|
|
|
|
|
Submitted by Wevv Mang on Sunday, June 20, 2004 at 10:28 PM EST
Ridin’ With The Bossman – BWA-HAHAHA Greetings! Welcome to another edition of Ridin’ With The Bossman! As you can tell from the title, I am in good spirits. WWE has given me some much to have fun with this past week, I couldn’t contain myself, and my mirth made it to the title. So, let’s get things rolling and jump right into it. WWE TV The Series You do realize that here are three PPV events in six weeks don’t you? That means that if the three do below average buys, in the end figure is closer to a really good single PPV number. Say BB gets a .3 buy rate. Not great. Say GAB does the same. Add them together, and in the span of six weeks, a month and a half, you have the equivalent of a single PPV that did a .9 buy, which is good. Vince is one shrewd bastard. And it’s a nice boost to the wrestlers pay. Badd Blood PPV Recap Info provided by Steve Avigne This was a pretty good PPV. Greatest of all time? No, but good. The feel of the show was different from other PPV’s as well. It was like the midcard decided to try and steal the show, and forced the hand of H and HBK to live up to the hype. The matches were solid, top to bottom. They were given a lot of time to develop. The action was tight, and the near falls added to the drama. Few angle developments took place, but what did happen at least has some long-term effects possible. Well, except for one. The highlights are: Matt and Lita Thanks for coming Matt, we put you on TV, now leave the building immediately. Get the F out. Benoit Wrestled two matches and put in a solid showing. I expected nothing less, since it is Chris Benoit. Heh, I think he wrestled about forty minutes, in two separate matches. But that’s why he should stay the champ. He can pull it off. He’s the kind of guy who can be punished in such a fashion, but emerge stronger for it. It showcases his wrestling ability and doesn’t force him to talk. It proves he is a credible threat that the WWE doesn’t seem to get. It was back to the "Is he for real?" when that question was answered months ago. The answer was yes, he is. But Benoit’s matches weren’t the "greatest WWE match ever", so I guess the point is moot. Kane Played the monster on a rampage well. He may not have won, but the manner of his losing does keep the possibility of a rematch open. But it’s not likely to happen soon. Monday after all, put this angle in a whole new direction. Shelton Benjamin and Randy Orton< This was a great match. A load of psychology and a really strong opening promo from Randy to set the mood. But the jinx continues as after it was over, Randy slipped getting on the ropes. It’s always something, but he overcomes the slip-ups and forges ahead. A true professional. Ric didn’t go nuts with the cheating, which I like to see. Again, the finish can be parlayed into stretching it out for another month. A good thing. Trish Very nice heel work in the Four Way match, and now all the ladies have something to fight over, since they can all claim that they didn’t really lose. Of course, there’s Lita’s situation, but we’ll get to that later. HBK vs H A very good match. I really didn’t expect anything else, since these two work together all the time. Well done, excellent psychology, and there was a winner, which make sit all worthwhile. Of course, if the match had been for something, well, that would have been icing on the cake. Silly me, I didn’t realize that I was watching the Greatest Match Ever in the entire history of the WWE until Monday. Funny thing, the PPV is called Badd Blood right? Yet the only match that had blood in it was HBK and H. RAW Recap Info by Mr. Recap, Steven "Rommel" Schaeffer Well, what a follow up to a PPV. It was a hit the reset button type of show. Boy, did all the angles come flying from out of the blue for this show. I guess the best part of the show was Lita being pregnant. Yep, that was my highlight. It was hilarious. Come on, this angle has the absolute worst track record, and it’s the one WWE went with. You know nothing good can come from that angle, or can it? Hm. But there was so much more. Let’s take a look. HBK and H, Best Buds After announcing that the Greatest match Ever took place, JR tries to get HBK and H to shake hands. H does the talking. HBK just stands there. Kane comes out, and JR flees like he’s got a zippo and a gas can in hand. Being lit on fire will do that. Of Course, King has forgotten all about that. Oh, and by the way, the match between HBK and H? It was for the number one contender spot, but don’t tell anyone. It’s a secret. - Wrestlemania 21, HBK vs H, WWE can’t wait that long? Come on. Tomko and Trish vs Matt and Lita Eh, it was decent. Nice heel work from Trish again, and Tomko is getting better. Matt and Lita pulled out a win, after Lita gave Trish her DDT. H and Bisch H has to take on Eugene? Funny. Eugene is undefeated, wrestling such greats as Coach and Nitro. Yep, he’s a legend all right. Joe Schmo 2 OK, the reason for the long ad spot was to get the extra time for the main event. That is all. Well, that and it’s prep time to adjust the viewing audience to the upcoming Divas search segments. I still say that contest should gets it’s own slot on the schedule, since I think it could do really well as a reality show, and won’t face the backlash from the wrestling viewers who want nothing but wrestling. Hell, it’d be a solid lead in for whatever show Spike could scrape together. La Res vs Rosey and Hurricane So they do still exist! La Res wins. Heel tactics equals win. Sylvan then sang the national anthem of Canada badly. Whatever. It’s that kind of gimmick that kills characters. Yes, it’s annoying, but in a change the channel kind of way. It also erodes what support base they have. Try something different. They’re French, they’re annoying, show that. Fires with mayonnaise, and/or gravy. Talk about the different values of cheese and wine. How French have a superior knowledge of fine art. Talk about how great Jerry Lewis is and so much funnier than Adam Sandler. Hell, rip off some of Jerry’s material and have La Res perform it badly, but laugh hysterically when it’s over. Right there is some good material for a feud with Hurricane and Rosey. Those guys have potential as well. Don’t waste it. Highlight Reel This was a great segment. Solid work from H, rock solid. See? The good stuff doesn’t have to be for HBK only. Again, the Highlight Reel saves the show. It’s amazing. Jericho has the talent to save crappy segments, and make them interesting, but the opportunity to really do something, like make a hot world title challenge isn’t given to him. Against some one like Benoit, where his best promo work is done through wrestling, Jericho is a solid opponent. The guy can talk, he can make his opponents look strong, and he can wrestle. It doesn’t have to be a protracted feud, but make a good month of wrestling. Bah, my fan side is showing again. There’s too much going on right now, but it could be hinted at now. There is a way. Hm. I’ll see what I can come up with. Evolution vs Benoit, Jericho and Edge Great match. Very nice work from everyone, including H. match had some great action, and while I don’t like seeing Ric wrestle, when he does, it’s still good. Very well thought out match. Jericho takes out Batista, then is eliminated by Flair. Edge was out next by Randy, leaving Benoit alone, but not for long. Crossface on Ric, and then a nice set of moves leading to Benoit taking out Orton. Solid match, and did wonders to establish Benoit as a true champion. Which wouldn’t be necessary if they had kept Benoit strong, instead of bringing up the "is he for real?" crap. Lita and Kane Note to Rommel – Here’s your rimshot- Bah Dum Dum OK, we now know that Lita is pregnant and it was revealed in true classic wrestling fashion A secret revealed in front of the camera. Good job. Stacy can really keep her mouth shut, especially after he started blabbing after hearing the news. Good acting from Stacy though, as she now is one who folks instinctually know will leak the secret. Kane, who is now getting a solid push, is now saddled with this. It could work. It really could. The pregnancy thing, well, it’s just bad. Really bad. But so bad it might work. Lita needs a reason to go with Kane, so that Creepy Lita can be born. Yes, I think that the pairing of Kane and the new Creepy Lita could be good. It can give Kane focus, and it gives Lita something to do, that doesn’t involve her in a romantic angle, in which the spark is just not there. Lita as a scary, Goth type character, who can ramble on about the Fire, and Evil, and Deadly Fluffy Bunnies is something that folks have never seen before, and may be more up her alley. Lita and Kane as a couple, well that’s just wrong, and that’s half the battle right there. Both have something in common. Both have been gypped out of their belts. Now they can unite to right the wrongs that the world has inflicted on them. Lita shouldn’t be pregnant though. That part needs to be scrapped pronto. No demon spawn, no artificial limb, no miscarriage. Just a mistake, that brings them together, so that they can see how much they need each other to succeed. How well they work together. Matt? Well, he just doesn’t get it, and it’s better for the two of them to be separate. It’s history, but it can be forgotten history. Matt needs to go back to being a heel. He was damn good as a heel, and hey, some one has to anchor Heat. Matt and Nitro running Heat could be good. Here’s how the plot can go: Trish learns that Lita may be pregnant, so she decides to heckle her. Kane makes the save. Tomko arrives as Kane and Lita are leaving. Kane and Lita talk, and Lita sees that Kane does care, in a creepy kind of way. Both talk about their title loses. A simple "Kane, I’m sorry you didn’t get the tile" "You should have won Lita", and leave it at that. Matt gets jealous, but Lita says that Matt doesn’t understand. Matt confronts Kane, Kane and Mat put on a great show, give it lots of time, and let both look strong, since they’re fighting for Love. But the end sees Kane win, and about to destroy Matt, when Lita intervenes and sooths Matt. Final promo, Lita says she and Matt both want different things, and that maybe they should break up. Kane leaves with Lita. No in coercing fashion, as a willing partner. Kane can shoot the evil look back at Matt. Lita and Kane start off against Tomko and Trish. No Matt, just those folks. They have match, in which Lita and Kane win. Then Lita goes for her belt. She wins with Kane’s help. Once the pin is made, Kane hands Lita the belt. His present to her. Lita hugs Kane. Trish is still jealous, and tries to get revenge against Kane and Lita. Tyson can’t cut it, so she brings in Matt. It doesn’t work. Lita even helps Kane against Matt and Tomko. Matt is devastated, but now has focus to start a winning streak on Heat, where he can be an attraction to watch that show. Trish is desperate to get revenge. So she goes to Kane’s opponents. Jericho and Benoit. She wants to help them beat Kane. Jericho can be the one doing most of the talking in this portion. Big Match, SummerSlam, Three way Dance. Trish helps counter Lita’s cheating ways. Swerve can be her getting Jericho eliminated, but helping Benoit win. End result. Kane and Lita get screwed again, Trish gets some new and old foes to work against, and can pave the way for Christians return and a title shot, Jericho now can gain entry into the main event, and we have some nice angles intersecting and complimenting each other. All thanks to Creepy Lita. Smackdown Recap Info provided by Mr. Thursday Night, Chad Mathews Smackdown, wow what a show. So much that has potential, both good and bad. Focus was Bradshaw getting fired. Whoop de do. I was looking forward to his promo. Then I saw it. Oh well. Dudleys vs Rico and Haas Beast thing about this match was the finish, which saw a really good heel move. Bubba used the ropes while D-Von held the legs. Great job.You knew who was going to win as soon as yuou saw the match up. So much for the great swerve of Haas becoming gay. Yeah, I know everyone really wanted to see that. Paul Heyman – Super Genius Listening to this promo, and seeing how this whole angle has been going has convinced me of one thing. Paul is writing the show through his promos. And he’s doing a fantastic job. I’m sure management told him to go for five minutes, and let him write his own promos. SO he decided to lay out an angle, give it some emotion, and make tie all of Vince’s crazy ideas into a coherent and exciting tapestry. Paul, you’re my hero. If it weren’t for Heyman actually taking the time to make sense, this show would tank, hard. Eddie vs A Basham, Again Don’t know which one it was, but Eddy cut a strong promo before they interrupted. I was hoping for a more snarky tone, but it got all-serious, as of course, no champion is allowed to be entertaining. Eddie wins, and that’s all that matters. Bradshaw – Unemployed Nazi OK, Bradshaw got fired, and he’s pissed about it. I heard him on Stern, and the pat Buchanon and David Duke comments now make sense. That still doesn’t mean it was good, but it makes sense. In this promo, Bradshaw went through three phases. First, he whined, then he got mad, then he got cocky. I thought it was rather dull. He started off well, but man, he lost steam, and then he came back at the end. He tried the old patriotism gimmick. He tried the better than you gimmick, and all of it was for naught. Thanks for coming Bradshaw, get the F out. You are now done in the main event scene. Time for Mordecia to take your place. Mordecia What the F????? They’re really going to throw this guy to the wolves, ain’t they? If he wins, it’s pissing time, and if he loses, it’s jobber city. A no win situation, but hey, Eddy can work with anyone, here ya go. He could wrestle Undertaker, but wait, no, my mistake. You can’t have Taker wrestle Mordy because, well, Taker won’t make him look good, and his ability to actually help some one is questionable at best, so give him to the guy who can actually do the job, and do it well. Thanks for coming Mordy, been nice knowing you. Better luck next gimmick. John Cena Well, it’s better than rapping about having homosexual sex with his opponents, but he still needs something. He needs a new catch phrase, and I think I may have it. "You got served". Have him do that after he cuts a quick (key word) rap about his opponents describing how he is better than the other guy, and then have him say that. Just tell Cole to shut up. Rene Dupree Want to have sex with Booker T. yay. Rene Dupree and Booker T vs John Cena and RVD. The match barely got started when Taker appeared and killed everyone’s heat. Way to trash promising feud here. If they aren’t going to feud against Taker and friggin win, then this was pointless. Why? Is Taker going to go for the US belt? No? Then why crush this match? Hm? He couldn’t break up a tag match some where else? It has to be this match? If it’s just because Taker needed to beat down four promising wrestlers, for cheap heat, and that’s it, then WWE has lost their minds. Angle should be pissed about it. He should be pissed at Paul E for telling Taker to do it. He needs something to help him regain control, and there’s one way he can do that. Weelllll, It’s the Big Show Yep, my man the Big Show can set matters right. With Coach Kurt Angle spurring him on, he can take care of business. Big Show, the seven foot five hundred pound monster, can take out the Dudleys. Why? He’s seven foot five hundred pounds. He does need a buddy and that’s where Luther comes in. Not all the time, but in the three on two handicap matches, those two can compete effectively. Kurt needs to start walking again, and accompany Big Show to ringside, or at least one match, where he can "Coach" Show to an easy victory. Kurt can also be Big Show’s PR rep. Then there’s the deal with the coffin… You know, I just have to wonder who said at the writers meeting" We’ll get a cement truck! It’ll be great!’ Something about Chicago and heavy machinery I guess. Maybe some one with some ties to the local construction racket. Pouring concrete into a casket? Nice visual. Having it spill onto the cement floor? Bad move. Those floor have to be level. So when the plates are put down, they rest flat, and when ice is created on top, there are no bumps. Or when an arena football game is played, no one trips over an irregularity in the floor and sues the building’s owners. So when I saw the concrete flow over the edge, and sit there, hardening, I kept wondering why no one would clean it up. At least lay some plastic down. But no, have fun paying the clean up coast Vince. So, after a wild and wacky week of wrestling, it’s time to keep the machine running, as there’s another PPV in two weeks. Who knows what’s next, but one thing is for sure, it’s not Goldberg. Wevv’s House (Next To the Cemetery) Deep inside Canada Big Show is taking his turn at driving, getting a reprieve from riding the trailing casket. Bossman flips through the radio stations, and finds nothing but Rush. He turns off the radio and sits in silence for a while. Finally, he can contain himself no more. Bossman: They’re taunting us Show. This bacon thing must go deeper than I thought if WWE is willing to start using caskets again. Big Show: For the last time Bossman, it’s just a coincidence. Bossman: Coincidence my ass! First Lita gets pregnant, and then they use a casket! You’re telling me they hired a cement truck, full of cement, got it into the arena some how, had it sit there, and only so they could dump cement into a teeny tiny casket??? Big Show, stop being such a fool. It was a taunt, pure and simple. Big Show: You’re telling me that WWE is willing to put up a couple of grand, at least, just to taunt us? You know Vince. He’s a tight fisted bastard. He could care less about us Bossman. And it has nothing to do with Canadian Bacon, that’s for sure. Bossman: Yeah, sure, and all the crotch shots on Rene Dupree, Test, and Sylvan Grenier are coincidence too, huh? Same with the pulling down of wrestlers shorts? Now who’s being ignorant Show? Big Show: OK Bossman , you got me there. But, so what? Bossman: So what? Don’t you get it Show? I can’t let this taunt go. I’m the Bossman! Caskets are my gimmick! How dare they flaunt a casket on TV! And use it so poorly. They’re giving a bad name to casket use in general! I can’t let that slide. Something has to be done! Big Show: You’re not going to let this go are you BM? Bossman: Hell no! Turn this hearse around Big Show! We’re heading back to the States! Big Show: Uh, Bossman? Where in the United States? Bossman: To…..To….Um,….Just turn us around! Big Show pulls the hearse over. He turns to look at Bossman. Big Show: Bossman, we don’t have to turn around, and since we’re already in Canada, we should use this time to complete our original mission. Wevv is probably worried sick about us. Meanwhile, back at Wevv’s House Wevv is floating in his pool, sunglasses on, drink in one hand phone in the other. Bob Marley floats gently over the pool side speakers. Wevv: Sure Sarah! Come on over! Bossman and Big Show are out of town, so we can party harty! See ya in a few! (He hangs up) Man, this is the best weekend ever! Wevv starts cabbage patching in his floating chair: Gonna get some booty tonight, oh yeah, gonna get some booty tonight! Shake it now! Back in Canada... Big Show: So let’s just get your damn bacon, and get the hell out of Canada. This place gives me the creeps. A car slows down next to the hearse, a man and his wife roll down their windows as their kids watch quietly from the back seat. Man: Good day eh? You folks need some help? I got Triple A on speed dial, be happy to call them for you? Big Show: No thanks, we’re fine. Woman: You folks need something to eat? We’re going to the Country Kitchen Buffet up the road. Be happy to treat you while you wait for the tow truck? Big Show: No thanks mam. We’re just taking a moment to get our bearings! We’ll be leaving now! Thank You! Man: Ok then, you Yanks have a nice day! Goodbye now! The woman and children say goodbye and wave as they slowly drive off, sticking to the speed limit. Bossman: Yeah, this place is freaky. Let’s get the hell out of here. I’ll call my sources and we’ll pick up some bacon at the border. Then I’ll find out where that casket is, and we’ll take care of things. Big Show hangs his head and bangs it on the wheel a few times, but Bossman has already dug out his cell phone and is talking to someone named Jean Pierre. Big Show shakes his head, grimaces, and floors the hearse. Poor Poor Big Show. Passing up a free meal? Five more years, big guy, five more years… Over-Analyzing Wrestling Today’s Topic: Heel to Heel Heel and Face is the basis of all angles. These alignments lay the groundwork for a feud. In simplest terms, one guy is good, the other bad, and that’s why they fight. Right and wrong are the tenets, and that’s the way things go. Yet with the increasing number of complex angles and plot devices, limiting on guy to only heel actions or face actions, the simplicity of yesteryear has become the bane of all angles. Stale and predictable. The moving towards the shade of gray method of flavoring angles was a boost in the Attitude Era. Things were not always black and white. Nope, the Anti-hero arose in Steve Austin and the Rock. These guys were sometimes jerks, sometimes thugs, but one thing remained constant, they were entertaining. Trying to keep angles in the vein of Face vs Heel has become more complex as fans have developed a sense of what is going on. Additional problems are that fans may not take to a face, and thus boo the crap out of him. So he instantly becomes a heel, and that still doesn’t work. The reverse is also true. Eddy was a heel, but he got cheered and then became a face. His fan friendly ways were well received, but now that he is in true Face mode, his luster is fading. Part of Eddy’s decline can be attributed to the manner is which his character is being played. Another is that the things Eddy used to do that the fans loved, he simply isn’t doing anymore. He’s a Face and thus not allowed to do Heel actions. Sure, he says he still lies, cheats, and steals, but he does it rarely, and in the most inoffensive manner possible. Eddy is suffering for it. Is it really necessary for Heel to do only Heel things, like cheat to win? Must the Faces always take the crap that heels are allowed to throw at them? It seems to me that all the faces are a bunch of pussies. Heel get to run rampant over them, and the Faces aren’t allowed to take revenge, or get nasty. They have to smile, wave tot he fans, and be goody two shoes. When they do crack wise, they are quickly stomped, in an effort to get the heels even more heat. By allowing the heels to have all the fun, the face side has been depleted. Only super human wrestlers like HBK are allowed to emerge on top. Benoit has had some close calls, but he has managed to win, but his abilities are constantly being questioned, not by the fans, but by the announcers, who are speaking the millions of fans, planting that seed of doubt. The guys who are looking the strongest on TV are the heels. Evolution, H, Bradshaw, Paul Heyman, and thus the Undertaker, and all the new heels that are emerging. Eddy is a champion as is Benoit, but because they’re faces, they seemingly aren’t allowed to get as intense as they need to (in Benoit’s case) or allowed to do the things that made them popular in the first place (Eddy). Now, the easy answer is to simply let the faces do what they want and crush all the heels. This is good for week or two, but in the long run, bad for everyone. Some heels need to be kept strong, but kept in check as well. If Bradshaw got squashed, week after week, the IWC may rejoice, but that leaves a huge void on Smackdown. One that won’t be easy to replace. No, A counter must be present, and there is a simple way to do it. Heel vs Heel. I’ve longed for Christian vs Orton for a number of reasons. First, the promos would be great. Second, some really good wrestling. The thing is, in the Black and White world of WWE writing, one would have to turn, face and that would kill their characters. Instead, I’d just like to see these two go at it, and never mind who gets cheered and who gets booed. Let them stay heels, and just do their thing. Entertainment is main goal after all. Entertainment is what it’s all about, and if the fans like it, they’ll let ya know. If they don’t they’ll let them know. Reactions are important, but the fact is, when fans react, it blows WWE’s mind, since they’re so used to silence. So a need is created to do something, and that’s usually tweak the product all out of proportion. Like turning Rock heel. Sure, it was great for a while, while it was fresh, but after a while, it just became stale, because the variety was limited. Because Rock couldn’t face whom the fans wanted him to face, because that person was also a heel. I’ll say it again. Entertainment should be the focus, not trying to control fan response. Trying to make fans cheer some they don’t want to cheer, because that guy is a face, and he’s supposed to be cheered is self-destructing prophecy. If it sucks, nothing will make it work, cheers or boos be damned. Now, when it comes to heels facing heels, a Heel vs Face scenario can be the guideline, but isn’t the rule. Fans will decide whom they cheer. Let them keep doing what they’re doing, as their character would do, but don’t panic because this particular wrestler is supposed to be booed in the mind of creative. Let them cheer. Happy fans are what you want. Happy fans spend money, and buy PPV’s. Unhappy fans flip the channel. There’s more to making a feud than Good or Bad. There’s greed, jealousy, pride, and honor. A villain can have a code of honor, and if that honor is crossed, watch out. Dr. Doom has a code of honor, and he’s one of the most evil bastards in comics. No one is perfect and all have flaws, but simply slapping a label on them as Good or Bad or Heel and Face isn’t enough to make a fan like or dislike a guy. Those days are gone. Welcome to the present, where human nature can make a guy do goods things, and turn around and do bad. TV has been showing this for ages, now it’s time for that notion to sink into wrestling. That’s all for today, and man is this column late. No random thoughts, since I have no time to think, but let’s get the plugs up. Plugs! Chris Daily Check in with another fine column. Chris takes on the finer points of talking wrestling with non-wrestling fans. Breaking The Walls Down Mr. Tito reviews Raw and Badd Blood. Man, he must have had a fun time. Wrath OF Tito Dumass addresses the notion of Good and Bad as it pertains to the news. A Dumass Thought Davey Boy reviews and grades Badd Blood The Wrestling Menu Dubzilla Wrestling Drinking games. Need I say more? The Turnbuckle Tailgate Pt2 covers the news with his usual great insight Take Up Thy Wrestling Boots And Walk Phantom interviews Phantom Classic! What more could you ask for? The Rant Of The Week Who held up the Da J-Train sign last week? Find out here! Stuck In The Middle With You Raw Is Snapple has Ask Triple H, talks about Roller Ball the movie (they did appear on WWE TV you know) and talks about HBK and H. Great Stuff. Wrestling In A Bottle Velocity results! You Need to Know! Heat results! Find Out who is actually on this Show! LOP Forums! LOP Columns Forums Stej has his awesome Crazy Train Column up, Julian Phoenix covers the history of HBK/H, and nothing can stop valley Boy, COTM winner, as his June 19th edition is available for reading. And that’s about it. You know, it’s times like these and weeks like these that don’t make me feel bad for skipping the plugging. I think just about everyone had something. Except for Tina, or TNA recapper. Who must be busy interviewing some Legend of Wrestling. Like Captain Lou Albano, which would be a damn good read. Hell with her luck it’s probably a chance encounter in the grocery store with Hulk Hogan. And she has the last packet of bologna. That would surely make news, as we all know how much the Hulkster loves bologna. So until next week, Thanks For reading and thanks Ridin’ Wevv Mang mrwevv@mac.com Backstage WWE & TNA Specials! Tons of Rare WWE & TNA Photo Galleries!
[Back to LOP] [News Archives] [Results] [Columns] [Forums]
|
|