The MeeThinks Friday FreeThinks: 03.21.08
Posted by John Meehan on 03.21.2008
With the week that was for Jeff Hardy, I'd much rather this one had "No News at All."
Welcome back, all. And thanks again for stopping by for 411's regularly scheduled week-end dose of IWC optimism as we count down the days to the biggest single event in the professional wrestling calendar year.
Surprisingly, outside of one major story (and one semi-important story that's actually been a long time in the making), and one not altogether unexpected obituary, news has been tremendously slow over the past seven days. As such, after we address those two "major" news items up top, we'll be devoting a sizable chunk of this week's column to YOU, the readers, as we continue discussion of the key stories and developments that are promising to play a major role in shaping both the input and the outcome of the many matches that will be featured on this year's WrestleMania card.
In what has been an absolutely heartbreaking read for Jeff Hardy and his fans all over the world, news broke late on Friday evening that this recently suspended WWE superstar lost his home to what appears to be an electrical fire. In addition to destroying all of his worldly posessions, the fire also claimed the life of Jeff's beloved pet dog, Jack. In an absolutely crippling addition of insult to injury, it is widely speculated that Hardy did not have his home insured.
Jeff's brother and fellow WWE superstar Matt Hardy was the first to arrive on the scene of the fire. On his MySpace page on Thursday afternoon, the elder Hardy brother detailed his horrific discovery in what can truly be called a heartwrenching read:
Seeing Jeff's Tragedy Through My Eyes
I was having a pretty standard "gotta fly out early and go to work tomorrow" Friday night. I was washing and packing clothes, booking my rental car, and writing bills to put in the mail on my way to the airport in the morning. Around midnight on Saturday, March 15th, I let my beloved pet dog Lucas outside to use the bathroom. As I stepped outside, I smelled smoke. I walked around to my garage area and could see huge flames burning through the woods. The large flames appeared to be very close to Jeff's place, about a third of a mile away from my house. My first initial thought was that Jeff was burning either trash or a brush-pile. I then questioned my thought, considering how big the size of the flames looked. For a second, I thought it might be the huge ramp on Jeff's motocross track or his old recording studio. I quickly jumped in my car, and drove down the back road that connects our two properties.
As I pulled around the lake that bordered Jeff's home, I witnessed a horrific mental image that will always be etched in my mind. I could see over Jeff's recording studio that and my brother's home was engulfed in flames. I violently stopped my car, jumped out, and ran towards Jeff's burning home yelling for my brother at the top of my lungs. My initial fear was that Jeff and Beth were burning to death inside their house. And I was the only person on the scene-I was frantic. I ran onto the front porch, kicked at the flaming front door, yelling for Jeff and Beth. I could only stay there for a second-the temperature of the heat was unbearable, and I couldn't breath due to the smoke and lack of oxygen. The entire structure was covered in flames. I ran to the other side of Jeff's place and saw that his car was gone. I internally prayed that Jeff, Beth, and Jack weren't in there. I didn't have my cell phone on me because I had left my house in such a panic. I jumped in my car and raced back home to get my phone. About this same time I got into my car, I could hear sirens-signifying that the fire trucks were on their way.
I got home and called Jeff. It went straight to voicemail, my heart dropped. I called Beth and she picked up. I hysterically asked if Jeff was there and he was. Jeff and Beth had been out to eat and he was currently getting the Hardy Boyz tattoo on the back of his neck filled in at Shannon's shop. I frantically explained what was happening and that he had to get there now. The first thing Jeff said was this-"Matt, can you kick down the door and get Jack? Please get Jack Matt!" It was heartbreaking. I told Jeff that it was too late, everything was gone. The fire had destroyed everything.
I was already back on the way to Jeff's burning home as I was getting off the phone with him. By the time I returned to the scene, the fire department was there, and they were fighting the fire. There were fire trucks and police and emergency vehicles everywhere-it looked like a scene out of a movie. When Jeff and Beth finally got there, the shock of reality truly set in on them. I have never felt so bad and helpless and powerless for two people before. It took the fire fighters until almost 4 a.m. to put out the flames. With the exception of the clothes on their bodies, everything that Jeff and Beth owned had been destroyed. But the most tragic lost to them was their beloved dog Jack. Jeff and Beth were crushed. If you've ever been extremely close to a pet, you know how painful it is to lose them. It's like the pet becomes your child.
About 5 a.m., Jeff and Beth came to my house-which is now their house for the time being. Neither one of them could even think about sleeping, and they were both still in shock. I made sure that they knew where everything was in my house and how it worked-so they could function independently in my place. I spent some time talking to them, and then finished packing my stuff. I headed to the airport to go to Louisiana about 8 a.m. without any sleep. This was definitely one of the worst days of my life.
Five days later, it's still surreal. It's still so hard to believe that this has actually happened. I thank God that Jeff and Beth weren't inside the house asleep. As of right now, it seems the fire was started by electrical wires that had been unknowingly damaged underneath Jeff's place. There's so much misinformation out there, I wanted everyone to hear and understand the truth behind this tragedy.
As I type this, I hear Jeff upstairs coughing due to being sick. I have never seen my brother as stressed out as he is right now. Jeff is sick because his body is so run down from not sleeping and being stressed out. He needs all of our support now more than ever. Jeff has done so many good things for so many people across the world-now is the time I hope everyone remembers that.
The support and help that has been offered courtesy of family, friends, and fans has been amazing. Thank you. Calling, texting, or sending a message to support another human being that has just went through a personal tragedy means alot. It tells so much about a person's character. In addition, not contacting or showing support also is very telling of a person's character.
I've received several thousands of request from people wishing to help Jeff and Beth during their crisis. Speaking for them, we are very thankful for all of you. If you want to help, here's what I suggest. If you have a good picture of Jeff and Beth together, frame it and send it to me. If you have any extras of Jeff's old wrestling memorabilia-pictures, action figures, magazines, etc.-send those to me. If you see some clothing that you think would look good on Jeff or Beth, send that to me. Any item that you can think of that are similar to these things-that's what will be the hardest for them to replace. They're looking into building a new house now, but all of you could contribute the things that truly build a house into a "home." Anything they would need to complete a new "home"-that's what Jeff and Beth need now. If you have something to send, send it to..
Jeff Hardy c/o Matt Hardy
P.O. Box 713
Vass, NC 28394
That's all for now. But I will keep you updated on things. Feel free to pass this info on to friends, websites, and anywhere else you choose. To all of you that have shown so much love and support, I eternally thank you. Be well my friends, and take care of each other..
Quote of the day - "If you've ever lost a loved one, I pray for you, I really do" - Hurt, House Carpenter
Matt
Regardless of whether or not we, as fans, may fault Jeff Hardy for his Wellness violations and/or his decision not to purchase homeowner's insurance, there is absolutely no doubt that this latest chapter in the man's life is unquestionably a "tragedy" in every sense of the word. After receiving his second Wellness-related suspension from WWE earlier in the week (and thus losing sixty days of pay, not to mention missing his WrestleMania appearance and what was likely to be the single greatest opportunity for exposure in his professional career), Jeff Hardy now must face the staggering -- and perhaps all-too sobering -- reality that aside from the love and support of those around him, he quite literally has nothing.
If, in fact, Jeff Hardy is struggling with addiction to drugs and alcohol, I believe I speak for just about every wrestling fan (and non-fan) in this world when I say that it is my sincere wish that the man use this opportunity as a powerful (if devastating) chance to start anew; a "clean slate," and the opportunity to ressurect both his career and his life from the ashes of what once was in order to soar even higher and shine even brighter than ever before.
Especially in this Easter season, my thoughts and prayers go out to Jeff Hardy and those closest to him. And to those of you who feel so inclined (but who might not happen to have regular access to column-writing on a major wrestling news site such as this one), please consider sending *your* thoughts and prayers along directly to Jeff Hardy and his family by way of the address provided by his brother above.
I love it how a lot of people have been getting all up in arms about this story as if it were NEW. These critics have been talking all sorts of smack on this story, calling it little more than "a glorified commercial" to help sell this year's WrestleMania PPV, and going as far as to say that a star on the Walk of Fame is really "no big deal as long as you're willing to pay the $25 grand it costs to have it dedicated."
To these folks, I'd say --
First of all, this "news" story is hardly "NEW" at all. In fact, it was announced WAAAAAAAAAAY back in June of last year that Vinny Mac was among this year's list of honorees for the Walk of Fame, and so anybody who has said that this is just a quick, halfassed stunt to spend $25 grand in order to gain some cheap publicity for WrestleMania is pretty shortsighted (at best) and oblivious (at worst).
The fact that Hollywood's Chamber of Commerce decided to offer Vinny Mac a star is OLD news. And if you're a celebrity of the caliber it usually takes to end up receiving such an honor in the first place? Twenty five G's is *chump change*, as chances are good that you've pretty well secured an enduring place in the entertainment business, so it's money well spent to a) hype your latest project, and b) see that your "legacy" (whatever it might have been) is properly enshrined for generations to come.
The second this sucker was announced (again, last JUNE -- some nine months ago), it was mentioned that honorees have a window of five years after they're announced in order to accept the award, and I said that wrestling fans should probably expect to see WWE making a HUGE fuss over the honor when scheduling their eventual award ceremony in order to get the most "bang for their buck" and see that people the world over knew that WWE's head honcho was receiving a national recognition.
And LOOKEE HERE!
WrestleMania 24 is right on the horizon, and WWE (smartly) decided that now was the perfect time to make their Hollywood appearance in order to receive this honor. By doing so, they virtually assured themselves a mainstream media mention (since mainstream media thinks all thinks HOllywood = automatically warrants national news coverage) -- and so both the company, its chairman, AND a certain right-around-the-corner-megashow has received a crapload of free publicity thanks to such high-profile outlets as The New York Times, The Associated Press, and MSNBC.
Another note of sad news this week, as longtime wrestling mainstay "Playboy" Gary Hart passed away last weekend after a long battle with heart disease. For those of y'all who are newer wrestling fans and didn't get into watching things until the WWF/Hulkamania boom, Hart was an invaluable cornerstone to the now-defunct World Class Championship Wrestling promotion (check out the WCCW DVD -- definitely worth your time!), where he worked as a booker/promoter/manager (and occassional in-ring grappler), and helped put the company and some of the industry's most famous names on the map.
The list of performers who Hart managed reads like a veritable "Who's Who" of wrestling's best:
The Great Kabuki
The Great Muta
Bruiser Brody
Terry Funk
One Man Gang
"Gentleman" Chris Adams
Abdullah the Butcher
"Rowdy" Roddy Piper
Big John Studd
"American Dream" Dusty Rhodes
... and many, many more.
Hart was instrumental in engineering Dusty's babyface turn, and is widely regarded by his peers and successors as one of the very best managers ever to have graced the squared circle. Behind guys like Freddie Blassie and Bobby Heenan, I'd even go as far as to rank "Playboy" as one of the top three managers of ALL TIME (sorry, Jimmy Hart). In short, the guy was a certifiable LEGEND... and it's really quite a shame that his period of greatest success just so happened to predate wrestling's arrival on a nationally televised stage.
Here on WWE.com, a bunch of the performers who knew Hart so well have put together some video interviews discussing and paying tribute to the guy's impact on the business. And over here in the Charleston, S.C. Post and Courier, longtime pro wrestling journalist Mike Mooneyham has put together a tremendous article that chronicles the man's life and career both inside the ring and behind the curtain. Most definitely worth a read, if you have the time.
R.I.P., Playboy. You will be missed!
Since news was slow this week, I figured it's high time we took a sec to spotlight some of the folks that have been burning up the comments section of this column (and many others) each week.
Incidentally, you'll notice that a good 90% of these folks are posting as "anonymous" or as unregistered site users -- which could well mean that they're really nothing more than a bunch of multiple accounts of the same five or so readers out there. But hey, "controversy creates cash," no?
So let's hear YourThinks!
YourThinks on This Year's Money in the Bank Match
now that hardy is out. i say y2j wins, cashes it in at the end of the show and finally saves us from randy orton (the next night on raw he'll be beat by hhh in 3 mintues).
- Posted By: rey (Guest)
Interesting scenario, Rey. But I can't help but wonder if Y2J is stuck in limbo at this stage in the game. Rumor had it that WWE had longterm plans for a feud between Jericho and Jeff Hardy, and now that the "Legend Thriller" (still not sold on that nickname) is out for two months -- I dunno where that leaves Jericho. Then again, you may be right and it could very well be just the break he needs to "free himself up.
I'm not gonna make a call on the MitB match until the other 2 participants are released. One of those 2 is definately Kane... and the other person will probably be another big man like Snitsky, cause I can't think of anyone else.
- Posted By: Banz (Guest)
Thanks for posting, Banz. Looks as if WWE swerved us on both of those guesses, but it's probably for the better of the actual quality of this year's Money in the Bank match overall. Snitsky is pretty clunky, and not exactly the type you'd peg for a "high risk" ladder match. And while Kane is quite "agile for a big man his size" (or so sez Michael Cole) -- he's certainly no high-flyer, and his "big man brawler" style doesn't quite jive with the rest of this year's participants.
I'm going with MVP in the MITB. And here's the fallout...
On the Raw following WM, MVP holds a celebration. A returning Matt Hardy comes back to ruin the celebration and challenges MVP to the long sought after US Championship match. MVP agrees - match set for Smackdown.
Smackdown comes, and MVP lays down for Matt. "I've got more important
things to worry about than this minor title. Here Matt - you take it, I don't need it anymore." Oh - but I did speak to Vicki G, and I have a friend who'd like a shot at the title tonight - the redebut of K-Kwik Ron Killings.
Killings comes in and beats Matt with MVP cheating to help Killings. You now set up Matt chasing Killings and MVP. When Jeff eventually returns, stick him back with Matt in some tag team action - with Jeff claiming if I wasn't an idiot, that MITB briefcase would be mine. Sets up a whole new program, and gets Killings into a solid mid-card feud.
- Posted By: BobbyC (Guest)
I'm not usually one for fantasy booking, Bobby... but that scenario you've outlined right here is actually about as solid and plausible as they come. If WWE made a few tiny edits to the thing (namely, I dunno if they'd wanna come right out and call ANY of their titles a "minor" one on WWE television), you could easily have a round-robin briefcase chase between just about any and all combinations of MVP, Matt Hardy, Ron Killings, and Jeff Hardy for every bit of six months once all's said and done.
Of course, that would require a few "intangibles" to work in this angle's favor -- like Jeff Hardy staying clean & sober, and WWE actually showing any real desire to push Ron Killings as a credible threat to a major title picture. But like I said, if those things *did* fall into place? Using the US Title and the Money in the Bank briefcase as the fuel to the flames, we'd certainly be in for one hell of a program with PLENTY of variety between the participants (Hardys vs. MVP/Killings, Matt vs. MVP, Matt vs. Killings, Jeff vs. MVP, Jeff vs. Killings, and maybe even a reprisal of Matt vs. Jeff).
YourThinks on WrestleMania Matches, Streaks and "Curses?"
Macaulay Culkin IS the greatest Wrestlemania Celebrity of all time.
Until the WWE gets there head together and offer Corey Feldman a blank cheque for WM25. That would be epic. :P
- Posted By: Underdog (Guest)
Thanks for posting, Underdog. Good to see that somebody else out there gets sarcasm, even when it's not TYPED IN ALL CAPITAL LETTERS :) Oh, and Culkin/Feldman at WrestleMania? Throw in Zac Effron and make it a triple-threat, and that's practically a license to print money, man. BOOK IT!
Im i the only one who remembers that Hardy only won the IC title when Umaga got suspended?
Ohhhh spooky!!!
- Posted By: Andy Baker (Guest)
Good point, Andy!
It's really something when you look at just how many title changes in the past year have come in WWE on the basis of injury or Wellness issues. Since last year's WrestleMania, for example:
IC Title: Umaga --> Jeff Hardy --> Chris Jericho (two title changes, both Wellness-related)
ECW Title: Lashley --> Vince --> Lashley --> Vacant --> Morrison --> CM Punk --> Chavo (seven title changes, one Wellness-related and one awarded when He-Who-Shall-Not-Be-Named no showed the PPV)
World Title: Undertaker --> Edge --> Batista --> Khali --> Batista --> Edge (six title changes, two as the result of injuries)
WWE Title: Cena --> Orton --> HHH --> Orton (four changes -- three in one night -- and one as the result of an injury)
What does this mean?
Whether it's 100% "legit" or not, the bottom line is that the effects of WWE's Wellness initiative (drug-related injuries and/or suspensions) are certainly being felt in major title programs on all three of the company's brands.
The MITB curse is becoming the wrestling equivalent of the Madden curse.
- Posted By: Peter (Guest)
You know something? Peter makes a good point!
For those few of y'all who are unfamiliar with the infamous "Madden Curse" (or the "Madden Cover Jinx"), it basically states that whichever football player manages to land himself on the cover of that season's Madden video game usually ends up in shit shape by the end of the next year's football season.
The Madden Curse Garrison Hearst (1999) - Broke an ankle in 2000, did not play again 'till 2001. Dorsey Levens (2000) - Dealt with nagging knee injuries & was released in 2001. Eddie George (2001) - The best of the "cursed," Eddie made a costly fumble in the AFC Divisional playoff which ultimately cost his team the game. Daunte Culpepper (2002) - Sidelined with season-ending back injury in Week 11. Marshall Faulk (2003) - Suffered an ankle injury and missed five games. Never broke 1000 yards again after 2003 season. Michael Vick (2004) - Broke his fibula five days after the game's release, missed 11 weeks. Ray Lewis (2005) - Broke his arm, didn't make a single interception, Ravens missed the playoffs. Donovan McNabb (2006) - Suffered a sports hernia which eventually forced season-ending surgery. Shaun Alexander (2007) - Broke his foot and missed six games.
Money in the Bank Curse? Edge (2005) - Went on to cash in his shot and become World Champion. Rob Van Dam (2006) - Became WWE and ECW Champion, but was busted for drugs and suspended. Mr. Kennedy (2007) - Sidelined with injury (and lost Money in the Bank shot), then again with high-profile steroid suspension. Edge (2007) - Won Kennedy's MitB title shot (and then the World Title) only to be sidelined with an injury of his own.
It should be noted that there's always an exception to every rule, and last year's Madden coverboy (Vince Young) actually managed to have a pretty solid season. If there's any truth to WWE's latest "curse," then this "exception to the rule" scenario might also explain Edge's success after winning the first Money in the Bank match.
YourThinks Regarding Jeff Hardy's Future Career Prospects
Meehan, I had a sneaking suspicion that you were going to get some (hate) mail about the celebrity index. That was a can of worms and you knew it! This many celebrity "experts" on one site can only lead to trouble.
Also, I kind of got the feeeling, after reading your comments about JH that you still feel like he could be a WWE or WHC some day. Is that what you think?
- Posted By: gravel (Guest)
While getting caught now will probably be better for Jeff as a person (assuming he'll finally get his demons in check this time around), this will also mean he probably won't get a push like this again for the rest of his career.
Once he comes back, look for him to be stuck in midcard for a while - and maybe get an IC title shot a few years from now. Like it or not, he won't get a HW title shot. Probably ever.
- Posted By: woody (Guest)
For anyone to assume that Jeff Hardy's main event aspirations are gone because of this suspension is unfair, and probably jumping the gun a bit for 2 reasons: Jeff Hardy sells a ton of merchandise, and the crowd loves him.
It will be a while, and definitely not this year as I was hoping, but to think that if he can get his shit together, and get himself clean, mid-card is as far as he will go is insane. He will have to reprove himself again, just as he did after his first suspension.
Anyone remember him coming back after that and losing to every person on the roster over 6'8"? I say if Hardy can get his shit right, it is not far fetched for Vince to start salivating at the money that, suspension or no, Hardy stands to make the company as champion.
Granted this scenario requires Hardy to keep clean and prove that he has really beaten the demons. I for one hope that he does, moreso for his own safety than to revive his push.
- Posted By: Todd (Guest)
I think it's ridiculous to jump to the conclusion that Hardy's never gonna get a shot again... hell, he has a better shot than Kennedy just because Kennedy went PUBLIC for the WWE and made them look stupid...name me all three champs right now... Orton, Edge, Chavo....all three of which have been busted on Wellness and/or shitting in a sports bag or two....
therefore, since Hardy didn't make an ass out of himself or the company, he still has a tremendous shot... as long as yes, he cleans up his act, which is exactly what he should use this break for
Posted By: Erik (Guest)
Thanks for the support on the Celeb thing, Gravel :) And you're absolutely right, Erik -- if he hopes to have anything resembling a successful career in the future, then Jeff Hardy really should use this time off to get his head straight.
Regarding the whole "so is Jeff Hardy DOOMED never to receive a push again" posts, however --
Even though this latest flub is a serious momentum-killer, I don't feel that he has **automatically** "disqualified" himself from a future shot at a major WWE title simply because of his latest run-in with their Wellness policy. Looking at champs like Randy Orton, Chavo Guerrero, Edge and more -- it seems that there's a clear precedent that WWE isn't *necessarily* afraid to put a strap around the waist of a guy who's had "Wellness" issues in the past, so long as people prove willing to plunk down coin and watch the guy headline.
What Jeff might have working against him, however, is the fact that his suspension (supposedly) has more to do with "recreational drugs" than it does with the more "industry acceptable" vices of steroids and supplements. Pardon the pun, but we saw Rob Van Dam get "burned" by that one in the past... so it'll be interesting to see what the future holds in store for the younger Hardy brother. If his merchandise sales are any indicator, I certainly don't think he's automatically out of the running for a future push to the moon -- but it's pretty obvious that his latest Wellness infraction certainly didn't do him any favors.
Again, here's hoping that Jeff can use this time away to clear his head, rediscover his priorities, and begin whatever work is necessary on setting his life on the right path. Pro wrestling is just a job, and that will follow in its due time.
YourThinks Regarding Floyd "Money" Mayweather
They should REALLY team up MVP with Money Mayweather. That would be logical and make for good interviews.
- Posted By: Rollie (Guest)
If WWE was serious about securing Mayweather firmly in the "heel" role? Then I'd absolutely agree with you on this one, Rollie. Who better to hammer home the "overpaid hype machine" persona than Smackdown's resident loudmouth "baller" himself?
For better or worse, however, WWE seems pretty content to paint this feud in a wide range of the infamous "shades of gray," thus allowing fans to cheer and boo whichever guy they'd like. All told, though, you've gotta' hand it to them that even if this particular approach isn't what we longtime wrestling fans might have come to expect or appreciate, it really has done a great job of lending real-world, "big fight atmosphere" credibility to this angle nonetheless (because in the "real" world of MMA and pro boxing, RARELY do you see such clean-cut deliniation between "the rulebreaker" and "the hero").
Keep Mayweather as a full-time employee and make him and Mike Adamle the new Smackdown announcing team
- Posted By: jasonel (Guest)
They certainly couldn't be any worse off than Coachman and Cole, eh? HIYO!
YourThinks Regarding TNA
Hey Meehan I've got something here you can defend or at least TRY to defend.
Explain to me how a slow, watered down wrestling match from the WWE is better than a fast paced, high impact TNA match??? How could any WWE match be as good as a TNA match??
WWE has a slow paced watered down style that is boring what is the point getting excited about there matches when you know they wont deliver. They say WWE's matches tell a story but all it really is, is a bunch of headlocks and armbars. If your going to work the head at least find other ways to work the head. I understand the wrestlers need to catch their breath and to slow it down allows them to do this but they are doing it for 90% of a match.
Anyway If you can defend this I would be impressed.
Posted By: Rvdtito4life (Guest)
Thanks for writing, RVDTito. It seems as if you're question actually has two parts to it, so I'll address them accordingly. In reverse order, if I may:
How could any WWE match be as good as a TNA match??
While there's certainly a case to be made that (perhaps) "the best" TNA match would totally outshine a WWE match on any day of the week, the fact of the matter is that TNA's in-ring style is nowhere near as unique and innovative as it once was... and so MeeThinks you'd be pretty hard-pressed to say that ANY match from WWE can't compare with ANY match from TNA -- especially when so much of the standard TNA offerings these days consists of punch-kick brawls from WWE washouts (Johnny the Bull, Goldust, Billy Gunn, etc.), throwaway squash matches of under three minutes apiece (KONG vs. Salinas, Tomko vs. The World, etc.), and extended "comedy" bouts that feature less in the way of actual *wrestling* and more in the way of ringside capers and the like (Shark Boy's gimmick, Curry Man's gimmick, James Storm's drinking championship, Eric Young's superhero schtick, etc.).
Now as for the first part of your question...
Explain to me how a slow, watered down wrestling match from the WWE is better than a fast paced, high impact TNA match???
Jim Cornette once summed this question up nicely when he said something to the effect of "who sells the most hamburgers in the world?" The answer, of course, is McDonalds... but Corny was quick to follow that question up by asking "but are McDonalds' burgers the *BEST* burgers out there?" Of course not.
The thing of it is, WWE (like McDonalds) has conditioned the general buying public that even if their particular offerings aren't the "BEST" of what's out there, they are still of a passable enough quality (thanks to some clever marketing and a longstanding brand identity) that people will "consume" whatever they put out simply because it comes with the stamp of approval from the resident "best of the best" industry in their field.
Though we all know that "bigger" doesn't always equal "better," the bottom line is that (particularly in North America) there's always been a precedent for people to enjoy and "buy in" to whatever is being sold them so long as it's bigger than the competition. It works for American Idol, it works for McDonalds, and it works for WWE.
Though the actual nitty-gritty details of each place's offering makes it pretty clear that "biggest" rarely equals "best" in terms of quality (Idol singers aren't all that great, McDonalds burgers are pretty bland, and WWE's preferred style of wrestling is slow), it's certainly hard to argue with success. And for that reason, WWE (and Idol, and Mickie D's, etc.) continues to dominate much of the landscape of their market -- as they've conditioned their audiences to expect more from a wrestling promotion than just a "two generic guys in black tights putting on a technical mat classic." As a result? Just like millions of fans continue to seek out the thin, greasy burgers from McDonalds despite the fact that there are bigger, better, and juicier burgers to be found right next door -- WWE is able to sell "slower, spectacle-based" wrestling to millions of fans despite the fact that those folks could just as easily (thanks to YouTube and other video-sharing sites) seek out wrestling promotion with a higher in-ring quality to offer.
WWE knows what sells, and they know how to make MANY fans go home feeling as if they've truly been part of a show that's "the best in the business" (even if it really ain't).
YourThinks on WWE Scandals and Exploitation
in regards to your reference to Kurt Angle receiving the drunk driving charge, you should listen to his recent interview on the topic, in which he explains his innocence. check it out, the interview is conducted by The Sun in the UK.
- Posted By: Hitman fan
In fairness, you are right in noting that Kurt's certainly innocent until proven guilty. But then again (in fairness), it's also pretty rare that a c-lebrity gets nailed for unsavory behavior and owns up to their mistakes. Just ask Sex in the City's Kristin Davis ;)
"in regards to your reference to Kurt Angle receiving the drunk driving charge, you should listen to his recent interview on the topic, in which he explains his innocence. check it out, the interview is conducted by The Sun in the UK."
Wow if Kurt said he was innocent to a British tabloid than he must be innocent! Oh my Meehan you better redact that Kurt reference right away!
- Posted By: Guest#2423
Well put, dude.
Of the mentioned scandals involving high-profile WWE wrestlers, at least Vince was able to exploit and profit off of Eddie's death. and how cool would it be if Carlito won the MITB match due to interference by the golfer who killed the endangered bird during a video shoot.
Ironically even the dead bird realizes the odds of Cena NOT winning the title are the same as not having a single Viagra joke told at a Hugh Hefner roast.
- Posted By: jasonel (Guest)
I'm pretty sure the idea has been thrown out here before, but how awesome would it be if Carlito wound up scaling the ladder to find himself just inches away from grabbing the briefcase, only to get swarmed by an angry flock of seagulls and fall to the floor? It'll never happen, of course... but that's about as "WrestleMania moment" as they come.
And regarding Cena's surefire title win at WrestleMania? I'm nowhere near certain on that one. I'll give it to you that Cena is certainly more likely to walk out a winner than Randy Orton, but beyond that -- all bets are off since Triple H hasn't won a WrestleMania match since 2003.
Now regarding John Cena himself? I happen to like the guy, and I'm also pretty high on the fact that he's the one guy on a WWE roster with a WM unbeaten streak that comes anywhere NEAR close to matching Undertaker's. So if he wins this year, I'd say it's a no-brainer to pit him against the Dead Man in a "Battle of the Unbeatens" at WM 25 -- which would sell insane tickets as "smart" fans went into the match speculating that WWE would be giving yet ANOTHER major push to their resident Golden Boy (at the expense of The Dead Man, no less). Asses in the seats, right there.
"Of the mentioned scandals involving high-profile WWE wrestlers, at least Vince was able to exploit and profit off of Eddie's death."
Did he actually profit off the death? But from what I can understand Smackdown has cracked a 3 in the ratings like a couple of times since his death. He certainly exploited the death to a degree, but I'm pretty sure he didn't profit off of it, of course I may be wrong.
- Posted By: Guest#3065
"Exploit" will always be a question left to the eye of the beholder. And what one man calls "exploitation," another will turn right around and dismiss as a mere case of "paying tribute." People like Rey Mysterio certainly had no trouble "exploiting"/"paying tribute to" Eddie's memory when it meant that he'd be getting a World Title run for his troubles. Ditto for Chavo Guerrero, who "exploited"/"defended" Eddie's name as his onscreen premise for a high profile feud against Mysterio. Heck, the same can even be said for Vicki Guerrero herself, who's entire storyline persona these days is pretty much rooted in the fact that she knows that the only reason wrestling fans care about her in the first place is because she is Eddie's widow... and so she plays off of that sympathy in order to gain INCREDIBLE heel heat when she sexes it up with Edge.
So yeah -- "exploit" is and will always be a question that's open for discussion. But it's pretty hard to deny the fact that (at the very least), WWE has most certainly been able to use Eddie Guerrero's death, memory and legacy in order to create and sustain a TON of momentum for a good number of their current crop of stars.
YourThinks on Other, Non-'Mania WWE Matters
Bob Holly just moved up to my all time real tough guy status. He was the first guy that continued up the ramp after Maywether's posse. Talk about blurring the line!!
- Posted By: gunner (Guest)
Hardcore Holly is rumored to be one of the few and proud "legit badasses" in the WWE lockerroom, so it was all sorts of cool to see that the guy looked absolutely ready to throw down with guys that were twice his size last week on RAW. Throw in a guy or two like Big Daddy V to help WWE's squad even the odds, and I betcha that on the off chance that a real fight *HAD* broken out -- the WWE job squad probably could have held their own until security stepped in to break things apart.
vince continues to profit off Eddie G. by wheeelin' out his wife every week! when will the Deddie! Deddie!Deddie! chants and t-shirts come out?
- Posted By: little rusty (Guest)
lol. Once the fans start the chants, I'd give WWE no more than two days to churn out the shirts, tops.
Ken Kennedy is like a mixture between Scrubs characters Dr. Cox and The Janitor. Tremendous.
-Posted By: Guest#8493 (Guest)
Having never actually watched an episode of Scrubs myself, I'll have to take your word for it dude. It's not that I doubt that the show would be funny or anything... it's just that the media (and the FANS of the show) are just so freakin' diehard in their support of the thing, i guess I kinda feel like it's being shoved down my throat, is all. I'm not doubting that it's quality, I'd just like it if people stopped fawning all over it, is all.
Kinda like Ring Of Honor. Or Barack Obama, I guess.
am i the only one who got a chuckle when jr said during the jericho-hardy match that the IC title is "one of the most prestigious" ones? ... well it HAS BEEN one, but right now the E doesn't give a damn about it
- Posted By: mongo (Guest)
I'll agree, Mongo. Though I think what JR was trying to do was simply put over the importance of the title being contested so that viewers wouldn't tune out for a longer-than-your-average-midshow-squash of a television match. Sure, he came across as a bit heavy-handed, desperate and transparent (coming just shy of a Mike Tenay-esque "WE'RE BEGGING YOU TO CARE ABOUT THIS MATCH!"), but I guess you could say that sort of thing is really quite typical for pro wrestling angles in general.
YourThinks Regarding Other Readers' "Thinks"
Jasonel is the most fantastically hilarious troll I have ever seen. I am a huge fan of your work.
Posted By: MP (Guest)
To each their own, I guess.
"Of the mentioned scandals involving high-profile WWE wrestlers, at least Vince was able to exploit and profit off of Eddie's death."
"Ironically even the dead bird realizes the odds of Cena NOT winning the title are the same as not having a single Viagra joke told at a Hugh Hefner roast."
Seriously, these two quotes belong in some kind of 411 Hall of Fame.
- Posted By: Guest#8990 (Guest)
Plaques are being ordered this week, dude.
YourThinks Regarding Yours Truly
those big names you mentioned arent on ANY kind of drugs? after all their combined injuries and timeoff? youre an idiot
Posted By: Harley Rich
Missed your apostrophe there in the word "you're," Harley. But it looks as if another reader summed up what would otherwise have been my reply.
"be trusted either a) to stay drug-free, or....... ***b) at the very least, to do a better job of covering their own asses to make it seem as if they were clean."***
way to read, guys!
boy... anonymity sure brings out the morons, doesn't it?
Posted By: TerraRyzin (Guest)
Thanks, Terra. My point in the initial column was that the "big names" on top of WWE's current heap of superstars (like Batista, John Cena, Triple H, etc.) may well be just as innocent or guilty as those lower-card performers who are using supplements and other drugs around them, but (if nothing else) they seem to be doing a much better job of covering their tracks while doing so.
For example, you don't see John Cena getting pulled over for DUI, nor do you see Dave Batista getting pulled over by the cops (RACIAL PROFILING!) only to discover that he and his buddies were driving while stoned and toting a bunch of drugs in their rental car (ala RVD, or the infamous Iron Sheik/Jim Duggan stories from the late 80's).
Bottom line?
Injuries suck, but they are MUCH easier to "spin" and explain away as a matter-of-course "hazard of the job" than getting busted for doping (in any form). And so while it's certainly quite revealing to see so many big time stars go down with all sorts of (suspiciously may-or-may-not-be "drug related) injuries, the fact remains that they WWE ultimately looks a lot better when performers "fall on their swords" and take the personal hit in the form of an injury when they go OFF steroids rather than giving their employer a nasty bout of PR nightmares by getting nailed for staying ON them.
yer smug & quite the douche-- wow, i summed that up in 6 words after almost a year of readin yer stuff, carry on...
-Posted By: theHomewrecker! (Guest)
HEAVEN FORBID somebody actually encourage his readers to "lighten up" and "take a joke" after EXPLICITLY telling them not to take a slapdash celebrity ranking grid too seriously. THE NERVE!!!
Terribly sorry my particular brand of writing doesn't quite happen to be your cup of tea, Homewrecker. Better luck next time.
"yer smug & quite the douche-- wow, i summed that up in 6 words after almost a year of readin yer stuff, carry on..."
So, you think he's a smug douche, yet you read his column for a year? I'd say that makes you a stupid douche.
- Posted By: ProtomanV1 (Registered)
Protoman makes a good point there, Homewrecker ;-)
protoblow... carry on as in keep up the 'interesting' columns, ya obviously can't read inta things... but that's great ya typed in to classify levels of douches and to lick Meehan's balls.... yer like "iron" mike sharpe... only you not nearly that fantastic... but you have meehan's balls on yer toungue and you defended him... awww... kitten cute... u like CMPunk and rey mysterio i bet.... awwwwww
- Posted By: theHomewrecker! (Guest)
Hate to break it to you, Homewrecker, but you spelled "yer" and "inta" and "ya" wrong. Repeatedly. Also, the elipsis should only contain three periods in a row (unless it's attached to a period, in which case -- four), and the phrase "only you not nearly that fantastic" is not quite English. The individual words themselves? Yes. The sentence? Not so much.
So who has two thumbs and is smug and quite a douchebag, but is STILL schooling the Homewrecker at every turn? (RVD point) THIS GUY!
It pains me to say this, but Meehan... your "sliding down the 411mania card" seems to REALLY have affected your "writing", or so it SEEMS.
OR -
My memories are SOMEHOW "twisted", because I CLEARLY remember a time when your column was THE (long-sounding EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE) most "enjoyable" one to read in 411mania, "BAR NONE".
HOWEVER!
Nowadays these "things" are just so... "lame" and FULL of ANNOYING little quirks and cliches like THE (long-SOUNDING EEEEEEE) horrible "overusage" of quotation smarks. Not ONLY that, but
you used to be one of THE (long-sounding EEEEEEEEEE) more mature, cool-headed and MAYBE even intelligent writers on a site (and, in fact, a whole SCENE) full of "writers" who have PERHAPS been less than "fortunate" when civility, maturity, class and dare I repeat it, INTELLIGENCE were "being handed out", so to speak. What happened? You are a mere "shadow" OF your FORMER self, and IT saddens MEE (with a
long-sounding EEEEEE)to AN end I never IMAGINED possible.
THIS MIGHT MAKE ME GO ON A RAMPAGE AND KILL MY FAMILY BECAUSE IT'S VERY COOL TO THROW REFERENCES TO HE-WHO-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED EVEN THOUGH FOR SOME REASON I'M STILL NOT NAMING THE HE-WHO-SHALL-NOT-BE-NAMED BY HIS REAL NAME-WHICH-SHALL-NOT-BE-MENTIONED FOR REASONS EVEN I-WHO-SHALL-REMAIN-ANONYMOUS-BECAUSE-I'M-TOO-LAZY-TO-REGISTER-AGAIN-AFTER-A-MESSED-UP-FIRST-ATTEMPT
DON'T UNDERSTAND.
BUT STILL -
... I will keep reading. Because even though you have taken a mighty nosedive recently, I still look forward to your writings. Perhaps out of habit, perhaps out of respect for what you used to be, or perhaps out of hope that one day you might be as great as you once were, yet again.
But please. Don't do the flair. Don't let your legacy get flushed down the toilet.
Cheers,
Mister Man
ps. Could you add the number of some sort of a depression hotline to the end of your column? You know, to go along with the domestic abuse one.
Posted By: anonymous coward (Guest)
To borrow a line from Billy Joel, "Ya' know 'The Good Old Days' weren't always good, and tomorrow ain't as bad as it seems."
Though my duties around here and column format have changed (first as a longform, "tackling one issue" feature, then into a news report) -- I'm pretty sure that my writing style has been pretty much the same since the first day I arrived as a mainpage writer for this site some three years ago. If anything, I've taken the "news report" format as a cause to tighten things up a bit (in my humble opinion, at least), as there are simply more news items to cover and so that means less time (read: paragraphs) to spend on each particular issue.
As for adding a link to the depression hotline, I'd rather not water down the stand-alone effectiveness of the link we've currently got featured down there. While it's certainly a good and worthwhile idea -- it's just a matter of too many cooks, ya' know?
Meehan just doesn't back up his points. He gets mad because people attack his Celbrity Index, but if you don't want something under scrutiny don't write it ion the first place.
The problem isn't Meehan's opinions. It is the fact that he doesn't back them up or the fact that his reactions to news aren't really opinions, but is just basically kissing the WWE's ass every chance he gets. Dude you need to go to WWE.com where that type of writing is desired.
Now I am not the WWE hater as some of the posters. However, this year's Wrestlemania build has not been good yet everything we read from you is how great it is. Well hopefully when you are at Wrestlemania Vince will let you becaome the first voluntary memeber of the kiss-my-ass club like you;ve always wanted
Posted By: Meehan's Biggest Fan (Guest)
Ignoring the gratuitous ad hominem you so neatly tucked in there at the end, for a second... MeeThinks it's probably worth pointing out that not just this year, but EVERY SINGLE YEAR in recent memory, wrestling "fans" tend to come out of the woodwork as we creep toward WrestleMania and whine about how "bad" the Big Dance is shaping up to be.
[A]s a fan, reading column after column on how badly "the current product sucks" a) gets old fast and b) kind of… well… sucks. There's got to be a better way to analyze and appreciate the professional wrestling business without just pointing out the obvious or nitpicking the negative.
And thus this column was born.
Being the resident "optimist" that I am, I usually spend the better part of March each year urging cooler heads to prevail and trying to convince people to lay off the full-on "WWE hate" in order to (gasp!) GIVE THEM A CHANCE to succeed or fail on the merits of their WrestleMania PPV before you go about writing it off as an unmitigated failure before it even had a chance. Understandably, all of this "give 'em a chance, people" talk *can* (at times) end up leaving people with the feeling of this column being little more than the blind defense of a company by a fanboy... but in an internet wrestling community that is so dominated by negativity ("net-gativity?") as it is, perhaps a healthy splash of blind optimism isn't the worst thing in the world.
Besides, I have tickets to this year's WrestleMania and will be attending the show LIVE. Did you *REALLY* think that I was going to spend each week counting down to the event talking about how crappy it's going to be?
the homewrecker is right.
definitely a douche
Posted By: das vunderhooven (Guest)
MeeThinks our buddy Homewrecker signed up for multiple Guest accounts, eh? ;)
He's not as much of a douche as 'Tom' but he does use too many cliches.
'all in all'
'in the end'
'bottom line'
- Posted By: lucio (Guest)
Thanks for the feedback, Lucio. When writing these columns, I try to keep things in as conversational a tone as possible. And since that usually means that there's a lot being said in big chunks of paragraphs at a time, I usually like to throw in a few stand-alone "one-liners" (that are, as you noted, usually in the form of instantly recognizable cliches) so that the casual reader can say "ok, I totally skimmed those last few paragraphs... but if that cliche is any indicator, than this one should sum it right up."
Moving on --
(see what I did there?)
And With That, I'm Outta' Here
That'll do it for Mee this week. Thanks again for reading, and if you feel so inclined, I'd again like to reiterate how important it would be if you decided to send "YourThinks" (along with your words of solace and support) directly to Jeff Hardy in what has got to be the single most trying time in his young life.
Jeff Hardy c/o Matt Hardy
P.O. Box 713
Vass, NC 28394
Just poking around on my dvr, Noticed ESPN classic will be airing 7 hours
straight of UWF wrestling this Saturday afternoon. 1:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST.
Oooh Yeah!
Chris Hero, the man of 1002 holds
Posted By: jcvme (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 12:27 AM
I'm posting a comment, ya idiot, not writing a paper for english class... so you
schooled me how? Take yer spell check and yer 2 thumbs, shine them up nice and
stick them in your TGCork-hole... I'm really trying to figure out how you
"schooled" me?.... and no, i did not sign up for "multiple
accounts", but if that helps ya rest a case that really hasn't been made,
joy to you...
U probably cheer for CMPunk, too....
excuse the grammer errors, douche... and if it wasn't "quite
english" for ya, I totally apologize for not writing or typing as you see
fit....
Posted By: theHomewrecker! (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 01:01 AM
Ive never read so much mail in my entire life, that must have taken the whole
week alone...
Great column as always though Meehan
Posted By: Brad (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 01:04 AM
That was the most piss poor article I have ever read. Dude if I wanted to read
through all that garbage I would go to the message boards.
If you are going to use terms like analyze then you better damn well do it.
You make comments that Mayweather truly is "money". Which makes you
nothing more than a WWE schill. There is so much in a wrestling product that
it is ok to be critical sometimes.
The main point though is that you are a WWE/McMahon ass-kisser. In the past I
have seen you have no problem criticizing TNA or other promotions/promoters,
but ol Vinny Mac and company can do no wrong. It's a trend. Sorry buddy.
As far as this week's article is concerned what did you really bring to the
table? Nothing. I am sure in a few weeks you will be trumpeting on how this
Wrestlemania made more money than any other Wrestlemania while ignoring the
higher PPV prices. Next week ignore the comment board you insecure bastard.
Posted By: Meehan's Biggest Fan (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 01:34 AM
Half decent, although in fairness Johnners, just correcting someones spelling
and sorting out their syntax and grammar (That being Homewrecker)isn't
"Schooling" whatsoever. It's just being a knobhead.
I'll tell you what is depressing mind you, this week more column inches have
been given to a dead dog than one of the greatest bookers and managers of all
time. We live in dangerous times. If CM Punk's sea monkeys cop it we are
fucked for any other news that week, web wise.
Posted By: ButchReedMark (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 01:39 AM
About Jeff never making it to the main event again, I have 2 words for you.
Eddie Guerrero. If Jeff can get his shit together and come back they could do
the same storyline they did with Eddie after he came back. Jeff hangs around in
the ic and tag team belt scenes for a few years and after its proven he has beat
his addiction they can do like they did with Eddie at NO WAY Out 2004 and have
Jeff win the world itle when he claims his only addiction is wrestling and then
the wwe can have an end to a wrestlemania like where Jeff and Matt end the night
in the ring as the 2 world champions and the wwe canmove past the whole Chris
Benoit thing finally with an even better mania moment. Only hope and pray the
same result does not happen as with what eventually happened with eddie and
chris
Posted By: Tim (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 03:37 AM
English paper or not you should have half decent grammar
Posted By: Jones (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 04:00 AM
I'm not entirely sure what article you people were reading, but perhaps you
missed it when he clearly said that their wasn't much news this past week so he
was going to shine the spotlight on his readers. At least he doesn't completely
ignore you people and negate the entire purpose of the comments section.
Regarding the validity of said schooling, whether he schooled you or not,
someone needs to because there is a difference between casual typing online and
butchering the English language. Come on folks, words aren't that big, usually,
so it's not that much work to just go ahead and type them out. I mean, is it
really worth sounding like a moron to avoid typing one extra letter (such as
typing out "you" instead of "ya")? A little effort would be
nice.
Posted By: SeanAltly (Registered) on March 21, 2008 at 04:42 AM
Wow! It's only just after 7 a.m. East Coast time and already the Trolls are out
in full force.
For a bunch of guys who claim to hate this column so freaking much, you fellas
sure seem to enjoy swinging from Meehan's nuts at every chance you get.
Posted By: TheMightyQuinn (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 08:24 AM
I must give Meehan this much, at least he acknowledges negative feedback, unlike
that douche 'Tom'.
Still, too much positivity becomes saccharrine. It's now the *in* way to
write.
Posted By: francisco (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 09:18 AM
This may be far reaching but if Jeff was not suspended his girl Beth Might have
been in that house too. Some good can come out of the bad.
Posted By: T-Mac (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 09:21 AM
Good article again, Meehan. I always look forward to your Friday column.
Your writing is level-headed and intelligently presented in an entertaining
tone. And your patience with some of the kids in the comments section is beyond
me.
Keep up the good work, it is appreciated.
Posted By: ProvidenceRI (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 12:06 PM
We should let Vince Russon book the Feldman/Culkin/Efron three way. Then Corey
Haim will run out of the back to help Feldman, but he'll turn on his lost boys
partner and then make out with Zach Efron while Kurt Angle grabs and mic and
promises that he'll wrestling MMA sometime in the next year.
Posted By: Satan (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 12:44 PM
what an OVERexplainer!
Posted By: pedro (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 12:56 PM
To the guy who wonders why a slower WWE match could be better than a faster TNA
match: it's called DRAMA. Sure, TNA might have faster paced matches with bigger
and more innovative moves, but that also leads to matches with a lack of selling
and a lack of flow.
When a heel holds a headlock for two minutes, the crowd becomes anxious to see
anything from the baby, and will pop for a simple comeback. It's not because
the WWE has conditioned fans to accept this style, it's that this is the
easiest and most effective formula. Less is more.
Not to say that TNA doesn't have good matches, but often, with that faster
pace, their matches devolve to just guys trading moves, providing no real
emotional involvement in the match.
Posted By: Chopper (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 03:36 PM
GTFO Grammar Nazis. go back to whatever English Concentration Camp you came from
Posted By: natedoggcata (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 05:41 PM
Hey Meehan, thanks for adding my 'curse' comment. I put it on there b/c I'm
pretty sure Jeff was going to win this MITB match. That was kind of where I was
going.
Great article as always.
Cheers.
Posted By: Peter (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 06:21 PM
really, MVP should almost win the MITB when MATT HARDY enters from the crowd to
push the ladder he was in, then JERICHO wins.
Then, in the main event, whether Orton or Cena wins, either way, hell will
break lose.
Y2J appears and claims that he indeed said he was gonna SAVE the WWE. He hasn't
forgotten, and hopes none of you (us)have.
It could be even better if Cena wins, as Jericho can say that at first, he
really was coming to save us from HIM, not Randy Bore-ton.
If I have to endure one more HHH main event lose to se that(and I'm a real HHH
fan), I will.
Posted By: Pepo (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 06:40 PM
Even though the joke itself is old as dirt, anyone else find it funny that
Meehan did Dr. Kelso from Scrubs' "and has two thumbs? this guy!"
running gag, in the same article where he claims to never have watched Scrubs?
Hmmmm...
Oh and I see Dr. Cox, but I don't see the Janitor, reader. Care to explain?
Posted By: Eric (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 11:25 PM
Do it Meehan, drop the Grammar-Hammer. It's like the People's Elbow, but done
with the left arm.
To keep things on topic with a wrestling column though, I have to say that I
agree that while Jeff getting knocked out for awhile doesn't automatically mean
he'll never be back in the main event, it may put him in the unenviable Samoa
Joe or Chris Jericho position. He now has to climb his way back up and there
is no guarantee that the fans who love him and buy his merchandise to day will
care, or even still be there, by the time he gets back up. It's ashame, as
he's talented and brings a high flying style to a main event dominated by
brawlers. But none of us are WWE bookers, so we don't really know. Could be
he gets a big comeback angle in 2 to 3 months, and gets right back in the title
hunt. Time will tell
Posted By: Cyrith (Guest) on March 21, 2008 at 11:36 PM
Sucks when your meth lab blows up, don't it Jeff? Actually that is in poor
taste. I am one who hopes he does not get back into wrestling. He obviously
cannot handles the stresses of the ring and needs to take care of himself first
and not worry about the wrestling fans. His true fans will support him whatever
he choses to do. I hope he does whatever can help him stay sober. He should be
used as a special attraction only at this point.
Posted By: Willie D (Guest) on March 22, 2008 at 01:29 AM
Meehan's great. Leave him alone.
Posted By: das Vunderhooven (Guest) on March 22, 2008 at 01:29 PM
