The Ripple Effect 6.22.07: A Tale of Two Titles
Posted by Zac Calhoun on 06.22.2007
This week we take a look at WWE's tag team divisions as well as answer the question, does wrestling borrow from teen drama? And no, that's "titles" Mr. Connery.
The Draft has now committed the cardinal sin of big angles: creating more questions than answers.
I read an Observernewsbit concerning the rationale behind some of the bigger draft choices from last Monday. And I've got to say, dudes like us really might be able to run Raw or SmackDown. First they're saying that Michael Hayes (head of SD) didn't like having Chris Benoit around because he values promo work above everything else. So they decided to put him in a "player/coach" position in ECW, despite the fact that HHH wanted him on Raw, presumably to get his j.o.b. back. So, where's he going to be in about six months? No one seems to know.
They're also saying that Hayes was in favor of drafting Ric Flair for the same reason he wanted Benoit out. Apparently Flair could get a better chance to shine on SD since Raw head Brian Gerwitz…well, just read:
"Contrary to his stance on Benoit, Hayes is more supportive of Ric Flair being on Smackdown as he values Flair's promo skills. That might sound like a predictable opinion but a number of Raw people, especially Brian Gerwitz, didn't watch Flair in his prime and never considered him to be a good promo. In theory this is meant to be Flair's last run, followed by a rumoured Hall of Fame induction next year, so he stands a better chance of going out in style on Smackdown than on Raw."
Yeah, when have Flair's mic skills ever gotten him anywhere? My God, how can a guy who isn't familiar with the career of probably the greatest wrestler of all time justifiably hold a position of power on the country's largest wrestling TV show? There are tons of Flair matches I haven't seen, but I can still understand how awesome and important he was and why he should be givin a microphone. Why can't the guy who gets paid to be in the wrestling business be bothered to learn?
Well enough about Gerwitz; this column is deeper and more intelligent than that I hope.
Pimpin' Ho's Nationwide
Only one e-mail this week, but it's from one of my esteemed 411 colleagues. Ladies and gentlemen, the lord of the Shimmy, Andy Clark! Andy becomes my new best friend by seconding my One Tree Hill love from last week:
What can I say, I'm a sucker for
teen drama. I actually stated watching the repeats on SOAPNet that they are
as a package with The OC (managed to watch The OC when it was actually on).
I only managed to check out a few of the newer episodes but I liked what I
saw. I will say I was kind of disappointed with the conclusion of Dan
Scott's story. He was the driving force behind the entire show and I felt
he needed to get even more comeuppance than he received.
The main thing I wanted to say was that I actually found a wrestling and OTH
parallel. I'm sure most people view the "Death of Mr. McMahon" story to be
based on "Who Shot JR?" but I actually liken it more to "Who Tried to Kill
Dan Scott?" You have an entire show pretty much building up the entire cast
(or at least a sizable amount) as potential suspects and then you have to
figure out which one actually pulled the trigger (figuratively speaking of
course). I'm think I may even devote next week's column to expounding on
the similarities. Shane as Lucas? Stephanie as Nathan? Teddy Long as
Whitey? Could be interesting.
I agree that the show is much better when it centers around Dan Scott. In a large cast of characters, he's the one the writers care about enough never to make him boring. To me, the last two episodes of the second season,which contain the "who killed Dan" saga of which Andy speaks, are the best of the entire series. Virtually every storyline was compelling, and the writers were able to pull off the impression that anyone could've been the perpetrator. If you guys want to know more, rent the DVDs.
The only problem I have with Andy's allegory is that I didn't think of it first. So to do some bandwagon jumping, allow me to submit some casting ideas of my own. Real fans of the show should appreciate these…
Hulk Hogan as Keith
Ashley as Peyton
Melina as Brooke
Scotty 2 Hotty as Tim
JTG as Skills
Funaki as Mouth
Maria as Bevin
Boogeyman as Psycho Derek
Maven as Real Derek
Sherri as Ellie (ouch)
Muhammad Hassan as Jimmy (you know)
It would work, I swear! And if I could hear Barry Corbin say "playa" even once I'd be good to go for life.
Thanks brother.
A Tale of Two Titles
On the September 12, 2002, edition of SmackDown, Eddie and Chavo Guerrero defeated the legendary team of Mark Henry and Rikishi in a tag team match. What's the significance of this contest, you might ask? Could it be that it was one of the first matches Los Guerreros had together in WWE? Could it be that the bookers actually thought Mizark and Rikishi would make a good team, even for one shot? Could it simply be that the big dark dudes jobbed to the short Latinos?
No, this match stands out in WWE history as the opening bout in the tournament to crown the first SmackDown exclusive Tag Team Champions. They and the other six teams in the tournament (Kurt Angle & Chris Benoit, John Cena & Billy Kidman, D-Von Dudley & Ron Simmons, Billy & Chuck, Edge & Rey Mysterio, and Brock Lesnar & Tajiri) took part in an eight-team, single elimination bracket that was set to culminate at No Mercy 2002. The competitors in the final, Angle, Benoit, Edge and Mysterio, put on a fantastic display in a match made famous by Internet geeks from Bangkok to Madagascar. Thanks to their efforts, the WWE Tag Team titles got off to a rousing start.
Fast forward almost five years, and the belts are a trinket for a comedy act.
It's not the fault of Deuce, Domino, London, Kendrick, Danny Basham, Road Warrior Animal or Kenzo Suzuki, but SD's tag team scene has failed to live up to the standard set by not only the SmackDown Six but great teams who followed them as well. Not only that, but they've even fallen behind the surprisingly deep and lively tag division on that other WWE show. Clearly something has happened, and that's where the RE comes in. So, much like my look at the United States title a few weeks ago, let's take a gander at how Raw's tag team titles have become one of the premier championships in WWE, leaving its counterpart helpless on the turnbuckle for a Doomsday Device.
Now this transition did not start immediately or progress quickly. For the first few years after Stephanie introduced us to the belts, SD undoubtedly put on the best tag matches and featured the most talented teams. After the SD6 were done tearing the house down, the young team of Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin were given the ball and excelled at almost every turn. They were using innovative moves, they were perceived as legitimate through their amateur background and association with Angle, and they complimented each other well. That's really about all you can ask from a tag team.
The people on Raw, however, were pretty much throwing shit at the wall and seeing what stuck. They were able to stumble upon some good things every now and then, like they did with Booker T and Goldust, but they also subjected us to the unexciting and seemingly never ending run of William Regal and Lance Storm. It wasn't as if Raw's division didn't have good wrestlers, but the staff just didn't know what to do with them. Bottom line: the tag teams on Raw just weren't as over as the ones on SD.
This trend continued for a while, but gradually the archive of WWE Tag champs grew less impressive. Instead of top notch competition and an emphasis on the in-ring product, the titles were tossed around to teams without a perceivable future. Trivia question: who were the champs when WrestleMania XX, one of the biggest shows in company history, came around? The answer: Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty…that's right, Too Cool 2.0. Add in Kenzo & Rene Dupree and an awkward pairing of Rey Rey and Rob Van Dam, and it seemed like the boys in the back were booking the division on the fly. Basically, it started to look more like Raw. Of course, the tag scene on Raw was nothing to get wet over, but at least it didn't pale in comparison to SD's anymore.
But despite the forgettable title reigns and repetitive throwing together of singles wrestlers (especially with Rey Rey), the SmackDown tag titles maintained their image as the belts to hold for WWE teams. This was thanks in most part to the efforts of MNM and London & Kendrick, who shined on SD when everyone else went down with injury. It was Nitro and Mercury who carried the division through 2005 and the HooliganZ who did the same last year. All the while, they brought freshness and credibility to an otherwise floundering championship. And all the while, Raw continued to book its tag teams without great concern for who's over and who's not.
Over the last year, however, something has changed. While London & Kendrick were going over every impromptu team on SmackDown, Gerwitz and his boys were building the Raw tag division one team at a time, seemingly unnoticed by the audience. In the course of 2006 and early 2007, we witnessed the debuts of the Highlanders, Cryme Tyme, a reignited push for Cade & Murdoch, the reuniting of TWGTT, and perhaps most importantly the return of the Hardys. What's even more impressive is that the bookers haven't felt the need to put the titles on every one of these teams and have managed to avoid devaluing it. The tag scene on Monday nights really hasn't been stronger since the brand split began, which ironically was right at the end of Matt and Jeff's first heyday.
Whether or not that's encouraging or sad is up to you, but what can't be disputed is how Raw has finally stepped up and offered us fans a group of tag teams who can electrify the crowd just as much as the Lashley's and Cena's out there given the chance. And if these guys can keep their momentum going, their championship rise to the status the SD tag titles used to enjoy. Only this time, instead of relying mostly on the match itself, the teams are involved in engaging storylines. Trevor Murdoch might not be able to chain wrestle like Benoit & Angle, but if he can get a chance to portray the tobacco-chewing redneck asshole like he does so well, the fans will be interested in seeing him get his ass kicked.
But let's not jump the gun here; how we know they're really serious about making the World Tag titles a big deal again? We don't. WWE has aborted many a good idea before (Eddie's title run), so don't be surprised if they go back to La Resistance levels again. But we can at least be optimistic that they're trying.
I wasn't fully convinced of this until I watched Raw Monday night and saw the opening match between TWGTT and the newly drafted HooliganZ. I'd seen their embarassing four-minute squashing against Deuce & Domino the Friday before and thought the company had plain given up on them. Boy was I happy when they not only showed up on Raw but pulled out their own squash job on Charlie and Shelton, who were in a championship ladder match a mere eight days beforehand! This pick is a message to the fans: for tag teams, Raw is the new place to be.
As a way to close this out, here's a list of Raw tag feuds off the top of my head that could be more interesting and financially sound than most of the stuff offered by WWE since the split:
Hardys vs. London & Kendrick
London & Kendrick vs. Cade & Murdoch
Cade & Murdoch vs. Cryme Tyme (DUH!)
Highlanders vs. TWGTT
Cryme Tyme vs. TWGTT
TWGTT vs. London & Kendrick (until Monday)
In professional wrestling, a championship is only as good as the person wearing it. Unfortunately, the teams of post-Attitude WWE have fought for a title that simply doesn't mean as much as it used to. But I really hope the guys backstage at Raw can change that, as the Hardys and their adversaries have already begun to do.
With that in mind, ponder this question and let me know what you think:
Give me any tag teams that you think will win the World titles in 2007.
Okay, not a question, but you get the point.
I'm not going to tell you guys to expect great things from the Raw tag scene, because they very well just might not give us any. But when looking at WWE's recent past, you can't deny that they have a huge opportunity. The fans have been conditioned not to care about tag team wrestling. Let's let these guys change that mindset. It's certainly a better idea than giving Robbie McAllister an IC title run.
My Peeps
Be sure to check out the whole kit and kabootle of columns here at 411 Wrestling. These are the guys who made me want to do this, and I know their words ring true to you guys too.
That brings yet another edition of the RE to a close. By this time Sunday, I will have my first official in-law and will have given my first best man speech. I'm sure to drink beer shortly beforehand. Anyway, here are my official predictions for Vengeance:
Batista over Edge
Cena over everyone else
Benoit over Punk
Umaga over Santino
MVP over Flair
Wang over Chavo
Deuce & Domino over whoever
Cade & Murdoch over the Hardys
Candice over Melina
