411 Fact or Fiction 12.31.09: Kurt Angle MVP, WWE and TNA in 2009, The Young Bucks in TNA, the Mickie James Fat Angle, More

Posted by Jeremy Thomas on 12.31.2009

Should the Hart Dynasty/D-X match on SmackDown become the start of a serious feud? Is Kurt Angle the 2009 MVP of TNA? Is either WWE or TNA in a better state now than they were at the end of 2008? Should Yoshi Tatsu become the next ECW Champion? 411’s J.D. Dunn and Leonard Hayhurst debate these topics and more in the last 411 Wrestling Fact or Fiction of 2009!



The New Year's week is here, which means it's time for the last 2009 edition of 411 Wrestling Edition of Fact or Fiction! I'm Jeremy Thomas, hosting as always, and for the last edition of the year we have a nice little selection of topics to cover! Stepping into the ring this week we have the host of Ask 411 Movies, Leonard Hayhurst, doing battle Dark Pegasus Video Reviwer extraordinaire J.D. Dunn! The panelists are ready, the bell is ringing and the ball is dropping, so let's get down to it.

Questions were sent out Monday.

Participants were told to expect WWE & TNA-related questions.

1. The WWE is in a better overall state than it was in at the end of 2008.



J.D. Dunn: FICTION. At best it's a push. It looks like they're going to drop ECW as a brand. Most of the experiments with themed PPVs failed to make significant improvements in buyrates. They did try to focus on youth this year with big pushes for CM Punk, Kofi Kingston, John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, and, most infamously, Sheamus. With the exception of Sheamus and possibly Kofi, they just pulled the plug on them and went back to the veterans. Smackdown is still dominated by the Undertaker and Batista. That's where we've been for the last four years or so. Raw has been The Great Circle Jerk among John Cena, Randy Orton and Triple H. That's where we've been for… as long as I can remember. They may not be worse off; they are still, by far, the #1 wrestling company in the world, but I'm not sure I can say they're better off than a year ago.

Leonard Hayhurst: FACT. The guest host angle has really added some energy to RAW and the overall company. Brining Bret Hart back in could be huge and hopefully it will lead to an interesting angle and not just be reactionary to TNA bringing in Hulk Hogan. Sheamus as WWE Champion is interesting and overall the company is pushing new talent while being true to the old. WWE isn't trying to bring back the Attitude Era or cater heavily to children. I truly think they're trying to get back to producing competent storylines based on matches and characters.

Score: 0 for 1

2. TNA is in a better overall state than it was in at the end of 2008.

J.D. Dunn: FACT. The company is profitable, even in a severe recession. They have a broad array of talent. They don't seem to be able to make any headway with ratings or buyrates, but as long as they maintain profitability they can wait it out for someone to break out as a star (or, more likely, they get picked up by a better network). With the major signing of Hulk Hogan, it's possible that they may get the spark they need.

Leonard Hayhurst: FACT. I think the important question is what will happene when Hulk Hogan debuts and where the company goes from there. People joke that TNA is basically WCW and if anything could make that virtually true it could be the addition of Hogan. Much like WCW in its later days, the roster has tons of great talent on the undercard, but they keep pushing the same old dudes on top. Even with AJ Styles as champion the focus of shows still appears to be the likes of Kurt Angle, Kevin Nash, Mick Foley and their buddies. Still, the Hogan factor is getting buzz and TNA looks poised to finally take a run at WWE in giving them a viable, international rival. Good luck to them.

Score: 1 for 2

3. Yoshi Tatsu should receive the ECW Homecoming Title shot and become the next ECW Champion.

J.D. Dunn: FACT. Tatsu is one of the rare acts that like none other. His weird blend of Japanese pop culture and high-flying has really gotten over with fans. Christian is the longest-reigning ECW Champ since Justin Credible, and he's performed well enough to deserve a bump up to one of the big two (hopefully, Smackdown). The time is right.

Leonard Hayhurst: FICTION. My prediction is that the finals comes down to Tatsu and Vance Archer with Tatsu winning. Then Archer interferes in title match to cost Tatsu the win and they do that three way feud WWE loves so much heading into Wrestlemania. It's good that ECW is a proving ground for new talent, but at the same time I think it's highly important that they have a seasoned and known talent, like Christian, as the champion most of the time. Christian should pretty much own the brand until the decide to move him.

Score: 1 for 3

4. The Young Bucks have a great shot at making a big name for themselves in TNA.

J.D. Dunn: FACT. If there's one big positive about Vince Russo, it's that he's willing to ignore the concept of paying dues or slowly introducing new characters to the point that people are bored with them by the time they're pushed. We saw that with Desmond Wolfe, and I believe we'll see that with the Bucks. Plus, they have a style tailor-made for the Impact Zone.

Leonard Hayhurst: FACT. I've heard a lot of good things about the brothers, but yet to see them in action. However, them being signed to TNA is certainly a good thing for them and all of the hype they're getting before their actual TV debut is also good for them if they can live up to the potential and get the fans excited for them. TNA certainly has a better tag team division than what WWE has and the Bucks as faces can get some great competition in Team 3D, the British Invasion, Beer Money, Inc. and the Motor City Machine Guns.

Score: 2 for 4


SWITCH!

5. The Hart Dynasty's showing against D-X on Friday Night SmackDown should become the start of a serious feud and not a one-time match.



Leonard Hayhurst: FACT. I love tag team wrestling and it really irks me that WWE does zero with their tag division. Forming super teams and then throwing them out there does not a tag division make. So, I'm for anything that involves actually building a significant tag feud and making the belts worth something. Yet, on the other hand you know that DX will just bury Hart Legacy like they've done to everybody else. It would be the shame as they have a great opportunity to put over two rising stars with a lot of potential.

J.D. Dunn: FACT. DX has no one else to feud with unless they do another super team like Kane and the Undertaker (which may happen, if rumors of Taker vs. Shawn II are true). The whole idea behind putting the tag titles on them is to allow a top draw to appear on both brands and shill their merchandise, but unless they want to turn WWE TV into the Home Shopping Network, DX actually has to, you know, wrestle somebody. The Hart Dynasty fits that bill just fine – at least in the short term.

Score: 3 for 5

6. A Knockout-centric Impact on New Years' Eve is a great idea.

Leonard Hayhurst: FACT. Considering that there isn't going to be a lot of people home watching TV that night, you might as well go with something to set yourself apart. TNA's women's division has been applauded for more than a year now for the talent involved and the way its been booked. With the wealth of talent they have on the roster, and considering the Knockouts usually only get one match and one segment on Impact usually, a whole show around the Knockouts will allow all of them to get some time to shine. Hopefully TNA can also use the show to help promote SHIMMER, where a lot of their women did work are still working, as the place where people who do enjoy women's wrestling can find it on a regular basis.

J.D. Dunn: FACT. Given that it's a time when the target audience is out partying, and they have to put on something anyway, why not do this rather than the standard "Best of" show? If the knockouts are successful, it's a big boost for the idea of giving them their own show. If not, it's no big deal because the show was likely going to be filler anyway.

Score: 4 for 6

7. The ongoing Mickie James "fat" angle is just another example of stupid and tasteless booking on the part of the WWE and needs to end.

Leonard Hayhurst: FACT. It's the same angle they ran with Molly Holly. The difference is that Holly was the heel at the time and the fans were programmed to laugh at her and agree she was fat. James is the face and the fans are told to hate Michelle McCool for being judgmental. Is that progress? James is a beautiful, athletic and talented woman and she got to where she is by being a great wrestling talent and not just a pretty face. WWE has done a great job with finding models and hot chicks and actually turning them into real wrestlers, but at the same time there are plenty of females wrestlers out there that they don't need to train from the ground up. It is tasteless booking and hopefully it ends with James winning the Women's Title back and showing McCool up. Maybe they can shave McCool's head?

J.D. Dunn: FICTION. I think that what people are missing here is that it's not a "Mickie is fat" angle. It's a "Michelle and Layla are vapid c_nts" angle. Do you need to buy a vowel? No one complained when the Beautiful People did virtually the same thing to numerous babyfaces in TNA. In fact, they were lauded for their portrayal. However, in light of the death of Brittany Murphy, I think we see that body image issues are serious business, and that's why I'd like to see the WWE go somewhere positive with this (and it would be nice if their hiring policies mirrored the "it's okay to have some meat on your bones" message of the angle).

Score: 4 for 7

8. Kurt Angle has been TNA's most valuable player of 2009.



Leonard Hayhurst: FACT. He won the belt in the King of the Mountain Match in June, put over AJ Styles for the title, help to put over Desmond Wolfe on his entrance to the company, led the Main Event Mafia and reestablished himself as a serious wrestler and future hall of famer after a previous year where he went too far into the goofy side of his character and brought in his wife Karen. Angle really became the face and name of TNA in the past year and we'll just have to see how that will carry through in 2010 with Hogan coming in. You just know they're going to do a Hogan vs. Angle feud and if Angle can carry that he'll probably be the MVP for TNA next year too.

J.D. Dunn: FACT. While he's not nearly on the level he once was, Kurt has become one of TNA's most dependable performers. Not bad for a guy people predicted would be dead by Spring of '07. AJ Styles is right up there as well, but Kurt's consistent work at the top of the card has made him the go-to guy.

Final Score: 5 for 8

And there you have it folks…J.D. and Leonard overcome a rocky start to end up going 5 for 8. Thanks to both of them for their responses, and thanks to you our readers for reading! On behalf of both of them, have a safe and happy New Year and come back next week for more 411 Wrestling Fact or Fiction!

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