The Goodness 04.11.07: Five-in-One
Posted by on 04.11.2007
One topic is not enough! Rants forthcoming on attendance figures, MVP, YouTube, Bastista/Undertaker and John Cena. Good stuff here, I promise.
I want to begin by thanking everyone that has taken the time to write me after reading my column. Shockingly, I don't get paid to do this so getting e-mails and feedback is why I do this I suppose. It's about sharing my opinions, sparking an opinion in the reader and get to thinking bout wrestling. I think it's kind of neat when you look at it that way. Anyway, thanks again and even if I don't respond, I definitely read any piece of feedback I get. Unless my spam protection gets a hold of it and I don't see it for weeks. That sucks. Instead of my usual, brilliant, one-topic column (sarcasm, of course), I've decided to change things up this week because I got too much on my mind. That's a good thing. I think.
The Goodness 04.11.07: Five-in-One
Attendance
It seems as if WrestleMania in Detroit means attendance disputes regarding the WWE. It's part of wrestling lore that the WWF drew 93,000 to the Silverdome in 1987 for WrestleMania III, you know Hogan, Andre, Steamboat/Savage, the whole bit. In recent years, this number has been disputed because someone said the WWF actually only had 78,000 and the 93,000 figure was a sham. This, of course, ignores the evidence that the Silverdome held 80,000+ without a soul on the field and there doesn't appear to be an empty seat in the house. Oh, and it was listed in the Guinness Book of World Records, which is kind of a big deal. I highly doubt they would add an entry without verifying it since they verify silly things like how many gumballs you can fit in your mouth and such.
The WWE is again confronted with the rumor that there were only 74,000 people at WrestleMania 23, not the announced 81,000 or so. I find this silly because, really, who cares? The WWE drew 70,000+ to a wrestling show in an era when the wrestling business is supposedly in a down swing. There's no Rock, Austin or, heck, even Triple H to fill the place. Yet the WWE did it. It's another example of people in wrestling not associated with the WWE trying to bring the #1 down. Yet, there's so much about the WWE that can be picked at, who cares about the attendance. Did you watch WrestleMania 23? Did you see that insane crowd? Do 5,000 people really make a difference?
It brings me to my next point and TNA's recent house show that drew 1,300. I bring this up because it has been reported that some within TNA see this as a success. Unless the building could only hold that many and TNA made a horrible decision to book the place, 1,300 is an atrocious number. I thought TNA is supposed to be a legitimate WWE rival? 1,300 for a house show? Doesn't Ring of Honor draw crowds like that? Why is it such a bad figure? Because TNA isn't some Indy fed that popped up last week or even last year. They've been around for five years. They've had cable television exposure for more than half that time and have a pretty darn good slot on Spike, even if it's only an hour. They have Kurt Angle, a mainstream name with an Olympic background (though I'm not sure if he was there). My point? TNA should be better than this, way better than this. What wrestling fan doesn't know TNA exists? We know they do but we don't care. It's really that simple. They don't appeal to the wrestling fans that are watching it. I blame a booking style that has given way too much to the viewer in way too short a period of time. Think about it: It would take about 60 to 80 house shows for TNA to draw what the WWE did at WrestleMania. TNA didn't show up yesterday. They've had five years to build an audience and they've failed. I don't see them ever becoming anything more than a glorified Indy fed if something doesn't change quickly.
WWE vs. YouTube
Last week at the conclusion of my column, I added a link to a YouTube clip from a fan at WrestleMania. The clip put over everything I was trying to say about the Batista/Undertaker match. It was only ten seconds, pretty blurry and all you could see what the reaction of the crowd going absolutely batshit crazy. It was a perfect advertisement for pro wrestling, WrestleMania 23 and the match. So what did the WWE do? Of course, they claimed copyright and the footage is no longer up.
This is what annoys me about the WWE and its battle with YouTube: they're only hurting themselves. I understand when people put up full matches from DVDs and pay-per-views, that could hurt the WWE's business. But why take down cell phone camera clips of ten seconds? Why take down highlights of great matches from the past? Every time someone stumbles upon something like this, they're just being exposed to the WWE and that, you'd think, would be good for the company.
It's also so frustrating because other entertainment/sports entities have learned to use YouTube to their advantage. After the 'Lazy Sunday' sketch on SNL, NBC went around taking down all the clips, only to see them pop up again. What did NBC do? They started putting up clips themselves and, now, few people put up the copyrighted material because NBC is doing it for them. It's an ad for SNL. CBS put up highlights of the Final Four on YouTube. The NHL has come to an agreement to put clips up. They're taking advantage of the new technology. The WWE, on the other hand, is trying to fight a battle that a) it cannot win and b) angers its fan base. Put WWE clips on there and see how many hits they get. It would be another feather in the WWE cap as most watched YouTube clip of the day or what not. Instead, they fight it. And you know what? There's still WWE content on there and there always will. Good job WWE. Anger people in spite and cost yourself money in the process. Brilliant.
Batista vs. the Undertaker
Following my column last week, I got a lot of great feedback from people who really, really enjoyed the match like I did. I was glad to hear it. As I was watching it, I realized that there wasn't a real sound, technical wrestling match going on but it still told a story. The story was Batista was mad as hell at the Undertaker, threw everything he had at him and, in the end, it wasn't enough. No, it wasn't Shakespeare but it clearly had an effect on the live crowd and many watching at home. I even suggest that the crowd was hotter for that match than Cena/HBK and certainly popped a lot harder for its conclusion.
So why are there those online, most respected wrestling writers, commentators, etc., lambasting the match? The common criticism is that it was all high-impact moves and it didn't really build. Who fuckin' cares? The same criticism is aimed at the Rock/Austin match from WrestleMania 19, where it was just finishing move followed by finishing move. That told a story too. Sometimes the story is just two guys doing all their best moves, all their biggest moves, in an attempt to destroy their opponent. The Undertaker flying through the air or the sick powerslam through the announce table? Those are examples of that. I don't get why some feel a wrestling match can't get **** because there's not enough technical wrestling or transitions. Could you imagine if those two tried that? They'd be booed out of the building. These were two power guys who busted out their big move arsenal and popped the crowd like crazy. It had great tension, had a good story and a fantastic finish. It's not the best match of all-time by any stretch but it's still a great match. To deny those two wrestlers that after they busted their ass and had the crowd in the palm of their hands is simply unfair.
MVP
If there was one thing I took from WrestleMania, it's that MVP has the potential to be a huge star. I know we say that about a lot of young talents as wrestling fans are always marks for what's new and what could be hot but I really think MVP has it. He went ten strong minutes with Benoit, busted out some good moves, used wicked psychology on the arm to eliminate the Crossface and all people could say was they wanted more. When a wrestling match ends and people want to see more, you have officially done your job. I hope MVP and Benoit get 20 minutes down the line to show what they can do and, judging by the word on the house show circuit, it's pretty spectacular.
But more than MVP's in-ring abilities which are obviously there, I think it could be his character that put him over the top. When word of a TO-like character coming to the WWE spread, there were the predictable groans. Heck, me included because I thought the worst. Instead, I think the WWE may have come the closest to actually capturing the hip hop vibe of the black community that it has failed for so long to capture. Cena as a white rapper? Please. All the African wrestlers. Pimps. Flash Funk. Ron Simmons drinking beer and saying 'damn' while wearing cowboy boots. Come on. I don't think the WWE has ever come close to creating a true black superstar that actually reflects the black community. And I don't count JYD from the 80's because that wasn't a WWE invention, they just got to showcase him.
Why do I like MVP? I like the fact he's got the gaudy ring attire, the chains and the cornrows. You know rappers love wrestling, you don't think they'd show up looking like MVP? The essence of how cool MVP could be is the Ballin' (Free Throw) Elbow that is an homage to "We Fly High" by Jim Jones. We've see football players do it, we've seen rappers do it and now we see MVP doing it. I haven't watched much of MVP because I don't watch too much SmackDown. But when I see the Ballin' Elbow, I mark out. Hell yeah I do, Jim Jones is in the iPod for a reason. You know it's over too because when he did against Benoit, you could hear a large part of the audience yell "Ballin!" It's over. It can get over more. MVP has a chance, if they don't rush him up or change his character too much, to become something worth watching. I've said this about Carlito in the past too so I'm not exactly holding my breath. But I am hopeful.
John Cena
Why John Cena is the WWE's #1 superstar and THE main event was hammered home to me during Raw Monday night. As Cena's music hit, they panned the audience to find a 16 year-old girl with one of those "I Love Cena" signs and she was screaming like Justin Timberlake just hit the stage. You don't think Vince McMahon gets goosebumps and feels his loins quiver when that happens. Teenage girls? That's cash money. That's why Cena's the champ. That's why Cena's around to stay. That's why Cena needs to go over everybody because that's where the money is.
A lot of people talk about the WWE not booking or pandering to its true wrestling fans and that's absolute fact. They don't need to. They'd have a 4 rating and 80,000 people at WrestleMania whether we love Cena or hate him. We love wrestling. We'll enjoy the heck out of Benoit/MVP while others fall asleep. We're there all the time, through Triple H humping a dead mannequin or a hand coming out of Mae Young's naughty bits. That's why the talk of turning Cena heel is ridiculous. If they do that, yes, the hardcore fans might come around on Cena. But at what cost? A heel Cena drives the kids and women, aka the money, away from the WWE. That's why it'll never happen. That doesn't mean the WWE can't still appeal to us.
It's pretty obvious that whoever wrestles Cena is a face to the hardcore, male wrestling fan. Even if it's Umaga or Randy Orton, we're probably rooting against Cena. Here's where the WWE could make some brilliance and maybe they've thought of this. If they turn HBK heel, really have him turn on Cena, they will create a wonderfully unique situation. Kids and girls will look at Cena as the face, HBK as the heel, while hardcore fans will see the exact opposite and look at HBK as the face. In this scenario, the crowd becomes an active participant and character in the story. Half the crowd will always be split. Keep Cena a face, keep making him the lovable good guy that went out of style 20 years ago and you'll have an even more divided audience each and every night. Wouldn't that be something? You'd have one half of the crowd looking at the feud completely different than the other half. The seeds are already there. Let's get those kids and women who love Cena to really boo HBK. Let's get HBK to really heel up, throw Cena through a plate-glass window or something and watch the dynamics unfold. Just because the hardcore fan doesn't like Cena doesn't mean the WWE still can't appeal to us.
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