This has got to be my biggest pet peeve in wrestling right now. I understand we're a long way from Hacksaw and Sheik getting caught in the car together, but it still bothers me to see the entire roster just standing on the top of the entrance ramp, watching something happen in the ring.
It just looks dumb - these intimidating athletes, these larger than life characters, all forced to stand on the ramp and stare at the ring - sometimes for 15-20 minutes? Poor Ryback - the guy who can't talk to a catering guy without humiliating him, is forced to stand next to The Miz, and he just looks bored out of his mind. He looks so defeated. Who can possibly maintain a hard look for that long?
It's just awkward to have these huge personalities, silent up there for an extended time. If it's used to pay respect for a recently deceased wrestler, I completely understand, but at that moment its understood that the wrestlers have broken character. For any sort of in character segment, all of the wrestlers should never be on stage together like they have been the past few weeks on Raw.
I mean - you have guys in heated feuds like Rhodes/Sandow, guys who just fought earlier like RVD and Del Rio, and they're all just kind of standing there.
Monday, August 26, 2013
Saturday, August 24, 2013
Can Randy Orton Be The Top Heel Through WrestleMania?
It's now pretty clear that the Summer Slam main event set the wheels in motion for the feud that will culminate in a huge match at WrestleMania XXX. But, is the feud Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton, or Daniel Bryan vs Triple H and The McMahons? Can Randy Orton really be the company's top heel, even with assistance from The McMahons, for an entire half year?
I'm not so sure. Before I go any further, I'd just like to give full disclosure: I'm not a Randy Orton fan. To me, he's a guy who seems to be above average at everything, but amazing at nothing. He definitely looks like a wrestler, but to me, he has no personality, nothing unique about him, a relatively standard move set outside of the 'Vintage Orton DDT', and has been a generally boring character while at the top of the food chain so far in his career.
I associate heel Orton championship runs with long spells of WWE boredom. He won it with Evolution, which, while many have fond memories, featured a guy who was overexposed (Triple H), too old to be getting regular TV time (Flair), and someone more boring than himself (Batista). His title run with The Legacy was similarly boring - I can't remember much from it other than Manu being randomly banished from the stable. Come to think of it, I can't think of one real Orton promo. The other time he consistently main evented was in his feud with DX along with Edge, which was one of the most uninteresting feuds in DX's entire career. I think its funny that many fans wish for him to start punting people in the head again, because that was such a boring phase for me.
To me, Orton hasn't progressed at all as an entertainer from when he first arrived. He was given so much opportunity, between the last name, being thrown into Evolution with two Hall of Famers, and getting the rub from countless legends, especially Mick Foley, which legitimized him as a real championship level talent without really achieving the resume of great matches and work that most champions have.
So, with where we are right now, is Orton going to be the main heel focus of this feud? It sure does look like it, but is Bryan vs Orton really a strong enough main event forWrestleMania XXX? 30 is a big number, the main event will definitely be the WWE championship match, and I just don't see Orton vs Bryan as big enough a match, and I don't think the WWE can keep Orton interesting for 6 months, even with Triple H doing a lot of talking.
The problem here, is there are only two options I see that can make this match bigger. Cena and Triple H. I don't think it's crazy to think Triple H ends up turning on Orton - he's done it before. Cena somehow inserting him into the McMahon family drama as a heel, I still think is the best way to end this. Cena truly is the corporate champ, selling merch, and portraying the look at Triple H described the champ needs (much moreso than Orton). He'd also put on a much better match.
The long shot is Triple H somehow inserting himself into the action, turning on Orton, and facing Bryan himself. It sounds weird, but, come on, can we really put it past the guy to somehow get one more match into the company's biggest show ever against their newest, hottest star?
Any thoughts? Are we in for 6 months of Orton, or is there some swerves coming?
I'm not so sure. Before I go any further, I'd just like to give full disclosure: I'm not a Randy Orton fan. To me, he's a guy who seems to be above average at everything, but amazing at nothing. He definitely looks like a wrestler, but to me, he has no personality, nothing unique about him, a relatively standard move set outside of the 'Vintage Orton DDT', and has been a generally boring character while at the top of the food chain so far in his career.
I associate heel Orton championship runs with long spells of WWE boredom. He won it with Evolution, which, while many have fond memories, featured a guy who was overexposed (Triple H), too old to be getting regular TV time (Flair), and someone more boring than himself (Batista). His title run with The Legacy was similarly boring - I can't remember much from it other than Manu being randomly banished from the stable. Come to think of it, I can't think of one real Orton promo. The other time he consistently main evented was in his feud with DX along with Edge, which was one of the most uninteresting feuds in DX's entire career. I think its funny that many fans wish for him to start punting people in the head again, because that was such a boring phase for me.
To me, Orton hasn't progressed at all as an entertainer from when he first arrived. He was given so much opportunity, between the last name, being thrown into Evolution with two Hall of Famers, and getting the rub from countless legends, especially Mick Foley, which legitimized him as a real championship level talent without really achieving the resume of great matches and work that most champions have.
So, with where we are right now, is Orton going to be the main heel focus of this feud? It sure does look like it, but is Bryan vs Orton really a strong enough main event forWrestleMania XXX? 30 is a big number, the main event will definitely be the WWE championship match, and I just don't see Orton vs Bryan as big enough a match, and I don't think the WWE can keep Orton interesting for 6 months, even with Triple H doing a lot of talking.
The problem here, is there are only two options I see that can make this match bigger. Cena and Triple H. I don't think it's crazy to think Triple H ends up turning on Orton - he's done it before. Cena somehow inserting him into the McMahon family drama as a heel, I still think is the best way to end this. Cena truly is the corporate champ, selling merch, and portraying the look at Triple H described the champ needs (much moreso than Orton). He'd also put on a much better match.
The long shot is Triple H somehow inserting himself into the action, turning on Orton, and facing Bryan himself. It sounds weird, but, come on, can we really put it past the guy to somehow get one more match into the company's biggest show ever against their newest, hottest star?
Any thoughts? Are we in for 6 months of Orton, or is there some swerves coming?
Thursday, August 22, 2013
How The WWE Can Capitalize On The AJ Styles Situation
I'll be blunt with this: Right now, TNA is such shit, that none of their wrestlers would realistically make an impact in the WWE. I mean, it seems to me like if the WWE had wanted Bully Ray, Kurt Angle, Mr. Anderson, or Jeff Hardy, they could have, and I'm sure they don't anymore.
Sting finally making an appearance and Hall of Fame bid in WWE would certainly sell tickets, but realistically, what would he do? Take on The Undertaker and lose? And there would not even be the slightest out in the outcome of the match.
Chris Daniels and Samoa Joe are too old to go through the WWE system and come out with a purpose.
Maybe Kenny King and Sabin get shots, but I doubt it. Abyss could get lucky since the WWE loves their monster beasts. And they say TNA is high on this Magnus kid, but to me, he's generic and boring. He's still young enough to make something of himself.
But Styles, he's a TNA legend. He's been there since the beginning. Already in his mid 30's, Styles wouldn't have time to go through the NXT system like every other athlete would be expected to do. But if the WWE could suck it up and acknowledge that there are other places to wrestle out there (which is starting to slowly happen), then this could be an awesome way to both put on an awesome storyline, while also shitting on TNA.
Bring Styles in, and have him explain he's wrestled all over the world, but never in the WWE. As his career nears an end, he wants to know if he could hang with the big boys. If he can't, he'll retire.
I'd have him lose a few close matches, he tells the crowd that if he loses his next match, he's hanging up the boots. Cue heel GM, who says his next match is with Ryback/Mark Henry/Big Show/Generic Monster Heel Of The Moment. He gets the upset, goes on a win streak, and earns his keep in the WWE.
Let's be honest, there's just no room in the main event for him. While guys like Bryan and Punk have shown the WWE and its fans are now more receptive to the indy darlings who may not have the stereotypical wrestling look, Styles doesn't have the time to develop a character that resonates with fans like a top guy does - that takes years of development.
What he can do, is come in to the WWE, put on a bunch of great 'dream' matches that we haven't seen yet, and retire with at least a mid card WWE championship on his resume. For the WWE, its probably the last chance they'll ever get to steal talent from a competitor. One of the best parts about wrestling, especially in the Monday Night Wars, was seeing a familiar face pop up on a new brand. Seeing Guerrero, Benoit, Malenko, and Saturn on RAW, seeing Hogan and Savage, and later Hall and Nash on WCW - these were somewhat surreal moments even if you knew they were happening form the dirtsheets. This may be the last chance to do that, and I think its worth a shot.
What does the rest of the internet think? Could Styles make an impact in the WWE at this point? Is this all TNA bullshit publicity?
Sting finally making an appearance and Hall of Fame bid in WWE would certainly sell tickets, but realistically, what would he do? Take on The Undertaker and lose? And there would not even be the slightest out in the outcome of the match.
Chris Daniels and Samoa Joe are too old to go through the WWE system and come out with a purpose.
Maybe Kenny King and Sabin get shots, but I doubt it. Abyss could get lucky since the WWE loves their monster beasts. And they say TNA is high on this Magnus kid, but to me, he's generic and boring. He's still young enough to make something of himself.
But Styles, he's a TNA legend. He's been there since the beginning. Already in his mid 30's, Styles wouldn't have time to go through the NXT system like every other athlete would be expected to do. But if the WWE could suck it up and acknowledge that there are other places to wrestle out there (which is starting to slowly happen), then this could be an awesome way to both put on an awesome storyline, while also shitting on TNA.
Bring Styles in, and have him explain he's wrestled all over the world, but never in the WWE. As his career nears an end, he wants to know if he could hang with the big boys. If he can't, he'll retire.
I'd have him lose a few close matches, he tells the crowd that if he loses his next match, he's hanging up the boots. Cue heel GM, who says his next match is with Ryback/Mark Henry/Big Show/Generic Monster Heel Of The Moment. He gets the upset, goes on a win streak, and earns his keep in the WWE.
Let's be honest, there's just no room in the main event for him. While guys like Bryan and Punk have shown the WWE and its fans are now more receptive to the indy darlings who may not have the stereotypical wrestling look, Styles doesn't have the time to develop a character that resonates with fans like a top guy does - that takes years of development.
What he can do, is come in to the WWE, put on a bunch of great 'dream' matches that we haven't seen yet, and retire with at least a mid card WWE championship on his resume. For the WWE, its probably the last chance they'll ever get to steal talent from a competitor. One of the best parts about wrestling, especially in the Monday Night Wars, was seeing a familiar face pop up on a new brand. Seeing Guerrero, Benoit, Malenko, and Saturn on RAW, seeing Hogan and Savage, and later Hall and Nash on WCW - these were somewhat surreal moments even if you knew they were happening form the dirtsheets. This may be the last chance to do that, and I think its worth a shot.
What does the rest of the internet think? Could Styles make an impact in the WWE at this point? Is this all TNA bullshit publicity?
How Would You Have Booked The Ending To Summer Slam?
It's hard to really criticize the WWE right now, because it seems like we are living in a dream world. Several years ago, the WWE was so stale with guys like John Cena, Triple H, and Randy Orton consistently dominating the main event. I was forced elsewhere to get my wrestling fix, and ended up falling in love with Ring Of Honor and its cast of hard working and extremely talented wrestlers. It was refreshing and unlike anything else on TV at the time.
Five years later, and those same guys I fell in love with in ROH are making waves within the WWE. It's crazy to think that little Bryan Danielson is essentially feuding with all three of those guys that made WWE so repetitive. It's a dream come true.
But, regardless, we're wrestling fans so we're going to pick everything apart. I can't help but thinking that something was wasted in the way this all played out.
Here's my thought: Think of Shawn Michaels' first championship run. The thing you remember, is Michaels clutching the belt in his arms, while JR calls "The boyhood dream has come true...for Shawn Michaels". It's an amazing moment, especially after the slow build from the previous year's WrestleMania (where he lost to Diesel). That moment should have been the pay off for this angle, but we never really got it, and we'll never truly get it again.
When Bryan won the title, he did essentially the same thing as Michaels (Cole called something like "the fairytale is complete for Daniel Bryan"), but the entire time, you're thinking "Where's Orton?". You knew it was bullshit. There was no reason to put Triple H in the match if he was calling it straight, he had to do something, so once Cena left - you knew exactly what was happening. That's a far cry from Orton saying he's going to cash in when nobody expects it. Literally everyone expected it.
So, why not let Bryan leave SummerSlam as the champ? Let him soak in the moment. Let everyone in the crowd go to sleep thinking that Bryan's got the belt for a while. The next night on RAW, Cena does his thing, hands it off to Bryan and then leaves. Bryan comes down to address the crowd - two minutes in, The Sheild's music hits. They start destroying Bryan, but Cena runs out - he helps out, but its still 3 on 2. Then Triple H comes out to make it 3 on 3 - but attacks Bryan instead, with the four of them dominating an injured Cena and Bryan. Then, you get Orton to come out, cash in, and win the belt.
It's tough to criticize the WWE because they are doing so much right, but I felt a little underwhelmed by the predictability of what happened at the end. It was exactly how I would have anticipated it going down. Were most people just satisfied that Bryan went over clean, or were others similarly frustrated with the predictability of the ending?
Five years later, and those same guys I fell in love with in ROH are making waves within the WWE. It's crazy to think that little Bryan Danielson is essentially feuding with all three of those guys that made WWE so repetitive. It's a dream come true.
But, regardless, we're wrestling fans so we're going to pick everything apart. I can't help but thinking that something was wasted in the way this all played out.
Here's my thought: Think of Shawn Michaels' first championship run. The thing you remember, is Michaels clutching the belt in his arms, while JR calls "The boyhood dream has come true...for Shawn Michaels". It's an amazing moment, especially after the slow build from the previous year's WrestleMania (where he lost to Diesel). That moment should have been the pay off for this angle, but we never really got it, and we'll never truly get it again.
When Bryan won the title, he did essentially the same thing as Michaels (Cole called something like "the fairytale is complete for Daniel Bryan"), but the entire time, you're thinking "Where's Orton?". You knew it was bullshit. There was no reason to put Triple H in the match if he was calling it straight, he had to do something, so once Cena left - you knew exactly what was happening. That's a far cry from Orton saying he's going to cash in when nobody expects it. Literally everyone expected it.
So, why not let Bryan leave SummerSlam as the champ? Let him soak in the moment. Let everyone in the crowd go to sleep thinking that Bryan's got the belt for a while. The next night on RAW, Cena does his thing, hands it off to Bryan and then leaves. Bryan comes down to address the crowd - two minutes in, The Sheild's music hits. They start destroying Bryan, but Cena runs out - he helps out, but its still 3 on 2. Then Triple H comes out to make it 3 on 3 - but attacks Bryan instead, with the four of them dominating an injured Cena and Bryan. Then, you get Orton to come out, cash in, and win the belt.
It's tough to criticize the WWE because they are doing so much right, but I felt a little underwhelmed by the predictability of what happened at the end. It was exactly how I would have anticipated it going down. Were most people just satisfied that Bryan went over clean, or were others similarly frustrated with the predictability of the ending?
Welcome To Dr. Shelby's Office!
Welcome to Dr. Shelby's Office, a new blog dedicated to intelligent and opinionated discussion of professional wrestling. Many people label wrestling as childish or silly, but its just another form of entertainment - think of it as the country's oldest reality show. Just like The Real Housewives, America's Got Talent, or Top Chef may dominate the water cooler talk, there exists a large, smart segment of the wrestling crowd that wants to dissect every twist and turn in the WWE and beyond. Just like there exists pages and pages of fan fiction devoted to scripted entertainment like Twilight or The X Files, wrestling fans want to discuss their own dream scenarios and ideas.
Unfortunately, wrestling does appeal a very large, vocal, audience, in which a huge amount are either extremely young or extremely immature. It's an unfortunate stereotype, but one look at wrestling communities online shows a huge lack of intelligent discussion, full of fans who can't understand kayfabe and the psychology behind wrestling. Combine that with the anonymity of the internet, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Even 'major' websites like Bleacher Report are overflowing with poorly written articles articulating contradicting opinions. My goal here is to foster intelligent conversation with wrestling fans, based upon a deep knowledge of how wrestling works, through kayfabe, the structure of WWE (and other organizations) as a business, as well as a knowledge of both the current and past product. Shout out to /r/SquaredCircle, which seems to be the best and most balanced pro wrestling community out there. Think of this as a place to post long thoughts without throwing down a 'TL;DR'.
I hope you enjoy some of these ramblings, whether you agree or disagree. As long as it fosters great conversation - that's all I want. Many, if not most, wrestling fans watch their shows alone. Wrestling is meant to be a social experience, shared with strangers. That's all I am trying to do.
Best,
Dr. Shelby
Unfortunately, wrestling does appeal a very large, vocal, audience, in which a huge amount are either extremely young or extremely immature. It's an unfortunate stereotype, but one look at wrestling communities online shows a huge lack of intelligent discussion, full of fans who can't understand kayfabe and the psychology behind wrestling. Combine that with the anonymity of the internet, and you have a recipe for disaster.
Even 'major' websites like Bleacher Report are overflowing with poorly written articles articulating contradicting opinions. My goal here is to foster intelligent conversation with wrestling fans, based upon a deep knowledge of how wrestling works, through kayfabe, the structure of WWE (and other organizations) as a business, as well as a knowledge of both the current and past product. Shout out to /r/SquaredCircle, which seems to be the best and most balanced pro wrestling community out there. Think of this as a place to post long thoughts without throwing down a 'TL;DR'.
I hope you enjoy some of these ramblings, whether you agree or disagree. As long as it fosters great conversation - that's all I want. Many, if not most, wrestling fans watch their shows alone. Wrestling is meant to be a social experience, shared with strangers. That's all I am trying to do.
Best,
Dr. Shelby
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