Friday, March 30, 2012

The new breed must step up after Wrestlemania 28

Yesterday I explained that the "End of an Era" match between Triple H and Undertaker meant that it would be a passing of the torch from one generation to another.
After Wrestlemania this Sunday, every WWE superstar under the age of 30 must step up to the plate and attempt to be a main event level talent.
It is no secret that ratings for WWE programming have declined over the past 10 years.
Some attribute the decline to lack of creativity in storylines and/or connection to the wrestler's personalities.
Wrestling has always been popular in pop culture due to the characters that have captured the audience's imagination.
From Hulk Hogan telling the fans 'Whatcha gonna do, brother?' to Stone Cold Steve Austin saying "Give me a hell yea' to the Rock telling adversaries 'Know your role and shut your mouth.'
All three wrestling icons have defined a generation of wrestling pop culture.
Sadly, other than John Cena and maybe Randy Orton, there are no wresters today who have the character grasp that wrestlers of yesteryear had to connect with the audience.
Vince McMahon has been hesitant to give younger wrestler's main event pushes over the years due to most not being ready for the pressure of being in a top position and also, from fear that they could leave for greener pastures like the Rock or just bolt the company due to burnout like Brock Lesnar did in 2004.
There will come a time when Cena and Orton will leave WWE. There will be a time when McMahon can not rely on the Rock, Austin, Triple H, Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker to boost ratings and pay-per-view buyrates.
It's time for the Cody Rhodes', Dolph Ziggler's, Kofi Kingston's and the rest of the young WWE talent to seize the opportunities and run with them.
Now is the time for the new generation to etch their mark in WWE lore.

Thursday, March 29, 2012

Why Wrestlemania 28 will truly be an 'end of an era'

Ever since Triple H accepted Undertaker's challenge for a third go-around match at Wrestlemania 28 in Hell in a Cell, I have been deciphering what it truly means when they say the match will be "an end of an era."
I thought it would mean that one of their careers come Sunday ends.
Triple H is 42 years old and Undertaker is closing in on 50. Both future hall of famers wrestle on a "special attraction" basis.
Wear and tear on the body has weighed on both over the years, and with WWE going in a youth movement of pushing future superstars, they have practically stepped aside and have given younger wrestlers an opportunity in the spotlight.
While I thought the "end of an era" meant one or the other's career would end, I think this match being the finale means that they will finally pass the torch to WWE's future stars.
Taker' and Triple H are not lying when they say they are the last two remaining from their era.
Both have a combined 20 world championships between them and were the top stars from an era that brought more eyballs to wrestling than at any other time.
Wrestlemania 28 will be the passing of the torch from Taker, Triple H, and even, Shawn Michaels to a whole crop of new talent who are ready to seize the spotlight for Wrestlemania's to come.
Hopefully 10-15 years from now, we see two wrestlers will put an exclamation point to another great era.

Tuesday, March 27, 2012

Why Daniel Bryan is wrestling's best heel?

Scum, lowlife, weasel are definitions of a heel aka villain in wrestling. There are no redeemable qualities about them whatsoever. As Jesse "The Body" Ventura once said "Win if you can, lose if you must, but always cheat."
One wrestler has taken on that premise since winning the World Heavyweight Championship in December.
And he happens to be a vegan.
Daniel Bryan slowly developed a heel persona after cashing in his Money In The Bank case to defeat Big Show for wrestling's gold prize at the WWE TLC ppv, shortly after Show defeated Mark Henry for the belt.
Bryan got the big head, thought he was the big star who was invincible, and developed a cocky attitude that coincided with his reign as champion.
Whether it was in matches against Show, Henry, or Randy Orton, Bryan was able to weasel his way to a win, usually by disqualification or countout.
Besides winning matches through nefarious means, Bryan would belittle his girlfriend AJ.
On a recent episode of Smackdown, Bryan told AJ to "shut up" while she spoke in mid-sentence and told her the next week that a dress she tried on looked better on the mannequin than her.
Bryan has never shied from using his girlfriend as a shield, as evidence on a January Smackdown where Big Show ran over AJ outside the ring, as the giant was in pursuit of Bryan during their match.
Bryan didn't blame himself for having his 100-pound girlfriend at ringside, and instead, blamed Show for his carelessness.
In a heel's world, they can do no wrong.
With his conniving ways of winning matches, belittlement of his girlfriend, and the way he espouses his vegan lifestyle, Bryan is playing the perfect heel.
He's someone fans want to see "get his", and if Sheamus nails a Brogue Kick onto Bryan's face at Wrestlemania to win the World Heavyweight Championship, 80,000 fans will pop in Miami after the 123 is counted for.
And when fans want to see someone get their comeuppance, then they are playing the part as a wrestling villain to a tee.