Brooklyn Brawlin 11.26.08: John Morrison Breaking on Through to the Main Event Scene

Wow am I pissed off wrestling fan today. Where do we start? How about the shamelessness, and disgusting act of this whole Jeff Hardy storyline. When it was first posted everyone thought the same thing. Some did not want to say it. Some didn’t want to think it. Some were so fed up with the guy already that we simply screamed it. “He got F’d up on drugs and F’d up another push!!!” “They should fire him!” “Is he dead?” “OD?” Are these the thoughts Vince McMahon wants circulating the internet and mass media outlets only a year and a half after the Benoit murder/suicide? Only 3 years after Eddie Guerrero (who’s name continues to be milked with more DVDs) dropped dead of a heart attack IN A HOTEL ROOM! Let’s go back to every wrestler since Brian Pillman was found dead in a HOTEL ROOM in October of 1997. This is not a company that sould be teasing shit like this. For what? Are we wrestling fans so depraved that some are out there going, “Yo, let’s buy that ppv because Jeff Hardy may be dead?” Is that what Vince was going for? I was disgusted by this when I read it because I like many thought Jeff had again slipped off the wagon and was blowing his last (yeah right) chance for success. Now I am disgusted more by everyone involved. Vince, the writers and most of all Jeff Hardy who had to be in on this. All this to run an angle that has been done before, the whole “who pushed {Wrestler A} down the stairs?” angle. Remember Shawn Michaels, Stone Cold, etc. The whole thing just wreaked of stupidity and arrogance and they should all be ashamed. I know no one in the wrestling industry could at this point be ashamed, but they should be after this one.

Then we get to the Survivor Series. I know my column is about fantasy booking, and most internet reporters tend to belives themselves smarter than the business (Smarks) but the booking for the WWE is so pathetically bad it’s scary. The World Hot Potato belt changed hands again as the WWE shows its true desperation and launches it back onto Cena in his first appearance back in months. Chris Jericho, your epitaph has been written and it reads: Transitional Champion. Sorry, I am a Jerich – a – Holic through and through but he is, he was in 2002 for Triple H, and was the uber-transitional champion 6 years later for Batista and Cena. This, after the man put the company on his back and carried it through the entire 2008 year while Cena was jobbing out to Triple H, boring everyone in an unending feud with JBL and jobbing out and getting injured by Batista.

Some more Survivor Series insanity; Team Michaels vs. Team JBL. Was HBK desperate for a win here? This match had double COTR written all over it. That is what Survivor Series is for, eliminations that continue feuds. Why does HBK need the victory here? The men of the match and the man who was eliminated last were Miz and John Morrison. A victory for them here could’ve springboarded them to future stars. And aren’t we done with Khali at this point? Quick one here: Why couldn’t Regal get himself DQ’ed or COTR instead of the IC Champ being made to look like a bitch… again? Aren’t there more shitty movies in need of 7’4 Indian monsters? Come on! As well as a Jerich – a – Holic I am also an Edge-Head and was happy he won the belt, but again there better and more common sense ways for him to return. I for one would’ve brought him back as a tweener since he was getting pops before he left for a while. It was Vicky who had him “sent to hell” so why is he still loyal to her? And what ever happened to his revenge on Batista, who cost him the world title on Raw months back? So now we have an Edge/Triple H/Hardy feud, which I like, but not how they got there.

Raw for a moment: Good to see we are back to the year 2000 with competing McMahons. Something new and fresh for the new fanbase. And when did Shane start looking like Bruce Campbell? Now let’s see; you build ppv championship matches by having the beloved champion (A) look vulnerable against his future opponent making people buy the show to see if he can overcome all the odds OR (B) have him beat the living shit out of his future opponent making the title match an inevitablity thus creating…NO BUYS!!! Apparently WWE thinks its B as Cena, the face World Champ beat the shit out Jericho his # 1 contender, for nearly 10 minutes to end Raw including making him tap like a bitch to the still worst move in wrestling, the STFU!

Ok, bitching done, time for the crux of the column today. I got a lot of positive feedback to my column about pushing the heck out of Charlie Haas, so today I am pushing another mid carder through the glass ceiling and that is the “Moonlight Rider” himself, John Morrison. Morrison is an inevitable superstar unless he gets caught with Wellness issues again. He has it all, the look, the moveset, and the mic skills. Currently he and Miz are floating between ECW and Raw and in some high profile matches with DX, and Rey Mysterio, so some consider his push has already begun. But its time for John Morrison to get the booking he deserves…

JOHN MORRISION BREAKS ON THROUGH

We do not go crazy right away. Most of you sould know I am a fan of the slow build. I would have had him and Miz survive last night at the ppv, but even though they didn’t the first step for them should be to regain the Tag Team Titles. They dropped their long reign with the WWE Tag belts in a meaningless throwaway ppv match at the GAB. So now they go after Punk and Kofi and get the World Tag Titles and go on a spree of defenses calling themselves the greatest tag team ever. They defend against their old enemies Cryme Tyme, and the newly formed awesome alliance of Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio.

At the Royal Rumble John Morrison gets the “in early and lasts long push.” He enters at # 4 and makes it to the end before finally being eliminated by Jeff Hardy (eventual winner). Morrison adds a new dyamic to his character as now not only he is the “greatest tag champion ever” but also the MVP of the Royal Rumble 2009. In February, Raw and Smackdown have their Elimination Chamber matches. Miz and Morrison come out and declare they should be in the Raw Chamber since they are the World Tag Champions. Stephanie declares a spot available but only one, and they need to wrestle for it. After a 10 minute Raw match, Morrison beats Miz with the Moonlight Ride to gain entrance into the Chamber match. So Morrison main events in a losing cause, which leads to Wrestlemania XXV in Houston.

At Wrestlemania, we open the show with a phenomenal 15 minute Tag Team Title match between Miz & Morrison vs. Rey and the returning Evan Bourne. Rey and Evan win after a 4 star match as Morrison superkicks Miz by accident leaving M&M down and out. Later that night, Undertaker and Shawn Michaels compete in a 4 star legends match in their home state of Texas. Shawn does the clean job, and Taker again stands tall. The next night on Raw, Shawn Michaels comes out to commerate his match with Taker when he is interrupted by Morrison. Morrison says Shawn’s 15 minutes are up and its now “his time” to shine. He is sick and tired of shining on a losing team. He was the highlight of his tag team with Miz, the star of the Royal Rumble, and Elimination Chamber matches and last night he was the showstopper at Wrestlemania until miz dropped the ball and get pinned. Michaels asks him if he is serious and Morrison challenges Shawn right there on Raw. Miz interrupts before Michaels can accept and has an issue with Morrison’s comments. They come to blows and HBK just laughs in the ring.

Morrison is lined up for a match with Miz at Backlash, but he keeps pressing Michaels, saying that M&M were better than the Rockers and now that they are done, he will be the Shawn Michaels of the team and Miz will be the Marty Jannety. Before Backlash, HBK and Morrison have a match on Raw which rocks the house (the way HBK/Shelton did years back). Morrison looks to use Sweet Chin Music but Miz distracts him and HBK gets his for the pin. Shawn is made special guest ref for the Backlash match. At the ppv, Morrison hits the Moonlight Ride but gets up and mockingly goes for Sweet Chin Music. As he goes for it HBK gets fed up and hits his own on Morrison and he counts 3 for Miz.

The next night on Raw, HBK is scheduled to face Morrison later, but John attacks him backstage and bloodies him up. The match never takes place, but Morrison comes out to gloat and calls him the new showstopper. The next week Shawn comes out and calls out Morrison. Morrison mocks Shawn from the video screen and says if he wants to fight the Showstopper he will have to do it on ppv at Judgment Day. At the show, Morrison dominates until the inevitable Michaels comeback. He goes for the kick but John ducks outside. Michaels follows with a plancha and they brawl. Morrison reverses a whip and Shawn hits the post and Morrison gets back in to score the Countout victory.

On Raw, Morrison celebrates in the ring Kurt Angle style. He says his victory over Shawn Michaels means he is the new “Showstopper.” Michaels invades the party and beats the crap out of Morrison. Michaels tells him that every match at One Night Stand will be extreme rules, he challenges Morrison to an Extreme Rules “No DQ/No COTR, Falls Count Anywhere match. At the ppv, they brawl up the stage, where Shawn ducks a superkick and hits SCM to Morrison off the stage on to debris. Shawn follows with the Elbow drop from the the stage and wins in dramatic fashion.

Morrison doesn’t let the loss deter him. He says that they are tied at 1 – 1 on ppv. He want to prove he is the better man in a 2 out of 3 falls match at Night of Champions. Since only Championships matches are there, Morrison says he wants the Title of Showstopper if he wins. They sign the contract and we go to the ppv. Morrison is able to sneak the first fall after a rollup but falls victim to Sweet Chin Music at the 17 minute mark to tie it up. John hits his own Superkick but can’t get the pinfall. They both crawl up in opposite corners and prep for superkicks, but John ducks Shawn’s and hits the Moonlight Ride for the final pin. He is announced the winner: The Showstopper John Morrsion! Shawn stands there after 20+ minutes and acknowledges Morrison with a nod. By Summerslam, The Showstopper is feuding with John Cena, and Batista over the World Heavyweight Title.

I am pressed for time, so I will sign off by saying the wisest words I know: Have fun storming the castle… and Happy Thanksgiving!!!