DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu - Royal Rumble Predictions, Wrestling Moves & Spanky
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, January 21, 2004 at 4:03 PM EST




THE WRESTLING MENU #74

Welcome one and all to the 74th edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

It looks as if my randomness section is going to be put on hold for yet another week. Oh well, that's what happens when the rare occurrence of a WWE wrestler resigning happens!!!


APPETIZERS - Spanky

Well, it looks as if I jinxed myself last week. If you recall, I wrote in detail about the cruiserweight division, which I had been meaning to do for about 10 months. The reason why I never wrote it over that period was because I always thought that at any one point in time, something(s) were going to happen which would change the shape of the division. If you would like to go back & have a read of that column, you may do so by clicking the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2004/articles/1074109473.php

So what happens within days of my column being posted...??? A wrestler from that division hands in his resignation!!! As most of you would probably know by now, Brian 'Spanky' Kendrick has officially left the WWE, and from all reports, it was his own choice. I felt the need to do a follow up on last week's column by speaking briefly about this resignation.

Now, to be fully honest, I think that there would actually be people out there that don't even know who Spanky is. They may recall him popping up on SmackDown once or twice, but he never stuck in their mind because he probably got squashed by a heavyweight. Hell, in all honesty, I only saw him wrestle 5 or 6 times myself. These people that hardly know him will not think twice about his resignation. They will presume that it won't make a difference to the WWE at all. I do not think that this is the truth.

Spanky, to me, looked like he had genuine cruiserweight wrestling ability. Not only that, but I thought he had that extra something, just from the few times I saw him. That presence on screen... that charisma... that entertainment aspect, which the WWE so loves. When you combine that with his young age, Brian Kendrick is someone that the WWE had to see potential in. And you know what? I'm even going to go as far as saying that because of the characteristics I have just mentioned, I believe Spanky could have broken out of the cruiserweight division eventually.

But now, we may never know. Spanky has resigned & the lasting memory of him that I am left with, is the wicked F-5 he took from Brock Lesnar against the ring post. It was a genuinely scary moment I thought, and I remember really squirming in my seat as Kendrick could not have possibly protected himself, as the side of his body cannoned against the post.

But like I was saying, I believe the resignation of Spanky could have an indirect negative effect on the WWE. The reason why Kendrick resigned is obvious. He was being underused & kept off television. He lost patience with this & ultimately decided he would prefer to be a bigger fish in a smaller pond somewhere else. It is a brave & difficult decision to make from someone so young.

My concern is that how many other wrestler's may follow in Spanky's footsteps. Don't be surprised if there are a few more by the end of 2004. Especially those that are coming out of contract. Sometimes, one brave decision from someone so unexpected makes others think. If that occurs here, the WWE may not have to bother about their roster cuts, as they will occur naturally.

Of course, the worst thing about all this is that this situation should never have come this far. Not only was Spanky a talented & charismatic cruiserweight, but the WWE actually did the correct thing in teaming him with a similar wrestler (Paul London), and making him a little more multi-dimensional in the tag-team division. I never saw them wrestle as a team, but I can imagine how entertaining they could be. House show & minor tv show reports backed this up. Why they weren't at least used on SmackDown as an up-and-coming comedy tag-team is beyond me. There's only so much of Rikishi & Scotty 2 Hotty that we can take.

In closing, I wish Brian 'Spanky' Kendrick all the best with his wrestling career. I also applaud him for his brave decision. But for selfish reasons, I hope that similar up-and-coming talent such as Paul London, Akio, Orlando Jordan, etc, etc, etc... do not follow his lead.


MAIN - Limiting Moves & Styles

I almost included this as part of the cruiserweight division topic from last week, but the column would have been way too long then. The obvious reason for the link is that it has mainly been the cruiserweights that have been told to tone down their wrestling style by the WWE. But I wanted to keep the topics separate anyway, for two reasons: (1) Because it also applies to other (bigger) wrestlers, and (2) Because it would have probably taken away from my main point about how the cruiserweight division is used. I really do believe that division can still be at least 50% more effective, even if they are wrestling the same censored style that they currently are.

You see, I understand why the WWE have told their wrestlers to change their wrestling styles & moves. In fact, we all do. It's all to do with injuries & longevity. And whether we want to believe it or not, there is no doubt that a more methodical style of wrestling will prolong careers in the long term, and result in less time missed by wrestlers through injury, in the short term. Yes, I do agree that their schedule also has something to do with it. But that still doesn't mean that the problem of injuries resulting from how the superstars wrestle, simply disappears.

However, there is a balance that the WWE must find. Otherwise, methodical wrestling (across all divisions) could very well bore viewers into turning off the product completely. The balance I speak of that the WWE must locate, is obviously in regards to entertainment & injury prevention. It's definitely not an easy task, but somewhere along the way, the WWE must draw a line in the sand.

My opinion is that line should be between television & pay-per-view. I know I've taken some flack for this view before, but I strongly believe that the standard of ppv matches should be quite a fair way higher than that of tv bouts. I won't get into my reasoning now, as I've done so previously & would go way off-topic if I began. What I'm basically trying to say is that the WWE should, with probably a few exceptions, let the wrestlers go hell for leather on pay-per-view. Alternately, make sure the television matches, again with a few exceptions, are toned down.

Doing this has many advantages: (a) It improves the overall quality of pay-per-views, (b) It shows us, come ppv time, who really is talented & should be pushed, and (c) it could, if done correctly, be an indirect method of reducing the schedule of wrestlers. The only downside here is television ratings. It's a fair argument, and definitely would mean that more clever & efficient booking of angles & storylines from month to month would be an absolute must.

Let's go back to the Cruiserweight title match from the January-1 episode of SmackDown to further prove my point. Neither Tajiri, nor Mysterio, wrestled their late 90's style that we know they can. Yet, the match was a ripper. The two wrestlers adjusted beautifully & were given sufficient time to almost perfectly blend psychology with entertainment. For example; Tajiri's kicks to Rey's hamstrings... Followed up by a half-crab (a move I can't recall Tajiri doing too often). Both of these could be boring. But it was both wrestlers' unique cruiserweight styles & timing, that resulted in maximum effect from both an entertainment & psychological perspective. Give a similar type match an extra 5 minutes on pay-per-view, with more of a feud, and you have one hell of a ppv bout.

As hard as it is not to get back to the cruiserweights, I need to touch on the 'wrestling moves' (as opposed to 'styles') part of the argument now, and I'm going to use a cruiserweight once more. Well, a sort of cruiserweight; The Hurricane. He is probably the wrestler that has been most effected by the WWE limiting moves. People occasionally ask me what I believe to be the best finishing move I have ever seen. I believe it is the 'Vertabreaker'. An extremely hard move to explain, I'd have to say it's a cross between a backwards piledriver & Christian's 'Unprettier" (which I believe he is not allowed to use any more. Please don't tell me the variation he uses now is the same as 2 years back).

The thing with my favorite finisher of all time is that the WWE are correct; It is way too dangerous. If it does get used, it should basically be a once a year thing in a big ppv match & should be thoroughly rehearsed by those involved. The same can be said for the 'Unprettier'. And who could ever forget the 'Steiner Screwdriver' that Scott Steiner used for a couple of months back in WCW. I really did think he was going to kill someone with that move one day. The problem is; Can these wrestlers be as successful without these moves? My answer is; Of course they can. While I sounded sarcastic about Christian's new 'Unprettier' before, I wasn't intending to. It's really that simple. The wrestler just has to find another finisher (whether slightly adjusted or completely different).

But this is where the WWE took it too far with The Hurricane. First, they want him to play a superhero gimmick. Then they (correctly) take away his awesome finisher. The wrestler then takes his gimmick & uses it to fashion his new finisher; The Chokeslam. But it is rumored that the WWE don't want him to use the chokeslam anymore because it's ridiculous that it could have such an effect from a relatively small wrestler. You want ridiculous WWE? A grown man running around with green hair pretending to be a superhero is ridiculous. I'm almost certain that wasn't all The Hurricane's idea. I'm sure he would be perfectly happy as 'Sugar' Shane Helms battling Mysterio & Tajiri for the cruiserweight title!!!

Again, the WWE must find that difficult balance when limiting both the moves & styles of wrestlers. But they must keep one thing in mind when deciding where that imaginary line is; Is the decision fair & reasonable for all? They should, as much as practically possible, effect everyone equally. More importantly, they must be consistent. Never allowing Helms to use the Vertabreaker, but occasionally allowing The Undertaker to use the Tombstone Piledriver in big matches is not consistent. I agree with the WWE's reasons for limiting wrestling moves & styles, but I'm not sure that I completely agree with the way they are implementing their decisions.


DESSERT

Royal Rumble Predictions

Ahhh, it's that time of the year when we can pretty much expect a good pay-per-view. The Royal Rumble, with it's fun battle royal plus usually one other good match at least, always seems to satisfy myself & the majority of fans. Here's hoping the same will occur this year. Here are my predictions.

REY MYSTERIO vs JAMIE NOBLE for the Cruiserweight Title: While I fully expected this match to be on the card, I was a little disappointed that the original Mysterio vs Tajiri bout was scrapped. Tajiri doesn't deserve to be blown off that quickly, and with the obvious storyline heading towards Noble, I thought the WWE would just let Mysterio & Tajiri get the job done spectacularly in the ring. This should still be pretty good though & it will be interesting to see what role Nidia plays. I wouldn't count out a swerve here which sees Nidia reveal that she can see & try to help Noble to victory. But even still, I can't really see the point of having Rey win the title a few weeks back, if he's only going to lose it here. That, plus the rumored feud with Chavo means that the little champ will retain. Winner: Rey Mysterio

RIC FLAIR & BATISTA vs THE DUDLEY BOYZ for the World Tag-Team Titles: The token tag-team match on the card could possibly be the opener (as The Dudleyz seem to have a lock on that spot lately). While there is a feud there, I'm not really anticipating this match very much at all. It could be good, as Flair should work well with a team like The Dudleyz. But have we already seen the best of that in recent weeks!?!?!? I can't see the point in The Dudleyz winning back the titles here, so I'm thinking Evolution will roll on... & on... & on... Winners: Ric Flair & Batista

EDDIE GUERRERO vs CHAVO GUERRERO: The feud/match that was always coming is finally here. While I have always thought Chavo was talented, I don't believe he will ever really make the WWE any money. That's harsh, but it's honest. He really isn't in Eddie's league. Having said that, it is possible that the WWE will give Chavo the win here to not only push him, but also Eddie's predicted feud with Kurt Angle. But I really do hope that doesn't happen cleanly. If Chavo was to win this bout, I'd hope it occurs due to Angle turning heel during the match. And to me, that is a huge possibility of happening here at this pay-per-view. I'm still going to play it safe though, and predict that the uncle will emerge victorious. Winner: Eddie Guerrero

BROCK LESNAR vs HARDCORE HOLLY for the WWE Championship: Remember in the Team Angle vs Team Lesnar match at Survivor Series when Holly was disqualified for hitting a referee, basically as the match was getting started? Well, if that happened again, I wouldn't be too disappointed. While the angle has actually been built up quite well, I totally despise Holly as a face (he ain't much better as a heel either). I just hope the WWE can give this much time & thought to the future pushes of Benoit, Guerrero & Cena. Oh, and one last memo to the WWE; Don't even think about having Holly go over here. Winner: Brock Lesnar

TRIPLE H vs SHAWN MICHAELS in a Last Man Standing Match for the World Heavyweight Title: This is a real tough one to predict & the winner really all comes down to what the WWE have in store for us come WrestleMania 20. Because neither man's opponent is obvious right now, the result of this match is a bit of a toss up. Don't get me wrong, I'd love for HBK to win the title here & go onto WrestleMania 20 as the champ. Whether it was fully intended or not, not only is Michaels getting the best crowd reception of any of the Raw superstars, but he is also putting on better matches than any of his colleagues. Having said that, I'm going to play it safe here & suggest that the WWE have a big title defense coming up for Triple H, so he will probably retain. Expect this match to go for over 20 minutes. Winner: Triple H

ROYAL RUMBLE MATCH: For the past 3 weeks, I have been mulling over who will win this year's Royal Rumble. It's been driving me crazy. Like the HBK vs Triple H match, it's obvious that the winner is going to depend on what's in store for all participants at WrestleMania 20. So, it's probably easier to cross off wrestlers, rather than think who should win. For example; I don't think Kurt Angle will win, because (as I stated in last week's column) I think he will be wrestling Eddie Guerrero at WrestleMania.

Along with all wrestlers involved in singles match at this pay-per-view, I'd also eliminate out of the equation possible contenders Booker T & Kane (who appear to be starting a feud), and Randy Orton (who looks like he is on his way to a meeting with Mick Foley). That leaves 5 realistic winners in my opinion. From SmackDown; Chris Benoit, John Cena & The Big Show, and from Raw; Bill Goldberg & Chris Jericho. I feel that the WWE will eventually reignite the Cena vs Big Show feud for the U.S Title, so I will probably have to discount them (although Cena is still a big chance for mine). I also will discount Jericho, because his storyline right now just doesn't scream out main event at WrestleMania 20... not yet anyway.

So, we are left with Benoit & Goldberg, and I think the winner will be decided by what the hell is going on with Bill Goldberg's contract negotiations right now. The rumors we keep hearing seem negative. But unless I hear something concrete, I'm going to be naive & stick with my prediction from a couple of weeks ago, and suggest he will still be with the WWE at the end of 2004. I just don't see the WWE giving Benoit the win from position #1, considering how they have used him in the past. It would be great & all, but I just can't see it happening.

So I think Goldberg will win, then state that he wants nothing to do with Triple H (or something like that) & go on to face Brock Lesnar in a dream match at WrestleMania 20. However, even if it's not Lesnar, a Goldberg vs Triple H or a Goldberg vs Shawn Michaels match at WrestleMania would still be excellent options. The only thing that worries me about this prediction is the fact that he has already been announced as the #30 entrant. Has a #30 entrant ever won the Rumble...??? I don't think so. It's just too obvious. I think I'm confusing myself further!!! Winner: Bill Goldberg


Ok, that's about it for edition #74 of 'The Wrestling Menu'. Hopefully The Royal Rumble will be it's usual high standard. Please do not hesitate to let me know what you think of my Royal Rumble predictions. Remember that you can't say "I told you so" if you didn't actually tell me so. Any opinion on Brian 'Spanky' Kendrick's resignation, or the situation with the WWE limiting the moves & styles of it's wrestlers would also be interesting. You know that I will reply to all feedback. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com

Next Wednesday in 'The Wrestling Menu', I will have my usual 'PPV Review', as well as finally getting to some random thoughts that I have had wandering aimlessly around my head for the last 2 weeks. Apart from that, I'm not sure what will pop up for dessert... maybe something that occurs at The Royal Rumble will have to be commented on in detail. If so, let's hope that it's positive. Look out for that column same Wednesday time & same LOP channel next week. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.












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