The MeeThinks Saturday Spectacular 04.07.07
Posted by John Meehan on 04.07.2007
Looks like somebody's getting more hate mail from Test in their Easter basket this year...
Hi all! Hope WrestleMania lived up to your expectations. Though I had a chance to attend the show, I opted to save the cash and invest it in a Disney World vacation for Mee and the ladyfriend instead, so I had to settle for catching the Big Dance on pay-per-view. No big deal, though, as I'm already putting the screws to everybody I know to join Mee in a WrestleMania trip NEXT year when The Grandaddy of Them All makes its way to sunny Orlando, Florida!
Oh damn... looks like another Disney trip in the works. Whatever will I do?
Anyhow --
All this Disney talk reminds Mee: I'm going to Disney World this weekend! By the time you'll be reading this column, chances are I'll be rubbing elbows with the Mouse and/or screaming my lungs out on Expedition Everest (for the forty-seventh time, I'm sure). Either way, a five-day break from the nine-to-five grind will be a much-welcomed respite, and so you'll have to forgive Mee in advance if this week's column is a bit short on the "newz" side of things. Priorities, you know...
On the bright side:
In the wake of WrestleMania, news round the intrawebz has actually been pretty slow over the past seven days -- so if I had to pick a week to slack off on newz updates and sneak away from the webz, this one seems as good as any! Thankfully, MeeThinks is still going strong with plenty of new, EXCLUSIVE content ourtesy of the latest installment of Mee vs. TEST (yup, he's back!)... so be sure to scroll on down to the bottom of this column for more on the hottest feud to hit the IWC since Andy Milonakis threw down with 411's own Bayani Domingo way back in February.
Alright, enough jibber jabber. Let's start the show!
Rock & roll.
On Tap This Week
Colt Cabana Signs With WWE
Carlito "Not Cool" About WrestleMania Omission
McMahon Kids Quibble Over 'Mania Plans
You TOO Can Ride Like 'Da Champ!
Vince's Next Opponent: Rey Mysterio?
MTv Puts Final Nail in WSX's [Exploding, Barbwire-covered] Coffin
I kid, actually, as CM Punk is doing tremendously well in his "lone wolf"-outsider role against ECW's New Breed as of now. Though the mark in Mee would absolutely go nuts to see Punk rally the Second City Saints to take on the New Breed (shoot, we're gonna' need one more member...) and an ECW "gang war" ensue thereafter (New Breed vs. Originals vs. Second City Saints), logic says that Ace Steele and Colt Cabana are still a while off from being brought up to WWE television, and CM Punk is doing a good job of winning fans right now *without* anybody around to watch his back.
Still, it's awesome to see Colt Cabana get a shot at the big time. You'll note that a month or so ago when Wrestling Society X was canned, I *totally* called this one, by the way ;-). If you're not all that familiar with Colt's work, YouTube some of his stuff with Punk from their days in Ring Of Honor. Not only is he a great comedy sidekick, but he's also busted ass and proven to be VERY competent (and violent!) in his ROH feud against Homicide from last year. Oh yeah, and in case you were still curious as to whether or not the kid has the moveset to last more than your standard TV bout in the ring... that kickass, 60-minute time-limit 2-out-of-3-falls draw against Bryan Danielson from August of last year should answer that one for you in no time.
So to recap: Colt Cabana in WWE = Awesome. Though pairing him with CM Punk (just yet) isn't necessarily gonna' happen, he could easily carve out a comedy/capable Christian-type role in WWE's midcard if given the chance. Should be interesting to see what WWE can do with him in the months to come!
Though it's totally understandable that Carlito might be peeved after being left off the 'Mania card, here's why MeeThinks this is all a work, folks:
"But they're showing disrespect by not having Ric Flair at Wrestlemania and even more disrespect by not having Carlito there."
See the bolded part? Do you *really* believe that a second-generation wrestler like Carlos "Carlito" Colon *ACTUALLY* thinks that it's more disrespectful to leave HIM off the show than it is to leave a certifiable legend like Ric Flair off the show?
Not likely.
Does Carlito have a pissant attitude? No doubt. Is he likely sore about playing the plucky, second fiddle babyface to a guy pushing sixty? Absolutely. But does he *really* think that it's a greater insult to leave HIM off the card than it is to snub Ric Flair? Come on, folks. And besides -- Carlito's entire interview (save the babyface comment) refers to himself in the third person. Do you *really* think a guy legitimately "breaking character" actually goes to the mainstream media and refers to himself in the third person throughout the interview (ala "The Rock says The Rock is gonna lay the smack down, and The Rock is gonna...")?
Again, not likely.
So is Carlito legitamately sore? Probably, but MeeThinks this one is just another example of a WWE-sanctioned "mainstream" media leak purposely designed to sew the seeds for the inevitable Carlito heel turn in a few weeks/months time. Just like the IWC was told "Batista is scheduled to beat Undertaker at WrestleMania!" to pique our interest on that one, a whiny-assed heel-to-be in Carlito is probably nothing more than a worked-shoot character with the full approval of WWE.
Word 'round the webz is that the McMahon children were a bit peeved that Dave Meltzer and the Wrestling Observer newsletter leaked a few spoilers and backstage news bits in the hours just prior to The Big Dance. You know the ones... "Money In The Bank to open the show," "Batista & 'Taker pissed about not going on last," "Cena to get the big entrance of the night," etc., etc., etc.
Look, folks --
This is no big deal. Leaking match *order* and match *entrances* is a LOT different than leaking match *outcomes*. If WWE really wanted to crack down on this sort of thing, they could easily leak "fake spoilers" to select members of their team only to see which ones hit the dirtsheets the fastest. That way, if you told Employee X (and ONLY Employee X) that such-and-such was to happen (and then you read that same report on the web moments later), you could pinpoint your leak to Employee X (and ONLY Employee X alone, since he was the only person to know about the plans that were leaked)... at which point you fire the guy and move on. Basic Joe Stalin-omics 101.
Instead, what we learned is that (surprise, surprise) word gets around pretty quick backstage at WWE events. Veterans like The Undertaker feel peeved that they're not booked for later in the show, and people pick up on it and send word of these things the way of the World Wide Webz. Not really a "spoiler" as much as it's an observation, really. Money in the Bank being booked to start the show -- again, while a nice little nugget of newz to keep fans interested -- is hardly a monumental surprise to many longtime wrasslin' fans. Shoot, opening the show with a high-adrenaline contest usually means that you're doing your best to start the show on a high note. If anything, I'd argue that the leak that this match would be starting the show might, in fact, have convinced some otherwise-skeptical last-second buyers to finally plunk down the $50 and just order the damned show to see what all the hype was about.
So again, non-news.
As far as the John Cena/Motor City entrance goes, however...
If you're a motor-minded wrasslin' fan with a few extra bucks to burn, YOU TOO can rent one of those sweet ass Mustang Shelby GT's like John Cena drove into WrestleMania 23 -- for the low, low price of just about $100 a day through Hertz rent-a-car! Seeing as how these bad-boys are limited run with a retail price starting in and around the 30k range (though collectors are already selling 'em on eBay and the like for -- get this -- $50,000 or more!!!), if you're in the market for some Mustang Shelby GT-cruisin experience, renting might be your only option if you ever wanna' get behind the wheel of one of these bad boys. My dad rented one last year while in (surprise!) Orlando for the day, and he said it was "the best ride ever!!" Seeing as how Dad's somewhat of a car/motorcycle/anything with a loud engine enthusiast... I'd say if you can afford it, go for it. I have a '97 Mustang myself, and I'll be the first to attest that if you're not careful -- you can really open those suckers up and find yourself flying down the highways in excess of 80 mph at a moment's notice.
Not that I've ever done such a thing, of course.
Anyhow -- head on over to www.stangnet.com/ford-mustang/shelby-gt-h-promo-video.html and check out the Shelby video they've got hosted right there on the page. Then compare it to John Cena's video from this past Sunday's WrestleMania entrance... and you tell Mee which one looks like more fun.
My vote? Shelby over Cena, hands down.
(That said, if you're one of the few whining about the "lameness" of Cena's WrestleMania entrance this year, please stop. Last year they go over-the-top with gangsters and barbarian outfits, and everybody complains. This year, they reign things in and go a less cartoonish route, and once again -- damned if ya' do, damned if ya' don't. Come on fellas -- and ladies -- cut 'Da Champ a break, will ya?)
Since we're still months away from the August pay per view, MeeThinks it's probably safe to file this one (as well as the "Ric Flair to retire at WrestleMania 24" rumors) under "believe it when you see it."
That said, however --
Pitting Mysterio against McMahon is hardly the worst idea I've heard from WWE in recent months. After all, Rey Rey was damaged goods ever since his disasterous run as World Champion from last year, and so anything WWE can do to restore the guy's credibility is probably a better idea than not. Sure, beating up on a fifty-something non-wrestler is hardly "credible" these days... but the bottom line is that NOBODY is over like Vince McMahon when it comes to WWE's heel roster, and if Vinny Mac can succeed in getting guys like Umaga and Bobby Lashley over (in spite of their collective lack of microphone skill and the like), I see no reason why the Chairman couldn't do the same for a former World Champion like Rey Mysterio.
So sure, their styles might clash (McMahon's "garbage brawls" versus Mysterio's "high-flyer"), but the benefits totally outweigh the drawbacks in the long run -- so mark Mee down as "cautiously optimistic" for this one.
WSX News
MTv Done with WSX Viacom Cans Finale, Frees Talent to Sign Elsewhere
Well there you have it. Nothing much to say here, except stay tuned for the inevitable DVD box set (featuring "never-before-seen footage!"), and that at least the death of WSX means that its "stars" are free to seek employment elsewhere. Again, to recap my predictions from a few weeks ago...
Teddy Hart (WWE) Matt Classic a.k.a. Colt Cabana (WWE)
Aaron Aguilera (WWE or TNA)
Jack Evans (TNA)
Syxx-Pac (groan... pick a fed)
Matt Sydal (a longshot -- but TNA? perhaps...)
One down, five to go!
YouThinks Reader Mail:
Well readers, we seem to be at a bit of a standoff. Remember when The Undertaker fought "The UnderFaker" all those years ago? Yup, it's kinda' like that.
Last week, MeeThinks received an angry, inarticulate nugget of hate mail from a reader claiming to be none other than Andrew "Test" Martin. In case you missed it the first time around, here's what it said:
learn before you speak
Have you ever wrestled a match in your life? No! your [sic] just some little bitch who wishes he looked like me and [sic] jerk off to the pictures of the girls I get. I'm a multimillionare....[sic] what do you do? Make accusations that aren't true and [sic] have no clue what your talking about. I'm 32 and never have to work again in my life. I'm worth more money than you will ever see in your life and my girlfriend is someone you could never get..[sic] hell I wouldn't like me either. While I sit here in my penthouse on the water, you are probably giving another lousy assessment about a wrestler you wish you could be. So while your busy delivery [sic] pizzas and trying to pay your bills, just always stop and remember you should think before you open your minimum wage ass mouth...[sic] oh yeah and the fact that I'll be doing what ever [sic] I want because I'm better than you at everything and the things I;m [sic] not like being a computer geek, hell I'll just pay someone to do it! Have a nice day being miserable while I'll be at the beach with the hottest girl in the world..[sic]BIATCH!...[sic]TEST
Wow... just wow.
This week, however, MeeThinks was graced with yet ANOTHER e-mail from our favorite former Extremist. This time, however, it hails from a different e-mail address *and* it bears a markedly different tone. See for yourselves!
Wow, you really don't like me.
Let me preface this by saying I am Andrew Martin, wether [sic] you choose to believe it or not.
I don't read your column, I'm sorry to say, although I doubt you would consider that a bad thing. A friend of mine pointed it out to me, after an imposter said what was said.
You can already assume that I was not the original emailer.
With that being said, I wish to address some of the things you said about me.
Now, don't get your panties in a bunch, I am not going to go off on a tirade and insult you. I just wanted to say that I was actually offended by some of the things you said. If you don't like me, fine, what justification do you have to verbally attack me in a place you know I won't defend myself?
Yes, I've taken steroids. Why should you wish me dead for that? A lot of other wrestlers have taken steroids, yet you forgive them?
And, as for my work, and j-o-bing to Bobby Lashley, that was my job. I was paid to do that. Maybe I am not the best worker in the business, but, at least, the WWE thought I was entertaining enough to hire me. Twice.
I have made mistakes, I never claimed to be perfect (my character, on the other hand....) and I accept the consequences for my mistakes. There is no reason why you should drag these things out like so much dirty laundry. Those in glass houses....
Now, if your beef with me isn't enough, you attack my girlfriend. For no other reason than to hurt someone that you knew wasn't me in the first place.
If you don't think she is very attractive, that is your opinion. I think she is. My opinion. As for talent in the ring, she is learning. No one starts out great.
And, it's none of your business what our romantic relationship is like.
Again, to close, if you don't like me, fine, there is no reason to berate me like you did. There are a lot of people I don't like, I just ignore them.
I hope this settles a few things.
Oh, and before you go outrage again; No, I am not using my actual email. I do that so I don't have to bother with an onslaught of negativity (although, I am sure you can find it, if you really wanted to).
To end on a high note, I do not wish you death, in fact, I wish you well. You are a proud wrestling fan, who believes in the product. We need more of that.
All in all, I enjoyed what you wrote about WrestleMania 23. The last part, I didn't like.
Yours,
Andrew Martin.
A few points to consider here...
1) Isn't it interesting how anyone ever insulted by a web column "had their friend point it out to them?"
2) You say I insulted "someone that you knew wasn't me in the first place." On the contrary, "Andrew," I said from the second I printed my last column that: "[I'm] still not sold that this letter is from such a huge, important, self-admitted 'multimillionare' who lives in a 'penthouse on the water' with 'the hottest girl in the world.'" Given the tone of the first "Test" e-mail (and its preponderance of personal attacks), I'd say I'm more than well within my right to stick up for myself by lobbing a few zingers back "Test's" way, wouldn't you say?
3) Andrew, "Andrew," Test, or whoever you may be -- the online wrestling column is hardly a platform that's immune to its share of give-and-take. You're more than welcome to "defend yourself" and express viewpoints other than mine. Which is precisely why I print reader mail in the first place.
4) Never wished death on you, dude. What I said was "Here's hoping your steroid use doesn't catch up with you in the form of an early grave!" Sarcastic though it may be, my point was that abusing drugs is stupid, and if you really are/were the same unapologetic asshat who sent that first e-mail, then you should seriously check your attitude and get a clue -- drug-abusing wrestlers drop like flies. If you (or "you", or whoever) would rather insult a web columnist for calling you out instead of take personal responsibility for (what many perceive to be) drug abuse, then you're clearly missing the bigger picture and putting yourself in jeopardy.
5) To those remarks I made about Barbie "Kelly Kelly" Blank. Once again, even if what was said was a bit on the "offending" side, given the content (and tone) of the first "Test" e-mail, you'd be hard-pressed to argue that it wasn't relevant. E-mail #1, "Test" calls her "the hottest girl in the world" (I say "she's not"). E-mail #1, "Test" swears that she (and many of the divas) are the reason I watch wrestling (I say "she's not," and I point to her lack of talent as just one reason why I'm not impressed). And e-mail #1, "Test" swears he's retired and will be livin' it up on a beach with his lady by his side for the rest of his days (I sat "not likely," since she's still very young and since "Test" no longer draws a WWE paycheck).
All that said, though...
Since Test/"Test"/someone claiming to be "Test"/etc. took the time to write not one but TWO e-mails... I figured it'd only be fair to give the guy his day in the court of public opinion. After all, maybe I was a bit too harsh on the guy the first time around -- that first e-mail could have been a total fabrication, no? Then again (when you consider the alleged source on this one) -- is it more fair to assume that "Test" is a roided-up, woefully inarticulate hothead OR that he's a reserved, respectful and non-confrontational semi-"star" of yesteryear?
Here's where you come in, readers...
Rather than make the judgment call as to which "Test" is the real one all by myself, I'm leaving the decision up to YOU! So take a second, re-read each of the "Test" e-mails in question, and LET YOUR VOICE BE HEARD in the first ever YouThinks Reader Poll below!
Chime in with YOUR VOTES and tune in next week for the results!
Apparently, some readers have already made their decisions on this matter. Take, for example, fellow D.C.-resident Brian Jerry:
I am a regular reader of all of 411 Mania's squared circle articles (espeically MEEThinks) and I appreciated reading the response that you gave to that drugged up loser "Whoops, I Just Failed Another 'Roids" Test. Andrew is a loser and his comments just confirmed his character. I enjoyed you telling that jerk off (pun intended. Lol). The sarcastic line about the European Titles was absolutely priceless. Way to go!!!!!!
- Brian Jerry,
Washington DC
Thanks for the support, Brian. Now to be fair, we don't know if the first e-mailer *was*, in fact, Test... but if he was? You're absolutely correct that it's well within our rights as fans to call the dude out for being such an unapologetic ass about the whole "I'm a big star"/steroid thing. European Championship runs are hardly something to write home about. Just ask Mideon.
For the record, however -- though I know it sounds like I often come down a bit harder on Test in particular for the steroid thing, I just want the point to be made that steroid use -- as a rule and for ALL parties -- is DANGEROUS and stupid. Personally speaking, I'd much rather see a drug-free wrestler with a modicum of in-ring ability than a roided-up gym-jockey who can barely throw a headlock without losing his breath. Wrestlers who refuse to apologize and/or accept responsibility for using or abusing substances like these need a SERIOUS wake-up call.
Frankly, I would MUCH rather bust their balls in a web column (where they're more than welcome to chime in with a reply, as our friend "Test" might well have done this week) than read their obituary from an enlarged heart ten years from now. Test, Steiner, you name it -- I'd much rather see each of them offended than dead.
Ted likewise dug my tet-a-tet with Test:
Approved
I hope Test Andrew Martin writes you back, so I can get another laugh. I enjoy all the articles you have on wrestling. At least you don't claim to be an expert and only give opinions, wish you and your writing comrades future success.
By the way, where and what is Scott Hall doing these days?
- Ted
Thanks for writing, Ted. Feel free to compare this week's "Test" letter to last week's and vote away! As for my "expert attitude" 'round these parts, you're absolutely right -- too often, somebody gets an internet column and assumes that they automatically know EVERYTHING there is to know about pro wrestling and its goings-on. I'm happy to say that I'm just another fan of the pseudo-sport like the rest of y'all, and that the only "expertise" I bring to this column is a rich knowledge of some two-and-a-half decades of pro wrestling fandom... but again, that's hardly any more or less "expert" than many of your average wrestling fans out there today.
The point of this column is (and always has been) to encourage fans to lighten up, check their "smart" attitude at the door, and simply enjoy the show for what it is so as not to take EVERY little thing that goes on as being "life or death" serious. At the end of the day -- it's just fake fighting, folks. Gotta' keep perspective, ya' know?
As for Scott Hall, last report on the guy is that he'd packed on the pounds and was looking more and more like a fat Elvis Presley than a svelte Razor Ramon, of late. Sucks, as I've always maintained that Scott Hall was his own worst enemy -- and that if he could only get his act together, he could EASILY have been one of the all-time "greats" that the industry had ever seen. Instead what we've got left is a sad hybrid of Jake Roberts and Curt Hennig -- too talented to be forgotten, but too fucked up to succeed. Though he's probably a solid ten years past his prime even if he *were* sub-free at this point, I can't help but think that a clean and sober Scott Hall could be a tremendous asset to any wrestling company that would have him.
Matthew Alan Roberts would probably fall into the camp of readers who *doesn't* believe EITHER e-mail came from our friend Test:
Dear Sir:
I loved your latest column and agreed with all your Wrestlemania predictions. I think a few of the win loss records may have been off (such as Botchtista being 2 - 0, with wins over Hunter and Rock And Sock Connection, not 3 - 0), but that is not important. I do not believe the moron that sent you that message was really the artist formerly known as Testicles, though the spelling is on Andrew Martin's level. For one thing, I do not think Testicles knows how to turn on a computer, though some how his horse faced ass knows how to turn on the sluts (I did not know he had that Kelly Kelly servicing him).
Sincerely,
Matthew Alan Roberts
Thanks for the e-mail, Matthew. I suppose I'll take your letter as a backhanded compliment my way (and as a backhanded dig the way of one Andrew Martin), so thanks again for the support!
Kerry Cooper also doubts that the e-mailer from last week was, in fact, our pal Test. But his line of thinking is a bit different from Matt's:
I am on my sk3 and can't type out a long drawn out responce, but hands down I think you nailed edge winning the mitb cashing it with the exception that it becomes a handicap match with rko vs taker, randy lets taker dispose of edge, then does the chokeslam rko spot.
Orton takes the belt, ortan takes 2 winning streaks, and he is the legend killer of wrestlemania preportions.
Also I don't think that was test, then again I didn't think matt hardy hated astroboy too, funny how matt ended up getting cheated on after he defended her and killed his push. Just saying...
- Kerry
Thanks for writing, Kerry. Appreciate the feedback on the WrestleMania predictions (we'll get to them in just a second!) -- and it's funny that you'd mention the Matt Hardy/Astroboy hubbub from a few years back, as I was thinking the exact same thing. Of course, Hyatte thought for sure that he was fielding weekly e-mails from Tammy Sytch for a while there, too... so it looks as if misrepresentation of wrestler personalities is hardly a "new" thing among the IWC these days.
That said, I've got the sneaking suspicion that ONE (if not BOTH) of the e-mails I received are, in fact, from Andrew "Test" Martin. After all -- do you *really* think the guy has enough fans who know how to use a computer that would bother to impersonate the guy? Hiyo!
I kid, I kid...
But anyhow -- thanks for the feedback, and we'll get to that WrestleMania stuff right after we look at this e-mail from JoeWCO, who shared our sentiments:
I have the same picks as you. Nicley done. Only one difference. I have Edge winning the Money in the Bank; then in the biggest heel mover ever, on the biggest stage of them all he'll cash in costing Shawn Micheal's his victory celebration. This sets up a fued for Micheals/Edge; which works out well for Triple H's return in August, it also will set up a long awaited fued between Cena and Orton.
The reason I believe this is
1: Edge has proven that he should be in the Main Event
2: Edge lives to be the best bad-guy the WWE has ever seen, doing something like that...spoiling DX's moment in the sun would clearly have him hated more than ever.
Wishful thinking, I know. Either way, I think Edge will win the Money in the Bank for sure.
- Joe WCO
Thanks for writing, Joe. Sadly, it looks like we were BOTH wrong on what all would happen for the Money in the Bank ladder match -- but that's why I love pro wrestling: never a dull moment, and ALWAYS a surprise to be had, even for the "smartest" of fans out there. Of the eight matches on the card, I was only able to get like half of them correct!
Money In The Bank: I said Edge, Kennedy won (0-1) U.S. Title: I said MVP, Benoit won (0-2) ECW Shmozz: I said New Breed, Originals won (0-3) Women's Title: I said Ashley (but no title change), Melina won (let's say 0-3-1, since I was right about the no-title change) Khaneli: I said Khali (1-3-1) Battle of the Bald: I said Trump (2-3-1) World Title: I said Undertaker (3-3-1) WWE Title: I said Cena (4-3-1)
So for all the flack this year's 'Mania is catching for not having any "surprises" out there, I'd say that I was PLEASANTLY surprised by at least THREE of the eight matches out there (based on match outcome alone)! Couple that with MVP's technical wherewithall, the right people going over in each of the title matches, plus the Stone Cold Stunner to Donald Trump, and you've got yourself a solid WrestleMania to remember, if ya' asked Mee. Hope you dug the show as well, Joe!
First time MeeThinks e-mailer Dreamer4er had one last question about this year's WrestleMania card, however:
isn't weird that undertaker won the royal rumble....yet he is not going to be in the main even at wm23?
why not have hbk win the royal rumble...undertaker was going to be at wrestlemania 23 anyway.it would make more sense.but then again we're talking about the wwe.(where almost nothing makes sense).oh yeah..i forgot one thing...smackdown is the bastard stepchild of the wwe.now it makes sense for raw to be the main event.....your thoughts?
-Dreamer4er
Thanks for the question, Dreamer. Short answer: Yes, I do think it's silly that 'Taker won the Rumble only to wrestle in a title match in the middle of the card this year. Then again, Rey Mysterio wrestled for the title in the second-to-last match last year, too... so it's not like this sort of thing is unprecedented.
That said, MeeThinks giving 'Taker the Royal Rumble win simply made better booking sense at this time in his career. The guy is clearly entering the twilight of his tenure, and one of the few remaining jewels not yet added to his already-decorated crown was the fact that he'd never once won a Royal Rumble match. HBK, however, *has* (more than once, no less) -- and so it simply made for a fresher story (even though 'Taker is no spring chicken) to give the guaranteed title shot to a guy who'd never had it in that way before ('Taker), whereas Michaels had to sort through the rest of the RAW roster before earning himself a shot of his own. Simply put, RAW had more "credible" challengers than Smackdown or ECW going into the Rumble -- and so handing out an automatic title shot to a brand with fewer "credible" WrestleMania headliners helped to boost that brand's credibility along the way.
(For as much as we all love Finlay, Booker and Kennedy -- fact is that NONE of them were in the logical position to challenge Batista for the World Title this year at WrestleMania).
From one WrestleMania to another, Doug Bernard has already got his sights set on Orlando 2008!:
Well I know your excited as its another trip to Florida for you but I'm just excited that I finally get to go to a WM. Living in Miami we do not get much in the way of the WWE, one or possibly two shows a year. Yeah we got the Rumble a while back but it wasn't a great one by any means.
All I can think about dude is that party that will be WM during that weekend. And with it being at the Citrus Bowl we are talking tailgate city.
I just wonder will we be seeing all the Meehans there? If so you better put up a big MeeThinks sign so your readers can come say hi.
- Doug Bernard
Thanks for the e-mail, Doug! I think it's high time WWE took some of their marquis shows ('Mania, SummerSlam, the Rumble, etc.) on the road to some of the lesser-traveled stops across the country. WWE claims to be "expanding" its audience each and every day -- so why not reward those new fans with a bang-up show in their hometown? Word has it that the city of Detroit made in excess of a sweet $30 million bucks from hosting 'Mania this year, and so it seems like a no-brainer that markets across the country (and yes, the world) would be vying for Vinny Mac's yearly spectacle to help boost local economy as they garner new fans from every corner of the wrestling audience.
Not like Orlando needs the money, of course ;-)
As for who all will be coming with Mee, that one's still up in the air just yet. To date, I've got my dad and one of my brother's on the "definite" list -- but we each come with a respective "better half" (Mom, my gf, and my brother's gf)... so that makes six if everybody decides to join in the fun. Then there's that whole matter of my youngest brother tagging along as well, and of course you've gotta' save room for a ladyfriend of his, should he decide to make the trip. All told, that'd make eight -- which puts us just one letter shy of a nine-person, one-letter-apiece sign that says "M-E-E-T-H-I-N-K-S!"
Maybe we'll cheat a bit and spell it "MeeThinX" instead... regardless, still gotta' secure those tickets on the morning of the internet pre-sale, or else the entire plan is shot. So the best I can offer is to stay tuned for more details in the months to come, eh?
This week's MeeThinks mailbag was also graced by the presence of another familiar YouThinks reader-mailer, Mark Satrang:
Meehan--
Great column as usual. I haven't written since you got the new Saturday spot and must say I'm liking it. I'm sure it's a little easier on you now too as the writing looks a little less than the marathon essays that used to come out on Tuesdays.
I gotta say I agree with you about not missing the Originals too much if they go away after WrestleMania but my question is who do they get to fill the void as those four have been taking a majority of ECW TV time recently? I'm also with you on the good riddance to Mark Henry, I wonder if that was an investment Vince never wished he made? Also your plan for the new tri-branded PPVs makes sense and while I think you'll see the same eight or nine guys on every show there'll still be another crop of 20 or so guys that should fairly regular PPV paydays and then occasional spot for the Helms, Londricks and Haas & Benjamins of the world, but really how is that really that much different from how it is now?
Keep up the goods over on your side.
Mark Satrang
PS...cheap plug for myself...I recently got hired over at the other guys (Inside Pulse) for the Wrestling section. If you ever take a gander over there look for Historically Speaking by Mark Allen on Thursday afternoons...
Good to hear from you, Mark. And I won't hold that traitorous jump to IP against you *too* much... actually, I'm quite shocked to learn that they've still got a wrestling section at all, to be honest!
To your question, though:
Looks like we won't have to worry about an Originals-free ECW roster for at least a few more weeks, now. With RVD (supposedly) now more likely than ever to re-sign with WWE, it seems as if the WWE brass has saw it fit to keep the guy happy by giving him aNOTHER WrestleMania victory (he's still unbeaten at WM, ya' know) and by surrounding him with a handful of familiar faces to ride out the duration of the New Breed vs. The Originals storyline, at least (by the looks of things) through One Night Stand 3. Throw in a few one-on-one matches, mix up the tag team pairings from each stable every few weeks (Striker & Cor Von, Striker & Thorne, etc.) and top it all off with a gimmick match or two to boot... and you've easily got enough twists and turns to power ECW through the One Night Stand PPV (after which you've got the option to re-sign those Originals still worth something and/or to drop those who've exausted their value at that point).
Thanks to the teased feud between the New Breed and CM Punk, however, the loss of the Originals means that ECW will still have the door wide open for a logical outgrowth to the storyline once the old-time ECW guys have run their course. It's smart, because it builds NEW stars out of OLD feuds, which is precisely what smart booking 101 is designed to do.
(Heck, WWE can even play that Originals/New Breed/Second City Saints reunion/gang war card by that point, if they'd like).
All in all, plenty of options and plenty of time. Should be fun to see how this all plays out!
From the "what if" realm of the MeeThinks mailbag, Jon wants to know if Brock Lesnar coulda' been a contenda!
Hey John,
I was just watching a Brock Lesnar tribute on YouTube and it included were a few clips of the match between Brock and Cena that took place sometime between Wrestlemania 19 and Vengeance. Anyways, I began to think about it and realized that Brock's leaving might have been the reason Cena's rise to the top was accelerated. Actually, I'm not so sure how Brock's absence influenced Cena's rise, but things would have surely gone differently if Brock stuck around.
Just think about that, Brock at his heel peak versus Cena at his face peak. Here's something to consider, Cena is bigger than Brock ever was (from a drawing standpoint) without the benefit of getting major rubs from Rock, Undertaker, Angle, and Hogan. Cena only got Triple H a year into his title reigns. Can you imagine a more enjoyable feud though then Brock vs. Cena? The matches would probably be only decent, but that could have been the next Rock vs. Austin, two major, new stars in a feud capable of making both men's careers.
What is your opinion on how Brock's leaving affected Cena's eventual rise to the top? How do you think things would have gone had Brock stuck around? Do you think Brock vs. Cena could have been an amazing feud and capable of a Wrestlemania trilogy (a la Rock/Austin)?
Your 411 Fan,
- Jon
Thanks for writing, Jon.
The short answer, in my humble opinion, is "no" -- but I do believe that you are absolutely right in pointing out how Cena's rise and Lesnar's departure are directly related.
JBL found himself in Smackdown's placeholder-top-level-heel role thanks to Brock's exit from WWE, and much of Cena's initial push came as the result of the fact that Bradshaw was just so damned willing to look like an ass and get himself punked out in order to make Cena into the bigger star along the way. If Brock were still running roughshod over Smackdown's title picture these days, MeeThinks Cena's arrival at the top might not have been met with the same degree of success and enthusiasm to which it has been received, as WWE clearly had no problems making him look like an absolute chump when stacked against Brock in his earliest days as the "one to watch."
That said --
If (and when?) Brock Lesnar fails at Mixed Martial Arts (maybe three or four good ass-kickings into it), you can BET that money will start talking and Lesnar will be all the more inclined to consider his options and revisit the notion to step back into a professional wrestling ring. While this by no means guarantees that Brock will, in fact, re-sign with WWE (or that he will be met with open arms by the wrestling fan faithful should he decide to come back one day), the bottom line is that there is still PLENTY of mileage to be had from a smartly-booked "I'm too good for pro wrestling" Brock Lesnar character, and if handled correctly, I see no reason why he couldn't make for one hell of a draw if/when he finally decides to give pro wrestling one more go after his latest non-wrestling venture goes the way of his NFL dreams.
If that's the case...
Then you KNOW Lesnar would have to be the heel in the mix, and that Cena would have to be the babyface. But until ALL the wrestling fans are willing to rally behind John Cena as their "it" guy, I'm hesitant to put the man in the ring against such a universally-distained performer as Brock "Too Good For This Shit" Lesnar, as fans might just meet the entire program with a "screw ya'z BOTH!" response ala Brock/Goldberg at WrestleMania XX in MSG -- and that, my friend, would be a *very* bad thing for all parties involved.
One last bit of reader mail, since we're clearing out the old inbox. This one's from Tom:
Just a quick word that I really enjoy your column...
- Tom
ps who's that in the GIF?
Thanks for reading, Tom! The fine young specimen you see in my animated banner at the top of each week's column is none other than TNA's resident "Crowd Plant Hottie." I met/saw her on my trip to the Impact Zone last July, and basically she's a professional model/local good-looking female/etc. who's paid by TNA to come to each of their shows and cheer for the guys in the ring. The thinking on their part is since she's "hot," the crowd around her will stay fired up for whatever she's cheering for in hopes to impress the girl. By the third hour of the TNA taping (Xplosion, I believe it was) -- it became painfully obvious that the poor girl was just there to "do her job" and keep the crowd pumped even though it was clear we'd burnt ourselves out. At one point, she even turned to us and said "come on guys, just a few minutes more!" which I thought was pretty freakin' hysterical.
And With That, I'm Outta' Here
Thanks again for reading, all. Sorry we were shorter on the usual batch of rumors and gossip than usual, but here's hoping that the uberhelping of reader mail (plus the cameo appearance by "Test 2.o") more than compensated for what might have otherwise been a slow news week. 'Till next time, enjoy the week in wrestling (somebody TiVo RAW and ECW for Mee, eh?), have a happy Easter (I'll be sure to say "Hi" to Donald Duck for ya'!), and always stay positive!
