On the 10th August episode of SmackDown!, main event hopeful and longtime WWE workhorse Matt Hardy faced grizzled veteran and Irish tough guy Finlay in a very good match that was nearly a perfect television contest, with one major flaw.
TODAY’S ISSUE: Hardy versus Finlay
Although both Hardy and Finlay are very good performers and experienced veterans, and I personally enjoy both of them (in fact, I’m a big MF’er) I went into the match between them with low expectations, simply because WWE rarely gives their in-ring product the attention it deserves. Matches don’t normally get enough time to tell a proper story, most likely for fear that one more stupid segment or McMahon ego-stroke moment might lose its precious television slot.
Lately SmackDown! has been dominated by giants and less than stellar performers like Khali, Batista, and Kane, so I was pleasantly surprised when the two warriors were given a full 17 minutes to work a little magic and steal the show, making this particular edition of SmackDown! ten times better than their usual fare.
I’d guess Finlay and Hardy hooked up backstage before the match and decided to really lay into each other in the squared circle, because this match was far stiffer than what we normally see on WWE’s weekly shows. I’ve watched a lot of pro wrestling over the years, and not many blows to the face or strikes across the back cause me to actually wince when I see them, but Hardy and Finlay made my own body ache just by watching their devastating attacks upon each other throughout this extremely hard-hitting contest.
Finlay’s intense focus on and targeting of Hardy’s arm was flawless, and Matt sold like a champ all match long, utilizing subtle movements and facial expressions to let us know his arm was in serious pain, and was significantly weakened.
Fighting through the pain like a trooper and trying to find alternate ways to counter Finlay’s onslaught, Matt’s “will not die” attitude shone brightly here, truly showing why MVP will have his hands full come SummerSlam.
Unfortunately, the ending was so weak that it nearly ruined the entire match for me. Finlay’s ludicrous sidekick/mascot, the leprechaun and current World Cruiserweight Champion, Hornswoggle interjected himself into the contest and distracted everyone involved, until the Sportz Entertainment ending led to Finlay getting counted out for chasing Jamie Noble to the back, allowing Hardy to escape with the victory. This match would have been a real classic if one of the two gladiators could have achieved a clean victory. Had Matt successfully endured the pain and somehow prevailed, he would have been that much stronger heading into his US Title match at the biggest party of the summer next week. If Finlay went on to secure the victory, he’d look like a smart veteran who knows how to break a man down, and Hardy would STILL come out of it looking tough as nails and driven to succeed. You can’t do any better than having both men seem stronger after a match together.
Instead, we fans were forced to endure another uncreative, tired, overdone non-ending to what was going to be a solid affair, and unquestionably the highlight of the night from an actual wrestling perspective. Where’s the harm in booking one man to pin another in the middle of the ring, or make him tap out? When the Yankees lose baseball games, nobody questions the greatness of the franchise’s dynasty. You can’t keep everyone strong all the time, week after week. It’s simply not logical to air simulated sports contests without committing to a winner, at least not as often as WWE does so. Good old Sportz Entertainment - the crutch of so-called writers who can’t seem to write a simple storyline without tripping all over Vince McMahon’s unique view of what pro wrestling should be.
Speaking of Sportz Entertainment, why on Earth is Hornswoggle even a part of the show at all, much less holding a title that could really be a showcase for some very solid performers on WWE’s roster? WWE could have a smoking hot cruiserweight division with the talent they have under contract, but they simply chose not to do so. It’s infuriating! And Finlay certainly doesn’t need any help getting over - his character is simple yet effective. He’s a tough fighting bastard who likes to punch people in the mouth. Where does the leprechaun fit into the equation? I just don’t get it.
I have no idea why Creative felt the need to interject Hornswoggle into this match, but his appearance certainly knocked me right out of the groove that Hardy and Finlay worked so diligently to get me into. Their pain and suffering for their art was a thing of beauty until the midget showed up and shat all over their work. I hate to think this could be true, but I can only imagine the numbskulls in Creative think the leprechaun is a hoot, and they simply can not resist the opportunity to get his stupid character on camera.
Where did these two hardnosed warriors go from there, on the heels of this brutal, but aborted, toughman contest? The following week, Finlay was in the opening stages of what looked to be another match right up my alley, this time against Hornswoggle’s main nemesis, Jamie Noble. Finlay was beating up Noble and pushing him to the limit when all of the sudden, Sportz Entertainment reared it’s ugly head yet again and cut the contest painfully short. Well done, WWE.
Hardy moved directly into a big, steaming pile of McMania as well, competing in a “boxing match” against Evander Hollyfield on Saturday Night’s Main Event. In the proud tradition of Roddy Piper versus Mr. T. at WrestleMania 2, as well as any other time a pro wrestling promoter got this terrible idea in his head (“Hey, our ring looks a lot like their ring; let’s do some boxing!”), this was a depressing waste of time. Hollyfield tried in vain to pull his punches, leaving them looking horrible. In turn, Hardy tried in vain to sell said punches, leaving him looking like an idiot. Did this waste-of-time segment help anyone? Bueller? Hopefully Matt can lead MVP to a solid match at SummerSlam to salvage something of this angle.
I started this column intending to write about what a fabulous match Hardy and Finlay had on SmackDown! two weeks ago, but as I reviewed the above events, I found myself once again frustrated at how great of a wrestling promotion WWE could be if they would focus more on the second “W”, and not so much on that damned “E”. Listen Vince, to pro wrestling fans, good wrestling matches with simple storyline arcs are far more “entertaining” than your warped, juvenile idea of comedy, drama, sex appeal, or whatever the Hell it is you think you’re producing for 5 hours each and every week plus monthly pay-per-views. Trust me, I was very entertained for 16-plus minutes before you added a silly midget to what was a very impressive display up to that point. And I doubt I’m alone in that outlook, Vinnie Mac.
Vin Sanity is not categorized as a psychological disorder… yet.
p.s. – “Civilization began the first time an angry person cast a word instead of a rock.” - Sigmund Freud
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