Posted in: The Northern Star Excuse The Aggravation: Episode 96
By XanMan
Sep 30, 2009 - 3:54:05 PM
Excuse The Aggravation, but I'm XanMan. BK, X-Men Origins: Wolverine comes out this week; I'm assuming the Redbox will be calling your name.
Yes it will, good sir. Those things are genius. Between that and Gamefly, Blockbuster is going down.
Not on me. I don't swing that way.
Well at least that will prove to all naysayers that I didn't sleep my way into this gig.
Ro...Ro...Ro...It's Magic!
With
XanMan and BeyondKnight
Hello boys and girls, and welcome to ETA. Today, we discuss Angelina Love, Batista hate, and our love/hate relationship with Duane Johnson.
We start with Breaking Point. I'm not sure that we want to go as in depth here as we did with SummerSlam, but I'd have to say that in its own way, I thought it held it's own against the "Biggest Party of the Summer." One was more entertainment, one was more solid wrestling, but both were outstanding events. After the events of this card, I'd love to see the WWE Title defended in an Armageddon Hell in a Cell. How about you?
That is exactly what I said to the wife during Cena's title celebration. At least I assume you are on board with my choices: Legacy vs Fred vs DX vs Cena. It would be the perfect device to further the growing schism between Legacy and Fred, continue the Cena/Orton title feud, and plant a seed for potential internal DX tensions. Also, was it just me or did Breaking Point have almost an Attitude Era feel about it. I couldn't tell if it was because of the backstage brawl, the raucous Montreal crowd, or the references to the screw job, but last night's show seemed kind of retro. It came off in a good way however, combining what I saw as the best of what the current WWE offers with some of the past staples.
As we've seen in the last few months, the best the WWE has to offer can be pretty damned good. I guess, thinking back, I can see what you're saying, but I didn't get that feeling actually watching the event. It would be kind of weird for them to attempt to do a PG style version of the attitude era, but not entirely unwelcome. You're right that some of the backstage segments were reminiscent of the '90s style of storytelling now that you mention it. Especially the Punk segment.
As for, HIAC, those are the exact participants I meant. I see a lot of people around the forums suggesting that we're going to see DX vs. JeriShow and Orton vs. Triple H in the cell, but why in the world would that happen? Orton's going to want another shot at getting the title back and DX have no animosity with JeriShow at the moment. It's a ridiculous supposition, and instead of having DX meet Rhodes/Dibiase again, why not include all six worthies?
Honestly, there is no good reason not to. The narrative practically writes itself with the various team loyalties in question. Plus a multi-man Raw HIAC would serve to differentiate from what is sure to be Punk/Taker II. Also, purely out of self interest, I hope that the JeriShow/DX encounted is saved for Bragging Rights. Speaking of Bragging Rights, I've got exclusive news. If the press kit that was sent along with promotional tickets to the local radio stations is accurate, the gimmick for WWE Bragging Rights is based on interbrand competition. And I don't think it's much of a conicidence that the release date for the Smackdown vs Raw 2010 game is just 5 days before the event!
Probably not, but if they really are going to keep the brands separate--which they have pretty much done other than the tag straps--it sounds like a good idea to have a PPV of this sort every year, and it's a good time to have it, with Survivor Series coming right around the corner. Actually, they probably should have thought of this a lot sooner. That should be a cool event for you to be at, don't you think?
You can chalk it up to my hometown pride, but WWE almost always delivers when they do a show in Pittsburgh. We've gotten moments like Foley going off the cell, Angle beating Booker T for the WCW title on Smackdown, Angle beating Austin for the WWF title at Unforgiven, Edge stealing the WHC after an epic cage match between Batista and Undertaker, and then winning the title again in a triple threat between all three men at Armageddon. I'm sure there are lots of other awesome moments I am forgetting as well. I am exceptionally excited for the event, Fred chants FTW!
You know, you still have one more column left of doing those damn quotes, but that doesn't mean you have to keep rubbing it in my face that you get to keep calling him Fred. I guess it's better than Randy Orangeton, though.
Randy Orangeton? That's just silly Xan. He doesn't hear voices in his head that laugh and him and call him Orangeton! That doesn't make any sense at all...
Of course it does. His name is Orton. His skin is Orange. It's a perfect blend. It looks like RAW spoiled our brilliant idea. If they had a commissioner or a general manager, he/she could repair this rift, but I don't see a celebrity host mixing things up like that and including all 6 competitors in that one match. Maybe they're afraid it will be too similar to the EC's.
I actually think that you might be on to something. However a one on one between Cena and Fred inside a cell should be a good match . I really like the fact that the matches are unfolding differently depending on the scenario. The I Quit match and the "Torture Cena" way it was booked really was a refreshing change and made it different from the other hardcore based bouts of that night. With a Hell in a Cell encounter I'd like to seem them open up the throttle a bit more. If they couple their usual slugfest style with a couple of varied spots the HIAC has made famous I believe it will be a great match. When you think about some of the best feuds from the past you always are able to pick out a big match that really defined everything the feud was about. Cena and Fred haven't had that huge match yet and I think this coming event could easily bring that match and surprise some people.
Sure, it could, but I'd still prefer the Armageddon match. Maybe they'll keep some mix of this going and when NWO rolls around we'll see these guys in the chamber. Assuming that event doesn't get renamed, too.
You know, even if it does, it doesn't bother me so much. The consistent PPV names are ok, but the individually titled WWF- In Your House PPVs of old were just as enjoyable. The name itself isn't going to make or break a PPV.
I don't know, man, if there was a PPV called Faith, Hope, and Love , would you order it?
See that makes me think of kinky Diva 3 way. I suppose it depends on how it was promoted. So what else do we have going on in this wacky world of wrestling?'
Speaking of Love, former two-time Knockouts Champion Angelina Love has managed to lose her job because she neglected to get her work visa renewed. This may be the laziest thing I've ever heard of.
I'm actually going to side with Angelina on this one. Only because every year I drive around for months with lapsed registration. She'll back before we know it and this will all just be a non-issue. I think the bigger question is do you think this will prompt INS to have a closer look at TNA's employment records?
Who cares if they do. If TNA was this quick to get rid of one of their top stars, why would they handle anybody else differently? I don't know if you're aware, but the reason Claudio Castagnoli isn't working for the WWE right now is due to similar problems. Maybe that's because he's from the United States of Switzerland and it'll be easier for the lovely lady from Canada, but this still seems like a pretty dumb and lazy thing to do. Maybe she didn't like her job very much; I have to admit I liked watching her do her job.
I guess you are right about that. But TNA has always given me this shady vibe. I can't really explain it, but I wouldn't be surprised that at some point down the road the company takes a massive PR hit. Just to let you know my esteemed friend, Kurt Angle was cleared of all charges yesterday. While I agree with you that he could probably use some counseling and time off, do you think that most of this situation came from just being caught up with a quote unquote "crazy bitch?"
It sure seems that way and my brother in law actually ended up getting fired from his job as a security guard for the same type of situation, so I know things like Kurt claimed happened actually do. I guess all in all the worse thing that came out of this situation was that Kurt had to clean up his appearance for court, which sucks because he looked like such a badass when he was all grizzly.
You were digging Hobo-Kurt? I couldn't get over how much he looked like a pedophile!
And what is more heelish than a pedophile? Exactly.
I suppose we have to discuss Jeff Hardy's dumbass actions. So, what's your take?
Do we have to? Jeff Hardy is so screwed right now. Why in the hell would anyone that makes the amount of money Hardy does ever put themselves in this position? This isn't like he was just charged with possession, the authorites are looking at him for trafficking! I don't care how over he is. If Hardy is convicted of any of these charges his time in World Wrestling Entertainment will be over .
I'm not sure about that. If he's convicted of the possession only, they'll still bring him back if they think he's contrite, reformed, and they can make money off of him. I think what you may not realize is that the fact that he's being charged with trafficking doesn't necessarily mean they think he was trafficking. If you are caught with a certain amount of drugs, that charge is automatic. As for why he'd put himself in this position? I have no fucking idea. You see it fairly often with NFL players, though, right?
I suppose that you do. I do think that if a local prosecutor feels like making an example out of Jeff to further his own political career, he'll try to convict Hardy of everything he can, regardless of whether Jeff was technically trafficking or simply planning one hell of a party. It might be better if Jeff does walk away from wrestling for good this time. If he can't handle the life, he can't handle the life. There is nothing wrong with walking away to pursue another career.
That depends on the career. Probably the biggest disagreement you and I have; a Grand Canyon size discord if you will, is how we view The Rock abandoning his wrestling fans to pursue a career in motion pictures. I can't believe you're really okay with this.
Why wouldn't I be? I loved the Rock, and I still love the Rock, but I just don't understand this perception that people have that Rock "abandoned" his wrestling fans. Were we in some way entitled to Dwayne Johnson being the Rock until we got sick of him? Dwayne retired from WWE in the classiest way possible. He did everything the company asked him to do until his final appearance. He doesn't even promote himself as The Rock anymore. Yeah, I would love more than anything to see him perform in a WWE ring again, but The Rock didn't abandon me.
He didn't? Really? Does he still wrestle for you privately? Because, if he didn't, he sure as hell abandoned you, whether you want to admit it to yourself or not. The word "entitled" sounds so pretentious, BK, what we're really talking about here is a kind of social contract. You see pro wrestling as a drama and, in a lot of ways, it is, but it's also a television program. When I am paying money to watch an event live, to buy a PPV, to buy merchandise, or paying my time to watch RAW, Smackdown, etc., I don't see that as buying it only for the present time; I see it as buying towards a future.
Why would I care about that performer if I knew he was going to limit his time? Duane Johnson may have lived up to his contract with WWE and his obligations to the organization, but as far as I'm concerned he broke his contract with the fans; of which I was a big one.
So you are telling me that you consider the Rock honor bound to continue to entertain you as a WWE Superstar. Tell me, exactly what are the terms of that social contract? Did the Rock need to cripple himself to meet the contract, or is it just until you get sick of him? Does he get to be a permanent main event fixture under the terms of that contract, or do you still reserve the right to bitch that he isn't helping to create new stars?
Yes, that's exactly what I'm saying, or do you think that honor has no place in entertainment? If Johnson had come out in 1997(or 1998 when people actually gave a shit about him) and said, "I only plan on doing this until I get noticed enough to do something else." would you have given a shit about him? Would you have wanted to follow his every action or pay to watch his matches and feuds? If the answer is "no," then you have no case. If the answer is "yes," then I'd really love to hear your reasons.
For the record, though, I've never gotten sick of wrestlers I truly loved like I did The Rock. That list includes folks such as Bret Hart, Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit, Steve Austin, and Triple H. Do I think Triple H should be helping to make guys other than Randy Orton and Batista into stars? Yes, but at this moment I have no complaints, because as I see things, he's doing that .
You act like like Rock's transition from wrester to actor was premeditated from the start. If I had known that Chris Benoit was going to kill his wife and child I certainly wouldn't have been on my feet cheering him on to victory in the Iron Man match he and Hunter had here in Pittsburgh. But there is no way of knowing that would happen than there was knowing that The Rock would become a bankable Hollywood star. And even if by some miracle of foresight I would have know, I still would have "given a shit'" as you so eloquently put it. And you want know why? It's because those few short years were the best years I had as a wrestling fan. Hell, the fact that it was a limited time offer makes it even more special in a way.
I think it's pretty unreasonable for you to demand that the Rock should be a wrestler for the rest of his life. He was given an opportunity to try his hand at acting and he wound up excelling at it. I think what really irritates most people who begrudge Rock's Hollywood success is that when he first embarked to Tinseltown everyone assumed he'd fail and wind up crawling back to Vince. Let's face it, wrestling fans take a special pride in being "different" and now that the Rock has gone mainstream they feel abandoned and betrayed. The Rock gave everything he had to give to wrestling when he was there. If anything we owe him, not the other way around.
Oh really? We do? This should be good. What do we owe him? But, before I give you a chance to answer that, we aren't really debating what most people feel, are we? We're debating what you feel and I feel, so I say this to you:
Our biggest gap lies in not what has gone down, but in what we perceive the scenario to be. I believe Johnson always planned on using the WWE to catapult himself to something else. Did he know it was acting? No. Perhaps he planned on being the next Jay Leno--he certainly would be great at that role.
In any case, I don't believe a career in wrestling was ever his endgame and believing that, I don't believe I would have invested the time and money I did in his character had I known. Meanwhile, to me your Benoit comparison doesn't apply because I don't think anyone ever says, "I think what I'll do is work in this job I love for 18 years and then go home and kill my family when I have a few days off." Anyway, please proceed with your explanation of your ridiculous final sentence.
I can't believe you think the Rock's exit from wrestling was premeditated! While he was employed with the company he set out to become the absolute best sports-entertainer in the world. Personally, I think he succeeded and I don't believe he viewed his wrestling career as simply groundwork for later stardom. If he did, I don't think he would have worked so hard to entertain the fans, and I don't think he would ever have taken some of the physical risks he did. Also, he would have quit wrestling at the first opportunity that presented itself, instead of making return after return. Instead, Rock saw what a lifetime in the wrestling business did to his peers. He saw first hand the hardships his father had went through. But more than anything else he saw what had happened to his contemporary Stone Cold Steve Austin.
I think at some point during the preparations for their last match together at Wrestlemania 19 Dwayne decided that he wanted to be able to end his career in wrestling on his own terms, instead of having his body give out on him. You were there at Austin's HOF induction, so I am sure you saw what I saw. Austin practically was in tears when he had to rebuke those "one more match" chants because he simply can't do it anymore. I can't fault the Rock for not wanting to end up in the same position.
Regardless your question to me was to prove how we owe the Rock and not vice versa. I answer this by posing a question of my own. Would you really want to give up the hours of entertainment the Rock brought us, even if you did know that he wouldn't be a long term veteran? I know I couldn't. Rock made being a wrestling fan cool, if only for a short time. Even if everything you believe is correct, does that mean it somehow negates everything the Rock managed to accomplish throughout his career? I just don't understand the disdain (see I can learn) and contempt. He was the greatest entertainer to ever grace the ring. When he decided to leave he sacrificed his own image and reputation for what was believed to be for the betterment of the organization. He's never resorted to coming back "one last time" for a quick payday. He has. nothing but good things to say about his time as a wrestler and the WWE as a company. So while it makes me sad that he isn't out there laying the smackdown every week, I refuse to let that sadness turn to resentment. And I hold out hope that we haven't seen the last of him. When he does return, he'll do the right way and it will be the biggest thing in all of professional wrestling without a doubt.
Well, there at least is something we can agree on. I hope he comes back and I hope when he does so we get to see a dream match between he and Shawn Michaels. Despite how great HBK vs. Undertaker was, I still think the WWE should have moved heaven and earth to make that match happen at Mania Silver. I still don't think you explained what we owe him--eternal worship, I'm assuming?--but maybe you can't; maybe it's just an abstract feeling that you can't put into words. Do I wish the Rock had never wrestled? I don't know. That's probably an entire "What If" column in itself. I do know that right or wrong I feel cheated and abandoned by him. Your arguments are very passionate and persuasive, but they don't change my mind.
I didn't think they would. All I really know is that I prefer to show The Rock gratitude for the hours of entertainment he did give me, rather than resentment for anything he may have cheated me out of. I'd love to see the Rock back, but I understand why he has been so hesitant to make any kind of return. If HBK/Rock had happened but the Rock left for Hollywood again wouldn't you be feeling just as betrayed as you are now? Would anything short of full time be enough? Don't you think he'd be assulted with criticisms that he was stealing the spotlight from more deserving up and coming talent? The nature of his very character implies that people would have to be "buried".
Word Up!
A Punjabi Prison match would be unneeded between Kane and The Great Khali.
I think that match is too overkill for the feud as it stands now. Kane has pretty much dominated Khali thus far. While that match structure is pretty badass, the best thing WWE could do is to re-brand it away from Khali and let other Superstars become associated with the bamboo chamber.
Batista onSmackdown will be ugly.
When Batista said he was signing with the "blue team" because it was the "A show," I thought to myself, "not anymore." The feud he's starting with the tag champs may lead me to reach a different conclusion down the line, but unless we see 2005 Batista in 2009, I think he's going to be a terrible fit.
Ring of Honor will struggle without Bryan Danielson and Nigel McGuinness.
How can they not, at least for a little while? Whenever you lose 2 of your biggest names it takes time to get back to business as usual.
MVP needs direction to be ready to main event Raw.
Remember when you disagreed with my suggestion for how to end MVP's losing streak? Well, what do you think now? I don't think it's necessarily a bad thing that he's in a tag team with Mark Henry, as they could definitely have some success in that division for awhile. However, it does seem like the individual momentum for both guys has been stuffed out and that it'll be difficult to find a way to reignite it without turning one or the other again.
5 Good...
Reasons I'm hoping to get a PS3 by the end of the year:
1. The price drop. It pissed me off last year when Sony announced they were dropping prices, only to discontinue the 40GB and sell the 80GB at the previous price point for the 40GB.
And as far as gaming is concerned, the 120GB is plenty of hard drive space. Unless you have the notion of the PS3 being your primary media device, there is plenty to around.
2. Backwards compatibility. Yeah, the 60GB was the only one that truly has it, but there have been rumblings that there will be online emulators for PS2 games, which pleases me greatly...not that I'll dump mine any time soon.
There are rumors to be sure, but the PS1 backward compatibility is a reality. And even if you don't have that beloved old game handy, there are plenty to choose from on the Playstation Network available for purchase.
3. Batman: Arkham Asylum is the first game that really made me sit up and say that I want to get a NextGen system. To this point, I've been content with my PS2, but this game looks amazing and from the response I've heard, it is.
I will not stop until I get the 100% complete for that game. Seriously, I love it like it's a third child.
4. Cheap 4 X plus games. Before December, I'll be able to get Burnout Paradise, Ratchet and Clank Future: Tools of Destruction, The God of War Collection, and Uncharted: Drake's Fortune for around $120. That's awesome.
Not to mention that it is 100% ready to play out of the box. No subscription fees for online. It's Bluetooth ready to go, and the wireless controller doesn't need batteries or any other add ons. Just a standard USB cable recharge every now and again and you are golden! The only upgrade you need is just a standard HDMI cable for a true 1080p Hi-Def experience. Well that, and a HDTV too...
5. Darksiders, Dante's Inferno, God of War III, and Ratchet and Clank Future: A Crack in Time will all be available by March of next year. I really think the PS3 is about to be gamer's paradise.
It already is my friend. And hey, you be sure to send me my half of that check from Sony. Mmm, I love being a corporate whore.
Big Finish
So summer is over, fall is here and TV is new again. What are your can't miss shows this season?
Well, we've got "The Vampire Diaries," "V," coming up in October, and "Flash Forward," which I just watched on DVR yesterday.
Did you catch that little piece of brilliance?
I in fact, did not. I am glad The Office has returned though. Seriously, it's like chocolate covered crack for me.
The latest buzz is that Christian Bale is on tap to play Roland the forthcoming Dark Tower movies. Thoughts?
Besides "too fucking young?" No, not really.
In probably the greatest regular season game I've ever seen, the 49ers had the game stolen away in the last 2 seconds by Brett Favre. They're still a playoff team, though, don't you think?
I think it's a little too early in the season to be making playoff speculations. I tend to wait until week 6 or 7 to get a better picture. It is nice to see the Niner's get some of their prestige as a franchise restored.
Name 5 Non-Wrestling Celebrity Guest Hosts you'd like to see for upcoming installments of Monday Night Raw.
Wow. That's a tough one. David Arquette would be fun, just for the sheer idiocy and fan bile it would stir up. Otherwise, how about Eliza Dushku, Michael C. Hall, Johnny Depp, and Peyton Manning?
Have you tried that new Dr. Pepper Cherry? It's really refreshing.
I have not. If they added a flavor to Dr. Pepper though, is it still really Dr. Pepper? Wasn't the whole point 23 individual flavors combining to from the great taste of Dr. Pepper? And now they are mucking it up with cherries? Madness I say! Madness!
If you'd like to send feedback to XanMan Click Here
If you'd like to send feedback to Beyond Knight Click Here
To email feedback to both of us or to send topics you'd like us to cover next time Click Here.
That's all we've got. We'll try to do better next time.
