“I’m told to deliberant ignore the moves and the holds during the matches so I can tell stories. Well ignoring the moves and the holds is damn insulting to the athletes, the ‘wrestlers’, not the entertainers who leave their families three hundred days a year to ply their craft in that ring.” – Joey Styles in a worked-shoot, RAW May 1, 2006
And with one well executed, worked-shoot, Joey Styles stole the show and expressed what many fans feel about the current state of the WWE. In the process, he’s planted the seeds for ECW versus WWE and any excitement away from McMahonism is fine by me, even if McMahon’s pockets are going to be lined with gold by having worked-competition by owning it ‘all.’
When Styles gave his promo and quit “sports entertainment,” it was if we were watching a entirely different show. Before Styles, the highlight for me was Shawn Michaels refereeing Rob Conway versus Kane, after the co-GMs for the night, the (Holy) Spirit Squad assigned Michaels to wear a special “May 19th” yellow t-shirt in attempt to have Kane bury HBK. Michaels outsmarted the Spirit Squad by low-blowing Conway to put the yellow shirt on him and overacted and goofed off during the “actual match” that had me laughing during the entire match. I needed that after paying for Backlash on Sunday, wishing I had gone out drinking instead.
I’m not a fan of the Spirit Squad gimmick whatsoever, however, using them as Vince’s (Holy) Spirit Squad works within the context of them all being heels and the horrible McMahonism versus Michaels storyline in itself and gives them something to do. If the angle ever runs it’s course (will “God” and Michaels go on a jobbing streak?), which I wish would end sooner than later, the Spirit Squad can stay attached to McMahon because I can’t imagine the day where fans actually cheer the Squad as faces as a unit. The payoff is obviously going to be the Degeneration X reunion, and the fans are more than ready to accept Triple H as the King of Kings and Michaels as a Degenerate again. Though the WWE loves insulting the intelligence of their audience, the audience understands that Michaels can be a spiritual Christian off camera, and that it’s not necessary for him to be righteous and holy on camera as a performer too. However, just getting to that point which is sometimes painful to wait for the payoff that we all need, like watching Vince McMahon make out with Candice Michelle because he “healed” her chest cold during Backlash.
With Trish Stratus being out with her injury from Backlash, WWE has to figure out creative ways to keep Mickie James hot for six weeks without the fans forgetting what happened to Stratus which was unfortunate for the entire Women’s Division that basically consists of three actual wrestlers and eye candy. RAW did a good job at not putting the women aside, with Trish costing Mickie James the match, and then during the Kiss Cam segment, Mickie came to beat Maria down for embarrassing her. My close friend, Greg Ragland, had a great idea that I would like to see happen with Mickie James dressed as Trish Stratus getting into a feud with Victoria for a few weeks. I believe the angle would be fun and be a interesting battle of the psycho versus Candice’s flirty sidekick who once wrestled in hot matches against Trish Stratus. Get well soon Trish, we NEED you!
Chris Masters has really taken a step back in what he offers as a individual competitor at this point and it showed a lot during Backlash where his match with Carlito looked way too rehearsed to really discuss. I like having Carlito and Rob Van Dam as a tag team because Carlito doesn’t necessarily need RVD’s rub but it doesn’t hurt either. Shelton Benjamin in theory, can help Masters by being a better natural athlete with Mama’s Boy heel heat, but neither are very strong in promos, so Shelton too, is not a complete package just yet. Regardless, the true breakout of this is RVD who has better things to do than tweedle his thumbs as a mid-carder, and I’d like to see him break the glass ceiling and get a real chance to become a WWE Heavyweight Champion during ECW’s One Night Stand II .
The main event of Backlash with John Cena, Triple H and Edge had no choice but save the pay per view because the pay per view dragged in so many ways. The three men were able to tell a great story, even with Cena pulling a fluke win, providing Triple H to go nuts with the crimson mask of blood was a great way to end the show. The fans didn’t necessarily get the guy they wanted to win, but they got to see him go ballistic, leaving them that memory to go home with ( besides the visual of their home town favorite Eugene having Striker eat a product of his nose).
Even Lita had the more significant role than Edge did in the main event by taking the spine buster from Triple H, nearly missing the steel chair. During RAW, WWE did Edge no favors by taking him into the back seat right out of the main event spotlight by interviewing Mick Foley. The segment wasn’t helped by Joey Styles, who blurted out “next week” too early. I don’t know if WWE has any real investment in Edge in the main event picture for the summer and Edge is being portrayed as filler without any real security of being taken seriously in the title picture.
There is so much going on with John Cena without him actually talking a lot or doing more than his limited set of wrestling moves, that the protection from the WWE continues. The Heavyweight Title has to drop sooner than later, Cena’s not offering anything fresh right now and hasn’t for quite some time.
Thanks to all those who tune into the Big E Sports show at Rockland World Radio every Tuesday between 7-8 EST to hear hosts Erik Fenton, Dave Lagreca and I to discuss professional wrestling and whatever else is going on! Next week, I will be in Baltimore, MD for a short break, so I will be back in two weeks. Always remember, for things to change, you have to make movement. Thanks for reading and for all the feedback, feel free to contact me anytime at Bam@4sternstaging.com.
