Early September Random Musings
By: Todd Vincent ("The Chairman Of The Board")
When we here at The Mayhem hear people carping about the WWE, one of the main complaints commonly mentioned is that the "Hollywood Writers" lack creativity and logic for a Pro Wrestling setting and don't understand how to draw money or heat since they've never been involved in Pro Wrestling and never stepped inside the square circle. I most commonly hear people wax nostalgically for Paul Heyman and Jim Cornette (side note: I highly recommend buying the DVD of Cornette rebooking the WCW-WWE Invasion). But Heyman or Cornette aren't walking through the door anytime soon so where does the next great mind come from?
If I put together the perfect combination of attributes to have someone book in the WWE (or even a higher position than that), it would be as follows: a highly creative mind; the experiences of coming through the ranks and experiencing the various levels of booking (ie: main event vs. mid-card); someone who felt the sting of being held back by the proverbial glass ceiling; someone who eventually broke through that glass ceiling; someone who understands the value of exploding the positive portions of a person’s personality to make them even more appealing in their role (whether its as a face or heel), someone who excelled as both a face AND a heel; someone who had traveled the world and had prominent experiences around the world (especially in Mexico and the Orient); someone who understands the value of a wrestler's shelf life; someone who listens to the talent and has the knowledge and experience to guide them and make them better; someone who was a locker room leader of some type...and I'm sure I'm missing a few other but you get the point.
I believe that if you loaded all of these traits together into a machine, it would spit out very few qualified candidates. But I believe that list would still contain The Next Great Mind. The most ironic part of this to me is that he is already under contract to the WWE but I wonder if they even see him this way. Ladies and Gentlemen, I present to you...Chris Jericho. What do you think? And who besides Jericho would you pick? (Just for the record, even though he doesn't hit on every criteria I've mentioned, Shawn Michaels would be my second pick).
Jericho is a locker room leader that commands the respect of his peers. Jericho's skill has both a heel and face is exceptional. Jericho's promos during feuds with Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio have illustrated that he knows how to hook in viewers to become invested in a storyline by using creativity and emotion. And that is a combination that prints money.
WWE, give Jericho the book and let him run with it! (And don't feel so threatened, Jean-Paul.)
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It's been a long time coming but I think the current elevations Matt Morgan and Shawn Hernandez are a very smart move on the part of TNA management.
Matt Morgan’s size and athleticism have been apparent since his debut on Tough Enough II and I think it’s fair to say he would've had an excellent shot at winning it if not for getting injured. Morgan is gifted with a look that says "Main Event" and appears natural within the main event mix. I think with the continued proper tutelage and development, he could (and should) be a permanent fixture amongst TNA's top tier. And on a side note, Morgan is one more example of the lack of vision and creativity of the WWE's Creative Team and upper management. Especially in light of Vince McMahon's love of "size."
I really began to take notice of Hernandez once he was brought into The Latin American Xchange. He had size and a power game that, with proper cultivation and care, one could see fitting into TNA's upper-tier as a solo performer. He's also not a WWE retread or a former upper-tier WCW main-eventer from TEN TEARS AGO. Hernandez brings something different to the table that is fresh (and for TNA, how often have you heard that said about their upper tier?) and provides new storylines and match-up possibilities. He also appeals to the Hispanic Market which I feel needs to have new top guy emerge (Read a little further down for more insight into that issue).
I'm look forward to the continued push and elevation of both Matt Morgan and Hernandez. Now I just hope TNA doesn't screw it up with short-sighted and unimaginative booking. I'm crossing my fingers.
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For those of you who missed it, Ring Of Honor's Bryan Danielson has signed a contract with WWE. I heard reports and seen video of a minority of fans chanted the woefully cliché "You sold out." GET OVER IT ALREADY. Danielson has more than proved his ability along the independent circuit and has EARNED the chance to work for the number one North American pro wrestling organization. His income will rise exponentially as will his opportunities. While I respect the fans that he currently works in front of, they need to realize that they aren't going to be paying his medical bills down the road (his inferred primary reason for moving on), and while they pay for a ticket to see a card he is on, all that he has ever owed them is to put on the best show possible and give it his all. From what I have universally heard, his doing exactly that has afforded him the opportunity to better his life. Applaud the man. He's earned that too.
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From what I've heard from a backstage source, there's much more to the Rey Mysterio Wellness Policy violation than is what being let on. If what I've heard is true (which I will not go further into), Mysterio should shut his mouth, stop trying to save face, accept his punishment, and work to rebuild management's faith in him.
I hope what I've heard is not true but, if it is, I think the likelihood that Mysterio career with the WWE has peaked and will decline upon his return is very high. I understand that Mysterio felt the need to protect his reputation in Mexico (especially as a role model to the Hispanic youth) but the way he went about it was just sloppy and foolish. And that's really too bad because he has been invigorated since his transfer back to SmackDown and his feuds with Jericho and Ziggler have been excellent.
Here's to hoping that, in the end, it all works out for the best for Rey.
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I find it ironic that while the WWE considers the Hispanic market to be such an emerging and growing key demographic (especially for SmackDown's ratings), THEY have not developed a major Hispanic star. And before you e-mail me to mention either Eddie Guerrero or Rey Mysterio, realize that both of them were cultivated in WCW before coming over to the WWE. {And for the seriously uneducated, Razor Ramon was not Hispanic because Scott Hall wasn't. A Hispanic-themed character, yes. A major Hispanic star, no. And after his initial introduction (via vignettes) and push, this was an element of the character's personality that was never given prominent attention.} Are the Colons and the formerly-employed Ricky Ortiz really that basic or is there more to them than what we've seen? Was using Ortiz as a towel-waving, goofy smiling babyface really the best thing they could come up with? Really!? I think the failure of Ortiz’s character falls on the higher-ups at Stamford and the WWE Creative Team. Even with Carlito, we saw a guy who shot out of the gate and has pretty much treaded water since. While some of that has been self-inflicted, the WWE has still failed to bring Carlito past the initial level he was brought in at. And I see nothing that tells me that is going to change any time soon.
And if that Hispanic market is so important to the WWE, they'd be wise to develop someone that the Hispanic community would look at as "one of their own."
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In late July, I attended the second night of the Death Before Dishonor VII card in Toronto. While everyone was there to see Lance Storm in a one-on-one match with Chris Hero, my highlight of the card was Kevin Steen & El Generico vs. The Super Smash Bros. And here's why: Even though the match placement was very early on the card, all four guys were able to work their asses off with no apparent restrictions (you know, the ol' "Don't Show Up The Main Eventers" clause that's done in other places), there was a large number of highspots that were set up in an intelligent context within the flow of the story (I'm giving you the eyebrow here, TNA X-Division), the was an insane number of thrilling 2 and 3 quarters counts, and the right team won (The newer-to-ROH Super Smash Brothers).
The more I thought about this match afterwards, the more I realized that ROH is probably the ONLY place in North America where a fan could see such a match. And yet many of the old-school diehards still complain.
My message to all of you: Appreciate what you have.
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I'm saddened to hear of the closing of IWA Mid-South this past weekend. According to reports, Ian Rotten and his crew finally ran out of money and had to shut the doors. While this may not seem like a big deal to those of you who are unfamiliar with the organization, consider that there is now ONE LESS PLACE for people to work at.
And while you may be unfamiliar with IWA Mid-South, here is a small sample of people who either came out of there or appeared there: CM Punk, Eddie Guerrero, Christopher Daniels, Matt Hardy, Samoa Joe, Chris Hero, Sabu, AJ Styles, Evan Bourne, Tyler Black, Kevin Steen, El Generico, Necro Butcher, Roderick Strong, Chris Sabin, Claudio Castagnoli, Rey Mysterio, Nigel McGuinness, Colt Cabana, and Donnie Peppercricket (I just love that name too).
This closing is important because now there is one less place for the men and women of pro wrestling to earn a paycheck and continue to hone their craft. And regardless of whether you've heard of a wrestling organization or not, it's always a loss to the industry as a whole. To IWA Mid-South, I salute you. Here's to hoping you can rise like a Phoenix someday.
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