MeeThinks 8.29.06: Thank You, Eddie
Posted by John Meehan on 08.29.2006
Why fans can thank Eddie for saving Kurt's life.
House: Go ask him what he's on. When he says "nothing," have him pee in a cup.
- House
Hi everybody, and welcome back to your weekly break from the gloom-and-doom of the Internet Wrestling Community as MeeThinks tries to shed a little sunshine on what has certainly been the darkest week in the history of wrestling this year.
For those of y'all who read last week's column, you'll remember that I promised that this time around we'd be doing part 2 of my four-part journey into one fan's love of this pseudo-sport of kings… but given the gravity of last week's turn of events, I felt it was only right to table the nostalgia trip for an extra week or so while we spent a few moments reflecting on what is undoubtedly the biggest news to hit the Internet Wrestling Community since the morning of November 13, 2005.
Ironically — or, perhaps fittingly — this week's column owes an awful lot to the tragic events that led up to that November morning just some nine-and-a-half months ago. It seems only right, then, that we dedicate this week's MeeThinks to the legacy and the memory of the man whose name still echoes through wrestling arenas around the world… regardless of whether or not a certain pint-sized former World Champion or a certain folically-challenged nephew just so happen to be in the ring.
That's right… this week's MeeThinks is recapping the Kurt Angle saga and examining just how, exactly, our Olympic Hero might very well owe his life to his fallen comrade in Eddie Guerrero.
Sound like a plan?
Rock & roll.
Our Story So Far…
At WrestleMania XIX in the March of 2003, Kurt Angle — then suffering from a serious and potentially-crippling neck injury — lost the WWE Championship to main-event breakout superstar Brock Lesnar. Following the match, Angle would decide *not* to have spinal fusion surgery on account of the procedure's extended rehabilitation timetable (upwards of nine months), opting instead to undergo an experimental surgery that would only result in him being sidelined for three months' time. One stiff chairshot from Brock Lesnar later, and Kurt was back to feeling the pain of his pre-surgery state.
At WrestleMania XX in 2004, Angle once again co-main-evented the WrestleMania pay-per-view — this time challenging Eddie Guerrero for the WWE Championship (in a match that Angle would once again ultimately lose). In the later half of 2004, an injury storyline at the hands of The Big Show ensured that Kurt Angle could assume the on-camera role of Smackdown! General Manager, a position that allowed him to remain on WWE television while still recovering from his plaguing neck injuries. After returning to active competition on the Smackdown! brand several months later, Angle was soon "drafted" to WWE's RAW brand in early 2005 — perhaps with the intent of alleviating much of the "sole starpower" stress that had come his way since returning to action at the end of 2004.
On November 13, 2005, former WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero was found dead in his hotel. Guerrero, who was rumored to have been the next man in line for the Smackdown! title, was just 38 years old. Eddie's death left a major hole in WWE's blue brand, and so in January of 2006 — Smackdown! standby Kurt Angle was once again drafted back to the company's Friday show, where he quickly assumed the mantel of the brand's champion.
Following the fallout of Guerrero's death — and in an eerie case of hindsight being 20/20 — web-savvy fans will recall that when WWE's Wellness Initiative was first instituted in a WWE company meeting in March of 2006 (and broadcast to the home audience at large by way of an online video feed of said meeting), Kurt Angle was among the first performers to openly press WWE Chairman Vince McMahon for further details as to the frequency and stringency of this policy.
Early in the summer of 2006, Angle was once again swapped between WWE shows — this time departing his Smackdown! home for way of WWE's newest "brand"… the newly-revived ECW. Angle was named as the first major performer for the ECW roster, and was quickly presented as the poster boy for the "New Breed Unleashed."
Two months ago, Kurt Angle found himself sitting out of active competition with a month on ECW's suspended list after being rumored to have failed one of the company's random drug-tests.
Four weeks ago, Kurt Angle returned to action in an ECW ring — besting the Brooklyn Brawler in under a minute's time and continuing to tour with the ECW brand as it made its way through its regularly-scheduled House Show circuit. Two weeks ago, however, Kurt Angle once again found himself sidelined from ECW action — this time as a result of a groin tear suffered in the middle of a match.
On Friday afternoon, WWE.com broke the news that Kurt Angle, former World Champion, Olympic gold medalist and one of the industry's biggest stars had been granted an early release from his contract. Keeping things short and sweet, WWE.com reported the following:
Due to personal issues, Kurt Angle has been granted an early release from his contract. WWE looks forward to establishing a new relationship with Kurt in the near future.
The only Olympic gold medalist in WWE history, Kurt Angle arrived in 1999 and quickly became one of the most decorated champions in sports-entertainment history. "The Wrestling Machine" is not only a six-time World Champion, but also held the Intercontinental Championship and WWE Tag Team Championship; he also won the 2000 King of the Ring tournament. Recently joining ECW, Angle's unmatched intensity was rivaled only by his technical and athletic in-ring prowess.
Almost immediately, rumors insisted that our Olympic Hero was gone for drugs, family problems, life-threatening injuries… or worst of all, gone for good.
Then, on Saturday afternoon just hours after the initial news had made its way through the IWC, WWE.com attempted to quell some of these initial rumors by releasing the following article with direct quotes from Angle (or his WWE-friendly PR consultant), saying:
"My body is so beat up and run down, I can't even think straight," Kurt Angle tells WWE.com in an exclusive interview Saturday concerning his early release from his contract with World Wrestling Entertainment. Angle and WWE officials mutually agreed to end Angle's relationship with the company on Friday.
Angle says seven years of non-stop wrestling has taken a major toll on his body, his mind and his family. "I need my body to reheal and rehab, I have done this for too long without a break. I haven't been able to really enjoy my life. I haven't seen my family, I've had problems with medication - I'm just fried physically and mentally."
Angle's business manager David Hawk claims, "Kurt's in a tremendous amount of pain, he's used prescription medication to deal with it. Kurt has come to the conclusion that unless he can get in the ring without the use of pain medication then he doesn't need to be in there. He realizes he was just endangering himself and his opponents."
The last straw for Angle seems to have occurred on August 13th, 2006, at an ECW live event in White Plains, New York. Angle was wrestling Rob Van Dam in a match where both competitors were fueled by the passionate ECW fans. "The crowd was wild," Angle says. "Early on in the match, I pulled my groin, but I kept going, feeding off the crowd. Then I pulled my abdominal muscle off the pelvic bone, but I kept going as the crowd grew more wild. Finally, I blew out my hamstring, but we finished the match. The crowd stood and applauded - a standing ovation and that meant so much to me."
Ironically that would be Angle's last match.
WWE.com asked Angle if he would ever return to competition in WWE. Angle says "I can't tell you that right now, I need to heal up mentally and physically. Until then, I can't even think about returning."
But Angle says WWE Chairman Vince McMahon told him the door is always open. "Vince says when I'm ready, if I'm ever ready, to come back just sign on the dotted line. I'll tell you if I do return I'm going back to my roots, training on the mat like my amateur days. Longevity is the key."
Hawk seems confident Angle will be in the ring again someday.
Angle has a final message to his legion of WWE and ECW fans. "Don't be concerned, this move was for the best. It was a privilege to be able to compete for all of you. I'd like to say thank you."
WWE.com will continue to follow up on Kurt Angle over the next several months.
In spite of WWE's best attempts to explain the situation in as clear terms as was possible, fans across the IWC couldn't help but let the rumor mill get the best of them as the boards, blogs and chatrooms quickly began to fill with just about every Kurt Angle comment under the sun.
Very soon, the web was flooded with comments like…
"Kurt Angle's retiring?! This is the saddest day of my life!"
"There goes the last reason to watch the new ECW!"
"Screw WWE — Kurt will definitely wind up in TNA or Ring of Honor!"
"Angle would be a monster in MMA… can you imagine Angle/Lesnar, Angle/Ortiz, or Angle/Shamrock in a ‘real' fight?!"
As you can see, the IWC is undoubtedly subject to its fair share of knee-jerk overreaction. And since the wrestling community at large seems to be all worked up over the recent loss of Kurt Angle (and what it means for the future of WWE, ECW and the rest of the wrestling biz) — I'd wager that it's high time we see if we can't look on the positive side of this scenario in a little column I likez ta' call…
MeeThinks?
Let Mee start by saying this:
If you haven't seen this one coming, then you are dangerously out of touch with reality.
And…
If you *don't* think that Kurt Angle's departure is for the best of ALL parties involved here, then you seriously need to re-examine all of the facts of this case. More on that in a second, though… as I'd also like to make it explicitly clear that:
Kurt Angle will *not* use this early exemption from his WWE contract to go seek work in other wrestling or mixed martial arts corporations. Though Larry might believe otherwise, there's just no way (in my opinion) that this parting of the ways has been anything but amicable. As such? Kurt's leaving with an open return policy to WWE "when he's ready," and that means *no* TNA, *no* work in Japan, *no* Pride Fighting Championships and *no* UFC (though if rumors of Vince's financial backing are true, I wouldn't entirely rule out a one-off outing in Ring of Honor some time down the line).
So (once he's healthy, *if* he's healthy...) why's Angle *not* headed anywhere but back to WWE-ville, you ask?
Two reasons. Uno – Angle is as "company man" as they come. Though Olympic trained and Gold-Metal-proven, the bulk of Angle's fame, fortune and success have come from his seven-year tenure with Vince McMahon and his various "brands." With everything from action figures to t-shirt sales to DVD royalties to (hastily-penned) "auto"biographies earning our Olympic Hero his fair share of WWE-approved coin, there is simply *no* likelihood that Angle would use his early release from a WWE contract as carte blanche to go spelunking for work elsewhere. As the statement from *both* of the WWE articles above clearly reads, "WWE looks forward to establishing a new relationship with Kurt in the near future," and Vince McMahon himself has clearly said that "when [Kurt's] ready, if [he's] ever ready, to come back just sign on the dotted line."
In short?
WWE knows that Angle is a proven commodity, and Angle knows that WWE is willing to throw incredible money his way at the drop of a hat so as to ensure that their working relationship continues to be as mutually beneficial (and ridiculously lucrative) as possible.
Reason number two —
Angle's early release, by the looks of things, is unquestionably one of the most amicable separations in recent wrestling history. Larry might believe otherwise, but MeeThinks this one was pretty cut-and-dry and peaceful as they come. It's certainly not another case of a guy like Steve Austin storming out of the company when things didn't go his way, nor is it a case of a Hulk Hogan ego trip refusing to compete until a paycheck clears the six-figure-mark. This isn't a case of a guy like The Rock "moving on to greener pastures" and discovering more lucrative work outside of the wrestling business, nor is it a case of a Christian Cage-type performer balking at an underpushed spot on the card in favor of proving his worth in a smaller company. Truly, what we're looking at in the case of Kurt Angle's departure is somewhat of an anomaly in the wrestling business — an honest-to-goodness case of a mutual agreement with no bad blood or ill will on *either* side of the table.
Perhaps this is why so many fans have such a hard time believing this story in the first place.
But here's where Eddie Guerrero comes in.
Unquestionably, with Kurt's health in bad shape and his personal life in as rocky a situation as ever (though he and wife Karen have seemingly patched up from their 2005 separation, there's always a long road of stressors ahead when a new baby is on the way) — taking time away from work to be with his wife and child(ren) is an incredibly smart move. A year ago (before Eddie's passing), having a top-level star like Angle be granted an early release from a contract would be unprecedented. Yet in the wake of Eddie's passing (or perhaps in light of it), Vince McMahon and WWE officials are now more than willing to allow their performers the time they need to take time away from active competition in order to get themselves healthy, stable, and drug-free.
Bradshaw.
Benoit.
Masters.
Mercury.
Angle.
The Wellness Initiative *works*, folks. And it's doing a great deal to change the way both promoters and performers think about the business. Years ago, performers would fall victim to an injury and be forced to compete in spite of the pain so as to keep the money rolling in. As Bret Hart said in the Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows documentary:
I was out for about 7 weeks, and they promised that they'd look after me. But after a while I realized that the checks weren't going to get any better than a couple hundred bucks a week, so I was back in the ring way sooner than I should have been.
In Barry Blaustien's wrestling biopic Beyond the Mat, notorious drug-abuser (and former WWF star) Jake Roberts echoes Hitman's sentiments, compounding the issue by noting:
A lot of people don't understand. [They ask] "If you were making that much money, why didn't you take three months off and stay with your kids?" Because if I took three months off, I'd have been fired. When I was working for Vince McMahon, I was obligated to wrestle every day.
I used to tell myself that I would never do drugs. Never ever! It's for losers! [But when] we were wrestling 26, 27 days a month, twice on Saturday, twice on Sunday, catching eight, nine airplanes a week; it was basically a necessity [to use drugs] just to continue. You took pills to go to sleep. You took pills because of your pain. You took cocaine to wake up so you could perform, [and] when you go to sleep you take sleeping pills [again]. It's a trap, you know?
But times have changed since the heyday of The Hitman and Jake "The Snake," and thanks to the Wellness Initiative (and to the impact of Eddie Guerrero, even after the man's death) -- wrestling companies are becoming far more willing to allow performers time away from the ring (and their contracts) so as to ensure their long-term health and safety. No point in grinding the gears until they've ground to a halt, after all... and far better to lose a performer for a week, a month, a year or an indefinite amount of time than to lose him permanently to years of abuse, self-medication, injury and atrophy.
Now sure, wrestling fans will mourn the fact that Kurt Angle (the performer) no longer graces their television screen on a weekly basis. But for the first time in many years, Karen Angle and her (soon-to-be) two children will have Kurt Angle, husband and father, to spend that much-needed quality time with his family and to play an integral role in the everyday life of the Angle household. And since Kurt's expectant wife just so happens to be delivering at a time when her husband so desperately needs time away from the daily grind of the WWE schedule, the time he will get to spend with his family will double as a remarkable opportunity for his own healing and rehabilitation process along the way… *regardless* of just how long such a process might take.
Rather than string fans along with a series of storylines and inexplicable "suspensions" or injury angles to mask the guy's real-life issues, WWE has taken a bold step to be as straight with their fans as possible from the word "go." And rather than keeping himself on a WWE contract for an indefinite amount of time (in hopes that said contract would inspire him to come back to work), Kurt Angle simply asked for his release in the hopes that he might take as much time as he needs to fully recover from years' worth of injuries (Not unlike the Shawn Michaels of some years ago, come to think of it…).
All told —
Freedom from a full-time contract means that Angle need not feel the pressure to rush back to the ring for the sake of a quick payday, and an early release from his current contract means that Kurt can get himself started on the road to the complete recovery of his health, his marriage, and his family. Once each of those issues are resolved, you can *bet* that Kurt Angle will be right back at home in a WWE ring where he'll be welcomed with open arms. But as for right now… a ring just isn't where Kurt Angle belongs.
So get well soon, Kurt.
And thank you, Eddie.
Agree? Disagree?
"Methinks it sounds a parley to provocation!"
- Iago, Othello
Act II, scene iii
(As always, feel free to shoot Mee YourThinks on this week's debate and we'll post them in next week's column)
NCHS08JOHNBRYANT had this to say:
Nice to see ya back, 411 hasn't been the same without your insightful Column. I was just wondering who you believed should be in the WWE 2007 Hall of Fame class. well whenever you can answer this please do. Also: are their any moves you believe should be banned? Like on Youtube their's a video of someone idiot attempting the Canadian Destroyer from the top rope and it sounds like a damn shotgun. I was just wondering if you think that moves like that, the Reverse Top Rope Hurracanrana and the Burning Hammer are just too risky to attempt?
Also —
I have a question for you that I've asked just about everyone else I know: WHO should TNA have Samoa Joe face next. Personally I think Abyss would be a good challenge since Abyss is the ONLY person in TNA who has both a weight & Size advantage over joe with the exception of Mr. Bust-a-Quad aka Kevin Nash, what do you think: and how long should TNA wait til putting Alex Shelley(The TNA Owen Hart in my opinion since like Owen he has the talent,moveset & style) of being in the Main Event. I also think the same of Petey Williams.
Thanks for writing and for the support, dude.
As far as who'd I'd induct into the Hall this year? Here's my top five (plus one)…
Randy Savage (as *the* big name inductee of the year)
Miss Elizabeth (a GREAT replacement "big name" if Savage balks)
Dusty Rhodes (a nice old-time-Southern-style companion to the 80's WWF glitziness of Savage)
Ted DiBiase (one of the greatest heels of all time)
Jake Roberts (while he's still alive, and to sign an exclusive "Legends" deal to stop any TNA appearances)
John "Earthquake" Tenta (in memoriam of his passing — though, in fairness, not nearly as "big" a name as some others)
Regarding banned moves? I would say that anybody who's untrained and attempting moves they see on television deserves what they get. Otherwise, provided who we're watching actually knows what they're doing — I'd say more power to them. That said, however — if I was in a banning mood I'd definitely say The Falcon Arrow (Hollycaust), The Vertebreaker (it just looks so deadly), and the Widow's Peak (if done by anyone but Victoria).
Joe's next opponent?
AJ Styles, one-on-one. None of the Daniels-ference… just a plain old one-on-one, star-versus-star feud between two of the company's hottest homegrown (more or less) talents. Given enough build, time and patience, I can *easily* see this one being TNA's answer to WWE's Rock vs. Triple H program of not so long ago.
Alex Shelley? Funny you'd mention him, as MoshGod also has @lx on the brain!
Hey man. Great column, that needed to be written. I've taken breaks from the IWC myself. I didn't look at any wrestling on the internet besides Ring of Honor event results and WWE.com for a full year between Wrestlemania 21 and 22. I found this greatly refreshing, as what would otherwise be an awfully slow year for the WWE, was made exciting. A few of the bigger stories were leaked to me by my friends, including the matt hardy/edge/lita thing, but because I wasn't always reading about them, it preserved the vague boundary between the reality and the storyline, which was what made that story so compelling.
One thing I have to gripe with you about though, is a passing remark you made. "'...Eric Young and Alex Shelley are easily two of THE most charismatic guys in wrestling today. So what if their in-ring skills aren't anything special?...'" I beg to differ. Alex Shelley is one of the best young technical wrestlers in the industry. Just watch his match with American Dragon at ROH's Arena Warfare. Anyway, keep it chillin. peace.
Definitely agree, Mosh… but the TNA folks have been very careful in exactly *how* much offense they allow our man Shelley to deliver in any of his bouts (you'll note that he actually winds up on the receiving end more often than not!). I will 100% concur that he's got all the tools for a breakout star — but the TNA main event picture is flooded with established "main eventers" new and old alike, so I really can't see Shelley getting a chance to show his stuff as the company's next big thing for the foreseeable future. Patience is a virtue, I suppose… but it just seems like TNA is sitting on a goldmine with that guy. Say — wouldn't it be a piss if WWE signed Shelley in return for TNA taking Christian? Not that WWE would let him showcase a moveset, mind you… but damn those promos would be something!
First time Mee-mailer Pete had this to say regarding last week's column:
I've been meaning to send you an email for quite some time as I've really enjoyed your column. I was
especially entertained by the lead up to and trip to see TNA live.
This weeks column really struck a chord with me. I've been a smart(er) mark for quite some time and the only downside of it is that I've found that the insider knowledge can really drain away the enjoyment of the product. It is possible to be too smart. After all, if you know all the backstage happenings then there are no surprises for you. If you read enough reviews some one will hate your favorite match/superstar/wrestler/extremist and their views could taint your own outlook on the subject. I think the biggest key to smarkdom is knowing when to back off. I almost never read spoilers for a show I want to watch before hand. I want see and feel it for myself. On the other hand spoilers and reports give me the shows I don't have access to and are vital to keeping
up with programs that I can't watch. Also, I never look at blurbs about who is backstage before a show before watching the show. I don't want that surprise ruined.
In the end smarkdom and the IWC are ways to enjoy wrestling by feeling like your a part of a community. It gives you insiders lingo, behind the scenes knowledge and a feel for what it might be like to be a part of something bigger. Wrestling is a shared experience and the IWC is a community inside that shared experience. The trick is to make sure that it doesn't spoil your fun because this IS entertainment and when the fun stops why would you keep watching?
Pete
Spot-on, Pete, and I couldn't have said it better myself. As "smart" fans, we often get sucked into the trap of "being smart fans" — a nasty little pitfall that usually sees us scouring the ‘net and everything wrestling-related for the latest insider newsbit… often out of fear that if we don't prove how "smart" we are about the biz that folks might well confuse us with the average NASCAR t-shirt-wearing, trailer-park dwellin' "wrasslin' mark stereotype. Trick is to "smarten up" just enough so that you can still remember *why* you're a fan in the first place… and if you're spoiling shows and ruining surprises simply for the sake of earning some meaningless IWC "toldja' so!" bragging rights, then you're only hurting your own enjoyment in the long run.
Finally, we'll close with an e-mail of contention from Rich C, who claims the prophecy has come true regarding his worst nightmares and the Hogan/Orton program:
As much as I hate to say it the entire Hogan/Orton fued played out exactly as I thought it would. Not only does Hogan win but atleast according to the recap, Orton was made to look weak. Come on the foot on the rope 3 count is so 1998, what was the double count out already scheduled for the Flair/Foley match????
All kidding aside, If the E wanted to propelled Orton's character upward they should have allowed the 3 count to stand. Thus you award Orton the tainted victory and continue this fued slowly towards the next PPV. Orton could have showed up on RAW tomorrow night and boasted about his win even going as far as to refuse to give Hogan a rematch. This gives Hogan's body time to recover yet enables him to cut killer promos (which he can stil do with the best of them) for the next few weeks while he "chases" Orton for a rematch. Like it or not, fans still pop for Hogan and his continued role on TV would have been a boost to the ratings of Raw.
As it stands now, Orton's legend killer gimmick is over. What good is a victory over Foley, Race and Jake the Snake when the top legend (Hogan) holds a victory over you.
-Rich
"According to the recap?"
No disrespect, but if you didn't watch the show, then you've got no grounds to critique how the match came off, dude. Hogan's leg on the ropes (or thereabouts) was so sketchy that Lillian even had to stop the match and announce it over the arena's PA system. If *that* doesn't make it look like Orton scored a close call, then I don't know *what* does.
Now could the entire program have come off better? Perhaps, but given a) Orton's in-ring limitations, and b) Hogan's in-ring limitations… you might well be asking for the impossible if you're looking for a ***** classic involving either man at this point in their respective career. Orton is just as bad in the ring (if not worse) than Cena, and his strength is in masking his in-ring limitations by way of his "I'm a cocky asshole" gimmick. It works for him, and so pairing him with bona-fide legends is a great way to garner some surefire heel heat. But such a pairing is a double-edged-sword, mind you… because *most* of those "legends" just so happen to be, well, much OLDER than they once were… and thus they're hardly at the peak of their athletic careers.
If Orton is to look good in the ring, then he's gonna' need a LOT of help from an opponent who can make a match look exciting. Angle, Benoit… heck, even Mysterio got the job done. Hogan, Flair and Undertaker? Not so much. Slow is slow, and restholds are restholds. Fans aren't stupid, and there's little that can be done to save the guy's credibility when he's lumbering around the ring with men who simultaneously *MAKE* and *limit* his gimmick's potential. Problem is? Until Orton learns a new hold (or ten), the only way he's staying over is by trading on the cheap "I'm a dick to the stars!" heat.
Catch 22, when it comes right down to it… but *hardly* the fault of one Hulk Hogan.
And With That, I'm Outta' Here…
Thanks again for reading, all, and enjoy the first weeks back at school (for all you collegiate types). Till then, remember that football season is less than two weeks away (go Pats!), fall is the BEST time of year, and Halloween is sneaking up on us faster than you know it! Rock on, and always stay positive!
