The Wrestling Menu - Jeff Hardy's Motivation, Backlash Predictions & The Kliqs Return?
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, April 23, 2003 at 8:45 AM EST




THE WRESTLING MENU #42

Welcome one and all to the 42nd edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

I cannot really talk about feedback to last weeks column here today, because stupid me didn't realize until too late (Sunday) that my ISP server had too much space taken up by old deleted e-mails of mine that were still in the 'deleted items' folder. Therefore, I could not receive any e-mails until Sunday. A HUGE APOLOGY from myself, and if any of you still have e-mails in their 'Sent Items' folder which were returned, please do not hesitate to re-send them, as I will still reply. I have never professed to being the most technologically proficient person in the world.

I was going to speak about Bill Goldberg's return in the 'Appetizers' section of today's column, but decided that the topic I have ultimately chosen is more timely before the Backlash pay-per-view occurs. Plus, it has a small link to today's 'Main' course. My thoughts on Goldberg's return will see the light of day next week after he makes his WWE wrestling debut.

Another quick apology before we start; Today's edition may seem like 3 'Main' topics to some. Apologies for the length, but I feel that they all needed the extra paragraphs to clearly state my opinions & all relevant facts.


APPETIZERS - The Kliqs Return?

As you would all know, the WWE are currently running an angle where Kevin Nash is having to basically choose sides between best buddies Shawn Michaels & Triple H. To a relatively new WWE viewer, this may seem just like numerous other angles over the past couple of years, where one wrestler has had to decide whether he joins the forces of evil or good. But those fans with more experience & education realize that this angle has a little more behind it than that.

Just quickly; Back in the mid-90's, the group of Shawn Michaels, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, Triple H & Sean 'X-Pac' Waltman were collectively known as The Kliq. They were all exceptionally good friends in real life & caused a fair bit of trouble with other wrestlers because of their backstage polotics. The 5 knew that together they were a huge part of the WWF roster & because of this, basically tried to get whatever they wanted. On occasions, the 5 were together on-screen. But more frequently, they often waged war against each other in the storylines.

Now one of the great things about being a WWE fan is conjecture. That is, we can all take our guesses as to what is going to happen in a certain situation. The Kevin Nash example right now is a great example of a storyline bringing about a lot of fan conjecture. I have seen opinions all over the place about what is going to happen at Backlash & beyond. The opinion is also very wide & varied. In fact, probably the most fantastic of outcomes is one that is quite popular among internet fans right now. That is the one held by (among others) LOP columnist Mr.Tito, that the 3 will somehow all come out of this together again as The Kliq.

While I state that this opinion is fantastic, I also think it is very much possible. Right now Vince is looking for any idea to kick-start another successful era for the WWE. He has already shown that he is willing to look to the past to do so by signing Hogan, Piper & Goldberg. So why wouldn't he revert back to a stable that resembles The Kliq or even DeGeneration X?

However, in my opinion, I don't believe this will happen anytime soon. And my justification is something I mentioned earlier. I think that the 3 wrestlers we are speaking of have most probably had their best matches against each other. Shawn Michaels had a match-of-the-year contender last year against Triple H at SummerSlam. He has also had great matches in the past with Nash. While I cannot specifically recall any matches between Triple H & Kevin Nash, this has more to do with the fact that Triple H was at a midcard level when Nash was main-eventing in the WWF. And don't forget that Nash & Michaels have also had some classic battles with missing members, Hall & Waltman.

It is for this reason that I believe the WWE will not reunite the 3 on-screen. I believe that Nash will choose a side, and it will most probably be at Backlash. So which side DaveyBoy, I hear you all ask? I'm going to be really boring & state that Nash will choose being a face with Michaels. I think he would prefer being a face right now, and it would make more sense from a World HeavyWeight Title viewpoint. Yes, I do believe we will see a Triple H vs Nash ppv main event in the upcoming months.

However, I do see something else happening in this triangle, but am not sure when it will occur. It could happen as early as the Backlash main event, or as late as a few months down the track. After Nash chooses to align himself with Michaels, I see HBK turning on him & joining the forces of evil with Triple H. I think this will happen purely & simply because we have already seen enough of Triple H vs Shawn Michaels, dating back to last July. With a HBK turn on Nash, it basically gives Nash 2 future opponents in the ring. More importantly, it gives him 2 opponents that he knows he can trust!!!

What do I mean by that last comment...??? I believe that The Kliq has always had great matches against each other because they lift their workrate for each other. I'm not trying to imply that they would work terribly against everybody else. Just that they would go that extra mile, so to speak, for each other, because they are great friends in real life. With all 3 of them suffering terrible injuries recently, they would also go into these future matches with more confidence, because their friends would ease them through situations that would not put them in danger.


MAIN - Jeff Hardy's Motivation

I had actually written the shell of what you are about to read a few days before the news of Jeff Hardy's release was posted on WWE.com. I have therefore slightly altered what initially was a history & motivational piece, into what could probably now be called purely a history piece

Despite being over 2 years ago, I remember the day clearly; After hours at work, I had copied & pasted the SmackDown results into Outlook, printed them, and then had a read of those results on the way home. The day was April-13 (April-12 in North America), 2001. I was excited & thrilled. Yes, Jeff Hardy was a favorite wrestler of mine at the time, but I can definitely state that this was not the reason for my excitement. You see, I had just learned that Jeff Hardy had defeated Triple H for the InterContinental Title.

The reason for my excitement was because a talented wrestler, that had given his all for his employer for quite a few years, was being rewarded with a genuine push & prestigious title. I thought that this was a new direction for the WWE; A step in the right direction where more wrestlers like Jeff Hardy would be promoted up the pecking order. Boy, was I wrong!!! This timespan has been quoted by many as being the downfall of Jeff Hardy to this very day. I decided to take a look back at all television & pay-per-view events in the 6 week period surrounding this timeframe.

The starting point has to be April-1. At WrestleMania 17, both Hardy Boyz put on a great showing against The Dudley Boyz & Edge/Christian in a TLC match. A pure classic match that just has to be seen. Starting the singles push on the April-5 SmackDown, Jeff defeated The Big Show with help from both Matt & Lita. This was followed up by Team Extreme defeating Austin, Triple H & Stephanie on the April-9 Raw. Although, it wouldn't take a neuro-surgeon to guess that Lita pinned Stephanie to win the match.

D-Day on April-12 started with a Triple H & Austin in-ring segment. They both bragged about what they had done to Lita the week before, and out came Jeff to (surprisingly) successfully clean house. Later on in the main event, Jeff wins the InterContinental Title with huge help from a Matt Hardy chair-shot. At the time, I didn't even care that the chair-shot was the reason why Jeff won. This was how most up-and-comers won their first midcard title. They would then improve, and the defeated opponent would more than likely move up a step & forget about the midcard title. But there was a huge problem here. Only 10 days earlier, Triple H had unexpectedly aligned himself with his arch-enemy & current World Champion Stone Cold Steve Austin. So where could Triple H go next?

You guessed it...; Rematch!!! Just 4 days later on the April-16 Raw, Triple H defeated Jeff Hardy to regain the InterContinental Title. While Jeff got in a few flourishes of offense, Triple H pretty much dominated & controlled the bout. Not only that, but after the match, Austin & Triple H beat the hell out of both Hardys, until Kane & The Undertaker made the belated save. At this stage, I knew that the WWE had to tread very carefully with what direction Jeff Hardy was heading.

On the April-19 SmackDown, there was no appearance by either Hardy. On the April-23 Raw, they were back in the main event though as they teamed with Kane & 'Taker to wrestle Austin, Triple H, Edge & Christian. The heels won. Ok, so we're still in "tread very carefully territory". Not for long though, as Jeff Hardy did not wrestle at the April-26 SmackDown, April-29 BackLash ppv, or April-30 Raw. During this time, he basically helped Matt win the European Title.

But then the icing on the cake; Despite not wrestling on 4 out of the previous 5 televised shows, Jeff got his InterContinental Title rematch on the May-3 SmackDown. Again a few flourishes of offense, but this was probably more of a squash for Triple H than their April-16 match. If the WWE had to tread carefully with Jeff Hardy before, they had to be in the cone of silence with ballet shoes now. They obviously didn't think so, as Jeff did not wrestle on the May-7 Raw, and then was teamed back with Matt for the next week as the brothers battled lowly tag-teams in Right To Censor & Perry Saturn/Dean Malenko. All the while, the fans were being bored out of their brains by the main event feud of Triple H & Austin vs Kane & The Undertaker.

The following month Jeff Hardy struck gold once more in the ever-prestigious Light-HeavyWeight division. Yet even then, he could only hold onto that title for 20 days. Guess who he lost that title to as well? Triple H's good Kliq buddy, X-Pac. After an entertaining little feud with Rob Van Dam, the WWE spent the rest of the year botching up the storyline that had been coming for some time; The break-up of The Hardy Boyz. An angle so badly executed that it was shelved not long after it had started. The Boyz were back together within a couple of months & Jeff was back in the rut he apparently finds himself in currently.

What have I proven with this little timeframe of events. Well, I'll leave that up to you guys. It is in no ways meant to be another Triple H bashing topic, although I'm sure many will take it that way. What I wanted to show was how in the matter of 6 weeks, the fortune of a wrestler can change so much, and how that change can possibly effect the entire future of that wrestler. Not only that, but I wanted to show how bad planning can also adversely affect the fans. From being excited, to being disappointed & ultimately confused, I had no idea what the WWE were trying to achieve as it pertained to Jeff Hardy & this 6 weeks.

Now don't get me wrong, wrestlers in the past have bounced back from worse than what Jeff Hardy has had to endure. It is no excuse for Jeff doing half-a$$ed moves today, nor for turning up late, letting his fitness reduce, or anything else you want to accuse him of. But if Jeff Hardy was a little more tightly-strung than your average WWE superstar & the WWE knew it (which I'm guessing they would have), then this 6 week period did nothing but damage for Jeff as both a character & a person.

Sure, he could have seen it as a launching pad to bigger & brighter things. And I'm not saying he shouldn't have done this, like many before him. But when you go from having a big title shot as a singles wrestler, to fighting Right To Censor in a lowly tag bout all within the same week, I can see how an inexperienced, tightly-strung & almost eccentric young man could start to have second thoughts about his career choice.

I'm not sure what to suggest to Jeff Hardy right now. He has just been released from his WWE contract, yet I still, like a few others, cling to the opinion that Jeff could be useful to the WWE. And I'm not only talking about the fact that he draws a lot of young female fans, I'm talking about on-screen & in the ring. However, I can admit when I'm probably holding onto false hope.

Now, like back in May of 2001, it all rests on Jeff's shoulders. If he doesn't want to wrestle anymore, then he has done the correct thing by taking a prolonged absence & possibly choosing a different career path. The only way Jeff Hardy can return to his glory days, is for himself to go out there & prove the doubters wrong by showing he still has the talent, determination & motivation to succeed in the WWE, or any other wrestling promotion for that matter. Otherwise, he simply was keeping far more deserving talent off our television screens. Good luck Jeff, no matter what you eventually decide about your future.


DESSERT - Backlash Predictions

Just in case you are new to this; My predictions will only be on the matches that I am 100% sure will be on the card. I will give my general thoughts on the match, such as the effectiveness of the feud so far & how good a match I think we will see. Of course, who I believe will win the match will always be included. Here goes:

THE BIG SHOW vs REY MYSTERIO: This bout is pretty much on this card for entertainment purposes alone. Rey will fly all over the place & entertain the crowd like he always does, while The Big Show will act dumb & try to swat the fly in amongst flurries of offense. The only thing in question is the victor. Against my better judgement, and the fact that The Big Show could probably lose all credibility if it happens the way I predict, I'm picking David to conquer Goliath. Winner: Rey Mysterio

SEAN O'HAIRE vs RIKISHI: Hmmm, the WWE better have something special in store for us here, or we should all ask why this match is not on Velocity. I'm sure Rowdy Roddy Piper will pretty much control the audiences interest more than the 2 wrestlers in the ring. Hopefully, O'Haire can prove he has some talent in what will most likely be a fairly short bout. Winner: Sean O'Haire

TRISH STRATUS vs JAZZ for the Women's Title: This feud will hopefully peak on this card, as the two combabtants have already had enough matches since Jazz's return from injury. I just wish that something different is thrown into this title bout to make it interesting. The intensity also needs to be high, and that should suit Jazz to finally regain the title. Winner: Jazz

KANE & ROB VAN DAM vs THE DUDLEY BOYZ for the World Tag-Team Titles: I'm calling it now; This will be the match that determines Backlash's fortunes. This title bout could be average or something special. Whichever way it goes will probably determine the overall success of the card. I really liked Kane & RVD's title defense on Raw a couple of weeks ago, and there is no real reason why that can't be bettered in this match. The lack of a proper build-up won't help, but I'm crossing my fingers that these four guys can get it done in the ring. I see the champions retaining, as there is no room for them in the singles division for a while yet. Winner: Kane & Rob Van Dam

CHARLIE HAAS & SHELTON BENJAMIN vs CHAVO & EDDIE GUERRERO for the WWE Tag-Team Championship: Please WWE. Please give this one some time. At least twelve minutes. Surely that's not too much to ask. I really think that Team Angle can continue to succeed as a rookie team if given the time with The Guerreros, as we know Eddie & Chavo can put on a great tag match. I predict the titles to change hands either way, but it will be the standard of the match that could determine Haas & Benjamin's near future. Winner: Los Guerreros

BROCK LESNAR vs JOHN CENA for the WWE Championship: Like most, as long as Chris Benoit gets his shot at Brock Lesnar within the next 3 months, I have no problem with John Cena getting this pay-per-view WWE Championship shot. Another youngster who is making great strides, I hope Cena will successfully adapt to Lesnar's style & impress. Hopefully, their year or so together in OVW will help them along in this match. Winner: Brock Lesnar

SHAWN MICHAELS, KEVIN NASH & BOOKER T vs TRIPLE H, RIC FLAIR & CHRIS JERICHO: There are quite a few matches on this card that could be extremely ordinary, or very good. This one is no exception. I've already given my view on Kevin Nash siding with Michaels as a face, and I don't think that HBK will turn heel just yet. This will disappoint many fans who believe this match must have some sort of surprise to make it successful. Apologies, but I think it might be straight down the line for now, as I don't see any of the others turning just yet either. The faces will win, because Triple H can count that as a loss, without actually losing his title. Winners: Michaels, Nash & Booker T

THE ROCK vs BILL GOLDBERG: Well put together feud, that some could argue, has been developing for 3 months behind the scenes. Obviously, I hope that Goldberg is up to it fitness wise, and doesn't botch too many moves. Either way, The Rock is the master of somehow making any opponent look entertaining in the middle of the squared circle. I don't have any reason to doubt that Rocky will put over another opponent just before his foray back to Hollywood. Winner: Bill Goldberg


Hate to repeat myself folks, but this card could be terrible, average or very good. I often have faith in the WWE when it comes to pay-per-view though, and sense that there is enough potential here to make for entertaining viewing. Please don't hesitate to e-mail me with regards to what you think of my predictions, how the whole 'Kliq' thing is going to turn out, and (most interestingly) how much you feel the 6 week 2001 span I outlined today has affected Jeff Hardy to this very day. As per usual, I will respond to all replies that I receive. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

As mentioned earlier, I should have my thoughts on Bill Goldberg's return to a wrestling ring next week. In addition, I will have my usual 'PPV Review' and post-ppv 'Raw Review'. That plus more, same Wednesday time & same LOP channel next week. Until then, this is Davey Boy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.














*NEW GALLERY* Must See LEAKED Photos of Velvet Sky! AMAZING!

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