The Ripple Effect: 12.15.06: Jeff Hardy
Posted by Zac Calhoun on 12.15.2006
It’s the first edition of the Ripple Effect, with a plea to the SmackDown creative team, the top 25 dudes in WWE and a look at why Jeff Hardy is so damn over!
Life is pretty funny sometimes.
I've been a journalism major at my college for the past two years. I thought the major would be a natural fit; I like writing, I like the news, I like the First Amendment, everything was set up to be just fine. The problem came when I discovered that although journalism majors are subject to a lot of writing, they don't really do much in the way of…actual learning.
Since I am paying to be in college and would like for my education to at least be stimulating, I changed my major about a month ago. Why is this important? Well, when I gave up journalism, I also gave up my chance to be a writer…or so I thought.
When I was in high school, our world history teacher would have us write down a bunch of goals we wanted to accomplish within the next ten years. Among mine were skydive, see a taping of "The Price is Right", attend a WWE pay-per-view (which was accomplished with Unforgiven 2005), etc. But the big one was to get something I wrote published. So, imagine the smile on my face when Larry Czonka e-mails me to tell me I'm one of 411's newest columnists. This counts as a publication, right?
It's truly terrific to be a part of this site, and I hope my humble little column will be able to hold everyone else's jocks relatively quickly!
Thing I Enjoyed the Most This Week About Watching Wrestling
The point of this section is pretty self explanatory. No matter how much crap gets thrown at us wrestling fans, I can always find myself picking out at least one moment that reminds me why I keep coming back. I think it's the same for all of us; we all complain about how shitty things get, but they always manage to do something right. This is where I pay tribute to that very phenomenon.
This week's winner is:
!~ Batista vs.Finlay ~!
Watching Finlay perform on SmackDown with the likes of King Booker, Batista, Chris Benoit and formerly Bobby Lashley is just a treat. Here's a guy whose biggest claim to fame was losing to the Booker/Benoit series eight years ago, and now he's very solidly the number three guy on SmackDown. He's been by far the most consistently good performer on the brand, and one could make the case for the whole of WWE too.
Batista has been pretty underwhelming since coming back from his injury, but Finlay has been able to make him look very good. The Irishman could very well end up being the best influence in Bobby Lashley's career. And he's always over, no matter how much he loses (as Larry pointed out). He's probably the most productive guy in WWE right now.
A Plea to WWE
I know this is a long shot, but I've got one wish for WWE this holiday season. It isn't something unrealistic, like bringing back Lex Luger or something. It isn't something only a few people would like. It would be very easy to do. Hell, the match is already set up.
All I want is for Finlay and King Booker to beat the Super Champs at Armageddon. Seriously, there's no reason not to do it. It would put Booker and Finlay over HUGE, and neither Cena nor Batista would be hurt by it. And it's okay for the bad guys to win the main event. The show is called Armageddon.
If they really want to make King Booker and Finlay legit superstars, they need to get the win at the PPV. Even if it's with a combined scepter/shillelagh massacre, it would still do a whole lot for their reps. So please, don't go for the historic Batista/Cena hug at the end of the match. Things could be so much more interesting.
Power 25 – Calhoun-ized
Every week, WWE.com puts out whey they call the "Power 25", a kayfabe ranking of the top 25 superstars in WWE. It covers all brands and supposedly accounts for victories, quality of opponents, momentum, overall in-ring dominance and "intangibles".
And every week, I will look at these rankings and what it means to the wrestling landscape. It really is interesting to look at how WWE themselves rank their performers. So, let's get right into it!
1. John Cena – Hard to argue here. He's the posterchild, and he hasn't lost a match in what seems like ages. Makes perfect sense.
2. Bobby Lashley – The guy had a huge week. Winning the world title and the rematch, and all against the Big Show.
3. Batista – My confidence in him is waning, but he's still winning matches. Let's just hope he gets sharper in the ring and more relaxed on the mic.
4. Jeff Hardy – see what's written below to find out where I stand on Hardy
5. DX – They're both superstars, so I guess it would make sense for them to hover around the top. They haven't really done anything lately though.
6. Umaga – The guy is inching his way to being a legitimate threat to Cena's title. I'm enjoying the slow burn of the feud and also appreciate Umaga's MOVESET (Samoan Spike, turnbuckle ass smash, splash off the top, Samoan Drop).
7. Rated-RKO – I wonder how long Orton & Edge will do the partner thing. I have a feeling they were put together solely because of DX's existence, so it may not be much longer after they break them up.
8. King Booker – For those who think the King is done since he dropped the title, here he is still main eventing PPV's! All hail indeed.
9. Big Show – The list even said Show won't be on it next week. That's harsh.
10. CM Punk – I'm liking Punk as much as the next guy, but he needs to have a good feud pronto. Put him with RVD or Sabu and have a respect feud or something. So long as it would bring dramatic matches.
11. Chris Benoit – I really wish they would give him one last run at the top. I really don't like that Benoit's last action as world champion was jobbing to Randy Orton.
12. Rob Van Dam – The list asks the question, is he a threat to the ECW world champion? I wonder the same thing.
13. Carlito – I guess beating Viscera is a big accomplishment technically, but I'd certainly rather be beating someone smaller…like John Cena.
14. Johnny Nirto – He's having a particularly good month, getting the band back together with Joey Mercury and being the go-to guy for K-Fed.
15. Ric Flair – Okay, I'm a bad person. I'm officially tired of Ric Flair wrestling. I just think he'd be so much better in a full-time manager/authority role. His feuds usually just don't end up going anywhere.
16. Mr. Kennedy – I hope to God he gets some redemption at Armageddon. I agree with the people who say he just has that "it" factor.
17. William Regal – I suppose Regal & Dave Taylor will be subject to a reign as WWE Tag Team Champs, and that's totally cool with me.
18. Matt Hardy – He reunites with Jeff, teams up with DX and still doesn't get on SmackDown the next week. When will it stop?
19. Test – He's in a very good spot right now, basically the number one heel in the company right in time for WrestleMania. It makes me think.
20. Sabu – Why can't the guy just be motivated? Why can't he stay awake backstage? Vince wanted to make him a bigger star; why is he fucking this up?
21. Cryme Tyme – I greatly enjoy the Cryme Tyme segments every week I see them. JTG has a wonderful personality that fits the gimmick perfectly. And they have a good big man/small man dynamic for the wrestling part.
22. MVP – People are really down on him and I want to tell them to chill, but I can't. The guy just hasn't proven he's worth any kind of investment. Here's hoping the Inferno Match proves us wrong!
23. The Highlanders – I love the Highlanders. They're massively entertaining, very loveable, and they get you on their side during their matches. That's all I ask of a tag team like them.
24. Victoria – I've wanted them to get serious with Victoria again for a while. Torrie was trembling in fear of her, and that is awesome to me. I hope this Mickie James feud lasts a long time.
25. London & Kendrick – Please don't break them up! Especially not over Ashley. Not that she isn't amazingly hot, but there are more creative ways to do it.
We'll check back in with the P25 next week and see what impact another week and a SmackDown PPV has on the rankings.
The Legend of Jeff Hardy
Since gaining fame as one half of Team Extreme, Jeff Hardy has provided fans with some of the most memorable images in wrestling history. With a fitting look, an awesome-looking finisher and a seeming lack of care over whether or not he gets hurt, Jeff's reputation tells people that when he comes out, they're going to miss something cool if they don't watch.
As of this writing, Jeff Hardy is the WWE Intercontinental Champion, a title he has won twice this year. He's currently sitting at number four on the Power 25. He is riding a huge wave of nostalgia (perhaps the theme of WWE in 2006) with his brother Matt and has even been given a chance to associate with DX. Jeff manages to get a good pop every time he comes out, despite his tendency to blow spots and not really…wrestle that well. After a long stint in TNA, he's back in McMahon Land, and his value to WWE is probably the highest it's been since the height of Hardy Mania.
Why him? He might do some crazy shit, but surely people would get tired of that after years of rail-runners and swantons through tables. To solve the mystery of Jeff Hardy's charm, let's turn back the clock to an event near the end of his first run with WWE. This night, I think, is why Jeff will always be over.
It was July 1, 2002, and Monday Night Raw went live from Manchester on Spike TV. The card that evening was nothing too special. Brock Lesnar pinned Ric Flair after an F5. Hardcore champion Bradshaw lost to Christopher Nowinski in a non-title match after a cowbell shot (I know). IC champion RVD beat William Regal in a non-title match after a Five-Star Frog Splash. Bubba Ray & Spike Dudley beat Chris Benoit & Eddie Guerrero after Eddie jobbed to the fucking Bubba Bomb. Booker T was counted out against the Big Show. And the Shawn Michaels version of the nWo showed up. Like the rest of 2002, pretty unremarkable, but one match turned this episode of Raw into must-see material and almost made the entire building cream their pants at once.
On this night the WWE Undisputed Champion Undertaker would defend his title against the not-yet Charismatic Enigma in a ladder match, which I believe might be Taker's only foray into the world of ladders. At this time, the brand split was only a few months old, and Jeff, Matt and Lita (I know) were on the Raw roster. Jeff and Matt would occasionally team up, but the focus had definitely become making them both singles stars. This worked out great for Jeff, as his momentum built very quickly throughout the second quarter of 2002. And it all came to a head with this match against the evil biker Undertaker, Jeff's first shot at a world championship.
The beginning of the match differed heavily from most Undertaker matches in that Jeff actually got some good offense in. He started by kicking the ladder into Taker's torso, then hurling himself over the top rope for a splash. Jeff then slammed a steel chair right across the big evil face, blindsiding both Taker and the fans. Taker eventually took over, as was expected, but it's safe to say Jeff dominated the opening sequence of the match.
After a lot of back and forth action and some cool spots (including one where Jeff countered the Last Ride into a hurricanrana), Jeff nailed a chair shot right to Taker's face. The champion went down in a heap on the mat, and Jeff sensed opportunity. He climbed the ladder, the crowd went fucking nuts, and for a second it really looked like Jeff Hardy was actually going to become the WWE Undisputed Champion. And because Raw and SmackDown didn't have separate world titles at the time, Hardy was about to become "the man" in WWE. The fans were eating it up.
Then, to the dismay of just about everyone, Taker got up and planted two chair shots to Jeff's back, seemingly stopping the threat in its tracks. But Jeff stayed on the ladder! He (kayfabe) didn't know how many more chances he would get at a world title, and he wasn't going to let simple chair shots stop him. Clearly pissed off, Taker climbed the other side to get rid of his surprisingly formidable foe once and for all. As Jeff desperately reached for the belt one more time, Taker slapped his hand across Hardy's neck and chokeslammed him off the ladder. You get what happens from there.
When the match was finally over, an exhausted Taker noticed Jeff getting to his feet and finally gave him the Last Ride, just to put icing on the cake. As he rode off on his motorcycle, Jeff stood up in the ring and called him out again! Taker rode back to the ring in utter disbelief and grabbed Jeff's head, getting ready to take him to the learning tree…then stopped himself. In a surprising and career-making show of respect, Taker raised the challenger's hand in congratulations and left Jeff alone in the ring to soak in the cheers.
Yes, that was the Undertaker putting over an opponent. Sure Jeff lost the match, and sure it was his specialty match, but this is the Undertaker we're talking about, the single most-protected wrestler in the business. And he gave Jeff a gesture that said, "You know what, you could've beaten me tonight." Also keep in mind: this wasn't a Hogan-Warrior-he's-happy-for-him-and-everybody's-friendly kind of congratulations. Undertaker was a heel, and still he couldn't help but be impressed by Jeff's guts and athleticism.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is why Jeff has been able to maintain his credibility over the years. Yeah, people remember all the crazy things he's done, and people respect his willingness to put his body on the line every night, but in the backs of their minds they remember that one night when Jeff Hardy went toe-to-toe with the Phenom and almost took his title.
So Long, Farewell
That'll just about do it for me this week. Again thanks to 411 for giving losers like me a chance to have their stuff read by…other losers like me. I'll be back next week (I assume) with thoughts on Armageddon, a suggestion for the house show circuit and a look at how the Ripple Effect has worked its magic in the life of everyone's favorite acrobatic black rights activist…Shelton Benjamin!
Everyone feel free to send your thoughts/opinions/rants my way. If one of my sections sucks, let me know. If you think I'm a pretentious asshole, please let me know.
