Hello all you WZ readers. As some of you will be aware, there is currently a contest going on within the Wrestlezone forums to induct one writer to the main page. As part of this contest, we are holding a mini-contest which we would like you, the readers, to choose the winner of. If you can spare maybe ten minutes, i would really appreciate if you would read the responses and choose whichever one you consider to be the best. Also, as the competition has just started, it is not too late to enter the contest yourself. I will provide a link to it at the bottom of the page. So if you think you can do better, come along and prove it!
Our potential columnists were asked the following question, which they had to respond to in 250-500 words.
“What one aspect of WWE would you most like to see changed in 2005?”
First was Mitchell McGarr.
“Wrestling Aspect
Wrestling defines us in a way that cannot be described to the average person in the world. It is just something that is in us for a reason. We were meant to love it. We all have different taste’s on the wrestling business. Different people favor different things. What I favor is the wrestling aspect of the wrestling business.
The wrestling business was founded on what it was sent out to be and that is..wrestling. The competitive nature to prove who is the best at what they do is what got me hooked on professional wrestling. I miss that aspect so much. Wrestling has basically turned into a soap-opera and that simply sickens me! Why does Vince Mcmahon and the Creative Staff think we will enjoy the Kane-Lita saga more than someone needing more seasoning getting more of a chance to develop. It is really puzzling on why Vince and the Creative Staff think they know what is best for the wrestling business, when they are so far from the actual truth.
Sure, I enjoy backstage segments that heat up rivalries and set up friction between a unit down the road. But, I don’t want that to overpower wrestling because that would just waste the purpose of the true meaning of pro-wrestling.
What goes on in that ring is what ultimately made us a wrestling fan. Wrestling was not founded on soap-opera’s. It was founded on the wrestling value of the product. Even though, Some backstage segments have revolutionized the wrestling business in some way, shape, or form, most of those segments were some of the best and that got them to start clawing their way to the top. For Example, Shawn Michaels super-kicking Mark Jannnety through the window of the heart-break hotel. That set the stone for the Shawn Michaels that has succeeded in pro-wrestling.
I am proud to say I am a pro-wrestling fan and the entertainment aspect just comes with wrestling, but isn’t what wrestling is about. Wrestling is about some of the best athletes in the world locking up to prove who is the best at what they do. They prove to the fans if they got the art of selling, jobbing, and most importantly, wrestling to an extent that can make them looked at as one of the best.
I am proud wrestling has been shining over the past couple of weeks, and maybe it is because the World Title is vacant. A piece of advice for Vince Mcmahon and the Creative Staff is as following:
Either you know what to do with the World Title to make the wrestling aspect alive and running, or you vacate the World Heavyweight Champion..Permanently!”
Secondly we had Jordan Prill.
“I would like to see some new guys get pushes into the main event, just like Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and JBL got this year. Why not give someone like RVD a push and see what he does with it? Why not let Edge try his hand at being World Champion? Others too could make a case, like Rey Mysterio and even Eugene if he drops the retarded gimmick. Think about how it worked for Benoit, Guerrero, and JBL. Benoit is still a main-eventer on Raw and has drawn many great matches for the World Championship. Eddie Guerrero has become one of the most liked characters on TV and is still a main-event player on Smackdown. And JBL. JBL suddenly gets a monster push to the main event, and look where he is now. He has a very well drawn out character and has actually made the feuds interesting. I think WWE is moving in the right direction, and they should continue to give new guys pushes while having some stars like The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels around just in case they need to put the belt on them. Another thing though, I would like to see legends go out the right way-On top. I don’t want to see Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, or The Undertaker lose their last match, it just wouldn’t give them the respect they deserve. Mick Foley has seemingly gone out with a loss. Hulk Hogan left on a very sad note. I don’t want to see this happen. Thanks for reading what I have to say, and remember to check out the columns lounge.”
Third man to enter was Joe Pritchett.
“Get the F Out
By Joe Pritchett
We will all admit that the WWE isn’t perfect. That is easy for anyone to see. Yet we continue to watch it, and enjoy it for the most part. 2004 was filled with so many ups and downs in the world of wrestling that you might of felt like you just took a ride on a rollercoaster, enjoying the ride up but waiting in dreadful anticipation as you begin to plummet back down again and your stomach feels like it’s sitting somewhere in the back of your throat.
But fortunately 2005 is here, and we can look for a new energized year. Right? Well I hope so, but I think above all, there is one aspect that I’d like to see change. They need to get the fluff out. As of late we’ve seen so much fluff in the WWE that I feel like I’m in one of those “Build-A-Bear” workshops that populate so many malls in the United States.
One example I think all of us can look at is the Diva Search competition. We saw more than too much air time taken up with these girls used simply for eye candy. And then when it was all said and done they now saturate the television screen every five minutes, in every other backstage promo! It’s fluff, and I’d like it out thank you very much. Another example of what I deem “fluff” were the countless Simon Dean promos every Monday. He takes up valuable television time to establish a character which is now wrestling on Heat, and from what it seems from fan reaction won’t go very far with his current gimmick.
I think the WWE really put the icing on the cake at Sunday’s pay per view, New Year’s Revolution. They continually shot back to “pool side” footage of divas prancing around in next to nothing, before they moved on to the Diva’s teaming up with Val Venis and company to play a game of chicken. They needed to fill the pay per view with so much fluff in order to support a weak card built around one match.
So, in my mind, if I’d like to see any aspect of the WWE change, it’s that they’d get rid of some of this fluff. I’d like to see them work really hard on pushing wrestlers to their full potential, and generating quality story lines from the top of the card to the bottom so they don’t have to use this fluff as filler for the rest of the program. I hope New Year’s Revolution wasn’t foreshadowing what is to come, because if so we may be able to start our own “Build-A-Bear” workshop before long.”
Fourth to go was Syed Omair Rehman.
“The attitude towards the cruiserweights has got to change. Ever since Vince accidentally saw some cruiserweight hit a corkscrew moonsault on Nitro and invited the Light heavyweights (as he called them) to WWE he hasn’t given them any respect. Right from the days of The Great Sasuke vs. taka Michinoku (Canadian Stampede 1997) to todays faced paced 619 and Shooting Star press matches nothing has changed much, the only time I can remember when the cruiserweights were put on a main event scene was when Rey beat Matt for the title on smack down 2 years ago. What’s more this is the division which has seen more ridiculous gimmicks and storylines than any other….remember Chavo Classic and Jackie and don’t forget Funaki’s pathetic excuse for a title reign these days. I think they could certainly learn something form the Jarrett father and son duo when it comes to handling the cruiser weight, it’s been only 2 and a half years and already we have seen some classic X division stuff…..AJ vs. Lynn vs. Lowki (3 Ladders), the Ultimate X, the X Cups are all great examples of how innovative one can be with these stars. I’ve always said that cruiserweights have been underutilized and I will continue to say so until I see Rey in the main event of a pay per view and that can only happen IMO if Heyman comes back. So which aspect would I like changed? Definitely the attitude towards the Cruiserweights.”
And finally, we had Romeo Pace.
“Main Event Material
by Romeo Pace
Chris Benoit became Heavyweight Champion at Wrestlemania XX. A truly five star classic that will live in Wrestlemania History. From March 14 to August 15, Benoit held the World title. Longer then Triple H’s previous reign, (Dec 14 2003 to March 14 2004), and longer then Shawn Michaels’s reign in 2002. He had the crowd roaring in ovation. Yet, being world champion did not grant him the push of main event. Bad Blood, Benoit vs Kane was second main event. After losing the title to Randy Orton, Benoit was moved to the second match of the night at Unforgiven. Taboo Tuesday, Benoit won the tag titles in the fourth main event, behind Christy vs Carmella in a lingerie pillow fight! Compared, Randy Orton, who held the world title from August 15 to September 12, was in the main event at Taboo Tuesday.
The aspect I want WWE to improve in 2005 is respect for former champions. I have yet to see Triple H, Orton, or HBK on heat wrestling Tyson Tomko, yet I’ve seen Benoit do it several times. On SmackDown, Eddy Guerrero completes possibly the greatest comeback ever when winning the WWE title. Yet after losing to JBL in June and getting a title shot in a cage match in July, fights Kurt Angle at SummerSlam, main events Smackdown for a while, but comes nowhere near the PPV main event until Armageddon. Kurt Angle also has not even touched the Main event of a PPV since his return, the Rumble will be his first Title match since Wrestlemania. Call me old school, but I believe that if you hold the respective title from your show, you should remain in an upper slot on the shows and pay per views. Maybe not a title shot everytime, but upper tier of events. Maybe Benoit could have wrestled Tomko in a semi event on Raw. Have Christian interfer, then that sets up a pay per view match between Christian and Benoit, which I think people wouldn’t mind seeing. Maybe Eddy vs Reigns should not of been the curtain opener at No Mercy, but later on in the night, giving Reigns a chance to show he’s not to be taken lightly. Typically, first matches are not expected to be match of the night canidates. Order is a very important aspect to where your match is placed. Heidenreich vs. Undertaker is given a main event push, respects the former champion, and builds a new star.
So here is my challenge WWE. You want a lesser star to wrestle a former champion, give them real TV time. Maybe it will make the lesser wrestler give that little bit more. It could create new stars. And keep the Champions respected. Thank you.”
Well, that’s your lot. Please select what you consider to be the best response and e-mail me at thepepsiplunge@yahoo.co.uk
If you would like to check out the wannabe contest, then click the link below.
Thanks.
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