DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu - Vengeance Review, Merchandise + D-Generation X
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, June 28, 2006 at 4:54 PM EST
THE WRESTLING MENU #182
Welcome one and all to the 182nd edition of The Wrestling Menu, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.
Ok, I'll get it out of the way for the 3 of you that are interested; No, I'm not heading to Vegas. Some guy slow-played bullets (pocket aces) when I had pocket queens in my hand. That hand was always going to end in tragedy... It's just that I didn't know it.
Anyway, moving on... The SoccerRoos did a great job in making the final 16 of the World Cup of soccer, before falling to the might of the referees. Ooops, I mean Italy. I was reading a story about the net worth of both teams. The Italian players were worth almost 5 times more! Who said money didn't mean anything in professional sport? Oh, by the way, belated (& sarcastic) congratulations to the Miami Heat on winning the NBA Championship.
Oh well, I guess we can all now sit down in our arm-chairs with some strawberries & cream to watch the Wimbledon Tennis Championships. Then again, as musical group Placebo sings:
Always Stays The Same
Nothing Ever Changes
English Summer Rain
Seems To Last For Ages!
Ok, enough of the negativeness about non-wrestling items & on with the show.....
D-Generation X
I realize that I am nowhere near the first column-writer to post my thoughts on D-Generation X, but the timing is just too right at the moment to let it slip by. Basically, I’m in favor of their return. But I wouldn’t say it’s one standout factor that I base my opinion on. It’s not just because they are funny, for example. Instead, there are many little things that add up which makes me reach my conclusion.
In the ‘Main’ section of today’s column, I will touch on a few random opinions of mine concerning D-Generation X. But first, I want to tie in their return to a topic I have never really touched on, but may very well have played a part in the reunification of Shawn Michaels & Triple H.
APPETIZERS - Merchandise
As is obvious from the topic heading, the factor that I am talking about is merchandising. It actually hit me when one reader sent in a house show report to LOP a few weeks back. He stated something like “Many DX t-shirts were being sold”. And as obvious as that should be, it sort of took me by surprise. I’m unsure why it did, but it did. I think one of the reasons was because I realized how easy it was for the WWE to just reprint something that they sold almost a decade ago now. While I’m certain that we will get updated DX paraphernalia along the way, some of the DX merchandise was ready to go right from the start.
As fans, we sometimes look at the WWE product tunnel-visioned. This is usually from an entertainment perspective, but can include how favorite wrestlers are being treated & things such as that. What we sometimes forget about is that the WWE is a business. If anything should remind us of that, it’s the fact that the company is publicly listed on the stock exchange.
Some people have actually started to believe that the Vince McMahon character is 100% like that in real life. Some people think that he will throw money away at will. And while ventures such as the XFL probably back that up to some extent, I think this is very much not the case. And sometimes, business decisions have to be made. Such decisions could be good for the fans, bad for the fans, or even unknown at a certain point in time. I think that the return of D-Generation X may be one of these good business decisions that could, depending on the individual thinking about it, fit into any of these categories.
And, before I lose my main point, I would almost go as far as to say that merchandising revenue from DX returning, makes the reunification a good business decision alone! I’m serious. Look around the crowd at Raw. I know there are many signs concerning DX, and they are practically free to make, but there are just as many t-shirts, caps, foam whatevers & goodness knows what else. And the stable hasn’t really kicked in for the newer fans as yet, so imagine what it will be like in a couple of months time.
So let’s look at an individual t-shirt shall we… Apologies for my lack of knowledge on how many US dollars a DX t-shirt would set you back in the States, but I think my example works just as well in Aussie dollars. At a live WWE event down under, such a shirt would sell for approximately $35. It probably costs less than $5 to make & I’m probably over-estimating that by more than 100%. So with each t-shirt sold, close to $30 profit is made! Pretty handy. And even more so when you think that the WWE hasn’t really had to do any further designs, research & development on such an item as yet.
Basically what I’m trying to get at is that even if the 2006 version of D-Generation X doesn’t stick around for more than 6 months… And even if it isn’t as successful as the 1990’s version… It’s the type of stable/gimmick that is still going to sell to a core base of fans. And, while being a generalization, those type of fans (teenage males) are going to want to wear the merchandise of the guys that make them laugh week in & week out. And when those fans stretch worldwide, then it makes it difficult for the WWE to suggest that it’s not a good business decision to reunite DX.
I’ve fashioned this topic totally around D-Generation X because it’s an excellent (& timely) example. But I have no doubt that merchandise sales can play a big part in whether a wrestler gets pushed or not. Some characters just aren’t the perfect fit to sell merchandise, while others are. Carlito is another good example in my opinion. And selling merchandise is making money; It’s that plain & simple. And making money is what businesses are all about.
Of course, then there are cheapskates like me who just reach into the back of the closet, clear the mothballs & instantly appear cool & down with D-Generation X!
MAIN - Random DX
I’m unsure how structured this will appear, but what I will do in the following few paragraphs is state some of my opinions on the return of this successful stable. Most of the points will be why I am in favor of the reunification of Triple H & Shawn Michaels:
HUMOR
I may as well touch on this first. Like most, I don’t find everything that D-Generation X does hilarious. In fact, some of it is quite embarrassing to be honest. It’s also hit & miss much like slapstick comedy is. But when it hits, it really hits. So I’m willing to take a few misses in the meantime. Plus, both men have a pretty good grasp of mixing the humor with a weird sort of serious intensity. These guys are professionals… They know what they’re doing. And if anything, HBK’s religious beliefs may actually help the quality of the humor this time around.
A SUCCESSFUL FACE TRIPLE H
The bottom line is that Triple H portrays a better heel character, than a face character. That is not a knock on him personally, but just a fact for whatever reason. Over the past 5 years or so, he has had a few dabbles at turning face. With each attempt, it has either been unsuccessful from the get-go, or struggled to last longer than a couple of months. It just hasn’t worked & the crowd won’t buy it. But when paired with Shawn Michaels in a rule-breaking face stable, Triple H seems to be able to pull the face character off.
In fact, I think one of the things that cemented the decision to reunite DX was Triple H’s touches of comedy & smart-a$$edness (so I just made up a word) back when he got involved in the John Cena vs Edge feud earlier in the year. He was great at the time, but it almost contradicted his character. The WWE probably knew right then that (a) this was an opportunity too good to refuse, and (b) it was only D-Generation X that could truly make H a successful face. Looking down the track a little, this face run could also freshen up his heel character whenever he turns once more.
TAG-TEAM WRESTLING
Especially on the Raw brand, tag-team wrestling has basically been dead for at least a year. Even though many fans believe this reunification of DX won’t last all that long, HBK & HHH can hardly be judged as a thrown together team. They have good chemistry in the ring & a reason to be teaming together. Even if their opponents in some tag-team matches are thrown together heels, I can see some potentially good match-ups that make us yearn for the days when proper tag-team matches could actually main-event a television show.
FREES UP WWE CHAMPIONSHIP SCENE
I think that for the most part, both Shawn Michaels & Triple H will be kept out of the WWE Championship scene. Well, they will for quite some time anyway. This frees up the title scene for the likes of Edge, RVD, Cena & other youngsters to potentially take the step up to the main-event scene & show if they are worthy of such a spot. I know there is a problem with the definition of main-eventing here (IE: Did RVD & Edge main event last Sunday?), but when the WWE Championship is involved, you are basically as good as there in my opinion.
Plus, if D-Generation X is even going to be moderately successful in drawing in fans, then this would release the pressure of having to carry the company, for those guys stepping up. I don’t think that this point can be undervalued at all, because I wouldn’t mind betting that there have been a few WWE Champs who have buckled under the pressure in the past.
NEW MEMBERS?
This is a popular question that I have been asked multiple times over the past 2-3 weeks. The answer is a tough one & could depend on how long the stable is planned to last. If it gets anywhere near a year in length, then I can’t see how it could remain just the 2 of them. If new members have to be added, I wouldn’t go any more than 2 extra. I’ve had quite a few names submitted to me & I think the plan that I like most is to have both Carlito & Maria added. I think Maria would hilariously play off HBK & HHH, and vice-versa. Carlito would be more of a question mark, but could definitely fit in if it’s planned out correctly.
HOW LONG BEFORE THE IMPLOSION?
This is probably the most important question of them all & opinions are widely varied among fans. Some feel that there could be a heel turn by one of the members as soon as SummerSlam. Others feel the stable may just last through 2006, but not much longer. While there are also fans that suggest this needs to be played by ear & if they are successful, then why not keep the team going until they genuinely do become stale? My thoughts are that the answer revolves around 1 thing. One very big thing. Or more correctly; One very big event: WrestleMania 23.
The way I look at it is that the big show (not the wrestler, the actual event) in Detroit is going to be very important to the WWE. They want to sell out the large stadium & they want to put on one hell of an extravaganza. In Triple H & Shawn Michaels, you have 2 of the biggest stars of the company, not to mention 2 of their best wrestlers arguably. They cannot be wasted & must play a large part in selling the event.
So, for mine, it comes down to whether or not the WWE can come up with suitable opponents for DX to make a huge match. I can’t say that I have thought about it too hard, but nothing comes to mind right now. If that continues to be the case, then I have no problem splitting the 2 & having a SummerSlam 2002 reprise. If this latter option is the case, then the split should happen some time between November & the end of January for set-up & promotional purposes.
DESSERT
Vengeance Review
For those that cannot recall my previous PPV review columns, this is the key that explains what the final PPV Rating means:
<50: Ask for a refund for not only your money, but also your time. [F] (Armageddon '04)
50-54: Mediocre & disappointing. [D] (EG: Royal Rumble '06)
55-59: Average. [C] (EG: New Years Revolution '06)
60-64: Worth A Watch. [C+] (EG: Judgment Day '06)
65-69: Good event that was worth the money. [B] (EG: One Night Stand '06)
70-74: Very good. [B+] (EG: No Way Out '06)
75-79: Make sure you add this ppv to your video or dvd collection. [A] (EG: One Night Stand '05)
80+ : Make sure that the video or dvd is locked in a safe & cannot be erased. Memorable. [A+]
RANDY ORTON defeated KURT ANGLE: Strange choice as opener. I get the feeling that the only reason why it was chosen was to begin the night with Orton's showering fireworks combining well with the large Vengeance 'V' symbol! The predictable beginning to the bout further backed up it's incorrect choice as opener, with both men pretty much playing off their 'One Night Stand' match, with only a few minor twists. In truth, this was too similarly structured to the previous bout, with only an ok first 8 minutes, followed by a good closing 5 minutes. But what the original had to pass the time better though was some entertaining crowd interaction. Not long after being German Suplexed 8 times & crawling around in the Ankle-Lock for about a minute, Orton uses an exposed turnbuckle to hit the RKO a the 13 minute mark to square the ledger in their personal series. Not bad by any means, but disappointingly similar to a fortnight ago & awkwardly placed due to the match style & heel/face confusion. Match Rating...6.5
UMAGA defeated EUGENE: Before the match begins, Eugene brings some backup in the form of Hacksaw Duggan, Doink & Kamala! Hacksaw does a great job getting the crowd involved, but it's hardly worth it for a 2 minute squash. Hardly any wrestling involved & nothing impressive at all. Umaga dominates all but Kamala afterwards. A disappointing waste of time. Match Rating...3
RIC FLAIR defeated MICK FOLEY in a 'Best of 3 Falls' Match: Strangely entertaining opening fall which was 4 minutes of quite decent chain wrestling. Maybe nothing special, but it worked with the intriguing set-up over the past 2 weeks. Having lost the first fall to a roll-up/ccradle type of manouever, Foley resorts to some hardcore action & comes out swinging with a garbage can after some action outside the ring & into the crowd. It all ends rather disappointingly with Foley getting disqualified to lose 2 falls to 0 just 7 minutes after the beginning of the bout. Foley goes all Cactus on us afterwards & busts Flair wide open with Barbi. Disappointingly short & this clearly was just a prelude for what could be a fascinating feud & hopefully a SummerSlam payoff. I'll pass it for the interest factor & the fact that it moved along at a decent pace. But in isolation, this was nothing at all special. Match Rating...5
JOHNNY NITRO defeated CARLITO & SHELTON BENJAMIN in a Triple-Threat Match to Win the InterContinental Title: Very entertaining match featuring 3 very gifted youngsters. Seriously folks, right here could be the bout that showcased the future of the WWE! Clever beginning which set the tone for the entire match, as Nitro was quickly disposed of, and Carlito & Shelton tried to sneak a pinfall using some clever & athletic moves. I had a bad feeling that the one-on-one action was going to strangle the bout following this, but my concerns were unfounded as it was predominantly fought with 3 men in the ring. Not a great deal of psychology involved (excluding the ‘sneaking the pin’ theory), but the lack of build-up for the feud didn’t exactly help that out. Plus, that was more than made up for by 3 or 4 terrific spots that just begged for attention; A springboard plancha type of move to the outside by Carlito & an original Tower Of Doom type 3 man superplex which is hard to do justice in words were clearly the highlights. Carlito was probably the standout, but all 3 men showed their worth as potential main-eventrers. Terrific stuff! Match Rating...8.5
ROB VAN DAM defeated EDGE to Retain the WWE Championship: Needless to say, I don’t think the placement of this bout on the card befits the importance of the WWE Championship! Impressive beginning to the match with Edge playing super cocky & initially getting the better of RVD. But then the champ steps it up & takes his offense up a level to gain the ascendancy. Edge doesn’t hold back either, with a nice sunset-flip into a powerbomb from inside the ring to the floor! Edge subsequently slows the pace down, until RVD takes it back to the outside, where he eventually comes unstuck after missing his patented spinning legdrop from the apron. A subsequent painful looking powerbomb that RVD takes on the security railing results in Edge targeting the champ’s back. But Van Dam (with some questionable selling) keeps the pace up with some decent variations on his unorthodox, but familiar, repertoire.
The finishing sequence predictably involved a referee bump, the WWE Title & some interference by Lita, but the latter backfires when Edge runs full steam into a chair & falls victim to the 5 Star Frog Splash at the 18 minute mark. This was an unpredictable ending to a match I definitely enjoyed. Nicely paced & booked, it may not have quite had that main-event feel to it, but maybe it’s positioning had something to do with that. Edge was more than solid here & showed a good mix of everything. But RVD should especially be given credit for bouncing back from his average showing at ‘One Night Stand’. He took some genuine shots for the good of the bout, while also mixing up his offense with enough variation to make it interesting. Good stuff, despite something feeling missing. Match Rating...8
(IMPOSTER) KANE defeated KANE: I must say that it was pretty cool hearing the 2 Kane themes back-to-back. I was also quite impressed with the actions & mannerisms of the imposter Kane, as he had a lot of the old-school moves down perfectly. Decent enough back & forth big man action that the live crowd didn’t really take to until near the end. But the action actually wasn’t half bad at all & they even threw in a top-rope move or 2. I have definitely seen worse, that’s for sure. The bout does end a little anti-climactically with a chokeslam by the Imposter Kane at the 7 minute mark finishing the job. Decent, if nothing too special. Match Rating...5.5
JOHN CENA defeated SABU in a Lumberjack Match: The lumberjacks were evenly split between ECW wrestlers & Raw (well… Heat, to be exact) wrestlers. The first couple of minutes were predictably filled with both men throwing their opponent to the outside to gain the helpful advantage of their corresponding lumberjacks. It didn’t take long for Sabu to get a chair in his hand though & he gained the ascendancy with various triple-jump variations that appeared fresh enough to me. A lumberjack brawl then distracted Cena long enough for a table to be set up on the outside, but Cena replied with a kendo-stick shot & then used that table for an awkward F-U from inside the ring to the outside. The STF-U then finishes the bout off at the 7 minute mark. Solid, well-paced & sufficiently entertaining. A little on the short side though & could have done with a bit more story to it. For now, these Sabu style of matches are just fine, but how long until it gets old & he has to take his daredevil acts to new heights? Match Rating...7.5
D-GENERATION X (Triple H & Shawn Michaels) defeated THE SPIRIT SQUAD (Kenny, Mikey, Johnny, Nicky & Mitch) in a Handicap Match: An extended entrance theme for DX is followed by the usual mic work. Hey, who let Mitch start the match? The opening 5 minutes or so was DX using their experience to pretty much dominate The Spirit Squad. But the youngsters in green at least did a good job in the entertainment stakes (Johnny's kung-fu act was great). The booking used them well actually, as each of the 5 shared approximately 2 minutes in the ring. They eventually got on top of DX through sheer weight of numbers. Predictably, it was HBK who worked the majority of the bout for the faces. There was no problem with that, but I do feel that the cheerleaders were in control for too long at this stage. Even when Triple H got the hot tag & brought the crowd to life, it all just seemed to go on for too long. The DX domination then went on until the 18 minute mark, when they eventually ended the bout with a double pin. Not too bad overall & mostly entertaining. But probably would have come off better if not the main-event & it lasted about 4-5 minutes shorter. Match Rating...7
PPV RATING (51/80) = 64
Looking at the key, I have basically given the 2006 version of 'Vengeance' a 'C+' grade & said that it was ‘worth a watch‘. I feel that is pretty much spot on. The match I predicted to possibly fail was the only one that did so, but other potentially good bouts such as Flair vs Foley & Angle vs Orton would have to be classed as disappointing. The order of the card didn't help matters at all, with a terrible decision to open with Angle vs Orton, while the WWE Championship bout should have at least been the penultimate match on the card. Kudos to the wrestlers involved in the top matches. They did all they could to lift this event to something very good. But at the end of the day, there was just something missing from this pay-per-view that only made it "worth a watch".
Ok, that's all I have for edition #182 of 'The Wrestling Menu. I hope you enjoyed the read this week. What did you think of 'Vengeance'? Was I around about the mark with my match ratings? And how about D-Generation X? If you have yet to email me what you think of their return, then what are you waiting for? You know that I will reply to all feedback. But please be patient this week as I am flat chat at work this week. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com
Or alternately, if you are an LOPForums member, you may also leave feedback or predictions there, by clicking on the following link: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=4889
Next Wednesday in 'The Wrestling Menu', it's finally time to tackle TNA head on. That's right, DaveyBoy's first proper TNA pay-per-view review. It should be interesting in one way or another. Other than that, I may speak on something that emanates from that event, as well as also touching on the cruiserweight division over on SmackDown. So look out for it 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.
DaveyBoy's Wrestling Menu. 2002-2006
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