High Road/Low Road 9.07.07: Candice Michelle
Posted by Chad Nevett on 09.07.2007
Candice Michelle is the women's champion and undoubtedly the most popular female wrestler in WWE at the moment. Is she a good champion or does she personify all that is wrong with womens' wrestling in WWE?
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 LAX without Konnan:
High Road: 34%
Low Road: 46%
Both Roads: 20%
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.
Jarkota Writes:
Took Both Roads here, as I'm willing to see how this goes. Granted, the promos aren't as good as when Konnan was the mouthpiece, but they're not bad either. I've seen horrible promos in my time (after all, I sat through Mordecai, Muhammad Hassan, Eric Bischoff, the McMahons, John Cena, and La Resistance cutting them), and LAX's are *far* from horrible. They're not yet on the level of Team 3D or the Steiner's, but they're close (and they cut much better was than VKM, but does that shock anyone?). I say give 'em both more or less equal mic time and see where that goes. If one's better than the other, give him the mic exclusively. If they're both good, let 'em keep sharing the mic. I honestly can't see this becoming extremely bad, but I've been wrong before.
Sat: I'll admit that the promos have declined since Konnan left, but the promos are still okay. The big thing that will benefit LAX is that it seemed like they were Konnan's bitches, but now they can stand on their own.
Uncle Trunx: I'll be interested to see where they go from here. The promos aren't bad but they were much stronger with Konnan. To me, the team is weaker without him.
Michael from Austin Writes:
Who should lead LAX.....that is an EASY question.
Multiple time Champion (America's title)
Has been to the "E" before, so is known to today's fan as well as yesterday's.
Not only good on the mic, but is also bilingual, which is the attraction that Konnan has also.
Very good heel.....had a good run in Joe Blanchard's (Tully's dad) "Southwest Championship Wrestling" as one.
Ladies and Gentlemen...I give you: CHAVO GUERERRO, SR.
Chavo and LAX vs. Hector and TNA.....good conflict.
Sat: Personally, I have seen enough of the Guerrero's feuding with each other. But, I will say that I would like to see Chavo Sr. in TNA instead of Hector.
Uncle Trunx: One promotion with feuding Guerreros is enough for me, thanks very much. I didn't like it in WWE and I'd be no more inclined to like it in TNA.
Candice Michelle
High Road:
Candice Michelle has done something that most people believed was not possible and that is improve in her in ring ability. Everybody has been saying that the WWE should not hire these models because they can't wrestle and the odds are very low that they are going to improve in the ring. When Candice Michelle started wrestling in 2004/2005, she was awful, but now in 2007, she is the women's champion because of the vast improvements that she has made in her in ring ability.
Low Road:
I must admit, Candice has impressed me lately; I'm a fan of her in ring improvements and think she's got that "right stuff" about her that Trish had; the desire to work and improve, not just rest on her physical assets.
However, I think that the system which brought her in ahead of the many female wrestlers who actually trained to wrestle is flawed. In no other walk of life would someone with no experience be brought in ahead of someone trained to do the job. However, WWE persists in handing huge money contracts to Diva Search winners, and we then have to wait 3 years whilst they're on TV until their matches become half decent. That's three years where they could've been learning their trade in the developmental territories while those who know how to have a good match could be on TV.
High Road:
Candice Michelle has something going for that none of the other divas in the WWE can say and that is that she is the most known diva out of all of the WWE divas. First, Candice is known for her appearance in playboy. But, the thing that really separates her from the other divas is the fact she is also known for the Go Daddy commercials. The WWE has a few divas that have posed for Playboy, but Candice Michelle is more known than Torrie and Ashley because of her commercials during Super Bowl Sunday.
Low Road:
Yes. She's known for a commercial. That doesn't necessarily mean that she can work a match or make interesting TV. There are loads of people who are in commercials that I really wouldn't want to see trying to wrestle. It is unfair to suggest that Candice is unable to wrestle; she now can, and can do it pretty well. However, the sheer fact that more importance is placed on whether a female wrestler has a commercial or has appeared in Playboy than on their in ring ability speaks volumes to me about how highly WWE prioritizes the wrestling element of its show.
High Road:
All of the WWE divas can compete in the non-wrestling matches, but the thing that really helps Candice Michelle is the fact that she can do a good job in the non-wrestling matches and the wrestling matches. Some of the divas can only do a good job in one type of match, but Candice Michelle is a valuable talent for the WWE because she can do a good job in wrestling and non-wrestling matches.
Low Road:
For the last few years, we have had to endure playboy pillow fights, pudding matches, evening gown matches, etc, etc. I may be old fashioned, but I'd rather see wrestling on my wrestling show. (If I wanted to see women rolling around in pudding, there are various TV channels which will scratch that itch far more successfully, if that's your thing.) That Candice can do a decent job in the ridiculous "non wrestling" matches is of no relevance to me; I don't want to see such things.
High Road:
Candice Michelle came into the WWE has a part of the Diva Search. The Diva Search has been criticized because the assumption is that these divas don't know the business and they don't have the desire to learn how to wrestle. But, this is not true for Candice Michelle. She has shown the desire to learn how to wrestle and that is a very valuable trait to have.
Low Road:
Yes, and it's taken several years to get there. The Diva Search brings in untrained women ahead of those who have already proved that they can wrestle, and we have to watch them learn slowly over several years on TV. Surely that should be what developmental territories are for?
High Road:
I think that the success that Candice Michelle has had will definitely help the Diva Search. The Diva Search has been criticized (and rightly so), but the success of Candice Michelle has shown that there are some good points to the Diva Search. Now, I will grant you that you aren't going to find ten Candice Michelle's in the Diva Search, but if you can find one, then I think that makes the Diva Search worthwhile because the fans can get to known that diva and in the process she can learn how to wrestle.
Low Road:
So, if you find one decent female wrestler every ten years, it makes the other nine years, where women who can wrestle get sacked to make way for women who can't, somehow worth it? I don't see that. To me, the Diva search exemplifies everything wrong with WWE; that Candice came through it and can now wrestle is not sufficient justification for it.
High Road:
One of things that has really shocked me about Candice Michelle is how popular she has become. I really have no idea why the fans like her so much, but if I had to make a guess I would have to say that she has gained this popularity from her hard work in improving her in ring work. Also, you can't say that she is popular because she is hot because this is true for all of the divas
Low Road:
She is popular and good luck to her. However, WWE is very good at making people cheer for the "good guys"(or gals) and boo the "Bad guys". They're making Candice out to be the top female and so people cheer. It's what they do.
High Road:
The WWE has lost two of their top WWE Women's Champions in the past year. Trish Stratus and Lita were definitely the top women that the WWE had and their departure left the WWE short on women that had held the women's title. The WWE has had to rebuild their top contenders and they have done a good job in that by picking two worthy contenders in Melina and Candice Michelle. The argument could be made that the WWE could have picked somebody else to be the champion, but Candice Michelle was the only logical choice. First, the only wrestler that hasn't been champion and who has been wrestling longer than Candice is Torrie Wilson and we can all agree that it Candice Michelle is the only logical choice because she can wrestle better than Torrie and she has the brighter future of the two. The WWE now has replaced their losses and the only thing these two need is the experience.
Low Road:
Candice is the logical choice to be women's champ; that to me merely shows the lack of depth in the WWE women's division. Why does it lack depth? Partly because Trish and Lita have left, yes, but also because WWE insist on employing models as wrestlers and them spending years teaching them how to wrestle on TV.
High Road:
By becoming the Women's champion, Candice Michelle is going to benefit more than she had before becoming champion. First, she is instantly elevated in the eyes of the fans because now she is champion. Before becoming champion, she was just a model trying to learn to wrestle; now is a model who has learned how to wrestle.
Low Road:
As I've said above, I'm now a fan of Candice. However, I wish WWE wouldn't insist on pushing non wrestling women on us, and them making us watch over 3 years as they learn how to work a match, when there are talented women out there who can wrestle perfectly well. That Candice is now a decent wrestler doesn't excuse the WWE policy nor mean that they've somehow got it "right."
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...
Alex Mattis' The Best of the Rest
Andy Clark's The Shimmy
Ari Berenstein's Column of Honor
Bayani Domingo's Truth B Told
Buy or Sell
Daniel Wilcox's Schmozzes and Screwjobs
David, Alex, & Zach's The Triple Threat
Fact or Fiction
J.D. Dunn's Kayfabe Chronicles
Jeff Small's The Thursday Small For All News Report
Joe Estee's Keys to the Game
John Meehan's MeeThinks Saturday Spectacular
Jordan Linkous' Why I Love Wrestling
Julian Williams The Top Ten
Larry Csonka's 4R's, 4R's PPV Edition, & Wrestler of the Week
Leonard Hayhurst ‘s The 10th Day News Report
Mathew Sforcina's Evolution Schematic
Matt Adamson's Destiny
Matt Short's Navigation Log
Michael Weyer's Shining the Spotlight.
Mike Minotti's Can They Be Champ?
O'Dog's Forgotten Goodness
Phill Feltham's The Quick Talkdown
Prag-Thomlison's Hidden Highlights
Rob Halden's You're An Idiot and Here's Why
Ron Gamble's Just S'pose
Ronny Sarnecky's The Piledriver Report
Ryan Byers' The Custom Made News Report
Samuel Berman's The Independent Mid-Card & The Box in the Attic
Stephen Randle's Wrestling News Experience
Steve Cook's Ask 411
Stuart Carapola's Friendly Competition & That Was Then,
Wilcox-Halden-Adamson's The Fink's Payload
Zac Calhoun's The Ripple Effect
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.
