WWE Backlash 2008 PPV Preview
WWE Backlash: Children of the Corn this Sunday on PPV.
WWE Women’s Champion Mickie James, Maria, Ashley, Michelle McCool, Cherry & Kelly Kelly vs. Beth Phoenix, Melina, Jillian Hall, Layla, Victoria & Natalya Neidhart (12-Diva Tag Team Match): Hopefully this will be an excuse to get some of the underrepresented wrestling divas (like Neidhart, Jillian, McCool, and even Melina and Mickie James to some respect) some face time instead of letting this degenerate into a bra-and-panties battle royal or something. I say Phoenix’s team goes over.
Big Show vs. The Great Khali: I’m actually looking forward to this, as these guys are complementary in their size, and if all goes well, this could be the sleeper feud of the summer. Yeah, they don’t generally work very well, but this is more a spectacle feud than a technical contest or a spot-fest. Big Show goes over, but maybe by DQ or Khali beats him down afterwards or something.
ECW Champion Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero: If I were writing this, I would stooge out Chavo again like they did at Wrestlemania, and then get the heel locker room to come out and put Kane into a casket to “release his spirit”. Oh, wait, that’s been tried already. Either way, Kane will go over.
United States Champion MVP vs. Matt Hardy: The smart money is that Matt Hardy will win this feud and finally dethrone MVP, but not yet. They need to reintroduce Matt and let him chase the champ. Maybe he will win it at Vengeance or Great American Bash?
Batista vs. Shawn Michaels: This will be a fun match if Batista can keep up. If he gets gassed, then I’m betting Michaels will have to get thrown through some tables or some such to keep everyone’s interest. I’m really not sure who would benefit more from the win here. Batista should win, but maybe Michaels wins by cheating or something to further the feud. Is HBK turning or is he just bitter?
World Heavyweight Champion Undertaker vs. Edge: Duh, Undertaker. Not sure where either guy goes from here. If MVP ends up dropping the title, I guess you put him in a feud with Undertaker since they have before. What about Edge though (until Rey Mysterio returns)?
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. John Cena vs. JBL (Fatal Four Way Elimination Match): WWE.com says elimination rules, which should make this one a lot more fun than the one-fall variety. Orton winning at Wrestlemania was a complete shock to me. I still think Triple H should get the belt. Traditionally, the babyface champ goes through the summer, and like his politics or not, he got a huge pop at Wrestlemania. John Cena cannot win while he’s shooting his movie because he can’t run the house show schedule. A singles feud between Triple H and JBL would be awesome, especially in light of his “Foghorn Leghorn” comment to Bradshaw at WM 22
Odds that Money in the Bank gets cashed in–12:1. What is CM Punk doing anyway, feuding with Kinglord William Steven Regal? And why isn’t Chris Jericho defending his title either? Very odd match-making to some extent, but that seems to favor at least three 20-minute matches, so maybe that’s not so bad.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:25 am
I’m all for a Regal vs. Punk feud. Regal has been underutilized for years, and it’s about time the WWE gave him a push. Seriously, it wouldn’t take much effort to turn him into an upper-midcard heel, because the guy is a great wrestler, and he’s awesome on the mic. And letting Punk work for a few months with Regal would be great for the former. Punk is finally starting to realize his potential as a wrestler, and he could benefit from having a few matches with someone of Regal’s caliber. If nothing else, getting beat up every other night for a few months will help Punk work a little stiffer, since most of his offense looks pretty soft. Hey, it worked for Lashley when he feuded with Finlay.
The Diva match seems a little lopsided. Seven of the women in the match range from decent to great in terms of workrate, and five of them are on Phoenix’s side.
Big Show vs. Khali could be either a disaster or a show-stealer. Show is great for a guy his size, but Khali is useless without an opponent who can bump his ass off to make up for his immobility. But Show’s match with Mayweather turned out to be surprisingly entertaining thanks to some very careful planning, so if the agents and bookers put that much thought into this match, it could be pretty decent.
I’m looking forward to seeing Hardy win the belt from MVP, but I agree with you that it’s too early. They’ve managed to stretch this feud out for the better part of a year without screwing it up–in fact, I’d say it’s been one of the fed’s best feuds of the decade–so why not keep it going for a while longer by letting Hardy chase the title for a few more weeks? Imagine how big of a pop Hardy will get when he finally does win if they keep building up the anticipation for it.
I think we’re more than likely going to see an inconclusive ending to HBK vs. Batista. They’ll want to stretch this feud out for a while, and it’s way too early to let one of them get a victory over the other, IMO.
Undertaker retains against Edge. They could stretch it out a bit longer by setting up a gimmick match for the blow-off–maybe Hell in the Cell or a casket match. Not sure what you do with either one after this. Edge could feud with Finlay till Rey gets back, and Undertaker could feud with Umaga if they finally pull the trigger on moving him to SD in the rumored draft.
I have a feeling Orton is going to retain again. I think Triple H will inevitably win the belt, and it is the right thing to do, but I imagine they’ll want to do that in a one-on-one match instead.
April 24th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
Regal/ Punk: Meh–this isn’t a “hot” rivalry. CM Punk is young–he should be wrestling the other young talent. Back in the day, a hot star would wrassle another hot star and they would build a proper feud together…they don’t spend enough time focusing on the upcomers enough at this point. Regal is too slow of a worker to set against Punk. This seems so rushed and futile.
I LOVE Beth Phoenix…she’s HAWT. Otherwise, please don’t book women’s matches until there’s either a mudwrestling match or the girls are going to “kiss and make-up” at the end.
Hmm, Big Show (who is awesome) vs. Khali (who is the opposite of awesome) this match will absolutely suck UNLESS Show crushes Khali completely and they ship Khali off somewhere so he’s never seen again. Paul Wight needs to be the ONLY big man on campus.
I don’t expect Hardy to win–MVP is a solid performer–much like Cena was at the mid-card as a heel. MVP won’t be wrasslin’ with Taker so he’s going to be lingering a bit, I think. MVP v. Showstopper (if he goes SM post-draft) would be STRAIGHT GAS. Matt Hardy needs something more substantial–”Creative” (a term I use loosely) needs to take their time with him; like they did properly with Jeff for a few months…hopefully Matt won’t fuck it up with a shitty attitude and drugs.
Batista turns heel and crushes babyface Shawn causing HBK to come to Smackdown. HBK works a small program with The Animal–Hell in the Cell match is foreseeable in the future…
Taker v. Edge–they tore the roof off the sucka’ last month…can they do it again? Only if they have a gimmick…the Cell will be in HBK’s future–they only bury Taker alive when he needs time to heal–so possibly a Casket Match like Corey said…I’d love to see Taker in a TLC match myself–hell, just a ladder match.
I think Orton is going to drop the belt–but not to H. Something tells me that JBL could be the dark horse favorite…setting up The King of Kings to take on the Wrasslin’ God. The heavens shaketh with fear.
Sometimes, this shit just writes itself, don’t it?
I want Jericho/Cena–Cena heel turn and Jericho getting his ass beat. I want a NEW NOD with Kofi, Elijah, Mark Henry, and Shelton Benjamin. I want Hardy v. Hardy for some gold (since the WWE totally dropped the ball with Edge v. Christian).
I want Jeff Hardy v. Punk v. Morrison v. Burke v. MVP v. Kennedy v. Matt Hardy in the bloodiest/ spottiest Elim Chamber match of all time.
I need Triple H to turn heel–he SUCKS as a face and I need an EVIL Ric Flair to dance his ass over into the Game’s corner.
That and this Fed needs an enema.
April 24th, 2008 at 6:59 pm
Ignoring the less appealing matches (Team Mickie, Show & Kane for the win), they should have MVP retain by a DQ/countout as it keeps keeps his heat, keeps Hardy credible and they have a proper reason for a rematch.
Guest ref Jericho is going to screw someone over, logic would suggest HBK to set up a rivalry. Something like Michaels’ hits sweet chin music on Batista, Jericho does his non-submission finisher on him then drags Batista’s arm on him to make the 3 count. But the problem with that is that the IC title would be in limbo for a while if they feud, much like it was when druggie Hardy was champ & beating the likes of HHH and HBK. It’s like WWE don’t care about half their titles anymore.
Obviously Taker wins after some interference and mad weapons but you said it exactly Russ, what happens next. Maybe draft Punk over so him and Edge can go at it and then do a Show/Taker program?
I would like Orton to win just for a surprise again but I feel that giving HHH & Cena yet another title chance next month would be a stretch too far. Nothing from JBL’s ring-work so far has shown me that he deserves the title and the crowd always seem bored when he cuts promos. I personally like his mike work myself which is why he should be back announcing instead of the terrible Coach, but the smart money suggests HHH goes over.
And where the hell is C.M. Punk? He doesn’t even have a match and he definitely should have won King Of The Ring to build up some credibility if they are serious about making him a top champion. That 12/1 looks very generous but naw too early yet.
April 24th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
HBK moving to Smackdown ain’t gonna happen. Dude has waaayyyyy too much political clout to accept the demotion.
And Steve, I really hope your comments on the Divas are tongue in cheek, because otherwise, there are so many things wrong with what you said that I don’t even know where to begin.
April 24th, 2008 at 9:25 pm
Corey, I’ve always been very open that the idea of “women” and “sports entertainment” combined together is usually GARBAGE in this modern era.
That said, the wrestling in a “women’s match” is about as “tongue in cheek” as my comments are.
Today’s “women’s division” is a byproduct of one of the less-stellar aspects of the “Attitude Era”–but I guess everyone needs a match to use as a “piss and/or snack” break.
There’s no sexual bias towards what I’m saying either–I got over these matches a long time ago…they are a waste of time and money.
If you genuinely think there is quality wrasslin’ going on in a modern women’s wrestling match (say in the past 5-8 years)–then you are just as much part of the problem that ails professional wrestling as the people who allow some of these women (who they hire as “eye candy”) to perform.
And to your remark about HBK/ Smackdown–it’s your perception (that Smackdown is a lesser show) that supports another big problem that is inherent within the WWE today. It’s not a demotion–I don’t know if you watch both Raw and Smackdown–but they both suck.
April 24th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Okay, where to start… Well, your assuming that I think Smackdown is the lesser show. Far from it–I love Smackdown, because every week, there’s at least one very good wrestling match to watch, sometimes more. Whereas with Raw, you may get lucky if there’s one good match in an entire month. Raw is more concerned with advancing storylines than with showcasing good matches, which is why the midcard matches get FOUR WHOLE MINUTES if you’re lucky, while on Smackdown, you can have a 15+ minute match between Finlay and Matt Hardy. The thing is, the WWE itself considers Smackdown to be the lesser show. That’s one of the reasons why the last match at Wrestlemania tends to be the Raw main event. (This year was an exception, because the WWE doesn’t like letting heels win the main event. They want the crowds to go home happy, and Orton winning wouldn’t have done that.) It’s also why HBK and Triple H refuse to move to Smackdown. HBK has even vetoed the idea in the past.
Regarding your comments about the Women’s division:
It’s true that the WWE tends to treat the Divas as little more than eye candy. But that’s not always the case. If it were, why would they even bother putting the belt on Beth Phoenix, who doesn’t conform to the WWE’s ideal of what a beautiful woman should look like? She’s obviously attractive, but I doubt they’re pushing Playboy to put her on the cover. And yeah, maybe they do hire a lot of the Divas simply because they’re eye candy, but you can’t completely dismiss the fact that a vast majority of these women bust their asses to become good wrestlers. Look at Trish Stratus, Candice Michelle, Michelle McCool, Melina, Maria, Kristal Marshall, and Kelly Kelly, all of whom spent hours improving their skills inside the ring. Trish Stratus was horrible when she first started wrestling, but by the time she’d retired, she was widely regarded as a very good women’s wrestler. You can say all you want that you have no sexual bias against them, but the way you’re discounting their athleticism and hard work is pretty damned sexist.
And as far as this bit is concerned:
If you genuinely think there is quality wrasslin’ going on in a modern women’s wrestling match (say in the past 5-8 years)–then you are just as much part of the problem that ails professional wrestling as the people who allow some of these women (who they hire as “eye candy”) to perform.
Akira Hokuto and Awesome Kong would like to have a word with you.
April 25th, 2008 at 2:04 am
Right…but they don’t wrestle for the WWE a bunch of plush swimsuit models do…otherwise, you’d be absolutely correct.
I’m not sexist–I support real athletes doing their jobs. I just think that these girls are NOT primarily brought on TV to wrestle–maybe in an ancillary way…but in no way are these women “wrestlers” first.
They are used as cross-promotions for the 18-24 (-35) male demographic…playboy, magazines, whatever…eye candy.
This could flesh into a whole different argument–if you said that strippers were victims. I’d say MOST of these women don’t want to wrestle–they want “exposure”–Corey, there’s a big difference there.
Call me a sexist all you want–I’m a realist who functions in a capitalist society where fame and notoriety are the biggest cash cows.
April 25th, 2008 at 8:50 am
Did you skip over this part of my last post?
And yeah, maybe they do hire a lot of the Divas simply because they’re eye candy, but you can’t completely dismiss the fact that a vast majority of these women bust their asses to become good wrestlers.
I’m not discounting that the sex appeal isn’t the primary reason why the WWE has women wrestlers. But you’re arguing that all the women are just “plush swimsuit models”, which isn’t the case.
in no way are these women “wrestlers” first.
Lita trained in Mexico and with Dory Funk Jr before the WWE signed her. Jacqueline wrestled for 9 years on the independent circuit before the WWE signed her. Beth Phoenix was an outstanding amateur wrestler in high school. Mickie James trained with Dory Funk Jr, Bobby Eaton and Ricky Morton before coming to the WWE. Nattie Neidhart trained in the Hart family dungeon before coming to the WWE, and is also trained in mixed martial arts. Try telling them that they’re all swimsuit models who can’t wrestle.
April 25th, 2008 at 9:50 am
Again, Corey, you’re shopping outside of what is the “modern” roster and time that I posed in my argument (as I said…modern era/ divas…between 2002 and now)
I think you are right–a lot of these women probably try very hard to become wrestlers…but the question I pose to you is “Do they succeed?” Let’s be honest…a MARIA v. CANDACE MICHELLE match is going to be what kind of quality match? I can appreciate someone learning how to do their job–but I stick by my “exposure” comment. Most girls, like Stacy Keibler, who LEFT because she didn’t want to really wrestle or pose for Playboy.
Lita is retired…and she hasn’t had a decent match since BEFORE she broke her neck (on the set of that Jessica Alba show that I DIDN’T WATCH) and gotten her “boob job” which falls out of the time period I used as an example.
The same thing goes for your example of Jacqueline who barely performs now–and if you remember correctly–she’s best remembered in her tenure with Stamford for a nip-slip as the VALET of Mark Mero–not for anything note-worthy as a wrestler. Maybe you remember things differently…
Beth Phoenix and Mickie James are pretty much the only TWO (OUT OF HOW MANY WOMEN???) who could even be considered “wrestlers first”…and even still–Beth Phoenix was sidelined in one of her first WWE matches–because of sloppy work.
If you reread my statement…again, I said, “VAST MAJORITY”…I pick my words carefully when I debate things like this because I know there are like 15 women who “wrestle” and only 3 of them (currently employed) are actual wrestlers first–Phoenix, James, and Victoria.
I hope you also take into account that Mickie James–before coming to the WWE–was also photographed nude (and not Playboy nudes…or they wouldn’t make jokes about Arby’s on signs in the crowds during her matches)…
Natalia Neidhart–hasn’t even properly debuted as a WWE talent yet–so there is hope for your cause yet.
Most (ALL BUT JAMES, VICTORIA, and NEIDHART) of the current DIVA roster were hired under the pretense of a faux-Beauty Contest/ Talent Search…and they all did “cheesecake” stuff to be recognized.
I might be wrong though:
http://www.wwe.com/superstars/divas/
That sure looks a lot like wrestling doesn’t it–and none of them even have full names in the listing…like a bunch of pin-ups.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:05 am
Oops, sorry incorrect count.
19 DIVAS.
3 of which are true wrestlers…that’s about 20% of the female roster.
April 25th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Sorry–typo.
4 of which are true wrestlers.
Don’t want anyone thinking I’m deleting posts.
April 25th, 2008 at 11:42 am
Again, Corey, you’re shopping outside of what is the “modern” roster and time that I posed in my argument (as I said…modern era/ divas…between 2002 and now)
Nope. All the women I mentioned were in the WWE during the time frame you’re arguing. Jacqueline left in 2004, Lita left in 2006. The others are still on the roster. You should try checking your facts a little more carefully. The internet is your friend.
The same thing goes for your example of Jacqueline who barely performs now–and if you remember correctly–she’s best remembered in her tenure with Stamford for a nip-slip as the VALET of Mark Mero–not for anything note-worthy as a wrestler. Maybe you remember things differently…
Jacqueline is 42 years old now, and has been wrestling for the better part of 20 years. So I think she can be forgiven for taking it easy these days. And during her tenure in the WWE, she held the women’s title twice, and even won the Cruiserweight Championship. So to say that she didn’t accomplish anything noteworthy as a wrestler is, again, ridiculous.
Beth Phoenix was sidelined in one of her first WWE matches–because of sloppy work.
I hate to break it to you, but even the best male wrestlers get sloppy and hurt themselves. Triple H has ripped both his quads during matches. Owen Hart broke his ankle in a match against JBL. RVD broke his ankle doing a baseball slide in ECW. Benoit fucked up his neck in a TLC match. Shit happens.
If you reread my statement…again, I said, “VAST MAJORITY”
True, but only for plausible deniability, and only after I started shooting Umaga-sized holes in your argument. You made about 3 or 4 posts before that where you weren’t willing to give the Divas any credit whatsoever beyond “they’re HAWT”. So I doubt you’re being sincere.
Right…but didn’t Trish leave after this–to pursue the career she “really” wanted in television and film?
Actually, Trish left the WWE because she wanted to get married and open a yoga studio. Sure, she’s done some acting, but that’s not the primary reason she retired. And yes, she was a fitness model, but to say that she was not a trained wrestler is not only ridiculous, but completely false. The fact that she wasn’t a trained wrestler before the WWE hired her in no way negates the fact that she became one.
I hope you also take into account that Mickie James–before coming to the WWE–was also photographed nude (and not Playboy nudes…or they wouldn’t make jokes about Arby’s on signs in the crowds during her matches)…
So? By that point she was also wrestling professionally.
Oh, and I wanted to go back to something you said earlier:
If you genuinely think there is quality wrasslin’ going on in a modern women’s wrestling match (say in the past 5-8 years)–then you are just as much part of the problem that ails professional wrestling as the people who allow some of these women (who they hire as “eye candy”) to perform.
Really? So anyone who wants to give the women credit for their athletic accomplishments, instead of dismissing them all as talentless bimbos, is “part of the problem”? Wouldn’t the state of women’s wrestling be a lot better if more people shared my opinion than yours? Dude, you’re not even supporting your own argument.
April 26th, 2008 at 4:03 am
The problem with arguing with guys like this on the internet is that you pick and choose the pieces of what you want to focus on…
I’m not digging up clips of matches…I’m talking to you straight–with my KNOWLEDGE and OPINION…so shoot holes all you want.
You still never remarked about that link to the DIVAS portion of the WWE site.
You just ignored it.
THAT sums up my argument.
Otherwise, I might as well be arguing with Huxford about the vast number of “Marvel is the devil” conspiracies that he believes in.
April 26th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Most of your “knowledge” is completely inaccurate, so if I were you, I wouldn’t be calling too much attention to that.
The matches were posted to disprove your contention that there are no quality women’s matches from the modern era.
And yeah, I ignored the link you posted. It’s no secret the WWE pushes the sex appeal of the Divas pretty hard, and I haven’t denied that. What I’m saying is that it’s completely unfair to classify them simply as pin-ups, when a lot of them were wrestlers before entering the WWE, and most of the ones who weren’t have gone through extensive training after signing.
That sure looks a lot like wrestling doesn’t it–and none of them even have full names in the listing…like a bunch of pin-ups.
That’s so the WWE can have trademarks on their names.
Now, since you’re calling me out for picking and choosing what I want to focus on, would you care to respond to my previous post?
April 26th, 2008 at 2:25 pm
Okay, sure, I’ll play–(you know since, I’m inaccurate…) for the sake of fairness and you taking all this time to debate me and watch YouTube. ;)
Yes, Jacqueline and Lita left on the dates you specified–but had they wrestled a “good” match.
NO–neither of them had wrestled a “good” match since their…”healthier” moments in the WWE…which falls BEFORE Lita breaking her neck…when she was on the set of a TELEVISION SHOW…I don’t consider “good wrestling” losing matches to “Chavo Classic”. Her in-ring work was spotty for the last 3 years of her career.
I understand that women hold the women’s title…but here’s the question I pose to you:
Do average wrestling fans…care?
You’re one guy–and I’m sure there are other guys who care…I used to–when it seemed to matter and it wasn’t “bikini model/ass cleavage prancing” inside the ring.
That’s not being sexist, Corey…that’s being BORED.
You’ve misunderstood everything I’ve ever said about women’s matches–if you thought I was just saying “Beth Phoenix is HAWT.” I think the matches are poorly executed (95% of the time), ridiculous costumes that shouldn’t even be wrestled in, and they sport women WHO DON’T KNOW HOW TO WRESTLE!!!
It’s SARCASM. Most of the WWE’s product has been SO BAD for the past 5-6 years (read something that’s not from the internet or wikipedia…)
See the writing on the wall, Corey. Do you know why all these awesome Japanese female performers don’t have jobs with the DIVAS? Because they aren’t “pretty”–and the typical “male demo” wouldn’t react well to them at all.
Because unlike you and me (here’s where we have something in common)–THE MEN IN THE AUDIENCES WANT TO SEE CHEESECAKE IF THEY ARE FORCED TO WATCH A WOMEN’S DIVISION.
Not everyone is a smart mark, like you or I, and truth be told, smart marks have been leaving for years because this stuff has gotten so bad.
Trish left (for whatever reason) and she showed up on a reality television show that barely saw the light of day. You know what she wanted to do based on a “press release”. Her actions said something entirely different.
I never said Trish wasn’t a wrestler; but again–if you’re one good wrestler, wrestling matches against “poorly trained divas” how good can the matches be, Corey?
Here is the thing that bugs me the most (yeah, I’ll quote you.)
“Really? So anyone who wants to give the women credit for their athletic accomplishments, instead of dismissing them all as talentless bimbos, is “part of the problem”? Wouldn’t the state of women’s wrestling be a lot better if more people shared my opinion than yours?”
Does every kid who runs the 100m dash in the school field day get a ribbon? Yes, actually they do. They have ribbons for 10th place now. When you say the modern DIVAS have great matches YOU are encouraging the propagation of mediocrity. YOU allow companies like the WWE to give you a watered down product–and if YOU allow it–they continue to do so.
Why do you think attendances are down? Why do you think casual fans are done watching? Why do you think ratings are down?
I’m not looking to improve the Women’s Division…I’m looking for wrestling–regardless of gender. The state of MOST of the programming from WWE and TNA is SO BAD (regardless of gender) comparatively that I’d much rather watch ROH or FIP.
Here’s a last analogy for you:
Why do action figure companies “short pack” female action figures?
Because little boys don’t want them. That’s not sexism. It’s just what they are trained by the television. If the WWE had a show like GLOW–I would watch the shit out of it–because back then, the women were REAL WRESTLERS.
If you can’t see that these DIVAS are a marketing ploy…and the athleticism and pagentry of any kind of Women’s Championship takes a backseat to calender sales and playboy covers and stuff like that…
Then you just keep watching wrestling and think about how awesome it is–it’s not my place to change your mind.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:04 pm
This was fun. We should totally find something else to debate.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Isn’t Ekstrom invoking my name in a debate like an average Joe throwing out Hitler’s name in any other debate? ;)
Mind you, the reason why the two occurrences seemed similar to him were because he couldn’t actually stay on topic in either, considered facts/evidence/research to be dirty words, and couldn’t realize how ineffective he was at all turns. ;)
Like he said, though, at least he wasn’t deleting any of his posts and used his real name the whole time. ;)
April 28th, 2008 at 4:04 am
I thought this debate was fun too.
For the record, I don’t hate women. I don’t hate female wrestlers. I don’t hate research. I merely shared my opinion. I’m not into “Fight/Debate Club” to the point where I’m going to sit and watch YouTube and check for dates of wrestling matches beyond my personal knowledge (which I’ll be the first to admit isn’t wholly accurate, but what can you do, right?)
All I did was take a stance. I’ll boil it down one last time:
The WWE’s Women’s Division is primarily a marketing tool to sell calenders, pin-up posters, and PPV Specials where women pose in swimsuits. Yes, there is wrestling involved in their “job description”–but I’d wager that if you asked Vince McMahon–he’d call it, “Sports Entertainment”.
My contention was that the majority of wrestling matches performed by the “DIVAS” (since approximately 2002) have been poorly executed. Most of these women sign on to get their foot in the door of the entertainment industry–like Trish Stratus, who DID open a Yoga Studio, but is ALSO being featured on an upcoming travel-based television show–and she has also starred on a failed reality show. Or Lita, who is in a not-so-successful rock band now.
These two performers (see how I don’t care about their gender) are actual wrestlers, yes–and so is Jacqueline Moore. My argument posed the question of whether or not any of them had wrestled many (if at all) “quality” matches in this modern “DIVA” era of pro-wrestling because they were injured or they were caught up in all the hooplah of “being a DIVA” for the WWE fans.
Hell, I even said I don’t really approve of some of the outlandish (and skimpy) outfits the Divas wear in their “performances” in the ring–because they aren’t functional for a wrestler at all. I clearly stated that I wanted to see good wrestling matches–period.
I also had to go back and explain that one of my remarks was sarcasm. I’ve openly stated a number of times that I wished that the WWE wouldn’t waste my money on PPV matches that were used as time fillers–aka “DIVA Pillow Fights” or “Swimsuit Matches” or “Ball Gown Matches” because they are nothing but moments in an evening where I get up and get a snack or go to the bathroom.
You should attend a live event–so you can see everyone get up and run to the bathroom or to a vendor during a women’s match–because they do–I’ve witnessed it firsthand.
That’s called my opinion and I don’t need statistics to have one of those. It’s just my perception of an issue. Would it help my argument if I backed up my statement with dates or recordings of matches? Sure, but is this “earth-shattering” debate worth all that effort?
To me, it isn’t–it’s just another discussion on Shotgun about professional wrestling.
April 28th, 2008 at 11:33 am
I agree with Ekstrom here.
I don’t watch the WNBA either, but I would watch it if it was Playboy bunnies losing their tops.
Watching women in certain sports is like watching the minor leagues. I don’t watch AAA baseball, so why would I watch what is essentially AAA wrestling.
I know it sounds harsh, but that’s how I feel.
The women’s division isn’t athletic like the men. They don’t tell good stories like the men. The also suck on the mic.
Thanks for listening!
April 28th, 2008 at 9:14 pm
Okay, that’s enough out of both of you. I’ve deleted the last few comments made by Steve and Kevin (and the last one by Frag It) because they are childish, mean-spirited, unprofessional, and completely unrelated to the topic at hand. And oh yeah, we’re all fucking sick of it. Seriously guys, get over it. You’ve been sniping at each other for months now. If you can’t have a civil discussion in a public forum, then take it to a private forum like email or IM. This shit will not be tolerated any longer.
April 28th, 2008 at 9:46 pm
Yeah! You tell them Corey!
:P
April 29th, 2008 at 12:46 am
My apologies to all involved.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:06 am
Hey, listen, I give as good as I get. If that upsets people–I’m sorry too but I won’t have my name and my career which is just starting to be run down…I’ve worked VERY hard to get even this far.
Period.
I’m sorry that things escalate to where they do also–but when someone openly “hates” on you on such a public place–it’s very frustrating.
So I’ve returned the favor as much as I could.
What’s good for the goose is good for the gander, right?
No, it’s not–not really.
Thanks for putting your foot down, Corey. You’re right, this has gone on long enough.
There won’t be another peep out of me on related topics.
April 29th, 2008 at 2:50 pm
I have to agree w/Ekstrom. The WWe womens division is a joke. The wrestling quality is terrible. You have a couple of good wrestlers like Beth, Mickie James, Melina, Michelle McCool, Victoria and Natayla but what are they supposed to do? Wrestle each other every week? The Divas are pretty much there for eye candy and the Womens title means nothing.
TNA on the otherhand has a good mixture of ability and beauty. The Awsome Kong and Gail Kim match that headlined Impact was amazing.
Now on to the men. Since Backlash was in my home town and I went I think it was all pretty predictable. It was about time that Mat Hardy won a singles title and him and MVP put on a pretty good match. The Big Show and Kali just both need to go away. We all knew that Show wasn’t gonna loose after the whole Mayweather debacle. The whole 4-way made sense. People are tired of Orton and although I like him he’s still not mature enough to be the Champ. Cena well he sucks. JBL it seems like they don’t know what to do with him so he wasn’t getting the beld HHH was the only logical choice. HBK and Batista was just pointless to me. We knew that Batist was mad but so what there could have been a better build up. It looks like it was just a set up for a Y2J heel turn. Poor HBK, Give this guy a title he so deserves it.
Undertaker and Edge, well that wasn’t a surprise either since Taker is in line for a long title run. WWE as a whole is mess. You would think that Vince and Co. would understand that they need to try something new like havin less PPVs so they can develop stories on TV. Whatever happened to the televised title change? One of the greatest moments in WWE TV is when Mankind won the belt on Raw. It would make the shows less predictable and stale. The brand extension worked well for a while but with wrestleres showing up on any show at any time there’s no point.
WWE has lots of good and great wrestlers but have nothing to do with them. Just look at the brands WWECW you have: Elija Burke, Shelton Benjamin, CM Punk, The Miz, John Morrison, Kofi Kingston and Chavo. Smackdown there’s: Edge, Taker, MVP, Matt Hardy, Finlay, Ryder, Hawkins, Mysterio, Gregory Helms. Raw: HHH, HBK, Kennedy, Jeff Hardy, Y2J, Orton, Charlie Haas, London, Kendrick, Carlito, and Paul Burchil, Hardcore Holly.
All these guys and they don’t use them properly. What happened to tag-team wrestling? Can Vince put any effort into making it relavent again? there’s so much wrong with WWE right now it’s not even funny.