The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks: 10.26.07
Posted by John Meehan on 10.26.2007
Vinny Mac vs. Ernest Hemingway!?! It's all inside...
Welcome back, all -- as I happily interrupt a week-long-cram-a-thon for a comprehensive exam on some 1200 years of English literature to bring you your regularly scheduled week-end dose of Intrawebz optimism! Since I mentioned the big test, do forgive Mee in advance if I occassionally slip in some random factoids about English literature throughout this week's column. That way, I can *totally* justify spending the time it takes to write this sucker that I probably should be using elsewhere.
On second thought, I can always just go into the test and simply refuse to take it until they agree to include the greatness that is Batista's new biography :)
I can see THAT one working out well, I'm sure.
On Tap This Week:
RAW Rides the Rebound
ECW Dodges a Close One
Candice Cracks a Clavicle
'Da Champ and The Donald
Brock Rocks UFC
The MeeThinks Pay Per View Tracker
YouThinks: All Hail King Bookah!
YouThinks: Booker T-NA?
YouThinks: John Cena vs. G-Unit
YouThinks: Race Relations and Radical Finishers
Rock & Roll.
BTW: Major bonus points to anybody who can correctly identify all 17 of those famous faces (not counting the one ugly mug of yours truly) in the image just above.
Three weeks ago when RAW's rating dipped under the 3.0 mark for the first "legit" reading in ages, many a wrestling fan was quick to hit the panic button and assume that The 'E's flagship broadcast was a sinking ship. Of course, many of those same fans completely ignored the fact that BOTH Major League Baseball AND the National Football League just so happened to be putting on two killer broadcasts AT THE EXACT SAME TIME as RAW that week (with the Indians besting the Yankees, and the Cowboys narrowly defeating the Bills) -- and so I thought it'd be a good idea at that time to take a quick step back and size up the rest of the October calendar for RAW and its immediate athletic competition(s) on rival networks.
Long and short of it?
I wanted to assure the naysayers that every now and again, a show's rating takes a one-off nosedive due to situations COMPLETELY beyond their own control. In other words, sure RAW has had its fair share of problems of late (injuries and contract expirations come to mind) -- but if you look back at the "big picture" of things, odds are pretty good that a lot of the drop-off in the RAW audience from two weeks back simply had to do with the one-two punch of an NFL/MLB juggernaut. And that if we stayed positive and patient, things were bound to improve sooner than later.
Here's MeeThinks from Oct. 12. I've bolded the most important part:
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.
Thank you, thank you.
Last week I predicted a RAW ratings bump of up to .4 in the Nielsens, and the once-troubled "2.8" figure magically made a return to range of 3.2 and 3.4 (averaging 3.3 over two hours). This week, RAW's overall rating actually edged out its numbers from last week, with an average rating just north of 3.33 -- down from earlier averages of the year, true, but still comfortably in line with your typical autumn ratings for WWE programming over the past few years.
See?
Positivity pays.
Random Factoid of English Literature #19751: Late in his life, 20th century modernist Irish poet William Butler Yeats underwent an operation where they put a monkey gland near his "Willie" in order to restore his sexual poetry (true story). Somewhere in a corner, Vince Russo is crying that *he* didn't think of that idea first and make it into a "Monkey Gland on a Pole" match. ECW Gets Renewed by SciFi through 2008 Network Picks Up Fledgling "Third Brand" of WWE For Another Year
In a welcome bit of "good news" for WWE on Tuesday afternoon, it was announced that the NBC Universal-owned SciFi channel would be renewing their contract to continue airing WWE's ECW program on their network on Tuesday nights through 2008.
Obviously, this is HUGE news for WWE and ECW fans alike, and it is even huge-r news to all of those IWC naysayers who had pegged the purple brand as "all but done for" when word broke last week that SciFi wasn't sure they'd be re-upping their deal with WWE.
So, to all of those negative, kneejerk net know-it-alls who wrote ECW off as a goner last week...
STFU!
Toldja' to "stay positive," didn't I?
Random Factoid of English Literature #20476:After a night of heavy drinking, Zelda Fitzgerald told Ernest Hemingway that her husband (F. Scott Fitzgerald) had a tiny, err... "Gatsby," -- ifyaknowwhatImean. Desperate to prove his manhood and equally drunk himself, Fitzgerald hauled Hemingway into the nearest men's room in order to prove that his wife was lying. And you thought Vince's "Kiss My Ass Club" was bad! Candice Michelle Out for 6-8 Weeks Former Women's Champ Cracks Clavicle in Wicked Fall on Monday
Eesh.
If you watched RAW this past week, you (like many of us) probably couldn't help but cringe when you saw WWE Diva Candice Michelle take a serious tumble from the top rope during her 2-out-of-3 falls bout against current WWE Women's Champion Beth Phoenix. During the spot -- which had been executed to perfection at least once before on the house show circuit, according to web reports -- Beth Phoenix was supposed to shake the ring ropes and cause Candice to "crotch" herself on the corner of the top turnbuckle before falling head-first into the ring. Unfortunately for Candice, she didn't quite get her arms up in time in order to cushion her fall -- and so she landed squarely on her head and shoulders instead.
As a result of the fall, Candice was knocked unconscious and the match was immediately drawn to a conclusion. The show cut to commercial, and medical personnel rushed down to ringside. Candice was taken from the arena by a stretcher to an awaiting ambulance and then to a nearby hospital, where she was later diagnosed with a cracked her clavicle. Candice is expected to be out of action for 6-8 weeks, and has been pulled from the Cyber Sunday PPV this weekend as a result of her injury.
The GOOD news --
Is that Candice *will not* be requiring surgery to fix this injury, and that she should be "as good as new" before year's end. Additional "good news" can be found in the fact that her accident was exactly that -- both an ACCIDENT, and *HER* fault alone -- which is always nice to see in this era of professional sports where players have, on occassion, developed bad attitudes or incurred serious injuries after giving or receiving cheap shots from other players while on the field of competition.
Case in point...
Here's to a speedy and healthy recovery for Candice Michelle.
Random Factoid of English Literature #80204:20th century British author Virginia Woolf killed herself by putting heavy stones in her pockets and walking off into a river. In William Faulkner's "The Sound and the Fury," Quentin Compson does the same. No word yet on whether referee Tim White will be doing something similar on a future WWE program. John Cena to Take Part in Celebrity Edition of NBC's "The Apprentice" Former WWE Champ Joins The Donald During Injury Rehab
Big news out of The 'E early this week was that former WWE Champion John Cena would be taking place in the next installment of the once-hit NBC television series, "The Apprentice." This time around, Donald Trump will enlist a cast of C-lebrities to compete for charity, and Cena -- along with UFC'erTito Ortiz, rocker/reality TV star Gene Simmons, boxing great Lennox Lewis, and a slew of other "stars" -- will each compete to win The Donald's favor AND a boatload of dough for their favorite charitable cause.
Obviously with 'Da Champ currently on the shelf with a serious injury (which should keep him out of action from 7-12 months), Trump's timing couldn't have been better. Not only does "The Apprentice" keep Cena's face on mainstream television, it also allows him the opportunity to connect with a non-wrestling-fan audience as he assumes the role of a (much-needed) ambassador for his oft-maligned pseudo-sport.
If Cena can last on the show longer than, say, Ashley Massaro did on CBS's "Survivor," then there is every reason to believe that the guy might be able to keep fans' interest as he takes a long-overdue sabbatical from a WWE ring. Plus, fans and Cena-haters alike can have the opportunity to see Cena interact in a less "scripted" environment, which is and always has been an area where 'Da Champ absolutely shines when given the chance.
(See: WWE's now-scrapped web program, "Five Questions with The Champ" for proof).
I've said it a number of times (but it most definitely bears repeating), John Cena is a class act and a marketing dream. He's young, attractive, charismatic and well-spoken, and he can do a great deal to improve the "mainstream" image of your average professional wrestler. Because let's face it folks, MANY a non-fan these days (somewhat understandably) seems to be under the impression that these "meatheads" are little more than one steroid overdose away from murdering their wives and children.
If John Cena can last *and* show some class along the way? Absolutely no reason to believe that the guy won't be able to soften a few haters' hearts along the way.
Random Factoid of English Literature #80204:20th century poet Sylvia Plath killed herself by sticking her head into an unlit gas stove and inhaling until she died. Shame of it is, she might not have actually wanted to succeed in her suicide attempt, as she'd asked at least two separate people (in advance!) to stop by the house and "check in" on things precisely at the time she planned to start the ordeal. Sadly, neither one made it in time. [Insert tasteless wrestler suicide joke here]. General Wrestling News Brock Lesnar Joins UFC Ex-Wrestler Makes Jump to Mixed Martial Arts
For "casual" UFC fans, Lesnar's signing with MMA giant Ultimate Fighting Championship is a huge deal -- particularly because the company lost one of its biggest and most recognizable stars just two weeks ago with the departure of former heavyweight champion Randy Couture. For wrestling fans, Brock's return to a ring (even if it's not a "wrestling" ring, per se) pretty much solidifies the notion that the guy is best-suited for some form of physical combat, be it "shoot fight" or staged.
Whether or not Lesnar will actually be able to keep up in the octagon is anyone's guess. Sure he's got one decisive victory under his belt and all (though some might argue that his first bout wasn't really all that much of a match), but odds are pretty good that UFC head honcho Dana White will do everything he can to keep Brock away from the heavyweight title (read: they'll probably stick to having him beat up on less established fighters instead) until they finally decide to pull the trigger on a big-money payday between "The Next Big Thing" and whoever just so happens to be holding UFC gold when interest in the bout reaches a fever pitch.
And here's where professional wrestling comes back into the equation --
Brock Lesnar was a tremendously talented and successful "fake" fighter during his time in the squared circle of World Wrestling Entertainment. However, a combination of burnout, travel and wanderlust took their collective toll on the guy, and so he decided to leave the world of pseudo-combat for a more "legit" and physically intense profession in the realm of NFL football.
Though Lesnar's stint with the Minnesota Vikings was short-lived (he was cut from the practice squad prior to opening day), the bottom line is that he "got it out of his system" by giving a shot at the "big time" of real sports a go. Thereafter, he returned to the wrestling world and made a pretty decent name for himself in a few-odd (staged) fights for IWGP in Japan. Once the wanderlust hit Lesnar for a second go-round, the big guy decided to give MMA a shot and proceeded to cancel all future "fake" fights in favor of diving into the world of competitive shoot-fighting. And now that his shoot-fighting career has landed him BACK in the United States and into the ranks of UFC, Brock has pretty much reached the pinnacle of what all can be accomplished in the MMA world -- short of actually, ya' know, WINNING a major UFC bout or title along the way.
Regardless --
If Lesnar's UFC debut (once they move past feeding him "jobbers" in the undercard) turns out to be a flop (kinda' like his NFL stint), there's little reason to doubt that he'll probably end up back in a professional wrestling ring sooner than later... much like he did before.
And if Lesnar's UFC career just so happens to take off? Hey, more power to him. As I said, whether or not he can actually keep up with the rest of the UFC's best is anyone's guess -- but the bottom line is that win, lose or draw, there's nothing written in stone that a half-decent (or former champion) UFC star can't ever make a return to a professional wrestling ring, ya' know.
After all... it worked for Ken Shamrock, Dan Severn, and Tito Ortiz, ya' know.
Random Factoid of English Literature #49987:19th century romantic poet Samuel Taylor Coleridge reportedly penned "Kubla Kahn" after waking from an opium-induced slumber and remembering a most vivid dream. As he was frantically writing out what he'd just dreamt, a visitor stopped by and they got to chatting. When he got back to the manuscript, he'd completely forgotten the rest of his dream -- so the poem remains incomplete to this day. Whoah, man. RVD would be, like, so totally proud. The MeeThinks Pay Per View Tracker
WWE hosts Cyber Sunday FROM WASHINGTON D.C. this weekend, and I'll be there LIVE with bells on, baby! Though the show promises PLENTY of surprises (you know what I'm talkin' about, junior!), let's see if I can go intothings with at least a few guesses of what to expect:
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 TNA No Surrender - 7/9
Cumulative Total: 97/155 Percent Correct: 62.58%
TNA's "Superbowl" was very good to Mee, and so I'm looking to keep the momentum strong going into this much-guessed-about PPV showdown this Sunday. Plenty of extra stipulations means it should be an easy chance to score some serious points! So I'll say...
Mysterio in a stretcher match victory, MVP retains in a wrestling match (if that match happens), Trips in a street fight, Punk retains over Big Daddy V, Batista retains with Austin as the guest referee, and Orton retains against HBK.
Bonus prediction? Save_Us222.
Random Factoid of English Literature #58107:Elizabethan "it"-guy Christopher "Kit" Marlowe was not only a poet and a playwright, he was also a spy for the British government. The New England Patriots would be proud. Oh yeah, Marlowe was also likely to have been a raging homosexual. For the sake of tact, I'll resist making a joke about Chad Pennington, "long balls," and the New York Jets at this time. YouThinks Reader Mail
Semi-familiar face Lynx Raven Raide gets us started:
I like reading your column, it is usually one of the more interesting ones, especially with the postivity slant. However I do have one bone of contention to pick with this weeks one, and it is something that seems to have been overlooked since the statement came out:
In Booker T's statement he stated that he hadn't bought anything from Signature Pharmacy, and he was actually talking with legal council how to get it removed.
I thought you might have picked up on this, as no one really questioned when 'Big Dave' got overlooked for suspension for the same reason. So far most comments on 411 I have seen in regards to Booker's statement has overlooked this and played him out to be bitching at the wellness system (I point to Geoff Eubanks's comments in the 4 R's as another example). Sure I do agree with anything relating to the WWE's intention to test for marijuana, but I think that the benefit of the doubt should be given to Booker over the Signature deal. I guess this matter could be more clarified if WWE released the list they received from the DA instead of us having to rely on 'investigation' reports, but at this point I would probably give Booker more of a benefit of the doubt than I would give Batista.
-Lynx Raven Raide
Good point, Lynx, and thanks for writing.
The thing of it is, while "conspiracy theorists" out there are obviously going to say that Batista (and Orton) were kept on television simply because WWE "likes them more" than they did Booker T (and thus they automatically took Batista at his word when he said he didn't have zilch to do with buying drugs online, and was considering legal action for having been named in the scandal in the first place), Occham's razor is that age-old principle that tells us "the simplest answer is probably the right one."
And in the case of the Signature Scandal drug bust and the various wrestlers who threatened legal action thereafter?
MeeThinks the 'E had it on pretty good authority that Big Dave simply *wasn't* buying any supplements from said online pharmacy (or, more to the point -- at the very least it wasn't *his name* on the documents as he's a "major" enough star that he could have easily put somebody else up to order them for him). Bottom line is that for one reason or another (and again, there's PLENTY of room for shady business between what went actually went down and what all is trace-able on paper and provable in a court of law), WWE knew that a company "poster boy" like Batista was either smart enough and/or "removed" enough (wink) to not get nailed for something as dumb and simple as not having a paper trail leading back to your sketchy online transactions, whatever they may be. As a result? He pulls the "I'm calling my lawyer" card and WWE takes it on good authority that he's probably in the (close enough to the) "right" end of things, at least as far as a paper trail (and a public black eye for the company) might go.
Booker T, on the other hand, only mentions this "considering legal action" stuff *now*, a solid SIXTY plus days *after* the initial scandal broke. Not to say the guy is guilty, mind you, but if *I'm* a million-dollar entertainer and *I* get benched (WITHOUT PAY, no less) for sixty days solid with nothing else to do but sit home and steam over the fact that I got docked for doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING wrong to begin with? You can bet your ass that my very first call would be to my attorney, because -- if nothing else -- it sends the immediate impression to fans and critics alike from day one that you're simply not gonna' stand for an unwarranted sixty-day time out when you've got absolutely nothing to hide.
Again, I'm not saying that one guy *is* on supplements or steroids while the other guy *isn't* -- (far from it, in fact) -- I'm just saying that when Batista threatened legal action from day one (and Booker waited over two months to say the same), you can't help but suspect that we're dealing with a certain amount of "damage control" from at least one of the parties involved. And judging strictly from the timetable of events alone? Can't help but think that Booker has some serious explaining to do for sixty days of silence, ya' know?
Random Factoid of English Literature #58107:"Poulter's measure" is a literary term used to describe two consecutive lines in a sonnet: one with TWELVE syllables, the next with FOURTEEN syllables. The origins of the word "Poulter" is the very same as the one for "poultry" (e.g. - chickens), and the phrase "Poulter's measure" was chosen because back when medieval chicken-folk would dish out eggs by the dozen, they'd put TWELVE in the first dozen and FOURTEEN in the next (so as to make sure that they didn't short-change you, 'lest they lose their jobs/lives). Kinda' like a "baker's dozen" actually totals 13, and a wrestler who ways a legit 350 is billed at "OVER 400 POUNDS!"
Next up, Jef Vinson who has some similar 'Thinks (about Booker, not about chickens) regarding the recent departure of The King:
The critics have been killing me with their criticism of Booker T.
First of all, you say, "don't do the crime if you can't do the time." Well he did-he served his suspension. But unlike some other wrestlers, you did not hear him complain publicly (either on his website or radio shows) about being suspended or failing a drug test. nor did he lie about not doing drugs and get caught. The man said he is going to consider legal action for this incident in an attempt to clear his name..but he is doing it in a way that does not further embarrass himself, his wife or the WWE.
Secondly, he has been burned out by this business and not happy. So he left on amicable terms. Why is that a problem? Terry Fuck can retire a bazillion times and it's no issue, but Booker actually gave his employers notice and did it the right way.
Thirdly- Why is there more complaining on Booker leaving the WWE and no one is complaining that much about Randy Orton actually being rewarded for being caught?
I just don't get it anymore.
- Jef Vinson
Great letter, Jef, and thanks for writing!
While we pretty much covered the 60-day-delay vs. immediate threat of legal action case above (and the resultant suspicion that it's caused), MeeThinks it's also important to note at this point in the game that -- for as "open and honest" as Booker might seem thanks to his latest web updates -- the guy still admits that he is only just now consulting with his lawyers and that he is only just now considering legal action. Again, sixty days without a paycheck from your biggest cash cow in WWE is the kind of thing that would make Mee jump up and get my lawyer on the phone from day one. I know he runs a wrestling school *AND* a hip-hop clothing store, mind you, but if he really *is* innocent on all charges and is only NOW getting around to "consulting" with his legal council and "considering" legal action (you can pretty much file a lawsuit in under a week, these days), MeeThinks that even the biggest Booker-fan among us has simply got to admit that the guy hasn't really done much to show his fans that he's serious about this particular legal challenge.
While I totally understand not wanting to drag your current employer's name through the mud and all that, Booker (and more specifically, his fans) can't simultaneously point to Batista's threat of a legal challenge (which WORKED IMMEDIATELY, and caused zero public backlash to WWE at large) while at the same time agreeing to obediently sit out for two months on an unwarranted "time out" only to *then* turn right back around and say how unfair your employer's suspension was the get-go.
I will say, however, that you are absolutely right in pointing out that the guy most certainly did his best so as not to burn any bridges with the 'E on the way out. Of course, if he's serious about this "low profile lawsuit" (which I'm pretty sure he's *not*) and he actually does go through with bringing representatives from WWE into court to defend their actions -- he's pretty much guaranteed to piss at least a *few* folks from Stamford off before all's said and done. Couple that with the fact that he could well be working for a certain Orlando-based promotion within the next calendar year, and MeeThinks it's fair to say that things between Booker T and WWE might not be all that friendly come six months from now.
All that said --
You are 100% correct in noting that Booker T, to date, has probably done things in as professional and gentlemanly a way as possible when it comes to his now-expired tenure with WWE. If the "considering legal action" hooey is merely an attempt to save face (likely) and he doesn't actually have any plans of bringing a lawsuit against the 'E any time soon (equally likely), then MeeThinks the 'E, in turn, will have zero problem with seeing one of their former talents (another one, actually) make their way to TNA wrestling or whatever other third-party promotion can make him a decent business offer. Because even though TNA getting new stars on a monthly basis might not be ideal for Vince and company, as far as WWE is concerned, TNA is only getting those performers who WWE simply has no further use for at this stage in their careers -- and so it's just as well to let 'em go and further solidify their competition's reputation of being a "WWE castaway" haven.
Please note --
The situation with wrestlers leaving WWE for TNA these days is NOT what it once was when (then)WWF wrestlers used to jump ship to WCW. In the early and mid nineties, WWF superstars were defecting simply because Vince couldn't afford to pay them enough to stay on board. Turner, meanwhile, was throwing all kinds of cash their way, and so he was able to take former WWF stars -- young and old alike -- and spend all sorts of money in order to make each new hire seem like "the biggest night in the history of our sport." And as WCW kept getting richer while WWF kept getting worse, it didn't take long for fans to believe it when we were told that WCW was "beating down the door" of the boys up north, and that it would only be a matter of time before they wiped the competition off the map for good.
These days, that's just not the case.
By and large, former WWF/E guys aren't going to TNA for more money (which TNA simply doesn't have), or for more exposure (because aside from Christian, just about every other former WWE talent who's jumped to TNA is in the EXACT same spot on the card they were in when they left WWE) -- most of them are going to TNA for "a decent amount of money with a LOT less travel and a MUCH easier schedule." To wit, many ex-WWE stars are treating it like a vacation home while they figure out what they want to do next (Kip and BG James, Team 3D), or as a retirement home for guys who just don't have much of a shot at getting back in a WWE ring any time soon.
Yes, there are exceptions -- Scott Steiner comes to mind of late, as he has been PHENOMENAL -- but TNA simply can't expect to compete with WWE if all they do is wait for the next castaway to come along and liven up their show.
Random Factoid of English Literature #11429:The poetry and writings about faith from 19th century Cardinal John Henry Newman were considered so influential by his fellow 19th century poet Gerard Manley Hopkins that the guy actually decided to convert to Catholicism and become a priest himself. Fittingly, the very same guy who inspired him to become a Catholic (and a priest) in the first place, John Henry Newman, was the Bishop who said mass at Hopkins' ordination. Rumor has it that noted atheist Percy Bysshe Shelley did the "Triple H spit trick" with a nearby bowl of Holy Water
Lawrence Rene stops by to remind the world of how racist we all can be:
JOHN CENA.
Maybe it's because of the Subway commercials, or maybe it's because just about every NFL team has at least one or two players always waving their hand in front of their faces in a "YOU CAN'T SEE ME!" motion after a big play.
Just by that statement alone speaks volumes about you. You are obviously Caucasian and limit yourself culturally because John Cena did not create the waving hand in front of the face as gesture. It was Tony Yayo from G-Unit. Anytime a white boy does something you people act like you created it. Typical pecker wood in Amerikkka.
-lawrence rene
Interesting...
Last time I checked, John Cena first busted out the "You Can't See Me" hand gesture on WWE Smackdown WAAAAY back in the summer of 2003 -- during which time I'm *pretttttty* sure Tony Yayo was serving hard time in prison for a number of weapons' possesion charges (where he stayed through 2004). While we're at it, it probably bears noting that many of those same footballers who make tackles and wave their hands in front of their face *coincidentally* just so happen to make regular appearances in the front row of Monday Night RAW every time that WWE rolls through the team's home town. And you're right, I'm probably oversimplifying things seeing as how many of those same players have been seen sporting "Free Yayo" shirts in locker rooms and pre-game pump-up sessions -- wait, no, those were replica WWE SPINNER BELTS I saw!
But you're right -- it *must* be Yayo and not Cena who's the bigger influence.
Sigh...
Random Factoid of English Literature #793359:What do the Victorian novelist George Eliot and some lady named Mary Anne Evans have in common? They're the exact same person, that's what. Back in Victorian times, works written by ladies were pretty much relegated to the bodice-ripping fare you'd usually find in a supermarket checkout aisle. As a result, Evans gave herself a man's pen name in order to have her works taken more seriously. It worked, and "his" 1871 book, "Middlemarch," was met with near universal acclaim from the day it was published.
Finally, Sean Comer had some thinks on all sorts of issues:
Hey Mr. Meehan,
Couple of quick words....
First of all, I just uncovered something that bugs me about Daivari/Khali....
Daivari is an arab Muslim. Khali is from India, likely Hindu, I would wager. Go to ask.com and ask "How well do Pakistani Muslims and Indian Hindus get along?" It's almost as bad as giving the supposedly-Arab
Sabu the hometown of "Bombay, India" before wising up and realizing India's largely populated by the seeming natural enemies of Hindus: MUSLIMS. Sorry, I simply find that amusing. Does NOBODY in that
company have a Political Science degree??? By the way, in all fairness, it's my minor and International Relations happens to be my favorite class.
Anyway, onto my rant regarding finishing moves: people, a good finisher does not need to be THIS complicated. My personal favorites? The Mr. Wrestling II kneelift, the lariat, and the DDT. Why? Simple:
they may not be flashly, but they look like something someone could legitimately use to f*** someone up in a fight. I'm aware that I'm living in the Golden Age of Flippy-Flippy, but these just seem TIMELESS when done right. The spinebuster is one of the only moves left that can look SICK when someone does it right, without the person having to be Batista-sized. Remember, two of the best spinebusters EVER were delivered by Ron Simmons and.....ARN ANDERSON. These days,Triple H does it exceedingly well and I must admit, Batista knows howto make that move look lethal.
Oh, the best thing about all the moves I mentioned? You can hit them from a number of set-ups. I've always found that it makes a match more exciting when you can legitimately look for that finisher in any situation after about the 15 minute mark. The spear and shining wizard are also damn fun moves, but the way Edge does the spear, it's more of a showmanship spot than something that really looks as brutal as when
Batista or Rhino hits it out of nowhere. And that shining wizard? Again, it's just timeless and looks nasty. Same thing with the superkick.
Make no mistake, I can appreciate a Canadian Destroyer or Paul Burchill's flip-uranage. It's great that those guys have signature moves not everybody can do. But sometimes, less CAN be more.
- Sean Comer
Great points all around, Sean, and thank you for writing!
You are absolutely right regarding the Khali/Daivari pairing. But then again, this is the world of professional wrestling we're talking about here, where a WHITE GUY under a mask and safari hat going by the name of "Kim Chee" (which sounds pretty Asian to Mee!) can not only communicate with but fully comprehend the manic savagrey of KAMALA, THE UGANDAN GIANT!!! (who's actually just a black dude from the 'States).
Gotta' love it :)
And With That, I'm Outta' Here
Thanks again for reading, folks. Here's hoping my literary digressions weren't *too* insufferable as you made your way through this week's FreeThinks. Big weekend for Mee as I'll be LIVE at the PPV on Sunday night, so look for you-know-who on your TV! 'Till next time, enjoy the show this weekend, my apologies in advance to the Redskins fans, and always stay positive!
