2011 Pro Wrestling Thread

I don't think Cena is quite so comparable to Goldberg. Heck, WCW's "peak" lasted about two years. How long has Cena been face now, about four or five? His eventual turn is probably going to have more in common with Hogan's, and I hope they play it that way - Out of the blue, as opposed to a culmination move of frustration.

 

They've done some pretty good risks in the last year-plus after being dragged kicking and screaming into them. Such as the original Nexus, Swagger, Sheamus, Miz.

But there is so much more that they could have done. Cena and the Nexus T-shirt for example. They should have had him wear that shirt for weeks, not five minutes. Then the payoff would have been that much more sweet. But the WWE didn't want to risk a month's worth of Cena T-shirt sales for a storyline that would have been remembered 20 years down the road.

Another example is the Divas division. They've only just now signed Awesome Kong after having opportunities to do so in the past. They've had to be dragged kicking and screaming into bringing in an actual women's wrestler, rather than a trained model.

The WWE has improved in the last year. But they could have been even better.

 

I still think they're getting too much out of Cena as the "Face" of the WWE to turn him. Also, with their stock taking a beating, there's no way they risk losing the merchandising sales that he brings to the table.

If he's no longer a good guy, who do they prop up in commercials and tv shows? Who's going to be the face of the franchise at charity events and military stops. I understand why it's easy to hate Cena, and why a heel turn is desirable, but MMII is correct in that there's no one ready, or close to ready, to step into that role of SuperFace and accept the additional responsibility that comes along with it. Cena's life is the WWE. I have no idea what he's truly like as a person, so he may be a total dick masquerading as a nice guy, but from the stories I continue to hear, he basically lives out his "super good guy, don't give up, do the right thing" character in his public life. The guy granted more than 200 wishes in 2010 through Make a Wish Foundation, which is the kind of PR the WWE craves. That's much more difficult to accomplish as a heel. Plus, as far as I can tell, they don't have anyone with the charisma, likability, credibility or dedication to replace Cena right now. That's not to say it won't happen someday, hopefully sooner than later. Because I think we can all agree that a Cena heel turn could be tremendous if done right. But they'll need to let another guy build up serious credibility as a superface before that can happen.

HHH is too involved back stage at this point and seems to shun taking on a full time 12 months a year role. Morrison isn't ready (or, in my opinion, good enough on the mic). Ditto Daniel Bryan. Edge is rumored to be headed for retirement in 2012. Taker is on his way out. CM Punk just went back to being a major heel. Randy Orton doesn't work as well as a true face. Kofi seemed to have the magic spark, but it disappeared quickly and he can't seem to get to main event status. Sheamus has potential but I just feel like any kind of face turn is going to be ridiculous and he's going to end up like Kozlov. Maybe the return of HHH will help catapult Sheamus back into the main event. Mysterio is likable, but he's never going to be the franchise face.

The possible contenders as the next great WWE face: Wade Barrett (the CM Punk thing seemed like a nice opportunity for him to turn naturally, but he probably hasn't been a heel long enough anyway); Dolph Ziggler (for whatever reason, Dolph seems to me like a guy who might be able to transition from the cocky heel to a true face that the fans love); Miz (so great on the mic, starting to establish credibility as a main event performer, but may not be big enough and may never entirely lose the "reality show star" label); Jack Swagger (currently languishing...he's young enough and talented enough that the right turn might spark him back to the top).

 

Thought I'd share a quick story, something nice since we crap on the WWE so much. A reporter on our Scene desk (lifestyles stuff) did a story on local fans before Smackdown came to town last week. One of them had a ton of memoribilia, including a collection of championship belts, that was lost in a fire. Reporter gets a call last week right after the show from a WWE rep. She's freaking out thinking she got something wrong and the guy's calling to rip her a new one. Turns out he wanted to get the fan's contact info so they could replace all the belts he had lost.

They may not go with the angles we like, but WWE can be pretty good to its loyal fans.

 

By the way, Triple H is in an ESPN segment tonight, about Aaron Rodgers belt routine during TDs.

 

Should've went with Mr. Anderson (...Anderson), seeing as he's (at least billed) from Green Bay and currently holds a belt.

 

That's a great story, Royal. Between this and what billikens was discussing with Cena and Make A Wish, it's clear WWE does some good things outside the ring.

 

So my girl and I got those TNA tickets in Salem in March that I was talking about earlier, and apparently the seats in the first 4 rows (we're in the second row) include a meet-and-greet session before the show. Anything TNASportsJournalists.com wants me to ask/get/find out? [/lastbitofpostpadding]

 

Ask them if wrestling's fake. Then duck.

 

Hey, it's real to us, damnit. Boo hoo, boo hoo.

 

Close. He's actually grew up in Two Rivers, which is along the lake and near Manitowoc ... about 30 miles from Green Bay.

 

Yeah: Ask them if they remember who the four people most responsible for the destruction of WCW were and what they're doing today.

Answer: You'll likely be greeting them.