411 Fact or Fiction 08.24.06: McMahons, Hardy, Hogan, More

Posted by Ashish on 08.24.2006

It's week NINETY FIVE of Fact or Fiction with Bayani Domingo, Big Mike Watters, and King Booker's future as World Champion...

Welcome back to another week of Fact or Fiction! This week, Truth B Told writer Bayani Domingo takes on 411 Forum King Big Mike Watters! Let's get to it!


1. The McMahons are the most annoying part of RAW right now.

Bayani Domingo: FACT. There is a lot to be annoyed with on RAW right now. HackTard is just a total waste of time and I can't see how Duggans and Eugene are supposed to get over when they basically have the same gimmick except one of them has a 2 x 4. The Spirit Squad are starting to annoy me a bit too as that gimmick has kind of run its course and I don't even want to get started into DX's shtick becoming a bit stale. Fact of the matter is that at least those guys are workable wrestlers. People can complain about TNA and JJ all they want, but at least the man can put on a decent match and doesn't have to be carried or take crazy ass bumps involving ladders, trashcans, tables, midgets, and an autographed copy of Harry Potter to have a decent match. *wow, is it possible that Vince's match are actually more over booked than Jarrett's?? I think somewhere right now Vince Russo's head exploded* Right now Vince is taking away from the product by putting his face and Shane's all over RAW instead of developing a real tag division, or figuring out a way to let the up and coming stars like Carlito, Nitro, Benjamin, etc, put on matches that last more than 5 minutes a shot. But hey, who needs to see stars being made when we can see another gratuitous shot of Vince's bare ass. Right?

Big Mike Watters: FICTION. If Vince McMahon does one thing really good on camera, it is act like he is suffering. Time and again, he is foiled by DX, and he is slowly descending into insanity. He's doing it well, with Shane standing by as the loyal son and heir...but grounded in that when something happens to Vince, you can almost see the "Well, duh. Do you even watch the show?" look on his face as if to say they never really had a chance to begin with. I laugh...so it can't be that annoying. Underutilized talent are slowly re-emerging in ECW...everyone is getting a paycheck...I think the McMahons are a lesser evil in what is wrong with WWE.

Longer matches on free TV died in the late 80's with the Crocketts, and the original ECW. I've given up on anything on Raw lasting more than one segment.

Better Vince and Shane than Stephanie.

Score: 0 for 1


2. Bringing Jeff Hardy back solo and waiting on the Hardy Boys reunion a bit is the right move.

Bayani Domingo: FACT. I'm not sure that having Hardy debut and win via DQ is the best way to bring him back, but at least it was something. Maybe it was just me, but he looked a little slow and, dare I say, a little more soft in the middle than he used to. Clearly he had ring rust and perhaps letting him squad a few jobbers would be a better way to bring him along than to jump him into a Hardy Boyz reunion right away. Because when he and Matt finally do reunite, just prior to them splitting and enviably feuding, the fans want to see the old Hardyz letting it all hang out and flying all over the place. The Jeff Hardy I saw wasn't ready for that quite yet. The only problem is finding someone for the CannabisAddict Enigma to feud with. Other than the Wellness Program.

Big Mike Watters: FACT. The Hardy Boyz (it's with a "Z", folks) reunion means NOTHING without Christian, and unless they can get him back to backup Edge, then why have it? Matt Hardy is a "dead brand", and bringing back a tag team on a show with very little heel tag team competition doesn't do anything but perhaps pop T-Shirt sales for a very limited amount of time. Push Jeff like they should have the first time when he was fresh, allow him a little "creative license", and keep him on the WELLNESS~! path...that's what they need to do.

Score: 1 for 2


3. Hulk Hogan is more over than anybody else in WWE right now.

Bayani Domingo: FACT. I want to cry right now. Seriously. I do. But like Shakira says, "My Pops Don't Lie" and right now Hogan is still more over universally than anyone else. Even DX fell to the mighty 1 hipped wonder. Cena is still getting a mixed result, Bautista, Flair, and Rey Rey still aren't at their previous level of 'overness' since their title runs or feud with HHH and that's about it. Something is seriously wrong with the WWE when Hulk Hogan can STILL out pop any of their current superstars and does it all based on a big boot and a Big Plastic Hip drop.

Big Mike Watters: FACT. Hulk Hogan will be more over in a live setting than just about any worker short of the Rock or Steve Austin, and I cannot believe the "Internet" still can't get over that fact. The 411Mania.com forums are blasting a certain forumer, Bud Elock(sp) for marking for the guy...and to that I say...why shouldn't he? Because he's old? Because he's smart enough and powerful enough to have creative control written into his contracts? Cut the Hulkamaniacs some slack, folks. Hulk Hogan is the reason we are all here(Hogan saved WCW, by the way, you "I was a Flair fan" people out there), and if he can still pop a crowd, sell the Red and Yellow, and get the PPV buys up a bit...then maybe the WWE workers should take some notes. Hulk Hogan will be the Man in wrestling until the day he dies.

Score: 2 for 3


---SWITCHAROO!!!---


4. The new ECW is already starting to get repetitive with just a handful of guys involved each week.

Big Mike Watters: FACT. But only because they have one hour (which is really 45 minutes) to showcase their roster. You're only gonna get 3-4 matches at best, normally, and if they want to actually have storylines, the same folks are gonna have to be on the show constantly to further these storylines. The ratings are good...Sci-Fi should expand the show to two hours, and WWE would likely put on a show worthy of ECW. God...that sounds almost sacrilege.

Bayani Domingo: FACT. One hour is hard to work with. Just as TNA. Do you really think if they had a 2nd hour they'd be having credible main event wrestlers asking for their release? 3 or 4 matches is the norm, but even then they are really nothing memorable. The main events have been either pretty good or really boring in my opinion and so far with the exception of maybe a few, most of those matches had to import a WWE guy just to get some kind of heat. They are wasting too much time on vignettes and showing decent but generic looking blonde chicks with redundant names instead of putting together some feuds that the audience would actually care about. Clearly Sci-Fi is happy with ECW and a 2nd hour could do wonders for them. Hell, if they get a 2nd hour before TNA does perhaps we'll be seeing more defects to the EXTREME!!

Score: 3 for 4


5. With DX and the Edge/Cena pier brawl, WWE is going overboard with rehashing angles from the Attitude era.

Big Mike Watters: FICTION. Only IWC geeks like us remember the angles of the Attitude Era. What is old is new again. A show cannot be on (in one form or another) since like 1983 and not rehash stories. Especially if they work. Gotta make that money! The Hollywood writers would just write something stupid to piss you off more...so why not something you dug the first time around?

I also think DX is not a rehash. This DX is like, "DX Lite", not all the players are there, Michaels can't commit 100% due to his religious beliefs, and HHH really does have conflicts between his "super ass kicker" persona, and the jokester persona that is DX. I really don't think he wants his career defined by DX.

Bayani Domingo: FACT. Really, how far are we from the Nation of Domination 2.0? I think right now the "e" has run out of fresh ideas, and rather than just letting the wrestling itself tell a story and entertain the audience, they are going back to the well one time too many. I think the problem is that the "e" is really trying to resurrect some strong angles with less than desirable results. DX Lite is clearly no where as entertaining as the original, Island Savages were cooler when their thumb wasn't their most deadly weapon, and I'm just waiting for the Great Khali to bust out the fury tights as he swerves Davari and brings back Harvey Whippleman. As much as the WWE has been hit or miss I think maybe its time to start going less Hollywood and going more Kayfabe. Hell, it worked for Edge right?

Score: 3 for 5


6. King Booker's current World Title run will be his last.

Big Mike Watters: FACT. Thank you, Booker, for many many years of quality entertainment, and for making the transition from WCW after the purchase as pain free for the fans as it possibly could be. Congratulations on a storied career, and I hope retirement, which you did hint at several times over the years, finds you as content as you should be. While I wish that this run was sans King gimmick, Sharmell and as a face, where you were the most over in WCW...I support you in your final run at the top.
ALL HAIL KING BOOKER!

Bayani Domingo: FICTION. Booker T had what it took to be a World Champion since the first day he stepped into a WWF ring. He had the size, the look, the charisma, a great comedic presence when needed, and the ability to put on a good match with a decent opponent. The sad thing is that he hit a sort of glass ceiling. Some say it was because Vince didn't want to acknowledge any WCW wrestlers he acquired after it folded, some blame point to Vince's hesitancy to push wrestlers of color, until about 2 years ago that is. Well whatever the case the man is having a long overdue title reign, I'm sure when he does drop the belt he'll still be a major main event player, and to be fair who is a bigger heel than him right now? JBL may retire, Kennedy isn't quite ready to assume head Smackdown heel yet, and I'm sure Finlay is happy with his place in the mid-card right now. Clearly he's the head guy and another reign before he retires is totally possible. Especially with the way SD wrestlers are getting injured these days. SD main eventers are going down faster than Paris Hilton at the MTV VMA's after party.

Score: 3 for 6


These two finish 3 for 6! Join us next week for more Fact or Fiction!