Yo, homies. Come on and kick it in my krib, also known as Kue’s Korner. I’m your emcee for the evening, Jonah Kue. We’re coming off the heels of a lackluster ‘E PPV and I can’t say I’m not disappointed, but then again, not sure why I was expecting much. Before I start, if you haven’t caught the “new sensationâ€, here’s this week’s Kue’s ReKall in Autotune:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BukMVWfPoZ8
Twitter: @jonahkue
Blogger: Kue’s Korner Lite
Youtube: Jonah Kue
Jonah’s Jumpstart
Thank You, Macho
What else can be said that hasn’t been said? One of the greatest of this industry has passed us. Many people claim Hogan to be the most recognizable name in wrestling, and that may be true, but the most iconic personality belonged to Randy Savage. He was THE total package. I’ve always been inclined to tell my younger cousins, who are relatively new fans to wrestling, that before the Rock, there was Macho Man. I’m saddened greatly by the news of his passing, but I’m thankful for all he’s given us fans.
Thank You, Macho Man. Rest in peace.
Be Yourself x50
There is something to be said about loving your job and the relation it has to how good you are at it. Something that you can really put your heart into, simply based on the desire to do so, has a monumentally different result than something deemed simply a necessity. Much of this is apparent in many workers in the ring today.
Superstars who have found a character they, not only enjoy, but are invigorated by, are far more successful than those who are simply following archetypes. And there seems to be a basic formula to reach that level of enjoyment in their work: being themselves. The most over guys in the company are basically doing nothing different than being hyperbolic versions of themselves, without trying to fit a particular character structure.
The Miz has played the guy who wants to stick it to everybody who says he couldn’t reach the top. When he finally did, he was the guy who rubbed in everyone’s face. To think he doesn’t legitimately feel like that to some extent, particularly due to his treatment and the scorn he received from many of his peers and mentors, is complete naivety. And he’s prospered from that attitude.
Our Straight-Edge warrior, CM Punk, feels his lifestyle keeps him more in tune with himself than most. Outside of the ring, he may not be shoving his “gospel†down our throats, but there must be a bit of an ego in him due to the advantages he’s received due to his particular lifestyle. All he had to do was turn that knob to an obnoxious level and the best heel in the business today is constructed.
R-Truth is also a perfect example of this. After all his years in the business, I’m sure he feels he’s overlooked due to backstage politics. It’s not that far-fetched of a theory. Simply tune that particular belief to a level of frustration and borderline insanity, and you’ve got a fantastic conspiracy theorist of a character.
Even John Cena, who simply plays a guy who loves his job more than anything else in the world, resonates ridiculously well with the fans, whether he’s cheered for his good nature or jeered for his appeal coming off as cheesy.
Many superstars would do well to follow suit and find something true to their own individuality, see what appeals, and simply turn it up to the highest level. They might be pleasantly surprised with what they find.
Just a thought.
Total Nonstop Articulation
Never thought this would come out of my mouth, but I am really digging the direction TNA is going. They’re at the very least trying to highlight the best attributes they can bring to this little sports entertainment table, while the tiring parts are showing signs of being on their way out.
- Samoa Joe squashed Red. We need more of this, if Joe is going to get his credibility back and get to where he belongs: at the top of the company.
- I hate Tommy Dreamer. Almost as much as Widro, actually. And the fact that he went over AJ on Sacrifice was ridiculous. But if this is setting up an angle where an injured AJ will go over a fully heel Dreamer, then it may be worth it. I’ve noticed this little trend of the vets turning heel and going against the face younger bucks. They tried this with MEM, but that failed due to the old guys consistently going over the young faces. If they’re following this formula, and simply reverse the end result booking, the company will be much, much better off for it. Fingers crossed.
- This focus on wrestling has helped. Hell, there was a decent Abyss match on Impact. When was the last time that happened?
- Anderson and Sting need to go away. I cannot stress this enough. Far. Far. Away.
Blue Streak
This obvious slow heel turn of Christian’s is probably the most exciting aspect of this rather boring time in ‘E. Not only is it similar to the exceptional heel turn Punk churned out a couple of years back, but the way Christian is struggling to hold on to some form of sportsmanship, despite his visible frustration with his loses to Orton, is the most realistic angle I’ve seen come out of ‘E in awhile. This is what keeps me tuned into Smackdown.
That, and Cody’s promos, of course.
I find it odd how underwhelming Sin Cara’s appeal to the fans has been. With the company’s focus more on “entertainment†than “wrestling†(the quotes are to avoid semantics arguments, since, I’m sure we can go pages and pages if we were all to divulge), I worry that Sin Cara not taking off with the fans may validate Vince’s decision to go the direction he’s recently wanted to go. I hope I’m wrong.
Seeing Red
Many of you are still in this odd realm of skepticism when it comes to Truth and his recent heel persona. I think this is due to our being conditioned to heels being either savvy and cerebral (Miz, Punk, etc) or cocky and arrogant (Del Rio). Look, Truth isn’t your typical heel character, and that’s the refreshing thing about him. His promos have been exceptional as of late. His in-ring work has improved vastly. And his opening promo with Bret Hart this Monday has been the most validating mic work I’ve heard in months. He makes valid, albeit not so articulate, points, and his anger and frustration at not being taken seriously is a completely understandable character trait. I might catch a good amount of heat for this, but Truth is very similar to 2001 heel Austin. Look back at Austin’s promo work back then and compare. Maybe that skepticism will start to melt.
Nexus has the tag belts AND Punk is in the main event? They may be vying for CM to stick around after all.
As much as the thought of a Kane/Del Rio feud makes me cringe, this screams filler feud until del Rio is primed to take the title off of Cena. Honestly, other than Miz and Punk, there isn’t another heel contender. And with Miz feuding with Riley and Punk busy with the Nexus angle, I can definitely see del Rio going for the belt sooner rather than later.
So, you’re telling me that I had to suffer through three months of mind-numbing, torturous promos and segments all for nothing to come out of this whole Cole/Lawler debacle? Really? We’re just going to brush it under the table? This is the issue I had with the entire “Over the Limit†PPV. So many things were built up in the past few months all for nothing to come to fruition. Mason Ryan’s apparent build was squashed. The Miz was made to look like a joke. And nothing, ABSOLUTELY NOTHING, came out of this God awful Cole/Lawler mess? This makes me want to reach for cyanide.
‘Round the Bend
Mike Goji’s Stomping Ground gave an interesting preview to this past Sunday’s “Over the Limitâ€. Check it out.
Michael Cole seemed to be the topic of the week. Here are takes on what to do with the “Voice of the WWEâ€, as told by Rhett Davis and Pulse Glazer on The O’Really Report, Joel Leonard on No Chance, and CB’s World.
Bring something new to the table with a preview of the next EXW events, brought to you by the Diamondback lady, Miss Kelly Floyd.
And if you’d like to join me in laughter and agreement over TNA, check out Blair Douglas’s That Being Said.
Klosing Thoughts
All in all, this transitional phase that ‘E is going through is, no other way to put this, dull. Surprisingly, TNA is showing signs of catching fire through their transitional phase. Let’s hope the former steers differently while the latter keeps on course.
Adieu.
