http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/blog.php?1886-Iscariot Wrestling News and Discussion - eWrestlingNews.com Community en Thu, 20 Jun 2013 04:41:03 GMT vBulletin 10 http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/images/misc/rss.jpg http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/blog.php?1886-Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?41800-5-perfectly-reasonable-ways-John-Laurinaitis-can-mess-with-John-Cena Sun, 27 May 2012 00:22:30 GMT With our favourite douchebag General Manager victorious at Over The Limit and thus firmly in control of RAW and Smackdown, the sky is seemingly the... With our favourite douchebag General Manager victorious at Over The Limit and thus firmly in control of RAW and Smackdown, the sky is seemingly the limit.

But what made "Big Johnny" so enjoyable was that his heelish behaviour was underhanded and cloaked in a veil of well meaning incompetence. He would always have plausible denial for his dastardly actions.

I think it's important to get him back to this modus operandi. That's why I've made a list of 5 perfectly reasonable request and demands Laurinaitis as GM could make of Cena.

1. Remove his microphone privileges
Start of the show: John Cena is in the ring, ready to deliver a typical Cena-promo. Let Eve interrupt and make the technicians turn down the volume of Cenas microphone. Let her informs Cena in no uncertain terms that he is paid to wrestle, not talk.

2. Push him down the hierarchy on PPVs
Let John Laurinaitis explain that John Cena will not get top billing, last match of the day, or a prominent spot on the posters.

3. Treat him like a jobber
Book him in a match agains Ryback, or Brodus Clay. (It could end in a countout when a despondent Cena just leaves...) Make him have a match on Superstars, and have the commentators make a point of it being something main eventers usually don't do.

And make him come to the ring for his matches during the commercials. The next time Cenas music plays up before a match, have David Otunga mute it, and tell Cena to get his sorry ass to the ring ASAP. He's supposed to get there during the commercials from now on, so the "real stars" get their proper entrances.

4. Dress him down, litteraly
Let Otunga confront Cena and instruct him to choose ring gear in compliance with §21a, Section II in the "Rules and Regulations of WWE employees". If he doesn't comply, Eve will outfit him with appropriate attire. (It could be pink spandex pants with glitter, or maybe Michael Coles orange monstrosity from Wrestlemania, anything to make Cena look uncomfortable and stupid.)

5. Make him fight his friends
Let him just face wrestlers he like or have a positive connection to. Sheamus, Zack Ryder, Kofi Kingston and R-Truth, maybe even Hornswoggle or Santino Marella. And the catch is that if his opponents loses, it will have negative consequenses for them.

Everything is designed to make Cena frustrated and vindictive. At the same time it's nothing he can really do, when "Big Johnny" and his croonies pull rank on him. And the whole thing will naturally end in a massive blow off when Cena finaly can get even somewhere down the line.

I think it would be a innovative way to freshen up the old "evil authority figure messing with the good guy" storyline, and help WWE put John Cena back in position as a likeable underdog. ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?41800-5-perfectly-reasonable-ways-John-Laurinaitis-can-mess-with-John-Cena http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?41344-18-Seconds-Was-Great-for-Daniel-Bryan Thu, 05 Apr 2012 14:29:44 GMT A lot have been said about the opening bout of Wrestlemania 28 when Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan for the WHC-title in 18 seconds. Most of it has... A lot have been said about the opening bout of Wrestlemania 28 when Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan for the WHC-title in 18 seconds. Most of it has been negative. But the way I see it it was a best case scenario for the American Dragon, and I will explain why.

But first, let me state that even though I understood the booking, I think whoever had the notion that this was the correct match to start the broadcast, probably needs to rethink his line of work.

I've seen several pundits describe it as a squash match. I disagree. To me a squash-match is a match where one competitor is vastly more dominant that the other. Clearly this was not the case here, as Sheamus bum rushed Bryan when his mind was elsewhere. It says nothing about the relative strengt between the two. This is important, and we'll get back to that.

First of all: The fate of Daniel Bryans reign as champion was sealed back in January when Sheamus won the Royal Rumble. There had been years since a Rumble-winner won his prize match at Wrestlemania. If this years winner had lost, winning the Royal Rumble would seriously start losing it's luster. After all, why strive to win the Rumble if you'ld just end up getting your ass handed to you at Mania? With Jericho brought back specifically to feud with CM Punk, that meant that the WHC would need to change hands on Wrestlemania.

Add to that the fact that Sheamus has been protected and booked like a superman for months. It has come to the point where, if he was to fight a triple threat against Conan the Barbarian and Our Lord and Savior Jesus H. Christ, the odds would at best be even money on the Irishman. There was no way they would halt that push now, especially against someone like Bryan.

Secondly, WWE would not want to risk to much cheering for their primary evil heel. A heel-face turn now would serve no storyline purpose for them.

Bryan has finally got over with the casual audience as a despicable character, and his kayfabe personality has few, if any, redeeming qualities. It would need a major rewrite to work as a face. The position as arrogant, freakishly good wrestler with obnoxious personality and unusual life choices has been filled. (How'ya doin' Punk?) After months of building Bryan as a grade-A douche-bag, WWE would not just wipe that of the blackboard in a retcon. Every heel/face turn needs an internal kayfabe-logic, after all.

Cody Rhodes might be a first class bully, but he picked on the big lumbering lummox Big Show, Daniel Bryan pour his vitriol on sweet, loveable AJ. And with Bryan dating Brie Bella, I would expect WWE to work that into the current storyline. I mean what draws more heat than an abusive boyfriend? An abusive, cheating boyfriend of course! It would be plenty of opportunities for backstage segments. E.g: AJ discovers Bryan coming out of Bries locker room, and he brushing her off, claiming he was just «scouting her opponents». His possesive personality would go into overdrive, and he would start fights out of jealousy every time she smiled to someone backstage. Let him dissect the NXT-jobbers, and show off his skills.

But back to Wrestlemania. WWE have a belt that has to change hands, a face they want to keep strong, and a heel they also want to protect to a certain degree, how to solve it?

One possibility could have been to book a DQ victory for Bryan, after he managed to push the berzerker button on Sheamus. That would leave him with the belt, but undoubtably weaken him somewhat. It would also necessitate a rewrite of the opening of the Punk/Jericho match.

Even worse from Bryans point of view would be the standard «feud-blow-off» booking of Sheamus going ballistic on him: Using him as his personal chew toy and punching bag for 6-7 minutes until the match was stopped. AJ could then wheel the bloody and toothless carcass of her boyfriend out of the arena. It would have been a proper closure to the feud, and been entertaining to watch, but Bryan would then be in a serious downwards spiral.

So they chose the smart solution. Sheamus surprising Bryan out of the starting gates and stealing the win before the champion knew what hit him. This way, Bryan can truthfully claim that the win proves nothing, that he's still the best wrestler of the two and that Sheamus was unsportsmanlike and lucky. And he would be right! In other words, his perceived strengths in the ring would not be in question, and he would not lose the same amount of momentum.

If Sheamus is to feud with Del Rio, have Bryan destroy Big Show and claim the Int'con championship. That would also underline his reign as World Heavyweight Champion, and give him the talking point that it's the second time in a year he takes a championship from Big Show.

So, I cannot see any way WWE could have delivered a longer match with Bryan and not hurt his reputation at the same time. Iin the long run, Bryan-fans should probably acknowledge that what WWE actually did was to protect Bryan to keep him in the main event picture. ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?41344-18-Seconds-Was-Great-for-Daniel-Bryan http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?40603-RR2012-Participants-The-Roles-and-the-Verdict Wed, 01 Feb 2012 18:57:39 GMT I've read several pundits, like Matt Seagull over at TheJohnReport, who claim the entrants in the 2012 Royal Rumble was sub-par and a testament to how poor the current WWE roster is. I could not disagree more.

All in all I though this years Rumble was a step up from last year, and probably among the top 10 Rumble matches. Not top 3, but a solid showing, somewhat marred by the descision to use 90 second intervals rather than the classic 2 minutes between each new entry.

Now I won't go into detail about the whole show, or even the bookings during the RRmatch itself, just look at whether the claim that there was obvious a lack of talent among the 30 participants ring true.

The Roles
First of, let me explain what kind of participants I expect to see in a 30 man RR.

Gimmick/Storyline guys
Some participants who probably would not have been in the match unless there was a gimmick or story they tied into. Last year it was New Nexus v. The Corre.

Legends
I use the term loosely. What I mean are familiar faces who's retired or at least works mostly backstage or in other capacities than as full time wrestlers and are in the match for a nostalgia pop

The Returning
One or possibly two surprise entants, wrestlers who have been sidelined by injures for a longer period or maybe have been away with other pursuits, and are returning as full time wrestlers.

Comedy crew
Some wrestlers who are there for a gag, or to play to the crow, usually in the first half of the match

The Diva
I always enjoy seeing one of the Divas mixing it up, as long as she is portraied as the most dominant diva in the WWE. Chyna and Beth Phoenix were both surprises and did a good running in the matches they partook in.

Main Event Material
Any wrestler who plausibly could win the whole ting. Could be established main eventers, wrestlers who are in the main title picture all ready, or just a talented mid carder who might be on the rise in the company.

The Fill
Jobbers to the stars, mid-carders or the occasional tag-team, they might get a good showing, but there is no chance in hell they will win.

So lets look at this years entrants:

Gimmick guys: 3 (or 0 if we count them in other categories as well)
This year alle three guys at the announcer table got involved, and I though it was a fun little one-off. Cole doubles as a Comedy act (YMMV), Lawler can be considered a Legend, and if Booker T isn't then he falls in the Filler category now. WWE fullfilled their wish for the mini-story of one-upmanship from the commentators without shoehorning in too many useless participants.

Legends: 4 (5,5 if we add Lawler and Booker T)
Hacksaw Jim Duggan, The Great Khali, Road Dogg Jesse James, Mick Foley. Foley is somewhat of a comedy-gag as well, but I'll count him in this category. Hacksaw was a given entry of the venerable type at the 25th Royal Rumble, as the winner of the first. Khali worked as the big «threath to win» while Road Dogg showed he still know his way around the ropes.

The Returning/The Diva: 1
Kharma was fresh out of the hospital after giving birth (on new years eve) and probably needs and wants a bit more time before returning full time, but it was a pleasant surprise!

Comedy Crew: 2 (3 including Cole)
Santino Marella was there for the gags with Mick Foley, as well as being a part of the build up, as the penultimate man last year. Ricardo Rodrigues was just hillarious, with his banged up car (notice the license plates) and all the mannerisms and penache of his injured employer.

Main Event Material: 9
Sheamus naturally. Chris Jericho being who he is. Big Show and Dolph Ziggler, even though both fel short in championship matches earlier in the night. Wade Barrett, coming in on a winning streak, and having put Randy Orton «out of action», as well as winning the Survivor Series. Randy Orton as the hometown hero returned from injuries. The Miz, just because it could be the kind of fluke win WWE likes, he's bankable in the media, and he did end up as this years ironman lasting over 45 minutes. Cody Rhodes, as a strong Int'Con. Champion, and with a plan to be a double champion. And possibly Jack Swagger, as a fresh US Champion, former WHC-belt holder and probably on the way up in the ranks again.

Fillers: 11 (11,5 includng Booker T)
Primo&Epico, Jey Uso, David Otunga, Kofi Kingston, Alex Riley, Ezekiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel, Hunico, Jinder Mahal, R-Truth. Of these Kingston and Truth are going into the Elimination Chamber WWE-championship match, Primo&Epico are reigning Tag Team champions and Justin Gabriel might be up for a shot at the intercontinental title soon. So not just pushovers either.

The Verdict
I don't think I've been to kind, when I say that having 9 participants who possibly could have been booked as winners, and about 11,5 participants who's just there from the depth of the roster, isn't to bad, and a far cry from a lot of the Royal Rumbles in the late 90's and early 00's.

As always I hope you'll add your thoughts in the comments. And no grammar-police I hope, English is my second language. ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?40603-RR2012-Participants-The-Roles-and-the-Verdict http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?39973-Successfully-turning-R-Truth-face-again Sun, 04 Dec 2011 19:26:13 GMT We read the rumours: When R-Truth returns from his suspension to to trangressing the wellnesspolicy, he'll be back as a face. Is that possible to do and still keep him interesting? I think so!

Let's for a minute forget that trainload of failure which was the old R-Truth as a face, and consentrate on why he has become so much fun after becoming a heel. His promos, and the way they give us glimpses into the alternate reality he seems til live in.

Now, he became a heel because he felt he was overlooked and not taken seriously has the happy-go-lucky, childfriendly rapper. And he had success for a while, but after getting jumped and taken out by The Miz, he should be rethinking his strategy.

Now my suggestion would be to turn his insanity up to 11. Le him use all his capabilities in trying to win over "the little jimmys". He could try to adopt different well know face-mannerism. From Hogans ripping the shirt and listening to the crowd, to Ultimate Warriors tazzles and ropeshaking, or Mysterios mask,Santinos air-trombone, Bret Harts pink colorsheme, Austins ATV, Undertakers sit-up, The Rocks tonguework, Cena's salute. Each time with ring gear trying to capture the style of the wrestler his trying to emulate.

Of course he'll misunderstand just WHY they worked for the previous heroes, and he should misquote catchphrases, mess up finishers, crash the ATV, and fail to rip his t-shirt... Maybe even trying to rap the themesongs of the wrestlers he copies. The sky's the limit, and it should be just the kind of humor Vince likes.

He would work as a face, just like Donald Duck, because of his bumbling and quick temper, and honest attempt to be popular and "a GOOOOOD R-Truth!" while failing miserably at both from time to time.

Have his matches against popular heels, and let him tag with faces who never really know what he'll do next. It could lead to symphaty from the fans, and they would get on his side, leading to a full face-turn or he could turn back as a pure heel again if need be. And keeping the options open seems to be important with the on-the-fly booking WWE tend to do.

Would you like to see R-Warrior in full face paint shaking the ropes, R-Hart putting a sharpshoter on himself or R-Taker stubbing his toes in the dark and getting freaked out by the fireworks? ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?39973-Successfully-turning-R-Truth-face-again http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?35837-The-Reign-of-The-Game Sat, 24 Sep 2011 00:41:26 GMT CM Punk wanted change, and he got it, perhaps not in the way he expected, when HHH got hold of the reins of WWE as Chief Operating Officer. In this... CM Punk wanted change, and he got it, perhaps not in the way he expected, when HHH got hold of the reins of WWE as Chief Operating Officer. In this post I'll take a look on what he has "accomplished" as COO, the situation around the titles, and the storyline itself.Let's start with the titles.

More than a belt

For once all the belts are held by worthy champions, and yes, that includes Kelly Kelly.

I'll get to her in a minute, but let me first say that I wholeheartedly applaud the way they have put over Mark Henry, with him winning the World Heavyweight Championship. For a long time WWE have lacked a pure bred monster, and booking an upset win, cleanly, over Randy Orton just underlines what an unstoppable juggernaut "the world strongest man" is right now. His promos is flowing more clearly, and to me it looks like he's in better shape than last year. He might have lost a few pound, and that should help on stamina. If you look at proper strongman-competitors or weightlifters, they're not built like bodybuilders. They have a strong core, and less bulging muscles. Henry has just that kind of built, it betrays his immense strength, and when he's allowed to use that in the ring, he looks dangerous. Not to forget that his power game makes for a different kind of match, which is a good thing in my mind. He can manhandle anyone, literally. Maybe they let Orton regain the belt at Hell in a Cell, but I hope they keep Henry in the championship picture for a while!

As for putting the WWE-championship back on Cena so fast, I can understand them. Alberto DelRio has been underwhelming as champion to say the least, but you all ready know that. *wink*
A title change also makes a triple threat match with Punk thrown into the mix on HiaC possible. Thirdly, WWE likes to have at least one of the main titles on a face, so with Henry winning the WHC, stripping Del Rio of the WWE championship was a given. Last but not least: The ratings have dropped lately, and then Creatives standard quick-fix usually involve Cena.

Del Rio also seems to have pissed of the boss. Vince McMahon reportedly went livid when he was name dropped last RAW. Vince seem to think the fans have the imagination and memory of a 70 year old storke patient, and thus would forget him if he isn't mentioned on TV, which would make his inevitable return a big and shocking surprise. (Even though he never was kayfabe fired, just relieved of the day to day duties of running WWE.)

Cody Rhodes has brought some respectability back to the Intercontinental Championship. All he now needs is a good feud. DiBiase shows promise, and deserves to be used better, but not in a feud for this belt. Much to early, he needs to wash of his jobber-sweat first and establish himself in the midcard. I would much rather see Daniel Bryan as a contender to the Intercontinental championship. He could even win it, and then lose it again, before Wrestlemania and his MitB cash-in.

Dolph Ziggler is fine with the U.S. championship, but I think he should drop it soon, as part of an extended storyline with Jack Swagger.

I see many claim one or the other of those two should turn face. I disagree. I think both should stay heel, and feud via one-upmanship. Let Ziggler lose the U.S. championship thanks to Swagger interfering. And then let them ruin each others matches against the new U.S. Champ, so neither gets hold of it. With good promo work that should be an interesting plot.

Who I'd put the US belt on as part of that story? I'd say let Zack Ryder have a go, he would not be hurt by being portrayed as a lucky and mostly clueless champion. Then WWE could see how the general fans would respond, and if Ryder could get over in earnest as a babyface comedy act. It's not like the US championship would be devalued much by being used as a prop.

Air Boom has finally given the Tag Team championship meaning again, and I would not mind having "Awesome Truth" challenge them for a while. Air Boom even have matching ring gear now, that is just marvelous! The only thing missing is a common entrance, make a mash-up of their old personal theme music WWE!

And no, I haven't forgotten: The Diva Championship. The original plan was to have Beth Phoenix win at NoC. But I'm happy she didn't. Because who would be a suitable contender? They are obviously hot on Kelly Kelly, and the feud works much better with she as the champion pulling of wins through resilience and attitude against a more powerful but overconfident heel.

When Kelly is in the ring with a good opponent, she's actually become quite capable, and her in ring abilities have improved leaps and bounds the last year. And she's not afraid to take a vicious bump either, when was the last time you saw a superplex in a WWE divas match? She might look like Barbie, and in fact be named Barbie, but don't forget that Barbie, the doll that is, is made to withstand the punishment of a million pre-teen girls bashing her about...

The COO, Punk, Laurinaitis, Nash & co
Just when it seemed this storyline was running out of steam it rekindled. I like the thought of CM Punk and HHH both trying to figure out what's going on, as unwilling allies. Nash still has a role to play as the towering mercenary, and as with any good conspiracy-story there is more layers than you could suspect at first glance. My prediction is that we will see the return of "The Chairman of The Board" Mr. McMahon, and it will boil down to a handicap match with Laurinaitis (he's a trained wrestler after all) and Nash facing HHH for the control of the company. Whether or not CM Punk will have the last laugh remains to be seen. It is at least a captivating storyline in my view, because there is so many ways it can be spun.

RAW supershow and making the Brand division count.
With the new concept of superstars from both brands showing up on RAW regularly and at the same time Smackdown having falling ticket sales it is obvious something must be done. I think the best solution would be to streamline the differences between the brands. Make RAW the show with plenty of pyros, involved storylines, and harebrained promos, the kids show. As for Smackdown, make it grittier, more brutal and darker. It would need to be arranged with Sy-Fy of course, but to the Smackdown draws better ratings than any other program they have so they should be willing to listen.

And yes that means maybe returning to a TV14 rating for that show.

Now several things would need to be done for that to work. First of all, the different rosters would need tweaking. Put the superstars with kid appeal on RAW. Let HHH reveal he was in fact the anonymous GM, but that he now needs to concentrate on running the whole company, so he appoints Teddy Long as new Raw GM. Then build up to the revealing of a new Smackdown GM: Mick Foley! He could proclaim that from now on, "On Smackdown Wrestling HURT" and reinstate the Hardcore Championship!

The new Smackdown would concentrate on longer matches, less promos and more basic storylines.

In the clean up, the Intercontinental championship would transfer to RAW, maybe putting some limitations on the US championship to make that stand out more. Just American wrestlers could hold it, or it would always have to be defended on TV or something like that, while the Intercontinental title would now signified that the holder always could challenge the #1 contender for the WWE-championship for the right to meet the champion. The point being that they would need to be different.

Anyway. PPVs would still generally be PG, except Hell in a Cell, Extreme Rules and TLC.

I think this would make the brand division significant again, without limiting wrestlers from appearing on just one show. If and when WWE get their own network running, they could just mix up the programming, putting Smackdown after the watershed.

Last but not least, the Sin Caras
I'm a bit apprehensive towards all «evil clone» storylines but on the other hand I think Hunico deserves TV time. WWE just need to make the ring gear of the two more distinctly different as to not confuse the viewers at home. Either give Hunico an evil color scheme (red and gold as opposed to Misticos blue and silver) or just make the suits inverted in the coloring. One Sin Cara in blue with white trim, the other in white with blue trim for instance.

Well that was all for this time, as always I hope you'll leave a comment if there's anything you agree or disagree with! ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?35837-The-Reign-of-The-Game http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?18783-Top-6-Terrible-ideas-that-worked-out-well-in-WWE-this-year Fri, 09 Sep 2011 00:02:30 GMT Caveat: This is MY personal opinon, and you are entitled to YOUR opinion, and I would love to hear about it in the comments *Number 6: Adding... Caveat: This is MY personal opinon, and you are entitled to YOUR opinion, and I would love to hear about it in the comments

Number 6: Adding Booker T to the Smackdown announcing team.
You can call the master of the spinnarooni a lot, but an eloquent broadcast journalist is probably not the first description that springs to mind. So bumping Matt Striker from the announcing team on the more wrestling-match oriented brand: Terrible idea!

Except that after a shaky start when he debuted in February, King Bookah has proven that he actually have something to contribute on commentary besides being a legitimate wrestler. He's less of a sickening face that Lawler, but still manage to play the role of the enthusiastic fan. With his «fave5» he give build up to midcarders who get little love from Cole or Matthews, and he seems more secure in himself on microphone. Sure there are still «He didn't just say what I though he said» moments, but usually he can play it off as just being a quirky opinion, rather than a mistake.


Number 5: Putting Snooki in a Wrestlemania match
Big PPVs and C-list celebrities in the ring for cheap publicity goes together like ham and burgers. Some of them even end up in the WWE Hall of Fame. *Koff* Drew Carey *Koff*. But putting a hated Jersey Shore bimbo standing less than 5 feet tall in a mixed gender tag-team match: Terrible idea!

Except there is a the reason WWE uses celebrities in this way. It is to get mainstream publicity. And that part of the plan worked. You might never have seen an episode of Jersey Shore, but if you have got internett you will have come across that orange little gremlin with the inhuman bust someplace or the other, and mainstream newsmedia and bloggs picked up on it asap! But then, when it comes to the actual match the celebrities usually end up making a fool of themselves, even when willing and able to take a solid bump, like David Arquette. But Snookie spent the weeks leading up to the show training and treating the prospect of the match with respect. When the bell rang there was no painful or embarrasing botch, the match was not horrible, she actually pulled of the moves she was supposed to do better than expected. Off course WWE stacked the odds by having her team with Trish Stratus, and a female celebrity will usually get better off being compared to a regular diva, than a male celebrity to a regular superstar. But still, what at first seemed like a trainwreck waiting to happen went well.

Number 4: Not turning John Cena heel when the opportunity was there.
The epic showdown between the most electrifying man in sports entertainment and a primary coloured superhero loved by everyone below the age of puberty. The stage was set, the ridicule was glorious, the promos where hillarious. This was the golden opportunity to refresh Cena and make him heel finally! And WWE decided to keep him as a unbeatable face: Terrible idea!

Except you should never kill the goose that lays golden eggs. There is a reason Cena is loved by all those kids, and there is a reason those kids' parents spend millions on merchandise. But more importantly, by acknowledging the fact that Cena at best splits the fans 50/50 they open up several new avenues of storylines. Yes he's the face of the company, but he's not willing to break his own code of principles even with a heelish upper management. His passionate speeches of his love of the business and his opinions that no-one is just a heel or just a face, set the stage for the Reality era, as some have dubbed it. He was the perfect foil for CM Punks rants about all that is wrong with WWE, and he has pulled off some of the best ringwork he has shown in years. By making the concept of SuperCena more meta, they have made him more interesting, without losing the support and the dollars of the under 14 year olds. There is always easier to build up a heel than a face, and his gimmick and the love/hate relationship many fans have with it, is well suited for the Reality era-storylines. To put it short: With a heel Cena, the whole new Punk-storyline would never have been possible in the same way.


Number 3: Making HHH an on screen authority figure.
Yeah, let's put the son-in-law of Vince in charge on the screen. Make it plain to see that his ego will make him push himself, to the detriment of up and coming young stars. Let's make it simple for the fans to make that connection. Let's use our precious screen time on a semiretired 40-something wrestler who's gone 1 match all year : Terrible idea!

Except it also means no more Evil Mr McMahon in repetitive storylines. It makes for a perfect blurring of reality and storylines, as every smark in the world knew of HHHs connections to the McMahon family. It brings back the whole «evil cooperation» concept, with arguably one of the finest tweeners in WWEs history in the main role. Whose side is he on, who's scheming against him or maybe with him. What role does his old friend Kevin Nash play? It's entertaining, and unlike Vince, when HHHs gets pushed into a match, he actually looks capable to win. Not to mention his role makes a magnificent backdrop for CM Punks shenanigans. Thus keeping Punk solidly in the main picture, and at the same time letting the WWE Championship be contested elsewhere.

Number 2: Giving Mark Henry a legitimate push.
He's a lumbering joke, the world fattest slam, Mr Kool Aid, Mizark, Mark «Threath to win Royal Rumble» Henry. He's been 13+ years in WWE, and the most memorable storyline was him impregnating an octogenarian who gave birth to a hand. Release him all ready! Giving him a massive push and putting him in the WHC-picture: Terrible idea!

Except what do you do when several of your «monsters» are in dire need of surgery, recouperation and generally has lost their once feared status? You build your new monsters reputation by «injuring» them for an extended period. Do you know how to spot the diffense between a body builder and a really strong man? The body builder have bulging muscles in their arms and chest, the stong man has a massive muscles in their core and back. Now which of those builds has Henry?

He can probably deadlift anyone on the current roster with ease, he looks menacing, acts menacing and has improved his promos considerably. Back in the day, when Teddy Long announced with bravado that someone was going to met KANE, most fans would just shrug and thing «so what, he's just a glorified jobber these days.» Not a good thing for a supposed monster. Now imagine the same thing with Mark Henry right about now? Right, you would probably be a bit uncertain of who would be booked as the winner even if he was up against SuperCena... THAT is the way of a proper monster heel! Somebody gonna get their ass kicked! indeed...


Number 1: Having Christian lose the World Heavyweight Championship after just 5 (2) days.
With his best friend in real life retiring due to injuries, perennial 2nd placer Christian was finally crowned World Heavyweight Champion. Crying tears of joy, he proved all his supporters on the internet right. He was championship material after all! Now, letting him drop the championship to Smackdowns ersatz-Cena, Randy Orton after just 5 days (2 days in real time): WORST IDEA EVAR!!1!

Except it brought about a heel turn for a wrestler who has the position as the cocksure heel down to a tee, both in the ring and on the microphone. It ensured he would once and for all cement himself as a main-eventer. Of course he never beat Orton cleanly, he's a sneaky, whining heel, he should fall just short or pull of a win on a technicality. But at the same time he proved that he could go toe to toe with the viper in the ring, and maybe could have beaten him fair and square had he not been so busy plotting nefarious plans.

Oh, and it brought us, the fans, a series of 6 of the best matches WWE has produced in years. Not bad for a terrible idea... ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?18783-Top-6-Terrible-ideas-that-worked-out-well-in-WWE-this-year http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?1762-Top-5-retired-wrestlers-I-d-like-to-see-back-in-the-ring Thu, 11 Aug 2011 21:15:02 GMT This is my subjective ranking, thus there is no right or wrong answers. For each wrestler I'll explain why I would see them return, and outline a possible plothook for them. And lastly the likelihood of a return, ranket from * ("No chance in hell") to ***** ("The stars are right")

I have not ranked any wrestlers where injuries or similar circumstances make it impossible.

Honorable Mentions
Mick Foley - Not getting any younger, and busy building a comedian career. Has sacrificed a lot for the fans. Still, a 3 for 1 entry i a Royal Rumble, or a role in management would be sweet. ** (in a non-wrestling capacity: ****)

Brock Lesnar - Never have such a powerhouse have such a moveset. But he left on bad terms with the company, and is successful in MMA: **

Stone Cold Steve Austin - His neck is probably to vulnerable too take bumps, so no real match is likely, but his presence should be felt for a time yet, and the occasional stunner delivered. If the doctors give green light: ***
Kharma - Pregnant for the time being, but in a year: *****

Number 5
HBK
The Showstopper, Mr Wrestlemania. Too happy making outdoorsman programming and enjoying family life to make a return at all plausible. But we know he could if he would. Plothook: Returning to set a power mad HHH straight, pointing out that a COO like he has become is just the thing DX was in opposition against. Cue: Epic showdown at Wrestlemania. Likelihood of return: *

Number 4
Michelle McCool Yes, Mrs Taker, Michelle McCool was a genius in the ring compared to most of the current roster. One of the few divas in recent time who was entrusted with an actual storyline. Plot hook: Face Diva Champion Kharma getting to full of herself, and sending out an open challenge to the locker-room. Cue: All the dirtiest tricks in the book. Likelihood of return: **

Number 3
Diesel - The Big Sexy, Kevin Nash. A giant of a man on a WWE Legend-contract who can act as a power-broker and thorn in the side of any GM. Plot hook: Getting fed up of not getting enough respect as a LEGEND, he starts interfering in matches, ticking of some WWE big-shot. Cue: Kayfabe trouble backstage. The guy has voiced interest in getting used more by WWE so likelihood of return: *****

Number 2
Masked Kane - Okay, maybe I'm cheating on this one, as Glenn Jacobs is still wrestling under the name of Kane. But nowadays he is more of an empty threat, not an unstoppable monster. Plot hook: Teddy Long sets up a TAG-TEAM main event with Kane as one of the faces. Promoting "His long awaited return from injury" or something like that, all graphics unchanged. At the match, he's the last one presented. Nothing happens. As the referee gives sign to start the match regardless, Paul Bearer shows up, saying "You wouldn't start the match without the Devil's favorite demon, would you?" The stage explodes in flames, Kane's old entrance music starts up, and he strides out of the flames with the mask and full leotard to lay waste to everyone in the ring. From there on, use him as a loose cannon, attacking heels and faces, and losing on DQ most of his matches. The seeds are all ready sown with his rant about feeling "too human". Likelihood: ****

Number 1
Chris Jericho- The best in the world at what he does. Touring with his band all over the world, and having a great time with the family if his Twitterpics is any indication. But WWE still needs saving, from John "The biggest threat to WWE" Cena as well as CM "Quit stealing my lines" Punk. He could return as a face or as a heel, as long as he is given a mic and an opponent with a pulse, you know he will entertain. Plothook: There is a champion thinking he is worthy of carying the belt... Likelihood: *** ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?1762-Top-5-retired-wrestlers-I-d-like-to-see-back-in-the-ring http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?1297-The-Daunting-Task-of-the-Diva-Division Wed, 01 Jun 2011 03:05:00 GMT Among the many grievances fans have with WWE are the way the Diva-division have been in a constant downwards spiral since the heydays of the... Among the many grievances fans have with WWE are the way the Diva-division have been in a constant downwards spiral since the heydays of the "Attitude" eras T'n'A. (As in synonyms for "small birds" and "donkey", not in the wrestling promotion formerly known as Total Nonstop Action.)

The arrival of Kharma suddenly made the Divas somewhat relevant again, but as we know, she will be gone from the ring for the better part of the year.

Now, I wish to address the whole pregnancy-debacle. Some seem to think she has spoil her great chance of stardom. To quote the Miz: "Really?"

I'm pretty sure she didn't plan to get pregnant now, but seriously, if a male wrestler had gotten a injury who sidelined him for 9-10 months, would we write him off for good no matter what? TNA's Chris Sabin has made a proper mess of his knee, and will be out for the rest of the year, but I'm pretty sure no-one questions that he will be back, as long as the doctors do their job properly. And unlike an injury, a pregnancy is somewhat predictable.

That's why I think WWE let Kharma do a shooty-promo, and that's why they used the opportunity to give the Bellas some cheap heat, as well as set up a future feud. They seem to committed to Kharma, and want to clarify that they will have her back as soon as possible.

Now some of the more lowbrow and lecherous readers might take the heading of this post literally and proclaim "Let'em wrestle topless, problem sorted". While that may fly in WEW, there will be a cold day in Kane's basement before that happens. But it seems WWE is developing a more refined stance on the divas ring-gear. After all, many of the Superstars wrestle in what amounts to speedos and boots, so that some of the Divas might as well flaunt their assets in glorified bikinis, is just promoting equality among the sexes. Kelly Kelly's bhorts (Belt-shorts, gettit, wordplay on Cenas "Jhorts"? Not funny? Oh well...) The Bellas peek-a-boo pants-chaps-thinggies, and so on. And the camera crew seems more interested in getting the shots right for some fanservice. Nevertheless, you can dress up a mule and teach it to tango, but it doesn't make it a horse. In other words, if a girl is just a looker, and seems lost in the ring, she is put to better use as a valet, or random eyecandy.

Luckily it seems WWE has come to it's senses and to me it looks like a marked improvement in the in-ring abilities of several of the regulars. WWE has always seemed to think it is easier to teach someone with the right looks and charisma the technical sides of wrestling, rather than the other way around. But they sometimes seems to forget that if you follow that line, you still cannot skimp on the whole "train them to wrestle" part of the plan.

And the loss of Kharma and McCool, even though the first is temporary, means that there is room in the female roster for new blood. Having AJ and Kaitlyn return to SmackDown was refreshing. Sure they are still rough in the edges, but there is potential, and it seems WWE is willing to do the polishing needed.

But the most important factor, if they are to revitalize the Divas, and make the "bathroom break-match" a thing of the past, is to build personalities and feuds. Without proper build-up, no wrestling match, no matter how technically adept, can fulfill it's potential. The psychology will be missing, if all the participants bring to the table are a pretty face and a colorful outfit. Which means they need to give the Divas promo time, they need to talk, interact, build a story. It doesn't need to take much time, for that matter, start it of gently in Superstars or NXT, and let it simmer. To often the diva-matches seems thrown together at Creatives last booking meeting before the show is off. Off course that means that to the casual viewer, as well as the fans, the matches are less interesting. Secondly, Creative needs to identify some divas that have a good psychology between them. Look at Orton and Christian. As soon as they get in the ring, they make each other better, and seem incapable of putting on a bad show. Then, give those divas a storyline, and matches that are more than 4-5 minutes. When was the last time you saw a Divas match running more than a few minutes? Certainly, many of the Divas on the current roster has limited movesets so they cannot make a 10 minute match without repeating themselves. But that's what you have to aim for.

Last but not least, gimmicks. For one thing the current crop of Divas seems divided into the Heels which are bitchy and whining, and the Faces that smiles a lot. Come on. There needs variation. That's why Kharma was such a breath of fresh air.

Now Maryse had a gold-digger vibe going, expand on that. Let her infatuate herself with whoever holds a title, and follow that title around, dropping the loser as a bad habit. Let her mess up friendships, and manipulate people.

Who can forget good old "Ravishing" Rick Rude. Most of his heat came from male insecurity among the fans, he was a walking reminder that their girlfriends could do better. Repackage that with a diva, I mean, 40% of the WWE viewers are women, or so they say. What better way to instant heat than alienating the female crowd and play the proverbial teasing homewrecker-to-be. Or have a prudish heel, berating the "skanky" faces, preaching over-the-top-morality and wrestling in a full bodysuit.

As for the faces, the options are a bit more limited, but as I mentioned in an earlier post their are different types of faces, so you could have a specter from a happy-go-lucky Miss Gigglestomuch, to a dead serious powerhouse, to a quirky "beware of the nice ones" a'la Santino Marella. The possibilities are legion.

So now you have the opportunity WWE, to cash in on the inflated interest in the Divas the introduction of Kharma made, while it is still relevant. ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?1297-The-Daunting-Task-of-the-Diva-Division http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?1177-WWEs-booking-of-Cena-makes-perfect-sense Wed, 04 May 2011 23:02:35 GMT Now with Extreme Rules behind us, John Cena can once again use his catchphrase, «The Champ is Here» truthfully. The decision to put the WWE... Now with Extreme Rules behind us, John Cena can once again use his catchphrase, «The Champ is Here» truthfully. The decision to put the WWE championship belt back on Cena has, expectedly, not been received with laud and applause by the «IWC». You should think that the same people that for months complained about The Miz being champ now would rejoice, but some people can never be pleased.

But I think WWEs booking is smart, predictable, but smart. I will try to explain why, and you, dear reader, can rip me a new one on why I'm mistaken in the comments, just read on.

Why take the belt of The Miz?
In my view the main reason to give him it in the first place was to elevate him to main event status, and cement him in the audience view as a legit threat. Mission accomplished. At least as much as possible in the current run. He kept the title for more than 5 months. Who would have expected that when he won it back in November with the help of the Money in the Bank suitcase? And his run has helped to get Alex Riley familiar with WWE as well. Whether he sinks or swims on his own is yet to be seen. But now, The Miz is better served being a contender to the championship, and winning it at a later date. He has gotten all the rub from going toe to toe with Cena that can be expected, and he has proved he can take the ball and run with it. Its not like he hasn't been booked strong either. Not many superstars gets to kick out from Cenas finishers on a regular basis. What Creative has in store for him is anybodies guess, but he is no longer an afterthough. They could let him continue to feud with Cena for the title, or give him a new feud.

Why give it to Cena?
As John Morrison is as popular as diarrhea backstage, he was no option, and they needed a face to carry the belt. Especially as RAW is profoundly heel-heavy after the draft. Another options would have been Rey Mysterio, but he's too new on the brand. Cena is the face of the company after all, you might not like it, but that's the fact of the matter. He's recognized, popular with the casual viewers and a company man with no skeletons in the closet. Which means that as long as his health is sound, he will obviously be in the championship-picture, either as champion or contender.
And the match on Extreme Rules and the rematch on RAW could mean an end to the ongoing feud between the two. Wrestling 101 means that the face has to pull through. There is extremely few long feuds between a heel and face where the heel wins in the end. And unless they decide to continue the feud with The Miz it opens for some other aspiring main-eventer cutting his teeth on Cena the Champ.

Why is Cena booked so two-dimentional?
Cena is not the best wrestler in the world. But he's not useless in the ring either. He's accused of never selling, but it is more a case of him being booked to recouperate fast. Beat him down to within an inch of unconciousness, and he will still pop back up if you don't hurry. Now, is this something particular to Cena? Not really. All wrestlers tend to get up after beating that would kill the average man. Some sell injuries for a time, others don't, it depends on how the storyline is meant to play out.

So much for phycical injury, Cena doesn't sell psychology either. He's nearly always smiling and happy. Well as he's booked as someone who loves his fans, WWE, performing in the ring, and finds his inspiration and support there, why shouldn't he be happy? As for not selling anger, grief and other emotions consistently, take a look at Kane. He was tricked into «killing» his own father, Paul Bearer, by Edge, and a few months later he's playing the air-trombone with Santino Marella... Consistancy in never an issue in wrestling, never has been, never will be.

Cena is derogatorily called Superman, and that moniker has a element of truth. And when was the last time you saw Superman mope at the end of a storyarc? If you keep in mind the part Cena is supposed to play in the pantheon of WWE, it makes no sense making him too emotional and despondent.

And in making Cena a benchmark young upstarts can measure up against, they also has to protect him. If he gets beaten clean on a regular basis by anyone except someone firmly in the main event picture in the forseeable future, his value as a benchmark is reduced. Maybe Creative is too protective? But they probably want to err on the side of caution.

Cena is supposed to be a throwback to the faces of old, a primary coloured hero to the kids, who cannot be kept down for an extended period of time. He's meant to be the top dog all the young heels would like to usurp. Complaining when he plays that role to perfection, is, quite frankly, unfair. ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?1177-WWEs-booking-of-Cena-makes-perfect-sense http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?1002-The-many-Faces-(and-Heels)-of-Wrestling-Alignments Fri, 01 Apr 2011 20:54:26 GMT We all know it as one of the mainstays of wrestling psychology. How feuds are fueled and matches booked is down to the alignment of the wrestler: ... We all know it as one of the mainstays of wrestling psychology. How feuds are fueled and matches booked is down to the alignment of the wrestler: Is he or she a Face or a Heel. Somewhere along the line we also got the classic Tweener.

But in modern wrestling there is more to it than just these three options, there are nuances that get lost in the shuffle if we just talk about «faces and heels».

I will try to subdivide these factions into archetypes, but no such system will be all-encompassing, and many if not all modern wrestling superstars will have elements of more than one archetype.

(As always, I hope you will be tempted to post any thoughs and comments, and please remember English is my second language so I apologize in advance for any spelling mistakes.)

The True Face a.k.a. The Paladin
He follows his moral codex, and would rather lose than break the rules. He's dedicated and want the crowds support rather than their love. Often he has above-average wrestling-skills and triumphs when they shine through in the end. Usually he seems a bit two dimentional, and his feuds are seldom spectacular, due to him never bending the rules. Ofte a jobber-to-the-stars.

Typical examples: Evan Bourne, Mark Henry, Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston (recently)

The Smart Hero
He knows that to beat the bad guys you sometime have to break the rules, usually with a nudge and a wink to the fans. He's prefers to fight fair, but if the opponents starts playing dirty he knows a thing or two that's not mentioned in the rulebook as well. Usually the main-event faces end up in some shade of this archetype, as they can better let the Heels get a taste of their own medicine.

Typical examples: John Cena, Edge (when face), John Morrison.

The Sneaking Goofball - Hidden Bad-Ass
Cheerful, happy and well-loved this guy want's to have fun in the squared-circle, but can sometimes seem a bit nonchalant. They are often a bit goofy or even naive, but Do. Not. Push. Them! If they get pushed to far they are fully capable of kicking ass and not bothering taking names, with or within the rules. Unlike The Smart Hero they will have to be bullied into going to extremes though.

Typical examples: Santino Marella, Big Show, Jerry «The King» Lawler

The Face-In-Name-Only a.k.a. The Anti-Hero
He uses the psychology of a heel, has a heelish-gimmick and the move set of a heel with vicious and devastating results. The only thing that separate him from a heel is that he usually fights and feuds against heels, and have the fans support in doing so. Often a result of a popular Monster-heel turning face.

Typical examples: Kane (when face), Undertaker, Randy Orton.

The Tweener
The true tweener is a rare breed. Able to look as natural agains a face as against a heel, very few wrestlers actually stay a tweener for long. Most often it is a phase in a transition from heel to face or vice versa. My examples are all wrestlers who kept this alignment for a longer period.

Typical examples: HHH, Shawn Michaels.

The Likeable Rogue a.k.a. The Magnificent Bastard
He doesn't break the rules because he has to, but because he wants to. But he is fully capable to hand you a deserved beat-down cleanly. Usually full of catchphrases, mannerism and a healthy dose of self-irony. He toys with the fans and other wrestlers, and always seem to come out his feuds with at least a partial victory, and leaving his opponents with eggs on their face (pun intended) even when they win. He loves to point out any hypocracy in the Smart Heros actions.

Typical examples: The Rock, Chris Jericho, Edge (when heel), The Miz (aspiring)

The Cocky Champ-To-Be
He's not champion because he's not good enough, but due to meddling faces and bad-luck. At least in his own mind. He usually have above-average skills in the ring. But he tends to get in trouble with the governing bodies in the promotion, due to his shenanigans. He is the heel most likely to not see himself as a heel, but rather just as a keen competitor using every means possible.

Typical examples: Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio

The Ruthless Villain
A man on a mission, usually a belt, but it could also be to act out his revenge for real or perceived wrongs he has suffered at the hands of a face. Look for henchmen, and a willingness to sacrifice them if need be.

Typical examples: CM Punk, Wade Barret, Cody Rhodes

The Monster
Just what it says on the box. The Monster doesn't so much cheat to win as just disregard any rules or regulations when the fight is on. Seemingly unstoppable at times, always a threat to the safety and careers of any faces who's unlucky enough to get in his way. Powerful manhandling and destruction is his trade, and a large number of his matches will be squashes. The Monster is what Creative breaks out when a face has become seemingly undefeatable. When a heel can conceivably defeat anyone on the roster in a single one-on-one fight, we have ourselves a Monster.

Typical examples: Kane (when heel), Ezekiel Jackson, Sheamus

As noted, many, if not all, wrestlers will have elements of different alignments, and you might not agree with all my examples. But all in all I think this covers the different ways faces and heels can be portrayed in modern wrestling. ]]> Iscariot http://www.ewrestlingnews.com/community/entry.php?1002-The-many-Faces-(and-Heels)-of-Wrestling-Alignments