411 Fact or Fiction 7.26.07: Orton as Cena’s Challenger, WWE and TNA Devaluing Titles, A TNA Wellness Policy and More!

Posted by Larry Csonka on 07.26.2007

Week ONE HUNDRED and THIRTY-SIX features Andy Clark, Matt Adamson and discussion on whether or not the Great Khali will go down as the worst “World Champion” in WWE History.

Welcome back to another week of 411 Fact or Fiction: Wrestling Edition! This week, two 411 standouts go head to head as Andy Clark and Matt Adamson enter the 411 arena to do battle!

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Let's get to it!


1. Randy Orton was the best choice to challenge John Cena at Summerslam

Andy Clark : FICTION. It's hardly a bad decision and I think it will work out in the end, but I wouldn't call it the best choice. Unless they were planning on doing Cena-Lashley II later on down the road I think you have to capitalize on it ASAP. Cena-Lashley had a big fight feel to it and JR did such a great job of pimping it on commentary that I think the match blew up even bigger than it actually was. Cena-Lashley II at SummerSlam, with some kind of gimmick perhaps, would have been great, especially if Lashley is supposed to get edgier as the rumors suggest. I was also kind of holding out hope for the Elimination Chamber and I had my own personal request (although I realize how unlikely it would have been) to see Cena-Jeff Hardy.

Matt Adamson : FACT. A couple weeks ago I wouldn't have said so, but for some reason, Orton suddenly looked like a superstar to me after having been involved in the Rhodes angle. I think Cena-Lashley II is something that needs to stretch out to where people don't get burned out. They have to change the face/heel aspect of that feud before it can really move fast like it would having a rematch at Summerslam. Orton is a clear cut heel who can allow Cena to remain as the big baby face, put on interesting matches, and allow for the Cena-Lashley feud to move on without the two of them actually meeting. I think it's perfect.

Score: 0 for 1


2. TNA having Samoa Joe vs. Kurt Angle for "every title in the company" devalues the Tag Team and X-Division Titles.

Andy Clark : FICTION. ell, partially. It doesn't devalue the X-Division Title because it was already kind of a joke and having it being contested in a main event forum isn't that bad of an idea. The Tag Team Titles are devalued though, because TNA looks like they may finally be getting a tag team division going again. Team 3D, The Steiner's, LAX, VKM, Murder City Machine Guns, Serotonin, XXX, Basham & Damaja, variations of the Christian Coalition, and even the occasional appearance by The Naturals an the TNA tag team division has something to it again. I imagine this will be a short term deal so it's not that big of a deal in the long run (3D-Steiners can run without the belts for now), but they could be utilizing the Tag Team Titles better than they are now.

Matt Adamson : FICTION. I agree with most of what Andy has said here, however I don't think the titles will actually be devalued. What I see in this is the opportunity to allow these lesser titles a little attention that they have been lacking recently. From the announcement of this match, for the first time in a long time, I actually cared about the X-Division title and the tag titles. I personally find it a shame that the IWGP 3rd Belt has made it's "faux" way onto this show and into TNA, but that belt, which is merely a tool for controversy has nowhere to go but up and will gain the most from this match.

Score: 1 for 2


3. The Great Khali will go down as the worst "World Champion" in WWE History.

Andy Clark: FICTION. Why? Because the internet hates him? Tell me, what has Khali done lately that was so horrible? The Battle Royal win was impressive, the Triple Threat Match at the GAB was really good, his Judgment Day match with Cena was entertaining, as was the Triple Threat with Cena ad Umaga. I'll grant you that the Falls Count Anywhere Match at One Night Stand was pretty boring, but that match only served one purpose anyhow and that was for Khali to get FU'd. By and large Khali has done his job well over the last year and a half and he has surprised us more than he has disappointed.

Matt Adamson : FICTION. I never thought I'd say this, but Khali might end up being a very good World Champion. First of all, I completely agree with Andy here. What has he done that's been so bad? Besides my personal preference against wrestlers his size, absolutely nothing. Heck, seeing as it's a title with a lineage of just under 5 years there isn't that much to compare him to, but I'd say if Khali makes it through Summerslam that he will have easily surpassed Randy Orton in terms his reign and possibly Michaels and Goldberg. None of these three reigns amounted to much and it wouldn't take much to put Khali past these guys in terms on the title reign itself. If we're talking as a wrestler he's the worst, then maybe so at this point, but Goldberg never impressed me much either.

Score: 2 for 3

---SWITCH~!---

4. TNA will have an official "Wellness Policy" by the end of 2007.

Matt Adamson : FACT. I think it's strange in this day and age that a company with the working environment of TNA combined with the amount of funds going in and out that they wouldn't already have a Wellness Policy. While I wouldn't be entirely surprised if they already had one (it isn't a publicly traded company after all and this kind of information doesn't need to be made public), if they didn't, I can't imagine them not having one by the end of the year. Part of me says that if they do it, they may very well be shooting themselves in the foot. The other part of me says they might be smart enough to realize how stupid and smart an idea like this is, if you catch my drift. I think they will err on the side of caution and avoid looking to the media like the promotion that takes all of the WWE's leftover druggies.

Andy Clark : FICTION. TNA won't because they don't have to. Just because there aren't TNA wrestlers on CNN trying to protect the business doesn't mean that they don't feel the same way. Maybe they don't share Vinnie Mac's infatuation with jacked up guys, but as the No. 2 company they need the ability to do whatever it takes to get ahead, including hiring druggies if need be. I'm not saying that that goes to ALL their hiring practices, but I doubt that they'd want to limit themselves at this point, no matter how well intentioned it may otherwise be. If they were smart they would come up with one and make sure it got out to the media so they could play up that "At least one wrestling organization has a soul" and get some pub out of it, but at this stage in the game I don't think so.

Score: 2 for 4


5. WWE putting the Cruiserweight Title on Hornswaggle (Little Bastard) is another sign that WWE will never take the Cruiserweight seriously.

Matt Adamson : FACT. I totally love that Hornswaggle is the new champion. Not because I think it's going to help the title, but because the title hasn't meant much in quite some time and having a midget wrestler hold it just makes the title seems like that much more of a joke which is funny to me. Hornswaggle is extremely entertaining and if holding this title means more of him on my TV then I'm happy, but him being champion does nothing but further tarnish the image of that title, which hardly had any image to work with from the beginning. Here's to hoping Octagoncito manages to get a WWE contract and take the Cruiserweight title to Mexico where it will probably mean a whole lot more.

Andy Clark : FICTION. Putting the title on Jacqueline showed they wouldn't take it seriously. Giving a title reign to Funaki out of the blue showed they wouldn't take it seriously. Having it be the only title to ever change hands on Velocity (and the Light Heavyweight Title before it the only one to change hands on Heat) showed they wouldn't take it seriously. Hornswaggle winning the belt is an upgrade. He's seriously over and with Hornswaggle carrying the belt it should actually get some TV time. Look at the match on Sunday, Hornswaggle is a bigger star than 3/5 of the Cruiserweight division, and it's even arguable that he's bigger than the other 2/5 as well. Come on, I know I wasn't the only one that thought it was insane that Shannon Moore, Jamie Noble, and Funaki were getting a PPV payday when Finlay, King Booker, and Mr. Kennedy were nowhere to be found. Hornswaggle is an over act that actually brings more prestige to the belt than the guys that are jobbing to the Major Brothers.

Score: 2 for 5


6. TNA will end up on the FOX network with a live weekly show this fall.

Matt Adamson: FICTION. Wow, this was a really tough one. The word "live" was the only reason I chose fiction over fact because I really think that TNA might have a really good shot at this venture with FOX. Fox as a whole is trying to create some original programming that doesn't cost them too much money. TNA provides just such a product as they are financially self sufficient in terms of how their relationship with their TV provider works. I'd love to see a live 2 hour show come into the works with the advertising power of Fox to back it up (please Fox, if you are reading this, don't advertise on Friday nights, nobody watches your stations that night). Should be interesting to see how this works out.

Andy Clark : FICTION. I would love to say fact. I'd love for a wrestling show to somehow make it to network TV (other than the CW) and plus that would mean I'd never have to watch Spike TV again. Come on, can't you just see Samoa Joe sitting front row at American Idol? Maybe have him and his fire dancers performing at the finale? Kurt Angle busting into the room and breaking Ryan Seacrest's ankle? Don West filling in for Randy Jackson. "Yo dawg, that singing was FREAKING INSANE!" But I don't think we're looking in that direction. Fox screwed them over on FSN last time and I think Dixie Carter and Jeff Jarrett should be, and are, wary. They'll listen if Fox is talking but they know that The UFC-CSI Network is where they're going to stay. If anything these talks with Fox help spread the TNA brand name in the entertainment community so that maybe somewhere down the road another network could pick them up.

Score: 3 for 6


These two finish 3 for 6! Join us next week for more Fact or Fiction!