News to Start Your Weekend 12.15.06
Posted by Nick Marsico on 12.15.2006
More of the same, plus some. WSX will change your life, by the way. It will shake you to your very core. Or whatever that saying is.
And the trend continues as I once again get this in way late, but I'm on a roll. I've actually seen all of the wrestling on TV up to this point, including Turning Point and iMPACT, so there's that. I'll once again begin with the ongoing Vince Russo stuff, but not before saying Larry, I love ya. Oh, and Geoff is a poohead. But back to the Russo stuff. My new friend Will Mayberry would like to continue our discussion, and since I'm a big fan of message boards, this just makes doing this column easier. His comments in bold and mine in regular text:
Well either you are enjoying my interaction or you are extremely pissed off at what I have to say. Either way here we go with some more. You start out by saying every angle was bland with TNA before Russo got there. What is so spectacular now? You say for all his faults the man is trying to put something interesting on. Trying at this point is not good enough. I want someone who can deliver a compelling wrestling product and not just try.
What is spectacular now? Petey Williams is no longer just "the guy who does that cool flippy piledriver". Chris Sabin went from boring young kid to interesting cocky guy who all of a sudden gets to show off his charisma that nobody knew he had. The NWA Title is currently enveloped in a very interesting three-way feud that even somebody who hates the fact that Russo has the book (Ryan Byers of The Impact Crater) is praising it. LAX is on fire, all the titles are being booked very strongly, and the show is actually moving along like episodic television instead of just a series of loosely related weekly shows.
You say Samoa Joe did not lose any momentum at all with the current booking structure? He got pinned in a fucking tag match this week!!! Losses don't matter when you are Chris Jericho because you have enough charisma to make fans keep caring, but Joe doesn;t have that. The booking of him since Russo came on board has been terrible. You use Austin losing to Bret Hart as an example of losses don;t matter, but think about how Austin lost. He passed out from pain without quitting. Losing a match does matter to how fans preceive a guy, and that is pretty basic.
My comment about Joe and his momentum using the Austin/Bret match was from before I saw last week's TV, but it still stands. He got pinned in a tag match, oh well. He made Kurt tap twice on the PPV. As far as charisma goes, I'll just assume you don't have eyesight or hearing, because Joe has boatloads of charisma that he shows off weekly. Also, I gave some good reasons as to why losing a match doesn't mean a damn, and your reply is simply that it does? Please, man. If you're going to argue with me, don't just say "because" as a response. Give reasons.
You say the belt is a prop and that it doesn;t matter how many times the belt changes hands. This is a new company and they are trying to establish themselves and they need to value their titles. TNA needs to value the in-ring product more at this point. That is what their fans want! The Impact Zone is similar to an ECW crowd. They want to be involved and they want good matches and a compelling product. I can;t believe they still had fans copming to the shows near the end of the Jarrett run (not Russo's fault). However, you say that TNA doesn;t focus on wrestling and you are right. They should focus on the wrestling though because that is how they are different than WWE. They have better in-ring talent on one show. WWE's is spread thin trying to support three brands which is kind of pointless since they are all the same anyways.
TNA doesn't have enough time on a weekly basis to just focus on wrestling. They put on fantastic wrestling every month on pay-per-view, and part of the reason those matches have the heat they have is because they run angles during the television shows. The fans want a compelling product, and with only an hour per show, they're not going to get that if they focus all of their time on wrestling. Also, WWE isn't spread thin. All three brands have a good roster full of fantastic talent. The writers just don't use them well. There's no shortage of talent on any of the three shows. Not even close. Also, the shows are also quite different. Watch them and you'll notice that RAW, SmackDown and ECW are all quite different shows.
Oh, and as far as the belt, just because it has changed hands a couple times doesn't mean it is being devalued. The way they're booking the NWA Title (and this goes for the X and Tag belts as well) makes it look like something important, because a lot of people want it and people are going to all lengths to get it.
As far as the Nash segments go, they are stupid and not funny. This week's was especially bad. They are not getting people over or building new characters, it is just to give an old washed up 7 footer a minute on TV every week. Shelley and Starr have a lot of potential and I hate to see them in this lame-ass gimmick. I notice you do not defend VKM. That is Russo's baby, so if you are going to defend the man defend those. Those segments are a free commercial for the competetion and like the Paparazzi, it is lame humor that doesn;t do anything to get anybody over. Those two guys belong in your local high school gymnasium, not national TV.
VKM's stuff at Turning Point (I'm aware you wrote this before the show, but your opinion likely hasn't changed) was actually pretty decent, and they explained what they've been doing the last few weeks pretty well. They're parodying the shit WWE is doing, and now they're going to start getting serious. It's still not great television or anything, but it's not taking up a lot of the show, so it's nothing to get up in arms about.
Once again, you're about the only person who doesn't like the Paparazzi Productions stuff. Hell, I showed my brother a bunch of the videos last night, and he, not even being much of a wrestling fan, thought it was hilarious. Have a sense of humor, would you? If you can't laugh at the silly stuff Nash and the boys are doing every week, what do you laugh at?
You say the show was a clusterfuck before Russo came on, but not nearly as bad as it has been lately. Maybe the weekly shows were not all that great before hand but the PPV's were excellent. Russo's booking royally fucked up the last PPV, and there is no sign of stopping. Since Russo's arrival he put the belt on someone via DQ in Abyss, did a non sensical heel turn with Styles, took away Joe's momentum, had a variety of lame skits like VKM and Paparazzi, took the belt off Sting in a month after TNA built him up for a year, and giving up their best money match in Joe/Angle within two months of Angle's arrival. Russo doesn't know how to hide people's weaknesses and book to their strengths. TNA did have their problems before Russo not only have they continued since his arrival but he has hurt the product as well. You say that Russo is doing all he can, but it is not good enough. They need to get someone in there who can give the fans a compelling product that is different that WWE and TNA is WWE light right now. I think they would have been better with someone new rather than recycling Russo. The only person in the industry who I think could book TNA the way the fans want is Heyman and I doubt Vince will ever let him go. Of course being a Russo fan probably means you don't believe Heyman would be a better choice.
TNA was WWE lite before Russo came in, dude. The Paparazzi (which, once again, is fantastic according to everybody but you) was around long before Russo, and they continue to be great. Genesis was a good PPV. The booking wasn't perfect, but the wrestling was good. Once again, I know you wrote this before Turning Point, but you're wrong as far as that goes, since Turning Point was a GREAT show, with six very good matches – that's also how many matches were on the card. The booking was also quite good. They continued the Shelley vs. Starr angle in the very good opening match, Sabin versus Daniels was great, and it looks like they're setting up a Daniels vs. Lynn match, which will undoubtedly be great.
Styles' character is getting an overhaul. He's been a face for quite a while now, so now he's going to be a heel. AJ has been playing his role very well thus far, and was able to have a really good match with Rhino on PPV and also pulled off a very, very, very well done injury angle to win the match. The turn is nonsensical because it wasn't completely spelled out, I guess. There were things that have led up to it. Did you not see the problems that he and Daniels were having after they lost the tag titles? AJ no longer had the tag belts, but quickly got right back on top of the world by winning the X Title and being a part of the tournament for a shot at the NWA Title, but then all of a sudden the NWA title shot is pulled out from under him thanks to Chris Sabin, and then soon after his pal Chris Daniels took advantage of AJ's problems with Sabin to steal the belt from him. All of that makes a heel turn not make sense? Lose the tag belts. Fill the void quickly by winning a different belt. Get a chance for a shot at the top belt. Lose that chance. Lose the belt you just won. End a very successful tag team with a good friend as the friendship crumbles. And him changing his attitude from happy-go-lucky to pissed off doesn't make sense? Please.
I've already covered how Joe's got plenty of momentum. TNA screwed up the Sting angle before Russo came in – he should have won the belt at Hard Justice, but Christian screwed him out of it. And then, instead of feuding with Sting, Christian feuds with Rhino? That was all done before Russo, and then Russo came in, and all of a sudden Christian and Sting are once again involved in a feud, and eventually it'll lead to the one-on-one PPV match between the two. I also disagree that Sting's title win was ruined. He won the belt and proclaimed that he was going to lead the title into a new era where it wasn't going to be about greed and brutality, and then he gets driven into being exactly what he wanted to save the belt from, and that has led to the tremendous Christian-Abyss-Sting angle that is currently taking place.
As far as Heyman, I'm a big fan of Heyman, and I love how just because I can rationally defend what Russo is doing I'm automatically a Russo fan and dislike anything that anybody else might book. Hell, in last week's column I actually exclaimed that with Heyman's current situation, TNA should do everything under their power to sign him as soon as legally possible and give him the book. Here's the direct quote:
"Either way, my take on it is that if Heyman is going to be completely free, TNA should immediately do everything in their power to get him and they should give him the book, and maybe even team him up with Russo and let them just run the show."
So that obviously means I'm against Heyman. Please don't make assumptions about somebody just because they don't go along with the pack and blindly insult the things that everybody else is going after.
The rest of what you said is vague. If you're going to argue, give examples rather than just saying things like "Russo doesn't know how to hide people's weaknesses and book to their strengths". Give me some examples of that, because otherwise there's no discussion here. I await your response.
Also, to Ryan Byers, if you do happen to read this column, as far as the AMW split goes, it has been in the works for a couple months. They've been on a thin line since September at least, and longer I believe. It didn't just come out of nowhere, and it wouldn't even have been rushed if they would have broken up and had a match at Bound for Glory.
On top of that, this note goes out to everybody who criticizes booking that isn't obvious and spelled out. Sometimes you have to think. Every week I see somebody complaining about something that I can very easily make sense out of by simply filling in the blanks myself. It's really not that hard.
On to the news!
So the talent in OVW and Deep South have been told to read the Eddy Guerrero biography and to be ready to discuss it at length. It was Nova's idea, and I like it. Awareness, people. They also had to research 100 "historical figures from professional wrestling" which I assume includes valets and managers as well as wrestlers. Morale's also apparently quite high, especially down in Louisville.
In other developmental news, Terry Gordy's son Ray may be called up soon to form a tag team with Henry O. Godwinn on SmackDown, former Tough Enough contestant Daniel Rodimer (the goofy blonde dude from season 3 or so, maybe 2) is quickly on his way to RAW, as Stephanie McMahon is high on him, the Untouchables of Deuce and Domino (Deuce being Jimmy Snuka Jr, Superfly's adopted son) may be called up soon, and Burchill and Beth Phoenix are down in OVW waiting to return to the main rosters.
Time to make the obvious joke I've seen multiple people already make! VKM has brought the war to WWE over in Iraq! Check out the video here.
Samoa Joe hurt his knee during Monday's tapings in the tag main event that will air next week between himself and AJ Styles against Kurt Angle and Rhino. He should be okay from what it seems like, although he's probably not going to wrestle the TNA house shows this weekend.
Among a bunch of crap, Mick Foley's third autobiography will be coming out in March 2007. I'm going to read at least his first one over again before I get the new one. People mention things that they read in his books that I don't even remember reading. I did read the books as soon as they came out, so it's been a while.
Jimmy Yang's valet got canned.
Antonio Inoki of New Japan met with Johnny Ace or somebody this week. It will probably result in something just as eventful and exciting as the other meetings they've reported about on the dot com.
Charlie Haas is a father! And black, too.
According to a press release, the new Wrestling Society X promotion will be "creating an experience that will alter viewers lives irrevocably." INTRIGUING~!
Time for some matches for some shows.
Friday Night SmackDown
- London, Kendrick & Yang vs. Regal, Taylor & Helms
- Joey Mercury vs. Matt Hardy
- Undertaker & Kane vs. MVP & Mr. Kennedy
- Funaki vs. Chavo Guerrero
- Vito vs. Sylvan
- John Cena vs. Finlay
ROH in Hartford, CT – 12/22/06
- ROH World Tag Team Championship
Christopher Daniels & Matt Sydal vs. CIMA & Shingo
- Bryan Danielson vs. Homicide vs. Nigel McGuinness vs. Samoa Joe
- FIP Heavyweight Championship
Roderick Strong vs. Davey Richards
- The Briscoes vs. The Kings of Wrestling
- Colt Cabana vs. Brent Albright
- Delirious vs. Adam Pearce
- BJ Whitmer & Daizee Haze vs. Jimmy Jacobs & Mercedes Martinez
You are spot on with that one man......I could watch it for hours.
Damn straight.
Keir Turner has some thoughts on the great Russo debate:
Hi - just wanted to say that for the most part, I agreed with what you said in today's (Dec 8th) response to the guy who despises Russo, but I do think that losses can devalue someone, no matter how well they perform, or how high quality a match they put on, and my case in point would be Chris Jericho. Now, Jericho is one of my favorite wrestlers, and in my opinion, he had the best combination of in-ring skills, and promo skills (with the possible exception of Shawn Michaels) in WWE. But, they made him lose big match after big match, to the point that, in my estimation, he essentially became WWE's resident main event jobber. There's no question in my mind, that despite being the first undisputed champion, Jericho had been devalued to the point where it was much more significant to get a win over HHH, Austin, Rock, Undertaker, Mick Foley (before his retirement), etc....
Anyhow, to make a long story short, my point is wins and losses can matter, regardless of how well a feud and/or match is booked.
Keep up the great work with the column.
Losing never hurt Jericho in the eyes of the fans. For proof of that, just look at his work from the time Cena came to RAW until the night after SummerSlam '05 when Jericho got fired. The reason that it's more significant to get a win over the guys you listed over Jericho is because Jericho was never pushed as a legit main event star. Jericho was always a tier below, even when he was the Undisputed Champ.
I have some feedback from Manu Bumb! In quotations is the stuff he quoted from my column last week:
"In the end, the fans don't care so much about who wins and loses as long as everything comes off looking great. "
youre right. and you're right that joe didnt lose anything by losing to angle. the only person hurt by any of this is that rising mid-carder who was going to hand joe his first loss and make a name for himself doing it. Angle gained nothing by beating him. Sure, when that mid-carder surprises everyone and beats joe, it'll still mean something, because joe's a badass, but now, they won't get the bragging rights. That's the only reason I think Joe shouldn't have lost. Not saying he should've beaten Angle, just that they shouldnt have ended the streak with angle.
I'm also in favor of russo booking, as long as someone is there to filter his ideas. Remember his Nitro main event, featuring the return of the Outsiders facing off against four....gigantic breasts? seriously, that one woman was insane. and nothing happened! they just flirted, and went off the air. No sneak attack, no nothing! THAT is the crap that needs to be filtered.
Russo taking this jack-ass character of Chris Sabin that was kinda dropped in his lap, and making him into a cocky youngster who might get to wrestle Jerry Lynn, is something thats good.
"Cena lost a bunch of big matches en route to his US Title push (to ‘Taker at Vengeance '03, Angle at No Mercy '03, a #1 Contendership triple threat match with Big Show and Angle where he tapped to Kurt at NWO '04) , and all of those good, close, hard fought matches only served to make him look good and help him get over. "
um.......yeah, i dont even know where to begin.
Although, you bring up a good point - lots of wrestler have lost. Austin, Rock, Cena, heck, even Angle himself, but none of them (other than Angle) had an undefeated streak. Joe did. A long one. One that meant something.
"Unless TNA starts to seriously value wrestling over trying to do storylines and angles, the belt IS a prop. No matter if the belt changes hands a lot – if a bunch of different guys want it and they all have a feasible chance of getting it, the title still means something even if somebody doesn't hold it for a year straight. "
I totally agree. Multiple world champs mean multiple guys capable of winning the title. That doesn't hurt the title. Might hurt the wrestlers, that there isn't one head and shoulders above the rest of the guys, but it makes for some interesting tv.
As far as the winning streak is concerned, oh well. It's over now and it's been a month. Time to get over it. My point with those guys you mentioned also had very little to do with the context you seem to have understood it. I wasn't talking in concern to his undefeated streak, but rather to the point that just because Joe lost doesn't mean all of a sudden his momentum has stopped. Plus, as far as I'm concerned his streak doesn't mean shit anyway, because even though he went unpinned and unsubmitted, he still lost matches. That didn't happen to Goldberg.
Rick Funcannon, a long time reader of this here column, has the last word from the readers' fingertips:
I agree Show seems to have put more into his in-ring effort since joining ECW. I too will be sad to see him go. Show had a lot of weaknesses and a lot of strengths. His biggest strength was his personality and unfortunatly they didnt utilize that strength
nearly enough. His comedy bits that he did a few years ago were brilliant and he stole the show on Saturday Night Live as a special guest when the Rock hosted. In his fued with a pre DX heel HHH(broken hand angle) he was OVER as a face huge but they decided to make him an angry huge heel monster in ECW. That was another problem with Show. WWE could never pick a face or heel personality for him and stick with it. He was always turning for no reason and for a considerable amount of time I dont think anyone knew if he was a face or heel. Kind of like what they have done with Kane. One huge weakness he had was his size which limited the amount of offense for his opponents and when he faced big power move wrestlers his matches could be downright ugly. He only had a handful of offensive moves and the power wrestler facing him was usally
forced to use a punch/kick offense. This is why he was rarely held the big belt. He couldnt put on 20-25 minute classic matches in a main event. A lot of the time WWE didnt seem to know what to do with him which is sad because I still belive he could have been a mega-face and super over with the crowd if they had played his character the right way.
They definitely didn't use Show to his full potential, and both WWE and Show himself are to blame.
That's all I got this week. For Armageddon:
Cena & Batista, Kane, Kennedy, Chavo, Yang, Boogeyman, Regal & Taylor
