To start things off, I'd just like to say how nice it is that Kevin from Ring Talk is back on board. He writes a good article and it is worth checking out.
My mouth is feeling better and I think I'm about ready to start drinking again. A decent column would be a nice start though. That is what I'm gonna try and give you.
I got TONS of e-mail over my Bret Hart article. Seems I converted some of you people. Don't believe the hype that goes around in the wrestling world. The whole thing is a work, I'm sure of it.
The Rock. Rocky Maivia. Dwayne Johnson. Whatever you want to call him the guy is stepping up to the plate huge. The WWF made what could have been their biggest mistake ever by pushing him down our throats with the IC Title a couple years back. The "Rocky Sucks" chants were not a sign of the fans liking him as much as they were a loathing of seeing him come out and wrestle. My, how times have changed. Rocky is over huge with the fans. His recent IC Title loss had me predicting that Triple H would be the next main-eventer to challenge Austin at a major PPV. That is not the case at all. Rocky, sans title, has gotten over more than ever and is, IMO, going to walk out with the WWF title tomorrow on RAW. If you look at the Triple Threat match on Breakdown tonight you'll see that The Rock is the obvious winner. Foley has headlined 2-3 PPV's already this year and he won't be going for a title match on RAW tomorrow, unless they pull a coup and do a Hell in the Cell. Shamrock isn't ready, as evidenced by one of the worst speeches in wrestling history he gave the night after he won KOTR on RAW. The Rock is ready for some REAL gold and he is ready to become the newest headliner and main-eventer in our sport. Should he walk out with the title on RAW it will NOT be over Austin. I'm guessing that the Undertaker or Kane wins it and from there they will drop it the next night. Don't worry Austin fans, Steve will be in the title picture still. The thing is though, Austin doesn't play the hunted role as well as he does the hunter. The WWF should go into this PPV looking for a way to end the stagnant angle of Kane/UT/Austin. It is getting old and they have milked it for all they could and I don't see a great buyrate on this one. The WWF could continue to pull out great PPV buyrates by having McMahon continue to screw Austin over leading up to a match between the owner and the Rattlesnake at either Survivor Series or the Royal Rumble.
With Shawn Michael's inevitable return, McMahon has to somehow work around what the fans want and what Michael's wants. It is no secret that Michael's is BY FAR the best performer in the ring today, maybe since Dynamite Kid. However, let's not forget that with his impressive athletic skills comes a SERIOUS ego, matched only by Hogan and Warrior in the business. Don't expect him to lay down to Austin again.
On the other side of the coin, we have Nitro. I could watch an episode from a year ago and still hear Hogan lament on how he is the "Icon". The problem that is surfacing over in Turner-land is a complex one. As Bob Ryder astutely wrote in his 1wrestling.com column, the Warrior/Hogan match has been played off TERRIBLY. I'd like to hear some reactions from people who actually do care about this match. This is the worst display of booking I think I've ever seen. When people don't know how to market something that the WWF did 8 years ago perfectly, you've got a problem in your business. Personally, I'd rather watch Bill Clinton get a blow-job from Janet Reno than watch the Hogan/Warrior rematch. Those guys put together couldn't work a concession stand. Warrior is making a million dollars for a few select appearances. I'm willing to lay my reputation on the line and say that his appearances have no major effect on any PPV buyrates. There still is time to save this angle, but with Starrcade coming up, it had better happen soon.
That's all for this edition of Forever Annoyed. Please respond with all relevant and irrelevant comments. I'm going to try and pump these things out at a rate of 2 a week if I can. Let me know if you would rather me do that, or continue with a longer article as I've been doing since I started.
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