DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu – Orton’s Push + ‘McMahon’ DVD Review (Part 2)
Submitted by DaveyBoy on Wednesday, August 1, 2007 at 2:45 AM EST






THE WRESTLING MENU #241

Welcome one and all to the 241st edition of ‘The Wrestling Menu’, the column that is sure to satisfy your taste buds when it comes to discussing all things wrestling.

Excluding specific topics I have written about over the past few weeks, I have received a lot of general thoughts & opinions concerning all things WWE. There have been 3 to 5 main points that have been raised by readers on a consistent basis:

(1a, b & c): The Benoit tragedy, WWEs wellness policy & the amount of injuries that have occurred over the past year or 2.
(2) The Great Khali being chosen as the new World HeavyWeight Champion following Edge's injury.
(3) Randy Orton's WWE Championship shot & rumored title win.

I have already spoken sufficiently concerning points 1a, b & c previously in my column. To be honest, I really don't have all that much to add & am not in a position of knowledge or expertise to add anything further. With regards to point 2, it is fair to state that The Great Khali's title reign hasn't been the most popular amongst wrestling fans the world over. I will speak about that topic & the choice to have him as champion in my next column.

On with the show…..


APPETIZERS – Orton’s Push

Today, I have chosen to write about Randy Orton's push to the top of a deep Raw roster at present. One thing that is important to consider with regards to my opinions here is that while I am not totally ignoring the fact that there have been rumors that Orton will defeat John Cena for the WWE Championship at SummerSlam, I am also not taking them as gospel. The fact here is that these are simply rumors & it would not at all surprise me if Cena was to walk out of New Jersey as still the WWE Champion. Hell, he has emerged victorious from title matches for as long as I can recall now!

One thing that is fact though is that Randy Orton has been named the #1 contender for Cena's WWE Championship & will indeed be taking the champ on at SummerSlam in a little under 4 weeks time. So far, the rumor which was spread well before this announcement is coming to fruition. But before we speak on a potential title reign for Orton, let me first address whether or not he should even be in such a position.

The question of whether or not Orton should be wrestling for the #1 title in all of professional wrestling has not a great deal to do with his ability or overness at the moment, but more to do with his poor disciplinary issues over the past couple of years. Once more, this is mainly rumor, but there have been so many of them, that it is difficult to not think of most of them as true. This is especially the case with his latest exploits at an overseas hotel, as he seemed to disappear off our television screens for a number of weeks, presumably due to suspension.

Some fans expected Orton to be fired by WWE & it is fair to state that different rules have indeed come into play here as a lesser wrestler would have indeed been shown the door. I don't get too upset by this. Why? Because it happens everywhere in all walks of life. That doesn't mean I condone WWE's decision, but I'm not going to get my feathers all ruffled by it either. Personally, I am unsure that firing Orton would have been the best decision anyway.

Following on though, it was presumed that Randy would be depushed for a while. Initial booking even suggested that this was indeed true. However, he almost stumbled into an angle where he would be the one injuring truly injured wrestlers for storyline purposes. I actually feel that this was not an intentional storyline on WWE's behalf... At least not initially. I do realize that the angle could have been given to another up & coming heel & that was probably the better way to go in reality. But once the angle started, I suppose that it was indeed difficult to stop. And, in all honesty, Orton has done a terrific job with the storyline.

However, while Orton's work of late may have meant he should keep his job. And while Orton's work of late may also suggest that he shouldn't have been made a jobber in any way. Does it suggest that he should now be challenging for the WWE Championship...??? This is a tough one to answer & I would most likely answer "No" myself as I don't feel it is far enough removed from his latest disciplinary issue. On top of that, he is currently on the stacked Raw roster which could easily throw up another heel contender such as Kennedy or Booker. Yet, while I disagree with the decision to have Orton challenge for the title on a major ppv, it still doesn't bother me a great deal.

However, what does bother me a great deal is if the rumors are indeed correct & Orton does defeat Cena at SummerSlam to become WWE Champion. Not only would this WWE booking decision bother me due to the above disciplinary issues & the like, but it bothers me for one other major reason; Rumors suggest that Triple H is behind the thought. Now, please don't take me the wrong way here... I know this is also just a rumor & please consider that I have not been as harsh on Triple H in the past with regards to his involvement with the creative process. But something just doesn't feel right about all of this.

On top of the perception that disciplinary rules are lessened for WWE benefit, there is also now a perception that disciplinary rules are lessened for Triple H's benefit. Furthermore, looking past the backstage goings on, does Orton deserve to be WWE Champion at this time? The answer is arguable, but I am certain the majority would lean towards a "No" response. But maybe more importantly, do most fans want to see months on end of Randy Orton vs Triple H for the WWE Championship? Again, I doubt this would be all that popular & if rumors are correct that the match-up is planned to be the main-event of WrestleMania 24, then I would severely question the decision!


’McMAHON’ DVD REVIEW

Today sees my review of Disc-2 of the ‘McMahon’ DVD set. For those of you unaware, I reviewed the 1st disc of this 2 disc set in my column last week. If you have yet to read that & would still like to do so, it can be accessed by clicking on the following link: http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2007_/articles/1185348293.php

MAIN – Disc-2 Matches

vs ‘STONE COLD’ STEVE AUSTIN (St.Valentines Day Massacre. February-14, 1999): Vince gets heel heat by stalling to get into the cage in this bout where Stone Cold’s WrestleMania 15 title shot is on the line. A fake leg injury by Austin then leads to 10 minutes of brawling at ringside & through the crowd, which ends in Vince taking a huge bump from the top of the cage through the Spanish Announce Table (in a genuine holy $hit moment where Vince broke his coccyx). Stone Cold then interrupts Vince’s ride to the back and to the enjoyment of the crowd, the match officially begins at the 17 minute mark of this footage. Austin dominates for a couple of minutes & is talked out of walking out for the win by a Vince bird!

Vince then gets a little offense in, but it’s predominantly an Austin squash, as McMahon gets busted open. The Stone Cold Stunner finally gets hit to the delight of the crowd, but Paul Wight (aka The Giant or The Big Show) rips through the mat to make his WWE debut & attacks Austin. Unfortunately for Vince, Wight throws Stone Cold into the cage so hard that it gives way, resulting in Austin hitting the ringside mats & winning the bout at the 8 minute mark (although there is technically 22 minutes of action all up). Entertaining form the get-go with terrific storytelling & great crowd involvement. How this didn’t seem to drag says a lot for the 2 performers & the feud. Of course, the huge spot didn’t hurt either! Match Rating: 8

with SHANE McMAHON vs ‘STONE COLD’ STEVE AUSTIN (King Of The Ring. June-27, 1999): This was a handicap ladder match & Austin takes 9 minutes at the beginning of the bout taking turns in beating up both McMahons, much to the loud approval of the live crowd. The action is all over the place, even taking place on a dangerous looking ladder scaffold of sorts near the entrance set. Austin sends Shane through the Spanish Announce Table, but then Vince does the same to Stone Cold, as the elder McMahon heads up the ladder to retrieve a briefcase. Austin stops him with a low-blow though and, ignoring some comedy hijinks from Shane & Vince attempting to grab the briefcase without the use of a ladder, Austin then dominates the bout. But when trying to grab the briefcase, it gets raised higher leading to more action where Shane sneaks up the ladder & wins the bout at the 17 minute mark. Successfully entertaining match, although it did tend to drag a little at times. The gimmick of the ladders were effective in adding to the bout, but not to any great extent. A tough one to rate due to the over-booking, but the entertainment value is difficult to ignore. Match Rating: 7.5

vs TRIPLE H (Armageddon. December-12, 1999): This was a ‘No Holds Barred & Falls Count Anywhere’ match and Vince uses that to his advantage immediately as he blinds H with powder. Due to this, the action is back & forth with the 2 brawling at ringside & through the crowd. Mick Foley then brings out weapons for Vince to use & he gets great use out of a trash can & its lid, and then a crutch. A low-blow stems the tide though & the heel Triple H then controls the offense for minutes near the ppv set. The 2 then head backstage & out to the parking lot where HHH unsuccessfully tries to run Vince over. After some brawling there, the 2 head back in as they climb a tower, where Vince takes an anti-climactic fall.

But the match refuses to end as H taunts Stephanie & Vince before heading for his trusty sledgehammer. After some involvement from Steph, which eventually results in her heel turn, Triple H grabs the victory at exactly the 30 minute mark. When the action was taking place, this reminded me of an older-style ECW match that consisted solely of brawling & weapon shots. But this was made even worse by its over-length & dead time. Furthermore, excluding the set-up, there seemed to be a lack of a coherent story in the actual bout. The match was drawn out & dragged on, despite there being a few entertaining moments & having that main-event feel that always helps. Match Rating: 6

vs SHANE McMAHON WrestleMania 17. April-1, 2001): This was a ‘No Disqualification Streetfight’ & began with better than expected brawling between the 2 as they really played up the well built-up storyline (in the weeks before-hand) excellently. (The face) Shane controls the early going until missing a top-rope elbow-drop through an announce table. Trish Stratus then drags out an apparently comatose Linda McMahon to ringside, where the diva turns on Vince, leading to a catfight between Trish & Stephanie (who accompanied Vince to the ring) that results in them heading to the back. Vince then takes out special referee Mick Foley (who had hardly been relevant) before placing his wife in the corner of the ring to allow her to watch him beat down their son Shane. But, to the raptures of the crowd, Linda awakes & low-blows Vince, leading to the eventual WWE debut of the Van Terminator by Shane for the victory at the 14 minute mark. One of the most well told stories ever in a WWE match! Obviously not the crispest wrestling-wise, the entertainment value here was an 11 out of 10. Great sub-plots, 2 huge spots & not a bad streetfight to boot. Furthermore, this did not drag at all with 14 minutes being the perfect duration & a darn lot of everything squeezed into that timeframe. Match Rating: 9

vs RIC FLAIR (Royal Rumble. January-20, 2002): This was a 'No Disqualification Streetfight' where the 2 co-owned WWE in the storylines at the time. Vince looks absolutely huge here & uses the strength advantage to counter Flair's technical wrestling in the opening minutes. Vince then uses a sign & a trash-can to control proceedings & bust Flair open. Some taunting of Flair's family at ringside is then followed by Vince targetting the leg back in the ring, leading to the figure 4 leglock being applied. The Nature Boy eventually escapes & a low-blow results in Flair regaining control as a monitor shot busts Vince open. Ric then goes to work with his usual offense & a pipe shot leads to the figure 4 & the submission victory at the 15 minute mark. Obviously nothing special from a wrestling perspective, and Vince controlling so much of the bout didn't help that. But both men did put in good effort & when Flair turned on the intensity & gained the momentum, the crowd sure did eat it up. Match Rating: 7

vs HULK HOGAN (WrestleMania 19. March-30, 2003): This is yet another 'No Disqualification Streetfight' for Vince as he starts the bout with a slap to Hogan's face. McMahon has slightly the better of a back & forth opening 7 minutes where standard offense is the norm. But the Hulkster gains control, and the crowd's adulation, with a couple of huge chair-shots that bust Vince open badly! Vince eventually replies with his own chair-shot to the head & then follows it up by leg-dropping Hogan through an announce table from off the top of a ladder! It only gets a 2 count back in the ring though & this leads to Vince getting a pipe from under the ring (resulting in the famous "Here's Vince" visual). With both men down after a Hogan low-blow, 'Rowdy' Roddy Piper strangely interferes in the bout by hitting Hogan with the pipe. Once more, this only results in a 2 count for Vince though & Hogan eventually hulks up to the delight of the crowd & finishes things off at the 20 minute mark. A predictable & entertaining streetfight which saw lots of blood spilt. In a way I thought it was a poor man's version of the WrestleMania 17 match between Vince & Shane. Match Rating: 7

vs STEPHANIE McMAHON (No Mercy. October-19, 2003): This was an "I Quit" match & mother Linda accompanies Steph to the ring, while diva Sable accompanies Vince. In amongst a lot of taunting of both his wife & his daughter, Vince predictably controls the first 5 minutes of the bout with standard & methodical offense. But an eye-rake & low-blow gets a super close near-fall for Steph that is difficult not to get sucked into. A couple of pipe shots also gets a near-fall, as the crowd goes bonkers for a possible upset! Steph then gets yet another 2 count with a bulldog, before Vince finally regains control & starts choking Steph out with the pipe. Linda then throws in the towel for her daughter to end the bout in Vince's favor at the 10 minute mark. As bad as this storyline was, credit is due in that this match was a lot better than I expected. Vince obviously carried the bout & there surprisingly wasn't too many wasted minutes in it's 10 minute duration. Furthermore, I actually believed Steph was a chance to win during her spurt of offense in the middle of the bout. Still not what I would call quality entertainment, but achieved it's purpose. Match Rating: 5

vs THE UNDERTAKER (Survivor Series. November-16, 2003): This was a 'Buried Alive' match that must have set a record for the person to be busted open the quickest as Vince badly bleeds from a punch within the first 30 seconds! Things aren't helped with a subsequent Monitor shot to the head & then later a shovel shot to the wound. After 9 minutes of total Undertaker dominance, the dead man carries Vince to the grave where McMahon finally gets in a little offense thanks to some dirt, a low-blow & the shovel. 'Taker quickly fights back though, but just as he is about to finish the bout off, Kane predictably interferes leading to the Vince win at the 12 minute mark. Oh boy, Vince leaking that much blood couldn't have been healthy, especially when near the dirt!! Sheer brutality & a huge squash from the opening, as Vince basically got no offense in. Pretty ordinary as a wrestling bout & it didn't really deliver anything special except for the blade-job & Kane's expected appearance. While the entertainment value could have been better, it was still sufficient. Again, it was well-timed (only lasting 12 minutes) & had both the live crowd involved. Yes, I'm giving an extra rating point for Vince's bleeding. Match Rating: 6


DESSERT

Easter Eggs & Conclusion

EASTER EGGS

- On Disc-1, go to the 'Extras' page, highlight 'The Sleeping Giant' & then press 'left' twice to see Triple H tell a 1 minute story about how Vince convinced The Big Show into duct-taping the air-mattress on the plane to lead to certain failure.

- On Disc-1, go to the 'Extras' page, highlight 'VKM Training Package' & then press 'left' twice to see the real footage of Vince chasing the chicken in the snow. In truth, that darn chicken was rather tame & obviously too cold to be energetic. 90 seconds in length.

CONCLUSION

Overall, this a rather difficult 2 disc DVD set to pin down with a clear conclusion. This is most probably due to the fact that it focuses on a non-wrestler & therefore the matches are a little bit more differently structured than normal. Considering that, you would think that the set would live or die by it's main feature. But that isn't necessarily the case here.

Looking at the main documentary portion of the DVD, it is longer than most that WWE have released, but unfortunately it's only intermittently more detailed than usual. Considering that comment, it is actually a little too overlong. But in reality, the length is actually perfect, it's just that the content lets it down a few times too often. I would have loved for the documentary to detail other more controversial topics in more detail. I can see how some of them (EG: Steroid scandal, World Wildlife Foundation, etc...) may have had legal issues, but I still feel the topics could have been discussed in some way, shape or form. For example, I would have loved to have heard more on the Vince & Hogan relationship!

Furthermore, there is a technique used in the documentary that is rather obvious in retrospect, if not so clear when you are actually viewing it for the first time. That is, that there is an attempt to take most subjects & discuss them from both a character & real-life perspective. The blurring of such lines occasionally works to the documentaries advantage, but more often turns into an awkward mish-mash. Having been a little critical, the documentary is a rather entertaining & at times interesting watch.

With the exception of one or two humorous gems, the non-match extras are pretty much filler. They aren't awful in any way, but they are more there to just fill space rather than anything else. I can't really think of a way that these could have been improved because if you were to put some interview segments or promos in their place, there would have been too much time taken up due to Vince's usual habit of waffling on & on for far too long!

With regards to the matches, they actually don't play out too bad when considering that we are talking about a non-wrestler here. There is probably a bit too much duplication involved with the No Disqualification Streetfights, but that's only to be expected. In truth, Vince doesn't wrestle all that often, so the choices of matches were pretty much a given here. And overall, they come off entertaining enough & the big match feel to most of them is conveyed successfully.

In conclusion, this is a slightly above-average release by WWE that is predominantly entertaining even if it falls flat at stages with its repetition & lack of detail at times. Not up there with the very best of WWE's releases, I would say this is clearly above the bottom of the barrel stuff.


That puts both edition #241 of 'The Wrestling Menu' & my review of the McMahon DVD set in the record books. As per usual, if there is anything that you want to provide feedback on, you know where I am & you know that I will reply to all feedback in due time. My e-mail address is DaveyBoy123@bigpond.com, but if you are an LOP Forums member, it would be much appreciated if you could leave feedback on my thread at http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=217&page=7.

And while you are on the LOP Forums, why don't you check out my weekly contributions to the Album Review thread. So far, I have reviewed 2 albums each by groups such as My Chemical Romance, Muse, Rise Against, Razorlight, The Killers, Kasabian, The All-American Rejects, Kaiser Chiefs, AFI, Panic At The Disco, Fall Out Boy & Jet. And for the first time, I actually FAIL an album this week… Who could it be…??? To find out who, just click on the following link & scroll down: http://www.lopforums.com/showthread.php?t=99&page=3.

I have a super busy weekend & start of next week upcoming, so there is a good chance that there will be no ‘Wrestling Menu' next Wednesday. I am planning to write a SmackDown centered column next time out, but I am unsure whether you will get that next Wednesday or half way through the following week (August-15). Whichever week it is, my column will be posted at the same Wednesday time on the same LOP channel. Until then, this is DaveyBoy signing off & asking you to remember that dinner is best served in 3 courses.


DaveyBoy’s Wrestling Menu. 2002-2007

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