The Pro Wrestling Overview
By John Pitroff
I have decided to do something a bit different for this column. Wrestling news nowadays moves very quickly, and a lot of times it is hard to keep up with it all. I like to cover the bigger topics in long form in my columns, but some of these topics aren’t worthy of 2-4 pages of me blabbing on and on about. There are important issues that I love to write about, research, and dissect in my columns, but I feel as though a lot of times I am missing out on some of the weekly news that has happened when I go so in depth on one subject. So, what I will do is bring up topics that I have read about that I feel are important and give my take on them. If you ever have anything from current wrestling news that you would like to read about, just send me an email and let me know what you would like to hear. Wrestling is never short on news, and with these past few weeks being so busy in wrestling, there was a lot I would have missed out on if I didn’t cover them like this. Thanks and enjoy.
Six Sided Ring: TNA is thinking about getting rid of the six sided ring. And, by TNA, I mean Hulk Hogan. There are some things that I like about the six sided ring. It gives TNA a different look right away to differentiate their company from others. Someone who turns on the TV to watch wrestling will realize they are in a new age of wrestling when they see six sides on the ring. It allows for cooler looking steal cages. However, I think it has run its course in TNA. Although I have been a fan, I am more of a traditionalist. It was a nice thing to try out and I respect the attempt to be original, but I have to say, I agree with Hulk Hogan here. It is called the “squared circle” and it should remain that. If TNA wants to make it big time, they need to go back to the old school. New school is cool to try, but as I said, it isn’t doing anything for the product. TNA tried to sell it as though it was for the X division so guys had more places to do moves, but a lot of the times, it is just distracting. Plus, it shortens the rest of the ring. For some reason, it always looks like the matches are taking place in a play pen. It is much like a lot of TNA storylines and match types: way too gimmicky. The traditional four sided ring is where all the best matches of the past have taken place. Can you really imagine The Rock vs. Austin at WrestleMania X-Seven inside a six sided ring? How about Hogan vs. Andre? Andre wouldn’t know what to do in there. Imagine The Kennel From Hell match in a six sided ring! It would have been even worse, and I didn’t think that was possible! It would have been worse than me stealing ripping on the Kennel From Hell from Mick Foley’s writing.
There is nothing like watching old tapes and old matches with the traditional four sided ring, goes going face to face in the middle, four sets of three ropes on each side, four sets of three turnbuckles. Tradition wins out here, and I think it will be very good for TNA to go back to the roots of wrestling. They already have the young guys wrestling and some new faces making a difference, so that covers the new school. Time to get rid of two sides of the ring.
Orlando Jordan returns: No one cared.
The Bret Hart/Shawn Michaels Raw segment: I’ve never been a huge fan of bringing back old storylines for the sake of one pay off match, and this segment was no different. A friend of mine kept mentioning how he wanted to see this so bad, since there was 12-13 years of history involved in it. That is the very reason I didn’t want to see it. Wrestling should be making new storylines, creating new Montreal screw jobs, not bringing back 12 year old storylines that newer fans do not understand. I wasn’t watching wrestling during The Montreal Screwjob. I have seen it many, many times, and I have researched it extensively. I wrote a high school paper about it. But, it isn’t moving WWE in the direction they need to go. They need to be establishing new big storylines, not relying on their past because they can’t think of anything else. I honestly did not really care what Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels did in the ring Monday Night. Unless they were having another classic, I didn’t really care. Seriously this Montreal Screwjob has already been covered from every conceivable angle by WWE itself, including a long piece on the short lived show, WWE Confidential, when Bret Hart was inducted into the Hall of Fame, and on DVDs for both Bret and Shawn.
I did like Bret’s speech. He had a lot to say after not being able to really speak his mind for a long time in a WWE ring. But, the segment to me, fell sort of flat. Sure, it was cool to see those two in the ring again, but it isn’t like Hart is going to lace up the boots against Michaels. And, even if he is, it just reminds of WCW circa 1998-1999 when they just used old WWF feuds and redid them. I have already seen Bret Hart vs. Shawn Michaels in their primes against each other, I don’t need to see them standing in the ring again for no apparent reason than for a totally gimmicked apology. Seriously that hug at the end of the interview from Bret Hart was easily the most fake thing I have ever seen in wrestling. Just look at the look on Bret’s face. He has to look away and barely pat Michaels on the back. All of this for a Hart-Vince match at WrestleMania? I’m not interested.
Talks of Michaels vs. Undertaker II at WrestleMania: I really can’t decide on this one. Something in me really wants to see these two go at WrestleMania again. Something in me knows that it will never be what the first one was because that one had such a great build. You can never reproduce the emotion of those two classic WWE ring veterans showing their stuff for the first time together at a WrestleMania Last year, before WrestleMania, that match was hyped up so much, it was almost impossible to live up to it. People were calling it a classic before they even set foot in the ring. But, not only did Michaels and Taker live up to it, they easily surpassed it. I just read in PWI that Michaels vs. Flair is match of the decade. What an insult.
Michaels vs. Undertaker last year was easily match of the decade. It had the intensity, the build, the storyline, the timing, and the perfect stage. I really would like to see them go again, but I don’t want to be let down. I’m not so sure they could ever have a better match than last year’s classic. I would love to see them in the ring again, but the fan in me, and I’m sure in everyone else, would always compare it to the one the year before. Last year’s had the timing, I’m not so sure this years has it. Look, I am already talking negatively about it and it isn’t even a done deal yet, so it already shows that expectations are lower. If expectations are lower, however, that just means they can surpass them. I’m not doubting Undertaker, and I’m sure as hell not doubting Michaels (he has never let me down when it comes to a big match), but then again, just how much better can you get? How do you improve on wrestling heaven? Everything about their match last year was flawless, I’m just afraid that if they try it this year again, it won’t be able to be quite the same thing because it has already been done on the grandest stage of them all. In addition, I feel as though if they do try to have this match and it is a letdown, it sort of takes something away from the first match. It would be disrespectful to their WrestleMania classic to be seen in a worse light because they tried it again when they shouldn’t have. Sort of like when Dumb & Dumberer came out and somehow made me dislike the fact that they spit on the name of Dumb & Dumber with such garbage. Remember, a lot of times, sequels suck and taint the image of their original. But, if WWE does decide to go with it once again, I will surely be checking it out. And, even if it doesn’t come close to last year’s, it will still easily steal the show and be better than probably anything else you will see in wrestling in 2010.
TNA Genesis PPV: Supposedly this is their biggest show ever, and as of writing time, they have only announced one match. AJ Styles vs. Kurt Angle for the TNA Championship. Good. That is going to a great match. But, the only other thing they have announced is Hulk Hogan’s return to PPV. He just returned to TV, why should I care that he is now going to be doing the same thing but now I have to pay for it? TNA should have announced some Genesis matches and promoted it better on their live Impact when it went head to head against Raw. It was a perfect time to push the PPV, since they had their most viewers ever. Wrestling PPVs need build up, they need matches announced weeks in advance, they need feuds culminating.
And, TNA has sort of dropped the ball with not announcing more matches beforehand. I understand that it was only about two weeks before Genesis that all the changes went down in the company, but they should have booked some matches in advance to show they cared, and to show they were working on the future. Then again, this PPV is something I am excited for. I would love to be able to check it out to see how a PPV is run under the new administration. I was pretty entertained on Monday, so I want to see how they can put together a PPV now. This is almost as big as their live Monday show, because if they prove their PPVs are worthy of buying to the new audience that they picked up over the last few months, then they will be making the next move towards being a big time player in wrestling.
WWE releases a bunch of stars from developmental you have never heard of: I will not bore you with this.
Ending of guest host storyline discussed: Please let this come true! I have never been a fan of this. I think it distracts from wrestling. Some of these guest hosts have been unbearable. Wrestling has never seemed like more of a circus than when they have random actors, rappers, and entertainment figures running around a wrestling ring like they belong there. Wrestling isn’t for the masses, wrestling isn’t easy, but when WWE keeps putting these guys with no experience out there week after week, it makes fans think that anyone can do it. I guess anyone can do it, but not very well. These celebrities promoting their own garbage have taken away hours and hours of time that could have been used to build characters, storylines, and wrestlers that are going to be around for a while.
Do I really need Timbaland standing in a wrestling ring booking matches? The entire idea is ludicrous: A guy that knows nothing of wrestling will come to the show and make booking decisions. It doesn’t make any sense. It has turned Raw into The Tonight Show. Guests acting like they really care, but they are just there to promote whatever it is that they are there to promote. I realize that it gives WWE more mainstream attention, but if WWE wants to be totally entertainment, just get rid of the wrestling ring and make it a circus show. It has slowly been getting worse and worse with this idea, and I will be glad to see it go sooner rather than later.
Kaz & Traci get married: No one cares….you know where I’m going with this…