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Submitted by Xan on Sunday, February 5, 2006 at 1:13 PM EST
 {Author's note: The quotes in the column below belong to Big & Rich and their song "Soul Shaker". This is the third in a series of five columns in which I will be lighting the way towards what I consider to be the future for professional wrestling's three big entities: RAW, TNA, and Smackdown. You may want to read Part I and Part IIbefore continuing here in case you haven't. Time to continue the story.} "I'm a dynamite daddy, I'll put the rhythm in your blues. I'm not a wishy-washy boy like you're used to." I guess I shouldn't speak for my newest colleague here on the Main Page, BC, but as far as I'm concerned, you're welcome to join our mutual admiration society. I've made no secret that my two favorite writers that aren't named Xan are Random Guy #5 and Big Casino, and they've said as much about the Star, so I consider myself in great company to be writing beside them here on LOP. However, the three of us rarely agree on anything. While I think Jeff Jarrett needs to get his ass far, far away from the NWA World Title and use his substantial name and face recognition to feud with others in the upper midcard and actually put some people over, Random sees Jarrett's reigns on top the promotion as a necessary evil, and BC thinks that Jeff Jarrett is a solid wrestler who does everything he can for his company. While I dispute the "solid wrestler" part of his argument regarding the Paula Abdul of pro wrestling, I've said before that I don't think Jarrett has evil intent in mind and really believes his title reigns are the best thing for TNA. That he believes this clearly shows his insanity, but that's another argument. There are a lot of wrestlers that would benefit from getting the kind of exposure Jarrett gets, and I think both the TNA main event scene and the NWA World Title would be better for it. AJ Styles has held that championship three times already, but he's never really been pushed as a credible champion. The one lengthy reign he had occurred after an incredibly moronic double-switch where he turned heel to be the foil to Jarrett. So, basically he only got the title for a few months so the company could build Jarrett's status as a face. His other two reigns were transitional in a sense, and so the man the fans keep voting in as "Mr. TNA" and who is promoted by the announcers as being better than God is constantly kept on the backburner by upper management. I'm sure The Phenomenal One doesn't see this as a good thing, and if it wasn't for Jarrett's psychosis he wouldn't either, but Styles is far from being the only player in Total Nonstop Action that doesn't appear to be getting enough. Rhyno was World Champ for a cup of coffee when the way he won the title should have been used as an ascension. Raven got the World Champion in May, the organization promptly went dark, and right before it returned to national television guess who had recaptured the strap without even having to give a rematch? I'm not telling you. I said guess. Jeff Hardy was over enough at one point that a short title reign would have been appropriate, Abyss is probably the best big man in the world and has deserved the world title for a while now. Monty Brown--against all logic--is mega-over with the crowd and has been pushing for the World Title for well over a year now without once feeling how heavy is the head that wears the crown. Christian Cage has clearly been rejuvenated--both in the ring and out--since leaving the WWF for TNA, and hopefully this whole "Sting leaving" thing isn't a way to screw him out of his title match at Against All Odds versus Jarrett. My boy, Chris Harris, suffered a setback much like Rhyno's in March of 2004, sans World Title and it now appears that he'll never be freed of the shackles of the tag division. Samoa Joe is just fucking awesome. Any and all of these guys could be even more solid contributors than they already are if they got to feel the rush of having the company's backing as World Champ, but rather than looking for answers, I think TNA's promoters should be looking towards The Truth. "I ain't gonna be just another heartbreaker, baby, don't you know I'm a real soul shaker?" Now, when I say The Truth, let me make it clear that I'm talking about a person. If you've never seen TNA but were a WWF fan back in 1998-1999, you may remember the man for a brief run as Road Dogg's tag partner, K Kwik. He's also been known as K Krush, but by any name, Ron Killings is an outstanding wrestler. In his time with the WWF, I also had thought he was a phenomenal talent, but his years since then have matured him into one of the best all-around performers in the world. I just knew we were seeing the beginning of something special in the fall of 2002 when he first shed the K Krush label and started his rise towards the NWA World Heavyweight Title. He said that the name he'd been given was K Krush, but that was not the truth. He was The Truth. Ron Killings was The Truth. With that, he became a serious minded competitor and focused upon being the solid main eventer player that the cruiser-weight heavy Total Nonstop Action needed at that time. In fact, he became the man to unseat the first Champion of TNA, Ken Shamrock and with no one to really feud with, he got the honor of facing off with several of the X-Division stars before dropping the strap to Jeff Jarrett. He won the World Title for the second time from AJ Styles in May of 2004, but lost it just a few weeks later(just prior to Impact!'s debut on FSN) to Jarrett again, and that's really been The Truth's only association with gold in TNA. Part of the reason for this is that shortly after he lost the strap the first time to Jarrett he was submerged into a new stable that would become known as The 3 Live Kru along with former partner, Brian Armstrong--redubbed BG James, and perennial underwhelmer Konnan. To be sure, this was an entertaining trio and would grow to become a very popular group amongst the TNA faithful. I'm also certain that Killings was having fun being a member of it; that was obvious from the start. But, I think the question as to why he was put into this stable in the first place is a good one. Was it because he wanted to do something with his friend, was it because TNA really thought this was the best way to push these three outcasts, or was it because he was being buried after doing a pretty solid job as NWA World Champ because his last name wasn't Jarrett? The IWC loves to dwell in conspiracy theories, and here I go with another one, but if you really think about it, this was really a weird situation. Killings was depushed so far away from the World Title that he didn't wrestle for the promotion for several weeks. At the same time, there was promos for this new gang week after week so it can't really be said that he was forgotten about. The promoters were obviously still very high on him, because they kept him in the public eye, but the downside is that he was in the public eye at exactly the same time out of shape has-beens like Konnan and BG James were. If memory serves, for the first few weeks of 3LK's existence, they feuded with other 3-person teams like the Flying Elvises, The New Church, The SATs, and various members of S.E.X. before eventually settling into the tag division, and eventually Killings became a single's competitor while James and Konnan were contenders for the tag straps, but how easy is it to take a guy seriously who's in a gang with two guys who's best days are far behind them and making rap videos with those guys while break-dancing his way to the ring? Even I, who was a fan of Killings, began to see him as a big joke, even when he won the World Title for the second time. In fact, I railed hard against Random's notion that The Truth was the best choice to wear the crown for TNA during their transition to national television. "Baby don't you know, I'm gonna set your world on fire? Gonna take you so high we'll be burning a whole in the sky." I would have preferred him to Jarrett, however, and really thought at the time that Styles was the best choice to show people who had never seen Total Nonstop Action before that they had a star in their champion who they'd never seen in the WWF, but was every bit as good as superstars they can produce. Right now, though, with a few caveats, I believe is the right time to start a new elevation of Ron Killings towards the World's Heavyweight Title. It's a very interesting time for The Truth. He was just able to shed the dead weight of the other members of 3LK, who are now feuding with each other while he has gone on his own path. The way that the group broke up had absolutely nothing to do with him, so that leaves his character with no real baggage and no pre-suppositions of his character. What this means is that he can really go heel or become an even stronger face with little to no notice. The fans are behind him right now, but if he keeps breakdancing his way to the ring and shit, living in the past, that probably isn't going to last too long. Now is the time for him to re-establish himself the way he did 3 1/4 years ago. He needs to come out and be the serious minded, dominant, wrestling machine that he was before being enveloped in The 3 Live Kru, because there are few guys in the world that can do what he can do. My biggest doubts about Killings lie not in who he is, but in who he is similar to. He's black, breakdances, he wears his hair in a corn-row, uses a variety of kicks in his arsenal, and finishes his matches with an axe kick. Who did I just describe? Yep--Booker T. So, what exactly is to stop the fans from viewing Killings as a second-rate Booker T? Well, first of all, he should get rid of the fucking break-dancing as I already implied. That would help. If he came out in black jeans and a black denim vest the way he did when he first shed the K Krush label, that would be a good step, too, and new theme music wouldn't hurt either. But, what I really think Killings needs to do is bring the Hat Rack Crack--which he renamed True Conviction--back as his finishing maneuver. First of all, it's cool--he lifts his opponent like he's going to do a vertical suplex on them, but then drives them face first into the canvas between his split legs. It's a devastating move, but, more importantly, it's NOT an axe kick. He can always use that the way he used to--as a signature move. The point is to differentiate himself away from being the poor-man's Booker T. Is it fair he has to change to accommodate fan perceptions of him? Yes. In the wrestling business, as with all other forms of entertainment, the fans can make or break you. Besides, he'd just be going back to the style that he had the most success with in the first place. Right now, there are dominoes lined up for Ron Killings. Jarrett has been the dominant champion in TNA for so long now that everyone else is basically just going around in circles trying to find a new partner that will bring them back to the big dance. This creates a situation that's rife for a talented, driven, angry individual to create his own path towards that spot. All the men I mentioned earlier, except The Wildcat, could have fresh, strong feuds with Killings where he goes over them while still making him look strong. The man can talk, wrestle, has a strong power game, a decent aerial attack, and has a great look when he goes back to the attire I suggested earlier, plus he's capable of bringing out the best in almost any opponent. Plus, there's the added benefit that he can provide something that the wrestling world hasn't seen in over 4 years now--a black man on top of a national wrestling promotion. I know a lot of people don't count The Rock as a black world champion, but his mother is black, so I think that registers him as such. But, if you don't accept that idea, my argument is even stronger because you'd have to go back a year earlier to when Booker T held the WCW World Title. TNA should be doing everything they can to draw in viewers, and drawing some of the minority vote by putting the strap on him--however, that's just an added bonus. Ron Killings would be a proud champion for them. Ron Killings has been biding his time long enough in the lower midcard. Ron Killings is the most talented performer in TNA not named Samoa Joe. Ron Killings can be the man to take TNA into national prominance, and he deserves the chance to prove it. He has the type of wrestling acumen that's worthy of the time and constant push that Jeff Jarrett is always given. Styles, Abyss, Rhyno, Raven, Joe, Harris, Brown, and Cage are all worthy contenders, but Ron Killings is the man who should be sitting on the TNA throne. If there's justice in this world, Ron Killings is your next dominant NWA World Heavyweight Champion. Xan wouldn't steer you wrong. You can trust everything I've just told you. Honestly. That's The Truth. Siosal writes: I just read your column, and I couldnt agree more. Just to fill you in, I'm 27, british and living in South Africa. All of our wrestling shows are at least 4 weeks old by the time we see them. I read lords of pain because I can't stand being so far behind. 4 weeks is a lifetime. Shelton Benjamin is THE wwe wrestler of the past decade or so. Not only has he got true wrestling credentials, skills and abilities, but he has the athletic ability of an olympic champion. Noone can touch him for complete physical ability. I agree that his mic skills are below par. But Shelton doesnt grab people with his voice. He's an actions speak louder than words kinda guy. Remember when he was going against tripH? H would go for the pedigree, Shelton would escape and just wag a finger. What reaction from the crowd. Compare that to Triple H who gives those frikkin long windid 20 minute promos that make people consider suicide (or at least changing the channel). Please note, SD and Raw are only 1 hour long here. So we get severly diluted stuff. And a good half of the raw show is H talking. If there's a guy that should just shut up... it's him. Thats why I'm all for Shelton just doing "what he does". The sprint up the ladder against Jericho. The springboard into Shwan Micaels kick. His flambouyant ring exits in over the top rope matches. The man can sell and do, pretty much anything. He makes moves look like they work when he executes them. He makes moves look like they work when he gets hit with them. Great facial expressions more than make up for whatever he may lack. If he was wrestling for me, I'd treat the guy like gold. Once he's gone, he's gone. You only get a guy with that kind of skill once in a blue moon. He could carry the WWE/World title with ease. Triple H should stick to anything other than the world title. He's better as a free agent. A guy that could attack anyone at any time. Seeing him with a belt is irritating. (I have to disagree with you though. He is not a complete wrestler. his skills are severly limited ad always were. Sure he can sell something quite well. But as an offensive wrestler, he has very little to offer) Which is proobably why he makes other people look good. I'm a big fan of Benjamin. As I was a huge fan of Brock Lesnar. They were completely the same. Weak on the mic. Phenomenal in the ring. I actually wish he'd come back. I really do. i could only imagine a Benjamin/Lesnar feud. The guys were roommates in college! They were a tag team in OVW. They both execute moves of guys half their size! (Shooting star press from a guy who wieghs 3 times more than any cuiserweight?) Sure he botched it ONCE. But that was his finishing move in OVW. Imagine the show those 2 guys could put out. Now thats who Benjamin should be fighting. Not Venis. Not Viscera. And NOT with that freakin character they refer to as his momma. That is a sick idea and no doubt! Get rid of it and get shelton wrestling again. Heck, I'd even settle for a Benjamin/Haas feud. I watch raw to see guys like him. In fact, I watch it to see him! Anyway, thanks for the great column. Look forward to the next one. Siosal I completely agree that Benjamin doesn't need to work the mic to be an outstanding performer. Like Chris Benoit, his actions speak for him. I agree that a Lesnar/Benjamin feud would have been awesome, but unfortunately when Lesnar was around he was defeating Benjamin and Haas at the same time as part of his feud with Angle. I actually thought--and still think--that the WWF should have Benjamin use the Brock Lock as a finisher. It would be a nice compliment to either the exploder or his springboard clothesline. I don't see Lesnar ever coming back to the WWF, though. BTW, I'd rather have Shelton fight his Momma than have her by his side. Thanks for the awesome feedback! Dan had this to say: Hey Xan, Just read your column ' bout the Benjamin, and I couldn't agree more. The guy can flat-out go with the best of them. His mic skills pretty well suck, but so what? Team him up with Bobby Lashley as a pair of soft-spoken ass-kickers with tons of amateur credentials and there you go. Name them "Silent But Deadly". The unspoken fart joke would keep the jackwads at the McMahon Family Compound and Theme-Park happy, so everybody wins. I have a feeling that Lashley is going to get a serious singles push before Benjamin, though. Despite what to my eyes appears to be a pretty limited moveset, they are obviously pretty high on the Gentle Giant. I just hope it's not a case of The Nathan Jones Equation; great look+mediocre skilz+desperate, flailing overkill of a push = jack squat. To me the larger question for Benjamin is how the heck to get him out of his current millstone of a gimmick? Momma's Boy? Sheesh, are they trying to get the crowd behind him to be free from his overbearing Momma or against him as a sissy-boy? What a total clunker. No matter how you cut it, it makes him look weak. I figure that one of two things will happen here. Either he will grow weary of his Momma's constant badgering and tell her off or she will get threatened/hurt by another wrestler and he will rise to her defense, at which point she will gratefully acknowledge his manliness and depart in confident triumph. So he's either a jackass or a wuss. Why can't they just let the guy be the kick-ass wrestler he's proven that he is and leave it at that? All you ever really need story-wise is warring egos; "Me Better Than You!". "No You Not: Me Better!". All this other crap just gets in the way and waters down the meat of the show. This should be the general rule: "Less Talking: More Fighting". Maybe TNA should adopt that as their official slogan. Of course there are exceptions to this; there are some few really great talkers whose character really adds to the show. But when you don't have that, to hell with it. Just get in the ring and go. And who does that better than Benjamin? I can't think of many. Thanks: Good Column! -Dan There aren't many better than Benjamin at that. When he's on his game and he has the confidence he appeared to lack for several months, he's the most exciting performer I've seen since Sean Waltman was performing as The Lightning Kid back in Global. In case you never caught that, I'm giving high praise here. RVD, Styles, Aries, and Joe are all lights-out, too, in my opinion, but Benjamin's my favorite right now and I think it sucks that they've weighed him down with this Momma gimmick, but at least he's back on RAW instead of toiling away on the internet. I don't know how they're going to get rid of this Momma thing. Maybe she can turn out to be Sharmell's long-lost great-aunt or something and those two annoying bitches can go away together. Also, is it just me or does she not even look old enough to be his mom? As for Lashley, I'm really high on him and it may not be such a bad idea to push him fast considering the horrible luck Smackdown has keeping main eventers and upper midcarders healthy--or alive. Thanks, Dan. These are the columns that I believe to be the best posted in the LOP Columns Forum over the last 7 days. I suppose you could call them plugs, but regardless what term you use, these are the recent columns I see as shining examples of stellar work: The Baker's Dozen I From the Eye of a Dragon Take a look at my most recent work at Random's site, The Project: The Compass Rose 2/4/2006 and an excellent piece at the same place from Brochio66: Maybe That will conclude today's voyage on The Northern Star. Please e-mail any feedback to XanManX@hotmail.com, with the words "Northern Star" or "feedback" in the subject line. The Northern Star will rise again. Until then, Long days, pleasant nights
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