High Road/Low Road 01.05.07: The Paparazzi Championship Series
Posted by Chad Nevett on 01.05.2007
The Paparazzi Championship Series has been going on during the past few Impacts. Is it a good idea to be having the Paparazzi Championship Series or a bad idea? You decide in this week's High Road/Low Road!
Welcome back to the High Road/Low Road! A brief explanation of the column: Uncle Trunx takes the Low Road (negative view) on angles, gimmicks, and other wrestling related "stuff" while Sat takes the High Road (positive view).
Uncle Trunx: Now then, as it's a New Year, I have a New Year challenge for all our loyal readers out there. I will give an *award to the first reader who gets a sign onto TV which says "I'm voting Low Road". If you can do it while the Miz or Khali are on screen, you can have two *awards. If they beat you up, then that's your lookout. As far as I'm concerned, it's "heel heat"…
If you can go back in time and get one up while Federline is on screen, I'll give you three *awards!
Sat might want to pick something to try to get a "High road" sign, but I'll leave that up to him! I'll also leave it up to him if he wants to give those who do so an *award…
*imaginary. This is the internet after all, and I'm too tight to buy actual awards!
The Results for the Kevin Federline:
High Road: 39%
Low Road: 45%
Both Roads: 15%
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.
Wesley Rice Writes:
I went low road this week. I don't think Kevin Federline who has never done anything in wrestling should be allowed to main event any wrestling show let alone the flagship show of WWE. I do not think that he will even draw a big rating he doesn't exactly have a fan base. I also don't see people who hate him will tune in because they think wrestling is fake so I don't think they will tune into see Federline have what they believe a fake fight. If he were to have a boxing match than I think people would watch that because they know he would get hurt, but in wrestling they don't think he will get hurt so they want be interested.
Sat: He probably doesn't deserve to be in the ring, but the WWE is hoping that his appearance can help draw a good rating. Most people will probably watch just for the intrigue factor.
Uncle Trunx: I must admit, Federline has a certain hate-able charisma to him; he might even make an entertaining manager if they want to keep using him. Personally, I'd rather not see him actually in the ring again, but my dislike of celebrities in a wrestling ring is well known.
Frightened Inmate #2
I voted both roads this week for a few reasons.
I was tempted to vote for the High Road because in Federline's brief appearances so far he has at least succeeded in delivering effective promos and took focus away from a potentially dreadful Cena-Umaga feud. Hopefully his appearances will mean that a feud with Nitro could be down the line for Cena thus elevating Nitro who has been improving all over the place this year. One of his weakness is his promos so having K-Fed around might mean that's not a factor. Mainly I am hoping for Nitro to be elevated out of this otherwise it's a low road…
Sat: Johnny Nitro has shown massive signs of improvement. When I first saw him, I thought he had no chance. I don't think that Federline is going to help Nitro down the road; Federline did his job which was to help to Nitro in the short term.
Uncle Trunx:
Frightened Inmate #2? That's a great name! Does it refer to a particularly traumatizing episode in your earlier life? I also hope Nitro will be elevated, although I think his in ring work with Jeff Hardy will be as much of a factor if it does happen.
This week's High Road/Low Road featuring...
Paparazzi Championship Series
High Road:
The Paparazzi Championship Series has helped to create some difference between the participants. Jay Lethal and Sonjay Dutt were two guys who would just go out and wrestle. Alex Shelley has shown some great strides in his character since joining Kevin Nash. The Paparazzi Championship Series has helped to enforce Senshi's character. Granted, all of the participants' character has not been defined perfectly, but the differences are starting to show. Before, they were all the same and now the differences are starting to show.
Low Road:
To me, the Paparazzi Championship series has shifted the focus away from the talent and onto the skits, in typical Russo fashion. I agree that the participants need clearly defined characters but I'm not convinced that this is working.
High Road:
The Paparazzi Championship Series allows for Kevin Nash to appear in backstage stuff and it keeps him out of the ring. Kevin Nash has shown the ability to have some entertaining skits backstage. The Paparazzi Championship Series also keeps Kevin Nash out of the ring. Kevin Nash isn't the greatest wrestler and he also known for his "injuries". Kevin Nash is an excellent person to have in backstage segments and the Paparazzi Championship Series allows for that.
Low Road:
While Nash is undoubtedly an entertaining character, using up valuable TV time on such skits takes away valuable wrestling time. With fewer skits like these, there might be more time for actual wrestling. That way, these talented wrestlers might get to compete in matches where they have more of a chance to shine and get noticed.
High Road:
Right now, TNA only has one hour to showcase all of the wrestlers. The Paparazzi Championship Series is allowing for Sonjay Dutt, Austin Starr, Alex Shelley, Senshi and Jay Lethal to get some valuable air time. Sonjay Dutt and Jay Lethal are really benefiting from this because without the Paparazzi Championship Series, they would only get the occasionally appearance on Impact. Without the Paparazzi Championship Series, these guys would not be on TV as much. Kudos to TNA for recognizing this.
Low Road:
Sadly, I think all it's serving to do is dilute them as a group. If they were given more time as individuals, it might be enough to make me care about them. As it is, they're just getting time in this mess of a series and it's not showing me the difference between them at all; the focus is on the match, not the participants. It's typical Russo booking and it'll be to none of their benefit. If any become stars it will be in spite of, not because of this series. What they really need is another hour of TV time, but that's another debate for another day.
High Road:
The Paparazzi Championship Series has done a good job in getting all of us at home to laugh. DX and VKM have tried to be funny, but both groups have not been funny. The Paparazzi Championship Series has been hilarious. The jokes about Sonjay Dutt being on steroids and his triceps injuries, Alex Shelley having clymidia, etc have been hilarious. If a segment is funny, then it always helps the people involved. This will be true for the Paparazzi Championship Series.
Low Road:
Some of them have been funny, some less so. As I said above, fewer skits and more wrestling would make me more interested in this. I'll agree that it's been a hell of a lot better than the VKM nonsense, but even so it's not helping establish the X division as a serious title division.
High Road:
The X-Division has been about three guys (Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, & Christopher Daniels). TNA has tried to move on, but they have been unable to. That's where the Paparazzi Championship Series comes in. The Paparazzi Championship Series will help to elevate some of the participants into contenders for the X-Division Title. I could seriously buy any of these competitors as the X-Division champion. Senshi did not have a good run as X-Division champion, but if he becomes champion again, then he should have a decent run.
Low Road:
I could not buy any of these guys as contenders. They need to do a lot more work with them to get me to take the division seriously again, and that work doesn't involve jokes about clymidia. There is a lot of potential there and some extremely talented wrestlers. I just feel that Russo booking and infantile jokes are not the way to establish the X division.
Are you taking the High Road or the Low Road?
High Road/Low Road Plugs
We are taking the high road on these articles so you should read them...
There are other articles that we didn't list, so check them out as well.
E-mail us your reasons for taking the High Road or the Low Road and suggestions for future High Road/Low Road at satuncletrunx@gmail.com. Your reply will be included in next week's column
