Saturday, March 25, 2006
Bittersweet Symphony
WrestleMania Big Time Countdown: 8 days.
Firstly, I have to apologise for my heinous error in the last blog. Saturday Night's Main Event actually drew a 3.1, and not a 3.2 as I had stated. I bet Vince says it's JR's fault. Anyway, the situation at Stamford as we rapidly approach WrestleMania is confusing to say the least. WWE have just posted their best run of RAW ratings in four long years, and are entering their most financially successful spell for some time. However, they continue to produce lackluster television and, after the Orton-Mysterio-Guerrero debacle, have turned away many of their most dedicated fans. SNME tanked on NBC, and No Way Out was a disasterous return to the Pay-Per-View buyrates of 2004. If it wasn't for the new international fans, they'd actually be struggling to break even on the PPV's at the moment. Can you believe that? Meanwhile Vince allows John Laurinatius to fire midcarders at his own free will, while picking up $47m a year. Confusing? You bet.
Performances of the Week:-
Mick Foley.If ever a storyline needed a classic promo, this was the time. And he delivered this past week on RAW. You can always call on Foley to inject passion and drama into a feud when the chips are down (not literally). The intensity of his promos is almost unmatched in wrestling today, and you have to wonder what a Flair-Foley feud would be like if the two of them put aside their rather petty issues. I don't know what he was thinking when he publicly buried his books though. It's all very well being honest with your fans, but saying that "nobody" reads your literary work is stretching it a bit. And as for spurning Lita's advances? What were you thinking Mick?
Advances: Lita
Mickie James. Her promo this week was superb, and we truly have a women's feud the fans are interested in. Cena vs. Edge and Mickie vs. Ashley were the only matches at the Royal Rumble with any interest going in, (the Rumble match itself was surely the worst promoted Rumble in history), and Mickie vs. Trish is one of most intriguing clashes in Chicago.
Finlay. His name is Finlay. And he loves to fight. And have entertaining brawls with Rey Mysterio.
Booker T and Sharmell. They both deserve awards for the entertainment and interest they've created in the Boogeyman feud. Similar to the Edge-Cena angle of January, they're so great as heels that fans actually want the worm-guzzling weirdo (alliteration) to destroy them at WrestleMania. Although I have to admit, that walk he does is quite funny.
Weird: Boogeyman
With only a week to go, 'The Grand Daddy of Them All' is finally shaping up to be a great show. Trouble is, WrestleMania isn't supposed to be just great. It's supposed to be spell-binding, memorable, legendary, awe-inspiring. At this point, I reckon only the McMahon-Michaels match has the potential to live up to the hype of past Mania's, and even that would require a Bret Hart run-in (which is highly unlikely to happen). Yes, the Angle-Orton-Mysterio match could be a classic, but I have a sneaking suspicion they'll book it into the ground with ref bumps, belt shots and extensive steel chair usage. The match will only go down in history as unforgettable if Rey wins it, and although that sounds like the obvious finish, there's much less chance of it happening than you'd think. Many important people in the company (even after the Matt Hardy debacle, John Laurinatius still has a job) don't consider Mysterio to be a viable option as World Heavyweight Champion, mainly due to his size. Admittedly, it would be rather odd to hear Tony Chimel announce Rey as the Heavyweight Champion of anything. But to deny him the title would be cruel, given his exceptional talent and connection with the fans. When you go to a WWE live event, do you see anyone wearing merchandise of Hardcore Holly or Sylvan? No. Do you see thousands upon thousands of children with John Cena caps and T-Shirts combined with Rey Mysterio masks? Yes. The company needs to capitalise on this, otherwise Smackdown will be having another painful spring into summer...
Todd Grisham is brilliant on Bottom Line. Coach should have stayed on these weekend shows too; they really are his niche.
Grisham: Brilliant
When are the Ashley Missaro haters going to realise that she's popular, likeable and staying for a while? It's pathetic. I managed to practically shut down an Ashley-hating site last week just for defending her. Laughably, they removed the feedback option from all their pages. Say what you want about her wrestling, but you have to realise she was thrown in the ring with no training. It's hardly her fault, is it?
Next week: RAW in Omaha, Nebraska. Out in the middle of nowhere, but Omaha is actually one of those crowds that still make some noise. Should be a cracker.
Firstly, I have to apologise for my heinous error in the last blog. Saturday Night's Main Event actually drew a 3.1, and not a 3.2 as I had stated. I bet Vince says it's JR's fault. Anyway, the situation at Stamford as we rapidly approach WrestleMania is confusing to say the least. WWE have just posted their best run of RAW ratings in four long years, and are entering their most financially successful spell for some time. However, they continue to produce lackluster television and, after the Orton-Mysterio-Guerrero debacle, have turned away many of their most dedicated fans. SNME tanked on NBC, and No Way Out was a disasterous return to the Pay-Per-View buyrates of 2004. If it wasn't for the new international fans, they'd actually be struggling to break even on the PPV's at the moment. Can you believe that? Meanwhile Vince allows John Laurinatius to fire midcarders at his own free will, while picking up $47m a year. Confusing? You bet.
Performances of the Week:-
Mick Foley.If ever a storyline needed a classic promo, this was the time. And he delivered this past week on RAW. You can always call on Foley to inject passion and drama into a feud when the chips are down (not literally). The intensity of his promos is almost unmatched in wrestling today, and you have to wonder what a Flair-Foley feud would be like if the two of them put aside their rather petty issues. I don't know what he was thinking when he publicly buried his books though. It's all very well being honest with your fans, but saying that "nobody" reads your literary work is stretching it a bit. And as for spurning Lita's advances? What were you thinking Mick?
Advances: Lita
Mickie James. Her promo this week was superb, and we truly have a women's feud the fans are interested in. Cena vs. Edge and Mickie vs. Ashley were the only matches at the Royal Rumble with any interest going in, (the Rumble match itself was surely the worst promoted Rumble in history), and Mickie vs. Trish is one of most intriguing clashes in Chicago.
Finlay. His name is Finlay. And he loves to fight. And have entertaining brawls with Rey Mysterio.
Booker T and Sharmell. They both deserve awards for the entertainment and interest they've created in the Boogeyman feud. Similar to the Edge-Cena angle of January, they're so great as heels that fans actually want the worm-guzzling weirdo (alliteration) to destroy them at WrestleMania. Although I have to admit, that walk he does is quite funny.
Weird: Boogeyman
With only a week to go, 'The Grand Daddy of Them All' is finally shaping up to be a great show. Trouble is, WrestleMania isn't supposed to be just great. It's supposed to be spell-binding, memorable, legendary, awe-inspiring. At this point, I reckon only the McMahon-Michaels match has the potential to live up to the hype of past Mania's, and even that would require a Bret Hart run-in (which is highly unlikely to happen). Yes, the Angle-Orton-Mysterio match could be a classic, but I have a sneaking suspicion they'll book it into the ground with ref bumps, belt shots and extensive steel chair usage. The match will only go down in history as unforgettable if Rey wins it, and although that sounds like the obvious finish, there's much less chance of it happening than you'd think. Many important people in the company (even after the Matt Hardy debacle, John Laurinatius still has a job) don't consider Mysterio to be a viable option as World Heavyweight Champion, mainly due to his size. Admittedly, it would be rather odd to hear Tony Chimel announce Rey as the Heavyweight Champion of anything. But to deny him the title would be cruel, given his exceptional talent and connection with the fans. When you go to a WWE live event, do you see anyone wearing merchandise of Hardcore Holly or Sylvan? No. Do you see thousands upon thousands of children with John Cena caps and T-Shirts combined with Rey Mysterio masks? Yes. The company needs to capitalise on this, otherwise Smackdown will be having another painful spring into summer...
Todd Grisham is brilliant on Bottom Line. Coach should have stayed on these weekend shows too; they really are his niche.
Grisham: Brilliant
When are the Ashley Missaro haters going to realise that she's popular, likeable and staying for a while? It's pathetic. I managed to practically shut down an Ashley-hating site last week just for defending her. Laughably, they removed the feedback option from all their pages. Say what you want about her wrestling, but you have to realise she was thrown in the ring with no training. It's hardly her fault, is it?
Next week: RAW in Omaha, Nebraska. Out in the middle of nowhere, but Omaha is actually one of those crowds that still make some noise. Should be a cracker.
