Admit it: when you first heard that Randy Orton was being replaced in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber by, of all people, Santino Marella, you got pissed. If you’re one to overreact, maybe you threw up a little. Like everyone else who has dabbled in a bit of fantasy booking, and that’s almost every other wrestling fan, you made a prediction that Santino would get taken out of the match before it even begun, following the precedent Edge set when he unceremoniously laid out Kofi Kingston in the 2009 RAW chamber to take his spot.
And then, when that didn’t happen, admit that you expected Santino to be eliminated second, because you never thought Khali was going to amount to much, even though he was the biggest man in the match. You expected that Santino would just come in, clean house for a bit like he’s always booked to on television, do his usual comedy spots, and finally unleash the Cobra. He’d have his moment, maybe let the Cobra strike once, and then one of the other, more serious opponents would have his way with him. After his 15 seconds of fame, he’d be on his merry way, back to midcard oblivion. And nobody would care.
Now, admit it: you were wrong. I know I was, and I did.
The fortunate (or unfortunate, however you wish to look at it) truth about Santino’s sudden emergence is that it shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone. It’s easy to forget, under his history of comedy segments, air trombone marches, and dubious Cobra venom-induced victories over opponents put forth as much, much more credible than he, that Santino has always been adored by the crowd. That adoration has seen varying degrees over the course of Santino’s career, but the fact remains that it has always been there, waiting for a moment that would blow the door off its hinges, whether it was aware of it or not.
As early as the opening hour of last Sunday’s PPV, the WWE, through some strategic foreshadowing by Michael Cole (who, by the way, is steadily starting to return to his old job as an actual commentator, but that’s a story for another day), has already begun to capitalize on the blossoming popularity of Taiwanese-American NBA player Jeremy Lin. And of course, it’s ridiculously easy to make these kinds of comparisons in wrestling – everyone knows this is a world created from the imaginations, either individual or collective, of a few people. Whatever they want to do is easily done, as long as there’s a will. If Vince McMahon wants Santino to be wrestling’s Jeremy Lin, then nobody can stop him.
But here’s the thing, though: the Lin metaphor is loaded with expectations that are not only high, but also still rising, and dangerously so for a company which has lately shown a reluctance to push superstars audiences actually want to see. And even if they do, they eventually get sabotaged, one way or the other. (See: Clay, Brodus, under “Funkasaurus.”)
So while it’s easy and favorable to saddle Santino with the label, it is that frustrating precedent of reluctant pushing which makes it unfair for him to be wrestling’s Lin. Jeremy Lin proved that he belonged in the starting lineup by unleashing and contributing his natural talents to the team, and going by that alone, you know that a basketball team is run as a meritocracy, where people earn their way to the top by being skilled. However, wrestling’s meritocracy, as most smarks know by now, is not as cut and dry; it’s filled with politics and proverbial glass ceilings that still need to be broken. If Lin was a wrestler as skilled in wrestling as he is in basketball, he wouldn’t be pushed with the same optimism as they’re pushing Daniel Bryan (who, as everyone also knows, took a bit of time to get to the main event himself, but still got there relatively quickly).
But going back to Santino. It will only be unfair for him to be wrestling’s Lin simply because I’m not confident enough that creative will allow him to unleash his true talents. The crowds love him now because he’s a refreshing, electrifying change of pace, but over time they will surely demand more from him than a sock puppet made to look like a snake – the same way people will demand Lin to consistently play at a high level in order to be worthy of their hero worship. The difference is that it’s easy for Lin to do that and it will be difficult for anyone to hold him back, while Santino faces the constant pressure of what Vince and Creative, who largely march to the beat of their own drum, want from him, and most crucially, want him to be.
At the heart of it all, however, if there’s anyone deserving to be a true breakout, it’s Santino. Most fans are now in worth their salt know all about Anthony Corelli’s history and potential as a wrestler. He lets that potential shine for a few seconds every time he steps into the ring for a match as Santino, but it’s all overshadowed by the Cobra. For the uninitiated, and also for those who have forgotten, all you need is one minute to be acquainted:
He doesn’t have to completely change his personality in order to be like old Boris Alexiev. In fact, the solution is ridiculously simple: just have him wrestle longer singles matches. If he wrestles, it will all come out. Have people kick out of the Cobra, forcing him to find another way to win. He already incorporates bits and pieces of his martial arts repertoire, so why not go all the way with it?
After Elimination Chamber, most fans are now on Santino’s side more than ever. Now, the onus is on the WWE to deliver on what they started. It is important Vince knows that Jeremy Lin is not just a buzzword or a sports fad: it means they need to make a lot more of a commitment than the Knicks made to Lin. Right now, with a roster slowly being depleted by injury and overemphasis, Santino Marella is their best shot.
*****
Ladies and gentlemen, if you’re here, then it means you’re one of ROH Friday’s 14 regular readers who have come in for their weekly fix of Ring of Honor discussion. So if you are (and even if you’re not), welcome to this week’s ROH Friday.
Remember that redneck from Tennessee I was talking about last week? Well, he’s finally dropped that switchblade from my throat and managed to calm down enough to join me and discuss Ring of Honor in a civilized manner. I’d like to introduce my guest today, filling in for our common associate Jeffrey (who I still can’t seem to rope back in) - you may have read him in the Columns Forum or the Blogs section discussing American football. Ladies and gentlemen, from the Sound of Madness, say hello to Mr. Seth Omega!
Good evening everybody, I’d like to thank Mr. Romeo for having me on Ro is War (took you long enough, you fucking prick). I’m excited to talk about one of the most popular independent promotions in the United States today in Ring of Honor. So what topic did you have planned for us today Ro?
Took me long enough? I’ve been trying to get you to write with me for a while now, and besides, I’m always plugging your stuff.
Anyway, today I’d like to talk about a very recent development in ROH. On this Saturday’s episode of the show, we’re going to get a World Championship match for the main event. Now, Davey Richards has lately been facing either one of two guys for the title; it’s either his archnemesis Roderick Strong, or his soon-to-be former friend and tag team partner Eddie Edwards. Kevin Steen has also thrown his name in, but until now he’s still dealing with his issues against Jim Cornette. This time, however, it’s slightly different: Davey Richards will defend the title against current ROH Television Champion Jay Lethal.
That’s right, the same Jay Lethal they’ve booked over and over in Time Limit Draws for the Television Title. On paper this matchup looks at least semi-decent, it’s a refreshing change of pace from “never sell a fucking thing” Eddie Edwards and Roderick “stick up his ass” Strong.
However, something tells me this match is going to be far from decent. Davey Richards is obviously the smaller of the two wrestlers, and if wrestling has taught us anything it’s the smaller guy is normally the bump bitch. But, we all know how Davey likes to piss on the traditional rules of wrestling. I can see this match not being as competitive as it should be, because in the end Ring of Honor is trying to build Davey as their next Joe or Nigel, something he clearly is not.
Sadly, I think if Ring of Honor was smart they’d put the title on Lethal, you’re talking about a guy who had great exposure in TNA, a guy who has been a multiple time X Division Champion, and a guy who overall is a really talented wrestler despite only being 27 years of age.
Yes, Jeff and I have actually discussed that before – by virtue of technically being the most popular singles wrestler in the company, having been in a nationally-televised promotion, shouldn’t he be the champion? But again, you can’t always rush everything.
What I am worried about with the match is who’s following who. Lethal does have psychology in his blood, and because of that, he knows how to put together a decent match by typical standards. On the other hand, Davey is the company’s guy, and he’s the champion. Does he call the spots? Since it’s very likely he’s going to retain the championship, I expect Davey to no-sell most of Lethal’s offense as usual, making Lethal look dumb in the process.
I’d expect one of the agents to assign the spots, they’re in a tricky area here. How do you make one of your champions look strong while not making the other look weak? Then again we’re seeing a match between Lethal and Richards, so maybe we’ll get a combo of a time limit draw and a 45 minute match with no selling. I keed, I keed...but on a more serious note I question why they’re electing to do this match now. Is it because they know they’re shitting the bed by booking a tag team main event at one of the biggest shows in RoH’s history?
That’s another thing I’ve thought of, but they still have one more episode before the Tenth Anniversary Show. What do we expect here, then? Do we expect a ridiculous outcome, where Lethal wins the World title from out of nowhere and Tommaso Ciampa wins the TV title the episode before the PPV? Do we expect shenanigans from Ciampa, Eddie Edwards and Adam Cole? What exactly is the point of this match being on free TV, two weeks before a big PPV?
Maybe they’re pulling a page out of WCW/TNA’s playbook. Maybe if more people see awesome matches on free TV they’ll watch us more and more each week! The sad thing about all this is, at one point I could actually tolerate Davey Richards. He use to be a fairly solid worker in PWG, and one year even won the Battle of Los Angeles. Since then though he’s regressed into this “MMA” like character. Don’t get me wrong, I like MMA...but mixing MMA and pro wrestling in this manner is terrible for the “business.” I’d put top dollar if Jim Cornette wasn’t making a buck off of this that he’d be against this.
Did you catch Davey’s tweet where he said that pro wrestling was what he did in between jiu-jitsu classes? That’s some ridiculous stuff, really unbecoming of a pro wrestling World Champion. Kevin Steen called him out on it, and rightfully so. Here it is:
Yeah, I think that’s total bullshit. Ring of Honor has confused me as of late, all their angles remind me of some old school Memphis angles...yet their wrestling is supposed to be revolutionary in the fact it’s supposed to showcase the “competitive” side of pro wrestling. Then again, to the typical fan, all wrestling is competitive so I’m not really sure what demographic they’re appealing to here.
Anyways, back to the point...Jay Lethal being the champion would put the company in a more positive spotlight, one they’ve fucked up by having Davey Richards have a longer title run than Takeshi Morishima (of Pro Wrestling NOAH fame). I just don’t get why ROH is going against their own standards by booking a champion who isn’t the most over guy in the promotion and not giving him multiple defenses to MAKE him over. Can you explain this Ro?
I’ll give it a shot. It seems like the ROHbots in attendance really, really love Davey. I’ll give them that; Davey is an impressive athlete. However, that’s all the audience is taking away from him - they don’t mind if he can’t sell or cut amazing promos, they just want him to land a ton of moves in quick succession. But, as we all know, that’s not all there is to being a good wrestler.
And as long as Davey still has that kind of support, he’ll be in the main event. If the in-house fans think he can do no wrong, then why fix what apparently isn’t broken?
The ROHbots? I think you mean the ROH fans who discovered it exists yesterday. People who have watched Ring of Honor since the days of CM Punk, Christopher Daniels, Spanky, Samoa Joe, and several others know damn well this crap on TV is a shell of Ring of Honor. It’s almost like ECW on TNN, it was so watered down to appeal to the mainstream it lost what made it popular, which in this case was hardcore wrestling, and in the case of ROH, pure wrestling. I can remember a time when ROH stood for the best wrestlers being the champion, and we will get them over...sadly those days have long since gone.
I think we’ve murdered the topic of Davey and Lethal long enough. We’re both in agreement that this match can only plausibly go one way (unless Russo is booking now), and I think most of the ROH Friday fans know it as well. As sad as it is, I think Richards wins and makes Lethal look like ass in the process...if this were a Pay Per View I might actually consider buying it to see this match alone, but on free TV there is just no way this match is going to be as good as it potentially could be.
Took some of the words from my mouth. I wouldn’t go so far to say it won’t be good, but I will say that being on free television, it won’t get enough time to justify itself. It’s clear that they won’t be treating this Champion vs. Champion match with that much reverence, and I don’t think they will be topping 2012 Punk/Bryan.
So, yes, I believe we’ve murdered the topic long enough, but... damn, did we actually say that much? Now I can’t even launch into a different topic for fear that we’ll go way overboard. I do, however, think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.
Yeah...if I didn’t know any better I’d of sworn we’ve worked together before. Besides the point, I’m sure we’ll touch on several other key topics the next time we speak but for now here’s hoping that everyone enjoyed this outing and will leave positive feedback for us. Also, before Romeo closes the show I’d just like to say: #DemBoys.
And that’s all I got.
Really? You’ve got nothing to plug?
Well, I was going to plug the new Sound of Madness featuring Running Backs and Linebackers, but alas, I’m awaiting a new header before I partake in that discussion. Outside of that the only other thing I’ve got to plug is make sure you support and/or read people in the columns and/or blogs forum. We’ve got a lot of talented writers that sometime get overlooked for whatever reason and I feel they deserve some more attention and/or feedback. Think of it as the Indy Wrestling to LOP’s WWE. Outside of that, I’ve got nothing else to plug.
Very well, then.
On that note, join us next time as we predict the Tenth Anniversary Show. We might even get Jeff back and turn this into a real clusterfuck. I hope you enjoyed this week’s ROH Friday.
‘Til next time!
***
Author’s Note: Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. Now, it’s not really an excuse for this, especially when guys like Hustle go out of their way to provide you with good content every day (if not on a regular basis), but today I just don’t have the energy, willpower, and inspiration to write you a full column. I did have a topic planned out for today, but I’d been so hesitant on it all week and I still really don’t know how to write it. What I would still like to be is true and consistent to the schedule I’ve now set for myself every week, and I do have something prepared at the very least, because it’s part of my weekly research. Now, if you haven’t figured it out yet from the title (and I know you’re smart enough to, because you read me), I still give you…
The Best Match You Didn’t See On TV This Week
Allow me a backgrounder, at least: You don’t have to be a regular follower of the Internet shows to know full well that Tyson Kidd has been a perennial loser, ever since the Hart Dynasty went their separate ways. However, what is completely lost on anybody who doesn’t have even a passing interest in NXT is the fact that over the past three weeks, Kidd has been reversing his fortunes, both in the ring and outside it: he’s been winning his matches and winning the crowd over. (Not that he doesn’t already have a slightly-more-than-niche fanbase already rooting for him.)
This match makes for Kidd’s third win in a row. It’s not a squash, it’s not a tainted win – it’s a victory pure, clean, and hard-fought. Take note: that’s never happened before, not since Kidd debuted on ECW back in 2009 and made examples out of jobbers. It does seem that whoever’s in charge is finally giving Kidd the push he deserves from putting in his best effort, win or lose (almost always lose), without complaint. Either that, or this is a grassroots effort to try and slowly rebuild the depth that’s sorely lacking in the entire WWE roster in general. However, the only problem with that is this question: how exactly do you build credible depth through shows fewer members of the fanbase see? How do you expect that to effectively translate to the two major brands?
If you have an answer to that, let me know. But that’s really not the point I’m trying to make today. No – for today, we celebrate. We celebrate to good wrestling you don’t see on your television. In fact, if you have the time and desire, I suggest you go watch all of this week’s Superstars and NXT – which, by the way, ironically has better focus in the wake of the loss of its original focus, as a pseudo-reality competition. However, I ultimately can’t convince anyone to watch a show they’ve decided has strayed too far, which for some reason makes it somehow unwatchable.
Never mind that, anyway; good wrestling is good wrestling. Enjoy your Sunday, folks.
If you’re an ROH fan, then you’d do well to read my coverage of the recently re-debuted ROH television show. It comes out every week (as much as possible); sometimes it's late, but it still comes.
Also, for my fellow Filipinos, please tune in to my buddy Stan’s radio show S&M: The Morning After every weekend from 6 to 9 am (10 am on Sundays) on Mellow 94.7. If you find yourself up early on a weekend, do check it out!
