High Road/Low Road 06.22.07: The King of the Mountain Match
Posted by Sat & Chad Nevett on 06.22.2007
The King of the Mountain match made its annual return at Slammiversary. Is this a good match for TNA to have? Are the qualifying matches a good 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).
The Results for Vince McMahon's Death:
High Road: 45%
Low Road: 40%
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.
Iain Sutherland Writes:
Hey guys, I had to go for High Road with one proviso: Adam Bomb has to be at least involved if not behind it all.
Sat: I'd be surprised if we see Adam Bomb, but hey anything can happen.
Uncle Trunx: I want it to be Repo Man, responding to a late payment on the limo.
freddy Neuwendyke Writes:
Wow there's not many things I find tasteless this angle is one of them. I'm sorry but this was just the wrong time to do this angle. Especially in the wake of the real deaths of Eddie Guerrero and Bam Bam Bigelow and with stories about Insurgents in Iraq using roadside bombs on our troops on the news
everyday. This may get me labeled as too sensitive but I don't care. I'm sorry but there's a lot more to life than pointing and laughing at a sinking ship.
Another downside as Uncle Trunx points out is it takes camera time off the wrestlers and puts all the focus on Vince McMahon and his wretched family. It's not that WWE has nobody new to push as a main event heel it's that they won't push anybody new as the main event heels.
As usual the wrestlers are pushed to the wayside to salve Vince's ego. WWE has never had more talent in their locker room and yet all this talent has never meant less.
Sat: This is a tasteless thing to do by the WWE, but I think for the most part people know that wrestling is fake. Sure, this angle isn't the smartest thing to do, but it is something new. I think the saddest part about this angle is that the fake death of Vince McMahon is placed at a higher level on WWE.com than the real death of Sherri Martel. I am writing this on Friday, so I really hope that at the beginning of RAW, ECW and SmackDown, we see in memory of Sherri Martel and not Mr. McMahon.
Uncle Trunx: I am writing it later, and was sadly unsurprised with what happened. Sherri got a passing mention, Vince got the whole show even though he's really alive. Oh, and Stephanie came back, just to get that spotlight away from the wrestlers and on to the McMahon family. How long until Shane comes back?
Floyd Hartlett Writes:
I voted for Both Roads because I really am not sure how this will work out in terms of the actual TV product. On one hand, it is another summer devoted to Vince, which could get very boring very quickly. On another hand, it could be entertaining, especially when the crying fans realize they were screwed (though they deserve to be, if they're stupid enough to believe Vince would just happen to be filmed going to his car and just happen to be killed doing so). Also, the way the draft has gone, with Raw clearly getting the better end of it and SmackDown getting 45 degrees yet again, this could mean either 1) that SmackDown will be the show mostly dedicated to Vince so that the wrestlers on Raw have time to wrestle, meaning hopefully that SmackDown gets some viewers who are interested in the storyline. Or, 2) that Raw will overload with all the wrestlers AND Vince, causing many of their wrestlers to not get any focus and get fed up, hopefully causing a backlash, while meanwhile SmackDown stays the wrestling show with Matt Hardy, Finlay and a returning Chris Jericho (the last one is a long-shot, obviously) feuding with Edge over the title while Batista and Mark Henry get their program over and done with.
Also, I just wanted to point out that there has been at least one character death in wrestling. In fact two, if you count Al Snow's dog. In fact, didn't one of Jake's snakes get killed in Kayfabeland as well? Well, anyway, the indisputable one is Al Wilson, Torrie Wilson's 'father'. Shagged to death by Dawn Marie, no less. He even had a video tribute, which got no response from the audience whatsoever. Hilarious time for all.
Sat: What I am hoping for is that the McMahon storyline will be a short update each week on the investigation. There is no need for the investigation to take place at RAW. There have been a few character deaths in the WWE. When I saw Al Snow's dog, I remembered that somebody grinded Chavo's horse Pepe. Something probably happened to Saturn's mop, but I can't recall the details. I probably should have said murders, but the e-mailer below also found an actual murder in the WWE. I can't get anything past you readers.
Uncle Trunx: I don't count Al Snow's Dog, Jake's snake or any other animal death in wrestling to be a "murder angle. What I do count, and had forgotten about, is what bowlerdave will remind us of:
bowlerdave Writes:
It was stated WWE never did a murder angle before. Wouldn't Undertaker burying Paul Bearer in a block of cement be one? Man ain't never been back.
Sat: Man, the readers are on top of things. Yep, the Undertaker did murder Paul Bearer.
Uncle Trunx: Indeed. I forgot all about that, possibly because it was Undertaker and with him, death often doesn't mean death it means a bit of a break. However you're right, Paul Bearer is still not back and thus still dead. It doesn't make the Vince angle any more tasteful or acceptable, but it's a correction which needs to be noted. I tip my hat to you, sir.
Chris Bloomer Writes:
Why do I have this disturbing feeling in my gut, that one of two things will happen (maybe both): Stephanie will be behind it, and she will be back on my TV
Sat: I don't think that Stephanie is behind it. My initial feeling was that Vince McMahon is behind it because he wants to be appreciated. But, if this is true, it is going to lead to some serious problems. First, we all saw McMahon go in the limo, so he would have to admit to editing the tapes. If he admits that, then that gives the fans a reason to doubt all the backstage segments as staged. I don't have a problem with Stephanie has long as she only makes a few appearances.
Uncle Trunx: Well, Stephanie is back on TV and swearing revenge. I bet we see a lot of her over the next few months. Joy.
John Reid Writes:
Of course I'm taking the Low Road on this. As usual it always has to be about Vince at the end of the day doesn't it? Oh, and forget all about sensible ideas like title feuds and decent angles that the fans can get behind. The more shock value the better in their minds. What people in the WWE (and TNA) seem to forget is what made wrestling so enjoyable during the late 90's was not shock and sex, it was placing characters in meaningful angles, therefore creating dream matches that the fans would enjoy. I guess the WWE realized how stale their product has become and decided this was the only way to get people talking about them again.
Sat: Yeah, again it comes back to this being about Vince. But, if this can help someone in the process, then this can be a good angle. Personally, I think this is good because the odds are low that Vince is alive and that means no more Vince. Sure, we'll probably getting the yearly memorial of Vince, but besides that no more Vince.
Uncle Trunx: I fear Vince will come back, somehow. What's especially galling is that there's no focus at all on the draft now, and all of it on Vince. A real chance to make the wrestlers matter, to create interest in the actual in ring product with fresh matches and new feuds, and it all gets overshadowed by Vince. Again.
Don Rogers Writes:
Hey guys. I do agree that its is nice to see a new angle in the WWE but to go as far as to call the back stage footage seamless I really cant agree with that because when i watched the replay to find the camera trick it didn't take long to notice the trailers in the background not only moved but instead of 2 there was only one in the second camera angle also as far as WWE killing off a star there was the issue of Torrie Wilson's father several years ago. I'm not one to complain but it would be nice to see these issues touched on at least.
Sat: Sure, there were these problems. That's why I didn't mention them. The main thing to take out of the explosion was that it was a real explosion and we saw Mr. McMahon enter the limo.
Uncle Trunx: Are you the Don Rogers who played for Swindon Town in the 1969 league cup final? I think the production values for the explosion were of an acceptable quality. What isn't of an acceptable quality is whole idea of using a car bomb to kill Vince and overshadow the in ring product.
David Halpern Writes:
I read your recent article over at 411 and I think it's really good. I did want to comment on a few things, 1 of which is just an FYI, the other of which is something I experienced which I think might be understating in their own experiences.
The 1st point is "I cannot recall there ever being the death of a WWE character, so it is something that we have not seen." Remember that even though he was an extremely minor character, Al Wilson "died" a few years ago while having sex with Dawn Marie. Of course it was played up as camp to the nth degree, but there has been a death angle, albeit an intentionally goofy one.
The 2nd thing on which I'd like to comment is when you write "The death of Mr. Mahon has been interesting because nobody saw it coming." Here's the thing: I saw it coming from a mile away. Now, I don't mean that as the VKM's "mental instability" angle progressed, I felt it would end in his death. In fact, all I could think was "Wow, this is so over the top it's painful," with no inclination at all as to where it was heading. All I knew is that he was obsessed with championships, and this set up the Vengeance PPV nicely.
But as VKM began his long walk back to the parking area, slowly and with full attention of all the workers, I find it hard to believe that anyone could NOT be prepared for something. Yes, I do read internet news sites and enjoy understanding the creative process, so maybe I was biased in that regards. And since I had watched RAW after the fact (without knowing any specifics), I unfortunately came across a friend's on-line blog entry where he made a solitary comment along the lines of "If Soprano's fans were wrestling fans, they'd have gotten the ending they wanted." So, I might already have been primed for "death," or related.
But in my mind, the initial start of this death angle for me has been a let-down b/c it seemed to obvious that they were building up to SOMETHING. As the camera lingered on the limo, and as Vince's foot went in - then out - then in again, I was just waiting for the boom that of course followed. And I just shook my head b/c it just seemed so lame. Why not have the limo drive-off and THEN explode; i.e., lull us into a false sense of security? Why not have Coach walk VKM to his limo so that the focus is not on the limo, but on the setting? Then the limo could explore, throwing Coach back. To me, they basically were screaming "WATCH THIS SPACE!!!" By focusing on the center of surprise, they removed the element of surprise.
Visual presentation aside, I think that the current "You're an Idiot" column focusing on Vince captures a lot of my feelings on the subject from a "logic" standpoint. And I also cannot stomach the fake tributes to VKM, not b/c I'm taking some moral high ground, but b/c from an entertainment perspective, I just don't find it well done. I found the harsh tributes to VKM well-done. I would love it if superstars came on camera and talked about how much they hated Vince and are glad he's gone. Somewhere in there is the requisite "DAMN" from Ron Simmons. And while I understand that the announcers have to play the part of being shaken employees, again, it's just plain painful to watch. "Overacting/bad acting" isn't the right way to describe it, but there's something there that is just incredibly forced, and for the moment I know it's hurting my interest in the angle.
So anyway, I just wanted to share those thoughts since I imagine there are more people out there who although they didn't know WHAT was going to happen, they certainly were not surprised when something DID happen. It was a cool visual, and I will be interested to see where the angle goes, but unfortunately at the moment I cannot be one of those fans who are jumping in joy at the absurdity of it all. In fact, it's why I've got my feet - at least for the moment - planted on the ground.
Sat: Your first point was mentioned by some of the other e-mails. I guess I could have better phrased it as murder. Your second point is interesting. I did not see McMahon getting killed; I was more under the assumption that he was going to get checked into a mental institution. I guess my feeling that he wasn't going to get killed was not the majority feeling. I think that nobody expected McMahon to die, but when he started to walk back to the parking area, I think that people started to get the feeling that something was going to happen. Your suggestion for having Coach lead him to the limo would have interesting. Right when they switched to a different camera angle that was focusing on the limo, it really hurt the explosion. I wrote above that the fake tributes were awful. It was a good thing that I recorded SmackDown, so I was able to fast forward.
Uncle Trunx: I thought something was up, but didn't expect an exploding limo. You must have far better powers of deduction than I have!
This week's High Road/Low Road featuring...
King of the Mountain Match
High Road:
The King of the Mountain qualifying matches are good because they are on TV and the fans are able to see some of the competitors earn their way to the King of the Mountain match. I think that it is always a good idea to have the competitors earn their way to the title shot. If the competitors are just chosen at random, then it hurts the actual match. The qualifying matches are good because the fans are able to see the competitors compete and the fact that the competitors earned their way into the actual match.
Low Road:
Surely giving away Pay Per View quality matches on free TV, while good for us who watch the show short term, is not a sustainable policy. It was things like this which led to WCW falling apart. I really don't want that to happen to TNA, but fear it will if they give these matches away for free.
High Road:
The King of the Mountain qualifying matches are adding some needed interest to Impact. In the past few weeks before the qualifying matches, I had gotten the feeling that Impact was getting stale. It seemed to me that Impact was the same show over and over. Now, I feel that Impact is a must watch show because you know that there will be a match each week that determines who is going to have a chance to challenge for the TNA title at Slammiversary.
Low Road:
Sat: Uncle Trunx forget to reply to this low road.
High Road:
All of the qualifying matches that have happened so far have been very interesting and surprisingly decent. Rhino and Kurt Angle was not a dream match up, but it was a good match to see. Samoa Joe and Sting was an awesome match to see and it will be discussed in the next high road. Styles and Tomko was not a good match, but it was interesting to see who Christian Cage would support. Chris Harris and James Storm was probably the second best match on TV this year behind HBK and John Cena and it will also be discussed two high roads down. All of these matches have been very interesting and they have also been decent matches.
Low Road:
Samoa Joe and Sting should've been saved for a PPV; surely both men should be in a match like KOTM, instead of either Styles or Tomko getting in. Rhino and Kurt Angle was a foregone conclusion. Styles and Tomko was horrible. Harris and Storm was good, sure, but that's 1 out of 4. Not a good ratio to me.
High Road:
One of the biggest things that I have heard about the Samoa Joe/Sting King of the Mountain qualifying match is that TNA flushed a ton of money down the toilet by showing this match on Spike TV for free. I have to disagree with this. First, we only saw six minutes of actual action. When these guys meet at a pay per view, it will definitely be for a longer time. Also, the finish that we saw for this match had some outside interference. Again, this match proved nothing. If anything this match can be used to lay the framework for their next match at the pay per view. The only thing that was lost for this match was that is won't be for the first time ever, but technically that is true for all of Sting's matches.
Low Road:
What we got was a short match and a screwy finish to a match which should've been saved for a PPV. It's just like watching the dying days of WCW again, and when I think that Russo is booking TNA, it fills me with dread that it will go the same way as WCW.
High Road:
When I saw that the Chris Harris/James Storm match was a draw, I thought that TNA had made a huge mistake. But, after giving it some thought, I changed my mind. First, I think that a draw was a good idea because it shows that both men gave it their all to qualify for the King of the Mountain match. This did two things. It showed that both wanted a chance to win the title, but they also wanted to prevent the other from having a chance to win the title. Second, I think that this draw extends the feud between the two. These guys have put together two amazing matches and to end this feud it would have been a shame. Plus, I think the draw adds a lot more intrigue to the King of the Mountain match. Who will get the remaining spot in the match? Personally, I think that they should have a qualifying match during the opening match at Slammiversary. Whatever TNA decides to do, the thing is that the draw has added some intrigue to the King of the Mountain match.
Low Road:
I haven't changed my mind; it was a huge mistake. It just creates confusion and spoils the logical build towards the actual KOTM match. But then, why have an actual logical build to it if you can screw things around and play bait and switch instead?
High Road:
The King of the Mountain qualifying matches has helped to add an interest to Impact, but they have also helped the King of the Mountain match at Slammiversary. The reason that I have for saying is that the King of the Mountain match has been the main focus on Impact for the past few weeks, but the thing that has really helped is the slow build towards Slammiversary. Each week, a new competitor is added to the match and we have the entire week to determine what impact this as on the match. The King of the Mountain qualifying matches have helped because it has allowed a slow build to Slammiversary, while at the same time keeping the focus on the actual King of the Mountain match.
Low Road:
I would agree with you if it wasn't for the whole screwiness towards the end. I love the idea of a pre qualifying tournament, to get the best guys into the match; it adds a special feel to it. All of that goes out of the window when you start to throw in "surprise entrants" and things. Why mess with the whole concept of the qualifying tournament to add in unnecessary storyline elements which defy logic? It demeans the whole concept, and spoils what ought to be a really special buildup to an important match with soap opera crap.
High Road:
The King of the Mountain match is an interesting match for TNA. First, there is no match in pro wrestling like it. The match does have some of Russo's elements in it, but I think for the most part it makes sense. The main reason that I like this match is that there is a lot of things going on, but it still easy to follow. For example, you have to get a victory before you can hang the title. The King of the Mountain match is a good concept for TNA because it has some strategy and it also contains a popular gimmick, such as the ladder.
Low Road:
To me, it's screwy booking, too much to keep track of, shows the worst elements of Russo logic. (you have to hang the title up to win? Why? Surely that's giving it away? It makes no sense!) It's a mess of every gimmick they can possibly throw together and sadly all of this ruins an otherwise great idea; a tournament over several weeks to get into the main event. It's sad in a way because it could be such a great idea; it's just let down by the screwiness of it all. A shame; the potential was there for a truly great match and sadly, it was unfulfilled because of soap opera intrusions and overbooked screwiness.
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.
