When I decide to go to a live wrestling event, I have to look at the situation from two different perspectives: I’m embracing the idea of enjoying myself and getting lost in the storylines and characters as a wrestling fan, and at the same time, be prepared to think outside of the box on how their product is affected by everything going on, by performers and fans, and how it could be improved. As a wrestling fan, I did have a good time, I needed to get my mind off of my everyday life for a few hours away from home. I can thank the WWE for giving me that and I can thank the energy of my floor, section B of the arena for that.
Going to Greensboro Coliseum, which is a three hour drive from where I am from, this was my first time there since WWE Unforgiven on April 26, 1998. A lot of things have happened in wrestling and in everyday life since 1998, so I was fully expecting my bag to be checked so before I left, I put my cameras on one side of my bag just to make things were quick and easy for everyone so when I went by security it wouldn’t be a hassle having to juggle stuff to show them I wasn’t carrying anything dangerous. After going to Hooters Restaurant to meet up with a dear friend for some rather amazing service (actual service, not just eye candy) we made the short drive to pay $7.00 to park in the parking lot. I was surprised we weren’t going to have to wait outside to get in, because that has always been the case every other wrestling show I’ve gone to over the years. We walk into the arena, the heat was actually on, it was comfortable and had the feel of being in a airport. My sister wanted to go by the merchandise table to get a t-shirt, where a healthy size crowd of about fifty people huddled around to purchase WWE merchandise from. During this period of waiting, I observed that they only hired two to three people, who were extremely slow at their job and didn’t have the exact change at first for people purchasing t-shirts and belts. I also got to see the amazing price of beer ($8.00) and hot chocolate ($4.00) while waiting. After her purchase, we kept walking and have to walk by security to continue to the right area. I get stopped and it’s not to check my bag. They didn’t even look at my bag. They didn’t scan me (or anyone else I saw with wands), I didn’t have to walk through a scanner, they checked my signs because they were rubber-banded. Once I showed him my sign (I thought he just wanted proof I didn’t have a weapon stored in them), I was thanked and told to enjoy the show. Amazingly enough, in this day in age, in a arena that can hold 23,000 people, I never saw one person searched for actual weapons. WWE should consider making that a requirement at every show, I don’t care how long that takes for not only the fans safety but the performers safety as well.
We had incredible seats and knew I’d be happy with the view I was going to have, five rows behind the WWE announcing table, facing the Titan Tron. Once things got underway, the first thing they showed was a nicely put together Road to Wrestlemania video from last year’s Wrestlemania. Stone Cold Steve Austin got a incredible pop from the crowd when they showed his vignette as the gladiator from last year’s Wrestlemania. I expected Eddie Guerrero to get a bigger pop from the crowd when his footage was showed but his wasn’t greater than Flair or Austin’s. The videos do always get love though because it pumps up the crowd for the night. The first match for the Sunday Night Heat taping part of the show was Val Venis versus Doug Basham. I’ll fully admit I don’t watch Sunday Night Heat on a regular basis so if Basham is back (to job to Venis, who always seems to happy to job to anyone) then I had no idea. A predictable warm up match where Venis seemed to be having a good time being able to perform in any capacity, and the crowd was warm to him. I can say this about Greensboro, Greensboro is almost always appreciative and warm to people they remember and for the WWE in general to come back to the area. I saw a lot of families in varied ranges throughout the night so no matter what, WWE still has a family audience.
Johnny Parisi was next up, cutting a cheesy promo on his name, apparently he was once Johnny Swinger. When I first saw him, with a actual entrance video, I thought how he reminds of Scotty Riggs. A surprise to pretty much everyone in my section, Kane’s fire pyro hit, as usual everyone jumps in shock and if you went and tried to get a beverage and by the third set of stairs going back up, you missed the match. Kane hit his normal moves and it was over. I never get over how intense the fire is that close to the ring, because I remember watching the Inferno Match in 1998 with Undertaker versus Kane and you could feel the heat of the fire from the upper risers of floor where I was during that show.
Tyson Tomko and Gene Snitsky faced two unknowns who never got a introduction from ring announcer Justin Roberts. Tomko and Snitsky clowned around during the match, making faces at each other and pushing each other. They are both big buys and got reactions whenever they hit big man moves. My entertainment for this match was a guy two rows behind me making cracks about the jobbers, saying one guy was the twin of Mr. Kennedy and the other guy had to be Koko B. Ware’s son which got a warm reaction from our section.
Goldust for the most shocking pop of the night against Trevor Murdoch was next. It ended with Murdoch refusing to come back into the ring and Goldust enjoying the attention and bowing down to everyone like he won the WWE World Championship. Honestly, people are hard on him but I think he’s genuinely grateful he’s able to work and wrestle again in front of large crowds. He’s not the same worker he was a few years ago but I’ve seen a lot worse (Ashley).
Rob Conway came out to a okay reaction, looking his Buff Bagwell looking self versus Viscera, and everyone knows what THAT means. Conway was definitely going to get straddled and “violated”. Viscera gained cool points for doing the Flair strut during the match. Viscera of course wins because that’s the Con Way. At some point, fans are checking their watches to see what time it is before Lilian Garcia comes out to sing.
Lilian was wearing a cute red and black number, did a almost fumbled introduction and did a perfect National Anthem to a good reaction from a chanting USA crowd. My one regret is I did not bring a Lilian Garcia sign, and I had thought about it. I admit to being a mark for her and she flirts with the crowd by winking, waving and smiling or anyone who tries to communicate with her during commercials or intermission moments. As usual, we’re told it’s almost time for RAW to go live, to get enthusiastic and show off our creative signs. My sister brought a RVD One of a Kind sign with a green and blue yin-yang symbol with two of his photos and I made a “Mickie Is My MVP” with a hot promo photo of her. I wasn’t sure if WWE was going to showcase my sign but I was prepared because I felt something like that is creative. In my mind, I felt Jerry Lawler could see the sign and say “MVP? Most Valuable Psycho?” and that would have gotten a cheap pop.
Anyway, a good way to shock the crowd was to start off RAW with Triple H versus the Big Show who got some really strong face pop reactions. I felt the crowd turned mixed on who wanted to win and the very idea of a double count got the crowd confused. I don’t think any crowd wants that kind of ending when it’s a pre-final match for a Wrestlemania title shot. My feeling was this was going to be the tone for the rest of the night and I thought it wasn’t fair to the Greensboro crowd. They did tease a table breaking spot and Show colored so in reality they were probably testing out the crowd reaction for things they were considering trying next week. How do you follow a semi-main event type match?
Why with Shelton Benjamin and Mama Benjamin, of course. Benjamin wants Flair, which wakes the crowd up from the confusion of wondering how this night was going to go. For Shelton to get Flair he has to face Eugene. I had a hard time hearing any of it but was surprised to even see Mama Benjamin back on camera at all.
For a hot minute and a hard to hear Titan Tron backstage segment, Mick Foley is apparently singing “Big Time”, the bad choice for a Wrestlemania theme song because someone at WWE is dated and refuses to join the times as Edge sets up the end of the night and their feud saying he better count to three or it would be the biggest mistake of his life.
During the commercial, I assume for WWE Unlimited, Matt Striker came out and did a heel promo preaching abstinence which got really good heel heat. I thought he did a good job, a much better job than any of his other promos. I had no idea until up close, he sincerely does look like a teacher. It’s disappointing that’s all he has to go on according to the WWE Creative Minds but if he does promos like this, arenas will hate him naturally. However, I did think about the old Right to Censor days and wondered how much life this could be given and how his run can possibly be doing a Dean Douglas type gimmick.
Shelton and Mama Benjamin come out to the Mama’s Boys chants but they weren’t as loud as I thought they’d be. Though we couldn’t see it very clearly from my side, Eugene brings Mama Benjamin some candy and gets pounced. Eugene’s still getting punished I see. Eugene hit a nice bridge and other than the traditional Eugene-Hulking up, that’s all I remember about his offense. It felt super short, no reaction for his t-bone suplex and did nothing for the crowd whatsoever. Basically it’s a “who cares, I want to see Ric Flair” type situation.
Ashley comes out for a alright response, nothing orgasmic by any means. My mind immediately thinks it’s another round of Ashley versus Mickie James or at least a chance for Mickie to run in and destroy Ashley some more (because how could that possibly get old?). Instead, we get no Victoria (major crime in my eyes), but Candice Michelle and Torrie Wilson and that damn dog, I mean, Chloe (who has her own WWE superstar page – is that dog on payroll too?). I don’t know what could be worse in the WWE’s Women’s Division (or lack their of) then see Ashley versus Torrie Wilson. I was ready to throw up my sign at the right moment that never came. I just wanted the run in so the match could be over. It was painful to watch because they blew a spot, “what was that?” I don’t think they knew either. I booed because no Mickie and no Trish. I saw more than Torrie Wilson than I ever expected to see, I thought time froze during that roll up.
After the match, Candice got on the microphone and announced she was going to be on the cover of Playboy and said she couldn’t wait to disrobe, then tossed her robe at Torrie, who threw it back at her which I don’t think most of the crowd could see. Candice looked good and there is no doubt in my mind she will out sell Torrie Wilson. I suppose we’re going to see Candice versus Torrie Wilson at Wrestlemania to help promote it and turn Candice face, but I sincerely hope that won’t veto any chance of Trish versus Mickie James at Wrestlemania. Trish and Mickie is where the money is in the Women’s Division since Victoria is taking a back seat.
The retirement ceremony began and did feel like it was going on forever but the crowd was into it. It was difficult to hear Vince’s monologue at times because fans were chanting for HBK during most of his speech. From what I did hear of McMahon’s speech, he gave some key lines that reflect his real life situation dealing with the bad press with the supposed tanning bed incident in Florida. He took a heel shot at North Carolina, calling the crowd rednecks but he must think we have a short memory because it’s no secret, and he even has pointed it out to us in past WWE events in NC, that he is from Pinehurst, NC. I wasn’t prepared for the Spirit Squad but I felt it was appropriate and in some ways funny and did get groans and heat. I’m trying to think who could possibly punk them. Maybe the real bet should be is who is going to last longer, Mama Benjamin or the Spirit Squad? They milked the segment some more, chants for HBK for the loudest face pop of the night to this point all night long. I think people were counting on Shawn to nail Vince. He tore up the papers and took off his coat and knocked the desk chair and table setup around as if he was ready to fight as Vince promised to make his life a living hell. I guess no money Superkick for Greensboro. Shawn acted like he was going to throw something in the crowd, I wasn’t sure if it was a cross or a tie clip but he shook his head no and smiled and put it away. I really expected him to clap to the crowd after the cameras went to commercial but he surprisingly didn’t. Maybe it was to keep the mood of ‘I didn’t want to show up for my own retirement party’ going. The crowd was Pro-HBK nonetheless.
Next I believe was the video announcement that WWE was landing Bret Hart for the WWE Hall of Fame Cermony afterall. A decent reaction but nothing rip-roaring. Maybe my hope that Bret will still interfere in Shawn Michaels versus Vince McMahon at Wrestlemania, hitting one, climatic pause and then hitting the other and then walking away with no explanation will happen afterall.
Chris Masters introduction was first and it’s really pretty to see from where we are sitting and if they would just turn him face, I think the fans would pop for him. But definitely not over Carlito because people like Carlito a lot more right now. My sister’s mark out moment was for Rob Van Dam. RVD was against Chris Masters for the next qualifying match that better actually have a clear cut winner. RVD’s crowd reaction as the overall third biggest pop of the night without question. RVD did acknowledge my sister’s sign, mouthed a thank you and made my sister’s night. As a older sister, RVD made my night by seeing her so happy for those three seconds. It was a decent match as RVD connected with his moves more so than anyone else before or after him. Surprisingly no attempt for the Masterlock but the Torture Rack got a ‘Where’s Lexy?’ from my new favorite fan in Greensboro that night behind me. The Five-Star Frog Splash and RVD moves forward into next week for the newly formed Triple Threat match between RVD versus Tirple H versus Big Show. I would love RVD to get his moment at Wrestlemania but sadly it doesn’t look like that will come to pass.
My mark out moment was next was seeing Mickie James in a Trish Stratus getup talking to “the boyfriend.” Seriously, who made that casting decision? Anyway, I found it hysterical, the entire segment. Mickie James is truly my MVP by mastering the psycho gimmick and the facial expressions and mood changes. She teased that best friends, share, and then made a move on him, he has some hesitations and then she out of no where screams “Why are you hitting on me! Quit touching me!” putting on a act, as security comes in and believe her giving a nice performance.
What would be North Carolina as a collective whole’s mark out moment was next. Ric Flair comes out in a suit and cuts a promo for WWE Unlimited about Shelton being a Mama’s Boy and did a little bit of the “I’m a limousine riding, jet flying” trademark promo for him and ended it with “Greensboro you know I love you.” Yes we do, and WWE did the unthinkable to us. No more Ric Flair for the rest of the night. As a fan it’s completely not right to do that in NC. Who knows how many more years we will see Ric Flair be able to compete in the WWE. Greensboro is a home base for Flair Country, years and years of memories in that place for Flair and the fans in the area. The disappointment filled the arena, talk about a let down. Thinking about it twenty-four hours later, I think I understand why WWE didn’t do showcase Flair more. The chances of Ric Flair getting the best pop and bigger pop over John Cena were competitive but really good odds. I think if Flair had been showcased in any way, he would have been hero-worshipped, overshadowing Cena.
RAW’s back on with the Mickie/Trish backstage segment continuing as I’m still holding up my sign hoping somehow they’d cut to my sign when it’s over with. Trish is clearly having to be dumb since the WWE audience got to see what she didn’t, so to not insult the audience even further (not holding my breath) – hopefully the turn will happen next week. “The boyfriend” should show Trish the footage and that should start the split because how do you explain that? She just wanted attention? I really expected the Valentine’s Day aspect to be used here, with Trish trying to seduce Mickie, but I guess trying to seduce “the boyfriend” to then do a complete turn into Psycho Bitch to get sympathy from Trish can work too. I still think they missed a big opportunity there for a hot rating there. The problem for the way they did this, yes, they did it in the ten o’clock hour, but they did it after the crowd was still disappointed in not enough Flair.
Carlito was also featured in a Titan Tron segment saying how he’d be at Wrestlemania but once again, it was hard to hear him. He does have quite the presence on the big screen and I do think they can put money on him if he continues to learn the craft.
Finally, the main event match, where I wondered if WWE would be risky and let Cena drop the title on a RAW after Christian Cage became champion on the TNA PPV Sunday. Mick Foley got a good pop from the crowd, Edge got a big response as well but Cena’s pop was incredible. I may not have liked it but the boos that did happen, no one bothered to keep booing. They did what I did, I just didn’t respond. Cena chants were so loud, mostly females of course, but they were present and the hope for a “Let’s Go Cena! Let’s Go Edge!” chant competition never came to pass. WWE is passing the test of protecting their champion based on the hot reaction he got, making himself the number one face of the night. Edge spent the majority of the match outside the ring. It was mostly a matter of how is Cena going to retain, is Lita going to cost Edge the match again scenarios running through your head. Lita getting called out by Foley for messing with the turnbuckle and sent to the back with Cena’s goofy facial expression got a good reaction for the pop that is going to always naturally hate Lita. They did a good job milking the crowd with the very close three counts for Edge and Cena. They did a great job setting up Edge and Foley’s future match at Wrestlemania with Edge not winning the title and Lita unable to provide the assist to help Edge. Cena wins with catching Edge in the FU, Foley announces to the crowd again that the winner and still WWE Champion is John Cena.
The crowd loves Cena as if he was the second coming of the Rock despite him not speaking all night and most surprisingly even after the cameras were done rolling, Cena didn’t celebrate long. There wasn’t even a dark match. I assume the WWE logic is ending with a WWE World Championship match, you don’t need a dark match tag team of John Cena and Ric Flair versus Triple H and Edge to forfill the crowds appetite for the Nature Boy. That was disappointing but the show was good overall. I found it to be fun and it did it’s purpose, I didn’t think about it being Valentine’s Day the next day and I had a good time. We’ll see how it comes across on camera but I went home happy that I bought the tickets and that’s putting it in perspective. Thanks for reading and for the feedback, feel free to drop me a line anytime at Bam@4sternstaging.com.
