Holly Biatches!… er…. I’m Back and Better Than Ever, and my name does start with E, but it’s not Eric Bischoff. After a week of server changes, personal occupations, and what not, yours truly returns to his corner of TBL in what I like to call the “News and Analysis” report. Plenty of stuff to get to today, so let’s get this bad boy started.
One of the most unbelievable things in recent history happened on Monday Night RAW this past Monday, and it involved Kane. Can you guess what it is? HE KICKED OUT OF A PEDIGREE!!! Wow, was my jaw hanging or what!? Nobody kicks out of a Pedigree! NEVER EVER! Well, silly jokes aside, the monster Kane has now been unmasked, as this was one of the highlights on RAW, yet it wasn’t THE thing to look for. I’d say that the highlight of the show was a Mick Foley tribute the company did, as they awarded him the retired Hardcore Championship as a thank you note for all the memories he’s given us over the years. That was definitely a moving moment, and I give WWE tons of credit for that.
To get all serious, I thought RAW was a good show. They handled the booking on the program well, and the wrestling was also on some good levels. With the RAW brand not having a PPV next month, I would expect them to start building up new storylines slowly, and since it’s only the second week following Bad Blood I found it only natural for them to still focus on the “aftermath” so to speak, of that event.
I know that there’s many unhappy people out there when it comes to Kane’s unmasking. I really can’t say I was too happy over it, but on the flip side of things, I don’t mind it. I guess because with the progression of the business over the past few years, many of us kind of forgot who Kane actually is. He was simply WWF (back then) trying to pull an Undertaker, as they saw the huge success the Dead Man got with his character. What I’m trying to say is, in a world where WWF was advertising Attitude and Reality, they were able to make a character like Undertaker who was very successful and enjoyable to watch, yet totally unbelievable reality-wise. So Kane came along as kind of an Undertaker #2. The problem is, that never changed over the years. Sure, they added the new outfit, the new mask, they let him talk, they had him kiss girls, they made him do a Kane-a-roonie, they had him beat Triple H in a Chain Match for the IC Championship, but it looks like no matter what they did with him, he’d always end up being the “odd” man out. So in a way I can definitely see why they wanted to unmask him and sort of go on, hoping it’ll allow him to completely transform himself and try a new direction out.
Then again, all the “magic” and all the charisma/characteristics behind the character is now gone. He just won’t have the same traits he once had. That could be a doube-edge, so I think the best we can do for now is just sit back and watch what they do with Kane. A program already started on RAW, when he chokeslammed RVD after unmasking himself. I’m pretty sure they’re going to go ahead and do Kane vs. RVD for the short-term future, but I was also thinking that to make him a strong heel, WWE might want to pair Kane up with Evolution in an indirect way. It’s just an idea though.
If there was one thing WWE did right on RAW, it was how they booked Goldberg. I think that the pop he received from the MSG crowd also showed a lot. If there’s one man they shouldn’t drop the ball on when it comes to beating Triple H for that belt, it’s Goldberg. Not only did they get rid of the White Boy Challenge now that Rodney Mack has been defeated, but they also portrayed Goldberg as a true monster. They need more of that. They just need to feed him victims, or if they involve him in feuds, they have to be very careful of how he comes out at the end. The Rock and Jericho feuds weren’t successful because of that. I have the feeling they’ll continue to do the job with Goldberg though. Not only do they have a lot invested in him, but unlike Nash, or Steiner, I think he’s defintiely over with a good 90% of the fans.
Great to see what they did for Mick Foley. Everything they did, he deserved. I thought it was also really cool of them to have the young, former-ECW stars in the ring with Mick. Vince coming out and saying Thank You was also a nice spot. As far as the backstage segment with Randy Orton and Ric Flair goes, I kind of think it killed what they did earlier, but I realized (thanks to Trevor Hunnicutt in a way) that it’s a good segment. Not only did it guarantee that Foley will return again to WWE, but it also gave us a taste of what the Hardcore Legend was all about. I did jump back a bit when he took that bump down the stairs though.
Speaking of that segment, it’s REALLY nice to see WWE giving Randy Orton such an important and big role. They need more youngsters in the top, but they also need to make sure that they’re worth the time. At this point, Orton, wrestling-wise, isn’t at the level of a Booker T for example, but unlike others, he has the potential. That’s very important, and I expect big things for Orton in the future.
Shawn Michaels and Kevin Nash against Evolution was… boring to me. It’s unbelievable how the fans react to Kevin Nash. I’m honestly having hard time grasping the fact that he’s getting absolutely no reaction. I’m not saying he deserves cheering or anything, it’s just weird that the guy who was so over with the fans before getting injured a year ago is now getting absolutely nothing out of them. It’s a booking problem if you ask me. A Sweet Chin Music is always nice to see too.
The Dudley Boyz vs. Jericho and Storm was one of the best matches of the night. Many people have been talking about the “boring” gimmick they gave to Storm, but I think that it’s only for the best that they did. It wasn’t given to him as a punishment, but as an attempt to push him. Although it’s a very weird way to do it, it allows Lance to get some heat from the fans, and that’s very important. He can now be used more and he can display more of his skills, which I think is the ultimate goal here. If WWE has big plans for him, in the distant future I won’t be surprised if he even got some heat back on Austin. It’s possible.
Finally, WWE did something that many people, including myself, were waiting for. Monday night was a perfect example of how they should use Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff. They’ve overdone the little “feud” the two G.M.s had going so I think it’s only for the best to keep them away from each other for a week or two. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying that there shouldn’t be any interaction between Steve and Eric, but it shouldn’t be as much as there was in the past. Their spots (Austin with the Foley tribute, and Bischoff at the end of the show with Kane) were picked out great and were very effective from a character stand-point for both guys. That’s the perfect use of Bischoff and Austin on one show. As far as humor goes, I like it when they have them buggering over matches, or decisions, but that shouldn’t be overdone either.
Call me crazy, but I enjoy the La Resistance stuff. It just makes me hate them so much, and that creates for great moments when I watch them. It’s like I’m a little kid again, watching wrestling… How about Sgt. Slaughter?! Was that great or what?! And be honest… Didn’t you go crazy over the Cobra Clutch?
And that will do it for this edition. Before I go, I’m going to go ahead and reveal my plans for this section, to you, the great TBL readers. (Cheap pop?) Since summer has arrived, I’m hoping to do more reports, as this section usually consists of thoughts and I fail to get to most of the news. I’m planning on adding a third, and maybe even a fourth update per week. The way I have it planned, it’ll be two updates per week (Tuesday and probably Friday, or weekend) where you’ll get the RAW and SmackDown! thoughts only, and there will be one or two more updates throughout the week that will give you the latest look at the news surrounding the wrestling news, with an analysis stand-point from yours truly, just like I do with the TV shows. Nevertheless, I’m very excited over that, and am looking forward to it! I hope you’ll enjoy it! Have a great week everyone!
Thanks for reading. See ya.
Eddie
