High Road/Low Road 03.28.08: Big Show vs Floyd Mayweather

Posted by Sat & Uncletrunx on 03.28.2008

One of the biggest matches at WrestleMania sees the "World's Largest Athlete" up against arguably the best boxer in the world today. Is this match going to be a classic WrestleMania moment, one to remember for the ages? Or will it all fall flat? Join in the debate with this week's High Road/Low Road!

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 ECW Title Match at WrestleMania:

High Road: 69.2%
Low Road: 15.4%
Both Roads: 15.4%

Mayweather versus Big Show

High Road:
The main purpose of this angle was to get some publicity and hopefully get some buys. Well, I would say that this angle has managed to do that. Now, I can't comment on the global publicity of this angle, but I would say that it has been a success in the United States. The match has been mentioned on numerous sports radio shows, Pardon the Interruption and even a clip on ESPN.

Low Road:
From what I have seen of the mainstream media coverage of this angle, it has been openly mocking and condescending towards the angle and WWE in general. Now, I know that the old cliché suggests that there's no such thing as bad publicity but with the inevitable cost which goes with this angle, I can't see that getting a few sneering mentions on the mainstream media can be worth the outlay.


High Road:
I think that it is safe to say that this will not be a great match, but really that is expected. I think that most people have to come into this match expecting a decent match because of the fact that this will be the first time that Mayweather will be in the wrestling ring. I think that with the Big Show and Mayweather being the two wrestlers in this match, we will get a decent match. This is going to be one of those matches were it will the Big Show hitting a move and a ton of selling. If this is done well, then this will be a decent match and that is all we can ask for.

Low Road:
Celebrity matches are seldom wrestling classics; while Wrestlemania has, in my opinion, a slightly higher percentage of watchable celebrity matches I have to question the value of this one. Mayweather is about 1/3 of the size of Big Show and yet I really don't see him allowing his ego to be bruised by having Big Show win this. On the other hand, Big Show is just coming back, has clearly worked hard to get in shape and in my view should be presented as a monster, something this match cannot do unless Mayweather is prepared to be squashed (and I think we all know the chances of that.) Thus the only endings I can see for this are Big Show being buried or a screwy ending.


High Road:
This angle has definitely been a good storyline so far and the buildup has been very well done. First, we saw Mayweather bloody the Big Show, which led to the match. Then, we saw Big Show challenge Mayweather to a match and Mayweather accepting the match because he is now confident that he can beat Big Show because he did bloody him at No Way Out. Then, we say the Big Show injure Mayweather , which should happen because of the size difference.. So far, the build has been a definite High Road.

Low Road:
The initial moment where Mayweather bloodied the Big Show was a good moment and could really have been built on; however, since then the build has varied between the acceptable but not remarkable (The Big Show "injuring" Maywether) and the downright awful (The Mayweather live promo.) If you're paying out millions to a non wrestler and he can't do a live promo, one has to question the value of the investment.


High Road:
The thing that I find amazing about this match between the Big Show and Floyd Mayweather is that the WWE has done a good job in having the fans convinced that either guy could win this match. Floyd Mayweather could win this match if he can connect with this punches. The Big Show can win this match if he can get his hands on Floyd Mayweather. The best matches are the ones where either guy could win the match and this is true for this match at WrestleMania.

Low Road:
I don't think there's a hope of big Show winning this unless they use seriously screwy booking to make sure Mayweather isn't damaged by this. After all, he's a "legitimate athlete". To me, there's a serious risk of this being extremely predictable and I don't see the outcome as in any serious doubt.


High Road:
For each WrestleMania, there is always something that it remembered from that the card. From last year's card, we all know that the main thing that was going to be remembered was the Battle of the Billionaires. Now, let's take out this match from the card. What is this WrestleMania going to be remembered for? Basically without this match, this card will not be remembered at all. The match between the Big Show and Floyd Mayweather will be something that we will look back at a few years from now and know that this is what made the card special.

Low Road:
If this match is the only thing to remember the event for, it's going to be a poor show. It reminds me in many ways of Wrestlemania XI, although I expect history to show that the LT vs Bam Bam match was far better than this one. This is a big step down after getting Donald Trump involved; the one chance of saving it rested with getting one of Mayweather's opponents (Hatton?) involved; that at least might have made the whole thing a bit more watchable. Sadly it seems that chance has passed.


High Road:
Last year, the WWE had a ton of success with the angle with Donald Trump last year and really it made a ton of sense to try to do something like that this year too. Now, people are saying that Floyd Mayweather is nowhere near the level of Donald Trump, but I have to disagree for two reasons. First, Mayweather will be getting in the ring, so already he is more involved than Trump. That should lead to more people buying the show. Second, Mayweather was a part of the highest buy rate in boxing history. In a recap, the WWE had to do something to capitalize on the success of last year's celebrity angle and they did that by bringing in somebody that is comparable to what Donald Trump did last year.

Low Road:
As I mentioned above, I consider Mayweather to be a step down from Donald Trump. Had they managed to get one of his major opponents involved, the angle might well have been boosted into high gear but to me, it all seems to be a case of throwing money at Wrestlemania to feed a WWE wrestler to a guy who will take the payday and walk away. The mainstream attention is of a sneering, condescending nature and I really don't see how this equates to the involvement of Donald Trump last year.

Are you taking the High Road or the Low Road?

High Road
Low Road
Both Roads

OR

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.

Tim Schmidt Writes:

This could be an interesting match depending on if we see mid card talent in this battle royal or if we see filled with jobbers. Superstars in it could be awesome to watch and the jobbers, not so much. But I will hold out they use mid card talent and we get a fun match. At least CM Punk wont be named #1 contender for the 50th time. My money is on one man to win... the returning Matt Hardy.

Sat: The battle royal really depends on the talent in it. If it is mainly tag teams, then this will suck. It would be nice to see Matt in this and then he had MVP could have their feud after Mania with Hardy with the ECW title and MVP with the U.S. Title, but I see Hardy being the final participant in the MITB ladder match.

Uncletrunx: I think they've now released the list of participants for this Battle Royal:
Brian Kendrick
Chuck Palumbo
Cody Rhodes
Deuce
Domino
Elijah Burke
Festus
"Hacksaw" Jim Duggan
Hardcore Holly
Jamie Noble
Jesse
Jimmy Wang Yang
Kane
Kofi Kingston
Lance Cade
Mark Henry
Matt Striker
Shannon Moore
The Great Khali
The Miz
Tommy Dreamer
Trevor Murdoch
Val Venis
I leave the readers to draw their own conclusion.

Bill Bumgarner Writes:

Again, Low Road. What better way to bury ECW's legacy than to have a thrown-together Battle Royale followed by a thrown-together title match? I say that Vince used two ECW reunion PPVs (the first two ONSs) to get us hyped about ECW, then announce its revival as a brand.....only to give us the same old shtick from RAW and SmackDown!. Same formula, worse wrestlers, worse gimmicks, and worse booking. ECW lived in the hearts and memories of fans long after its demise; Vince couldn't stand the thought of something that he didn't create being remembered so fondly, so he brought it back to life only to kill it. Now, those of us who've seen the old ECW know better, but younger fans and those who never saw it would see Vince's ECW and think that the FIRST ECW was like that, which will tarnish the legacy. That's all this was; he'd do the same thing with WCW if Bischoff and Russo hadn't beaten him to the punch seven years ago (though, in his defense, I think Russo's improved quite a bit over the years; could use some MORE improvement, but he's definitely better).

Sat: I can't speak for everybody here, but I have accepted the fact that the old ECW is dead and this is the new ECW. Therefore, I think that this Battle Royal is definitely helping to get some interest for the ECW title. I have had no interest in the ECW title for awhile now and this battle royal has me interested.

Uncletrunx: While I accept that the new ECW was never going to be the same as the old one, it's hard to see it as anything other than a poor relation to Raw and Smackdown. The Battle Royal isn't even going to be on the main show, now; how this builds towards making the ECW belt worth something is beyond me.

GHAP4LIFE Writes:

this match brings some excitement to a title and a brand that seems second rate since rob van dam lost to the big show. also it gives a chance for a wrestler who might be able to turn around the brand in a new direction and possibly help shape the hopefully upcoming draft with new rivals and storylines that don't feature chavo vs. cm punk v .

Sat: Yeah, Chavo and Punk was getting old. This takes the direction of the ECW title to another level.

Uncletrunx: How does it build excitement if the Battle Royal isn't even on the pay per view? Again, I'll leave the readers to draw their own conclusion as to which of the participants represents the new direction for ECW.

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 Saturday Evening Pacific Times.

William Writes:

I take the high road. It'll be fun entertainment, and we'll get a new contender
after months of CM Punk in title matches.

Sat: Definitely, Punk and Chavo was getting boring.

Uncletrunx: The entertainment of the Battle Royal will be on the pre-show. The title match itself will live or die depending on who is the contender.

Rey A Writes:

No doubt the high road. Hopefully, Dreamer will win the ECW title

Sat: I would be surprised if Dreamer won, but hey anything can happen. This is a battle royal.

Uncletrunx: I could see Dreamer winning the Battle Royal but not the title, unless they want to go for the nostalgia pop and then feed him to Snitsky on the next TV show.

WWEMAN88 Writes:

High road only because CM Punk is tied up with money in the bank and will not be in this match.

Sat: CM Punk has been in the ECW title picture for too long, so it does help create some interest in the ECW title.

Uncletrunx: I can't help but think that they're taking their one genuine superstar from ECW and moving him onto one of the "big" brands. It's a trend I can imagine being repeated over and over, every time ECW has a star who starts to get popular.

Setobakura Writes:

both roads. Battle royals are usually fun, but if Kane or Khali win this thing, who actually thinks Chavo wins cleanly?

Sat: I think Kane is definitely the favorite and I would not be surprised if he won.

Uncletrunx: Kane would make an interesting challenger. I'm not sure they'd put the belt on him but I prefer the idea of Kane as the challenger than Snitsky.

Captain Smooth Writes:

I'll say High Road, because it gives some lower level wrestlers a chance to steal the show. (PLEASE MAKE IT BOOGEYMAN VS. A RETURNING HORNSWOGGLE AS THE FINAL 2!!!)

Sat: Wow, this would be interesting, but I don't see it happening. Hornswoggle will most likely return for the JBL/Finlay match.

Uncletrunx: Nurse, please give this man his medication.

Raven Effect Writes:

I've gotta go with both roads on this one. If you asked me this after WrestleMania, that would probably change either for the better or worse. I say both roads, because this has the potential to be really good, or it has the potential to really suck.

I think it is really good to have a battle royal where the winner gets a shot at the ECW title. It makes the ECW title seem a bit more important, because the winner had to go through quite some Hell to get that title shot. However, having the match take place the very same night is kind of lame, as it ruins what could have been a great buildup. Maybe they should have done the battle royal on the last PPV, or during an episode of ECW, then build it up all the way to Wrestlemania.

It also depends upon who wins. It could end being somebody HIGHLY undeserving like The (Not so) Great Khali, or Big Daddy V. That would ruin it. On the other hand, it could wind up working out great and being really cool, maybe even leading into an awesome program to continue after Wrestlemania. We'll just have to wait and see, hence why I chose both roads.

Sat: Good point, both roads is probably the best answer because it really does depend on what happens after Mania.

Uncletrunx: That's very true; it's all speculation. Working on that theory, most of our columns are going to end up as "both roads"!

Elijiah 89 Writes:

Does anyone think that the WWE should of had Mayweather feud with Elijah Burke? I just thought it as I was reading about ECW. Burke is a legit boxer and has an ego as big as Mayweather's. It would also give him the push he deserves. I will take the high road on this battle royale because it will be interesting to see who wins. Maybe Tommy Dreamer will get one last hurrah, maybe some up and comer from another show could get his chance. We may never know if RVD makes a surprise WrestleMania appearance a la John Cena at the Royal Rumble.

Sat: That would have been something new, but the reason I see the WWE not doing this is that Elijah is not a big enough star. Though the argument could be made that he would have become star with this match. If RVD comes out for the Battle Royal and wins the title, then it is a definite High Road.

Uncletrunx: I'd love to see RVD come out and win the thing, but I think if they were going to spring a surprise like that, the Battle Royal would still be on the main show. As for the Mayweather match, I think they needed a big (in all ways) star for it to work.

Alan Kay Writes:

High Road. Look, people are just going to have to accept the fact that the ECW title is clearly not meant to be as prestigious as the Raw or SmackDown titles. In the past, the guys who competed for the TV title were the guys that didn't have a chance at the US or World titles. The same thing is going on here. The ECW title is little more than the TV title used to be, and that is by design. If there was a battle royal for a shot at the TV title back in the day, this wouldn't even be an issue. We would be saying, "I hope Johnny B. Badd wins so he can get his title back from Arn Anderson." LOL... Johnny B. Badd. I made myself laugh.

Sat: I don't think the WWE wants the ECW title to be the television title, but that is basically what is has become. I think that if the WWE can just put a little effort behind it, then it can be considered a World Title (though nowhere near the level of the WWE and World title).

Uncletrunx: I have no trouble accepting ECW as a secondary title if it's promoted as such. It isn't; it's always referred to as being at World title level on WWE TV. It's inconsistent and frustrating. As an aside, I can honestly say that I have never in my life uttered the words "I hope Johnny B. Badd wins."

Pete K Writes:

High road. It gets the ECW title on WrestleMania. It gets lots of guys involved on the card

Sat: One of the main reasons that this is a High Road for me is that it gets a ton of wrestlers on the card and it is done in a meaningful way.

Uncletrunx: Not any more it doesn't. It gets a ton of guys on the pre show.

Surprise Entrant Writes:

high road because this match is likely being used to set up another contender for Chavo since cm punk will be getting drafted to raw or SmackDown at the draft

Sat: This battle royal has the potential to really help out the ECW title by creating a few contenders.

Uncletrunx: I really hope it does result in a new lease of life for ECW. I feel that ECW needs its own identity, rather than being the place they send people before they get popular and go to Raw or Smackdown.

Orlando Writes:

Personally I hope Matt Hardy comes back and wins the battle royal so he can win the ECW belt. Heaven knows they need someone who will bring that title justice. Besides, this way CM Punk can move to SmackDown. Matt could have feuds with Benjamin, Chavo, and Morrison which would be gold! Besides, it would be great to see one of the Hardys as the focal point of a promotion.

Sat: Everyone keeps mentioning Matt for the ECW title, but I just don't see it happening.

Uncletrunx: Nor do I, given that he's not on the list. He could be a late replacement, but if they were going to do that, they'd surely keep the Battle Royal on the main show.

David Burcham Writes:

High road. People always say that WrestleMania is the "Superbowl" or
"Stanley Cup" or whatever for Pro Wrestling. Nope. Wrong. WrestleMania was not created 24 years ago to spotlight the wrestling in the WWF. The event was created to spotlight the ENTERTAINMENT in the WWF. The battle royal and the title match will be great entertainment.

Sat: Have to agree, the battle royal will be create entertainment.

Uncletrunx: I think Wrestlemania is the Superbowl not in a purely sporting way, but because it's the big event that everyone wants to be a part of. I suppose one could refer to it as a cross between the Superbowl and the Oscars to get the feel of the event.

JLAJRC Writes:

I gotta pick High Road, for the simple fact that CM Punk isn't involved (unless they do something stupid and have him win MITB and then have him cash it in so he can have ANOTHER shot at Chavo).

I honestly don't know where they are going with ECW, which is actually kind of fun for once that I can't predict something. Yea, the ECW is a third-rate title, but it certainly has more prestige lately than the Intercontinental and the US title.

Sat: Yeah, the I.C. and U.S. titles have been a joke for awhile. And ECW has been flat out boring for awhile. The battle royal has definitely created some interest.

Uncletrunx: I'm not sure where they're going either, but I don't see a whole lot of names in the Battle Royal list which can carry the brand without a serious build up. I hope they can pull one out and make the ECW brand really exciting from here on, but it will take a lot of work and I'm not convinced that this Battle Royal and subsequent match alone can do that.

Kaiza Writes:

I'm going with high road here, it reminds me of the first ECW PPV where they had the three way match to see who would face the champion later that night. Kind of a throwback to the original ECW.

Sat: I guess, but the thing is that nobody considers this ECW like the old ECW.

Uncletrunx: I suppose in some ways it is a similar idea; the difference, however, is that on the first ECW Pay Per View, you had three top contenders in the match. This Battle Royal is somewhat underwhelming by comparison.

Tim Writes:

there are no good wrestlers left so this whole ECW thing will be a bathroom break

Sat: I don't see this has the bathroom break, I think the Bunnymania (or whatever the WWE is calling it), will be the bathroom break. I guess if you have an overactive bladder, you could use this as a bathroom break too.

Uncletrunx: Or if you need to go to the toilet before the show starts…

M & M Writes:

Going both roads on this one. The match itself isn't going to be entertaining as the E has already built Khali and Mizark Henry as two of the frontrunners but there could always be a surprise winner like Matt Hardy, RVD or Rey Mysterio (unlikely, but that would reek of awesomeness and also, it could be the REAL blowoff to this feud, one that doesn't end because of wellness suspensions.)As long as one of those guys win, heck even Kane, this could setup a good

Sat: This comment reminded me of something that I thought about during SmackDown. Mark Henry should win the title at Mania. I was amazed with his slam of Khali and he looks like he is in good shape. Did anybody notice that he was not wearing his knee brace. I would give him a run with the title.

Uncletrunx: ECW could possibly carve a niche for itself as the freakshow of wrestling; where people go to see guys like Khali and Kane, the monsters and mutants of wrestling; if that's a planned direction for the show and is acknowledged as the way they want it to go, they could do a lot worse than put the belt on one of the monsters. At very least it would make ECW into something different, rather than the place wrestlers go when there's nothing for them on the other brands.

Guest#2778 Writes:

High road. GO KOFI KINGSTON!

Sat: Kofi winning would definitely be something new.

Uncletrunx: Possibly a bit early for him; however as a future star, it could be used to build him up a bit if he won the Battle Royal but not the title.

Brian Writes:

Both roads for me. I love that it gets a lot of guys on the card that normally wouldn't have been and does make the ECW title seem somewhat important. But, it's just going to be filler on the show and the crowd won't give a shit about the battle royal or the title match. I don't blame that on the wrestlers but that's the way it's gonna be. What I think they need to do is move a guy who is over as a face from raw or SmackDown over to ECW and get another top face on the show to offset Punk.

Sat: I think that the crowd will care for this because some huge wrestlers are going to get thrown out. That will get them interested. Plus, Colin will probably get destroyed, so that should keep the crowd interested too.

Uncletrunx: Poor Colin.

// left off at 20 comments

Your reasons for taking the High Road, Low Road, or Both Roads and suggestions for future High Road/Low Road are welcome at [e-mail] or in the comment section. Your reply will be included in next week's column.