411 Fact or Fiction 02.01.07: WSX vs. ECW, TNA Special, Cena/’Taker, More

1. WWE should have a major angle in ECW focusing on the ECW Originals (ie. Sandman, Dreamer, Balls Mahoney, etc.) battling the WWECW Core (Lashley, Burke, Holly, etc.).

Ashish: FICTION. No reason to add insult to injury. WWE has already murdered the original ECW and in doing so, the original ECW stars like Sandman, Tommy Dreamer, etc. If they do a half-assed ECW Originals type of angle, they will likely end up doing more damage to them and the “ECW” name. WWE obviously wants ECW to succeed as a totally new entity nothing like the original, or not succeed at all.

Michael Melchor: FICTION. While it would be a good idea in theory, all I can think of is “the Invasion”. You know, the one where WCW and ECW got their asses handed to them in a program that should have been a dream come true but only served to put WWE over in the end? Right. If it could be done honestly and with some integrity (i.e. treating the EDCW originals like stars and not also-rans), then maybe – but we all know better than that.

Score: 1 for 1

2. WSX will beat ECW in the ratings in their head-to-head half hour within the next 12 months.

Ashish: FACT. This is a tough one. WSX is an interesting product that is obviously catered to mainstream viewers but also has the spots and “hardcore” aspects that could appeal to former ECW fans. With that said, the reaction in wrestling circles to the WSX debut has been mostly positive. ECW on the flip side is a dying brand and one would assume that its ratings would go down before they go up. Of course, competing with MTV and WSX is the type of thing that would get Vince McMahon’s attention in terms of trying to keep ECW ratings consistent. I’m gonna say that WSX will beat ECW head-to-head, at least once. I don’t know if WSX has the long term legs needed to make it a real battle though. Crazy spots get old. The original ECW was about way more than just hardcore spots. Plus a half-hour show is going to make it tough for WSX to really build interesting characters and storylines.

Michael Melchor: FICTION. From what I’ve seen of WSX, it has potential but I feel like a couple things will get old besides the high-spots. Firstly, live music and wrestling, for whatever reason, do not mix well. Never have. ECW may be a dying brand, but with the WWE machine behind it, it’ll take a lot to kill it because it’s still a consistent product, for good or ill. As much as I’m all for the idea of competition and new blood, the overwhelming format of WSX (the bands, the highspots, the hardcore stuff) will just become too much after a while. Once you’ve been “shocked” so many times, there are only so many more times you want to continue to be.

Score: 1 for 2

3. TNA should have a live special on Monday, February 12th, not a taped promotional show made up of past matches like what is expected.

Ashish: FICTION. TNA is right to use the slot for a promotional show and not a live special. Why? Because Impact isn’t moving to Monday nights. There is no point is hotshotting a bunch of angles and matches on a night that isn’t even your regular night, just to take viewers that you aren’t trying to “steal” to begin with. People who watch RAW can watch Impact on Thursday without having to pick a program. Instead, TNA is playing some of their best matches and trying to convince a few RAW viewers to give TNA a try on Thursdays and on PPV. This may not be the popular decision, but it’s the smart one. This isn’t RAW vs. Nitro. No reason for TNA to get caught up in the whole Monday night thing and do something that they aren’t ready for and have no reason to do.

Michael Melchor: FICTION. Ash makes a great point in TNA not normally going head-to-head with Raw. That being the case, the special is designed to do exactly what it should – showcase what the promotion has to offer on a regular basis and give people a reason to watch the other show on a regular basis just to see what else is out there. TNA has already made an artform out of hotshotting angles and matches in “debut” situations (the moves to Spike TV and subsequently to prime time), but there’s no need for it now because there’s no move involved. TNA is merely giving fans hungry for wrestling on a Monday night a chance to see some and, in the process, a reason to come back three nights later.

Score: 2 for 3

—SWITCH!—

4. Kurt Angle is reaching Randy Savage/Warrior Warrior insanity levels.

Michael Melchor: FICTION. Granted, Angle has shown some signs that he’s so far out there he could recite the chemical makeup of the rings around Saturn. All the MMA talk and his assertions about his former employers and co-workers have been somewhat high-flown. It’s almost like Angle, now that he’s the biggest fish in a small pond, has given himself free reign to make any claim about his past or present that he wants. All that aside, it still takes a special kind of egotist thoroughly absconded in his own world to reach the levels of nutbaggery that Warrior has. Being that his claims are at least somewhat grounded in reality, Angle hasn’t even come close to that yet. That kind of lunacy is the one thing that Warrior excelled at; too bad it was after his career was over.

Ashish: FICTION. Warrior and Savage have been at high levels of insanity for years now. Plus their insanity has leaked into things they have nothing to do with. You have Warrior giving political speeches at universities. What?! You have Randy Savage recording rap albums. What?! Kurt Angle may be saying some crazy things when he gets the chance, but at least they have to do with wrestling.

Score: 3 for 4

5. Hulk Hogan will never wrestle a match for TNA.

Michael Melchor: FACT. Although “never” is a rather strong word. That’s assuming that TNA will never become as big of a player as WWE, and no matter how many SmarKs claim that TNA will never reach that level, no one knows what the future will bring. Hell, no one ever thought that TNA would be able to sign Kurt Angle. All that having been said (and yes, there was a reason for that set-up), we’ll look at the question that both companies are in the state they’re in right now. If that’s the case, then TNA is too small of a platform – and cannot offer Hogan enough money – to make wrestling there worth Hogan’s while. With that man’s ego, he needs the biggest stage he can get and TNA simply cannot provide that right now even if their ring is bigger.

Ashish: FACT. Way to dodge the question a bit, Michael. I don’t see Hulk Hogan wrestling a match for TNA and the main reason is timing. Hulk has maybe a few matches left in him at this point. He isn’t going to start wrestling regularly again. That means he will only wrestle when the match is special and will earn him big bucks. TNA has no potential opponent for him that will result in a huge payday. WWE does. Plus, Hogan seems to be on good terms with WWE and has no reason to upset Vince and co. by jumping to TNA. He can wrestle major matches for WWE at WrestleMania and Summerslam if he wants, make a lot of money doing so, and then go on living his life. TNA may one day get to the level where they are actually competing with WWE, but that will be at least a few years from now and I doubt Hogan will even be wrestling then. TNA isn’t WCW. Plus, this isn’t 1994.

Score: 4 for 5

6. WWE should have John Cena vs. The Underaker headline WrestleMania for the RAW brand.

Michael Melchor: FACT. Simply because seeing the two stare down on Raw and the possibility that WrestleMania 23 may have an actual marquee match actually made me very happy. It’s definitely a possibility that no one really considered before last night and that everyone’s been talking about since. Granted, there’d be some strings to pull and everyone’s worried about completely depleting the upper echelon of SmackDown, but…who said that Undertaker had to jump ship? WWE has already shown us how meaningless the brand split is when it suits their needs – why not have Undertaker bring the WWE Title (if he wins it) back to SmackDown where it originally was and move the World Champion(ship) back to Raw? It can easily be done, folks, and if it’s going to deliver a WM-caliber match (and buyrate), then, as most of NWA said in “Chin Check”, “Why the fuck not?”

Ashish: FICTION. WWE should not be wrecking Smackdown just for RAW when RAW has other potential main events. What would Smackdown do without Batista vs. The Undertaker? WWE could do John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels and it likely wouldn’t make much of a difference buyrate wise, and result in a better match. Cena and ‘Taker have wrestled before so it’s not like it’s a “dream match” that hasn’t been done yet.

Score: 4 for 6