Posted in: Fact or Fiction June F or F (Morrison's Potential, Breaking Point, Edge & More!)
By SkittleZ
Jun 14, 2009 - 1:28:10 AM
Welcome one and all to the June edition of Fact or Fiction! Please try to contain yourselves while I go through the usual ramblings. Two current Main Pagers and three rising columnists take the grand stage here today for some dirty talk. These five individuals will answer a set of statements either 'FACT' or 'FICTION' unless they'd like to be brutally raped for insubordination. Any objections? None? Glad we could come to an understanding.
Now lets bring them out here in order of seniority...
FACT or FICTION: Mr. Kennedy's bound to fail with any wrestling promotion because he's an injury prone bastard.
(XanMan) You know what? I have absolutely no idea whether Kennedy is a bastard or not, and it's none of my business. What I do know is that he's a helluva nice guy. I talked to him for a few minutes in Houston, and when some fans shouted "Mr....INJURY!" he laughed his ass off, so I would really like this to be FICTION, and I think it is.
I think he made a good point before about having his injuries at the wrong time, and I see nothing to discount that. If he fails with another promotion, it'll be due to his sloppiness, not his injuries.
(Doc Monk) I got to go with FICTION on this one. Yes, Kennedy is unfortunately a very injury prone individual there is no disputing that. However the two most viable options for him (being ROH and TNA) both would offer a reduced schedule that possibly would be to his bodies' benefit. On the other hand, even if he continues to have injury problems I could see him in an announcing capacity in the future. That being said, I see Kennedy being an active member of a wrestling organization for some time to come, in some shape or form.
(JohnnyBoomerang) I’m gonna have to go with FACT for this one. Let’s face it, Kennedy was fairly talented in the ring, was competent on the mic and had a presence about him, so if he’s going to fail in a promotion, it’s going to be due to his injury-prone body, not his technical ability. I mean, Kennedy would get injured eating soup, it’s just not meant to be. Sorry Ken.
(Leonard) This issue seems to be dividing the IWC at the moment. Let me set this up by saying that, while I never really cared for Kennedy, I never really minded him either—more of a tolerance, I suppose. He’s decent on the mic, and he does well enough in the ring. This doesn’t change the fact that he is prone to injury, though it may be the grueling schedule of the WWE. Maybe some time down in Orlando (or overseas) will help him hone his skills without crumbling to pieces every few months. He could easily be a top contender for TNA’s World Championship if he can break through the glass ceiling there (and yes, there is one). I think he’ll do just fine at TNA, and he’ll be back in the WWE before too long. Indeed, this one is FICTION.
(MyLee Cyrus) I'm going to say FICTION for this one. Kennedy may be injury prone so far, but that doesn't mean he's definitely going to get injured again. I mean, everyone thought he'd devastated his wrist in his return match on Raw, but he was absolutely fine. Also, who's to say that "success" does not necessarily mean as a wrestler; I would be more than happy with Kennedy suddenly coming back as General Manager of some sort, wrestling sporadically but getting loads of mic time. He'd be absolutely perfect for this role; but then, so was Mick Foley, and the bastards let him go! Still... don't give up on the boy Kennedy just yet.
FACT or FICTION: Edge's next World Heavyweight Championship reign will last longer than the previous nine combined.
(Doc Monk) I'd love to say fact on this one, really would. However, in my opinion Edge should still be World champion right now. So I got to say FICTION. It just seems that WWE is so dead set on making Edge "the ultimate opportunist" that it's become more about him pursuing the title than actually holding it. At the rate he's going he might actually catch Flair before HHH does.
(JohnnyBoomerang) What‘s that? Smells like FICTION to me. Oh Edge, how I love thee so, but still, let’s not fool ourselves here. Edge doesn’t really do long title reigns. Having said that, not all of his have been shockingly short. He’s had one or two slightly longer reigns, and to think that after this he‘d just cruise into a reign lasting over 434 days (or well over a year), well that’s just poppycock, isn’t it? Especially with the WWE in its schizophrenic mindset at the moment, we’d be lucky to get any champions staying that way for six months, let alone a year!
(Leonard) As I’m sure my fellow panelists did, I did some quick Wikipedia visiting to get some information on Edge’s previous reigns. I found that his next World Heavyweight Championship reign would need to last well past the four hundred day mark, which is practically unheard of nowadays for world championship reigns (unless you count Ring of Honor). John Cena was very close back in 2007 before he tore his pectoral muscle, but that’s only because he’s a cash cow. I honestly don’t see the company having that much faith in Edge. That’s not me taking a shot at him either, because I enjoy Edge’s work.
I call FICTION on this puppy not because I don’t think Edge is capable of achieving this feat (he is probably more so than any other wrestler on the roster), but because of the track record that Vince and Company have with championship reigns lately. I hope I’m wrong here, and that management finally decides to stand behind someone, but I doubt we’ll see it happen anytime soon.
(MyLee Cyrus) Edge has amassed a total of 434 days as either the WWE or World heavyweight champion over his previous nine reigns. Nobody has held the title for that long since Hulk Hogan in 1984. A rudimentary knowledge of mathematics shows that we can safely dismiss this as FICTION.
(XanMan) Oh my God, Skitz, get off it, already. Edge is pretty good in the ring, and he's gotten a lot better on the mic in the last year or so, but he's not golden anywhere, and his character is the picture perfect definition of a transitional champion. That's all he is and all he ever will be...and a 10th title reign is at least 8 more than he deserves. Oh...FICTION.
FACT or FICTION: John Morrison will be a multi-time World Champion in WWE by the time WrestleMania 30 rolls around.
(JohnnyBoomerang) Okay, think about this: Morrison has already held the ECW championship once. Say what you will about the prestige or value of the ECW title, but it’s still the top tier belt on its brand (the fact that it’s the only title is completely irrelevant, and potentially detrimental to my argument!). From this logic, Mr Morrison needs only have one reign in the next five years. And we all know how the WWE loves to give promising people ‘trial runs’. I think the chances are very high that we’ll see him as a champion before Wrestlemania Thirty, possibly even through the use of a Money In The Bank contract! Remember kids, you heard it here first. FACT.
(Leonard) I much preferred John Morrison, the cocky heel. Having said that, I think that Morrison will break through and be part of the main event scene by this time in 2010. There is no doubt in my mind that he can get to the top of the mountain at least once. Whether or not he can maintain a high spot on the card up to WrestleMania 30 will remain to be seen, but I feel like he’s got a pretty good shot. I will say FACT, with the hope that he goes back to his heelish ways somewhere in that time frame.
(MyLee Cyrus) John Morrison will be a multi-time World Champion in WWE by the time WrestleMania 30 rolls around.
Yes, yes, yes! Fact, Fact, 1000 times FACT! Morrison is on the rise like Johnny's boomerang when he sees Candice Michelle, and shows no signs of slowing down. Morrison has won his first 8 Smackdown matches, the writing team are clearly behind him and there's an emphasis on building up new stars. Add this to his incredible in-ring ability and ever-growing charisma and mic skill, and we can safely say that the futures bright; the futures Morrison. He will either be a multi-time champion or have had at least 100 days as the champ by the time we get to WM30. Wellness test aside, I'll eat my hat if he hasn't main eventer one by then either.
(XanMan) So we're talking five years from now, huh? Or, just a little under. Will John Cena be a multi-time World Champion by the next time the WWE holds Mania at Madison Square Garden? To be a multi-time champion, he's only got to hold it twice, right? If you count his ECW reign, that means he only has to hold it once more in the next five years; if you don't, that means...wait for it...twice.
The dude's star is on the rise and he should stay on the Friday show where there's little reason why he shouldn't. I mean if Edge can win a title there 7 times in just under two years, why can't Morrison get it multiple times by the year 2014? Sure seems like a FACT to me.
(Doc Monk)FACT. Barring any severe injury or absurd disciplinary action there is no way this doesn't come true. When I think of the true future of the WWE, John Morrison is the first guy that comes to mind. Hard to think of a better all around athlete than Morrison at the moment and he could very well be the blueprint for the future look of the company. He is clearly one of the guys leading the charge for the new smaller, more "natural" looking wrestlers and should by all means be champion far before WM 30 hits.
FACT or FICTION: WWE should stick with Unforgiven and the Championship Scramble matches instead of changing the event to an all-submission pay per view.
(Leonard)FACT. When I first heard of rumblings of an all-submission Pay-Per-View, I was kind of excited. Having thought more about it, this will more than likely be a snooze-fest for all of the fans in attendance. Three hours of submission wrestling? Sounds like overkill to me—this isn’t Mixed Martial Arts, no matter how many people want it to be. Plus, the wrestlers who are not comfortable in this style would have to heavily adapt, and most would probably fail in the process. Having said that, this is the kind of idea that would be better tested on a one hour show, such as ECW or Superstars. Give us an hour of submission wrestling, see how it works, then talk about a whole PPV’s worth of it.
Because it is still fresh in my mind, the 1998 abysmal failure “Brawl For All” comes to mind. When Vince and Company thought this was a good idea, they didn’t just throw it on a Pay-Per-View event for three hours. What if they did? Imagine the shift in ratings over to WCW! I don’t see the difference here. Overload us on some submission style stuff on free television first, to see if it works or bombs in a “Brawl For All” type of way. Is there any harm in trying it out? Absolutely not—the WWE’s biggest criticism right now is staying “comfortable” and not trying different things. But to do it on a PPV is foolish and a poor investment. Bring back the kayfabe-Adamle Original known as the Championship Scramble, and leave it at that.
(MyLee Cyrus)FACT. An all-submission pay per view is going to be absolutely dog awful, whilst the championship scramble match allowed me to dream that The Brian Kendrick was going to win the big one against all the odds. The scramble match is unpredictable, exciting and allows midcard players to have a go at stepping up their game, whilst seeing a midcard player submit will set him back a few years; and I can only speculate as to how awful a Divas submission match would be. Beth, Mickie, Melina and Maryse are the only ones with the potential to make it watchable. Breaking Point is going to be horrible, and I desperately hope that its available for free in the UK, as I don't think I can justify spending money on that unless the card looks incredible.
(XanMan)FACT. First of all, I doubt that "Breaking Point" will be all-submission, but I certainly think there are other events they could have messed with. Look at the October one, for goodness' sake. It's name even implies a submission hold that someone just won't break, doesn't it? The Championship Scramble matches were fun and different and were a big cog in this era of unpredictability we're in right now. It should stick around.
(Doc Monk)FACT. First off, let me explain myself here. In no way shape or form do I like the Scramble matches, I've always felt it cheapens the World title to have it change hands multiple times within a single match. Not to mention the fast pace that all the falls take place in. On the other hand, I love a good submission match. Problem I have with an all submission pay-per-view though, is that a big part of the roster I don't envision as being submission wrestlers. Therefore I get the strong feeling that some of the outcomes are going to seem a bit awkward and forced, making the scramble matches win by default. Fuck it though, they should just reboot the event in general.
(JohnnyBoomerang) John Cena vs. The Big Show, Extreme Rules. Was the match awful? Not by any means. Was it thrilling? Err…no. You see, the thing about submission matches is not everyone can do them. John Cena is far better off being used in a different match, one in which he can utilise his specific skills, as opposed to putting forth a forgettable, inglorious match. The problem is, of course, that there’s a lot of superstars the WWE consider their ‘main’ talent, and they like to use all of these superstars on each pay-per-view, even if a proportion of these talent aren’t suited to the stipulations. It‘s a hefty FACT for me. It just seems that the scramble matches are suited to anybody, whereas a submission match between Batista and The Big Show? Painful.
FACT or FICTION: Creating a fourth weekly show (Superstars) was a foolish investment on WWE's part.
(MyLee Cyrus)FICTION. Superstars doesn't cost them much (if any) more money, as they tape it during Raw and Smackdown. It doesn't cost them big match-ups, as they can mix and match the brands. It allows more time for people who would otherwise be lost in the shuffle like Burchill and Ryder. It brings in more revenue from advertising, and gives them presence on another network. Sure, if they ever decide to turn Superstars into an individual brand, I'll be slating them from now until, oh, I don't know, forever, but as it is, Superstars is a good source of income and exposure, without having any real negatives. I say "bravo, Vince, now get off your arse and bring back Sunday night Heat!".
(XanMan) Actually, it would have been foolish for the WWE to not take an opportunity to create a fourth weekly show. I have actually watched Superstars more than RAW lately, and way more than ECW, because it does tend to have more matches that I care to see, but also because of the variety of it. I wish they'd keep the leprechaun and the gold dumbass off of there, but I think it gives all the brands national exposure, and it certainly gives the WWE a spot to move Smackdown to if My Network folds. So, I guess FICTION wins 3-2.
(Doc Monk)FICTION. I don't how it's harmed the company at all. The taping schedule allows them to tape the matches during the tapings of their other shows so there is no extra spending going on there. In addition, it gives their programming even more exposure on yet another network. Take someone in my situation for instance, I don't get the channel that Smackdown comes on so seeing Superstars is really my only exposure to the blue brand. On top of that, the show has actually been pretty good on a weekly basis and actually focuses the bulk of it's time on wrestling, something that is missing from their shows at times. So I can't really see a single reason for thinking the show's existence is a bad move.
(JohnnyBoomerang) Well, I don’t know. You say ‘investment’ and I think financially, but of course I’d need to know if the WWE were actually losing money with the show before I answered that. And even if they were, this is still its debut year, the results aren’t necessarily accurate or stable yet! Assuming you mean from a fans’ perspective, then I would have to say FICTION. Superstars has treated us to some excellent matches (Jericho vs. Morrison), and even enhanced some storylines (Jeff and Edge on The Cutting Edge) without trying to establish itself as a ‘brand’. It’s doing just fine and dandy, actually, so leave it alone!
(Leonard) There are two ways to look at this. From a wrestling enthusiast’s point of view, I like when they cut the crap and get to the wrestling. Nearly every week since the show’s debut, Superstars has managed to bring viewers quality wrestling matches. The match between Chris Jericho and John Morrison comes to mind immediately, as their bout has folks itching for a program between the two. Due to the emphasis on in-ring action, we get to see some RAW superstars in quality matches, when we only see them in very short matches on their home show (obviously there are exceptions).
On the flip side, a case could be made for oversaturation of the current product. Truthfully, if I have a busy week, wrestling is the first thing that gets cut out of my viewing schedule (usually RAW gets the cut, but I’d imagine many would make it Superstars or ECW). Also, matches will become less original, because there is now a greater likelihood that we’ve already seen it done (with six hours of original programming to fill, this isn’t an impossible thought). And finally, I sense that the power-that-be will eventually use this show for a ton of cross-brand promotion, which will further blur the lines of the brand extension. However, if WWE can keep Superstars the way it is, then the positive in-ring action outweighs the negatives. This is FICTION.
And that does it for the latest edition of F or F, people. Hopefully, this dribble didn't reduce you to tears or suicide. What you read here was simply a tiny sample of what this group is capable of. If you'd like a bit more variety, march your ass over to the LOP's Columns Forum and read until you puke. I honestly don't give a flying fuck. Just trying to sound noble or some shit. If you've got any comments on the panels' responses, hit up any member of the group at the email addresses listed below. We'll be back in the middle of next month. Catch you later, homies.
