TOPIC 4: Kane, the Tag Team
Justin: "I don't understand why people seem to think that chokeslamming everybody, is everybody being "buried". They had a long grueling match, Kane needed to be re-introduced to programming because he got put into an ambulance…"
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I couldn't agree more with Justin on this point. We share an opinion, and I'm sure it's one echoed by a lot of people, that there's little more frustrating than a fan or a group of fans that throw around "insider terms" without actually knowing their meaning. It's the same concept I face when I sit down to play a video game, and an opponent will throw out there that a certain character is "broken" simply because I was able to beat them. We're putting an end to this madness right now – a guy getting beaten and/or beaten down by another guy does not automatically equate to him getting "buried".
Plus, let's be honest… There's no wrestler in the world that can bury the tag team division any more than Vince McMahon already has.
The match was a step in the direction. I don't like Epico and Primo – I think they're boring, have no fan reaction, and are a lousy last-minute replacement for Air Boom. But when a team gets little-to-no time every week to wrestle, and ZERO time to talk, you can't really expect a whole lot more from either guy. The "powers that be" expect so much from their talents, but have boxed guys like Epico and Primo into an almost fool-proof recipe for failure. But, like I said, this was a step in the right direction.
LISTENER QUESTION: "It apparently seems like Big Show is going to fight Cody Rhodes for the IC title at WrestleMania. Is that how it seems to be happening, and if so where does that leave Shaq at WrestleMania?"
As Justin mentioned on VOW, when you aggregate news you run the risk of taking on their mistakes as well as their successes. Shaq may very well have nothing to do with this year's WrestleMania, but keep in mind that the WWE has a bad habit of saying one thing, and delivering another. Don't rule NBA's big man out of anything just yet.
I like the idea of a Big Show/Cody Rhodes fight at WrestleMania. Show is looking for that big "moment" that has escaped him his entire career, and Rhodes is just the cocky S.O.B. to remind him of his consistent failures. It's the classic David vs. Goliath story with the heel/face orientation switched up, and it could work out very well…on one condition:
Cody Rhodes has to walk away victorious. I know it might seem counter-productive to play up an entire feud based on Big Show finally getting his "Mania Moment", but taking the title off of Rhodes right now, especially to give to a future Hall of Famer means nothing. Don't cool Rhodes' push simply for the sake of instant gratification.
TOPIC 5: Punk and Jericho – One Big Step Up?
Justin: "I think it was a great start" … "You've got 30-something more days to build; while it was good it will be interesting to see how they continue to progress as the weeks go on."
If this promo had happened a month ago, I would have agreed that it was a "great start". Unfortunately, we've had this feud brewing on the back burner for far too long, allowing Jericho to sink further and further into obscurity with too many big losses. This promo did help re-establish the reason for the feud, but can they recover in time for WrestleMania?
Yes. As hard as I am on both Punk and Jericho, it's because they're so damn good at what they do. You expect something slightly above average from a guy like the Miz or R-Truth, but from somebody the caliber of Chris Jericho I've come to expect only perfection. Maybe my expectations are too high, but when the WWE Champion and his challenger are fighting over the title of "Best in the World", it's probably important that either man look like he's the best wrestler in the world.
I have a roommate that I've been recently getting into wrestling. He knows only what he's learned from mainstream sources, my occasional angry rants, and the few clips he's seen in the past year. Last week we were watching the Elimination Chamber PPV together, and something he said hit me hard: "I know I'm supposed to believe that these guys are the two best wrestlers in the world, but I don't know why." My friend is absolutely right; as a long-time fan I can force my brain to realize the legitimacy in Punk v Jericho, but to anybody without a jaded and/or biased perspective this feud makes no sense.
Jericho and Punk have four weeks to solidify their claim to that title. If there are any two guys who can do it, it's them. But with Undertaker, Triple H, John Cena, and the Rock all vying for my weekly attention they better start impressing me NOW. This promo was a huge step in the right direction, but they need an "edge" to make this whole thing sizzle. Jericho threw HBK through the Jeri-Tron and killed his own Y2J character in 2008. Punk left the WWE hanging on his every word, and literally held the company's title hostage in 2011. Both guys have proven that they can produce greatness – perhaps they really are the best wrestlers in the world – but right now I'm not buying it.
Tick-tock boys. It's almost clobberin' time…
