Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Inside The Squared Circle: The Good, Bad and Ugly About The W.W.E.

THE GOOD
Shawn Michaels - This former World Champ gets me to buy pay-per-views. I’m sure the same applies for other fans. If Shawn Michaels’ injury was severe enough that he was not going to be able to take on Chris Jericho at Unforgiven, I most likely would not be getting that show. Thankfully, Michaels suffered only a small tear of his left triceps and not anything more severe and so he won’t miss any time. The “Internet doctors” that prognosticated Michaels to be out six months were once again wrong. So now we get to see another chapter written in one of the most well-orchestrated feuds I have seen in wrestling. These two are really firing on all cylinders and I can’t wait for Sunday’s Unforgiven show because of their match.

Randy Orton - The injured star made an appearance on Monday Night Raw and put down all of the current title holders. Orton has really grown on me and I look at him now as a legit superstar. Orton, a third-generation wrestler, is very convincing as an extremely arrogant and dangerous heel.
I think he will really turn the corner in his career when he comes back in three months from injury. I could definitely see Orton taking on more of a leadership role and heading up (as has been rumored) a stable of second and third-generation wrestlers.

THE BAD
Wiliam Regal – I guess he is being punished for the 60-day drug suspension, but losing to Jamie Noble is a bit of a stretch. The two work well together in the ring, but Noble just doesn’t get my interest. Regal should be higher up on the show.

Santino Marella – Marella has in-ring talent, but I’ve seen him lose way too much to really take him seriously. I’d love to see them put the Intercontinental title on someone else and keep it on that person for a long time to give that belt some of its luster back. Not only is Marella a joke, but he actually brings down Beth Phoenix.

THE UGLY
Cryme Tyme – The duo perpetuates every bad stereotype about young black males in this country. At a time when the W.W.E. is trying to be more family-friendly, the characters portrayed by Shad and JT is ill-advised, to say the least. Throw in the fact that Cryme Tyme are just awful in the ring and the whole thing makes for dreadful television.

Attacking Jeff Hardy - I get the fact that personal lives do spill over into storylines, but taking shots at Jeff Hardy’s personal problems is just brutal. The guy lost his house and his dog to a fire a few months ago, right after being suspended for violating the substance abuse policy during a huge career push. Does the W.W.E. think “tough love” will help Jeff Hardy exorcise his demons?

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