The WWE should have been accused of attempted murder after the debacle they served up last Sunday at Unforgiven. Just what were they trying to do here? How many careers were they trying to kill? The tough and talented Chris Benoit has gone from being the respected World Heavyweight Champion to participating in tag team action in the curtain-jerker match of the night in just a few short weeks. Don’t get me wrong, I said last week that this would probably be the first match of the card, and on paper it started things off nicely. It’s just quite a change for Benoit in such a short time. And just who were he and William Regal avenging in this match? Eugene. They took the trouble to bring Nick Dinsmore up from Ohio Valley Wrestling to become Eugene, and he made that character a fan favorite immediately. Dinsmore did such a super job in developing his new character that he was rewarded by being crushed and taken off the shows – at least presently.
It has been said that the love that was lost for Eugene came about because only one face was wanted on Raw, and that was to be Randy Orton. Trouble is, the fans did not see it that way, and Orton was never embraced in his new role, nor did he look comfortable with it. Orton won the title, only to have the WWE decide it was too soon and allow Triple H to win it back for the 158th time. I still think that Orton became the youngest Champion so that the WWE could thumb their nose at Brock Lesnar – my own opinion, to be sure. Still, Randy is now left to flounder around while the powers that be decide just what to do with him now. How long before his next push? With the decision-making lately, no telling.
Victoria was super when she played the psycho bi**h along side Steven Richards, and had a lot of the fans behind her. She did a good job in that role, so what did she get for her trouble? Well, let’s turn her into a sweet little thing and have her dance around at the top of the ramp before making her way to the ring. The fans won’t notice anything different, and they’ll like her anyway, right? Wrong! Her career has taken a nosedive, and what a shame. She is one girl who can wrestle, by God, and was taken seriously when she played a tougher character. Now it seems she gets no recognition for giving the same solid matches she did before her transformation.
And poor Richards! After turning Sunday Night Heat into Stevie Night Heat a while back, he started making appearances in drag as a ‘Mystery Woman’ and began stalking Trish Stratus. That all came to an end at Unforgiven when he was undressed and then beaten up by Tyson Tomko. Richards may not be a main-eventer, but he is solid in the ring and will obviously do whatever job he is given. Unfortunately, this one might just be his demise and just where they drag him to from here is anybody’s guess. The entire idea of having Richards and Tomko end up in a match complete with referee was a really horrible decision, and I can’t wonder what they were thinking, but if they were thinking at all.
This pay-per-view had no surprises or excitement. That is not to say that all the matches were bad, because they weren’t. As usual, the superstars tried their best to entertain. Some of the matches seemed to be thrown together with not enough time or explanation to make them meaningful. However, with few exceptions, any lack of interest was not due to the wrestlers’ inability, but rather the story lines they are mired in. Jeff Kohl, a friend of mine who is also the first person I ever wrote a column for, summed up the problems facing the WWE at the present time. He has watched every PPV since before Wrestlemania XIIII – until this one. Why? Because the WWE has given him no reason to care anymore. There is no passion behind the product right now, and he feels that it is “…a sad state of affairs when I watch the product and can see the light at the end of the tunnel of what COULD be a great wrestling show, but presently is not.” I must concur, and can only hope that the WWE sees that light at the end of the tunnel and then drives on through to the other side! And aren’t they planning for two pay-per-views in the same month again soon? OK…they may lose even me in that case. Three of us always get together and watch those PPV’s. Hey, for $20 each we see the show, eat some really good pizza, and just have a good time, but I’ll have to wait and see next time. I so want to look forward to the shows again, and each month I think this will be it, only to be disappointed with the overall results.
On the shirttails of Unforgiven came Monday Night Raw. Maybe I was a willing target who was so disgruntled with Sunday’s show that anything would seem better, but for the most part I liked Raw. There were some bad segments that I will get to in a minute and yes, those Hunter-in-a-cake moments were pure slapstick and not at all surprising, but didn’t any of you enjoy seeing his face covered with icing? I have to give him props actually, because playing the clown is definitely not in his nature. Still, good or bad, he went out there and played the buffoon for all the world to see, and I have to give him a thumbs up for that.
I adored Y2J’s Highlight Reel and the match that followed. I am one of those who could listen to Jericho talk all day long. For me besides being a great athlete, he is one of the strongest the roster has as far as mic skills. Enter guest Shawn Michaels. No slouch on the mic himself, the egos of Y2J and HBK bounced off of each other, having a wrestling match of their very own without one swing being taken. I was happy when a match was then made between the two men previously mentioned against Christian and Tyson Tomko (or Goat Boy, according to Jericho). Y2J and HBK worked well together, and their super tandem leap out of the ring looked really good. They came back into the ring as a pair also, and continued on to victory.
OK, now for the ‘yuck’ parts, and of course the Diva Search is included again. The good news is that we only have to endure one more week. Hopefully, once the Diva is chosen they will push her to the back and we will be done with it. And I guess most watching got a kick out of seeing the two remaining girls beat up on Coach. I could care less. I just want it to end.
What’s worse than a pregnancy angle? A miscarriage angle, and it appears that is what is going to happen to Lita now. The baby thing had no where to go to be sure, and it had to end. She couldn’t have the baby – then what? And as long as they continued to make Kane the father it did seem like a doomed road. (As if the pregnancy wasn’t doomed in the first place.) I hope they get this over with in a timely fashion so everyone can move on, if that is possible. Any ideas for poor Kane and Lita to do next? Trust me, they would have to be better than whatever the WWE will probably come up with!
Finally, I just read that the WWE has released Jamie Noble. Once he got out of the trailer trash mode with Nidia I thought he just might make it, but apparently they had no where to go with him. Too bad – another young talent that can wrestle, and he’s sent down the road. Can you spell T N A?
Be safe and God Bless,
Barb.
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