Post by greeby on Aug 4, 2008 13:41:31 GMT -5
www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/wrestling/heyman/article1511141.ece
I AM writing this blog after getting home to New York from a trip to California.
And in case you heard about the earthquake in Los Angeles, permit me to digress before we even get started!
I was in the California earthquake this past Tuesday morning - and I missed the whole damn thing!
I am so p***ed.
I was in my rental car, and unless it's a "big one", you don't feel it in your vehicle.
I've been in tornados, hurricanes, blizzards, hailstorms, winter in Minnesota and a plane landing on a frozen runway in Siberia.
But I've never been in an earthquake before. Missed a few of them, never had the experience.
So, when I turned from Wilshire Boulevard on to El Camino Drive and noticed people running out of both sides of William Morris Plaza, all I could think of is: "Wow. they're tight on their lunch hour around here, aren't they?"
It looked like a typical noon-time rush in New York City but LA is a little more mellow.
As I got out of my car, people were rushing over saying "are you OK?" and I had no idea why.
I kept thinking "do I look that bad?" I couldn't figure out why everyone was so concerned. Was I pale? Did I look jet-lagged? What was it?
It wasn't until I walked into the office that I found out there had been an earthquake. And here I was, right in the middle of it, and I missed the whole thing. Sometimes, even when you win, you lose!
OK, sorry for the digression.
Let's get back to what I really wanted to write about.
WWE imposed its own earthquake on the wrestling landscape when it shook everything to its very foundation with the draft.
And the aftershocks of the draft have been nothing short of a gross disappointment.
When it was implemented and the changes started taking effect, there was a buzz surrounding WWE programming.
CM Punk defeats Edge for the World title? HHH is headed to Smackdown? Jericho is stepping into the lead heel position on Raw, while Rey Mysterio, Batista, and even Kofi Kingston promise to change the Raw landscape?
Smackdown gets "The Game," Good Ol' JR, and Jeff Hardy. ECW gets a focus with Mark Henry as its dominant champion. Hey, things are looking mighty "new and fresh" on WWE television.
And now, as Rob Van Dam would say, here comes the buzz kill.
One month later, and the excitement is just not there in the programming. WWE killed the increase in interest with the manner in which they screwed up their own momentum.
CM Punk is being treated as champion the same was Rey Mysterio was. He's painted as an unworthy champion. He's not "the man". He's just the title holder during a transitional period.
Now, there's nothing wrong with that but the idea was giving someone "new" the opportunity to sink or swim at a top level. That's interesting to watch.
To its enormous credit, WWE has made global celebrities of John Cena, HHH, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Batista. Joining that top tier is Edge, Randy Orton, and either MVP or Ken Kennedy, if he can get out from underneath his latest lack of faith from those who make talent assessments.
So watching, for example, Cryme Time step up and get the chance to run with Cena or DiBiase/Rhodes being the young punks who are taking over is exciting to the average fan.
It brings in more fans, because you've squeezed the juice from the current crop, and need new berries for the cash vine.
Watching Punk only get to bide his time as champion? Not exciting. Oh yeah, Rey's on Raw, too. Thought I'd remind you of that, because WWE sure hasn't made a big deal about it, have they?
Hey, what about the straw that stirs the Smackdown drink, Edge?
Blah.
In my opinion, Edge is WWE's best performer (as discussed in a prior blog) and the storyline reason for Undertaker's return makes sense, but the breakup of Edge and Vickie has taken away an act that people truly enjoyed to hate.
Edge and Vickie Guerrero were magic together, every bit as compelling and contemptible as the Edge/Lita pairing.
Much different in so many ways, but equally as riveting, thanks in major part to the remarkable heel performances by both Edge and Vickie. These two clicked. It worked. They got "over."
They were despised, reviled, thought of with vengeful wishes of bloody revenge. And people loved feeling that way for the heels who would surely suffer their ultimate "wrestlefate."
Splitting Edge and Vickie has taken a big buzz away. While The Undertaker v Edge in a Hell in a Cell Match at Summer Slam is a huge attraction, and will probably be one of the greatest HIAC matches ever, the excitement surrounding wrestling is nowhere near the level it was a month or so ago.
So, what's the upshot?
Well, the TV shows have been marginal at best. I'm sure Vince has a grand plan with Mike Adamle, but to the general audience he just plain sucks as a participant on WWE programming. Sometimes, bad is just bad.
The Jericho performances have been stellar and Jericho v HBK will do serious business because the heat is being set just right.
Plus, Cade is there to absorb some of Shawn's initial fire, to keep even more heat on Jericho.
With the exception of HBK v Jericho, WWE's television offerings could and should be a lot better.
Adamle, as discussed, sucks.
HHH settled into Smackdown way too quickly. His first two months should have been as the outsider making his way onto a show he must now dominate as champion, and the feeling out process with EVERYONE, both babyface and heel.
The announcers even feel held back and not inspired by the action, which is not their fault, since presumably someone is yelling at them through their headsets to perform a certain way.
The "new talent" should be getting a continued focus on their roll and not just their role.
I predict that if SummerSlam as an event lives up to even half its potential, WWE could find itself with the opportunity to really capitalize on some momentum again.
It's a stacked card, with a lot of payoffs and storyline-twists that could boost WWE going forward.
If not, screw it. Maybe it's time to just watch TNA.
Ahem.
OK, so things aren't nearly THAT bad.
I AM writing this blog after getting home to New York from a trip to California.
And in case you heard about the earthquake in Los Angeles, permit me to digress before we even get started!
I was in the California earthquake this past Tuesday morning - and I missed the whole damn thing!
I am so p***ed.
I was in my rental car, and unless it's a "big one", you don't feel it in your vehicle.
I've been in tornados, hurricanes, blizzards, hailstorms, winter in Minnesota and a plane landing on a frozen runway in Siberia.
But I've never been in an earthquake before. Missed a few of them, never had the experience.
So, when I turned from Wilshire Boulevard on to El Camino Drive and noticed people running out of both sides of William Morris Plaza, all I could think of is: "Wow. they're tight on their lunch hour around here, aren't they?"
It looked like a typical noon-time rush in New York City but LA is a little more mellow.
As I got out of my car, people were rushing over saying "are you OK?" and I had no idea why.
I kept thinking "do I look that bad?" I couldn't figure out why everyone was so concerned. Was I pale? Did I look jet-lagged? What was it?
It wasn't until I walked into the office that I found out there had been an earthquake. And here I was, right in the middle of it, and I missed the whole thing. Sometimes, even when you win, you lose!
OK, sorry for the digression.
Let's get back to what I really wanted to write about.
WWE imposed its own earthquake on the wrestling landscape when it shook everything to its very foundation with the draft.
And the aftershocks of the draft have been nothing short of a gross disappointment.
When it was implemented and the changes started taking effect, there was a buzz surrounding WWE programming.
CM Punk defeats Edge for the World title? HHH is headed to Smackdown? Jericho is stepping into the lead heel position on Raw, while Rey Mysterio, Batista, and even Kofi Kingston promise to change the Raw landscape?
Smackdown gets "The Game," Good Ol' JR, and Jeff Hardy. ECW gets a focus with Mark Henry as its dominant champion. Hey, things are looking mighty "new and fresh" on WWE television.
And now, as Rob Van Dam would say, here comes the buzz kill.
One month later, and the excitement is just not there in the programming. WWE killed the increase in interest with the manner in which they screwed up their own momentum.
CM Punk is being treated as champion the same was Rey Mysterio was. He's painted as an unworthy champion. He's not "the man". He's just the title holder during a transitional period.
Now, there's nothing wrong with that but the idea was giving someone "new" the opportunity to sink or swim at a top level. That's interesting to watch.
To its enormous credit, WWE has made global celebrities of John Cena, HHH, Undertaker, Shawn Michaels and Batista. Joining that top tier is Edge, Randy Orton, and either MVP or Ken Kennedy, if he can get out from underneath his latest lack of faith from those who make talent assessments.
So watching, for example, Cryme Time step up and get the chance to run with Cena or DiBiase/Rhodes being the young punks who are taking over is exciting to the average fan.
It brings in more fans, because you've squeezed the juice from the current crop, and need new berries for the cash vine.
Watching Punk only get to bide his time as champion? Not exciting. Oh yeah, Rey's on Raw, too. Thought I'd remind you of that, because WWE sure hasn't made a big deal about it, have they?
Hey, what about the straw that stirs the Smackdown drink, Edge?
Blah.
In my opinion, Edge is WWE's best performer (as discussed in a prior blog) and the storyline reason for Undertaker's return makes sense, but the breakup of Edge and Vickie has taken away an act that people truly enjoyed to hate.
Edge and Vickie Guerrero were magic together, every bit as compelling and contemptible as the Edge/Lita pairing.
Much different in so many ways, but equally as riveting, thanks in major part to the remarkable heel performances by both Edge and Vickie. These two clicked. It worked. They got "over."
They were despised, reviled, thought of with vengeful wishes of bloody revenge. And people loved feeling that way for the heels who would surely suffer their ultimate "wrestlefate."
Splitting Edge and Vickie has taken a big buzz away. While The Undertaker v Edge in a Hell in a Cell Match at Summer Slam is a huge attraction, and will probably be one of the greatest HIAC matches ever, the excitement surrounding wrestling is nowhere near the level it was a month or so ago.
So, what's the upshot?
Well, the TV shows have been marginal at best. I'm sure Vince has a grand plan with Mike Adamle, but to the general audience he just plain sucks as a participant on WWE programming. Sometimes, bad is just bad.
The Jericho performances have been stellar and Jericho v HBK will do serious business because the heat is being set just right.
Plus, Cade is there to absorb some of Shawn's initial fire, to keep even more heat on Jericho.
With the exception of HBK v Jericho, WWE's television offerings could and should be a lot better.
Adamle, as discussed, sucks.
HHH settled into Smackdown way too quickly. His first two months should have been as the outsider making his way onto a show he must now dominate as champion, and the feeling out process with EVERYONE, both babyface and heel.
The announcers even feel held back and not inspired by the action, which is not their fault, since presumably someone is yelling at them through their headsets to perform a certain way.
The "new talent" should be getting a continued focus on their roll and not just their role.
I predict that if SummerSlam as an event lives up to even half its potential, WWE could find itself with the opportunity to really capitalize on some momentum again.
It's a stacked card, with a lot of payoffs and storyline-twists that could boost WWE going forward.
If not, screw it. Maybe it's time to just watch TNA.
Ahem.
OK, so things aren't nearly THAT bad.
*sigh* I hate having to give The Scum airplay in order to read what Paul E has to say
