High Road/Low Road 03.05.10: Shawn Michaels/Undertaker Rematch at WrestleMania

Welcome back to the High Road/Low Road!

A brief explanation of the column: Sat takes the High Road (positive view) on angles, gimmicks, and other wrestling related “stuff” while Chad Nevett takes the Low Road (negative view).

Results for The Pope As The Number One Contender:

High Road: 64%
Low Road: 18%
Both Roads: 18%

Chad Nevett: I like the Pope, but TNA hasn’t followed up on his win at Against All Odds as strongly as I’d hope. I think I’d choose Both Roads, though I’m leaning High.

Sat: I’m not surprised with the High Roads winning. TNA has to be given credit for pushing somebody new to the main event scene.

Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker II

High Road:

It is a smart move to have the rematch happen again at WrestleMania 26 because fans have been wanting to see the rematch for over a year. I thought there last encounter was very good, but nowhere near a perfect match. However, I think it makes sense to have a rematch because fans are bound to buy the pay per view solely based on this match.

Low Road:

I haven’t wanted to see the rematch. I was satisfied with last year’s match. While a rematch won’t take away from last year’s match, I don’t see the constant appeal of wanting to see something awesome get a ‘sequel.’ Why not let last year’s five-star match stand alone? The Undertaker’s health is, apparently, much worse than last year and that doesn’t raise my hopes for his in-ring performance.

High Road:

Having Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker square off again at WrestleMania is the smart thing to do because what would Michaels and the Undertaker do besides this match. I think if they were not facing each other, we would probably have Michaels against Triple H and the Undertaker against Sheamus. I think the rematch was the logical option for the WWE.

Low Road:

The Undertaker could have been slotted into a few different places, but I would have rather seen Triple H/Shawn Michaels. They teased the break-up of DX and the two fighting, and that’s a story I could have gotten emotionally invested in, unlike something like Triple H and Sheamus.

High Road:

Most of us would have been okay with just having Shawn Michaels getting a second chance to break the streak with no other stipulation. But, to have him put his career on the line really makes this an important match. We’ve seen the Undertaker put his streak on the line for the World Title, but never for somebody’s career. We have been trained to think that the Undertaker does not lose at WrestleMania, so for Shawn Michaels to put his career on the line, really leads the fans to believe that either man could win at WrestleMania.

Low Road:

Ah, but does anyone really want to see Michaels ends the Undertaker’s streak? While the stipulation makes the Undertaker walking away the winner less a certainty, I don’t think anyone really wants the Streak to end at the hand’s HBK. By making it Streak versus career, the WWE is put in a situation that may wind-up backfiring on them no matter who wins unless Michaels really is ready to step away from the ring and would be doing so no matter what.

High Road:

I look at this match and I see this being the main reason that people buy this year’s WrestleMania. Bret/Vince (I’m writing this before RAW) is probably not going to be huge draw just because if they do face off, we know who is winning and most likely the fact that this will be a short match. I think that Batista/Cena will draw in a few of the younger fans to buy this pay per view, but I would be shocked if people do not consider HBK/Taker II the main reason to buy the pay per view.

Low Road:

It adds to WrestleMania, no doubt, but I think WrestleMania sells itself to a large degree. The past couple of ‘Mania’s, I’ve watched them in a bar and, in both cases, the turn-out was much larger than any other PPV. WrestleMania itself is a large draw, partly because of the big matches, but for the same reason that the Super Bowl is a big draw. The casual fan/viewer doesn’t care about the specifics so much as the spectacle and idea of the event.

High Road:

A minor high road here, but that video package right before the in ring confrontation of Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker was amazing.

Low Road:

It was… yeah, I’ve got nothing negative to say in response to that. That was one of the best (if not the best) video package I’ve seen the WWE do and they are very, very good at putting together video packages.

High Road:

This next high road came to mind while I was thinking of High Roads to write and I think it is an interesting one. We all know that Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker are going to have a few more confrontation before WrestleMania 26, but what are they going to do in these confrontations. Both guys really do not have to do anything more until WrestleMania because both guys are all in. It will be interesting to see what the WWE does in the next few weeks because they really do not have to do anything else to build to their match at WrestleMania 26.

Low Road:

The match being set could result in a lot of dragging and boredom whenever either man comes out. Or, stupid crap, like the Undertaker appearing on the screen to distract Shawn Michaels. I don’t think there’s anything else they can add to this match, leaving the next few weeks completely open in a way that could hurt the match’s appeal.

Are you taking the High Road or the Low Road?

High Road
Low Road
Both Roads
OR

Simply write “High Road”, “Low Road”, or “Both Roads” in the comment section.

E-Mails:

These are all of the e-mails that we received this week. We do not respond to the actual e-mail, but the reply to your e-mail will be below.

Jeremy Castillo Writes:

Yo,

I think D’Angelo Dinero getting into the main event is definitely a high road for various reasons.

1) He’s great on the mic considering how little TV exposure he’s actually had. I dreaded The Pope” as his nickname, since it had the potential to be ridiculously stupid, but Burke is doing great with it. “Dick Flair” was juvenile but no worse than Cena’s bad breath and fart jokes. Also, the Impact Zone started the “Pope is Pimpin'” chant, not him, so obviously he’s connecting with the crowd in only several months.

2) He’s a very big asset in the ring. Every match he’s been not bad at worst. He’s young (32) and has a champion’s build and physique by TNA standards since they don’t really give the belt to hosses. The only one I remember is Abyss, who had it for like a month and won it by DQ. On the same note, I’m surprised nobody really mentioned this but before wrestling, Burke was a boxer, which means he’s a proven athlete, and a cop, which, assumedly, makes him Wellness-friendly. (Not that TNA cares…)

4) Unlike a lot of TNA talent, current and past, Burke didn’t have WWE baggage when he debuted. Hard Justice was his first TV appearance in 15 months, more than enough time for the casual fans to forget who he was. Plus, it’s not like he was a big rising star there like a Miz or Sheamus. He only had two PPV appearances that I can remember: Wrestlemania 23 and the 2008 Rumble.

Sat: The crowd has really responded well to the Pope. Burke was called something major by Vince McMahon and I can’t remember what it was off the top of my head.

Chad Nevett: I totally missed Burke in the WWE since I returned to watching wrestling just as he was leaving the company. I think he was released after several months of not appearing anywhere? So, my first experience with him has been as the Pope in TNA, meaning he has no WWE baggage at all with me.

Comments:

Below are the comments for last week’s columns and our responses. Every comment will not be included because it makes our lives a lot easier.

Guest#1339 Writes:

Both roads

High that Pope is an actual young talented star that TNA is pushing as opposed Val Venis or Orlando Jordan (Or those damn Nastys).

Low that everyone just has to keep mentioning that WWE let him go which has absolutely NOTHING to do with anything.

Sat: I think the WWE letting him go deserves to be mentioned; he was let go because the WWE had nothing for him to do which is shocking.

Chad Nevett: I don’t think it warrants mention because not everyone is the right fit for the WWE, specifically at certain times. That the WWE let him go and he’s found some success in TNA (emphasis on ‘some’ since he hasn’t been with the company long) doesn’t mean that the WWE would have been right to keep him. We like to imagine that every talented wrestler fits in with every company and that’s not the case.

s1rude Writes:

Low road. Feels too much like Booker T or Kane as #1 contender to Trips in the E circa 2003 – the title shot as a blow-off back to the mid-card. And at least those guys got to be the focal point of the program for a month. Looks like the Pope is taking a backseat to a feud against a 60 year and a crying monster with a power ring.

Sat: When I first saw the power ring I was actually racking up some high roads in my head, but then remembered that we are in WrestleMania mode here at the High Road/Low Road.

Chad Nevett: But, if you want to see me saying negative things about Abyss and his magic ring, check out the 4Rs where I handle TNA Impact. I also wonder how much this shot will put the Pope over since the booking right now seems very wishy washy at TNA with people getting big pushes only to be kept off TV for several weeks. It’s very inconsistent.

Scott B Writes:

Something that should be mentioned…

When Hogan and his cronies took over TNA, we complained about people like Orlando Jordan and Sean Morley betting pushed. People thought that they were making a relevant point that these are the people we wanted pushes for in WWE and didn’t get them, so we should be happy.

What they failed to realize (or purposefully ignored in their desperate effort to defend Hogan) is that we were asking for these people to be pushed about a DECADE AGO. You know, back when they could still wrestle a decent match and deserved to be pushed.

In the Pope, we have a wrestler that we have wanted to see pushed, and still at an age where a push is relevant. Should he win the TNA title? No, he shouldn’t. But this should be a push to solidify him as a main event wrestler. After this, he deserves to remain in the upper-card feuds. Knowing TNA, unfortunately, he’ll lose to AJ and go back to curtain-jerking while AJ moves to Abyss and then Joe.

Sat: What happens to The Pope after his feud with AJ Styles is probably going to be the deciding factor on whether this is a high road or a low road.

Chad Nevett: Definitely. The next two or three feuds/stories that the Pope is involved in will be telling.

Elgrannoche Writes:

High Road. Not only is Pope talented and proven, but he has been treated well since getting there, has been working mostly with the upper echelon (outside a couple squashes which is fair) and he’s been there 6 months which isn’t a long time but definitely long enough that any “next TNA champion” comments from Etards are nothing but a meme.

He also has something that few guys have or will have: a wealth of WWE fans who still shake their heads wondering why he was let go and who might tune in to TNA instead/also to see him.

My prediction for Mr. Dinero is that he gets a great match out of AJ and stays in the upper card for a long arse time.

I almost forgot an important prediction. High Road will get under 30% due to “it’s TNA, they’ll screw it up” being an obvious Low Road for the Vinceco. Koolaid drinkers.

Sat: Haven’t done the calculations yet, but I see the high roads getting over fifty percent on this one.

Chad Nevett: I wouldn’t say ‘it’s TNA, they’ll screw it up’ is a mentality exclusive to WWE fans, but one that extends to people who have watched TNA for more than two months and noticed that their booking is erratic and inconsistent. It’s not necessarily a bias, it could just be being a perceptive viewer.

TheRev Writes:

High Road on the Pope. He’s the best entertainer in Sports Entertainment. Pope has more talent in his pinky than the Miz has in his entire body!

Pope > the miz

while TNA is pushing their young guys to the top [the pope] WWE Universe is pushing the old guys:

Bret Hart
Mr. McMahon
Triple H
HBK
Undertaker

now THAT’s a low road! or and OLD road!

Sat: I’ve been high on the Miz since his debut in the WWE and I think he has the potential to be a huge star for the WWE.

Chad Nevett: Yeah, the Miz is great. I think his mic skills are better than the Pope’s, but the Pope is better in the ring. And I wouldn’t say TNA is pushing their young guys, I think they’re pushing them as much as the WWE. Then again, you just named people from Raw, which isn’t exactly a reflection of everything the WWE is doing.

Guest #4247 Writes:

High Road.

Positives:
– TNA is striking while the iron is hot. Dinero is popular with internet and casual fans right now.
– If Dinero wins the belt, it may extract the world championship from the Hogan-Flair feud.
– Part of me would like to see Flair turn on Styles and align with Dinero.
– Dinero fits TNA’s evolution into sports entertainment.

Negatives:
– Dinero fits TNA’s evolution into sports entertainment. (Also a negative)

Sat: Totally off topic here, but I don’t see Hogan wrestling too much in TNA. At most, I see two short matches a year for him.

Chad Nevett: I don’t see Dinero winning the belt. They’re very high on AJ right now (and rightly so).

HBK’s Smile Writes:

High Road x10. The Pope is one of the few people who can bring something totally fresh to the TNA main event scene. He’s got the charisma, look, and skill to draw in new fans in both the short and long term.

In a nutshell, he is MVP, only better in every way and not THAT similar as to look like an imposter. I’m heaping on praise like crazy I know, but he really could be the piece that propells TNA to legitimate contender status, appealing to the sports-entertainment WWE -minded fan without losing the workrate fan base.

Sat: The one thing I find surprising with the WWE is that they wait too long to push somebody. MVP was very hot for awhile and now he is just without direction. I’ve been high on Jack Swagger for awhile and he is also another one of those guys without any direction.

Chad Nevett: The WWE does have a habit of waiting far too long or starting a push and backing off immediately (Swagger’s ‘not going to lose again in 2009′ promise comes to mind). TNA is usually better at striking while the iron is hot, which is what they’re doing with the Pope. However, as I said, the follow-up programs will be the key here. Anyone can be given a title shot, that doesn’t make you a main eventer and, hopefully, TNA remembers that.

The Gold Standard Writes:

Both Roads. I’m a big Pope mark no doubt but i think its too early for him to compete for world titles.i have no problem him main eventing but rather him compete for a second tier belt before going for the big one.

Sat: I see him getting a shot at the Global Title after his main event feud with Styles.

Chad Nevett: The Global Title becoming the IC/US belt of TNA, while the X-Division belt is a cruiserweight type of title would be smart since there doesn’t seem to be much middle ground or clear pecking order in TNA. What happened to that ranking system they talked about before Against All Odds? I loved that idea.

ROH Commish Writes:

Both Roads.

To be a legit contender, you have to believe that person can win. I don’t believe Pope will or should win. He might deliver a good match and get a decent rub but this seems like a one shot chance at the title. It seems Abyss is next in line.

TNA doesn’t have many legit contenders for the title and TNA putting a title on some of these guys would be counterproductive. A.J. needs a long reign losing ideally at Bound for Glory.

Importantly, TNA doesn’t have a consistent pool of wrestlers that contend for certain titles. One week, Joe can wrestle for X division gold and then the next week he is wrestling for the heavyweight title. Such booking has hurt all their titles. The Global belt is hardly defended and I have no idea which group of wrestlers are contenders for it.

Sat: I’ll admit that the odds are against The Pope winning the TNA Title. And I agree that TNA does some weird things. Joe is challenging for the TNA title one week and the following week, he is losing to Orlando Jordan. Something is not right there.

Chad Nevett: I believe the Pope as a contender because he beat the champion already and that win didn’t look out of place or make me wonder what the hell they’re thinking. That doesn’t mean I think he’ll win the belt or that he should win the belt, but I don’t see those as requirements for a title shot. There have been a lot of cases of guys who become worthy of being a champion simply by being the same match as a champion. A losing effort can advance a career if done right and I hope that’s what they do here.

PK Writes:

Low Road – I really wanted to go High Road on this and I disagree slightly with Chad on the level of the Pope’s mic skills. But the fact of the matter is that I still remember that he took a clean loss to Orlando Jordan who has done almost nothing in his time with TNA. Forget about hating on OJ, in his current incarnation he has not been built up enough to warrant a clean win over someone who is now the number one contender. It just feels funny. Either, there was a reason for that fluke loss or maybe OJ should be the real number one contender (god, I hope not). TNA has heaped some very decent wins on the Pope but their inconsistency is hurting his image. If anything, I could belive him as only winning to be a transitional champion right now.

Sat: I think Orlando Jordan should not be getting any wins; I still remember that loss as well, and to a degree it does hurt the Pope because I think everybody thinks that Jordan is worthless.

Chad Nevett: Agreed 1000 times over.

Jimbo Writes:

LOW ROAD

He wasn’t on iMPACT last night, so it is clear to me-it is a stop gap until Abyss or even Hogan gets the title…

Sat: I’m not too worried about that because he could be selling his injuries from the previous week. I really hope this alliance with Hogan can help Abyss out because I have been a huge fan of his for awhile.

Chad Nevett: I didn’t mind the Pope not being on TV, because AJ cut a very good promo and explained it away: they put the Pope on the sidelines. It adds to the feud a little. Now, obviously, if he just comes back this week with little fanfare, ignore that.

Pope Is Pimpin To TNA Title Writes:

EPIC HIGH ROAD

You gotta laugh HARD at the so called TNA Smarks for claiming It’s “too early” for Pope to be in there while the same people are bashing the WWE for not giving the gold and pushing to main event status guys like Kofi, Ted Jr and Morrison.

Hell they’re the same people who have been bitching for months and years about having the same old talents on top and when they finally get a FRESH NEW ONE who is GIGA OVER they’re all “oh but he won’t last on main event scene and will go back jobbing in dark matches”.

Yeah right let’s have AJ vs Joe vs Angle for the BILLION Times in years !

So fresh, so new, so exciting !

And even better let’s have Hogan vs Flair brother !

It’s pretty ironic to read people here bashing the WWE for putting over guys like HHH, HBK Or Taker while all they do want is Hogan vs Flair in their beloved TNA !

Sat: The main thing I have to say is that some people are always going to complain.

Chad Nevett: People complain on the internet no matter what? No! Wrestling fans aren’t a whiny bunch who complain just to complain! I refuse to believe that.

TWITTER

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Your reasons for taking the High Road, Low Road, or Both Roads and suggestions for future High Road/Low Road are welcome at [email protected] or in the comment section. Your reply will be included in next week’s column.