High Road/Low Road 02.29.08: The Attack on Hornswoggle
Posted by Sat & Uncletrunx on 02.29.2008
JBL attacking Hornswoggle was either a tense, dramatic storyline or a complete waste of time? Which version do you agree with? Read this week's High Road/Low Road and make your mind up!
Welcome back to the High Road/Low Road!
A brief explanation of the column: Uncletrunx 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 the Renewal of the Vows for the Angles
High Road: 20%
Low Road: 47%
Both Roads: 33%
The Attack on Hornswoggle
High Road:
The attack on Hornswoggle did something that was needed and that was getting some heat on JBL. Since his return, JBL has not been that good. He has had one great moment when he beat up his Chris Jericho and the rest has been forgettable. By beating up Hornswoggle and by handcuffing Finlay, JBL will now be able to get back on track. The attack on Hornswoggle is a definite high road, solely based on the fact that it will also for JBL to potentially get back on track.
Low Road:
JBL returned to feud with Jericho, which led to an inconclusive end; the man is a former champion. How beating up Hornswoggle does any good for his career is beyond me. I think with JBL they need to make a decision; either put him back in the commentary position or put him up the card. I see no purpose in his beating up lower level comedy characters.
High Road:
I was wondering how the main event [Edit: Whoops, I didn't mean main event, I just meant the match. When I read Uncletrunx's reply, I couldn't figure out what he was talking about. Anyways, we can't change it now because it is too close to posting time. - Sat]. for WrestleMania was going to shape up and it looks like the attack on Hornswoggle as made the picture a lot clearer. The biggest question mark in the match for WrestleMania was who was going to be Mr. McMahon's partner and now we now that it will be JBL. As for Finlay's partner, I will use that for the next High Road.
Low Road:
You consider this to be the main event? The headliner? The big attraction for Wrestlemania? If that's true, we're in worse trouble than anyone imagined. In fact, this whole monstrosity of a match being on Wrestlemania is a low road when you look at the talented performers who won't get a match this year. I'd be amazed, for example, if either set of tag titles get on the show, let alone both. I consider it a sad state of affairs when the once prestigious belts are pushed aside so that we get another awful McMahon family nonsense match. More soap opera booking at the expense of the roster of wrestlers and the title belts they fight for. And yes, I know I go on about this a lot but it's only because I actually care about the product and am fed up of seeing it turned into a massive joke.
High Road:
I like the fact that Finlay has a lot of option on who can be is partner. First, Finlay could say he doesn't want a partner and he will fight by himself. This works because he will be angry and he will want revenge by himself. Second, Chris Jericho could be his partner because he has been feuding with JBL for awhile. Third, Mick Foley could be Finlay's partner because he has been having problems with Mr. McMahon for the past few years and Foley has helped Hornswoggle in the past. Finally, we could see Hornswoggle as the partner because he surely wants to get revenge for the beat down that he received. Plus, the unveiling of Finlay's partner could be used to draw a good rating for RAW because there are so many options.
Low Road:
What I see here is an awful waste of talent. JBL, possibly Jericho, even Vince McMahon, who in storyline terms if not in terms of match quality, shouldn't be feuding over the beating up of Hornswoggle. Last year, Vince was feuding with Donald Trump; this year he does this angle? I know I have a bit of a reputation for attacking soap opera booking, but this sort of angle is exactly why; it's such a huge waste of talent, and I've not even mentioned Finlay yet…
High Road:
I will admit that I was not digging Finlay's face turn when it first happened. Slowly, I have come around and Finlay's performance during the attack did a great job in establishing him as a baby face. Finlay's pleading for Hornswoggle will definitely help get Finlay over as a baby face. I had doubts that Finlay could be a good baby face, but now I think that he will be a very good baby face.
Low Road:
Finlay is a legitimate legend. I may have a bias as I'm from the UK and I saw him back in his British "World of Sport" wrestling days, but to me, Finlay is one of the all time greats. He can have great matches with almost anyone and has a tough, no nonsense character. So what do they do with such a character? They give him a comedy side kick and base all his angles and feuds around that. I didn't mind Hornswoggle when he was providing occasional interference, but to me, involving Finlay in such a weak angle is a waste.
High Road:
I understand the fact that the little kids all love Hornswoggle, but it is safe to say that everybody over the age of fifteen or so, hates the little guy. I think one of the major things to come out of the attack on Hornswoggle will be that some of the older fans will be able to start getting behind the little guy. The reasoning for this is that the attack on Hornswoggle was hard to watch and I believe that because of that fact, the fans will be more likely to get behind him.
Low Road:
Do you know the question I was asked by a non wrestling fan when JBL beat up Hornswoggle?
"why do you watch this rubbish."
Now, I know the standard counter is "if you don't like it, watch something else." But to me, that's not the point. I'm a wrestling fan and have been for two decades. I watch because it's a form of entertainment I love and yes, I acknowledge that it is entertainment. However, I wish, I really do, that they'd give me a reason to care, to get into the feuds, to want to watch a heel get his comeuppance or a face triumph against the odds. I loved moments like Bret winning the belt at Mania X, or Stone cold at Mania XIV. I love the pomp and ceremony surrounding the Undertaker, and the storylines which led us to see great wrestlers, men who were almost superhuman fighting it out to be the best. I really can't make myself care about a pretend son of Vince, who it turns out is not. I want to see wrestling. I want the storylines to be secondary to the wrestling and to set up matches I care about. Does this angle do that? No. Not at all.
High Road:
One of the main things that the WWE has been trying for awhile is to play with our emotions and they have not done a good job with it. The WWE has tried to get the fans to hate Chuck Palumbo for his attacks on Michelle McCool, but it does not seem like they have worked. Now, with the attack on Hornswoggle, the WWE executed this perfectly. During the beatdown on Hornswoggle, the crowd was hushed and it seemed like they were legitimately worried about the little guy. This angle has the potential to be very good because the WWE is doing a good job by playing with our emotions.
Low Road:
The only emotions I feel are despair and anger. Despair that this is what JBL and Finlay have to work with and anger that this rubbish will be at Wrestlemania while talented wrestlers sit on the sidelines with nothing to do.
High Road:
This past Monday, we saw JBL mention that Hornswoggle is not Vince McMahon's son. I thought that this was a good idea by the WWE. First, everything that can be done with Hornswoggle as a McMahon has been done. There is nothing else that can be done. Second, this gives JBL a legitimate reason for attacking Hornswoggle because I was not going to buy him as a Mr. McMahon stooge. Plus, it is easy to believe that this is something that JBL would do. Finally, this could allow for the WWE to find a new son for Mr. McMahon or drop the angle entirely.
Low Road:
If there's one thing which could make this angle worse, it would be re-opening that can of worms. I hated that angle while it was "live", and would hate to see the whole "who is Vince's son?" brought back again, for all the reasons I mentioned above.
Simply write "High Road", "Low Road", or "Both Roads" in the comment section.
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.
Edgar and Daphne Write:
i starting to be disgusted by tna. angle and joe should be built like rock austin, to see who is the better man. however i did like angle's reaction as i don't care about this shit. all i care about ids the tna title. now thats the angle i love.
Sat: Good point, maybe TNA should focus on the TNA title instead of renewal of the vows.
Uncletrunx: I agree. I found Angle's reaction to be somewhat ironic; If he really only cared about such things, he wouldn't be in such a dreadful skit!
Bill Bumgarner Writes:
Taking Both Roads this week; I wanna see where this goes (though, I gotta say, it makes for some fairly funny TV). It's not the best wedding bit in wrestling, nor is it the worst *cough*BillyAndChuck*cough*, but it has the potential to be both at this point.
Also, am I the only one to notice that AJ Styles is slowly becoming a Southern stereotype? If you ever do a column about that, put me down for Low Road there (not just because it's a waste of the sheer awesomeness that is AJ, but also because I'm a Southerner myself and I'm sick of the stereotyping).
Sat: If you just watched the wedding part of it, then it was okay. As for suggestion, I did not even notice that AJ was becoming a Southern stereotype and I seriously would not know what to write.
Uncletrunx: I don't want to see where it goes. I want Angle to wrestle for the title on TV and not be involved in dire wedding skits.
Freddy Neuwendyke Writes:
Definately Low Road on the Karen Angle/AJ Styles wedding. This pointless crap doesn't help elevate anyone and just further serves to make AJ Styles and Kurt Angle look like goofs rather than the main event stars they're supposed to be. I honestly hoped the second hour of Impact on TNA was going to produce more wrestling but pretty much all it's done is allowed Vince Russo to clutter the show with more asinine skits and pointless gags.
What's sad is you know TNA can do better than this when you watched their Global Impact special yet they still want to roll in the muck with banal soap opera writing and horribly lame skits and gimmicks that would make even the guys who used to write for Memphis bow their heads in shame.
I find it almost impossible to watch either of the Big two these days so instead I watch DVDs of SHIMMER or head to local indy shows. Vince McMahon and Dixie Carter can go kiss MY ass!
Sat: SmackDown is really the only show from the WWE to watch because the skits are kept to a minimum. Also, if people want more shows like Global Impact, here's what needs to happen. First, people should not tune into Impact at all. Then when Global Impact starts, everybody should tune in. When TNA sees the rating for Impact at 0.6 or whatever and the rating for Global Impact as 1.1 or whatever, they should be able to see the truth. Notice that I put in should because TNA might make up a really lame excuse, like there was a really good college basketball game on or something to that effect. The reason Impact has not changed is that TNA is satisfied with the rating, so they see no reason to change.
Uncletrunx: It is sad when you see how good a wrestling company can be. Contrast all the things I've moaned about in this weeks column with the hour long Cena / Michaels match from last year, for another good example.
Comments:
411 has added a new feature. Below are the comments for last week's columns and our responses. The comments that will be included will be the ones that pertain to this week's column. Also, your comment will not be included if you are commenting on another reader's comment. The comments are as of Sunday Morning.
T.G. Corke Writes:
Both Roads leaning towards the Low Road. It was executed well for what it was, but that's the point - what it was shouldn't really have existed. But I'll go Both Roads because, as much as the concept is tired and unnecessary, I'd rather be entertained by it than bored by it if I have to sit through it. And, regretably, I was more entertained than bored by it. But still...why?
Sat: First, be sure to read T.G's Seventh Dimenstion. You make a good point, there really was no reason for it to exist. Most likely to create some friction for the Angle Alliance going into Destination X.
Uncletrunx: I agree with your final word; why?
Col Writes:
Low Road - Any skit on TNA these days = Low Road, Any Angle backstage segment on TNA = Low Road also.
So not even Low Road but pretty much pitfall for me.
Also I'm well aware that WWE also run some terrible weddings and related things, but this is purely about TNA, and being honest I'd vote TNA as Pitfall on the whole nevermind just this angle. This is EXACTLY one of the reasons why as well, because TNA went from "we are wrestling" and an alternative to WWE, to ripping off WWE skits, only even worse.
Did I mention I'm going Low Road by the way?
Sat: I would agree that most skits in TNA have the potential to be a Low Road, just because there are so many things packed into one segment.
Uncletrunx: I think such skits in any wrestling organisation would get a low road. I don't care about the initials you stick at the start of the company; if you do a useless skit involving your top wrestlers being comic buffoons serving to build nobody and make the roster in general appear idiotic, you'll get criticised by me.
Kanyon Kreist Writes:
Both roads: the only reason I'm not going low is because this angle has the potential to break Styles out of his stooge role. He could either free himself of Kurt and Karen's influence and take a long-overdue face turn, or he and Karen could turn on Kurt, adding a new top heel to the title picture and still putting AJ in a 1,000% better spot than he's in currently.
Sat: It could free AJ Styles, but I don't see it happening. Expect the priest, AJ Styles, and Karen Angle to be in cahoots and they will reveal themselves at Destination X.
Uncletrunx: I would love to see some good come of this angle but I think Sat's prediction is more likely than that.
Skintymcedger Writes:
Low Road. TNA is a wonderous parody of a wrestling promotion, and I normally
find it easy to roll my eyes at it and say something along the lines of 'that TNA, will it ever learn?' But that entire show was painful to watch, and the cherry on the top was the Wedding. Everything is a joke in TNA, even the main event. The evil champ is a goof, his biggest rivals are greedy self involved goofs. His side kick is a goof. The commentators? Goofs. Just one serious simple angle is all I'm looking for.
Sat: I will say that I did not watch the entire show so maybe that made it more enjoyable for me. The thing that really is surprising about TNA is that people are saying that it sucks, but they continue to draw in a consisent rating. I just can't figure it out.
Uncletrunx: I agree with this poster completely. There may be a place for comedy in wrestling but turning your whole top angle into a joke is really not the place for it.
The Real Save Us TNA 222 Writes:
Going Low Road on this one. TNA is always bashed for copying the E and this is another example. While the circumstances are different (The E's was about how Steph lied about being pregnant and this one is about AJ) it is till a blatant ripoff of a WWE angle. They pretty much took WWE's springboard of a feud. Also Low Road because how do two people get MARRIED at a RENEWAL OF VOWS?
Sat: I have never been to a renewal of the vows, so I can't comment on what happens, but from the name "renewal of vows", it would seem like it would be an entire wedding.
Uncletrunx: Wedding, renewal of vows, either one is the sort of thing I see having no place on a wrestling show.
C Girl Writes:
Low Road by far. Why do I watch TNA anymore, seriously! I want an alternative to the WWE not the Russorific storyline that my 8 year old nephew would write. I am embarrassed by the fact that AJ has been written as a goof ball and not the high flying, risk taker that I'm used to seeing.
Sat: I maybe watch one TNA episode a month, and when we do TNA topics, I go straight to youtube to find out what is going on. Plus, AJ was awesome in his old character. Hopefully this angle can set him free.
Uncletrunx: I wish this angle would set him on fire but looking at TNA booking now compared to a few years ago, I can't help but feel it's certain other people in the organisation who deserve to be set on fire...
Vinnie Ru Writes:
Hey guys, bet you didn't expect the surprise at the end! Don't worry we'll keep 'em coming.
Sat: Do you guys really expect us to believe that Vince Russo is reading our column? If he was, I am sure that he wouldn't have given both of us praises. He would have defended the angle and criticized Uncletunx. Come on people.
Uncletrunx: Thanks Vinny. Thanks a lot. I refer you to my "fire" comment, above...
Ronald McFondle Writes:
Why does anybody even watch this crap anymore. They've gone from "We are wrestling to" "we waste all our talent, rip off WWE story lines, and overbook every PPV match. CRAP
Sat: As I wrote above, people are watching the show consistently because of the ratings. Personally, I watch one episode a month and the rest of the stuff I get from youtube for this column.
Uncletrunx: I agree with you Ronald, even if you do have the strangest name I've seen in ages. It's a great shame that the alternative is now the same thing, only with the worst bits made even worse.
Tom Writes:
If you want to see two guys fighting over who's the best watch amateur wrestling, or boxing. The simple fact of the matter is that you're not going to have two hours of wrestling a week, and you should expect that by now. I'm going high road because at the end of the day it is the storylines that keep us coming back for more.
Sat: I couldn't have said it better myself.
Uncletrunx: As I said in the main column, I don't mind the entertainment side of wrestling. I watch it because it's entertaining. Characters like Undertaker are a major part of what I like about wrestling. Good storylines also form a vital part of wrestling and help to build characters and shape feuds. However, there's a big difference between an entertaining storyline which builds stars, makes a title seem important and convinces me to buy an event, and a dreadful soap opera storyline which has nothing to do with wrestling, makes the top guys seem stupid, has no basis in wrestling whatsoever and helps build nothing at all. Good, entertaining angles I like; crap soap opera I hate. If I wanted that, there are a lot of soaps I could watch. I don't watch them and I don't watch much boxing. I watch wrestling, and would like the balance to be more towards the wrestling with storylines backing it up, not the other way around. I really don't think that's too much to ask and based on a lot of the other comments this week, neither do a lot of other people.
Your reasons for taking the High Road, Low Road, or Both Roads and suggestions for future High Road/Low Road are welcome at satuncletrunx@gmail.com or in the comment section. Your reply will be included in next week's column.
High Road: new storyline could emerge. Hornswoggle has been beaten so badly, he will never ever return the the WWE and we can pretend he never existed.
Posted By: ... (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 02:06 PM
See, this is what's wrong with wrestling today. Too much soap opera crap and not enough wrestling. How many minutes in a 2 hour show is there? I would say about 30. I want more wrestling and less crap about migets, Vince's pastey ass, Playboy covers, useless squash matches and the worship of Cena.
Posted By: Tony D Tyger (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 02:55 PM
High Road: I actually felt bad for Hornswoggle and a part of me was wanting to see Finlay get his hands on JBL. If that can happen to a jaded internet mark like myself, then the angle must be doing it's job. as
Posted By: Ryan (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 03:04 PM
I have to go Low Road again this week. Hornswoggle was mildly amusing for around 5 minutes, but as usual Vince has turned it into just another ego-boost to get himself on TV as much as possible. So overall it gets a double Low Road for me.
1 - Because I want more wrestling, more angles that mean something like wrestlers wanting to go for titles, to be the best etc etc and not midgets running around pretending to blow people up like we're watching Wile E Coyote, kissing a grown mans ass (seriously disturbing and borderline wrong) or doing any other silly routines for that matter.
And 2 - I want less McMahon taking over the show. Seriously, it was controversial and interesting back in the Montreal Screwjob days and in the Austin feud era but now it's just taking too much away from the wrestling.
I guess it doesn't matter to me too much on the whole as I've turned my attention fully to the indys for good wrestling action now. WWE is too much bad comedy, TNA is WAY too much even worse comedy on a smaller budget with ass backwards booking. This is why I think aside from certain WWE PPV's TV wrestling is pretty much dead to me now. When you think you'd have probably been seriously embarrassed by certain angles when you were a kid nevermind today, then you know it's time to stop watching.
Posted By: Col (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 04:11 PM
high road. I personally questioned Horny at the same time while I supported Finlay. But with the vicious nature of mcmahon's attack being like a twisted step-father I thought, "wow, this is wrong" and anything to make me care about Horny is a good thing, mainly because I hope it leads to a very physical feud between JBL and Finlay, the latter of whom "loves to fight".
Posted By: samdynamo (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 04:33 PM
I'm going Both Roads again this time, despite the sloppy, unconvincing exchange between JBL and Vince McMahon this past monday ("one week later" and all) and the totally anticlimactic fizzling out of the JBL/Jericho feud. Finlay sold the HELL out of the beating that his Little Bastard pal was taking in the cage last week, and people were really feeling for him. Everyone has been anticipating the inevitable culmination of tensions between Finlay and Vince McMahon for well over a month now, so I don't really see the need to introduce JBL to the mix for heat's sake. You could fill the role he's playing with any upper-level heel they're not using(KENNEDY!!!) Despite its flaws, at the very least this angle has held my interest for the past two weeks.
Posted By: KanyonKreist (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 04:37 PM
i like hornswoggel. he funny miget. i seen him run thru a wall on raw. den carilto try an he get knock da fuck out. ron simmons say damn! horny have luck of irish. i think he can be world champ if his dad dont get kahli an jdl to kill him.
Posted By: T Horner (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 05:03 PM
Good. I hate this damn midget. I hope he NEVER returns! I wish JBL got to beat the shit out of him sooner. High road high road high road!!!
Posted By: WWEMAN88 (Registered) on February 29, 2008 at 05:37 PM
I go High Road here, because it set out to do what it was meant to do, make JBL into a MAJOR villain while turning Finlay into a face that fans actually like. I'm in my twenties and like Hornsy. I like a little soap opera and comedy mixed into my wrestling, which is why the attitude era was successful. Heck, you can make a case that most of the best wrestling feuds in history had some soap opera involved.
As for how this feud should end at WM (if it does end) I say have Finlay/Foley (since Jericho seems to be busy now with MITB) go against McMahon/JBL in a Hell in the Cell Match. Make Hornsy the referee. Heck, maybe Hornsy could do a heel turn and side with McMahon for some reason.
Posted By: JLAJRC (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 06:30 PM
Low Road. This angle has been doomed by the start. We have been subjected to Vince's old buffed up @$$ and now Horny isn't really the dad. Huh?
Posted By: M&M (Guest) on February 29, 2008 at 10:32 PM
Low Road: I agree with the people who want more wrestling, all these skits with playboy, Vince's ass & his bastard kid & his exploading limo takes time away from regular performers who could contribute more if they were given a chance. I've been a fan for 22 years and it's getting hard to enjoy or defend alot of mainstream wrestling, I want to care but they make it hard because for every great match (like the RAW chamber match) or great segment (Flair/HBK) there's SO much stupid crap like this angle.
Posted By: Angry_Stoner (Guest) on March 01, 2008 at 12:03 AM
Low Road, but in relation to the reader write ins I think this means TNA=Bush. Lemme quote Jon Oliver here "Well I had gotten used to the fact he was incompetent, I could live with that. But to find out that he had the power to be good ALL ALONG. Augh tha- that just burns me up John."
That was on Bush being really good in Africa but if you change the word He into they it totally looks like it's TNA.
Posted By: Blanky (Guest) on March 01, 2008 at 01:16 AM
I'm a LOT older than 15 and think Little Bastard has been one of the most entertaining things about the show for months. The storyline I can take or leave, but he's brilliant at his character.
Posted By: M (Guest) on March 01, 2008 at 01:51 PM
Long story short, Both Roads for the Hornswoggle beatdown.
Posted By: The Glide (Guest) on March 01, 2008 at 06:50 PM
High Road
Posted By: Shante (Guest) on March 02, 2008 at 03:34 AM
