Saturday, February 25, 2017

Will TNA resign the Hardys?

Within the past year, Impact Wrestling was subject to rumors of its demise, lawsuits, and new ownership. Through all of it, the Hardys were a bright spot for the organization in an otherwise turbulent time. First, "Broken" Matt completely reinvented himself, a character that isn't necessarily for everyone, but undoubtedly generated a cult following. Even more impressive is the fact that Matt Hardy could've easily skated through the rest of his career off of the name he made in WWE, but he took a chance and a step forward to progress his career. Jeff Hardy, renamed "Brother Nero" following a feud with Matt, joined the gimmick, and the tag team had a renewed run. The "delete" and "obsolete" monikers were progressive storylines at a time of uncertainty for the company.

Since the Anthem purchase, TNA is stable and some cost cutting measures were used to trim the roster. Reportedly, both of the Hardys' contracts expire in the next two months, unless an extension was already reached. There was some speculation in recent months that The Hardy could be on the WWE's radar because of their rejuvenated characters, it's doubtful either of them depart from TNA.

Matt and Jeff left WWE on less than ideal circumstances more than once at different times so it's possible neither side would open the door for another business agreement. All things considered, The Hardys don't really need the platform of the WWE, and the WWE doesn't really need the star power that they might bring to the table at this point in their careers. There are several different full rosters within the promotion and an entire performance center of young prospects so where would Matt and Jeff fit into the picture? For Matt and Jeff, it was reported that they have creative freedom within their "Deletion" angles so why would they sacrifice the ability to mold their own personas for the strictly structured WWE format? Along with less restrictions on character development, The Hardys don't have restrictions on working the independent circuit, where they can decide their own schedule and maintain a premium booking fee because of the continuous TV exposure that TNA provides.

As seen recently on Impact, The Hardys will take the TNA tag titles to other promotions, including a match with The Young Bucks for Ring Of Honor during Wrestlemania weekend. For the TNA side of things, the group gets the chance to showcase something very rare for a national pro wrestling company, interpromotional matches, which is something completely different than what fans will see on a WWE show. The other companies involved in this equation get the appearance of the Hardys at their event to boost attendance and the exposure on national TV so basically, everyone wins in this situation. The same could be said for The Young Bucks, a tag team almost exclusive to ROH in America, working some matches for Impact. Even though the teams have worked matches before, both have enhanced their characters since and it would be a different stage. After the bout in ROH in April, why not book a rematch for a possible TNA pay-per-view? Why not maximize the effect of the opportunity for the cross promotion? If there's a series of matches planned, the tag titles could theoretically switch on different shows before they return to each respective team. An angle where there could be title changes anywhere at any time certainly adds an intriguing aspect to each show.

It's a harsh reality, but the WWE dominates 95% of the pro wrestling market in the United States, and any other wrestling entities "competing" with each other are simply further dividing a smaller piece of the pie. A mutually beneficial working agree doesn't hurt any group's status, but rather ensures stability. Again, the bottom line is, the WWE is recognized as THE example of pro wrestling in this country so other organizations that find their profitable niche is probably the best case scenario. If ROH and the Hardys can work together to provide an entertaining alternative, there's no downside for anyone involved. Plus, the more credible options there are for the fans, it helps the entire industry.

In fact, the argument could be made that there's much more the Hardys could do in TNA, depending on the direction that Anthem decides to take the promotion. I've written before that it's extremely important for Impact Wrestling to establish more revenue streams, and the embarrassing house show attendance during the Hogan era highlighted the lack of advertisement for the company. Considering the popularity of the "delete" chants, even on non-TNA shows, if Anthem ran another house show tour, why not promote "Total Nonstop Deletion" house shows to monetize the cult following with The Hardys featured on the card? If there's the "broken" entrance way and set at the venue, it gives the fans more of a "special event" than simply just a non-televised version of Impact. The nostalgia surprise appearances could be used as another selling point because fans wouldn't know who might show up at the event.

The bottom line is, the Hardys don't really need another run in the WWE, and there's no reason for them to limit themselves to nostalgia run based on the events of a decade ago after generating such a following with their reinvented personas. The importance of options in any industry shouldn't be overlooked and the working agreements that the Hardys have with the flexibility of their TNA contracts allow for alternative products for the fans.

Monday, February 20, 2017

The career of Ivan Koloff

Madison Square Garden, "the world's most famous arena," hosted countless of events that showcased countless legends in a variety of genres. Bruno stomped the competition, Muhammad Ali gracefully landed combinations on his opponents, and Shawn Micheals dove from the top of a ladder in a revolutionary exhibition. Those moments, along with many others, generated thunderous cheers from the jam-packed crowds in attendance.

However, there was only one man that silenced "The Garden," Ivan Koloff, who passed away last week at the age 74 after battling liver cancer.

Before he became "The Russian Bear," Oreal Perras grew up in Montreal, Canada where he watched the sport on television during his childhood. An avid weight lifter during his youth, Perras quit school at the age of just 17 to pursue wrestling, enrolling at the training center of Jack Wentworth, a grizzled veteran that trained dozens of athletes in Ontario.

Not quite Russian yet, Perras spent a year to learn the craft before he began to work pro bouts in 1961 as a dastardly Irishman, Red McNulty. He appeared around the Canadian leagues for the next few years, a valuable learning experience that paid off when he worked a tour of Japan in 1967, which elevated his profile in his native country.

Now as the villainous Ivan Koloff, he debuted in the WWWF in 1969, and the Russian character in the mist of the cold war in front of the ethnic crowds of the northeast territory generated major heat from the audience. It should be noted that Ivan's primary run in the New York market was during a time when the kayfabe aspect of the business was taken very seriously and the fans didn't truly know if pro wrestling was a performance strictly for their entertainment or a legitimate competition so there was very real danger for a hated heel at the time.

The Russian Bear quickly became one of the most despised grapplers in the organization, smashing opponents with a power-based style. Perhaps the event that Ivan is most known for occurred less than two years later when he challenged longtime champion, Bruno Sammartino for the belt on January, 18 1971. The charismatic Italian strongman was the champion for a record-setting nine years, drawing crowds for the duration of his time as the featured star on the card, and had already reached legendary status. The humbled champion was beloved by his fan base and often made a point to take his possible responsibility as a role model very seriously, even when the cameras weren't recording his battles in the squared circle.

But, that night in MSG, the extensive schedule of the traveling champion finally overcame his iron will, and after a top rope knee drop, the referee counted three, declaring Ivan Koloff the new WWWF champion. According to those in attendance, when the bell rang and Koloff displayed the title, the crowd was hushed in a stunned silence. The passionate fans of the market couldn't believe that Bruno was actually defeated. Ivan was quickly escorted from the ring to avoid any fan altercations. As Sammartino made his way to the dressing room, there were fans crying and telling him that he was still their hero.

Just three weeks later, Koloff dropped the title to the next ethnic champion, Pedro Morales, following the traditional WWWF formula of the baby face champion. On the surface, it might seem like Ivan as champion wasn't a success, but the length of the tenture wasn't the point, because as mentioned the organization simply didn't feature any long term heel champions during that era. In reality, the more important accomplishment was that Koloff was the one chosen to dethrone Bruno, and it speaks volumes to his ability as a villain. Only a performer that was truly despised could've been seen as a credible threat to Sammartino's championship, and Ivan had enough heat to make it believable.

The defeat of Bruno put Ivan on a different level, but considering that the world championship was the pinnacle of the territory, he knew he had to work elsewhere to maintain the elevated status that went along with the moniker of former WWWF champion. He worked several regional and international tours throughout the 70s, and reemerged in the title picture on a  few occasions during Sammartino's second title reign, drawing from the history of the two previously. In 1983, he had a final run in the WWF as a more moderately featured star before he rejuvenated his career soon after when he became a fixture in the National Wrestling Alliance.

During the start of the wrestling boom of the 80s, Jim Crockett Promotions became known for its gritty style of in ring action as opposed to Vince McMahon's sports entertainment genre. In retrospect, the NWA style probably suited Ivan better, and he brought veteran experience to matches with some of the young stars that just began to make their name. With over 20 years of wrestling experience, Ivan was paired with his "nephew" Nikita, and the combination helped make the younger Russian one of the most recognizable athletes on the card. There's no doubt that the association with "Uncle Ivan" gave the rookie Nikita the credibility to work believable feuds with some of the biggest stars of JCP. The Russians had notable matches with The Rock n' Roll Express, The Road Warriors, and others. Throughout the remainder of the 80s, he worked the NWA territories, often winning regional titles during different stints at each promotion.

At the start of the 90s, the notoriety of his 30 year career allowed Koloff to work many international tours across many countries and continents. He still appeared on the independent scene in the United States, working a short run in ECW and Smokey Mountain Wrestling in 1992. After wrestling for over three decades, Ivan retired from the ring in 1994.

The perils of industry had taken a toll on Ivan and he struggled with drug addiction during the latter stages of his career. In 1995, he found peace for himself through religion and eventually became an ordained minister, spreading a word of positivity in an effort to help others. Along with preaching, Ivan wrote several books about his career and religion, while often appearing at conventions to greet fans.

I had the chance to meet Ivan Koloff in 2011 at a "Pittsburgh Studio Wrestling" reunion event, where he attended because of his well known run in the northeast. In a direct contrast to "The Russian Bear" of the squared circle, Ivan was very polite and a gentleman to meet in person. As he sat next to his former rival Bruno, he seemed to truly enjoy and appreciate that fans wanted to meet him.

Ivan Koloff in the ring was a hated villain that generated a tremendous amount of heat from the fans and defeated one of the most popular champions of all time at Madison Square Garden. Koloff outside of the heel persona was a humble man that appreciated the support for his thirty year career. "The Russian Bear" will undoubtedly be known as one of the classic heels in pro wrestling history.

Sincere condolences to Ivan Koloff's friends and family at this difficult time.

Friday, February 10, 2017

The career of Rip Rogers

The unique genre of professional wrestling has always had its share of "hidden gems," those that were skilled in the ring and a credit to the industry, but for one reason or other didn't fully receive the credit they deserved. For example, the late Brad Armstrong is unanimously praised as a versatile talent that could work any role he was booked for on a given show. He could guide a rookie through an opening match or work with a main event star further up the card, Brad Armstrong was always a dependable performer that could get the job done. Dynamite Kid didn't main event Wrestlemania, but his revolutionary style influenced a generated and helped alter the presentation of the industry.

One such hidden gem is "The Hustler" Rip Rogers, an athlete that has spent nearly 40 years in the wrestling business. A former bodybuilding champion, Rip worked nearly every major promotion in the United States during his era, and journeyed to several different countries as well. Despite sharing the ring with everyone from Randy Savage to Giant Baba, Rogers is most well known for his contributions as a trainer of many of the current stars in sports entertainment.

WWE Hall of Famer, Johnny Rodz is known as, "trainer of the stars of the 90s," and a similar statement about Rip Rogers could be made concerning the stars that rose to fame since the start of the millennium. As the head trainer of the advanced class of the prestigious Ohio Valley Wrestling training center, the man once known as "The Hustler" saw countless names walk through the OVW doors to learn their craft before they chased sports entertainment fame on national TV. John Cena, Brock Lesnar, and Randy Orton, three athletes that are scheduled for prominent roles at this year's Wrestlemania event, all trained at OVW in their formative years.

The thumb print of "The Hustler" can be seen at all levels, from prospects with potential that attempt to make a name for themselves on the dirt-stained canvas of the independent scene to the main event of Wrestlemania, the knowledge that he taught is displayed.

However, long before he was the villainous Hustler and he trained some of the top stars in the industry, Mark  Sciarra was a standout athlete in his hometown of Seymour, Indiana in the early 70s. A natural teacher, Sciarra worked in education even before he stepped into a ring, but after a year in the classroom, he knew his calling was the squared circle.

In 1977, under the guidance of the legendary Poffo family, he made a name for himself in the sport of professional wrestling and began a 40 year journey that took him around the world.

 After he became a well seasoned pro, Rogers worked the territory system for over a decade, making stops in Jim Crockett Promotions, Continental Championship Wrestling, and the Central States promotion. He earned the reputation as a solid performer and soon traveled to Canada to begin a nearly two year run in Stampede Wrestling in 1988. His international travels continued, as during this time period, he had the chance to work a few tours for the All Japan organization, where he worked matches with the legendary Giant Baba.

"It was a great honor to work with a wrestling god," he recalled.

The late 80s also saw Rip travel to Puerto Rico, an island as well known for its wrestling as it is for its violent fans. In contrast to the sunny beaches, the antagonistic Rogers taunted the crowd into a frenzy during matches with local favorite, TNT, the athlete that would later become Savio Vega in the WWE.

"It was a rough place, but it was a place to learn. They had riots a few weeks in a row. You had to show the fans you were crazy to get out of there," Rogers said.

When he was safely on American soil again, Rip spent most of the 90s wrestling dozens and dozens of TV matches for World Championship Wrestling, Smokey Mountain, and other groups. He made an occasional WWF appearance as well that was added to his always busy schedule.

After nearly 25 years of in-ring competition, Rip settled into a role as the head trainer of OVW in 2000. The promotion had become a developmental group for the WWE, and the previously mentioned names learned from Rogers' old school philosophy.

"If you have to get good at anything, you have to learn from someone better than you. We learned from working 6-7 days a week. Now, a top indy guy might have eight matches a month. It's not about a scripted promo or a scripted match. You have to learn to call it in in the ring to become a ring general."

Prospects with potential entered the training center and departed to national TV as polished professionals in part because of Rip Rogers' willingness to help them grow as performers. But, even his time as a trainer for the WWE developmental system was a tough path, similar to his in ring career. Living in Indianapolis, Rogers drove two and a half hours to Louisville, KY to teach the WWE prospects. He still makes that same trip to teach wrestling hopefuls today, nearly twenty years later.

"I had to have an extra job to get insurance. I drove from Indianapolis to Louisville during the day and worked at UPS at night to get insurance, Rip remembers.

In 2002, a hit-and-run incident left Rogers several injured, with medical problems that he still deals with today. Unable to work multiple jobs following the incident, Rip relied on teaching the next generation to provide for his family. A humble man, Mark Sciarra never led a lavish lifestyle or had any vices. Still a fitness fanatic at nearly 63, "The Hustler" often posts workout photos as early as 5 AM for his nearly 20,000 Twitter followers. Quite simply, the only addiction Rogers ever had was wrestling.

Recently, the financial pressure of a family, including a college student ready to enroll in classes, became too much for Sciarra after his car, his mode of transportation to the OVW training classes, finally stopped running.

"There's the van with 250,000 miles, with my wife working and me working, it's hard not having a vehicle," he said.

In an effort to help someone that has given so much to the wrestling business, a Go Fund Me page was set up to help get Rip back on the road. Randy Orton, who learned from Rogers during his time in OVW, donated $1,000 to help kick off the campaign.

Despite the setback, Rip remains one of the most giving veterans in the sport, often posting helpful tips on his Twitter page for aspiring wrestlers. Rogers offers an insightful alternative to the cookie cutter mold usually seen in the current wrestling landscape, emphasizing the importance of avoiding a wrestling monopoly.

"If everyone does a flip, a flip means nothing. Mad Dog Vachon, Dusty Rhodes, Wahoo, everyone one was different. IF everyone is 205, it means nothing. "I don't watch TV wrestling, I never watched a WWE pay-per-view in my life. If you know how to play baseball, you know how to play baseball. If you know how to wrestle, you know how to wrestle and to train guys, teach them. If someone only knows how to follow the script, they get lost calling in it in the ring. Highspots mean nothing. Everyone count it 2 and a half. People want to see the story Everyone had their own niche Austin had the stunner, Jake had the DDT, everyone had something special. "when i watched the rocky movie, when Apollo went down, I stood up and cheered. I know it's a movie, but you want to be emotionally involved. "if the whole world is a Pepsi cola and a Papa Johns, I guess I'll have a Pepsi cola and a Papa Johns," he explained.

Rip explained that his training style is designed to produce the best talent possible saying, "Have you ever heard someone say they want to play Arena football? Minor league baseball? Playing for NFL Europe? No, they want to be the best."

Regardless of his current situation, Rip Rogers has nearly four  decades of a career to reflect upon, and his reputation as a trainer earned him the status of a respected figure in his chosen profession. Rogers lived the dream and has no regrets.

"I never got into this for the money, I wouldn't change a thing. If I had $20 million, I still can't take it with me. I have buddies that are doctor and lawyers that have boring jobs, and all they want to do is hear stories. There was one option, I said I was going to play college football and be a championship wrestler," he said.

If you would like to donate to help Rip Rogers, you can go to https://www.gofundme.com/rip-rogers-raw-deal

You can follow Rip on Twitter @Hustler2754

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Where at the heroes?

Where are the heroes?

Professional wrestling, the genre of good vs. evil that started on the carnival circuit over 70 years ago, survived several mutations to the status, perception, and presentation of the industry.

But, why?

Those same mutations that make Sami Zayn vs. Seth Rollins look like something from another planet when compared to Lou Thez vs. Rikidozan are exactly the reasons why the sport continues to remain relevant. As graceful and thrilling as the athleticism is, the draw to sports entertainment will be the emotional that is generated, regardless of if that emotional is garnered from high spots or dramatic characters turns.

In the 1960s, when Vince Sr. stepped away from the National Wrestling Alliance and launched the WWWF through Capital Sports, he chose Bruno Sammartino as the foundation of the organization. The Italian strongman was a real life superhero to the ethnic crowds of the north east and his tremendous feats of strength made him a star as far away as Japan. Bruno, a native of Abruzzo, Italy, survived a Nazi invasion of his village and illness while hiding in the snowy mountains during his youth. He immigrated to Pittsburgh without knowing much English, and despite the lack of material items, his family enjoyed their role in the American dream. As Sammartino steadily built his body and reputation, the crowds that flocked to the arenas could relate to his story. Bruno was a legitimate role model and took that responsibility seriously, as the charismatic champion always took time for his fans.

Keep in mind, during the peak of Bruno's run as champion, the tensions of the cold war concerned many people and the foreign disputes in the news influenced the battles that played out on the canvas. It was no coincidence that Bruno, a symbol of stability, battled the foreign villains during his time as champion. Obviously, as the world became more connected and different cultures became more understood, the narrative of foreign villains wasn't used as the main event draw, but the point being, one of the reasons Bruno Sammartino was such a hero in that era was because the blue collar audience identified with him.

After a nearly nine year run, Sammartino requested time off and dropped the belt to Ivan Koloff in January of 1971. When the referee counted three and declared the Russian the winner, the Madison Square Garden crowd was silent. The audience was stunned and as Bruno made his way back to the dressing room,  there were fans crying, telling him that he was still their hero. What could generate emotion like that today? Granted, Bruno's time was when the audience still believed pro wrestling was a competition, but that level of emotion could still be seen today if the hero is presented in the proper situation. For example, when Daniel Bryan was forced to officially retire because of a neck injury, fans were legitimately emotional because of all the sacrifices that he made to the sport, and he connected with the audience. The audience knew that Daniel Bryan was genuine, he appreciated their support as much as they appreciated his efforts.

So, while generating a spontaneous reaction from the crowd isn't as easy as it was previously, it's still possible if the baby face is over with the audience.

The reason Sammartino got over was exactly the same reason his attempted successor, Bob Backlund didn't get over nearly as much. The blue collar WWWF audience didn't connect with the mid-west apple pie type baby face that Backlund was at the time. The narrative had changed and the introduction of cable brought a new wave of influences toward society. When MTV launched, the "Rock N' Wrestling" era used the platform to project trendy personalities that went along with the musical aspect that gained popularity. Hulk Hogan was paired with Mr. T and other figures of pop culture to present wrestling as a more over-the-top entertainment event than in years prior. No longer did fans watch gritty contests in dimly light arenas, but rather top quality production for episodes of Saturday Night's Main Event that made pro wrestling look more like a variety hour as opposed to the standard format of previous shows.

The more modern look and the mass distribution of cable TV allowed main stream success for the industry, peaking with the wrestling version of rock n' roll, Hulk Hogan battling the legendary Andre The Giant in front of a record-setting crowd at the Pontiac Silver Dome. Part of the reason the then-WWF had the success of the 80s boom was because the product represented much of the same themes that were popularized by the start of MTV and the trends of music acts.

The steroid scandal that put Vince on trail and shook the foundation of the business left Hogan disenchanted with the industry. He attempted a B-level film career that included such "classics" as Mr. Nanny and Thunder in Paradise. In 1993, the image of the business was at an all-time low and McMahon knew that he had to rebuild for a better atmosphere around the product. He chose a cartoonish "new generation" that marketed toward a younger audience, and in the process, softened the rough picture that the previously mentioned trail painted. The negative press is what led to Hogan distancing himself from the sport so the WWF needed a new top act. Vince tried to use the same USA formula that made Hogan the top star in the industry at the time, but the choice this time was Lex Luger, a former bodybuilder that was previously known for his run in the NWA in the late 80s. Despite the physique, Lex wasn't a polished performer and nowhere near as charismatic as Hogan. In retrospect, it might've been unfair to expect Lex to wear Hulk's shoes, but the "Lex Express" experiment ultimately failed. The tour bus and blatant USA gimmick was a little too over-the-top, and the fans rejected it.

As the business plateaued across the board, Eric Bischoff, the newly named president of WCW, looked to recruit some much needed star power for the Turner organization. While Hulk was filming the previously mentioned Thunder in Paradise that lasted just one season, Bischoff offered him a deal to return to the ring in 1994. The contract gave the former WWE champion complete creative control, a stipulation that became one of the reasons for the downfall of WCW. Along with that, Hogan was the highest paid performer in the company, made a percentage of the revenue of any show he appeared at, and it was required that he headlined a certain amount of pay-per-view events per year. Again, contract agreements like this got Hulk back in the ring, but long-term, it hindered WCW. That same year, Randy Savage, who left the WWF because he still wanted to wrestle full-time, joined Hogan for Turner's group. However, fans had seen the typical hero character and it was a "been there done that" type of scenario. Soon, "Hogan sucks" chants began to echo on Turner broadcast because the audience had already seen his tired routine. At the same time, Bret Hart, Diesel, Razor Ramon, and Owen Hart were all doing well in their respective roles for the WWF, but the presentation of the product around them led to a rather lame show. For every Razor Ramon, there was a garbage man, a plumber, a race car driver, etc.

The industry and the narrative needed to change to reflect the direction of society. As is the case in most business, competition is the key to the production of the best product. Ted Turner wanted to compete with Vince McMahon and owned the cable networks to do it, giving Bischoff a prime time program to counter Monday Night Raw. In order to compete, he signed Lex Luger, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and other former WWF stars to boost Monday Nitro. Bischoff saw the UWFI invasion in Japan and decided to replicate that with the WWF stars "invading" Nitro. Hall and Nash weren't the typical heels in 1996, and as much flak as they get for the down hall of WCW, the Outsiders were pivotal in the transition of pro wrestling in the late 90s. The lame cartoon characters that soured many fans allowed for the "cool heels" to flourish, and that reaction changed the narrative of the heroes in the genre. During a time when the rap music of Tupac and Notorious BIG was apart of main stream media, the Outsiders borrowed from that style, often wearing bandanas or other attire during interviews. Even Hogan's heel turn to form the NWO was something completely new, the opposite from the red, white, and blue persona that audiences watched for over a decade. To counter that, Stone Cold Steve Austin, who was initially booked to be a heel, was pushed as the top star after audiences cheered him. In a sense, the anti-hero had become the hero.

At a time when shock jock Howard Stern was peaking in popularity and Jerry Springer created controversy, the WWF borrowed from that template, and the wild Attitude era generated record ratings. The edgier pop culture allowed for pro wrestling to push the envelope, perhaps even too far at certain points.

After the tragedy events of September 11th, the harsh reality of some of the violent aspects of the world allowed for pro wrestling to transition from wild 90s era to a more PG type of product as some what of an escape from the sad news around the world. John Cena rightfully had the top spot and he was a superhero to the younger audience, which proved to be a wise decision for the WWE. McMahon shifted the marketing of his company at the right time, because just as the Ultimate Fighting Championship began to surge in popularity, the WWE focused on a different demographic. While there's undoubtedly a crossover audience, the UFC isn't competition for the WWE because sports entertainment isn't trying to market directly to the same demographic as mixed martial arts. Granted, the argument could be made that both companies are competing for PPV dollars, but the structure of the WWE network makes that an almost moot point. The bottom line is, John Cena was the right star at the right time and he has the work ethic to be the top star.

Right now, Roman Reigns is the next anointed champion, but after three years, why does the audience continue to boo him?

Similar to how the business has morphed before, the current perception of the sports entertainment genre is very unique. Because the business is exposed as entertainment regularly, even the most casual fan knows that a creative team decides the direction of the product. In some ways, that goes against the logic behind why wrestling could draw crowds in the first place, the audience supporting the hero could help that star conquer the villain. But, since business is already exposed, it makes it much more difficult to create a sense of believable, and there's a different dynamic with the presentation of the product. The heel that used a chair to win the match doesn't get the heat, but rather the office that booked the heel to win gets the heat because the audience knows that management makes the booking decision. This becomes even more apparent in the social media era and it remains to be seen how it will effect the business in the future.

As a consequence of the fans being aware that the direction of their favorite stars can be changed with a dash of the pencil, they are much more aware of WWE's marketing plan. The crowd knows that management wants Roman Reigns to take the "John Cena spot," and the audience doesn't want to be told who to cheer. Furthermore, as I've written before, Cena is a rare breed and there's only one John Cena. Unless management allows Roman Reigns to find the formula that works for him, the hostility will probably continue.

In fact, as history shows, the successor that tries to be a carbon copy of a previous top draw usual fails because it's essentially an imitation of a prior champion. Backlund failed to be the next Bruno, Luger failed to be the next Hogan, and Reigns has yet to become the next John Cena. It's not for lack of talent, but rather the circumstances don't set the stage for success. Today, maybe the reason more heels are getting cheered is because the audience would actually prefer edgier heroes? Considering how polarizing politics has been in recent years, society has somewhat of an edgier narrative. After more than a decade of the classic superhero persona of John Cena, maybe there's a demand for another run of the anti-hero?

The point being, the direction of the industry and the narrative of the current hero role probably has more to do with the reason Reigns isn't over than anything else. Roman Reigns is athletic, he works hard, and he can represent the company to the general public. Reigns the competitor should be over, but the reason that Reigns the character isn't over is mostly because of the presentation.

So, where are the heroes?

They are the same place they've always been, the audience ultimately decides who they want to support in the role of the protagonist in sports entertainment.

Thursday, February 2, 2017

The Royal Rumble Review

Last Sunday, over 50,000 fans were in attendance at the Alamo Dome to watch the Royal Rumble live and the the crowd added a "big fight" atmosphere to the event. Before discussing the particulars of the show, it should be noted that it was refreshing that the direction of the Wrestlemania main event wasn't (and still isn't) obvious the way it was in recent years, adding a level of suspense to the battle royal. In 2014, everyone knew Batista returned to set up a Wrestlemania match, the following year it was known well in advance that Roman Reigns was the booked winner, and even last year, the writing was on the wall that Triple H was penciled in for victory. The brand extension, along with the general direction of the booking, kept the element of surprise around the match.

Charlotte vs. Bayley opened the show, providing a solid match. In this scenario, the payoff should be at WM 33because it's the ultimate win for Bayley as the underdog and longtime fan. Some reports suggest a possible four-way match at the show, adding Nia Jax and Sasha Banks, but that would dilute the storyline. Too often, even as far up the card as the main event, an extra performer would be added to a match simply to get a spot on the card, which is an example of lazy booking rather than a situation that justifies a multi-person match. Nia's inexperience shows during most of her in-ring work, but you can't really blame her for it, as she was put in a tough spot since her main roster debut. She signed a WWE deal just three years ago and started to train to become a sports entertainer. Since that time, she worked a relatively short run in NXT and then debuted on Raw, a global television show where it's more difficult to camouflage inexperience. At 32, maybe her age was a factor in the decision to rush her to the main roster, but it seems like it would've been beneficial for her to spend another year  or so in NXT to get seasoning. Granted, the WWE developmental system has some of the best trainers in the world to help the talent learn, but there's no substitute for experience, and it's tough to expect Nia to be a polished performer, considering that she first stepped into the ring to learn only three years ago. Again, you can't blame her too much for it, but Nia's work is rather sloppy and despite the monster type character, she doesn't really sell like a monster, which diminishes her character. Because of that, Sasha isn't going to get much from this feud and hopefully, there are better opportunities on the horizon for her.

Despite their extensive rivalry in NXT, I still think there's money to be made from a Sasha/Bayley feud on Raw. Particular when you consider that a majority of the WWE TV audience actually aren't network subscribers, the feud would be mostly new material. In fact, if Bayley does win the title, that could set up an angle where Banks turns heel because she was in the background while Bayley had a chance to win the championship. The bottom line is Sasha Banks has the star quality, and WWE brass would be wise to push it as much as possible because she has ability to be a major star for years. The exact same thing could be said for Bayley, she's a Ricky Steamboat type baby face and she could have a John Cena level impact on the company. Considering how over she is and the way she represents the company, she could be a female version of Cena, and that's a good thing.

As for Charlotte, she was overrated in the past, but is growing into the role well. Her selling is still somewhat awkward, but she continues to develop the heel persona with vastly improved promos. Don't get me wrong, Charlotte is very athletic, but that doesn't always transition into smooth ring work, which was apparent during most of her early run on TV. That said, she has done well recently and I'd expect a solid match as WM 33.

Next, Kevin Owens defended the Universal title against Roman Reigns in a good match. Truthfully, I thought Roman was winning the belt here because it wouldn't surprise me if he somehow went into WM 33 as champion. Braun Strowman interfered, something that was explained on Raw, and Owens retained. Even though Owens remained the champion, I doubt he goes to Wrestlemania with the title because despite a solid run that elevated his status, there's not a heated feud for him going into the biggest show of the year. It's doubtfully that dropping the title will downgrade him, and if the rumored Jericho match happens, it gives Owens a decent spot on the card. According to The Wrestling Observer's Dave Meltzer, Bill Goldberg might actually win the championship from him to defend it against Brock Lesnar at WM 33. While nothing of the sort was set up yet, there are several weeks of TV to book before the next pay-per-view so it's at least possible.

The Cruiserweight title match was decent, and Neville as champion gives the division something to build around, but until there are well established characters, the audience isn't going to invest into the division. Tony Nese's heel promo on Raw will provide more structure for the division, and when Austin Aries is medically cleared, he could provide a boost, but at this point the 205 division still has the atmosphere of random cruiserweight vs. cruiserweight without much story behind it.

AJ Styles vs. John Cena was another tremendous bout, very similar to their match at Summer Slam. Nobody should've expected anything less, AJ is arguably the best in ring performer in WWE today and John Cena always delivers in big match situations. It's nice to see that after a decade, most of the misguided flak that Cena received was put aside for the moment and he got the recognition that he certainly earned. Comparing the territory era to the global entity of the current WWE is apples to oranges, but in my view, John Cena is definitely worthy of reaching Ric Flair's title record.

In the social media era, anyone of any notoriety must be very careful because one misstep can easily be recorded and then it becomes a public story. As hard as Ric Flair worked in the ring, had his prime been at a time when camera phones existed, can you imagine the media headlines that would've surfaced? Even retired, Flair made a series of headlines for all the wrong reasons a few years ago. One of the reasons that John Cena is as great as he is, he's a great representative for the WWE. There's no doubt about it, Cena's work ethic puts him among the greatest of all time.

The Royal Rumble match was somewhat stale, mostly because the contest had all the top names booked for the end so there wasn't much to really follow for the majority of it. Another aspect of the rumble that was somewhat disappointing is there weren't any surprise entrants. Granted, everyone knows that Nash or Rob Van Dam isn't going to win the match, but a nostalgia pop is one of the things that makes the event fun. While someone like Apollo Crew is a tremendous athlete and probably deserves better than floundering on Smackdown, wouldn't it provide something fun for the rumble if a few legends appeared instead of some of the mid carders that aren't being featured on TV?

When Roman Reigns entered at the last spot, I literally said, "oh no" because I thought he was going to win the match, setting up another Wrestlemania main event. As I've said before, it's not toward Roman Reigns the competitor, but rather how the character is booked. Reigns eliminated The Undertaker and there's some speculation that it will be used for a WM 33 match. If that's the case, WWE brass should be prepared to turn Roman heel because nobody wants to see The Undertaker lose at Wrestlemania again. If Reigns is booked to defeat him, even if The Undertaker gives him the "respect" approval, it will only fuel the hostility toward Reigns. I've written it previously, but if the WWE wants to get him over as a long term baby face then he will probably have to turn heel to become a more complete character before the eventual baby face run, which is similar to the formula that allowed The Rock to became a major star.

Roman's entry was ultimately used to create the surprise when Randy Orton won the match, which was good in terms of an unexpected finish, especially when the audience thought they knew what was going to happen, but I don't know if Orton in the main event on Wrestlemania is the best choice. In my opinion, Orton's popularity plateaued several years ago and that's not to say he doesn't have name value, more just an observation that he has already had a lengthy main event run. Among the rumors for the WM 33 card is that Orton's rumble win will set up for a title match with Bray Wyatt. If that's where this leads then I completely approve of the Orton win because Bray Wyatt has been ready for the main event for at least 2-3 years. Because Wyatt can still look strong while getting his opponent over, he was often booked in angles that were specifically designed to get others over. One of the most notable examples of this is when Reigns was struggling to get a reaction between title runs, he was booked for a feud with Wyatt.

If Bray doesn't get involved for WM 33, that puts another Orton vs. Cena match as the main event and that has a "been there done that" tone to it. Orton/Cena is one of the most extensive and possibly overused feuds so it's doubtful there's demand for it in 2017. Plus, Orton winning the rumble before led to one of the worse Wrestlemania main events in history in 2009.

Overall, the Royal Rumble was solid and there's still some element of surprise about what will happen at the next pair of PPVs to solidify the card for WM 33, which is a good thing. Too often, the Wrestlemania main event was predictable in the past few years so it's refreshing to have relevant TV leading to the biggest event of the year.