What? What can I possibly say about WWE’s latest attempt to conquer a growing controversy? Is there anything to say at all? Can I possibly be a hypocrite, and go against myself in bashing everyone involved, when I don’t know any of these people personally, nor do I work for WWE in any way?
Questions that I do not know the answers to at all. I have lost a lot of faith in the WWE, that they could overcome the pure tasteless angles that they have set up in the past. Just ask Katie Vick what tasteless means. But, I always look past that crap, and see what WWE can do. WWE pushes stars like John Cena and Dave Batista, past guys who have held the titles so many times, like Triple H. Then, I even see good in Triple H when mostly anyone else sees is bad. He can put over talent, without losing his integrity or his dignity. He’s top notch in the ring. He is a monster heel, who is THE best heel in WWE right now. So even when Hunter holds the title for so long, making it seem boring and downright stale, I see good in what this man does, what this man is, and what this man can accomplish for the WWE in the years to come.
Remember when you first saw Eugene? I know you do, you must remember when William Regal made his return to Raw, only to find out he had to babysit Eric Bischoff’s nephew, Eugene, a mentally challenged young man who wanted to wrestle. What went through your mind when you saw this? I know most of you all thought what I thought: how in the hell will WWE bury this in a few months when everyone is complaining about their latest tasteless misfire. Yet, I saw potential for a lovable character who could even impress in the ring. This was, of course, beneath all the doubt I had that WWE could pull it off, but a few months later and they, by God, did it. Eugene is on the injured list right now, but if they play their cards right, they can keep Eugene in the picture as someone who can be loved and someone to be marketed well for kids, without making him look weak since he isn’t in the main event picture (well, I assume he won’t be any time soon).
Think back for a few moments, will you? Think back to late 2004. JBL was conquering the competition on Smackdown, while Eric Bischoff was conquering Evolution on Raw. Out of nowhere, we were treated to advertisements. Promos. Warnings, if you will, of what was to come in the near future: Muhammed Hassan and Daivari. Two Arab-American men who had plenty of hate for the United States, for everything that has happened to them on September 11th, a day that everyone has a tough time thinking about, much less talking about. Yet, these two guys got on the screens, and they easily became two of the most hated men in WWE history, just for these little 2 minute promos. I couldn’t even see the potential in this, and I wondered how WWE was going to backpedal its way out of two guys who hated the US, tore apart the War in Iraq, and basically blamed what happened on 9/11 on what has happened to them in the past three years.
Just imagine being Hassan or Daivari in a public place, such as a bar, and being noticed by a group of guys who love their country, and hate those who go against what they believe in. I think that right there would be a good reason why I would have said “No, no way” to Vince if he suggested that I do an angle for WWE that has me calling down everything about America.
Back on the topic at hand, you don’t even have to think back far at all to remember some truly dispicable storylines in WWE. Some have overcame the heat (Hassan is easily on his way to being a top player in WWE), while others have fallen hard on their face (Katie Vick, RIP). Maybe it was the plan all along to be horrid storylines, only to end up being a part of a much larger picture. Perhaps they had to change a lot to make sure a storyline didn’t end up failing horribly (again, I must reference Katie Vick).
But, the Edge/Lita/Matt situation is just in an entire league of its own.
When the story first broke that Edge and Lita had an affair, both cheating on their significant others, I kept the comments to a minimum. I understand the meaning of privacy and personal life, so I kept it at that, and I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, since I, for one, don’t want to look like a damn fool… well, that’s a bit of a tough one for me, but I try to avoid it at all costs. The fans ended up expressing my feelings, by chanting “You Screwed Matt”, “We Want Matt” and “Hardy” all across the country (and the world, even). Especially at Madison Square Garden, one of WWE’s most prominent homes.
Matt Hardy posted on his website, and his posts were emotional, yet still concealing. We all got a sense of how he felt (just try to be in his shoes), but he was never one to reveal very much about his private life (which none of us expect). We all felt for Version 1, and we all wanted him to prevail over Edge and Lita, and become a huge star in WWE. Maybe even someday become World or WWE Champion.
Vincent Kennedy McMahon had other plans.
Not too long after the story broke that Edge and Lita were having an affair, WWE decided to rely heavily on Lita and Edge’s star power, and instead tried fixing a problem by firing Matt Hardy. That was when the pro-Matt/anti-Lita and Edge chants actually took form. Madison Square Garden was where it all began. We want Matt, you screwed Matt, Hard-y! Hard-y!. A chorus of boos here and there, and basically everywhere. Edge’s heel persona only got stronger, while Lita’s babyface role was definitely not flourishing anymore.
At this point, I was still in shock that WWE and anyone involved were actually capable of doing the wrong thing in this situation, and firing the victim, Matt Hardy. Did they know something we didn’t? Did they think Matt was capable of coming to Raw one night, and beating the hell out of Edge? Did they not want to hurt the already mixed environment in the locker rooms? It’s not really known for sure why WWE did what they did, but it’s done and in the past. In fact, I was ready to try and move on, since all the Matt Hardy chants in the world probably weren’t going to change what WWE had done, nor would it change what Edge and Lita had done. Matt probably wasn’t coming back, so it was time to go forth.
Then, the Gold Rush Tournament’s Final Round occurred.
I have been mulling over writing a column on the current situation involving Edge, Lita and Matt, but I kept deciding against it, which resulted in my break from writing. But, once I saw last Monday’s Raw, my opinion changed. I needed to comment. In case you missed it, Lita basically turned on Kane, went with Edge, and had a highly uncomfortable makeout session with Edge, ending the show with a horrified Kane looking on, basically symbolizing Matt Hardy. This past week’s Raw only further proved that while it’s only an on-screen angle, much of what is being done is an indirect reference to what happened between Edge, Lita and Matt Hardy. Matt summed it up nicely when he described it as “tasteless and deplorable”.
It was one thing to fire Matt Hardy, in a situation where his emotions were wrecked and his life was altered forever. You could at least try to understand that WWE was trying to avoid a major situation between the three, while keeping their top stars at the moment. Who knows? Maybe Matt could have returned in a big, big way, and became a huge star for WWE. I keep hearing stuff about this supposed “Angelic Diablo” character that he was supposed to bring to WWE, but I don’t know a whole lot about it. But, soon after, they really just threw it all back in the faces of both the fans and Matt Hardy. Imagine how Matt feels about all this.
Make no mistake about it, Edge and Lita are now two strong heels, which may lead them to bigger and better things. There is no denying that. But, it’s also at Matt Hardy’s expense. Just listen to what they say on Monday. It sounds so personal, and it’s really tough to watch. Some will praise their work, others will bash it. I can’t really find any sort of way to praise it at all. And despite my views against it, I also can’t really bash WWE for it. It’s a business, and not only that, they love their controversy. I can’t imagine it’s going to be a big news story, but it’s certainly creating lots and lots of controversy. The ratings took a hard hit this week. Because of the Edge/Lita angle? Not likely. But I’m sure someone tuned out of Raw this week after the opening bit by Edge and Lita.
So, I could be taking this way too seriously, and considering I don’t even know Matt Hardy, I’m sure some think it’s not right to take someone’s side when you don’t even know any of the people involved. True, but one thing is certain, and that is that WWE is blatantly trying to capitalize on someone’s personal life. Then again, that person’s personal life became public information when he made the information available on his website. So, in the end, I guess everyone is doing or has done something wrong. Edge and Lita are at the core of all this, and are probably the biggest to blame, yet they’re being rewarded (perhaps Lita would not call it that) with strong heel pushes. Then, Matt Hardy let everyone know what happened on his website. Finally, WWE made the real life situation an on-air angle for their program. It’s tasteless. It’s deplorable. Then again… it’s WWE.
-Before I close up shop, I want to comment on two things. First of all, I have to say that I am deeply disappointed with the aftermath of Batista vs. Edge on Monday night. No, I am not mad that Triple H is back again. That was expected. What was not expected was YET ANOTHER turn from Ric Flair. First, he became a bit of a babyface, then he quickly turned heel again when Triple H returned. Sound familiar? It’s the fourth time in as many years that he has done this. In 2002, he teamed up with Steve Austin, only to turn on him and join Evolution. In 2003, he had a match with Triple H, and seemed to be joining Shawn Michaels, then BAM! Blindsided. He turns on HBK. In 2004, the same deal again with Randy Orton, and he did it once more on Monday night. I truly hope he turns on Triple H for real at Vengeance, although I’ve got such a terrible feeling that Triple H is going to win that match. I sure hope not. Sorry, Game.
-Big Viscera! While I was gone, WWE decided to start using Viscera in a different way. Now, he’s Sexual Chocolate 2.0, I guess. While it’s an obvious waste of time, at least it’s an entertaining waste of time. Unlike a certain contest, for some American Divas, that may win something like a quarter of a million dollars, and end up all over Monday Night Raw.
-The X-Factor is going to the extreme! … well, I actually wanted to. I wanted to write about my favorite ECW experiences, my favorite moments and matches, and I wanted to really hype up One Night Stand. Sadly, I can’t. Why? I never ever watched ECW. Sad, isn’t it? I missed quite the experience, but hopefully that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy One Night Stand. I know of ECW, but I just never got to experience any of it when it aired. If that awesome 15 minute segment on Monday was any indication, we might be in for more than just one night. Who knows?
Phew… STILL working out the kinks of my column. It’s been almost a year (one year ago this August) since I started writing my columns, and I hope to really share my thoughts this summer with all of you. I got so much to talk about. Next time, I’ll be bringing you the 2nd Ever X-Factor Fan Participation Column. Well, the column where I give you the questions to answer. I’m calling it “Fan Factor”. See, it’s not Fear Factor, but Fan Factor, since my column’s name is also “The X-Factor”. Get it? No? Oh well, I tried. Until next time, I’m Mr. X. See you later, everyone! Buh-bye!
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