Shining a Spotlight 9.13.07: Roids, Rosters and Reader Rants

Well, a lot of guys here at 411mania have already talked about the mass suspensions in WWE in detail. Myself, my feelings are similar to when RVD got arrested and blew his chances as WWE and ECW champ. I really don’t have much sympathy for those who are getting the boot as it was their own fault. They had to know that after the media storm of the Benoit mess, WWE would be a bit more strident to discipline those who break the wellness policy. But maybe a few of them believed they wouldn’t back up the threats and that their pushes would protect them. They are, of course, as wrong as you can be. The key is how WWE manages to go on from here without these guys.

Umaga isn’t too big a loss as he had been losing steam a bit and I just didn’t think he was right as IC champion. Of course, it’s highly ironic that he had to job it to Jeff Hardy, a man who knows full well how one’s drug use can ruin your career. Morrison is more painful as he had been getting over with this new look and the feud with Punk. The one I’ll miss is Regal and frankly, that one surprised me. He hasn’t been as big an in-ring competitor and so doing steroids was a bit surprising from him. It also surprised due to his past problems with addictions, that he would risk this. It is a shame seeing as how he was doing great work as the RAW general manager and that leaves a bit of a hole. I’m also missing Booker, a guy who really has been doing great the last year and hope the rumor about him quitting WWE totally is wrong as he still has some time left to entertain. That and I’m still dying to see a DVD set for him.

Of course, the big change has been for the “Vince’s bastard son” angle which was supposed to elevate Kennedy to the next level. Again, Kennedy just has himself to blame for thinking this could protect him from any suspensions. Personally, I didn’t exactly like the idea of him as Vince’s “son” but was hoping to see him and Cena get a good program but now that’s out of the cards for a while. Indeed, it’s up in the air how all of them will fare once their suspensions end as Vince might be wary giving them their old pushes. True, Randy Orton keeps going after his suspensions but he seems to be a fave of Vince’s, which protects him.

The key now is how WWE manages to go from here. First of all, considering how fast they had to reshape things, the revelation of Hornswoggle as Vince’s son was pretty damn good. Sure, it would have made more sense to give it to another star or even HHH (which might even make sense in a way) but this might even be better. The revelation itself was damn funny and does make sense in a way. I mean, hell, his original name was “Little Bastard” and seeing him leaping around Vince was hilarious. I mean, come on, the idea of Vince resisting Hornswoggle at first, then deciding to turn him into his personal Mini-Me is just comedy gold. So the payoff might seem lame now but it could build to something better as things go along. Remember, we all hated the Rosie-Trump stuff and that led to the big payoff at Wrestlemania so don’t underestimate how Vince can turn such things to gold.

As for the brands affected, ECW is the best off. If any good comes of this, it’s that CM Punk has finally claimed the ECW title which automatically raises the brand in the eyes of fans. Punk is one of the best hopes WWE has now, an awesome worker, tough and over majorly and, like Cena, seems willing to play ball with Vince. It’s worked wonders for Cena so if Punk does well as ECW champ, his career in WWE could take off. It is sad to see Cryme Time go as they were a good team with great charisma and backstage skits that could have helped the tag division out. For the main programs, they’ll hopefully get the big belt off Khali and onto Batista fast so we can get that Batista/Undertaker rematch for it we were denied before. The big question is who’s next for Cena as Orton has failed to get it so far and there’s not that many guys in the same league just yet. That does hurt RAW’s drive but hopefully, this might push Vince to bring in some of the OVW guys to try and bolster things.

Of course, one must also wonder if Vince might start looking toward TNA and seeing if any guys there (like XXX, Petey Williams, Shark Boy or Chris Sabin) are interested in jumping ship. True, some might be leery of getting into the politics and wildness of WWE, particularly at this time. But, never underestimate how a big-money contract to perform on a much bigger stage can overcome such misgivings and bolster WWE. Plus, taking on guys who appear smaller and not as muscular will be a good thing for WWE to push back the accusations of being nothing but roided freaks. Overall, yes, WWE is hurting but those who cry doom and gloom are forgetting that Vince has been called down and out more times than I can count. This is not the end of WWE. Yes, they’ll suffer but I’m confident they’ll bounce back from it. Hopefully, this will be a clear message to the roster that times are changing and WWE isn’t going to be turning that blind eye of the past toward drugs. It’s bad it had to happen this way but sometimes, you need the wake-up call to get things back on track. So maybe, in a way, these suspended wrestlers did the fans, the company and their co-workers a big favor by helping things get back on track. One can only hope things change for the better from here on in.

Well, been a while since I opened up the reader mailbag and there’s a lot to talk about, especially on my TNA and ROH columns. First, John Reid has another good letter, this one on my Ron Simmons spotlight:

Wow, thanks for that article on a great man in Ron Simmons. I was raised in Warner Robins back in the mid 80’s and I had the chance to meet Ron through my uncle because they used to work out at the same gym. He would show us all of his FSU memorabilia and tell us about how much fun the wrestling world was and invited us to see some matches when he would come down to the Macon Coliseum. It was because of him I actually became a wrestling fan to this day. Wrestlers are people too, and we should appreciate how they all put their bodies on the line for us. I hope this article enlightens a few more people about one of the great men in the squared circle!

Good word there, John. Indeed, Ron really seems to enjoy the business, something rare in vets these days and he’s a guy who’s taken more than his fair share of knocks over the years so it’s good to see him still chugging along. You are right, it’s easy to forget the problems wrestlers go through outside of the ring which is a reason I like to spotlight a certain worker now and then. It’s also a key reason WWE DVDs are so awesome, to look at the personal lives so deeply of the wrestlers, which puts their careers in a new light.

Moving to my column on TNA’s problems, Patrick Conley had a long letter on one TNA mainstayer who’s been in a flux due to the current situation:

Hey i totally agree with everything you said in this column. It makes me so sad that TNA seems to be taking this path and throwing away all the good they had built up. And i know in all the recent TNA columns people make mention of how AJ Styles is just Christian’s lackey and new viewer’s would never guess he was the first and, until recently the only, triple crown winner in TNA. That’s what pisses me off the most because i remember when i started watching TNA and eventually they put out the 3 PPV dvds for sale at walmart and i got those. Since i started watching i was trying to convince my friends to watch and most wouldnt give it a chance. i said come on, just one match and i swear you’ll be hooked. I chose to show them Abyss vs AJ Styles from Lockdown 2005(?) and within the first 2 minutes they were blown away. I Their misuse of AJ in recent times absolutely disgusts me and that alone makes me lose faith in them. How could you screw up in booking AJ Styles? He can and will do ANYTHING. He was over with the fans and it just seems impossible. I’m not against the heel turn but a change in conduct shouldnt turn him into a huge pussy that almost NEVER wins a match. They really need to get their priorities straight and at least be loyal to the talent that was loyal to them and got them where they are now. at least where they were before they started sucking. I can book a better show with my action figures. Anyway, the truth hurts and you tell it like it is. keep up the good work.

I wrote back to Patrick to agree with him and point out that it’s all the more sad because Styles has turned down several offers from WWE, preferring to stay in TNA. True, that mostly because Styles prefers being the big fish in the smaller pond but considering all his achievements (especially in 2005 when he won both the NWA and X Division belts in PPV main events), it’s a criminal waste. I still can’t believe they blew the first Angle-AJ showdown in a two-minute Impact match when it was a program that could have drawn huge money on PPV. Both Styles and Christopher Daniels have proven they can carry crowds and seeing them shoved down for workers long past made in other companies is another sign of how bad things are with TNA. Patrick wrote back:

My pleasure. Thanks for the article. One last thing, aside from Angle, have any of the WWE guys gotten as over with the crowds in the E as Daniels and AJ in TNA? Christian could have but wasn’t given the chance but the rest weren’t even close. at least as far as i can remember. i actually liked test rhyno and the dudleys and everyone else. But until they prove they can outshine mainstays like Daniels and AJ then they shouldn’t be thrust into the main event. i know that’s the whole point and for some reason i felt i had to reiterate it. And i had heard something about AJ turning down the E. At first i was glad cause i didnt think they’d use him. Its a lose lose.

Well, Christian was getting over okay but, as I said in a column last year, I never saw him as a true champion headliner like Test has proven himself as. I do agree that it says a lot that TNA will throw out all planned programs to push an ex-WWE guy to the moon right off the bat rather than wait a bit. I do understand they want to get the most out of their investments but considering Cage won the NWA title after less than three months with the company while Samoa Joe has yet to grab it, you realize that waiting a bit more could help things out. Personally, seeing Cage beat some TNA guys like Sabin or Daniels would have helped him get over more with fans and make his eventual title win more important. After all, TNA waited a while to give Team 3D the tag titles but their main event programs seem to operate under a different criteria.

Jef Vinson has a good letter:
I would not have had a problem with Joe not going over if they didn’t make it look so obvious that he wasn’t. Let’s face facts (and this is something that people don’t want to hear) Joe should NOT go over Kurt Angle easily. That defeats the purpose of bringing Kurt in as a World class athlete. Kurt is a seven time World Champion, so when Joe beats him it should be special. However, they are nearing Hulk Hogan status with keeping the belt on Kurt the way they are. In the 80s and 90s it took an act of GOD to pry the belt off Hogan, and now Angle is going the same direction.

Anyway, What are people like Sting, Joe, Rhyno, Christian, Daniels and Styles supposed to do if they are not in the World Title hunt? Putting them in retarded feuds is not the way to go with them. What separates TNA from the others is the wrestling was better. They need to get back to that.

I’ve long said that a TV title would be a good thing for TNA. As you point out, the mid-card guys have no real drive and just wander around but a TV belt would be good for the programs of Harris, Storm, Rhino, Roode and others. Plus, with Impact going to two hours, it’d be nice to have regular title defenses and liven up the shows. I would argue about Joe being X champ as the whole thing is “no limits” and let’s face it, a 300-pound technician who can take to the air like someone half his size certainly fits. As for the Angle-Joe, the point was that after 18 months of being unbeaten, Joe’s loss would have instantly made whoever did it. Angle was already made so he shouldn’t have been the one to do it and that was the first misfire of the feud. Having watched Impact the last few weeks, I agree that Angle’s grip on the title and the spotlight is approaching Jarrett levels and having him face Cage at Bound For Glory isn’t quite the major main event that can make TNA look more unique.

Adam King has a short letter:

I read your TNA column on 411wrestling.com and I must say its a great column. I agree with you that TNA is not a great place right now.
There’s no doubt that Kurt Angle is too dominant right now, holding all three of TNA’s titles. Interesting that shortly after Angle signed with TNA, Pro
Wrestling Illustrated jave a cover that said “Can Angle Do For TNA What Hulk Hogan Did For WCW?” When you look at it, that’s exactly what happened.
Everything revoled around Hogan in WCW and now Angle is in Hogan’s spot.

As far as Samoa Joe is concerned, what you said bringsup memories of what happened to Monty Brown in 2005. If you rememeber Monty was crazy over with TNA fans and with his momentum semeed destined to be the top wrestler. Monty had a world title match with Jeff Jarrett and it seemed like the perfet time to put the title around his waist. So what happens? Jeff Jarrett keeps denying him the chance to be world champion and soon turned him heel for no reason. I’m still mad at
that two years later. I feel that if they gave Monty the NWA title when they had the chance TNA could be in a better spot. But alas.

Turning Brown heel was one of the single worst moves TNA ever made. The man was majorly over but having him go bad with absolutely no build-up or real explanation destroyed his push and I don’t blame him for jumping ship from the company as soon as he could. I’ve never quite bought the thing of Brown being the next Hogan but a small run with the belt could have been good or at least a longer run at the company’s top. Instead, TNA let a good asset go and only have themselves to blame.

Ron M has a short comment:

Very Good column there. I’ve noticed the similarities to WCW ever since I stopped watching TNA and wrestling all together (I need some puro and ROH stuff).

I can’t help but imagine the top guys in full-on General Grievous mode soon- “Time to abandon shiiip!”

Not sure if we’re that bad yet but I do hope the upcoming extra hour can help them balance the in-ring work better. And one can hope TNA gets back to some of that puro stuff themselves before they get too far into Russo antics to turn back.

On my Summerslam column, Scott Trowbridge has one I missed:

I thought your synopses of all the SummerSlams were great, but I wish you would have included mention of the 1-2-3 Kid vs. Hakushi match at SummerSlam. I thoroughly enjoyed that match and think it made the show a two match show, along with the aforementioned Razor/Shawn Ladder match for the IC belt. Hakushi had some excellent matches in the WWF (especially vs. 1-2-3 Kid and, of course, Bret Hart) and I wish he could have been used better. I’m not sure what’s he’s doing right now, but I’d love to see him on Smackdown with Rey, Chavo, Noble, etc. He’d be another good edition if they ever got serious about the lighter divisions…but we, along with everyone else, know that will never happen. I just wanted to throw my two cents in on that.

Having Waltman around nowadays is unlikely due to his infamous attitude and last I heard, Hakushi was heading up Michinoku Pro Wrestling in Japan so it’s highly unlikely we’ll be seeing him in the ring nowadays. But maybe an influx of Japan guys could help the Cruiserweights out.

Moving on to my Ring of Honor column, got a very long letter from Talon Thorne that took some exception to my words:

I enjoy the many aspects in your column that you brought up. You continually ran down both the WWE and TNA Product, and promoted Ring of Honor as the best thing since sliced bread. HA!

In conclusion TNA has the hardest hits, highest flyers, most violence, most beautiful women, biggest stars, hottest up and comers, most cutting edge entertainment and best wrestling. TNA is Wrestling. Stay just as you are TNA!

First, if you’ve read my columns, you’ll know I’ve been one of the few guys to defend WWE over the years. I’ve also recognized there are more fans for it than for “pure” wrestling. Hell, I’m one of them. I grew up on WWE product and still enjoy it. I’m also not one to blame every bad thing in wrestling on Vince but recognizes that it is the big one and no one right now can touch it. I do enjoy your Roman analogy.
For ROH, I’d take exception (and I know Ari would) to the “generic” workers as these guys bring real flair to their work with great personalities like the Briscoes, Delerious and Danielson. I do agree with your assessment they wouldn’t work as well in the big stage and I think they know it too which is why they prefer being low-key for now. But the more fans turn from the entertainment aspects of WWE and TNA, the more ROH’s work appeals and that can lead them to gain more support.
Now, for TNA, you do raise a good point in their turn to more WWE-like antics in 2006. But you neglect the fact that from the start, TNA was positioning itself to become the second-biggest in the US and carry themselves as such. I do think the wrestling has suffered as too many PPVs are marked with goofy gimmicks like barroom brawls, barbed-wire cages and more rather than just straight up wrestling. No Surrender had more regular matches and that was one of the better TNA PPVs of this year. That should be a sign to the company of what fans really want, less soap opera, more classic action.
As for your WCW comparison, backstage morale did play a major part in the company’s death when it became clear that anyone who wasn’t NWO wasn’t going to be getting anywhere (except Goldberg). Bischoff actually stood before a locker room in a company Ric Flair had carried to claim the only three guys in it to draw money were Hogan, Piper and Savage. The Giant, Chris Jericho, Raven, Benoit, Guerrero, Malenko and Saturn all literally walked out on the company because of that mood which helped put them in a rut. So, yes, the backstage morale did lead to the downfall of WCW and TNA has to be careful they don’t duplicate that.
I can tell you’re a major TNA fan but you are seeming close to being one of those fans I mentioned, the ones who think WWE is on the brink of collapse and TNA will rule. Sorry but TNA is still minor league and the moves they make are driving away as many fans as they bring in. WCW was once the place fans went to for better action than WWE but the Monday Night War helped it turn into the very thing they were once the opposite of. TNA is on that same transformation and I really fear they’ll follow WCW all the way down the line unless they change their attitude and realize they’re still small time.

Now here’s an interesting letter on my comments on Paul Heyman’s business practices:

My name is Michael K. Fahill, I am a radio station exec for Clear Channel. I read with great interest your article on ROH, and the comparisons to ECW.While it’s an excellent story, I must disagree with your assessment of Paul Heyman. Here’s why.

I thank you for taking the time to read my note.

It’s interesting to meet someone who did work like this with Heyman. Everyone agrees that Heyman did get the point that it was always the in-ring stuff that brought in fans, not the angles and skits. And true, ECW did last longer than expected. But it could have lasted longer still had Heyman handled the finances better. I’ve read so many books of his bounced checks and the fact the man didn’t keep books. There’s also the fact that while so many guys say that, in their heyday, ECW was making money hand over fist, there’s no real records of where it went as checks were bounced all over. Yes, WCW and WWE lost money too and yes, TNA is losing money as well. However, a key reason ROH isn’t growing is because they recognize what Heyman didn’t, which was that they appealed to a narrow niche who enjoyed being rebels to the big companies. When he tried to go mainstream, however, it seemed like he was letting go of that niche and couldn’t make it work right. Yes, TNN wouldn’t let him work it as well as he hoped but Heyman’s own stubbornness and refusal to accede ground caused him to lose that which could have helped save him.

Michael Chadwick has a quick note:

I agree with you that they don’t need TV at the moment. If and when they do it, I hope they copy ECW’s old formula of showing highlights (and the occassional long match) of the previous weeks events. One of the ttruly special features to ROH is that evey show they do is “part of continuity,” to steal a comic book phrase. TNA and WWE houseshows don’t mean squat. ROH, angles progress at every show. The one reccomendation for ROH would be to move up their PPV schedule. They will be taping their 3rd one two weeks before their 2nd one airs. Now I understand that the PPV’s are designed to introduce them to a new and wider audience but there still a sizable gap.

I left out how ROH’s continuity is a great plus for them. ECW had some of the same but they too would fall into the “house shows don’t matter” mentality. ROH, however, marks every single show, mentioning it on their site and video recaps (and Ari’s reports of course) and each one counts as part of angles and storylines. I agree, another PPV or two a year would help but again, ROH isn’t as needy of PPV revenue as TNA is and recognizes the costs it entails so limiting them is a good idea. But I agree, it would broaden their audience which can help down the road.

Finally, Wesley Adam Burleson corrects a mistake I made:

Hey man I’m a huge ROH fan & I loved the article you wrote. I also frequent the ROH message boards and posted a link to your article there and people there love it as well.

Anyway, again, great article and thanks!

Sorry about that but thanks for the correction. Wonder if he saw the article himself…

Also around 411mania, we welcome a few new columns to the place:

Welcome Cut to the Crap, which takes a look at bad wrestling angles. I’m sure he’ll have plenty of subjects for a long time to come.

Also welcome The Way I C It which wonders if those who escaped suspension are really that lucky and the AWA DVD.

Pro Wrestling Pundit talks about what Vince can do to improve WWE.

What Were They Thinking?! talks of the stuff the last week and how bad it was.

And Viral Dose of Reality debuts with an excellent talk on WWE as the “evil entity” of wrestling.

The Fink tries to push Shelton Benjamin.

Schmoozes and Screwjobs transforms to Thoughts From the Top Rope.

Can They Be Champ marks Cena’s one-year anniversary as titleholder.

Piledriver Report looks back at how special PPVs used to be.

Julian counts down the Top 10 comebacks.

The Shimmy countinues to look at HHH’s PPV report card.

Jordan continues to hate TNA while loving wrestling.

Next week, I take a look back twenty years to the rise and fall of the UWF. For now, the spotlight is off.