Five-Star Conversation 12.08.09: RoH's Last Cornette-less Week, The Sad Passing of Umaga & Commentpalooza!

Posted by Geoff Eubanks on 12.08.2009

I decided to watch last week's RoH on HDNet. We look at Umaga's untimely death, as always, answer comments.

We're getting in the Christmas spirit at Five-Star Conversation!



DID YOU KNOW? Jim Ross ain't messing around with his barbecue. Now I know, listening to a California native extol the virtues of superior barbecue sauce is somewhat akin to sitting through a Scandinavian seminar on citrus fruit, and I'm sure those of you In Texas, Kansas and The Carolinas all bleed better barbecue than any Sooner could concoct, but in my discerning pallet's opinion, it's a harmonious blend of everything a barbecue sauce should be: sweet, smoky, tangy and spicy. No one characteristic dominates, nothing is lost, they all just roll over one another to create a surprisingly mellow, yet…dare I say…bold flavor.



I made a hell of a barbecue chicken pizza last week and an awesome barbecue chicken sammich today for lunch. The chipotle ketchup is damn good, too! Give ol' JR a shot. Shipping is free and my order came with an autographed 8x10.

Now cough up my check, Ross!

JIM CORNETTE MAKES A PROMISE TO WRESTLING FANS
I had meant to clarify something here when I saw Steve Cook graciously link his column to mine last week, about how he thought I was confused as to the role Jim Cornette would be playing now that he's returned to Ring of Honor based upon comments I'd made about the situation.

No, Cook, good sir, I'm not laboring under the misapprehension that Cornette is going the full power trip that Hogan is going in TNA, as far as coming in and overhauling the system and running the show. I know his authority role will be relegated solely to kayfabe; however, being the one veteran voice in the franchise and considering the fact that he's one of the greatest living wrestling minds still having oxygen pumped into it, it stands to reason that he'll be working with these youngsters to teach them the ins and outs of the business and performing in it, just what Hogan said he was going to be doing in TNA when his involvement was announced, before he started altering his story to suggest that he plans on "bringing in his boys and turning the wrestling world on its ear, just like [he] did back in WCW" (did anyone else notice how he did that?). Whereas Hogan will start defensively, assuaging doubts and fears with talk of utilitarianism before he mutates it into unilateralism. (And still champion of the run-on sentence…)

I touched on this last week and I'll echo it today because I still believe it will be true, although I've seen various RoH matches and DVDs in the past and enjoyed the ringwork tremendously, there just was a spark missing that failed to really pull me in and that missing factor was the absence of characters and ill-defined stories from my view. Now I'm not talking WWF-style cartoon gimmicks like The fucking Repo-Man or Giant Gonzales, but I want to know what these guys are all about, what motivates them, where is there head at, where do they come from, where are they going and who's stopping them and why? I've said this for years here at 411, all I ask from a wrestling product is simple, consistent storytelling among diverse, committed and athletic performers. As it stands right now, RoH is likely to be the closest thing we're going to get in today's marketplace for that, and Cornette's presence and renewed vigor to leave a lasting legacy on the industry can only help.

Oh, yes, Cornette has a fire lit under his ass:

A CONTRACT WITH THE WRESTLING FANS
You can call this an open letter. You can call it an early New Years' Resolution, an apology for abandoning my principles, or you can call it, as I am, a contract with the pro wrestling fans.

Over the past few years I have attended numerous fanfests and wrestling events, and spoken to hundreds, if not thousands, of true wrestling fans. In the nine months my website, jimcornette.com, has been up and running, I have received literally thousands of emails from fans around the world. The overwhelming majority has said the same thing in a variety of ways – they want their pro wrestling back. They are sick of the sports entertainment. They are tired of the sport they love being treated as a Saturday Night Live sketch. They are embarrassed to admit to their friends or family that they watch wrestling nowadays, or worse yet, they have quit watching wrestling altogether. They are confused and frustrated by the way bright young wrestling stars are passed over by the big leagues in favor of bodybuilders, bikini models and quasi-celebrities or given silly, kiss-of-death gimmicks guaranteed to fail, bestowed upon them by comedy writers who have never bought one ticket to see a wrestling match. They are disgusted by the same writers who have made the matches a meaningless backdrop for silly soap opera scripted by people who, as Bill Watts used to say, if you were to be caught in an athlete's locker room would be whistling "Stranger in Paradise". They are fed up with the pervasive nepotism and the arrogance of Vince McMahon thinking he invented and/or owns the entire sport. Most of all, they are confounded by seeing an answer to the biggest question of all, generally phrased as "Why in the flying fuck does Vince Russo have a job?"

It's no secret that I feel the same way, that I despise "sports entertainment" and what it has done to our sport, and have long predicted the decline and ultimate demise of our industry because of it. A point that we are closer to in 2010 than ever before.

It's also no secret that for the past three years I abandoned my principles, and not only worked for a company that's moved even farther towards "sports entertainment", but went against every bit of my better judgment and coexisted with the man who has done more damage to our business than anyone else in its history, the man who Bret Hat has said should be "taken out in the parking lot and hanged', the man who Jerry Jarrett has said "writes TV like a man on LSD", Vince Russo.

I am ashamed by this. Sure, there were mitigating circumstances, which I will list here, then summarily dismiss and never mention again – I went to work with TNA because it was the company best poised to prevent the WWE from having a monopoly on our industry – when Russo was hired, I tried to resign but was talked out of it because of my loyalty to the Jarrett family for giving me my start, and my friendship with and respect for Dutch Mantell, one of the true great minds in our business – My wishful thinking that sooner than later Dixie Carter would have a moment of clarity and fire the man responsible for more bad gimmicks, rotten television, ruined careers, unsold tickets, illogical booking and irreparable, lost potential than any 5 other bookers in history – my desire to help the great TNA talent roster and fine TV production crew overcome the Russo handicap and succeed in spite of him – and not least the fairly good-sized check I was receiving for one of the lighter schedules I have ever worked.

But none of this holds water if I was truly committed to helping produce a good product, to making wrestling better for the fans of today and the wrestlers of tomorrow. None of this matters if I had to embarrass myself by being associated with this nonsense. Even if Dixie Carter is inexperienced in wrestling, she is a grown woman and should be able to spot a moron, especially when she's pouring tens of millions of dollars of her father's money down a well that same moron is digging. After 30 years, I am a whole lot closer to the end of my career than the beginning, and while I have nothing left to proves as a performer, I would still rather be remembered after I am gone as someone who helped produce good professional wrestling that was enjoyable for the fans and profitable for the wrestlers and the promotion than remembered as a former star who produced inane corporate "sports entertainment" that limped along to a bitter end, decimated by the UFC and its own inability to police itself from people who have no knowledge of or respect for the profession they were allowed into.

Even though it's true that I never publicly praised any part of TNA's booking or creative direction, dancing around on my interviews, grasping for something positive to say, changing the subject, my very presence in a Vince Russo-booked promotion lent my tacit approval to it. I wasted three years of my life. I worked and sweated over something that ultimately had no chance of success. I abandoned my principles. I took the check. And for that, I hereby apologize to every wrestling fan in the world. I'm sorry. I'm ashamed of myself. Most importantly, I won't do it again. And I ask for forgiveness.

As Mama Cornette used to say, "everything happens for a reason". My total inability to force myself to back Vince Russo's vision of wrestling led to my release from TNA, but it also led to my return to Ring of Honor. I was there 3 years ago, and I made a mistake in leaving. ROH has made great strides since that time. It's a promotion that respects not only the sport but its fans. It's run by good people who care about its employees and product. It has the youngest, most athletic talent roster in the industry. It has the most competitive, serious in-ring product in the country. It has a national TV outlet and a devoted fan base. And if the balance of power in wrestling is to shift, I'd like to make sure I have my thumb on the scale.

So I make this agreement, this contract, with all the wrestling fans who want an alternative, who "want their wrestling back." I don't care if you're a young fan who has never seen serious pro wrestling, or an older fan who has gone away because you gave up hope, ROH is new style with old school philosophy. I am committing myself to ROH, putting my reputation and credibility where my mouth is. I am not a "big name" taking a payoff to endorse something I don't believe in. I will not forsake ROH if or when a better offer comes along to reenter the "sports entertainment" cesspool. I truly believe Ring of Honor IS "the wrestling of the future" – and the future is NOW!

I make this pledge as my end of the contract – in return, I ask all the fans who want an alternative, who want their wrestling back, to support ROH as well. Watch the TV on HDNet – attend live events in your area – check out the DVD's, go to their website, ROHWrestling.com – and most importantly, spread the word to your fellow fans, current AND disenfranchised. Just as ROH is bigger and better than it was three years ago, it's not nearly what it will be in 6 months, or a year, or two years, and you can keep track of, even be responsible for, its progress.

ROH is a company that will listen to, not scoff at, its fans' requests. But it needs your support, because NO promotion can thrive without the fans. Want your wrestling back? We want to give it to you! That's why I make this contract with you. I will not forsake you again. Don't forsake Ring of Honor. If you will us your support, your attention, your dedication, I pledge to you that we will not let you down.

Sincerely,
JIM CORNETTE

I know that was long, but I felt it important that all of that message be printed somewhere on this site and, hopefully, read by as many wrestling fans as possible. I just hope The Louisville Lip can live up to his claims and leave that legacy he wants to and dreams of leaving.

So, taking the advice of a commenter fro last week, Dan, I've checked out the 11.30.09 edition of RoH on HDNet. Really, fans of wrestling, as Cornette said, for those of you who complain week after week, month after month of being tired of the McMahonopoly on the wrestling/sports entertainment industry, for everyone who has joined me over the past few months as I, myself, have discovered some vintage NWA/WCW that I had missed growing up and found I much prefer to The WWF I watched growing up, for those who are tired of TNA's Russoriffice booking, spare yourself an hour a week and check out the product RoH is producing. As Dan suggested, each show is cataloged on YouTube.com on the channel ROHBrazil. I subscribed.

I'm obviously still getting to know the product, its' characters and their stories, but I'll share as much as I can and try not to make a fool of myself and do an injustice to the franchise and its' fans.

The first match surrounds an on-going feud between Chris Hero (about who I've heard a ton of extremely high praise and am pleased to finally see!) and Eddie Kingston (about who I know absolutely nothing). From what I infer, Kingston has kayfabe heat with Hero and wants nothing more than to face him, but Hero, apparently doesn't think Kingston is in his league, and so, therefore, refuses to fight him, which is why we have Claudio Castagnoli coming to the ring instead. Hero's disdain for Kingston, however, doesn't dissuade him from taking a ringside seat to watch the match, presumably to watch the larger, more intimidating Castagnoli tear apart Kingston, although he could also be hanging around to see exactly how Kingston plans on "adding more Hero-like moves to his repertoire" as the commentators are claiming he might.

The match itself, to be honest, on an all-around level, didn't really impress me, mainly because Kingston himself didn't really connect with me (my initial thought was that he came off like a Savio Vega/Tommy Dreamer hybrid). However, this was one match, and it was meant to build a story, not to be a blow-away affair. Also, the booking was fun in Kingston's regard. Pursuant to the "Heroization" of Kingston's moveset, after taking quite a drubbing from Castagnoli, Kingston rebounded, stunning his foe, then pulled a move out of the playbook of another famous Eddie by hopping out of the ring to grab a chair in front of the referee, which caused the official to intervene and remove the chair from the ring, allowing Kingston to dig into his singlet and produce what apparently is a Hero staple, a loaded elbow pad, which Kingston used to waffle Castagnoli for the win, sending Hero into a fit of rage, the apparent end factor being that Kingston will prove Hero not to be a solid wrestler, he's not paying any homage to Hero by imitating him, rather, showing him to be a cheating fraud, such that he gets under Hero's skin to the extent that Hero grants Kingston a match, whereby Kingston will prove his superiority by defeating Hero. That's solid, consistent, clever, simple booking, just the way I like it.

The thing is, the person in this segment who really impressed me was Castagnoli! He's got size, strength, a solid build, a marketable look and a diverse, well-rounded move set. If you've never seen his no-hands airplane spin, you're missing out! Based upon this match, it seems to me that Castagnoli deserves a better place on the card than Hero's substitution, and perhaps he is…but I plan on coming back to see where this guy goes. If this match was any indication of his ability, I'd think if the company is looking to grow and expand, he'd be one of the guys they'd be interested in pushing (although he also looks like a prime candidate to be snagged by WWE…).



A promo piece featuring Kenny King follows. I've seen King before and he's really something. Imagine, and tell me if I'm wrong, RoH fans, if Shelton Benjamin was as self-confident and articulate as he is athletic, that's pretty much how I'd peg King. He's got all the flash of Kofi Kingston in the ring, based on what I've seen, and plays an uber-cocky, self-possessed heel with grace and ease. Here, we see him saying how much he loves wearing gold and how we should get used to seeing him with some. It's unclear to me from this whether or not he's associated with RoH Champion Austin Aries (there's a cut-away of King coming to the ring with Aries, but I don't know if that's old footage - - UPDATE: During the Austin Aries/Colt Cabana main event, it is confirmed that King is, in fact, a protégée of Aries), but he claims to learn a little more about the business each day and that he plans on using that knowledge as a foundation for his already exceptional skill to someday rule the industry.





Next up is a tag team match between The Dark City Fight Club: Jon Davis & Kory Chavis and The Briscoe Brothers: Jay & Mark. I'm familiar already with The Briscoes, as they are, I think, two of the most familiar names from RoH, owing to the facts that, not only are they one of, if not the best tag teams performing today in this hemisphere, they've been with RoH since its' inception. DCFC, however, is a new duo looking to make their name in the industry, and tonight, at the expense of the brothers.

I really dug this match. Aside from the fact that I love The Briscoes (and hope to GOD they don't go to WWE, where they'll be misused, undervalued, consumed and spat out), it's great to see a new tag team getting a solid foothold in the business who aren't just thrown together singles' performers, who have cohesion, a similar look and style, an actual name the promotion for which they work didn't pick up from the internet it claims to scorn and who have a shot at climbing the ranks because one of the franchise's top teams is willing to "man up" and allow them to look damn good against them. I mean, I know it's a small consideration, but I even dig the fact that DCFC have matching tights (although not identical), because it shows they're a team in there. Details like that used to be "must haves" back in the day; today they're practically a Hidden Highlight.

I'm also stoked on this because I'm getting in pretty much at the beginning of what looks as if it will become a hell of a rugged feud between two heavy-hitting teams. Aside from a flashback to the beginning of the month, with which we are provided at the top of the match, where DCFC interrupted a match between The Briscoes and The Youngbloods, setting up this clash. That means I get to follow this all the way, start to finish and that makes me a happy panda.

DCFC remind me of what a younger, leaner Bad News Brown/Allen (depending upon where and when you knew him) might have faired in today's market had he been cloned into a tag team. DCFC aren't flawless, as we saw them wank a move the announcers attempted to cover up, but they have the possibility of evolving into a real welcome throwback kind of team, ironically, to the classic old WWF days when they really valued tag team wrestling. They don't take any shit, they're tough and rugged as hell and pack a hell of a right hand, each of them. They aren't one-notes, though, as they busted out some impressive tandem maneuvers that brought to mind Demolition and The Hart Foundation, two favorite teams of mine, for sure.

The Briscoes were The Briscoes. Hard assed brawlers with an edge, but who have the ability to come out of nowhere with moves usually relegated to CruiserWeights, and, often, impressive tandem maneuvers of their own, ranging from the graceful to pound-and-ground. Put these two together and you have another old school throwback, the good old fashioned locker room-clearing pull-apart brawl, the referee throwing out the match, although whether due to count-out or disqualification when The Briscoes resorted to using chairs when the action could no longer be contained by the ring, I'm not sure. I would hope for the former, because, if in the previous match, Kingston was disallowed from using a chair, so should The Briscoes…let's keep things copacetic and consistent! These two teams have a lot of mileage on this feud and it's going to get a lot tougher before it's all said and done. If DCFC can talk, they're going places.

We're joined in a backstage promo by none other than the RoH World Champion, Austin Aries following the tag match, who basically takes offense that the interviewer would ask if he was concerned at all that the man he burned in the face with flash paper, Tyler Black, is returning to action next week. Aries says he'll worry about Black next week, because tonight, he's focused on this week's challenge, Colt Cabana…though he's not sweating him at all, citing his own previous RoH WT reign when Cabana challenged him in a cage, where Aries proved he was better then…and he'll prove it's still the case tonight. All that and he works in a nice little plug for the backlog of matches available for viewing at rohwrestling.com, too.

Next up…I'll be damned, another tag match, though this one decidedly less serious and more on the light-hearted side than the last, featuring the team of El Generico & "Mr. Wrestling" Kevin Steen versus The Set, a couple of guys whose names I didn't catch and aren't on the RoH website that I could find, but, as this is pretty much an exhibition match for Generico and Steen, it kinda doesn't matter.



Basically, I suspect this incongruous team of Generico and Steen will be booked to split, as Genrico's fun-loving antics (think Curry Man sans the dance) don't really gel well with Steen's serious, unflappable demeanor, although they certainly do work well together. Again, it appears as if we're getting in something of a ground floor here, as I expect the derision to start blossoming in a couple/few weeks, if, that is, I'm catching the right scent from this match.

I have to admit, the main event non-title match between RoH World Champion Austin Aries and Colt Cabana was somewhat disappointing.





Personally, I really could have done without the first several minutes of the match that were basically devoted to establishing Cabana's silly gimmick, of which, judging from this, I'm about as fond as I am of that horrible singlet. Really, everything about it, the fit (how about considering a square-cut, there, Boom Boom?) to the design mentioned by the commentator…ill-suiting a talent such as his. This match didn't really start to pick up and "get serious" until about the end of the sixth segment of the show (as they are divided here), and even so, there's some impressive work here from both men, but it just never seems to pick up speed and shift into that next gear for me. Maybe it's just me.

However, with all the discussion about how this should be for the RoHWT and how these two have battled for it in the past, it gives a misleading view into the top of the RoH top tier for first time viewers, IMO, especially since this match was intended to serve as a primer for Aries when Tyler Black returns, presumably for vengeance, next week. Obviously, for those of us familiar with both men's work, this match is an asterisk in their overall careers, but here and now, at this time, especially when RoH is looking to rise up and fill the void in today's professional market, especially when the main selling point is the young locker room who leave it all in the ring, shouldn't this have been a relative barn-burner? The ending was booked well, as both men look strong, Aries walking with the dishonest win amidst his lackeys after having tapped to Cabana unbeknownst to the official, but still…

Well, I'll be back next week. I enjoyed this show and am really looking forward to seeing 1) what Cornette will bring to the table in the coming months and 2) where this DCFC/Briscoes feud goes! I hope you'll check it out, too, at RoHBrazil on YouTube.com! (Man, you'd think I'm getting kickbacks for all this free promotion I'm handing out this week!)

EDDIE "UMAGA" FATU PASSES AWAY
As we are all painfully aware, we lost another performer last week, best known for his portrayal of the Umaga character on WWE-TV, also a member of the wrestling Fatu family that also includes Afa & Sika (The WWF's Wild Samoans), Samu, Manu, Rikishi, Rosey, The Tonga Kid and, also departed, Yokozuna. Fatu had earned his spot as one of my favorite performers under the WWE umbrella. I say "earned" because I was completely against a "wild savage" character in the modern day. I was certain it was a gimmick doomed to extinction, owing to its' one-dimensional nature.

However, Fatu played his part with exceptional, savage grace. He couldn't talk (although he did on what I believe was his final appearance on WWE-TV, a decision I, ironically, felt was a mistake!), supposedly not knowing a word of English, but he was one of those rare performers of the modern age who didn't need to cut long-winded promos to involve his audience in his matches. His matches were often focused on his same mode of offense, to the end that they were somewhat formulaic, but, rather than be seen as a shallow performer working the same one note, it was his scary display of power mixed with an uncanny speed and agility for someone of his size that made us cheer all the more for his always-undersized opponent. I'm convinced John Cena and Jeff Hardy owe Fatu a debt of gratitude for having helped them edge up the ladder that one crucial step to superstardom by having managed to defeat him, both seemingly just barely and yet convincingly.

There is no good reason this amazing performer should be gone. In early June, Fatu was released by WWE when he failed a Wellness-related test and, when brought in to discuss it with WWE Management and given the option to remain with the company under the provision that he undergo a period of rehabilitation, he flatly said no and walked away from the company. I recall writing about that, and it was my sincerest hope that too much was being read into his situation, and that his was not a serious condition and that he was more concerned about his placement on the card, opting to walk away from WWE and make a name for himself in a smaller pond with the intention of using that experience and increased name value to command a more fitting place higher on the card at a later date. But that wasn't to be the case.

The story released to the public was that Fatu's wife found him unconscious with blood trickling from his nose. When she was unable to revive him, she called an ambulance to have him taken to the hospital where he was diagnosed as having suffered a heart attack and placed on life support. After another heart attack, the decision was made to take him off of life support and he passed away. He was just 36 years old.
I received this from one of my Facebook friends:

Benjamin Rogerson: Just a thought, scary how a wrestler dies at 36 and the general reaction is 'oh that sucks'. It's way too 'norm'.

That is the sad truth. However, it seems to me these sorts of tragedies are occurring with less and less frequency. Now we've had some beef with WWE's product today, and deservedly so in some cases, but on the plus side of Vince's McMonopoly, is the Wellness Program and the positive effect it appears to be having on this generation's performers. Unless I'm mistaken, the two most recent well-know wrestlers of the current generation have been Andrew "Test" Martin and Fatu, both of whom were busted by Dr. Black and given the option to reform, but decided against it (Martin's deal seems to be a little more vague than that, but he claimed it was a mutual decision and that he had requested the release, so make of that what you will).

The skeptic and the cynic could make the argument that the Wellness Policy is little more than Vince's way of keeping his nose clean and being able to wash his hands of a messy public relations situation when a problem employee turns up dead and there could very well be truth to that assertion. I talk a lot of shit about Vince, but when it comes down to the death of another human being, I don't think even he is that callous. Wrestling is still a fraternity and Vince is the Grand Poohbah of that frat, with the biggest rush week paddle and the in-tact beer pong record. Had these two men been more accepting of the help that was apparently offered to them, they might still be around today.

Now, of course, there's always the chance that I'm jumping to conclusions where Fatu's cause of death is concerned. However, when someone is busted for violating a drug test on some level, would rather walk away from a job millions of others would kill and die to have, is found unconscious with a bloody nose and dies of duel heart attacks at the age of 36, if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's probably cocaine.

Benji was right, it's not right that we've become so used to this sort of thing that we can shrug our shoulders and move on with our lives with such ease when we hear of still another performer passing away due to poor judgment. However, we still have to remember that we can't live the lives of others for them, nor them for us. We have to make the best decisions for ourselves and that is our responsibility to ourselves as well as those involved in our lives. I know I'm flippant about stuff and I've discussed my own sordid past and there are times I've skirted too closely to a dangerous edge myself, but I'm still here. I'm glad you are too. Sorry if this was too soppy or preachy.

COMMENTPALOOZA
I find it quite, no pun intended, awesome that the Miz is starting to win fans over with his catchphrase although he is a heel. Who were the last superstars to be considered big shot heels, that hung around the upper mid-card until their once heel catchphrase elevated them to new levels, sure Mr. Kennedy couldn't stay healthy long enough for anything to come of it, but the last guy I remember who started off as a green as grass, got booed because he seemed to progress too far too fast, was heel until, due to his charisma and started chanting along with his catch phrase, despite insults from him which made them all cheer more. granted the Miz hasn't reached that level but it can't be far, the last guy I recall getting over with the fans on the mic shifting from heel to face, was The Rock. I'm not saying The Miz will be the next Rock, no one will ever be The Rock, but the Miz seems to be following a similar star.
John Bateman

John, I've said this before, but I'm always pleased when the characters with whom I connect manage to connect with others as well, and The Miz is just such a character. As I said last week, I saw that spark in him back before he began tagging with John Morrison back when I was still analyzing The R's and hoped he'd manage to rise in the ranks and continue to improve and he has, although I'd never imagined he'd make it this far! So why stop here? Go, Mike, go!

An important factor upon which you touched was that, yes, the catch phrase was designed to incite audience involvement, the fact is, if they didn't care, they wouldn't bother. Now, even though he's a heel, he's getting fans to chant along with him and there's few things a rising star can ask for more than that. He's got their attention, and they interact because it is their choice to do so. Yes, The Rock, Kennedy and Steve Austin are all shining examples of that quality of magnetism. Two factors will decide how far The Miz can go in this regard: 1) If he can continue to keep that finger on the pulse of the audience and, 2) if WWE lets him.

Well, I have to say that the Sheamus/Cena feud looks a little more interesting after Carlito's promo this week. Not a lot more interesting, but at least they're giving it an interesting spin, trying to blend a bit of the IWC hate and the audience ambivalence about Cena into an ongoing story.

I do think it is weird that the Raw writers decided to hotshot a couple guys to the top at the same time, as if they realized that they were recycling the same people at the top, then panicked about getting others up there. I agree that Sheamus is about to get the Umaga push, though I don't think he'll have a match like the Cena/Umaga I Quit match. As others have said, too green, too uncertain. It's ironic--wasn't he the FCW champ before going to ECW? I guess nothing really gets you ready until you get on the big stage, though.

Carlito's promo was interesting in another way: it showed that someone in the back was listening to what is going on during the show. That seems to be something rarely done in WWEland. If a wrestler doesn't have a direct interest in an ongoing angle, they don't butt in, even when it would make sense for them to. You never see Cena giving advice to a younger guy, or MVP wishing Mark Henry luck before a match or anything that would show that the characters have a life other than what's before the live audience or talking to the boss/guest host. I think they're missing a golden chance for character development, but what can you do? It is what it is.

And isn't it funny that, now that WWE has gone PG, many of the new PPVs have themes that imply weapons use and extreme violence? I guess they're hoping that the kids will just watch the regular shows and the adults who want more action will dish out for the PPVs.
Posted By: Sly Reference

McMahonagement goes through fits and starts caring about what their fans think, or what is their perception of what their fans think. Personally, I don't think Vince would have changed a thing during the Cena/Orton saga even if he were offered the option to taste all 31 flavors of Tiger Woods' sloppy seconds to railroad it midway through. Now though that we've seen that program come to an end, it seems to me McMahonagement decided to give Kingston to Orton and DX to JeriShow and were just like, uhhh…who now…? Although, Sheamus was brought over for a purpose, one would assume, so that statement may be unfair. I'm not going to complain, though, let's give the new blood the trial by fire and hope they come out golden at the end.

The thing that bothers me, though, about Sheamus that I noticed last week on Raw was that he seems to be a series of devastating power moves that don't appear to be sewn together very well. Like, he's got down how to exhibit his capabilities, but doesn't seem to be proficient about how to tell a story other than "I just totally Jamie Noble'd your ass" which is why I'm concerned about his match with Cena…although that could very well be the purpose of having Sheamus work with Cena at such a green stage, to teach him how, which goes back a certain bit to your mention of on-screen mentoring. Not exactly what you'd had in mind, but in the ball park.

BTW, I don't think what we saw Carlito do with his promo was any different than that which we saw Jesse Ventura do the week before. He was being used as a good talker to cut the promo and build heat for Sheamus against Cena that Sheamus can't do himself, just as I said last week, when he had that expression of being completely out of his element in the midst of others who have so much experience on him. Again, not a dig on Sheamus, just a statement of fact as it stands at this point in time. Also, it proves my point of what a valuable asset an articulate manager in Sheamus' corner would be. Instead of Carlito being in the ring talking about Sheamus, a manager could be in the ring talking next to Sheamus.

I've noticed the decided lack of any decrease of violence despite the PG rating on WWE programming myself. But that's America for you. Sex is the true taboo (although the manner in which WWE approaches sex, it's probably a good thing we're seeing less of it anyway), but violence is A-OK! Like Orton tying up and whipping Cena in that I Quit match? Yeah, nothing disturbing about that at all for a six year-old. I guess that's the parents' cue to discuss safe words with the kids. "No, Parker, see, they were just playing a game and when one of them didn't want to play anymore, they just had to say ‘I Quit', the safe word!" Hmm. Maybe there is sex still implicit in WWE programming…

Dude, I *love* the idea of Finlay turning heel and taking Sheamus under his wing, turning his back on Hornswoggle ("the disappointment") in the process. It would give Finlay a long-term role (unless they broke them up after two months, you know, WWE style) and could potentially help "The Celtic Warrior" a great deal in terms of depth.

Also, is it just me or does Sheamus look uncannily like a ginger Test?

Oh, and I never mentioned this to you, but when the Bragging Rights concept first hit WWE programming a couple months back, it got me thinking...

I believe Raw and Smackdown should tour in two respectively exclusive regions of the U.S. Presumably, it would be Raw on the east and Smackdown out west. I think this would create more of a sports-team atmosphere and give fans a reason to care about the shows and their rosters. I mean, who *really* gave a flying frappe about the winners and losers at the Bragging Rights PPV? Mostly it was face/heel match-ups, but beyond that, who cared? The geographical separation would also put a great deal more importance on these PPV clashes between the two rosters, and WAY more importance on the annual draft. It would also implicitly force WWE to put out two individually worthwhile shows, in order to get different geo-demographical groups of asses in the seats.

Whaddaya think?
Posted By: KanyonKreist

You hit the nail on the head with Sheamus (and a lot of WWE talent) by saying how much a manager would help his "over-ness." It would've done wonders on Mini-Raw getting over what they tried (I assume) to do by having Sheamus make Cena wait. Obviously, they didn't feel comfortable letting Sheamus say why he wasn't going to fight Cena, but the right manager would've done wonders for the segment. As it was, I would've rather had Sheamus go down and fight Cena and hold his own until the obligatory pull-apart.

Though he's not ready for it, I'd almost like to see Sheamus get the win. I really want to see both Cena and UT lose their titles, Cena (pre-Rumble) and UT at the Rumble. Let Cena win the Rumble and decide that he doesn't want a shot at the WWE or World Championship. No, he wants a shot at something bigger than that. He wants a shot at the streak.

I'd also like to see Punk attack Mysterio and accuse him of taking pain pills to continue to wrestle while he's injured, thus saving Rey from himself. Put Rey on the shelf and then let them go at it at WM26.

Glad you had a great Thanksgiving with the folks. Enjoy their company while you can. We're starting to get at that age when are parents are getting old so make sure you let them know how much you appreciate them.
Posted By: Angry Bear

I‘m pleased you guys dig my idea! Hopefully someone is still reading me and make it so!

Sorry, though, Kanyon, I have to say I'm not in favor of creating a whole east coast/west coast brand war. Now, back in the day, The WWF used to have two sets of the same roster tour the country/world, The A Show (featuring performers such as the HWC and other major draws) and The B Show (which would have your ICC and maybe the TTCs, with other performers lower on the card, but they would come to the smaller markets, so us Bakersfield hicks were happy to get anything!). Now, if you wanted to do that sort of thing again, only combining the two brands (assuming ECW is going away), I could see that working in terms of the bottom line of asses in seats, but it wouldn't do much to deepen the rivalry between brands, which I think is load of hogwash anyway.

Bear, I think you hit the nail on the head with respect to where Mysterio and Punk are headed, as it seems to me, I've heard whisperings that that is the story we'll see out of them, which makes me happy, because I think they could tear down the house!

Geoff, "It's Raining Men" by Saliva? I love it! Concerning Kofi, I'm glad to see him get a push. He's just so much fun to watch. He's got a great look. But the thing that strikes me is that while he now has an edge to him, he doesn't some off like a jerk. That makes him very easy to get behind. If done right, I can see him being in the title hunt for years to come. The WWE really has a nice group of young stars. The future is gonna be fun!
Posted By: The Great Capt. Smooth

Agreed about Kingston, Schmoove! This is something that seems trivial, but you know what I think has really helped him become more serious is losing the accent (thus, he becomes less of a novelty and more like one of the people) and growing out his hair. Look at that old graphic they still show on Raw and contrast it with how he looks now with longer hair. He doesn't look quite so cutesy as he used to. The hair actually gives him that sense of menace he was lacking before. I know, it sounds lame, but as I said before, it's so often the little things that contribute to creating a total, believable package.

I know there were some other great comments, but I'm out of time this week! Thank you for reading!
RESPECK!