411’s Worst Wrestler of the Week 01.20.08

Welcome to the second edition of 411’s Worst Wrestler of the Week. I am your humble host, JP Truss. First, let’s have a quick overview to bring everyone else up to speed.

Every week the 3W will bring to you the top five wrestlers whose in or out of the ring performance (or both) in the past week deserve a little recognition. Out of those five, one will be decided as absolutely rotten and receive our greatest honor: the Worst Wrestler of the Week.

Before I begin this week column, there are a couple of things I have to do. First,

OBAMA!

By the time this is published, Barak Obama will be inagurated as the 44th President of the United States of America. It’ll be a very historic moment and I’m sure there will be hundreds of thousands in Washington to hear it. I, on the other hand, will be watching live via C-SPAN. But anyway, the 3W is happy to congratulate President Obama on his achievement and wishes him the best as he steps into office.

Next, I’d like to take a moment to respond to one of the comments I received after the debut of the column. There will be a section where I reply to commetns at the end. But for now, I just wanted to quickly comment on this one from MachoManFanStill;

Good first column- however just a few points. How can you call D-Lo worst wrestler of the week because he got released? If I’m not mistaking you were saying the situation itself was bad which would mean maybe you should just call this column “Worst of the Week”. Same for the Divas Division and the Sarah Palin storyline – unless you are saying that all the SD! Divas and Daffney are the worst wrestlers of the week. It’s not Daffney’s fault she has to play this character. She’s actually doing well with what they’re making her do. So again, I think this column should be called “Worst of the Week.”

I completely agree with you and it was a bit of a cheat on my part. Those two situations you mention represented to me bad aspects of the business and I felt the need to comment on it. But, you’re right, that’s not the spirit of this column.

That is not to say that I won’t do it again in the future if I think it’s worth mentioning. But I will find a better way to do it. There may be a “Worst of the Week” award to go with the “Worst Wrestler” down the line. This is an evolutionary work and hopefully I continue learning from such mistakes as these to deliver a more refined product. Thank you for reading though, and I hope you continue to do so!

Now let’s kick it off with a few thoughts I’ve had this past week;

JP’s Spotlight– WWE Studios:

This week I wanted to focus on something more related to the business aspect of professional wrestling. On that front, the most interesting piece of news was that a trailer for the next WWE Studios film 12 Rounds was released on the Internet;

After looking at the trailer, my first reaction was, ‘Well, that looked average.’ But then I remember that I had a similar feeling before when I saw another trailer for another WWE film, The Marine. At that point, I realized something;

I’m an idiot.

Considering the core business of the WWE is professional wrestling, it’s easy to look at its latest subsidiary and think of it as a joke. After all, anyone can name off the top of their head the failures Vince McMahon has had in integrating his company. But this is not the XFL. This is not their restaurant in New York City. It’s not even close to the World Bodybuilding Federation (thank God). This is a completely different business plan that, so far, has been successful.

So far, all three of WWE Studios’ feature films have broken the Top 10 chart on their release. Two of the three films, See No Evil and The Marine have turned a profit. All of the films were either number one or two in rentals and sales when they were released on DVD. Last year The Marine was featured on HBO and The Condemned was aired on USA Network.

And on a personal note, reactions from those close to me to WWE Studios films have been almost the same, ‘It was better than I thought it was’. These are people who, overall, do not watch professional wrestling yet they not only seen these movies, some of them have actually bought them. That’s money going to the WWE that otherwise wouldn’t be there.

Also, think about this. Let’s say hypothetically that Kurt Angle is negotiating with the WWE. Even if he decides up front not to go back to the ring, the WWE can offer him a deal to be in one or two movies for X amount of dollars. That would keep Kurt Angle from the competition and make him apart of the WWE brand.

My final point on this matter is the new business direction WWE Studios is planning to take. WWE Studios isn’t just going to be about theatrical movies anymore. It will include straight-to-DVD like the recent Mr. Kennedy film, reality television, and television movies. This is a huge area that could be filled with thousands of hours of content that wouldn’t be restricted to the current distributors of WWE Television.

With all of this potential, it is foolish for anyone to simply push this division aside.

Now we come back to 12 Rounds. As I said at the beginning, originally I was quick to turn it down. But, after seeing it again I’ve decided to without my judgment until after I’ve seen it. I think others are slowly learning to do the same as well, and are more willing to give a movie funded by a wrestling company a chance. That’s all I pushing for today: a fair chance for WWE Studios from the rest of us.

And, by the way, if nothing else there’s at least ONE good reason to see 12 Rounds ;

Actually, now I just want to find Cena and knock him out.

Now, let’s see who makes the list this week! It was a quiet week, but there were still some note-worthy names.

5. Randy Orton (WWE): Recently it hit the news wires that Randy Orton had gotten into a confrontation with a fan. Noted
here, while no one is sure how it all started it ended with Orton attacking the fan verbally and slamming the barricade into the fan’s legs.

As someone who’s had to deal with rage issues in the past, I understand how easy it is to fall into bad habits. It’s not something you can easily push aside. But, at this point in his career, it’s a problem he’s has no choice but to control. If he can’t, then it becomes Vince McMahon’s problem…and, if you’re reading this and haven’t figured it out yet Randy, that’s bad. I like Randy Orton as a wrestler and I strongly believe we haven’t even seen half of his best yet. So, here’s hoping Randy gets his head together before he finds himself in a hole he can’t get out of.

4. Taylor Wilde (TNA): I’ll keep this short and sweet. Cut to the footage.

Around 3:42, Taylor decides to take a shot across the bow and attacks the WWE’s Divas. Maybe she didn’t mean it as a shot, as always I reserve the right to be wrong. But this is TNA we’re talking about.

There’s an old adage that goes perfectly here that says, ‘don’t throw stones from a glass house’. Since Gail Kim’s departure the entire TNA Knockouts division has been swinging wildly without focus, leaning heavily on the skills and presence of Awesome Kong. Taylor Wilde’s reign as champion had its moments, but was ultimately a temporary fix and very far from the solution TNA needs. While both women’s divisions in WWE have their weaknesses (with the Diva’s division already mentioned in this column once), their position is much stronger than the Knockouts right now.

To take the metaphor even further isn’t it strange that the anti-Diva rant came from a long-haired, well-endowed blonde that could probably fit into the WWE with no problem?

Not that I’m upset. I’m just saying.

This is to say nothing of Wilde’s skills in the ring. She has shown herself to be a competent wrestler. It’s just that it made little sense for her to say what she did last week. I’m sure someone may have pitched the idea to her, but creative teams aren’t puppet masters. In the end Taylor Wilde made the choice to shoot her mouth off and in the end, Taylor Wilde looks foolish for doing so.

3. The Kong-Tourage (TNA): As noted before, in these sorts of situations I will be careful not to just clump everything together. But, this is something I have to speak on, because the Kong-Tourage makes no sense as a fan. The whole point of the Awesome Kong character is that she’s an unstoppable beast who doesn’t need any help destroying anyone. Adding Raisha, I was alright with since Kong talking only takes away from her mystique. (Unless she pulled an Umaga, which some might find offensive.)

But Sojourner Bolt and Rhaka Khan add nothing at all. Combined, their wrestling talent is about at the level of…the best I can compare it too is Kelly Kelly. And their continued lackluster performance in the ring, only bring down the image of Awesome Kong. No long rants here, because There is absolutely nothing gained from having this stable in existence.

The creative force behind TNA heard the pleas from this forum and others last week when they mercifully ended the ‘Sarah Palin’ angle. So, the 3W is going to try to start something that will hopefully begin to gain some traction: let Kong kill these two bitches and move on! For all of our sakes!

2. Scott Steiner (TNA): I was sorely tempted to make this number one, but something else happened to take away from that.

Now, What more can you say about the genetic freak? Scott Steiner is well beyond his prime in the ring, but his current role as the MEM’s hit man works. I understand the bigger picture behind putting Steiner in a match, since the overall story was the return of Petey Williams. However, the entire execution was sloppy and the bulk of it was on Steiner.

Of course there was the well noted incident earlier in the evening, when Steiner nearly snapped Hernandez’s neck attempting a suplex her could barely do. Of course, during the match he tried to do another suplex and this time nearly crippled A.J. Styles.

Good going Scott.

And that botched suplex was the highlight of the main event. The entire match was difficult to watch, going from the almost snail-slow pace, to the obviously fake pipe shots, Scott Steiner made this match drag on and on until I got up and changed the channel (I had lost my remote) only to find out later about Petey’s return.

It’s frustrating for me, as someone who wants to support TNA’s push to be the solid rival for WWE, to get be behind them when they do stuff like this. Scot Steiner had no business being in the main event, at least not one-on-one. It nearly ruined Petey’s return and was the death nail in a lower-than-average show.

Keep Scott out of the ring! End of discussion!

And now, your Worst Wrestler of the Week!

1. Hulk Hogan: I may be one of the few wrestling fans with respect for Hulk Hogan, but his recent appearance on his friend Bubba the Love Sponge radio program may have kicked that opinion in the ass. If you haven’t heard, during an interview with Smackdown broadcaster Jim Ross Hogan told listeners that he would “have no problem” putting Steve Austin over cleanly in a WrestleMania XXV match.

My problem this is that it I feel it shows total disrespect to Steve Austin. The man has done just as much, if not more, for the wrestling industry as Hulk Hogan himself. When he couldn’t do what he loved anymore, Austin graciously stepped out of the spotlight to pursue other interests. The man has nothing left to prove.

Now we learn that Austin is going to be inducted in the WWE’s Hall of Fame, and here comes Hulk Hogan. Coming off some pretty hard times and a lackluster reality show that even Vince McMahon’s vitriol couldn’t save, Hogan has interjected himself in Austin’s moment and a move that, at best, sounds conceded. “You need a big match to go out on Steve Austin, so I’m here to help you. I’ll put you over at Wrestlemania. Now let’s make some history together!”

Uh huh.

I’m not sure what Hogan’s motivations where behind this. Maybe he thinks he can get some traction. Maybe he’s looking for a pay day. Personally, I have no interest in seeing Hogan vs. Austin since both are well past their prime. I’m not sure how others feel, but I think Austin is agreeing with me. Hulk Hogan, obviously, still has a long way to go. That is a shame for me, as a fan, who respects Hogan for what he did for the industry. Hogan is tapping into a well that is dangerously low and about to run dry. Hopefully it’ll click before he decides to call into another radio show.

So, just for you BROTHER! Hulk Hogan is your Worst Wrestler of the Week!

JP Replies

Just want to say a quick thanks to all of the readers who made my debut on this site a success!

From icon zeke;

This is the worst article I’ve seen in YEARS on 411. It’s like an edited, sexist, version of a lot of TNA fans comment boards. The writer is berrying whomever and plans to do it on a regular basis. We’ve already got Triple H for that.

D-lo has a serious injury, Harris is the easiest target going, and the other picks make me think you have some female-anger issues. Just like you think KK is ‘ugly’.

Prove me wrong with your next column.

icon zeke, your comments gave me a very good laugh for a couple of days so thank you for that. Of course, nearly everything you said is a figment of your own imagination. I never called anyone ugly, especially not this “KK” you speak of. D’Lo Brown does not have a serious injury, in fact he’s back on the independent circuit now. And I don’t have female-anger issues, unless I’m sitting in a movie theater and I’m near some girl who is trying to text during the film.

Of course you was right about Harris. He was an easy target, but only because he made himself one by souding foolish. Now take a deep breath, relax, and read the entire column next time.

From Karlos

“But, take away the Guns and what’s left of the tag teams?”
You forgot Team 3D and (ostensibly) The Rock ‘n Rave Infection.

You are correct Karlos. I did forget about 3D and RnR. Rock ‘n Rave have broken up and 3D seems more interested in doing singles matches right now, at least in TNA. Maybe in the future 3D will be a threat in TNA’s Tag Team division, but that time is not right now. But thank you for calling me out on that and I hope you continue to read the 3W!

From Sean O.

First of all.. I don’t read spoilers but I totally don’t understand how can one person make the assumption that MCMG are going to feud and break up just based off their match.

Yeah Shelley played the possum card on his friend Sabin and picked up the title by sheninghans, but if you actually watched closely to Sabin’s facial expression after the match. He was somewhat smiling and giving the look towards Shelley like “I can’t believe you fooled me but good job.”

Honestly I believe splitting them up would be bad idea because. They work so great off each other be it in the ring or out of ring cutting promos.

I agree with you 100% that breaking up the Guns would be a bad idea tag team wise. But, in order to understand why I and others are seeing a break-up in the near future is because that’s what’s best for the X Division. Everything that makes Shelley and Sabin great as a tag team would only water down whatever feud they could have over the X Division Title. I’m not saying it’s impossible for them to stay a team AND feud, I’m just saying it would have the energy TNA needs to get the division on its feet again. And make no mistake Sean, that is what TNA is trying to do.

On the plus side, even if the Guns break up it won’t be too much lost. TNA had a golden opportunity to put the titles on the Guns last year and passed it up. And with the division the way it is right now, it may be in the best interest of Sabin and Shelley to let the MCMG rest for a while. It would sucks, but maybe there’s a silver lining the clouds. Just something for you to think about. Thank you for your comments!

From Big Money B.G.;

Really well-done article, JP. I’m disgusted with WWE’s mistreatment of D’Lo Brown(somehow they treated him even worse than the last time he was there), and Harris’ whining is pathetic. Monty Brown made the best of his Marcus Cor Von name-change, and probably would have been ECW Champ by now had he not been forced to leave WWE due to personal issues. Harris trying to lump ALL of the former TNA wrestlers into his bitch-fest does a disservice to the work the others have done, and hopefully this means he’s black-balled from any major promotion in the U.S. Hundreds of talented wrestlers would have killed for the opportunity Chris Harris received, and thankfully, his leaving TNA only helped James Storm, the REAL star of AMW.

Sorry ’bout your damn luck, Braden…

Thank you for your comments BG and hopefully you’ll continue reading the 3W! Of course I agree with you about D’Lo Brown but not on Monty Brown. I think you’re thinking too small. Considering everything he brought to the ring and how much he pushed up his game when he was in the WWE, I think had it not been for his personal issue we would be talking about Marcus Cor Von-WWE or World Champion. Unfortunately, that’s all armchair booking but Monty is definitely the rule, not the exception, of those who have the opportunity to work in the “big leauges” and make the most out of it. Excellent observation and again, I hope you continue reading.

You got questions, comments, or just want to bite my head off? Leave a comment and I could answer it right here! Until next week, JP is DONE SON!