Hello to everyone – the weeks are shooting by far too fast as of late! This week I’m going to tell you how I think the WWE could get Carlito over as a main event babyface by the time the Royal Rumble rolls around in January of 07. Plus some thoughts on the weeks big news stories, and some DVD Talk too!
Carlito: Future WWE Champion
Carlito has been working TV for the WWE now for nearly three years. He’s been the IC champ a number of times and is currently more over with the fans than ever before. He’s young, he’s hungry and I think he has what it takes to be a serious top tier talent for the WWE. Here are the Four Ways to get Carlito ready in the fans eyes to be the WWE champion. If done correctly he should ready to win the title at Royal Rumble from a still reigning Edge and go to Wrestlemania the champion.
NUMBER ONE: BACK CRACKER! I’d start off by having Carlito go over Orton at Unforgiven more than cleanly. Just have Carlito no sell the RKO and nail him with the Back Cracker. Plain and simple. That’s the best way to get this type of performer over. The fans already want to love him, so don’t make it hard. From there the E needs to keep putting over some other heels each week on RAW using the same finisher each week. Build him up to be a Super Strong baby face. Give him the Cena push. Tehy got Cena stupid FU finisher over like gangbusters, well now’s the time to turn the heat up to a million on Carly’s devastating match winner.
NUMBER TWO: THE ONLY WAY TO GET OVER ONE CHICK IS TO… As soon as Trish retires Carlito is once again going to be left with no real back burner storyline. I’d like to see him become sort of a sauve ladies man type guy, I think that would fit in with his current persona. So the next night on RAW after Trish’s retirement and coming off a huge win over Randy Orton have Mr. Cool being shown backstage “celebrating” his win with Maria or Candice…or both! Just keep Carlito hetero at all costs. The more like a modern day Cuban Ric Flair they can make, the better. And not in an Armanda Alejandro Estrrrrrrrada sort of way, either. Just a cool as a cucumber – er, apple sort of guy who loves the ladies and loves winning WWE championships just as much!
NUMBER THREE: FOCUS – A KEY INGREDIANT The guy has never lacked charisma. The guy has never lacked a basic fundamental understanding of the in-ring aspect of the sport – but what he does lack is a focus to his character. What motivates him? What has driven him to succeed? What are his DESIRES? As we all know, you MUST have desire to make it in the WWE. Amidst his monster push he should be in the latter part of this year, allow Carlito to cut some strong, well written promos putting over his heritage, his love of the business, his hatred of Edge and his DESIRE to become WWE champion.
NUMBER FOUR: LOSE THE APPLE GIMMICK This is something they may do with him down the road when he turns back to a heel, but why not plant the seeds now. As wrestling continues to go down a more reality based road, we need to see the real Carlito, not some Johnny Appleseed lovin’ cartoon. By putting less definition on his cartoonish aspects his character will begin to grow up, evolve and be taken seroiously. That’s not to say that John Cena isn’t still a walking cartoon character, but you have to agree that even Rapper Boy has become more human over the course of the last two years.
I really believe Carlito can be a top draw for the company. I think that over time he could lend the same sort of stature to a PPV that Chris Jericho did in the early part of this decade. I think a main event feud with the title at stake between Carly and Edge could end up being the RAW Wrestlemania Main Event.
NEWS BYTES
Nothing much going around the horn. Looks like Henry Godwinn and X-Pac could be returning to WWE TV in the near future. Not really going to complain about that right now. And did I actually read that Kanyon was parading around a Florida House show this weekend with a sign telling HBK to help with his Gayness?! More on that as it becomes availible I’m sure. It’s late Friday night so the news in few and far between.
Crazy guy that Kanyon is though. He scored me and a buddy two free tickets to the RAW taping in Sacramento where Kurt Angle sprayed the Alliance with milk so I will FOREVER be indebted to Chris Kanyon and I for one support his GAYNESS. Not that there’s anything wrong with that.
I thought RAW was okay this week. That’s almost always my opinion of RAW. “Just okay.”
I once again really got a boost out of Jeff Hardy’s match against the IC champ, Johnny Nitro. I think the match had a shitty finish, but it builds the two guys to a good PPV match I think.
Interesting to delve back into the old memory bank with the footage from the very first WCW Nitro show from the Mall of America. I was watching that show all alone at home and I remember marking out like a little kid when Luger came out at the end and just stood there. Of course I was like 14. That night changed alot of our lives whether we even can fathom that now or not.
The more I see Shane McMahon lately, the more I’m starting to take him in as the NEW Mr. McMahon of the WWE. Sooner or later Vince is going to have retire. Whether he actually runs for President in 2008, I do not know. But Shane is going to be a great big HUGE part of the future of the business and the company is just taking their sweet time. I hope Shane is my boss someday. Seriously.
The Masters-Super Crazy match actually almost put me to sleep. I had a very loooooong day on Monday. It’s either that or the fact Chris Masters just bores me. Zzzzzz…
Anyone else think that Edge’s movie trailer that started RAW looked better than Cena or Rock’s upcoming actual film endeavors?
EXTREMEly Lackluster
ECW ranked about a 5/10 for me this week. The DX crossover wasn’t anything too great but I am enjoying the show and am thankful to have it on my TV each week. I’m paying 50 bucks month for cable, so at least it’s watchable. I’m still thinking the RVD-Holly feud is going to end up being pointless for both men, though.
One thing I have to say that I’m REALLY REALLY looking forward to now is CM Punk obliterating that little bitch Shannon Moore. That will be some damn good TV!
COMING SOON: DVD TALK
So in my continuing quest to annoy the living hell out my girlfriend I went ahead and added a few more wrestling DVD’s to my collection this week: WWF Action(3 bucks!!! and AWESOME), Greatest Wrestling Stars of the 80’s and the Jake the Snake Pick Your Poisen. Watch almost of them this week and am feeling the affects of it now as I’m again almost at my maximum wrestling overload for the week. Almost. The Action DVD was just great and the perfect addition to my other 2001 PPV DVDs. Filled in the holes that I’d forgotten since then and is just a great disc to have. Wrestling Stars was really good too, especially the second disc. I’ll go more into detail about all three of these DVD’s in next weeks column, so be on the look out for that!
Y’all Come Back Now Ya Here!
Maybe if writing a wrestling column was more of a full-time gig I could put more time into this each week, but alas I actually work a real job each and every night at a hotel so sometimes life just happens. Hope to be back next week with more wrestling thoughts and analysis and little more preparedness too as this week I’ve just been shooting from the hip!
Take care and for the love of God you all better Vote for Vince in 08 or he’ll bring back Bastion Booger and put him over the entire ECW locker room!
