Breaking The Walls Down - Call Me Crazy But. . . Submitted by Chris Dailey on Tuesday, July 20, 2004 at 7:01 PM EST
Breaking The Walls Down
Hello all and welcome back to another edition of Breaking The Walls Down. I hope all of you are well and are enjoying the summer (those of you on my side of the world). News is dry, so we’ll forgo Bits and Pieces this week. I will say that I will be slow responding to e-mails. I am preparing to go on vacation this week and next week I will be gone. I’m not too sure how much Internet time I will have (if any), so that will leave me short on answering your e-mails. But, I will do my best to answer everyone.
Call Me Crazy But. . .
I know this will surprise most of you, but I am looking forward to next week’s 60 minute Iron Man Match. I think this has the possibility of being an outstanding contest. If Evolution does not interfere (yeah, right), this could be one outstanding match. Now, I know it sounds like I’m going against my word on several things, so let’s look at the negatives of the match first, before we get into why I think this could be a good thing for the WWE.
The Bad
The WWE fans have paid a lot of money for those Monday Night RAW tickets and for half of RAW, they will be watching one match. They don’t have the luxury that the home viewers will have, which would be to simply turn the channel if the match gets boring. True, they could get up and leave, but after paying all that money, why would they? I’m not sure what my reaction would be if I were going to attend the event live. I probably would be excited to see how they would pull it off, but I would also have my concerns.
Another concern is that this will give even less TV time for the developing talent. That is not something they need. The glut of talent that dwells in the lower ranks of the WWE simply because of that omnipresent glass ceiling will be suppressed even more so next week due to a bout that will feature two of the top stars in the company going head to head for 60 minutes. I’m sure on one hand the lower card guys are excited to see what these two will do, but I’m also sure that they wish they had more TV time.
Yet another concern must be the ratings. How will the WWE keep their diminishing fan base interested in one 60-minute match on TV? On top of that, how will the WWE keep the live crowd interested in the match? If the live crowd begins to become apathetic, that will only quicken the home viewer’s desire to reach for their remote and flip the channel (I suggest Stargate SG-1 repeats on the Sci-Fi channel, love that show). What will be the remedy to such an action, look no further than the positives below.
The Positives
I’m a Flair mark. There’s no denying that. Personally I think he’s good for another go with the World Title. Call me crazy, but he is so over with the crowd it’s disgusting. I know Flair isn’t what he used to be in the ring, but he’s still quite good. He tells a story when he’s in the ring and that’s the point. That’s what keeps viewers interested, that is what the WWE needs from Triple H and Chris Benoit.
I’m not too sure how long ago it was, but when Ric Flair wrestled Triple H on Monday night RAW, it was the best match I have seen on any WWE programming in many years. Why, because Flair and Triple H told a story in the ring. The build up to the match was electric. Flair’s mic skills are second to none. Did Flair carry the match, no I don’t think he completely carried the match, but I’d say he carried a good 70% of it simply through the sheer believability that he could win it.
That is what must be done next week. Not to make us believe that Triple H could beat Benoit (because we’ve seen Triple H go over enough wrestlers to know he can get the title at his own discretion), but that Benoit can beat Triple H. Benoit is coming into this match as the champion, but (in my opinion) as the underdog. I missed it this past Monday, but apparently Batista attacked Benoit from what I understand. So now Benoit is coming into this match with an “injury” that could “hinder” his performance in the match. To be honest, that’s not what I would want. But, should Benoit win, it will make his win that much more “incredible” to the fans.
Intensity is also going to be the name of the game. A lot of rest holds will destroy this match. While I agree a rest hold every now and then will be necessary, rest holds that go for minutes at a time are downright aggravating and cause viewers to change the channel. Benoit has the necessary stamina to go the distance. We’ve seen Triple H go for 60 minutes, as well. Hopefully this means we’re about to see one heck of a match. It is my hope that these two put on matches that equal or best their ones from a few years ago. Those matches were very, very good and were fluidic in motion.
Another aspect is that both of these men do know how to tell a story very well. Benoit has history that can make even the most grizzled veteran shy away. Benoit has traveled the world and been in matches that defy description. At the same time, Triple H has been in a plethora of matches, as well. While I won’t argue that Triple H has lost a step since coming back from his blown quadriceps, it is still very apparent that he can work a good match. What does seem to hinder Triple H’s matches are his opponents. It seems like Triple H must face a certain level of wrestler to put on a good match. Fortunately for us and Triple H, he’s facing one of the best in the game and these two put on great matches.
My suggestion to everyone is this: give the 60 minute “Iron Man Match” a chance. These two are going to put on one heck of a show. I know while I am on vacation, I will be glued to the match. I am very much looking forward to this match and, to be honest, I can’t remember being this excited about anything the WWE has done in quite some time. Is this a right step in the direction the WWE needs to go? I think so, but I’ve said that before, too. We’ll take it one day at a time with the WWE right now. Hopefully the “Iron Man Match” is more than a good match. It is my hope that this match draws rave reviews and begins to draw interest back to the WWE and in turn, hopefully, make the product that much more interesting.
