The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks: 10.12.07
Posted by John Meehan on 10.12.2007
A "Heartbreak" for RAW, Developmental DRAMA, and a Big Week for TNA
Welcome back, all! What a crazy week it's been... especially if you're a fan of the Yankees or 'dem Cowboys ("America's Team" my ear!). But the 'rasslin world hasn't been without *its* fair share of nuttiness over the past seven days too, ya' know. So let's cut the jibber-jabber and see what we've got...
While it's often said that any one particular week's rating isn't really that big of a deal, a bunch of IWC types are getting up in arms about the fact that WWE's flagship broadcast recently drew a mere 2.8 rating this past Monday night -- representing the show's smallest non-Holiday audience in the better part of a decade.
Now then...
There are a number of plausible "wrestling-only" explanations as to this latest dip, as many a self-proclaimed IWC pundit has already outlined. Among them:
1) Fans tuned out because they're bummed about the Hornswoggle payoff to the McMahon paternity angle.
2) Fans tuned out because No Mercy was a stinker of a PPV.
3) Fans tuned out because John Cena is out of action.
4) Fans tuned out because they're still bummed over the Benoit/steroid debacle.
Understandably, for we die-hard 'rasslin fans of the world, any and ALL of these aforementioned points seem to offer up a pretty solid explanation for RAW's recent descent into the below-3.0 Nielsen range. And without question, MeeThinks there are more than a handful of casual fans who may well have chosen not to watch RAW for one of the reasons outlined above.
However --
Taking a step back from pure "wrestling-fandom" for a second and looking at the bigger picture here, for a second, there is one (make that TWO) major reason(s) why fans weren't watching WWE programming last Monday night... and it has absolutely NOTHING to do with the relative quality of the show, its current roster, or the overall state of the professional wrestling industry whatsoever.
What's that, you ask?
Here's a little gem of a ratings blurb I stumbled across on IMDb (that's the "Internet Movies Database" -- a non-wrestling site -- in case you weren't familiar for any reason):
In cable ratings, TBS scored its best week ever with its coverage of post-season baseball. The MLB coverage gave TBS an average primetime audience of 5.3 million viewers, peaking at 8.46 million for the third game of the Yankees-Indians series. Nevertheless, the highest-rated cable telecast last week was ESPN's coverage of the Patriots-Bengals Monday Night Football game on October 1, which drew 11.8 million viewers.
Now I'm no mathematician... but the way I see things:
11 million people (or more) watching professional football, plus (at least) 5 million watching professional baseball = 16 million "sports fans" watching programs that AREN'T Monday Night RAW. That's American Idol-like numbers, folks... and with each of the "real" sports offering up high-profile showdowns just four days ago, it's really no surprise that EVERY other Monday night television program (and not just "pro 'rasslin") saw their ratings take a hit.
In short?
Yes, wrestling audiences are down due to a combination of factors *IN* wrestling/WWE itself. However, a LOT of the RAW ratings dip simply has to be attributed to the double-whammy juggernaut that was a Monday Night Football "Instant Classic" and a Major League Baseball "Cinderella Story" on the very same night. Again, any one week's ratings simply aren't going to make or break a show's future success (memo to those of you panicking that USA will cancel RAW once the contract renewal comes up in April -- RELAX)... and there are a lot of compounding variables at play here that do a lot more to explain the "big picture" than any one-night bout of fan frustration with Triple H, Vince McMahon, Hornswoggle, John Cena, or a one-off PPV.
Since Neilsen buzz seems to be all the rage with the knee-jerk reactionaries these days, I figured that now is as good a time as any to see if we can't size up the next few weeks of RAW and its biggest ratings-rivals. This is pure speculation, mind you, but MeeThinks there's a LOT of folks jumping the gun (and jumping ship!) over this latest dip in the RAW rating... and so now might be a good time to see what all's in store for the 'E's flagship program in the weeks to come. With luck (and if I'm right, which -- according to The MeeThinks PPV Tracker happens at least 60% of the time), it might just help us get a better view of the "big picture" in all of this.
Heck, it might even convince some folks to chill the heck out.
Monday, October 15 MNF: Giants vs. Falcons MLB: Game three of the Sox vs. the Indians (7 pm). MLB: Game four of the D'backs vs. the Rockies (10 pm). RAW: Fallout from the Shawn Michaels return, Bob Holly vs. Cody Rhodes
Analysis: With the Vick-less Falcons off to a miserable 1-4 start, don't expect MNF's ratings to be *nearly* what they were this past week when "America's Team" almost lost their unbeaten streak to a longtime rival in the Buffalo Bills. The American League contest should draw a decent audience, for sure... but the NL game will suffer both from it's later time slot and the fact that neither team is *nearly* as popular as their storied AL counterparts in "Cinderella" Cleveland and "The Franchise" Red Sox. With Shawn Michaels having made a surprise return to WWE, expect at least a handful of those casual fans to check out USA network between 9 and 11. As a result, MeeThinks we can expect RAW's rating to rebound anywhere between .2 and .4 points by next Monday.
Monday, October 22 MNF: Colts vs. Jags MLB: Off RAW: Hard-sell for Cyber Sunday, teased Save_Us222 hype, possible in-ring action featuring HHH, HBK.
Analysis: The Colts have been on fire this year, and an in-conference matchup with their AFC South rivals, the Jacksonville Jaguars, should command a pretty sizable viewership. That said, last year's Superbowl ratings made it pretty clear that for as good as the Colts may well be, a LOT of football fans would simply rather watch teams from the NFC and AFC east when it comes time to "big game" scenarios. As a result, don't expect the Colts/Jags game to draw *nearly* the 11.8 million that the Bills/'Boys showdown drew this past week. And with MLB on a bye-week 'till the 'Series, that should leave a lotta' sports fans freed up to catch Monday Night RAW. so again, MeeThinks all us "concerned" wrestling fans can reasonably expect a RAW rating above 3.2.
Monday, October 29 MNF: Packers vs. the Broncos MLB: Game Four of the World Series RAW: Cyber Sunday fallout, possible RAW debut of Save_Us222 payoff
Analysis: I'm not one for fantasy-booking, but I can say with pretty solid assurance that a lot of the audience for Oct. 29 television programming will be decided based on what all goes down (in EACH league) over the next few weeks. In the NFL, the 2-3 Broncos are headed for a bye-week in serious need of a win. If they don't get it by the time they face the Pack on the 29th (a tough charge, seeing as how they've got the Steelers in Week 7), don't expect too many football fans to treat that game as "must-see" television. In MLB-land, it all depends on who's playing. Boston or Cleveland will draw, but Rockies or D'Backs is a crapshoot. And in the world of wrestling? If new champs are crowned or Jericho returns at Cyber Sunday, you're pretty much guaranteed a "curiosity bump" in the next day's ratings that should have no trouble keeping RAW over 3.0. If the Broncos and the Pack can keep momentum, if the Series is one game away from elimination, and if Cyber Sunday underwhelms (and I for one will be thoroughly bummed, as I have tickets) -- wrestling fans might be in for another ratings scare just in time for Halloween.
Bottom line?
With so many variables at play in the next few weeks of television -- both wrestling-related and NON -- MeeThinks it's really in wrestling fans' best interest NOT to treat this week's RAW rating as a surefire sign that all hope is lost for World Wrestling Entertainment. If ratings are still consistently below 3.0 come November then we'll talk. But until then, there's plenty of signs to suggest that help is on the way.
Word from the 'E this week has it that Krissi Vaine, Smackdown's newest "mystery woman" (you know, the one who ambushed Tori Wilson two weeks back), has already left the company. Seems as if she was dating a fellow developmental talent Ryan O'Rielly, and when she got called up to the blue brand (while he was rumored to be headed to RAW), they both decided that the time apart would prove too stressful on their relationship, so they called it a day.
Now a LOT of people are ragging on these two for "wasing the company's time" and for "taking two spots that could have easily gone to other people who wanted it more" -- but frankly?
I don't blame them in the least.
Sure, it sucks to wait this late into the game (when you've already been called up) before you decide to quit. But then again, it's *much* better that Krissy and Ryan decided to cut their losses NOW rather than waiting a few more weeks/months/etc. until they'd both landed themselves into a regular position on two separate shows. Even though the decision to split from the company came at an inopportune time for the 'E, it's pretty clear that Krissy and Ryan cared more about one another than they did about the wrestling business. And if that's the case? Then it's pretty foolish and self-serving for them to sacrifice their relationship over two jobs that neither of them seem to be all that committed to keeping. Not to make too much of this one here, but I'd *much* rather see a dozen wrestlers quit "to be with their loved ones" than see them push themselves beyond their personal comfort level (and breaking point) only to lose their relationships, careers, and families as a result.
Face it --
Wrestling marriages don't usually fare so well (Austin/Debra, Mongo/Debra, Kidman/Wilson, Macho/Liz, DDP/Kimberly, Taker/Sara?, etc.) -- and even if they *don't* end in separation or divorce, far too often performers who push themselves and "the wrestler's life" too hard largely for the sake of providing for their families ultimately find themselves destined for an unhappy ending all the same (Benoit/Nancy, Eddie/Vickie, Pillman/Melanie, etc.).
Bottom line?
WAYY too many wrestlers have lost *everything* while trying to manage both career and family, and if a performer (or performerS) would rather give up on a job than give up on a relationship? More power to 'em, and I wish them all the best.
*(And to those folks who were steamed that the two slots saved for O'Rielly and Vaine could have easily been given to somebody else -- quit whining. Two less stars on the main roster = two new spots for other folks to fill their shoes. There ya' go.)
This is probably the biggest news item of the week (meaning that things have been pretty slow, of late) -- and a number of fellow 411'ers have already covered it, so I'll kindly defer to their version of the story for starters:
Last week Tony Atlas was working with developmental talent in OVW. It's been said that Atlas did not get along with the young talent by only putting himself over and pointing out what they were doing wrong. CM Punk worked the tapings and Atlas got on him for having his wrists taped oddly and he said it looked like his arms were broken. After the taping Atlas critiqued the talent harshly and constantly stared at Punk when he made points. Punk finally called Atlas out and asked what he was looking at. Atlas replied that with an attitude like that, he would never make television. Atlas was unaware that Punk was ECW champion and one of WWE's most popular current stars. That's the dumbest thing he's done since Saba Simba. Punk and Atlas continued to argue for about twenty minutes. Afterwards, OVW wrestler Atlas DaBone apologized on behalf of Punk to Atlas. Many felt that this was just DaBone sucking up to management and that he had no right to apologize on Punk's behalf. Word has it that morale in OVW is very low right now as talent feels that they are always being harped on for doing everything wrong and are never given positive encouragement. John Laurinaitis as the head of talent relations was reported to be every upset over the incident and that seasoned ECW trainers Al Snow and Robert Gibson allowed it to occur in the first place.
I don't blame Punk on this one, and frankly I don't blame Tony Atlas either. If somebody from your old job calls you up *years* after you've retired and sez "hey, can you show these new dogs some old tricks?" -- you, being a professional, step in and see if you can't lend a hand as best you can. Sure a lot of your advice might be a bit dated, but when we're talking "fundamentals" here, there are plenty of age-old industry tricks that can still help a new dog succeed. Problem is, Atlas just so happened to fixate on one of the few "old tricks" that ain't quite what it used to be... well, in CM Punk's case, at least.
Thing is, Tony Atlas is 100% right in pointing out that WAYYYY too many wrestlers these days really do share in the same "generic indy wrestler guy" look (i.e. -- long hair, slight fuzz on the face, muscular enough but not *too* jacked, generic trunks, etc). I mean, all one has to do is look at TNA and see that, by and large, quite a few of the industry's midcarders are struggling to break free from precisely the same mold (Robert Roode, Chris Harris, James Storm, Frankie Kazarian, etc.). The problem, of course, is that Atlas made the mistake of singling out one of the very *few* talents who've actually made that sort of look work.
And that's where it all broke down.
For his part, CM Punk had every right to call Atlas out for not knowing who he was. Sure, Atlas is a "Hall of Famer" and so he deserves a certain degree of respect, but the bottom line is that if you're telling folks the kinda look that will "never get 'em on television," then you probably should have at least an inkling of exactly what guys are actually *on television* in the first place. Simply put, Atlas had a solid point and probably meant well, but he overstated his advice, and got nailed for it as a result.
This is a HUGE move for TNA, as it really goes a long way in helping their promotion establish a new degree of credibility. Face it, the World Wide Interwebz is where it's at today in terms of a company's primary source of information and fan-accessibility, and if TNA seriously hopes to compete with World Wrestling Entertainment -- then they simply *have* to step up their company's overall presentation.
The "new and improved" TNA website is a tremendous step in the right direction, as it vastly improves upon their previous site and adds a ton of user-friendly upgrades to really punch up the overall quality. The roster page alone is a significant upgrade from the last go-round, and the site manages to be clear, clean and direct (and hella-informative) without feeling too "corporate" or too crowded as can often be the case when overhauls of this nature take place.
Though I'm still not a huge fan of the automatically-plays-every-time-you-open-the-page YouTube video link (but that's largely just because I do most of my web-surfing at the office, and would prefer *not* to get caught browsing wrestling forums when I'm supposed to be, ya' know, WORKING) -- I most definitely applaud TNA for continuing to host new and exclusive video (FOR FREE!) on their website. While the folks at "big brother" WWE continue to charge a subscription fee for monthly access to certain video content (despite the fact that a quick Google-search of "No Mercy Punjabi Prison" will already redirect viewers to a free -- albeit pirated -- video copy of that match online), TNA's partnership with YouTube remains a smart and fan-friendly one as the company "gets the word out," and it can only help the company as it continues to grow and expand.
Plus, TNA has hosted some pretty sweet screen caps from their upcoming video game on their "new and improved" site. See that photo of Christian Cage at the top of this column? Yeah, that's an actual screenshot from the game itself. Like I said, pretty flippin' sweet.
Late this week, word broke that TNA agent Terry Taylor (of Red Rooster fame) sent letters to a number of "unhappy" TNA performers letting them know that that they could leave the promotion if they so desired. Immediately (and unsurprisingly), this lead many TNA-haters to begin swearing up and down that TNA talent would likely start pouring out of the promotion like rats off of the proverbial sinking ship... and that the company would tank as a result
I couldn't disagree more.
If TNA loses any of their currently-contracted stars, they're likely to be losing talents who a) weren't doing all that much in the company to begin with, and b) weren't all that happy in TNA in the first place.
Frankly, for as much as it might suck for TNA fans to lose folks like Homicide, Hernandez, Shelley, Sabin, Ron Killings and Team 3D... chances are better than not that the best of these talents are likely to find work elsewhere (and soon)... and so it's not like they'll be off of the wrestling fan radar for long. As for the "lesser" of these talents (e.g. -- Ron Killings)? If you're seriously watching TNA programming each week in the vain hope to catch "The Truth" bust out the same crappy offense he's been doing for the past seven years... well, hate to burst the old bubble for ya -- but you'll probably be better off without him in the long run just the same.
More importantly --
Now that TNA has been given an additional hour of programming each week, it stands to reason that additional performers will be given the chance to appear (and reappear) on TNA television. In turn, this *should* result in more exposure for the lesser-known talents among them, and (with luck) it *should* result in higher-profile angles and storylines featuring a veritable array of homegrown TNA talent.
Of course, if that *doesn't* happen sooner than later (and if the additional hour of iMPACT! quickly becomes yet another sixty minutes of "The Kurt Angle Show"), then yes, a number of TNA stars probably *will* cut their losses and begin to seek employment elsewhere. But you know what? As much as I may be a TNA fan, I am first and foremost a fan of PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING... and I'd much rather see talented young performers plying their trade in another company where they actually receive a chance than simply languishing away in the same company where all they do is wait on the sidelines for a paycheck.
MeeThinks is launching a new feature this month: a head-to-head look at the newly released PPV posters that represent the coming month's PPV offerings!
Face it, wrestling fans ain't made of money, and with (at least) two major wrestling PPVs each month, sometimes you've gotta' pick and choose which one will be geting your hard-earned cash and which one you'll be catching on YouTube (for free) later on down the line.
With that in mind, it's time for The MeeThinks PPV Poster Showdown! Sure, a lot of the reason why people order a big show is based on the actual makeup of the card itself... but sometimes all it takes to garner fans' attention (and take their $$$) is little more than a clever bit of marketing. I mean, it worked for Godzilla and The Phantom Menace, right?
Information: Gotta give the clear "Edge" (no pun intented) to WWE here. Their poster features the date and time, as well as the fact that the show will be on PPV. TNA's gives a nice (albeit hackneyed) slogan and all... but no date or time for the event. Heck, the average Joe fan might not even know that "Genesis" is supposed to be a PPV name.
Impact: Close call on this one, but again I'm gonna' have to give the nod to the 'E. The chainsaw motif is surreal and pretty damned cool, and the symbolism of Edge "tearing up" a wrestling ring is hella-effective. Plus the combination of concept, skill, style and execution of WWE's promotional materials is easily the best in the business. Stacked up head-to-head with the Survivor Series poster (or the No Mercy/Orton one, or the Cyber Sunday/Candice one), opponents ads kinda look like little more than an intro class to Photoshop.
PPV Logo: In terms of the logo itself (and not the details surrounding it), TNA gets the win in this category. Where WWE banks on fans recognizing the existing "Survivor Series" name value to help sell the show, TNA has taken their PPV name and placed it front and center on their poster. Sure, the right-facing-arrow is both heavy-handed and distracting (in an ironic twist, it almost sez "hey, check out this poster to the right of ours!")... but TNA wins for putting both their company's brand name and the name of their PPV at the heart of the ad. Too bad they forgot the date!
On-Ad Talent: TNA with another close victory here, particularly because their poster features a slew of fresh, engaging faces that casual wrestling fans won't immediately peg as "WWE-castaways" (Team 3D, Angle, Christian, etc.). By placing Edge alone (and obscuring the Survivor Series logo in the process), the 'E is basically selling the entire show around the pending return of "The Rated R Superstar" -- which pretty much makes the entire poster "pass or fail" based on whether or not any given fan wants to see the guy showcased on TV.
Overall Effect: Though WWE is the clear winner for both style *and* substance, I'd have to give the overall win here to the TNA Genesis poster in terms of overall effect. They call the show "Genesis" and promise new faces, which gives the PPV title an added significance and provides fans with the (false?) hope that many a homegrown-TNA star might actually have the chance to shine at the big show. WWE's poster, while exciting, banks on the promised impact of one performer and one performer alone. And as solid a talent as Edge may well indeed be, hyping him is kinda' contrary to the original premise of the team-battle "Survivor Series" PPV concept. Sure, WWE hasn't done a "traditional" Survivor Series in years and all... but this latest poster makes it pretty clear that the actual name of the PPV itself is, in the end, kinda' arbitrary and interchangable.
The MeeThinks Pay Per View Tracker
It's TNA's "WrestleMania" this weekend as the upstart from Orlando brings us "Bound For Glory." Let's see how we've fared in the year to date:
WWE New Year's Revolution - N/A TNA Final Resolution - 3/7 WWE Royal Rumble - 2/5 TNA Against All Odds - 2/9 WWE No Way Out - N/A TNA Destination X - 4/9 WWE WrestleMania 23 - 4/8 TNA Lockdown - 7/9 WWE Backlash - 2/6 TNA Sacrifice - 5/9 WWE Judgment Day - 5/7 WWE One Night Stand - 7/8 TNA SlammiVersary - 3/8 WWE Vengeance - 8/9 TNA Victory Road - 5/7 WWE Great American Bash - 7/8 TNA Hard Justice - 4/9 WWE Summerslam - 4/7 TNA No Surrender - 6/8 WWE Unforgiven - 6/8 WWE No Mercy - 5/6
Cumulative Total: 90/146 Percent Correct: 61.64%
I'm splitting the difference and giving myself one win and one loss on those "impromptu" title matches at No Mercy. I'd guessed (correctly) that whoever they put up against Orton would likely beat him for the belt, but I didn't see the triple-switch coming, and so I'll take my knocks for that one.
This weekend, look for: Abyss and Rhino, The Steiners, Chris Harris, LAX, Christian, Gail Kim, Styles & Tomko, Daniels, and Sting.
YouThinks Reader Mail
Chris Nichtern shows some love and gets things started:
"a "smart" fan (you know -- the ones who write 'rasslin columns online, but are "too cool" to wear a pro wrestling t-shirt in public)."
Best line I've read in a wrestling column ever.
Hahahahahah
Thanks dude,
- Chris
Thanks for reading, Chris. :) Glad there's at least a few of us IWC types out there who can still smile and laugh in spite of ourselves, eh? After all, it's just a bunch of grown men play fighting, ya' know.
Mike Oberegger is up next with some kind words of his own:
Just want to let you know that your columns are great week in, week out. I think right now, they may be the best thing on the front page.
I can tell you put a lot of work into them, as they are usually fairly long, and there is ample thought put into everything.
Keep up the good work.
- Mike Oberegger
Thanks for the support, Mike. Glad to see that folks like reading these suckers, as I most definitely like writing them! Always nice to see people ENJOYING something for a change, ya' know?
Next up -- Adam Harris:
i read your columns often and they are usually decent. however one thing i keep hearing from you and others is that john cena sells ppvs. i disagree. i have not done any specific research but whenever i hear a buyrate reported it always seems low compared to the past and domestic buy rates are much lower then they used to be. and foreign buys do not generate as much profit. one number i saw was for 5 raw brand ppvs in 2006 the domestic buy rates averaged 170,000. not very good. there is also a good look at ratings and cena's dominance from onlineonslaught.com, http://www.onlineonslaught.com/columns/oo/20070823.shtml
worth a read.
thanks,
- adam harris
Thanks for writing, Adam. While you're absolutely right in noting that buyrates are indeed lower these days than they once were, the bottom line is that Cena has been prominently featured in just about EVERY major WWE PPV over the past three years (including a record-breaking WrestleMania main event or two), and the fact remains that whether or not he's "the most marketable WWE star of all time" (which he's not), he *is*, unquestionably, "the most marketable WWE star on the roster today."
PPV numbers might not be record-breaking at every Great American Bash or Judgment Day or what have you, but the bottom line is that they still continue to turn a huge profit for WWE -- and that is thanks in no small part to the guys that the company is using to sell each of those shows.
Namely?
The big seven: John Cena, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton, The Undertaker, Batista, and (when he's healthy) Rey Mysterio.
Merchandise and buyrates don't have to always be record-setting to prove that each of these guys are worth BIG money to the 'E. Cena, Mysterio and dX were/are INSANELY popular with the kids... and if the kids can beg their folks to shell out the dough for action figures and t-shirts (as they do), it follows that those same kids can beg their folks to plunk down the money to see those same guys "fight" on a PPV every few months. Again, it might not be Cena alone out there setting any records (and Austins and Hogans are indeed tough to beat) -- but he's most definitely holding up his end of the bargain and bringing more than a few fans (and haters alike) tuning in each and every week.
Troy has some Thinks about 'Da Champ as well:
Great column as always. Now then, Cena getting hurt is a HUGE loss. Since mania 05 until oct 07 is a time frame of 31 months. In that time Cena lost the belt to Edge for what 3 weeks or let's just say a month. He won it back then, lost it to RVD. He won it back 4 months later. Out of the last 31 months Cena has been champ for 26 of those. Bottom line this is the most significant loss the WWE has suffered in a LONG time. Cena is money plain and simple. But the E has the performers to make it thru the next 6-12 months. Randy Orton should be wearing the gold come this Monday night. We are long overdue for a heel champ. Orton makes the most sense. I say keep the belt on him until Mania. Trips should feud with Orton leading into Mania and Trips should put Orton over. Orton coming out of a feud with Trips as the clear winner would solidify him as a TOP level guy.
TNA- What to say about TNA? The 2 hour premire was horrible, boring, and flat out sucked. They could at least had the champ there. But no, he's out stalking Stings son. Are you kidding me? That's a joke. Sting should not be in the title picture right now. What's he gonna do put Angle over? Angle is already over a win vs. 80yr. old Sting means nothing. Sting sucks! Why doesn't the IC tear into Sting for not putting guys over and burying talent? Who has he put over since coming to TNA? TNA has plenty of talent, they just need to learn how to use it. They took away all of Somoa Joes' momentum, practically rendering him a non factor. They have made AJ into a complete bafoon (AJ as a heel could be sooooooooooo much better). Abyss came out on the losing end of his feud with 100yr. old Sting. Abyss should be an absolute monster not a glorified jobber. LAX had all the heat, a great gimmick and were way over. TNA killed them to. The motor city machine guns are awesome, but not in the eyes of TNA. They would much rather push Team 3D down our throats. Rhyno could be a huge asset to the company, but they would rather him just be a jobber. Bottom line…TNA has talent they just have no idea how to use it.
Looking into the future I see Mania24 main events looking like this:
WWE championship- C-Orton vs. Lashley
Winner Lashley followed by a heel turn and a feud with Cena
World championship- C-UT vs CM Punk
Winner Punk big upset I know but someone who the E can look to in the future is the one to break the streak and establish himself as the #1 guy.
That's all I got for now.
-Troy
Great e-mail, Troy, and thanks for writing.
Regarding your thoughts on the WWE Title picture, MeeThinks you're spot-on and that we're in for a good ride with a heel champ in Orton to power us through the next few months. If it were my call, I dunno that I'd have Lashley challenging for the belt at 'Mania (if Orton were still champ, I'd go with Jericho) -- but like you said, there is a LOT that can happen between now and then... so who's to say.
As for the CM Punk/Undertaker showdown -- it's as good an idea as I've heard. Punk is young, marketable, and most definitely committed to "the business" for the long haul. Barring a freak injury, I see no reason why the guy shouldn't be on a WWE roster come WrestleMania 30. That said, I still think that 'Taker should remain unbeaten at WrestleMania. Every year, the mystique gets bigger and bigger -- and watching him "come out of retirement" some year on down the line for a one-night-only showdown against the resident "top dog" could, if marketed properly, be a surefire license to print money.
You've made some solid points about TNA's talent problems, and I hope I was able to cover a bunch of them in my bullet point above. As for their resident "jobber to the stars," Abyss was headed to the biggest push of his life when Judas Mesias went down to injury last month, and so we might just have to cross our fingers and wait and see how that one plays out in the end.
Switching gears, JLevy has some rather unconventional Thinks about SaveUs_222:
Ok, I know you must be inundated with theories about Save_US, but i think i may have another one. Let me start off by saying that I think that Jericho is coming back, but i dont think it has anything to do with this. I noticed a screen in the video that read 8.2.11. Try saying it out loud. It comes out as "eight to eleven". Right now, RAW runs from nine to eleven (at least in the east coast where I live). I think this might be a clue that they're getting ready for RAW to go to 3 hours. Think about it. Haven't we been hearing rumors that NBC has been pressuring Vince to expand RAW? It would make perfect sense.
-JLevy
That is a pretty credible theory, actually! However, with the 'E currently battling to keep a) a full roster, b) a steroid-free roster, and c) a rating above 3.0 -- it might be a bit longer before we see Vinny Mac and USA Network coming to terms on an *additional* hour of WWE programming each week. Then again, if they were planning to hype such a thing -- these "viral videos" are proving tremendously effective, wouldn't you say?
JBBTHWK chimes in with some fantasy thoughts:
I have a Dream match for you, picture both wrestlers in their prime. This is a match between 2 Countries' greatest legends. The Undertaker vs The Great Muta. your thoughts and if you can, send this over to the Payload, I'd love to see how they'd book it.
- JBBTHWK
Thanks for writing, JB. I'm gonna' have to say Undertaker... but that's probably my North American wrestling bias coming out there. YourThinks, Payloaders?
Finally, in the spirit of my upcoming M.A. comprehensive exams, we'll close with something of an "open-ended response" question from Penn Stater, Dan Schmidt:
Mr Meehan,
My name is Dan Schmidt and I'm a student at Penn State University. First of all, I read your column pretty much every week, you're a tremendous writer. I also understand you wrote a college thesis about a professional wrestlers needing a union. I'm a journalism major and I'm writing a feature piece about steroids in wrestling, sort of like a story for a faux newspaper. I was wondering if I could get your comments on a few issues and include them in my piece. Any assistance you could give me would be greatly appreciated. Anyway,
Do you think a pro wrestlers union would curb the flow of steroids in the WWE? If so, why do you feel this way, or if not, what do you think would be the best solutions for curbing the use of illicit drugs in steroids in professional wrestling?
It sounds like an essay question, I know, but I'm supposed to act like a reporter. Any comments or insight you could give me would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you for your time,
- Dan Schmidt
Thanks for writing, Dan. MeeThinks?
An organized performer's union would most definitely help to curb the rampant drug use in the wrestling business today. At the very least, an industry-wide system of healthcare in place would permit performers to feel less inclined to rush themselves back from injury for fear of losing a paycheck. Moreover, a larger, umbrella system of standards that guaranteed employees safe working conditions could help offset the relative high cost otherwise incumbent upon employers themselves when administering "random" drug tests to all talents. In addition, with the protective job security measures that a performer's union could offer, talent could be reasonably assured that they would not lose their job in the case of injury, and that their relative place in the company would not automatically be lost were they to spend "too much time" rehabbing such injuries properly.
Granted, even the most ideal worker's union is not without its fair share of drawbacks, politics, red-tape and growing pains, and there would still be plenty of kinks to work out if any such system was to be implemented. But with the rather substantial degree of what's at stake in this issue, and the staggering number of wrestlers that are injured or killed by a ritualized addiction to pain medication and performance enhancing supplements each year, any such efforts would certainly make for a welcome and impressive start nonetheless.
Ok --
Turning *off* "grad-student-speak" and getting back to our usual conversational tone (ahhh, that's better), let's take this thing home.
And With That, I'm Outta' Here
Thanks again for reading, all, and I'll be back here (with luck) next Friday. One week 'till Homecoming (500+ guests with a 5-person-staff = insanity), and two weeks 'till the dreaded comprehensive exams are in the books (800+ years of British and American literature? Piece o' cake! Or not...). But in any case, I'm gonna' be busy biz over the next fourteen. On the bright side, I've got tickets to Cyber Sunday right after all this nonsense is through! And the Pats are TOTALLY gonna' clobber the Cowboys this weekend :). 'Till next time, enjoy the autumn and the TNA "Grandaddy of Them All," and always stay positive!
