all sorts of waves in TNA Wrestling over the past week's time -- and is widely reported as having the single worst attitude in all of the company's lockerroom. The latest word is that Booker T is eyeing a return to World Wrestling Entertainment once his current TNA contract expires, and will be jumping at the opportunity to cut all ties with his current employer the second the opportunity for a WWE return should arise.
Why WWE would actually *take* him back is completely beyond Mee, of course, since he failed not one but TWO drug tests the last go-round, and then threatened to sue the company when they called him out on it and gave him the axe shortly thereafter...
But hey, that's ancient history, right? Surely Booker's professionalism has improved since then.
... or not.
Two major Booker T stories over the past seven days: The first comes in the wake of an incident that transpired last week when TNA was touring Europe, where Booker T refused to wrestle in a main event after his tag-team partner and co-champion, Scott Steiner, decided it'd be a wise idea to tear the flag of his host nation into shreds -- which caused a near riot.
Wonder if *THAT* footage will be included in the next Global Impact special, eh?
The second -- and perhaps more damaging -- story emerged during this week's iMPACT! tapings, when it was reported that Booker T flat-out refused to put over Matt Morgan in spite of TNA management's insistence to the contrary. The goal here, of course, was to give Morgan a much-needed win over one of Kurt Angle's Main Event Mafia cohorts in order to help The Blueprint look all the more like a viable threat to The Olympic Gold Medalist as the two square off in their first-ever singles encounter at TNA's answer to WrestleMania, "Bound For Glory" -- which is just a few short weeks away.
MeeThinks?
Booker T is taking advantage of the system, plain and simple. While he certainly had every good reason not to wrestle overseas when fans were hurling crap into the ring, it seems as if the former Legends Champion was pretty much just looking for any excuse *not* to perform in this situation. And once he returned stateside and refused to put over new talent? It becomes strikingly clear that Booker T is throwing just as much crap around a TNA ring (and lockerroom) as the angry fans on the European continent.
For shame.
If you want to leave, fine -- but do business the right way and make other performers look as good as you can on the way out, ya' know? Anything less is simply unprofessional and downright selfish. And as one of the very few remaining performers who was actually signed to a WCW contract when that company folded all those years ago, Booker T more than most people should know that this is simply *not* how a self-respecting professional conducts themselves.
(Funny that Booker's opponent on that final episode of Nitro just so happened to be Scott Steiner, eh?)
CM Punk - Rumors arose this week that recently defeated World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk was reprimanded by the WWE brass after failing to set a good example in compliance with the WWE dress code. According to some web reports, CM Punk was approached by The Undertaker and encouraged to spruce up his out-of-ring appearance when traveling with the company in order to "look the part" of a champion. Word has it that Punk deflected the remark, asking "what about Cena?" (who receives regular exemption from the dress code in order to fit his "blue-collar" gimmick) -- and word got back to WWE management that Punker was somehow overestimating his value to the company by putting himself on 'Da Champ's level. This may have contributed to WWE's decision to take the belt off of CM Punk in a show-opening contest at this past Sunday's Hell in a Cell PPV.
Almost immediately after these rumors surfaced, however, Jim Ross was quick to dismiss them on his blog. Presumably, this could indicate that the decision to have Punk/Taker open the show was purely made a) to properly space the three separate Hell in a Cell bouts throughout the show, and b) in deference to The Deadman's lingering health issues (reportedly, The Undertaker had requested to perform earlier in the broadcast so as not to be expected to compete in a longer, main-event setting).
MeeThinks?
Let's ignore the "whining about the dress code gets your title taken away" story for a second (although it is a viciously effective way to show performers who's boss)...
And let's pretend, for a second, that the Punk/Taker conversation actually did take place as described:
Putting yourself in CM Punk's shoes -- it's pretty easy to see why the guy said what he said. Here you are, a "punk" of a champion whose entire gimmick is based on the "defy conformity and live by your own rules" code of behavior. Sure, it's gotten you some grief in the past (Tony Atlas hates your wrist tape, Triple H jokes at press conferences that you never wash your baseball cap) -- but by and large, you're riding high as the biggest heel on the roster, right now... and so it seems as if "the gimmick" has finally paid off.
Suddenly, you're approached by a coworker who gets to dress like an undead zombie / badass biker in order to "fit the gimmick" whenever he damned well pleases, and he's coming to you saying that you need to clean up your appearance despite the fact that the whole "punk" persona is just as much a part of your schtick as the deadman thing is to his. Sure, y'all aren't "dressed to code" -- but it's clearly for the good of the business, right?
Now you're no dummy, and the guy is a veritable legend. Plus he's been around FOREVER, and you know damned well that it's silly to point out the hypocrisy of a guy who's personally EXEMPT from the dress code telling you how to conform. So instead of calling HIM out, you immediately bring up the next obvious exemption to the rule -- a fellow "young buck" champion who's gotten over in spite of an unconventional style of dress and who likewise gets to present himself in a "unique" fashion outside of the ring in order to help sell *his* gimmick.
Looking for a case in point?
Who better than Kanyon Cena?
Bottom line:
WWE is ever vigilant to improve their public image, and as they voyage from town to town across the globe, the company really doesn't want their traveling band of sideshow freaks to look like, well, a traveling band of sideshow freaks. But there are clearly exeptions to the rule. While you can definitely see the need for a dress code, you can't help but wonder just *what* (or WHO), exactly, one has to do in order to earn such a reprieve -- especially if it might be in the best interest of their onscreen gimmick.
Again, I'm still not sold on this whole "whine and they take away your title" angle -- but one can certainly understand why a performer at Punk's level (and with Punk's gimmick) would feel perfectly well within his rights to ask precisely such a question.
Lacey Von Erich - TNA's newest knockout didn't waste much time making an impact both on and off the screen. This week, the third-generation performer spoke candidly about her recently released Beautiful People predecessor, Angelina Love, and basically sounded off on the backstage gossip that the former TNA Knockouts Champion wasn't exactly well-liked among her peers.
Several days later, TNA management forced Lacey to retract her comments and issue an apology to Angelina Love -- presumably in an attempt to save whatever hope there might be of courting her to return to the promotion once her work visa issues are sorted out. The latest spin on this story is that Von Erich may have intended her comments to be received in an "in character" fashion, so as to establish the mean and vindictive diva-like behavior of the newly refounded Beautiful People stable.
Of course, the story doesn't end there (why would it?) --
Lacey's "diva" antics have drawn more than a handful of detractors from out of the woodwork of professional wrestling. The first (and most vocal) of which just so happens to be none other than "The Original Diva" herself, Miss. Tammy Sytch (a.k.a. "Sunny" of WWF fame). On her Facebook account this week, Sunny sounded off against the youngest Von Erich, saying that the girl hadn't accomplished anything in the professional wrestling business, and was only involved in the industry because she was a one-dimensional piece of eye-candy with a famous name and no other real, discernable talent whatsoever.
Yeow.
After a string of increasingly nasty and personal attacks, Sunny closed her tirade with this particularly pointed little gem:
"Yeah, she'll overdose or shoot herself before you know it."
(This, of course, is in reference to the many deaths that have plagued the Von Erich family -- including the suicide of Lacey's father, Kerry Von Eric).
Talk about classy.
Thing of it is? Right up until the ad-hominem nonsense, one might even find it hard to side AGAINST Sunny in her ongoing war-of-words with the newest Knockout on the TNA roster. After all, Lacey *is* a looker, but she can't seem to hold down an actual "wrestling" job for any real amount of time. Similarly, TNA management will be scaling back The Beautiful People's in-ring time, and Lacey probably should have kept her mouth shut (or at least, unquestionably "in character") before throwing a fellow performer under the bus with a public interview simply for the purpose of putting herself over.
But then came the mudslinging... and with that, "Sunny" proved that she's really no more than an embittered and desperate old-timer who will do whatever it takes to keep her name alive in the relevant circles of professional wrestling discussion.
Paul Roma: Hey Tam! I got two ringside seats *AND* $500 bucks to sit ringside at the next RAW taping! Call me!!!
So four 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. Sure, things can change as the season wears on. But basically, I tried to size up the relative appeal of each Monday Night Football offering and anticipate what sort of effect it might have on WWE's audience as a result.
I've found that this helps us set reasonable, positive expectations for each new week's broadcast. And for four weeks running, the predictions have been dead-on. It gives wrestling fans a good idea of what they're up against (based on the strength of the competition), 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 4 (Oct. 5): Green Bay at Minnesota | 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 an entire nation to stick around for a full three hours? Not likely, and WWE's numbers will probably rebound throughout the show as a result.
ACTUAL RESULT:
WWE Monday Night Raw scored a 3.3 rating -- up from last week's broadcast, which scored a 3.1. Raw's main competition, Monday Night Football, scored a massive 15.3 rating -- the largest EVER in cable television history -- and an obvious increase from the previous week's broadcast of 11.8.
BOTTOM LINE:
The Pack and the Vikes did indeed draw huge numbers (though I'd suspect that figure would have been even LARGER if the game had occured on a Monday night in Green Bay), but the "WWE Universe" was there in full force to support Monday Night RAW in spite of the biggest competition that cable television has ever seen.
This is GREAT news for WWE, as it means their audience is still very much willing to tune in for a Monday night broadcast no matter *WHAT* else is on television. Moreover, it should go a long way in keeping WWE (and USA Network) happy moving forward, as it is proof positive that their "little broadcast that could" can most definitely hold its own even when the competition's ratings are through the roof.
Again, I'll reiterate -- even the most reasonable of expectations were exceeded, and positivity pays.
THIS WEEK'S PREDICTION: (Cut-and-pasted from my September 11 column)
WEEK 5 (Oct. 12): New York Jets at Miami | An AFC East division rivalry should be plenty of invitation for fans to keep a close eye on this week's MNF broadcast. Whether or not this week's RAW rating will increase, however, has a lot more to do with the previous week's rating than anything else. Expect a better RAW rating than the 9 o'clock quarter hour from Oct. 5 -- but all bets are off on how strongly the overall score can rebound from the 11 p.m. Nielsen from one week prior.
John Cena and Randy Orton Compete for Bragging Rights Iron Man Match to "End" Their Storied Feud
After upwards of two dozen televised matches with one another (ranging from singles to tag to PPV-headlining and everything in between), WWE has finally made the decision to pull the trigger on the longstanding Randy Orton / John Cena rivalry and give these two superstars one last chance to settle their differences in the squared circle.
The gimmick?
A 60-minute Iron Man Match with no disqualifications.
The stipulation?
Cena wins, and no more rematches. Orton wins, and Cena's gone from RAW.
Immediately, critics flew into a tizzy over the thought of seeing Cena and Orton go at it YET AGAIN, let alone for a full sixty minutes of television time. After all, "no disqualifications" is typically an invitation for "garbage wrestling and run-ins," and neither man's in-ring arsenal is particularly rich enough to last a full hour on its own (though Cena has done some incredible stuff versus Shawn Michaels for nearly an hour, not to mention against Umaga in the no-holds-barred environment).
But then again --
History tells us that the greatest of Iron Man matches need not necessarily be contested between two certifiable ring generals. In fact, one of the most critically acclaimed Iron Man matches of all time took place some nine years ago between two guys who were still coming into their own as singles performers yet had all but exhausted literally "every other type of match imaginable" between them.
Arguably, one of the best Iron Man matches in PPV history (I've always been partial to Brock/Angle -- but that was on free TV).
Will Cena/Orton be Rocky/Hunter redux? Highly unlikely. But The Doctor of Thuganomics has proven more than capable of going a long-ass time in the ring under the right gimmick. And Orton's well-documented arsenal of "outside interference" and "shortcuts" could really thrive under the anything-goes environment... so it might not turn out nearly as badly as one would otherwise expect.
And REGARDLESS of how it ends up --
WWE is basically assuring us that we won't be seeing these two performers go at it again any time in the near future, which is pretty much a "win" for anyone who's a fan of new feuds for all parties involved.
"Bragging Rights" Show Stipulation Announced Winners of RAW matches will face winners of Smackdown! Matches in a Show-Closing Brawl
This week, WWE unvieled the stipulation (and the logo!) for their newest PPV -- October's "Bragging Rights." Take a look:
Half-Smackdown and half-RAW typeface? Excuse Mee while I geek out, for a second.
The stipulation, of course, is that the show will feature a series of matches like any other WWE card. But the winners of each match will be thrown onto a team with the winners of other matches from their respective "brand," and the Smackdown! squad will square off against the RAW roster's winners for a "Bragging Rights" Battle of Brand Supremacy to close out the broadcast.
MeeThinks?
There are three major points worth discussing here, each of which have positive and negative elements accordingly.
Point 1: WHAT ABOUT ECW!?!
This is probably the most frustrating strike against the show of all, as it effectively cements the seldom-mentioned (well, "seldom-mentioned" onscreen, at least) notion that ECW really is little more than WWE's "third brand" -- effectively "a developmental program with a television deal." Sure ECW is young and their roster is small, but would it really kill WWE to throw them a bone by allowing at least one or two matches from "The Land of Extreme" to compete in this battle of the brands?
In truth, ECW's roster simply isn't marketable enough on their own merits in order to warrant inclusion in a "battle of THE BEST" that WWE has to offer. Sure, Christian *might* hold his own against the likes of CM Punk or Randy Orton -- but would anyone *really* buy it if Zack Ryder or Sheamus were representing the third brand of WWE in his place?
(Though it would make for one HELL of a push if -- from out of nowhere -- the lone representative of the "underdog" ECW roster managed to score a pinfall in a show-ending match between the top stars of each brand. Just imagine the crowd response if a guy like Yoshi Tatsu managed to "shock the world" with a win).
At the end of the day --
ECW's roster is simply too filled with younger stars who are nowhere near the "main-event" level of competition. As tremendous a boost as a fluke victory over BOTH other shows would be for the brand, the performer would immediately be expected to carry the workload and the responsibilities associated with being a certifiable company "poster boy" -- and there really just isn't anyone on the ECW roster who's currently at that stage in his career.
Point 2: I'm digging the show-closing "team battle" -- but why so close to Survivor Series?!
The second point critics have made in regards to Bragging Rights is that a show-closing "team" match between the winners from each show is all well and good (heck, it's even kinda' clever). But doesn't this sort of undermine the uniqueness of the "team"-style competition traditionally associated with Survivor Series?
Yes and no.
"Yes" in the sense that Survivor Series has, on occasion, thrown together mismatched teams of superstars and played off of the in-fighting and tension that inevitably arises when unlikely partners are forced to compete as friends. Double "yes" because -- at least once, in 1990 -- the Survivor Series featured a show-closing "team" match pitting the winners from each of the previous contests in one big showdown to determine the "Grand Finale Match of Survival" winner of the night.
"No" because this "winners advance to a show-closing team match" gimmick hasn't really been used in nearly 20 years. And double "no" because when the WWF last used this stipulation, "survivors" from each of the earlier matches were lumped into a show-closing bout where they were divided along "heel versus face" alignments -- which is actually a pretty arbitrary and outdated concept, when you think about it.
In 1990, you didn't "fight for your brand" -- you "fought for good" (or "fought for evil"). More basic? Definitely. But then again, *those* alignments were hardly set in stone either -- as performers have always swapped from fan favorite to rule-breaker and back again.
In 2009, stars aren't fighting for good or evil -- they're largely fighting for themselves. John Morrison, Chris Jericho, CM Punk and countless others: sure, they may be drawing cheers or boos at any given time, but they've long made it clear that they're really just in it to prove that they're the very best in the business.
And -- aside from, say, winning the Royal Rumble -- what better way is there for a young star to prove that he's "the best in the business" than by scoring the pinfall that wins his show "Bragging Rights" as the very best that WWE has to offer?
Let's face it --
If WWE is dead-set on keeping the "Royal Rumble Winner gets a guaranteed title shot" stipulation (because it's awesome), the eligible field of "guys likely to win the Rumble" will forever remain substantially smaller than the 30 bodies who just so happen to clog the ring at any time. But if the Bragging Rights PPV ends in a roster-versus-roster war of the winners where all it takes is ONE pinfall to decide which show is supreme, then (in theory, at least) ANY performer involved in the match could pick up the victory and catapult himself to the very forefront of his brand's superstar radar.
Forget allowing Cena, The Undertaker, or dX to pick up the win -- have the show end with a surprise victory by some young midcarder-on-the-rise like John Morrison or Ted DiBiase.
Suddenly, you've got a built-in storyline for a brand-new main-eventer.
Point 3: With All the Trades and Transactions, "Brand Supremacy" Means Nothing
This is an interesting point, as fans of "real sports" have to deal with the strange reality of player trades and transactions every single day. Heck, most of the drama in legitimate sports stems from precisely such roster-reshufflings.
Just ask Minnesota fans about Brett Favre.
Or the "Red Sox Nation" for their thoughts on Johnny Damon.
Or those J-E-T-S about that no good turncoat Bill Belichick.
Heck, this weekend the New England Patriots travel to Mile High Stadium to take on the unbeaten Denver Broncos. After crushing the unbeaten dreams of the Atlanta Falcons in week three and the Baltimore Ravens this past Sunday, New England is on a roll, and Broncos fans have rallied around "their boys" in hopes to fend off another dream-crushing letdown.
But guess what?
"Their boys" just so happen to be coached by none other than Josh McDaniels -- the very same offensive coordinator who spent the past eight years working IN NEW ENGLAND for the Patriots before accepting the head coach's position in Denver, and is widely credited with making Tom Brady into the quarterback that he is today.
"Brand supremacy means nothing?" Try telling that to Broncos fans.
McDaniels has joined their ranks, and they've immediately forgotten about his years of loyalty to a rival ball club. As a professional, he's competing exclusively to win -- and each new victory he racks up makes his current employer look all the more impressive and dominant along the way. In fact, even though he's "new" to this club, most would argue that a well-earned victory over his former team would be all the more sweet.
I have no idea why it took Mee this long to stumble upon this particular ad (which has apparently been out since late August in some markets), but I came across a Skittles poster in the mall this week that really got my 'rasslin fan blood boiling.
Take a look --
Hmm... that looks a whole lot more like a Torture Rack than a suplex to Mee. But let's give 'em the benefit of the doubt and assume that its just some exotic, twisting and suspended variant of a T-Bone suplex, eh?
Not so much. The video is even worse!
Fifty billion points if you can correctly identify the wrestler in this ad, by the way.
And With That, I'm Outta' Here
That'll do it for this week's column. Big weekend for yours truly, as I'm heading up to visit the fam for a wedding, a kayak trip, and a well-earned Monday off from work. 'Till next time, enjoy the extended vacation, get ready to hear a brand new bunch of no-longer-unbeaten fanboys from Mile High Stadium, and always stay positive.
Word has it that Booker feels the same way Christian did towards the end of his TNA run. I assume everybody feels that way in TNA (miserable), but some don't have any other option.
Posted By: JUSTINW (Guest) on October 08, 2009 at 11:07 PM
Rosa isn't the greatest wrestler ever.. BUT what did you want her to do? Just stand there and make Mickie look stupid like Gail did when MICKIE missed the kick?
Geezz.. Why does Mickie get a free passe for being so damn terrible lately but everyone else around gets condemned. There's no way Mickie is as good as her fans want her to be. She hasn't been in good matches since Trish left.
Posted By: Eboney (Guest) on October 08, 2009 at 11:48 PM
i thought the tell of the week was john cena. orton punted him in the head during their HIAC match. after the match, cena gets up and walks around the ring disappointed for his title loss. previous punted victims laid motionless for minutes or were groggy and needed aid from the refs and med crew.
Posted By: rey (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 12:21 AM
Now you're no dummy, and the guy is a veritable legend. Plus he's been around FOREVER, and you know damned well that it's silly to point out the hypocrisy of a guy who's personally EXEMPT from the dress code telling you how to conform. So instead of calling HIM out, you immediately bring up the next obvious exemption to the rule -- a fellow "young buck" champion who's gotten over in spite of an unconventional style of dress and who likewise gets to present himself in a "unique" fashion outside of the ring in order to help sell *his* gimmick.
--------------------------------------
Not to defend Cena too much but you realize you're talking about a guy who's been a WWE Superstar for 6 years, is the single most over guy they've currently got by far and bitches so little that after he had neck surgery instead of taking even a day off he actually showed up backstage the same day to up moral. No, IGW Punk is not at Cena's level. (Knowing Cena's reputation of being that good of a company guy he probably didn't ask for permission to dress like that, management probably told him they wanted him to dress like that and he was happy to take up the offer.)
Posted By: Dave (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 12:34 AM
The Skittles wrestler looks a little like DeMott.
Posted By: Vito J (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 12:37 AM
Is it Tony Anthony aka TL Hopper aka Dirty White Boy?
Posted By: ASK HIM! (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 12:43 AM
Booker has probably realized that his time in TNA is up, theres a line of young guys waiting to take his spot and he's probably wondering if that bridge to WWE completely burned when he stormed out of there
Posted By: Gorsty (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 12:49 AM
Geezz.. Why does Mickie get a free passe for being so damn terrible lately but everyone else around gets condemned. There's no way Mickie is as good as her fans want her to be. She hasn't been in good matches since Trish left.
Posted By: Eboney (Guest) on October 08, 2009 at 11:48 PM
Because she got to work with Trish and Lita in her first year, alot of people feel like she was "passed the torch" to carry the divas. Honestly, she was pushed so hard her first year, I figured that was the case as well. I never liked her, but it seemed pretty obvious that WWE saw something there.
Then Trish retired, and the division basically died. It was at this point that I got really sick of Mickie, very quickly. Many people still acted like she was some gift to women's wrestling, but all I saw was an overrated wrestler with overrated looks(she isn't pretty), who really sucked as a performer when she couldn't play crazy. And she's just gotten worse since then.
Her fans still like to pretend she's good in the ring, and all her bad matches are blamed on the other divas, no matter how many moves Mickie botches herself. They still act like she's beautiful, when Miz really hit the nail on the head by calling her a future Waffle House waitress(in other words, skank). And they still act like she has to be pushed because she's "over", when her pop is basically half a second long, and then total silence for her matches.
The worst thing about her? Bad attitude. She looks annoyed every time one of the divas screw something up, when the fact is the only moves she doesn't botch are the same three or four she uses in every damn match. And when she isn't being pushed she acts even more like a bitch. I'm waiting for the day WWE finally wakes up and realises that she outlived her usefulness when she wasn't psycho anymore. Let her go join her fellow "dirty girl", or whatever the hell they were called, Candice Michelle, in obscurity.
Posted By: Guest#0496 (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 01:16 AM
The worst thing about the Booker debacle is how much he bitched about the "old guys holding them down" in WCW. Now he chooses to do the same in TNA.
What an asshole. I lost all respect I used to have for the guy.
Posted By: Jimbob Jones (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 01:22 AM
Not sure who that is but the you tube search for wrestlers in commercials is pure gold...Dusty Rhodes in a mellow Yellow commercial, Hulk Hogan in a deodorant commercial...priceless.
Posted By: CarnivoreJ (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 01:41 AM
"If you want to leave, fine -- but do business the right way and make other performers look as good as you can on the way out, ya' know?"
Maybe someone should have told Bret Hart!
Posted By: rorster1986 (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 03:33 AM
mickie has a phat ass. she is cute but cant wrestle worth a damn. the wwe felt threatened by the awesomeness that once was the knockout division. they tried to upgrade and still cant hack it with models with zero wrestling ability or knowledge.
as for punk, his wardrobe wont be an issue as he becomes more established as a top star. taker and cena are not the only exceptions to the dress code. there were or are, jeff hardy, goldust, and rey mysterio.
Posted By: jd (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 03:34 AM
Booker can piss off, but STEINER DON'T GO! The world needs you! Who will fill the awesomeness void that will be created by a Steiner departure? Nobody, that's who.
Posted By: poffo316 (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 04:00 AM
Torture rack?
That's a camel clutch, mate...
Posted By: Groinman (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 04:36 AM
I would point other that neither Cena nor Taker are completely exempt from the dress code. In fact it's been quite amusing seing them in their suits since they don't match their gimmicks (plus Taker is so damn big).
Regardless of that though, I'm taking the whole Punk dress code story with a hefty pinch of salt. I find the alternate rumour, that Taker didn't feel he could go twenty in a main event but WWE wanted to still switch the title anyway, more plausible. Questionable, but more plausible.
Posted By: Ryushinku (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 04:40 AM
Holy shit Hogan was in a lot of ads during his super-run in the 80's.
Even Mankind got to do a pasta commercial! How awesome is that!?
Posted By: Gentleman (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 04:54 AM
Great call on the Bragging Rights flaws! Just feels like the E came into this particular PPV concept pretty unprepared this year.
You're especially right about the "bragging rights" meaning nothing. Why not give the winner of the final tag team match first dibs on anyone from the losing team's roster? THAT would raise the stakes a bit, change the roster landscape, and give the creative team a decent reason to move a guy around.
The best way to get ECW involved would be to have nine cross-brand matches (two RAW v. SD!, two RAW v. ECW, and two SD! v. ECW), and the brand with the best record gets a superstar from one of the losing brands. End the night with the champs of each brand squaring off in a triple-threat match, which could act as a tie-breaker if it comes to that. THAT would be unique and fun.
Maybe next year.
Posted By: Sam! (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 04:57 AM
'Taker isn't really exempt from the policy. If you look at any pictures of him coming or going from an arena in the last 3-4 years he is always dressed well.
Posted By: Matt (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 05:33 AM
i can't really imagine punk in a suit. i dont really feel like the dress code thing is all that accurate. idk.
Posted By: Guest#2175 (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 06:03 AM
Ya know, I can see why Sting didn't wanna leave TNA before the younger guys respected him like Sting respected guys like Flair when he was younger. So it's not like Sting was holding the youngsters back, he just didn't want the respect of the sport to disappear when his generation or wrestlers left. So basically, Booker's just being a b*tch.
And on a separate note -- am I the only one that noticed Mickie is seriously dropping her game? Not just in the ring, but her body, too. She looks outta shape. Girl used to rock a six pack (unless WWE web peeps did an AWESOME job airbrushing), but now she has a mini-gut. But I don't blame just Mickie...the entire Divas division is horrible with the exception of a few ladies, who are decent but still not as good as the TNA ladies.
Posted By: Jadd (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 07:42 AM
When it comes to the "Why now?" question when it comes to WWE Bragging Rights, as I remember it, the past few years there has been some sort of Smackdown/Raw cross brand battle for supremecy. And that particular thing always happened right around the time the Smackdown vs. Raw videogame for the year came out. Bragging Rights happens the weekend after Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 releases. Coincidence? or some attempt and product synergy? I wouldn't be surprised if we have Lawler in the coming weeks giving a back-from-commercial promo like "WWE Bragging Rights, brought to you by WWE Smackdown vs. Raw 2010 the video game."
Posted By: krabstarr (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 08:49 AM
Maybe PM Chunk finally knows his place after the Undertaker put him in it. I equate PM Chunk with Sheamus,Drew McIntyre and Festus not John Cena,Undertaker and important wrestlers.
I kind of disagree about Bookahs attitude being the worst in TNAs locker room. What aboot Chris Sabin,Alex Shelley and Homicide who all sound like veritable morons.
Posted By: Propagandhi (Registered) on October 09, 2009 at 09:30 AM
Hmm... that looks a whole lot more like a Torture Rack than a suplex to Mee.
No. Thats not a suplex or a torture rack. Depending on where the bags' head is at, its either some sort of camel clutch or boston crab. Dumb Ass.
Posted By: L. Luger (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 09:46 AM
Christian-Professional
Booker T- Bitter Old douche
The funny thing is Booker was once in much the same position that Morgan is now. I don't really see anywhere he'd fit in with the WWE either so he might be better off improving his attitude if he wants to stay in the spotlight for a few more years.
Posted By: Jake Fury (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 09:50 AM
I doubt WWE would do it, but i have a great idea for how to include ECW into the bragging rights ppv. Five days before the Bragging Rights ppv, ECW kicks off with Christian coming to the ring with a very serious look on his face on a microphone. Christian wants to apologize for holding up the show but he has something on his chest that he needs to get off. Christian then "shoots" on how ECW always seems to gets the shaft. He "shoots" on how ECW has some of the best young talent on the WWE roster bar none. He "shoots" on how the original ECW stood for a revolution and when push came to shove they fought for respect. So he asks whoever's in charge to stray from the format tonight we're gonna have a "ppv of our own." He says he's willing to put the title on the line.
They would also have to book a multiman match and a singles match. The winners of this match will "interrupt" the ppv right b4 the SmackDown vs Raw match starts and issue the challenge to have a tri branded tag match.
Posted By: bighustle (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 10:32 AM
I saw Punk in a suit during his last days with Ring of Honor. Pretty swank, really.
Posted By: JB Heins (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 10:51 AM
If this was Roode, Storm, Morgan, Homicide, Joe, Abyss, or Styles wanting out, I would say TNA would be shaking in their knees and the WWE would be salivating. However, this is Booker T, if Vince brings Booker back he is the biggest fool in the wrestling universe, Booker was a complete joke in the WWE, and proved he couldn't hang with the big dogs. In TNA he went from a joke to a waste of space. The WWE and TNA are secretly high fiving each other!!!
Posted By: CanYouDigIt (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 12:07 PM
The E would be crazy to not take back Booker T or Scott stiener, they would add a few things to the w.w.es' roster. For one thing something all wrestling promotions need Big names. With the e suffering in that department they would take back all of the main event mafia and be happy to do it.
Posted By: old school fan (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 12:08 PM
wait...Gail Kim has implants?? did she get those after those nude pics came out? or is she one of the few that got 'normal' sized implants insted of going for D's
Posted By: Huh? (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 12:24 PM
"Many people still acted like she was some gift to women's wrestling, but all I saw was an overrated wrestler with overrated looks(she isn't pretty), who really sucked as a performer when she couldn't play crazy."
You forgot the part where you tell everyone, "I've banged girls way hotter than Mickie James. Tons of them. She'd have to pay me just to consider throwing her one."
Posted By: IWC=Douches (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 01:56 PM
I'm going to chalk the Punk/Taker story up to inflated rumor because it's the only way I'll be able to bring myself to continuing to view Smackdown otherwise. If it is true, WWE is punishing the fans as well as Punk for a petty incident that at most meritted a brief talk with management.
Though, just to add to Punk's case if it were to be true, we don't even know what he was wearing. Maybe he was wearing what he considered to be nice clothes and was insulted by Taker demanding nicer. And Punk asking "What about Cena?" doesn't really equate him thinking he's a bigger star than Cena. It's a completely logical rebuttal to Undertaker's insistence that the champ specifically needs to dress to represent if the other champ isn't doing so. Maybe Cena had just walked by and Punk took note of his attire.
Is that Dirty White Boy, TL Hopper, Tony Anthony, Cousin Cletus?
Posted By: Rings of Lars (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 02:10 PM
ECW should definitely interfere with the final match at the PPV.
Posted By: Guest#6338 (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 02:42 PM
is teh skittles wrestler Evad Sullivan?
Posted By: hulk (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 05:45 PM
You forgot the part where you tell everyone, "I've banged girls way hotter than Mickie James. Tons of them. She'd have to pay me just to consider throwing her one."
Posted By: IWC=Douches (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 01:56 PM
I see your point. But the fact is she IS nothing special. You walk around any shopping mall in the country, and you will find many women prettier than Mickie. You ever really look at Mickie's face? Very rough. The pictures of her from her indy days are very telling. She was hideous back then, total trailer park trash. The only thing that has changed is she has better makeup artists now. When she's gone from WWE, try and track down some pictures of what she looks like then and see if you still find her hot.
Posted By: Guest#0498 (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 10:22 PM
Mickie James may or may not be ugly. In other news, she may or may not be fat.
Posted By: Rajah (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 10:23 PM
Love me some Mick azz
Posted By: ICON (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 10:36 PM
Tna diserves it. half their roster is former wwe talent. wwe is just returning the favor
Posted By: Seth (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 11:38 PM
You forgot the part where you tell everyone, "I've banged girls way hotter than Mickie James. Tons of them. She'd have to pay me just to consider throwing her one."
Posted By: IWC=Douches (Guest) on October 09, 2009 at 01:56 PM
Through the magic of the internet, you can find yourself the naked spreads she's done. Keep in mind that these are airbrushed and dolled up to make her look even better.
I'm pretty sure anyone who played a little ball in high school or college has done better than that. She's a horse-faced, overweight skank with blown out beef curtains. As another poster said, if you passed her in the mall, you wouldn't freak out or anything, because you'd already seen 10-15 prettier girls pass by you that day.
Why people want to pretend that she's some kind of gorgeous beauty is beyond me. Maybe Bill Simmons should add "wrestler hot" to his next column.
Posted By: Jacob (Guest) on October 10, 2009 at 03:01 PM
Any of you who think Mickie James is "ugly" or "fat" would rather have sex with KIP James. But that's okay. It's a new millenium. Come out of the closet and EMBRACE your obvious homosexuality.
Surely you aren't hate-monger homophobes PRETENDING to be gay. That would be wrong.
Posted By: Funky Freddy Feelgood (Guest) on October 11, 2009 at 02:17 AM
Nothing is wrong w/ tryin 2 stick up for yourself & I agree that Punk had a point. Also, Steiner is injury prone but WWE would benefit from Booker T. A veteran entertainer 2 put younger guys over (think Morrison, Ziggler, etc)
Posted By: hulkamania (Guest) on October 11, 2009 at 07:18 AM
