Similar to his name, there is a mystery surrounding the future of one of the WWE's biggest stars of the past decade, Rey Mysterio, who remains one of the most popular stars, despite being injured in recent years.
Mysterio began wrestling at a young age and after a few appearances in ECW, he signed with Ted Turner's World Championship Wrestling in 1996. Rey was one of the company's highlights, as he brought the lucha style to a national audience, but tailored it more towards the United States. As was the case with most young performers in WCW, Mysterio was under utilized, but worked in the company until it was sold in 2001. After being unmasked in WCW a few years earlier, he debuted in the WWE in 2002, wearing the mask and he would soon win the now defunct WWE Cruiser Weight title. Mysterio debuting under the mask is one of the reasons WWE won the war against WCW and it was merchandising. Rey with the mask gave him a solid character to bring to the WWE audience and it also allowed the company to market it in every aspect. There were replica masks, t shirt designs, etc. that could be used to maximize the Mysterio brand.
Aside from merchandise, Rey Mysterio was one of the most solid competitors on the roster and he could make his opponents look good in the ring. As Rey became more popular, the sudden passing of his friend, Eddie Guerrero brought a storyline to the WWE that Rey would win the World title for Eddie. As I said at the time, I don't approve of how the WWE used Eddie's name in the storyline and Rey could have been the champion without it, which he proved a few years later. Regardless, Rey won the Royal Rumble in 2006 and he went on to win the title at Wrestlemania 22 a few months later.
After that, Rey would have sporadic injuries during his WWE career, seemingly from his high risk style from years previously and despite toning down his style some what, the injuries persisted. While he would win the WWE title and remain in the main event picture in the following years, Rey had multiple surgeries during his later WWE run. Mysterio has been on the sideline for most of the past three years and it was reported that the WWE automatically renewed his contract for another year because of the amount of time he was injured.
The entire situation is somewhat bizarre considering the amount of time Rey has
worked for the WWE and how successful he has been for the company. There
are rumors that Mysterio wants to work for AAA or Lucha Underground,
but I have to ask, why? It's not a jab at AAA, but unless they are
paying more money, (which doesn't seem possible) why would he want to
take somewhat of a step down to work for AAA when he could retire on a
global stage of the WWE? While Lucha Underground has generated some
buzz, it tapes an entire season in a few days and doesn't have any major
distribution so again, isn't it somewhat of a step down from the WWE? Depending on the perspective, you can't really blame the WWE for renewing the deal because Mysterio was being paid a downside guarantee when he was injured and they could attempt to generate revenue to cover the cost of the contact when Mysterio returns. On the flip side, it's possible that Rey doesn't want to work the demanding WWE schedule and would prefer lighter options for the conclusion of his career.
It's well documented that Mysterio started his career in Mexico so maybe he wants to retire there, but it would be disappointing if he doesn't retire on the global stage because he deserves the recognition for his career. Undoubtedly the most successful cruiser weight wrestler of all time, Rey proved that aerial wrestlers could be a main event draw and in many respects, he has reached legendary status. When Rey's WWE contract finally expires, it will be interesting to see if he actually continues to wrestle outside of the WWE, but considering his age, how many more years would he continue wrestling? Hopefully, Rey and the WWE can reach an agreement because he deserves a lot of credit for his career.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Samoa Joe to WWE?
Samoa Joe was trending on Twitter this week after he announced on his account that he opted not to renew his deal with TNA and an executive for the company would later confirm that Joe had officially parted ways with the promotion.
Samoa Joe initially garnered notoriety wrestling for UPW and later traveled to Japan to wrestle for Zero-1 in 2001. Still learning his craft, Joe generated a lot of buzz in the United States when he debuted for Ring Of Honor and had a brutal match with Low Ki in 2002. ROH was and still is a breeding ground for young talent to be discovered, which gave Joe a platform to elevate his status on the independent scene. He was a very unique athlete and extremely agile for his size, which allowed him to work well with a variety of opponents. Joe also brought a sense of realism to his matches and his stiff in ring style enhanced it, which made his character believable. Eventually, Joe won the ROH World title and held the belt for nearly two years. It was the title run and his consistently solid matches that brought him offers from both WWE and TNA.
There were rumors that the WWE approached Joe with the Umaga gimmick that he given to Jamal from 3 Minute Warning, who portrayed the character during a run in the WWE. Obviously, Joe declined the stereotypical character and signed with TNA, which at the time was securing a time slot on Spike TV. After Joe signed in 2005, he went on a year and a half undefeated streak, while still wrestling a full schedule for ROH. Joe was built up as a monster and he seemed to be the future of TNA. Kurt Angle was released from the WWE and after a controversial departure, he signed a TNA deal in 2006. Almost immediately, the Angle/Joe dream match was booked and there actually wasn't a major push for the match, but it was a major booking fumble from TNA. Angle defeated Joe and ended the undefeated streak, which I still say made Joe look secondary to a WWE star.
Over the next several years, Joe had a few title runs, but TNA never fully let him run with it and ridiculous booking would minimize his character many times during his TNA career. The "Nation of Violence" character, where Joe occasionally had a machete, random tag teams, and being kidnapped after an attack from unidentified ninjas were some of the TNA booking for him. Yes, Russo booked the ninjas and Joe returned to TV a few weeks later with no explanation for the storyline. In some respects, it might have been better for Joe's career if he left TNA sooner because after 10 years, he spent much of the prime of his career floundering there. Ultimately, TNA missed the boat on Joe and he could have helped built a brand for the company, which is something they are still trying to do on Destination America.
So where does Joe go from here? After the announcement on Twitter, there was already speculation that Joe might sign to NXT, but I don't know if it will happen. At 35, Joe has wrestled a very physical style during his career and it has probably taken a toll on it so he might not be on the WWE's radar. Don't get me wrong, I think it would be great to see Joe in the WWE and despite his age, he could probably have a good there, but realistically, he's not going to be the same performer he was ten years ago. The other option for Joe could be New Japan and considering that more foreign talent is being booked, Joe could have a major run there. Regardless, Samoa Joe is a great competitor and he always has solid matches so the exit from TNA could somewhat rejuvenate his career.
Samoa Joe initially garnered notoriety wrestling for UPW and later traveled to Japan to wrestle for Zero-1 in 2001. Still learning his craft, Joe generated a lot of buzz in the United States when he debuted for Ring Of Honor and had a brutal match with Low Ki in 2002. ROH was and still is a breeding ground for young talent to be discovered, which gave Joe a platform to elevate his status on the independent scene. He was a very unique athlete and extremely agile for his size, which allowed him to work well with a variety of opponents. Joe also brought a sense of realism to his matches and his stiff in ring style enhanced it, which made his character believable. Eventually, Joe won the ROH World title and held the belt for nearly two years. It was the title run and his consistently solid matches that brought him offers from both WWE and TNA.
There were rumors that the WWE approached Joe with the Umaga gimmick that he given to Jamal from 3 Minute Warning, who portrayed the character during a run in the WWE. Obviously, Joe declined the stereotypical character and signed with TNA, which at the time was securing a time slot on Spike TV. After Joe signed in 2005, he went on a year and a half undefeated streak, while still wrestling a full schedule for ROH. Joe was built up as a monster and he seemed to be the future of TNA. Kurt Angle was released from the WWE and after a controversial departure, he signed a TNA deal in 2006. Almost immediately, the Angle/Joe dream match was booked and there actually wasn't a major push for the match, but it was a major booking fumble from TNA. Angle defeated Joe and ended the undefeated streak, which I still say made Joe look secondary to a WWE star.
Over the next several years, Joe had a few title runs, but TNA never fully let him run with it and ridiculous booking would minimize his character many times during his TNA career. The "Nation of Violence" character, where Joe occasionally had a machete, random tag teams, and being kidnapped after an attack from unidentified ninjas were some of the TNA booking for him. Yes, Russo booked the ninjas and Joe returned to TV a few weeks later with no explanation for the storyline. In some respects, it might have been better for Joe's career if he left TNA sooner because after 10 years, he spent much of the prime of his career floundering there. Ultimately, TNA missed the boat on Joe and he could have helped built a brand for the company, which is something they are still trying to do on Destination America.
So where does Joe go from here? After the announcement on Twitter, there was already speculation that Joe might sign to NXT, but I don't know if it will happen. At 35, Joe has wrestled a very physical style during his career and it has probably taken a toll on it so he might not be on the WWE's radar. Don't get me wrong, I think it would be great to see Joe in the WWE and despite his age, he could probably have a good there, but realistically, he's not going to be the same performer he was ten years ago. The other option for Joe could be New Japan and considering that more foreign talent is being booked, Joe could have a major run there. Regardless, Samoa Joe is a great competitor and he always has solid matches so the exit from TNA could somewhat rejuvenate his career.
Saturday, February 14, 2015
NXT Review
This past week, the NXT Rivals special aired and the tremendous show continues to receive rave reviews from many fans on social media. While the entire card was solid, three bouts were particularly good and they were a prime example of why the NXT brand has generated such a buzz in recent months.
Fin Balor and Adrian Neville arguably stole the show with a physical match that featured some spectacular aerial offense for the number one contender spot for the NXT title. Shasa Banks won the NXT Women's title in a four way match that proved woman wrestlers can showcase athleticism that presents an importance to a major title match. This wasn't a four minute divas match to pace the show prior to the main event at a pay-per-view, but rather a featured match that allowed all four competitors to showcase their skills. Kevin Owens challenged Sami Zayn for the NXT title and their history of wrestling on the independent scene was used as the basis of the feud. Owens and Zayn had several solid matches before they were signed to NXT so it's no surprise that this was a solid main event for the Rivals special. The finish was very unique as well, as the referee stopped the match after Owens hit several power bombs on Zayn and it sets up for a rematch. The stoppage could have fell flat, but Zayn selling the power bomb made it work and it also helped establish Owens as the new champion.
So, what made the event stand out? While the in ring action was great, I think the element that made it an intriguing show is the emotion that was displayed during the matches. The emotion that was portrayed from the competitors emphasized the importance of the titles and it can translate to the audience. There was a sense that the wins were important and there was a special event atmosphere for the show, which isn't always the case for some of the main WWE pay-per-view events. After an intense match, Balor and Neville shook hands, which enhanced the result of the match. Bailey seemed somewhat emotional on her way to the ring, as did Charlotte and Shasa Banks at the conclusion of the match, which helped establish the women's division. After Kevin Owens won the NXT title, he was very emotional as he displayed the belt to the crowd, which increases the prestige of the championship. Basically, if there's a sense of importance placed on the show and it's portrayed as important from the performers, it's perceived as more important to the audience. The fans can identify with the characters and it gives them a reason to tune into the show because there's more of an emotional investment into the show.
After such an entertaining event, what's the goal for NXT? During his appearance on the Stone Cold podcast, Triple H said that the booking for NXT wasn't as strict as the main brands and he also mentioned on Twitter that the WWE was building towards establishing it as its own brand. Will the success of these NXT shows lead to evolving the main roster and the use of a less restrictive booking style of the main shows? It's possible and it will be interesting to see if the seemingly successful NXT formula influences the presentation of the other main brands.
However, it should be noted that comparing Raw or Smackdown to NXT is almost apples to oranges because the developmental brand doesn't have to work around commercials or sponsors during the show. It's somewhat comical that some smart marks think that they are "better fans" if they praise NXT and complain about the main roster on social media, but they are still paying for a WWE product. Don't get me wrong, NXT is great, but the main roster has many stars that draw a lot of money for the company and so it shouldn't be discounted because it's a main stream product. Regardless, if some NXT stars are the future of the WWE, it could provide some great matches and it will be extremely interesting to see what stars eventually transition to the main roster.
Fin Balor and Adrian Neville arguably stole the show with a physical match that featured some spectacular aerial offense for the number one contender spot for the NXT title. Shasa Banks won the NXT Women's title in a four way match that proved woman wrestlers can showcase athleticism that presents an importance to a major title match. This wasn't a four minute divas match to pace the show prior to the main event at a pay-per-view, but rather a featured match that allowed all four competitors to showcase their skills. Kevin Owens challenged Sami Zayn for the NXT title and their history of wrestling on the independent scene was used as the basis of the feud. Owens and Zayn had several solid matches before they were signed to NXT so it's no surprise that this was a solid main event for the Rivals special. The finish was very unique as well, as the referee stopped the match after Owens hit several power bombs on Zayn and it sets up for a rematch. The stoppage could have fell flat, but Zayn selling the power bomb made it work and it also helped establish Owens as the new champion.
So, what made the event stand out? While the in ring action was great, I think the element that made it an intriguing show is the emotion that was displayed during the matches. The emotion that was portrayed from the competitors emphasized the importance of the titles and it can translate to the audience. There was a sense that the wins were important and there was a special event atmosphere for the show, which isn't always the case for some of the main WWE pay-per-view events. After an intense match, Balor and Neville shook hands, which enhanced the result of the match. Bailey seemed somewhat emotional on her way to the ring, as did Charlotte and Shasa Banks at the conclusion of the match, which helped establish the women's division. After Kevin Owens won the NXT title, he was very emotional as he displayed the belt to the crowd, which increases the prestige of the championship. Basically, if there's a sense of importance placed on the show and it's portrayed as important from the performers, it's perceived as more important to the audience. The fans can identify with the characters and it gives them a reason to tune into the show because there's more of an emotional investment into the show.
After such an entertaining event, what's the goal for NXT? During his appearance on the Stone Cold podcast, Triple H said that the booking for NXT wasn't as strict as the main brands and he also mentioned on Twitter that the WWE was building towards establishing it as its own brand. Will the success of these NXT shows lead to evolving the main roster and the use of a less restrictive booking style of the main shows? It's possible and it will be interesting to see if the seemingly successful NXT formula influences the presentation of the other main brands.
However, it should be noted that comparing Raw or Smackdown to NXT is almost apples to oranges because the developmental brand doesn't have to work around commercials or sponsors during the show. It's somewhat comical that some smart marks think that they are "better fans" if they praise NXT and complain about the main roster on social media, but they are still paying for a WWE product. Don't get me wrong, NXT is great, but the main roster has many stars that draw a lot of money for the company and so it shouldn't be discounted because it's a main stream product. Regardless, if some NXT stars are the future of the WWE, it could provide some great matches and it will be extremely interesting to see what stars eventually transition to the main roster.
Saturday, February 7, 2015
Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns
This past week on Raw, Triple H made a major announcement that while Roman Reigns will be acknowledged as the official winner of the Royal Rumble, his spot in the main event of Wrestlemania isn't confirmed yet. A few matches were made and Daniel Bryan defeated Seth Rollins on Raw to go to the Fast Lane pay-per-view to wrestle Reigns in a match to determine the challenger for Brock Lesnar. On the surface, it was actually a logical segment because Bryan can make a case to get a title shot, as he was stripped of the title due to an injury, but the justification that The Rock's interference affected the result of the Rumble almost taints the victory for Reigns. The Rumble win is designed to push Reigns and how the segment was presented, it somewhat downgraded Reigns so the WWE should probably be careful going forward with the angle because it could actually increase the hostility toward him.
Obviously, this scenario is being put booked because of the outrage after the Rumble when Bryan was eliminated early in the match and as I said in the previous column, didn't the WWE realize anything from the Batista debacle? However, the WWE calling an audible isn't a negative thing because the angle puts an importance on Fast Lane, which probably wouldn't have been there. If the main event of the biggest show of the year is confirmed, what's the point of the Fast Lane PPV? The Reigns vs. Bryan match will have a direct effect on the main event of Wrestlemania and it gives the fans a reason to tune into the show. So, will the WWE actually book Bryan in the main event or is this an attempt to squash the chants?
As I've said before, I think the hostility isn't necessarily directed at Reigns, but rather a response to the disappointment that Bryan didn't win the Rumble. Stone Cold made a really good point on a recent podcast when he mentioned that some fans might not think that Reigns earned the spot, particularly because he was originally a member of The Shield, which had three competitors for storylines. It's a valid point because Ambrose and Rollins had spotlight matches recently, but how many great Reigns matches are there? That's not a jab at Reigns or to say he can't reach the next level, but the title match at the Rumble is a prime example of Rollins being elevated to the next level and he proved he can go with the WWE's top stars, but Reigns has yet to have one of those career defining matches. If Reigns is going to boost his stock, he has to prove that he can have main event quality matches but, it remains to be seen.
While Bryan vs. Reigns adds an emphasis on the Fast Lane PPV, it's almost somewhat risky because if Bryan loses the match, it could increase the resentment towards Reigns, but if Bryan wins what does the WWE book for Reigns? It would be difficult for him to maintain the credibility of being the next top star, if the WWE acknowledges that he's not ready for the push that they tried to book for Wrestlemania. At this point, it might work well if Reigns loses and turns heel to feud with Bryan for the title after Wrestlmania. Jim Ross mentioned on his podcast the possibility of Paul Heyman doing the mic work for Reigns if Brock Lesnar doesn't resign with the company, which would be great for him. Heyman has cut more money promos than anyone featured on WWE TV in the past few years and again, it would make sense for Reigns to turn heel if Bryan gets the spot.
That being said, the bottom line is, the fans want to see Daniel Bryan in the main event of Wrestlemania and if it happens or not remains to be seen, but it speaks volumes to how over he is with the WWE audience. How many other performers have been as over as Bryan is for a two year span? Is that to say he will set the merchandise records of Stone Cold or The Rock? No, but he's the most over performer on the current roster. The audience knows that Bryan is a genuine competitor and they recognize that he earned his spot in the WWE. Regardless, it should be interesting to see the direction of the storyline and if there continues to be a hostile response for Reigns.
Obviously, this scenario is being put booked because of the outrage after the Rumble when Bryan was eliminated early in the match and as I said in the previous column, didn't the WWE realize anything from the Batista debacle? However, the WWE calling an audible isn't a negative thing because the angle puts an importance on Fast Lane, which probably wouldn't have been there. If the main event of the biggest show of the year is confirmed, what's the point of the Fast Lane PPV? The Reigns vs. Bryan match will have a direct effect on the main event of Wrestlemania and it gives the fans a reason to tune into the show. So, will the WWE actually book Bryan in the main event or is this an attempt to squash the chants?
As I've said before, I think the hostility isn't necessarily directed at Reigns, but rather a response to the disappointment that Bryan didn't win the Rumble. Stone Cold made a really good point on a recent podcast when he mentioned that some fans might not think that Reigns earned the spot, particularly because he was originally a member of The Shield, which had three competitors for storylines. It's a valid point because Ambrose and Rollins had spotlight matches recently, but how many great Reigns matches are there? That's not a jab at Reigns or to say he can't reach the next level, but the title match at the Rumble is a prime example of Rollins being elevated to the next level and he proved he can go with the WWE's top stars, but Reigns has yet to have one of those career defining matches. If Reigns is going to boost his stock, he has to prove that he can have main event quality matches but, it remains to be seen.
While Bryan vs. Reigns adds an emphasis on the Fast Lane PPV, it's almost somewhat risky because if Bryan loses the match, it could increase the resentment towards Reigns, but if Bryan wins what does the WWE book for Reigns? It would be difficult for him to maintain the credibility of being the next top star, if the WWE acknowledges that he's not ready for the push that they tried to book for Wrestlemania. At this point, it might work well if Reigns loses and turns heel to feud with Bryan for the title after Wrestlmania. Jim Ross mentioned on his podcast the possibility of Paul Heyman doing the mic work for Reigns if Brock Lesnar doesn't resign with the company, which would be great for him. Heyman has cut more money promos than anyone featured on WWE TV in the past few years and again, it would make sense for Reigns to turn heel if Bryan gets the spot.
That being said, the bottom line is, the fans want to see Daniel Bryan in the main event of Wrestlemania and if it happens or not remains to be seen, but it speaks volumes to how over he is with the WWE audience. How many other performers have been as over as Bryan is for a two year span? Is that to say he will set the merchandise records of Stone Cold or The Rock? No, but he's the most over performer on the current roster. The audience knows that Bryan is a genuine competitor and they recognize that he earned his spot in the WWE. Regardless, it should be interesting to see the direction of the storyline and if there continues to be a hostile response for Reigns.
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