Lately, it would seem that the wrestling world is undergoing a few adjustments that could possibly affect the landscape for some time to come (or at least, for a reasonable portion of it). I thought I’d share some of my thoughts regarding these changes and whether or not I believe each change can affect their respected company (and/or brand).
First and foremost, I thought I’d touch base on the most recent roster alterations which has seen Edge moved back home to Friday Night Smackdown and CM Punk returning to Monday Night Raw. Interestingly, both of these men are currently in a completely different position. Edge sadly has reached that point in his career where his fought with everyone the company has to offer and it’s usually at this juncture when stars are dropped to the upper mid card. I’m not suggesting that Edge won’t return to the main event scene eventually but rather that his past feuds and the current main event selections will dictate the upcoming few months for the star. In saying that however, once Kane or Taker need new competition – the company has to decide who they’re going to pit against the champ and unless they decide to push one of their younger stars, Edge is the only one of a few main event options capable of going toe to toe with either star, the others being Big Show and Rey – all of whom have previously been laid to rest by a brother of destruction at some point.
I do however believe that Smackdown is the better place for Edge at the moment as his feud options on the brand are significantly weightier due to his past relations. With that in mind, I believe that considering the current Smackdown landscape, Edge would be the better choice for champion as he could help elevate many of its younger stars which could prove difficult otherwise considering the overly dominant status of both brothers at the moment.
CM Punk is vastly different from his exchanged counterpart. Of the current roster, Punk has only really had a significant feud with one star – that being Rey Mysterio. I understand that Punk has been involved in angles that have consisted Kane and The Undertaker but these can hardly be regarded as significant feuds. Kane was extra fuel in the Mysterio feud and in his short feud with Taker, he served as nothing more then a delivery boy – delivering the title back to its rightful owner. I also understand that Punk has feuded extensively with Morrison in ECW but both stars have grown immensely since their days in ECW and rekindling of their feud would be extremely welcome. Add to that, the potential Daniel Bryan and Randy Orton feuds and I believe this addition to Raw could be the best roster change since Jeff Hardy made way for Smackdown in 2008.
Speaking of Jeff Hardy – he too has made a noteworthy change over in the Impact Zone. I have mixed feelings regarding the Hardy Heel Turn. I really do like the idea of a heel Hardy but I’m particularly put off by this entire NWO throwback angle and the egotistical heads of the newly formed faction, not to mention its Wolfpac and ECW opposition. I’ve stood by and said countless times that TNA need time to build the company and in general, I’ve given the Hogan and Bischoff Era the benefit of the doubt and wrote off my concern as simply laying the foundation for an eventual climb to the top, but this is the first time I’ve been unable to write off such a concern and I truly worry that TNA could indeed be sinking.
Back to WWE and their big faction of today – Nexus. Within the group, a few changes are being made simultaneously. Firstly, it would appear that the group are undergoing several lineup changes. WWE have already ousted the lesser stars in the group, namely Young and Tarver, both of whom have been sent packing and now await their ‘Best of Luck in Future Endeavours’ notice. It would also seem that Otunga may be on his way out but due to his personal mainstream ties, he may be given a better send off to FCW so the door is open to his return. It seems likely that Husky and Michael are going to fill the vacant positions which would be a good move because Nexus need to start establishing themselves in more matches against other members of the roster and both new recruits would be more then capable of doing so, without running the risk of a terrible outing. Slater and Gabriel have already started paving the way and I think the addition of Harris and McGillicutty would be the most logical and overall best fit to help reaffirm the Nexus takeover.
Of course the bigger story is that of John Cena and his current status within the group. It remains to be seen as to whether this is the start of a long awaited heel turn or whether it is simply another obstacle that Cena triumphs over. As it stands at the moment however, I’m already beginning to cringe over this new angle for the star. It’s hard not to compare the current angle to that of HBK and JBL a few years ago but those two stars had a quality that this angle will never have – heart.
Shawn Michaels will be remembered as many things in the wrestling world but one aspect of the star that may be overlooked by some is the simple fact that he is possibly the greatest actor the wrestling industry has ever seen and I’d even go as far to say that he is hands down, the best. HBK possessed something rarely seen in wrestling and that’s subtlety, a trait that many of the worlds better actors have perfected. He was able to draw you in without saying a word and his eyes simply conveyed everything that needed to be said and they did so with an extraordinary beauty.
John Cena does not have this quality. He cannot convey the appropriate emotion through any means. His voice when he tries to be sad, (such as when he read the Nexus pledge) comes across as bland and just seems to plod along like a metronome and when he attempts to convey emotion through facial expression, he looks like an expressionless monkey spaced out on heroin. To make matters worse, the attempts at covering such flaws by showing how incredibly angry he is come off as cheap and make the interaction look like low rate theatre performed by retards who don’t have the knowledge or ability to actually discover a deeper meaning within a text. I know wrestling is considered a low form of theatre by many but everything about Cena in this current situation screams cheap and if it weren’t for my fellow countryman (who has been great to watch these past couple of weeks), I would honestly rank this garbage somewhere in between Santino and the Diva’s. John, take note – leave the acting to the professionals in the future, in wrestling and in your horrendous movies.
Another talking point as of late is the heel turn by Michael Cole. Now, I actually like the developing Cole persona but he needs to be better defined as a heel commentator. Being split between people like Miz and Cena is understandable in this slow turn but liking people such as Santino isn’t. They’re the stars that should be automatically disliked cause it’ll help define the heel persona. I get that it would be harder to turn a commentator compared to a wrestler and I think its being done well thus far but I think there are many things that could be done to better the transition.
Anyway, that’s me for this week. Until NXT Time…
