The Triumvirate of Truth 3.26.12: Underutilized Talent, Jericho vs Punk, RAW, Lord Tensai, Hell in A Cell and more.

Welcome, everyone, to the Triumvirate of Truth! I am writing from a posh suite in the great city of Las Vegas, Nevada and may or may not be intoxicated. Fortunately, you readers will not have to deal with that because I got myself a replacement. Yes, taking the reigns of the column this week will be Michael Ornelas of Shenanigans fame. If you haven’t checked out his television show, then you are doing yourself a great disservice. Be sure to check out this week’s The Contentious Ten as well, because Ornelas takes over that column, too! Anyways, this was supposed to be posted sometime last week, so if you are reading this any time after Monday Night, I apologize for the heart-stopping pain you must have endured due to not being able to read this all weekend. It wasn’t the other writers’ fault though, so I will take full blame. At any rate, let’s get to it!

The closer we get to Mania, the more the air thickens with excitement, and in some causes tension. The Jericho and Punk feud has taken a turn to the realistic, Daniel Bryan is making out with AJ more and more, and Kane is…well, he’s still around. Let’s see what kind of questions the guys came up with and if Michael Ornelas left the douche at home.

1. Has the WWE gone too far in allowing Chris Jericho to cut promos involving CM Punk’s family?

Michael Uphoff: That’s a really good question, because I’m divided. From a business and wrestling standpoint, no I don’t think it’s going too far. With some of the stuff that has been done in the past with WWE, it’s probably not going too far. However, it’s getting really close to that point. From a personal standpoint, perhaps it has gone too far. Let me explain.

From a wrestling perspective, it is getting really close to that line, but it is also escalating the feud and making it more intense and more personal. This doesn’t seem like two wrestlers trying to prove that they are the best in the world. It seems more like Jericho trying to throw Punk off his game because he can’t beat him in the ring (when he has already pinned him in tag matches before), and Punk trying to overcome the demons of his past. While it has certainly made for entertaining TV the past couple weeks, especially Punk’s response this past Monday Night RAW, it’s starting to move away from what the feud originally was about. Two guys both claiming to be the best and setting out to prove it. From a wrestling standpoint, I’m okay with it, but it’s getting very close to crossing that line. If they really want to capitalize on this, they should make this match no-disqualification so that Punk can really let loose his anger on Jericho.

From a personal standpoint, it’s very difficult to include personal family members in feuds. I remember back in 2008 when Shawn’s wife was on RAW and got accidentally punched by Jericho and how Shawn just snapped and beat the holy hell out of him in their Unsanctioned Match at Unforgiven 2008. In terms of a personal standpoint, I don’t like bringing family members into feuds. Yes, it can escalate the feud and make it more interesting, but if someone were to include my family members in a feud, I’d beat the holy hell out of them, and it wouldn’t be scripted. I’m just very protective of my family, and so part of me thinks that family members should be kept out of WWE storylines. This is mainly because it can make A LOT of people uncomfortable, including the WWE Universe. Punk is livid that Jericho is taunting him about his family, and understandably so. It might have been easier not to include them in the storyline, but just like HBK/Jericho from Unforgiven 2008, I think we’ll get a hell of a match.

Michael Ornelas: Honestly I don’t think it’s going too far because it’s a television show. That’s like asking if Eric Cartman went too far when he ground up Scott Tenorman’s parents into chili and fed it to him — of course he did, but it’s fictional and for our entertainment. Now whether or not Punk’s family actually has the issues Jericho mentioned in the story, I’m not sure, but I know that alcoholic father figure has been a part of the CM Punk character’s backstory since he feuded with Raven in Ring of Honor almost a decade ago. That’s just good continuity. Knowing that Punk and Jericho are in fact fine with each other in real life and are using this to sell a feud, I don’t know why anyone would be upset about it. Punk wouldn’t allow them to go there on a program that airs internationally if he wasn’t comfortable with it. Professional wrestling as an industry has been blurring the lines between kayfabe and reality for years now, but “if it’s on TV, it’s a work”. That doesn’t just apply to wrestling, that applies to pretty much everything — sitcoms, reality shows, etc. It adds drama and draws you in, but it’s not going too far.

I’m sure it’ll give us one hell of a match though, and the aggression I expect to see from Punk thanks to this twist in the story more than makes it worth it.

Joshua Stangle: The answer to this question is: not really. This isn’t like what Cole said about Jerry Lawler’s recently passed mother last year. I draw the line at publicly humiliating family members. What Jericho’s promos have done is make the feud personal. If they aren’t going to play up the “Best in the World” angle, then making it personal is the next best thing. Punk is all about making inside references and such. He certainly bashed a good number of people during his breakout promo last year. As I recall, Mike really loved that particular promo.

2. Who is the most underutilized talent in the WWE right now?

Joshua Stangle: There are plenty of candidates for this title. We have talked about Drew McIntyre and The Miz being underutilized, but there are more underutilized talents than either of them. Zack Ryder is one. He is one of the few people who managed to get over all by themselves. From nearly being let go, to being hugely over with most crowds, one would think that Ryder would get a legitimate push. Other than his U.S. Title victory at TLC, he has been made to look like a joke. However, the most underutilized talent is Dolph Ziggler. Here is a man who has tons of talent in the ring and on the microphone. He has tons of heel heat, a great character and tons of business savvy. I imagine that the only reason that he doesn’t have a singles match at Wrestlemania is because they don’t want him to steal the show. I’m not going to say that he is the best in the World, but he is too good to be anywhere but the main event.

Michael Ornelas: I’m inclined to agree with Josh in saying it’s Dolph Ziggler, because the man is one of the guys who will lead WWE into the future. But, because I think that, he’s obviously being used enough to give me that impression. My answer to the question is Tyson Kidd. The man may not be great on the mic, but he could be a big-time player with classic in-ring bouts if given time, a good gimmick, a mouthpiece, and a sustained push. Kidd’s training lineage is obviously solid. He has years and years of experience, and works a style that’s fun to watch. I know size is a big issue in WWE, but it’s slowly getting better. An alliance with the current World Heavyweight Champion, Daniel Bryan, could serve this man wonders. Hopefully we’ll get to see him pushed in some capacity after WrestleMania.

Michael Uphoff: In reality, there are always going to be people who are underutilized in the WWE. With all the talent that the WWE has on Monday Night RAW and Friday Night SmackDown, there are bound to be a few guys that get underutilized. The focus of the question shouldn’t be who is the most underutilized talent in the WWE, but who is the most underutilized talent in WWE that deserves to be used. However, that’s just nitpicking on my part.

Josh is correct in that Zack Ryder has been criminally underutilized in the WWE and has been made to look like a joke. WWE has no logical reason to do so and the powers that be should be electroshocked. Zack Ryder built himself into a fan favorite all on his own, without any help, and finally got his US Title win. Then, he loses it a few weeks later and then gets buried by Kane. Repeatedly.

I don’t agree with Josh’s high assessment of Dolph Ziggler. While he has improved in the ring and on the mic, Ziggler has not given any indication that he “deserves” to be considered a main eventer. While he certainly has the skills to be one, he just seems to like that certain “something.” Yes, he draws a great amount of heel heat, but how much would he draw without Vickie? It’s hard to say. Odds are he will become a main eventer in 2012, and I would be happy to see him be one. WWE needs new blood in the main event scene, and Ziggler has proved that he can put on great matches with just about anyone.

If I had to pick a Superstar that had been underutilized by WWE, it would have to be this man:

Seriously, I kid. It would have to be Zack Ryder for the reasons stated above. Zack has the WWE Universe behind him, he wrestles good to great matches, is solid on the mic and in the ring, what more do you need WWE? Jesus.

3. Do you find recent Monday Night RAW episodes to be entertaining? (This is pertaining to the 3/19 edition of RAW)

Joshua Stangle: I’m rather torn on this one. There has been quite a number of entertaining segments on RAW. I really like the promos in the three major feuds going into Wrestlemania. Between the really strong CM Punk/Jericho promo several weeks ago, Rock‘s promo this week, Cena‘s promo last week, and the first HHH/HBK promo not too long ago, there have been several outstanding segments. The problem here is the lack of focus on quality matches. I know that the WWE is Sports Entertainment, and thus, is more focused on storytelling than wrestling; but this is too lopsided. The WWE is supposed to offer the complete package, and Wrestling is one of those things.

Maybe, it is my expectations for the build up to Wrestlemania that has me so jaded. I have high expectations every year, and those expectations are probably too high to be realistic (except for the build to Wrestlemania 26). Objectively, I should be very pleased with the booking in the current WWE. However, I just can’t bring myself to get that enthused about it. I’ll admit that the RAW side of the Road to Wrestlemania has gotten pretty good. I suppose that I do find recent editions of RAW to be entertaining as a whole, but not as much as I should.

Michael Ornelas: I have no problem with Raw not having much of a focus on wrestling this time of the year. In the not-too-distant past, we were treated to three Bryan/Punk matches that were all pretty good, but this time of the year is about selling the angles. WWE is trying not to spoil the matches by keeping the guys out of long matches heading into the PPV. It also keeps the talents healthy for the night where they will no doubt give it their all.

…but WWE needs to make sure that they actually give the talent the TIME for an actual match at Mania and not spend half the PPV showing us recaps of all this build on Raw (and SmackDown).

If they’re going to sell us on the PPV with these promos and we spend our money on the show…we’ve already seen the build! There have been some 9 minute video packages before at Mania. It’s getting ridiculous and there’s no reason to get us up to speed on these feuds when we’ve already paid. I hate that. Last year’s show had some great match opportunities that were snubbed on time because the video packages were so ridiculously long. I REALLY don’t mind the lack of wrestling in the build-up as long as they put the emphasis on the in-ring at the PPV. We’ll see how the pacing is this year, but last year it was a real problem.

Michael Uphoff: I think Josh is mostly correct in his assessment of Monday Night RAW. However, around the Road to WrestleMania you really need to develop feuds and highlight the big matches, and that is not always done by wrestling. Sometimes to sell matches you need to be a little heavy on storytelling and promo work.

However, this isn’t a pattern that should be repeated after WrestleMania. WWE needs to make sure they balance the storyline segments with the appropriate amount of wrestling for a TV show. This is something that the WWE has had a problem with in the past. Right now until WrestleMania, it’s okay for them to be a little storyline-heavy to sell matches. This, however, should not be a repeated pattern. Too many RAWs have gone by with hardly any wrestling at all, and it’s nothing more than a waste of talent of the guys in the back.

4. Are you excited for the debut of Lord Tensai/return of Matt Bloom?

Michael Uphoff: I’m actually very excited for the return of Matt Bloom in his new character Lord Tensai. When he was previously in WWE as A-Train, he was a decent wrestler. He didn’t really have anything special, but he was serviceable. He left and went to Japan to hone his wrestling skills as Giant Bernard. I followed him as best I could when he was over there, and he improved a lot when he was in Japan.

He really learned to wrestle and honed his skills in the matches that I saw. With as much as he has improved, it is rumored that he will have a program with either Randy Orton or John Cena. If he feuds with either one of them, I’ll be okay with it. I’m excited to see what he will do in this run with WWE, as he has really worked hard at improving himself and done a magnificent job of it. I only worry that he’ll get lost in the shuffle after his program with Cena or Orton ends.

Michael Ornelas: Yes.

Oh you want more? Okay. Well first of all, I’m a little sad I sold my A-Train action figure a few years ago after determining I wouldn’t need him to have a current roster ever. They let him go right as he was getting good and then he was gone so long I just assumed they wouldn’t bring him back because of age (he’s almost 40 now). I’m glad to be wrong though as he has been absolutely tearing it up in New Japan for the past several years and with rumors that he’s going to be brought in toward the top of the card, I’m excited to see how they handle him. He no longer has potential — he’s tapped into it and is now a bona fide top-notch wrestling talent. If the man is champion by this time next year, I honestly wouldn’t be surprised. But it’s also too soon to predict that because we don’t know if he’s coming in for a debut push and then cool off to help the young guys, or if the intent is to make him a top guy. We’ll see, but I’m curious and pumped for it.

Joshua Stangle:I haven’t seen much of Albert since he left the WWE many years ago. Actually, the last thing I can recall about him is the brutal F-5 that Brock Lesnar gave to him. I heard that he greatly improved during his tenure in Japan. He definitely has the imposing look, and if his ring skills mesh well with the WWE style, I see him having a far more successful tenure this time around. A feud with either Orton or Cena would be great, as both of those men could make him look like a top level star. I’m not so worried about where he’ll end up, because he doesn’t need to be in the main event immediately.

5. Will the booking of the Hell in a Cell match at WrestleMania 28 disappoint? Which outcomes are capable of disappointing?.

Michael Ornelas: Honestly, the only thing that would come across as a little uninspired in my opinion is having The Undertaker win cleanly without any HBK involvement in the finish. That’s it. Triple H winning cleanly without HBK involvement is slightly better because he’s “finishing the job” after last year, but it would only play right with me if it was BOTH men’s final match. At LEAST, Taker’s. I’m not a Triple H mark by any means, but he has been on point throughout this feud (verbally) and was pretty good in the ring during his match last year and his stuff in the summer/fall with Punk and Nash.

Having said all that, I really don’t want a directly clean finish. I want HBK to interject. Either helping his best friend get the job done OR (more likely) letting jealousy rear its head into his officiating and denying Trips the chance to do what he wasn’t able to do himself. Those would both be cool to see. I’m far from an armchair booker, and I’m usually satisfied with what I see as long as a logical story is told. It’s random twists with no motive that bug me. The WWE has handled the build here pretty nicely to where I’d honestly believe any of the outcomes. I expect the match to be another epic like last year. Expect lots of finishers and nearfalls, weapons, and HOPEFULLY a return to climbing on top of the Cell (but I’m not banking on it given that it’s a new structure being used just for the outdoor arena (and the details aren’t known at this time). I expect a “best of” compilation for Cell spots because it’s the two men with the most matches under the gimmick. ALSO, if I had it my way, this would be the last Cell match they do. That would really hammer home the “end of an era” feel (they can always develop a new gimmicked cage with a roof on it).

Michael Uphoff: I have to agree. The only thing that would disappoint me is if Taker wins clean. If he wins clean, then what the hell was the point of Shawn as the special guest referee in the first place? And yes, HBK does need to interject himself in this match at some point. I would bet he superkicks both men, HHH last. I wouldn’t mind seeing some flashback Hell in a Cell moves from the past in this match. I don’t know, however, if this should be the last HIAC match. Hell in a Cell matches have been great as feud enders, and before this match, when was the last Hell in a Cell match? Help me out here, readers. The only ones that come to mind is Randy Orton/Mark Henry and then the Triple Threat one between Cena, Punk, and Del Rio last year. I hate that the WWE made a gimmick PPV out of it, and it should only be used to end feuds, like the Hell in a Cell match between Jericho and HHH in 2002, and the one between Undertaker and Mankind back at King of the Ring 1998. I would expect the match to deliver on all points.

Joshua Stangle: I don’t understand why a clean finish would disappoint anyone, especially considering the finality involved in this feud. A screw job here seems way too telegraphed for it to have any real impact. The WWE really has done a good job in making it seem like any outcome is a possibility. HBK just being involved in this match allows it to seem like Triple H has more of a chance than he actually does. What would disappoint me is for Triple H to actually win. Why would he need this victory? What does it accomplish for anybody? Triple H isn’t that far away from retiring himself. He has tons of accolades already through his career. He doesn’t need the victory.

I think that this should be the last Hell in a Cell match for a while. It should only be saved for really special occasions, rather than an entire pay per view. The only outcome that wouldn’t be disappointing is The Undertaker winning. He has a match with John Cena, next year.

6. Would you be more interested in the Team Long vs. Team Johnny 12-man tag match if it were held under elimination rules or one fall to a finish?

Michael Ornelas: I’d be significantly more interested in seeing an elimination match because those are always fun and lead to more believable finishes. And it’s easier to highlight individual talents in that setting. The only negative is that it adds a substantial amount of time to the match, and given the main events, I don’t want to see them snubbed on ring time. But I don’t want to see THIS match get cut as short as last year’s 8-man tag. The talent here deserves better. If this were an elimination match, I know I’d enjoy it a lot more than I will, but I’m not holding my breath on it.

Also, if this was an elimination style match, there’s almost no debate that Team Johnny would win. The talent is mostly former world champions where Team Long is a little lacking in star power (but still has good personalities worthy of a Mania match barring Khali). While I’m not the biggest fan of the guy, Rey Mysterio should definitely be the 6th member of the team if he’s healthy as it adds star power and credibility to Team Long and gives them a fighting chance of victory. With elimination rules, this could be a surprisingly strong match while I think if it’s one fall to a finish it’ll be a bit of a mess. A fun mess, but a mess.

Michael Uphoff: I have to agree again on this question. An elimination match makes much more sense for this match. If it was one-fall to a finish, yeah it would still be fun, but it would be convoluted and a giant clusterfuck at times. Having the match be elimination-style allows for individuals to really set themselves apart. Also, while having the match be elimination-style will certainly make it longer, I think it’s a better choice in the long run in terms of entertainment. The crowd will get more out of the elimination tag match between the two teams than they will just a regular tag match between two teams of six wrestlers.

Joshua Stangle: I would prefer an elimination style match as well. I agree with all of the positives that you mentioned, but I don’t see why more time would be bad. This is a four hour show, and as long as they don’t squander the time away on promos and advertisements, then there should be enough time for everything. The extra time will also allow the audience to recover from some of the main event level matches. Everyone will likely be able to shine regardless of the match type. It will be a fun match either way, and should be much better than the tag match at Wrestlemania last year.