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Submitted by Wevv Mang on Sunday, November 18, 2007 at 8:26 PM EST
Ridin’ With The Bossman – The Vicious Cycle Of Wrestling, Part II Greetings! What’s that? Two in two weeks? Are your eyes playing tricks on you? No, they are not. Consecutive columns. Will wonders never cease? The answer to that is no. They will always be there, if you look hard enough. But anyhoo, there is going to be a preamble to this weeks column. Or, as some like to call it, a pre-ramble. Ha! You guys and/or girls. It gets a little tricky at times. But let’s get this over with, and get into the column proper shall we? Last weeks column talked about the cycle of wrestling. It was a pretty negative piece, and in response to emails, and after a week of thinking about it, I’d like to set the matter straight and clear up a few things. First, I didn't make it all the way through Raw this week, missed Smackdown completely, but did watch Smackdown. I plan to try and remember to record TNA tonight, but that’s always a gamble. On my part that is, not Spike’s. Survivor Series has come and gone by the time this goes up. What’s going to happen? I have no idea. But there’s a chance I might not actually see it. Like I said, this part is being written before the PPV. So, just have to wait and see what happens. I mean really, just look at the card for Survivor Series 2007 Survivor Series Match The Headbangers and New Blackjacks vs Road Dogg, Badd Ass Billy Gunn, and The Godwins The Disciples Of Apocalypse vs The Truth Commission Team USA (Vader, Marc Mero, Goldust, Steve Blackman) vs Team Canada (British Bulldog, Jim “The Anvil” Neinhart, Doug Furnas, Philip LaFon) Mankind vs Kane Legion Of Doom, Ahmed Johnson, and Ken Shamrock vs The Nation Of Domination Owen Hart vs Stone Cold Steve Austin (IC Title) Bret “The Hitman” Hart vs Shawn "HeartBreak Kid” Michaels Heavyweight Title Match Hm. On second thought, that’s a hell of a card. Well worth the $40 bucks. I mean really, look at all those wrestlers. Wait a minute…that’s the 1997 card. Sorry, here’s this years: The REAL Survivor Series 2007 Card Randy Orton vs Shawn Michaels for the WWE title -Just saw that at Cyber Sunday Undertaker vs Batista, Hell In A Cell for the World Heavyweight Championship - Saw Batista and taker go at it at Cyber Sunday, and it was a damn good match. Hell in a Cell. Hm. Might be worth it. Survivor Series Match H, Jeff Hardy, Rey Mysterio, Kane, Matt Hardy vs MVP, Finlay, Ken Kennedy, Umaga, and Big Daddy V -Hm. Is it going to be like last years? ECW Triple Threat Match CM Punk vs John Morrison vs Miz -So, Miz and John are the tag team champions, right? Soooo…one of them ain't winning. Might be a pretty good match though. Cade and Murdoch vs Rhodes and Holly – Tag Team Championship Match - Not interested. When did Holly become a respected veteran? Was it after he beat up Matt Cappotelli or during one of the many times he injured himself? Hornswaggle vs Khali I’ll see replays of any good spots on Raw the next night. Hard to believe that Vince came back from the dead for this. 10 Divas Tag Team match You know…nah. Well now, that doesn't sound too bad does it? There’s always the possibility that the matches will go long and we’ll get some good wrestling. One thing WWE does do is delver some quality PPV’s more often than not. There are always one or two matches that really stand out. You know, it’s hard to knock the veterans, because the veterans have been delivering. But the problem with the vets is, you just never know how long it’s going to last. Undertaker has a long history of injuries. HBK, coming back from a serious knee injury, perhaps too soon. Rey Mysterio, same thing. H, well, it’s just a matter of time. He had a good, solid match against Umaga at the last PPV, and I was seriously worried that Umaga might have cracked a rib on H’s schnozz. Luckily, he didn’t. Finlay is no spring chicken, but again, luckily, he’s escaped some major injuries while he’s been on TV. Edge, banged up, but coming back. Jeff Hardy is feeling the effects of his matches pretty heavily. Cena, injured and out. Batista, see Undertaker. Matt Hardy, fairly injury free, but he’s been battered around. Orton has had some injuries, but his problems are more mental than physical, and again, it’s just a matter of time. Kane has been banged up, but seems fairly injury free. The up and comers? Kennedy, two major injuries, MVP, a major injury,…um, who else…Ah, Santino, had a shoulder injury. Morrison, injury and other problems. Candace, out with injury. Her third or fourth. Tough chick, though. Umaga is in good condition. But in an H feud. Other than those, can't think of anyone off the top of my head. Pretty short list. But like I said, the vets have stepped up their game and started wrestling at the level of the kids. But for how long? Always a tricky question. You see, the wrestling since the last up cycle has gotten a lot better. Some great matches, not just on PPV, but on TV hell yeah. Maybe it’s that style of wrestling that’s taking a toll. But the flipside is, the slowed down, punchy-punchy kick style just doesn't cut it anymore. Every once in a while, yes, but any more frequent than that, and it’s click. However, that doesn't explain the ratings decline. If wrestling has never been better, and all the fans want is just good wrestling, like it says in the program description, then what is causing the decrease? It’s what wrestling has become that I think is causing the problem. To the amazement of absolutely no one. Sports Entertainment must take the rap. As TV has changed over the years, facing greater competition than ever before, from cable taking off, to the net exploding and being able to become a true media content provider, so has wrestling. TV put a higher emphasis on quality (well, by their definition and that certainly doesn't mean that all TV shows are good.), and started getting territorial and aggressive on both media front. Replay episodes on the net are now available. Network shows get a second life on cable. Cable only shows are tests for networks, meaning that a kind of show gets tested on cable before a similar (sometimes considered a better) shows starts up on cable. What, you think the recent Sci-Fi comic book trend is by chance? Think back about the shows that got buzz a few years ago. Superhero Cartoons and Asian films. Batman begins, Justice League, Spiderman (On MTV no less), some cable network remakes of old Superhero movies. Movies also played a huge role, but it was the networks trying to cash in on that success. Part of it is, that with cheap special effects now available, shows can offer more than just the writing and acting. Both of those can be covered by special effects as called for. Wrestling never really stood a chance against that onslaught. I mean really, which would you rather do? Go see Spiderman 4 when it comes out for less than $20, or go see a PPV (Not one of the big four) for $40? You can read all the spoilers you want on the web too. Probably go see the movie. Especially if you read the recap and saw what else you had to sit through until you got some action. Heck, take the same test against any two hours of wrestling television period and replace Spiderman 4 with The Mist. A perhaps good movie, with some good potential, but haven't seen it so don’t know. The Mist, by Stephen King, is one of my favorite horror stories though. UFC popped up as competition in the past seven years, and suddenly, here’s a real sport where two guys try to beat the crap out of each other with more than punching. People bleed and get seriously injured. There’s a science behind the sport. There’s history. Hell, there was even a reality TV show to help introduce the sport AND the fighters, The Ultimate Fighter, currently on season number 5 or 6, not sure which, but it’s up there. WWE had something like that, and it worked, to an extent, and some of the results weren’t bad, but WWE got nervous and jealous of it, and pulled the plug. Morrison is one of the last tones, well at least active on WWE that is, from the reality show Tough Enough. And the show worked. To an extent. But when the winners showed up on TV, they had an audience built in from watching the show. But backstage politics, and a lack of serious training, hindered them. Maven, at one point, was a big name. Nidia, at one point, was a big name. Jackie Gayda and Linda Miles, well, they weren’t, but you knew who they were. Morrison and Matt kinda slipped up the radar. Until Bob Holly beat the crap out of Matt to “pay his dues”. Which sums up the mentality towards the contestants quite succinctly. They hadn't earned their spot, they didn't appreciate the business, and a load of other nonsense. Basically, some of the wrestlers were pissed that the Tough Enough contestants were going to earn more money than them, and get a bigger push and be on TV and they weren’t. Skills could be taught. Frankly, I don't seem to hear that many rumors of a wrestlers court happening when some big goof gets rushed up from the minors simply because he’s big. But the ones who might actually have potential? Yeah, all the time. Tangent Sorry, but I just have to ask it again. When did Holly become a respected veteran? Did he finally clock in enough time? Did he finally rack up enough injuries to qualify? I mean really, for some one to be a respected veteran, it’s gotta be about more than hazing rookies and punching a time card for X amount of years, most of which have been spent injured. Val Venis has been there about as long, and that guy jobs constantly. He’s a better wrestler, he knows his role, accepts it, and does the best job he can, putting over the new talent. Never heard anything bad about Val. Holly, on the other hand, from rumors and so forth, just seems like a total dick. Yet, he’s the one who gets the push, and then complains when he has to job. Yeah, great role model for fresh talent. Suck up to the right people, whine and complain, and then act like a bully in the locker room, using locker room respect as an excuse. Where was I? Oh, yes. New talent has been created. But it didn't last, for one reason or another. Spirit Squad was a great midcard group. Cryme Tyme was a great tag team. I’m sure you the read can think of one or two wrestlers that have come and gone I the past three years that you thought had potential and is no longer with the company, or at least showing up on TV. It’s a cycle in and of itself. Only in days of yore, such wrestlers got at least a year or two to find their stride, and if it didn't work, they could get repackaged. The point is, they at least got a second chance before they were let go. Not always, but if it was a matter of catching on with the fans, and getting hot, then they were at least kept around to be jobbers. Jobbers are an important part of wrestling. Some one has to loose, after all. And who handles the introduction and presentation of new talent. Creative, that’s who. My interpretation of Creative’s job is to get people to want to see the show. Simple as that. The method to get this job done is far more complex, but that overall goal should be first and foremost in their mind. Part of the process of generating interest in the product (The show) depends on what they have to work with when it comes to the wrestlers themselves. If they can wrestle, it’s easier to make a match that people want to see. Same with individual charisma, ability to speak on the mic, and so forth. Basically, it makes packaging the match, and the wrestler much easier if they have talent in those areas. If not, then it gets harder, but it’s not impossible. That’s where Sports Entrainment kicks in. A gimmick can replace natural talent to some degree. For example, Cena was a nobody in the WWE, until they heard him rap at a Christmas party or something. After that, Rappin’ Cena was put on TV on a regular basis, and from there, he only got better, and more popular. Getting an individual wrestler to click with the audience is just one part, however, of generating interest. If the popular wrestler is having a match with Mr. Generic, then there’s more than likely not going to be a lot of interest in seeing that match. The popular wrestler, yes, but that could be done with skits, promos, etc. Just having Mr. Popular on the show does guarantee extra ratings or PPV buys. Mick Foley and Stone Cold seem to have proven that in recent months. Hell, TNA has proven that theory for the past five years. Fans can recognize the name, and may be curious about what is going to happen, but aren't curious enough to tune in or plunk down money to find out what happens. The story of the feud is another important tool. Whether it be comedy, or the heavy hand of daytime drama, if it’s interesting, or more appropriate, entertaining the fans will want to tune in. They’ll want to know what happens next, regardless of who’s involved. Reading about it might not be enough. They’ll want to see it, even if they have to pay to find out. Like the Jericho vignettes. Fan were rabid to find out what was going to happen, IF it was going to happen. But now, it may be too late. I’ll say this though, one of the happiest guys is Jericho. He didn't have to do squat, except keep his mouth shut, and he got the benefits from the hoopla. Now that it’s time to start work, if he really is, and I still have my doubts, well then, he doesn't really have to concede to WWE that it was all their doing. His name alone did it, and the prospect of seeing him show up on TV. That’s all it took. To make the show interesting is really not that hard. To make it good, well, that’s always going to be a matter of debate. But I contend that it’s really not that hard as well. Over the years, WWE has managed to generate interest and come up with a generally accepted angle or gimmick that was considered good. Sometimes, it got played through to the end, and was well received. Sometimes it got off to a good start, and then collapsed along the way, and ended badly. Sometimes, good luck just jumped up and bit WWE in the ass, and a gimmick or angle that sounded stupid beyond belief did the opposite of what was intended and got over huge. Like the Boogeyman. Hottest guy in WWE, all on the strength of one picture. After that, WWE did the best they could, and for a while, it worked. But in cases like that, and others, it was only a matter of time until the novelty wore off, and it went down to the level it should have been. Same thing happens in every form of entertainment, so it’s not really a surprise. It’s just a matter of making the most of it, while you can. And yet, if you asked the causal fan what they thought of the sports entertainment, you would more than likely get a negative response. Ask a fan that’s been watching for a while and you’ll probably get a negative response as well, only this one will be fairly long winded. Ask a net fan, and he may just write a column on it. Filled with stats and obscure historical references. Like this one. I am pretty negative about WWE and the shows it presents. I’m not going to lie and try to put on a happy face. But it’s not because I hate wrestling. I like wrestling. I’ve written about it for over five years now, and written enough to fill a library. So, since everyone has a different opinion, I’ll stick to myself, what is it that makes me so negative towards wrestling. It’s a simple answer, with complex parts. I’ve already said it once, but I’ll say it again. It’s the sports entertainment, which leaks over into the matches themselves, is apparent in the promotion of the events, and invades every facet of WWE. It’s because it’s not that hard to give the fans something good. WWE has been so close in my mind, so many times and they piss it all away. Thinking about how to answer this question, and ways I’ve answered it in the past made me realize something. What WWE’s biggest flaw is. It’s the timing. They just have no sense of timing. Egos are always going to be there, but in just about every show, it’s the timing that gets them. For example: Matt Hardy and MVP Very strong feud. Both men have done an outstanding job. In fact, a couple of weeks ago, MVP had a match against Kane that I really liked. And what I liked about it was the thought that came into my mind. The thought was that if the fans had voted for a MMA style match, MVP and Matt were probably ready for it, and ready to put on a great show. Boring for the folks in the audience, perhaps, but for the folks at home, they were going to get a treat. Now, this past Smackdown, MVP and Matt had their confrontation. At last. Finally. Months overdue, but they managed to keep it going. So, there it was. The big battle was going to happen. Then, WWE went nuts. MVP jumped Matt. MVP even went so far as to attack Hardy’s knee. A brutal attack. That came way too soon in the next step of this feud. Why? Matt Hardy is going to be wrestling tonight. So, during this PPV, if he isn't just outright scrapped, he’ll have to sell the knee or risk getting fired and/or lectured by the Undertaker about how to sell. Which is funny. Anyway, I kept thinking, while this attack on Hardy went on, "Isn't he wrestling this Sunday?” Over and over again. The big swerve came too soon. A reversal of the angle could have been done, and carried for weeks. Matt hardy goes heel, MVP plays face, and back and forth. Not too long, but long enough to get them to the Royal Rumble. Just enough. But no, everything came at the fans at breakneck speed. And I don't think they have any clue as to who the next opponents for MVP and Matt Hardy are going to be. And why did it have to happen this way? No idea. I can only throw my own thoughts out there. It just seems like a waste of a good angle. One that went somewhere, and had a good time and place for a payoff and final chapter. It’s been like that in wrestling for ages, but with WWE, it seems to happen more often than not. While it’s not Russo Swerve Of Death, where an angle can be born, grow, and die, and be reborn into something completely different in one 15 minute segment, it’s enough to make me lose confidence in the show, and yes, lose interest. WWE can be creative, especially when it comes to angles that are horrible, but get over because they suck so hard. I know that coming up with ideas weekly, for five hours of programming and marketing for said shows is not easy. However, it’s their job. Unlike you and me, who have other priorities when it comes to balancing wrestling and real world stuff, these guys and girls are paid to do it. It’s their job. Period. They have seven days a week to come up with angles. They have a room full of people, some just for each show to help them out. The writers have the wrestlers for extra support. Wrestling matches can ease their burden, as those matches are not written out step by step, and there are agents to help put together the matches. That’s THEIR job. That’s what they are paid to do. And again, it’s not like they’re writing a show that calls for a lot of intricate writing, and Oscar worthy monologs. Good is always good, but better should be the goal. And, there’s always next week to improve. In other words, it’s not that hard to do on a consistent basis. There’s the whole history of wrestling to fall back on. There’s mountains of movies, oceans of shows, and a universe full of books to draw ideas from. It’s not limited to one genre, it encompasses all of them. It’s action, adventure, comedy, drama, and mystery and horror. It’s as simple as good guys vs bad guys. And you always know what the final scene is. It’s a match. Pure and simple. The foundations have already been laid, it’s just a matter of building on it and taking it somewhere somewhat new, and most importantly, making it entertaining. If I can write a column for five years on wrestling, make as many mistakes as I have, and still manage to get by on goofy antics and make a point that makes you think, then come on. Wrestling has got to be cake. After all, as Greg Gumble said: “Wrestling? That’s worthless!” Prove ‘em wrong WWE! Prove ‘em wrong. And that’s a wrap for today. This week is going to be a busy week. It’s that time. What do I mean? Stay tuned and find out. Quick Plugs! RWTB TV # 5 The Truth Is Out There….Really Out There.  LOP Forums The Movie Bar All new and redesigned. Movies, Music, and more! Stop by or Monkey will do something really evil. Until next time, Thanks for Readin’ and thanks for Ridin’ Wevv Mang Please label all feedback as FEEDBACK. mrwevv@mac.com ***DIRECT LINK*** Brooke Hogan BOUNCING AROUND With Her New Toys! MUST SEE!
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