Black Widow
04-07-2008, 05:15 PM
Every year at this time, WWE finds itself faced with the same situation. Wrestlemania, the biggest event of the year, is in the books, and the company looks to find a way to keep their momentum going, rather than have everything grind to a halt. WWE has tried debuting new stars (Brock Lesnar) or bringing back big names (Goldberg) in an attempt to keep the attention of casual viewers who traditionally tune in prior to Wrestlemania and then tune back out following the show (although, ratings this year seem to indicate their numbers are smaller to begin with). WWE has also tried to just extend Wrestlemania by immediately going to rematches on the Backlash PPV, sometimes throwing a stipulation on a previous bout.
This year, WWE is looking to continue some Wrestlemania issues (Undertaker vs. Edge, Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero) and is also throwing some new feuds in the mix (Big Show vs. Great Khali), as well as bringing back some past issues that were re-started at Wrestlemania (MVP-Matt Hardy). However, WWE is also doing something they often shy away from. They are taking some chances. They are booking two feuds that break away from recent WWE storylines. One has the potential to deliver very good matches and possibly elevate one of the performers in a big way. The other, quite frankly, will put a top star in a "put up or shut up" situation that could very well determine what his WWE future holds for him. One feud is an extension of a recent moment that captivated wrestling fans. The other, quite honestly, came from left field, with no one predicting it. Let's look at these two feuds.
When JBL made the move to return to the ring on Raw following his successful tenure as a commentator on Smackdown, it seemed obvious what he was doing. Return to the ring, collect a Wrestlemania payday, then go back behind the microphone. Instead, JBL is back on a full-time schedule, and like his character stated from the start, he wants the WWE Championship. This has led to the rather head scratching move of JBL challenging fellow heel Randy Orton. Yep, an out-of-shape but verbally superior JBL vs. an athletically gifted but charismatically impaired Orton for the WWE Title. For JBL, it is one last run at the top, where we'll see if his body can hold up (we know his promos will). For Orton, it is a test, probably the biggest test of his career. If JBL fails here, it's because he wasn't in good enough shape, or because he didn't have enough "left in the tank". What will Orton's excuse be?
In the last year, Randy Orton has gotten to work with legends (Shawn Michaels), top in-ring performers (Triple H), incredibly popular stars (Jeff Hardy), and the number one pushed wrestler in the company today (John Cena). To put it another way, Orton has never had to carry the load. JBL, while arguably one of the best talkers in recent memory, has never been a leader in the ring. He can brag all he wants (both in character and real life) about his WWE Title run on Smackdown. The simple truth of the matter is, unless Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero or John Cena were pushing him and guiding him to good matches, JBL was dull in the ring. A stiff clothesline doesn't change that. If Orton vs. JBL, which already has one knock against it being a heel vs. heel match (meaning fans have no one to cheer for, or care about) succeeds, then Orton will have proven he can carry a match on his shoulders. If it bombs, then WWE will have to consider whether they are wasting time pushing a wrestler as a top star who can't bring the best out of others.
Bringing out someone's best will most likely not be a problem for the other feud WWE is taking a chance with, Batista vs. Shawn Michaels. Riding the wave of emotion from Ric Flair's retirement, this feud looks to be Batista's chance to top his run with the Undertaker from last year, as well as the Triple H feud that made him a star. Working with Shawn Michaels brings out the best in people. Whether the fans cheer Batista for looking to destroy "the man who retired Ric Flair" or boo him for not realizing that "Flair's okay with it", there should be a lot of crowd reaction for what, on paper, is a babyface vs. babyface feud. The direction WWE takes Batista and Michaels in on the mic will decide what kind of feud this will truly be, but it would appear at the base level, neither of them is going to turn heel. Rather this looks to be a storyline with a "shoot" element to it, something WWE has shied away from in recent years, and that is where the company is taking a chance here.
When Batista made the comment on Smackdown that "Shawn Michaels doesn't do jobs", it probably evoked one of three reactions from a viewer. Either they groaned over a "shoot storyline" in the worked world of pro wrestling, they popped for Batista pointing out HBK's infamous crybaby past, or they said to themselves "What the hell does that mean?" More than once, especially if you look back at WCW, shoot storylines have been totally ineffective because the people writing the storylines think the audience knows more than they really do. Not every fan is aware that Michaels used to "lose his smile" whenever he had to drop a championship. Today's audience is much more familiar with the Shawn Michaels that put over John Cena and gives back to the business. So, while Batista-Michaels will be exciting matches, WWE is taking a risk on fans not quite understanding the promos surrounding them. Explanations may be needed to make this work.
Will these two feuds help WWE "keep the train rolling" after Wrestlemania, or will they flop and quickly be discarded? We should know the answer by the end of Backlash.
PWInsider.com
This year, WWE is looking to continue some Wrestlemania issues (Undertaker vs. Edge, Kane vs. Chavo Guerrero) and is also throwing some new feuds in the mix (Big Show vs. Great Khali), as well as bringing back some past issues that were re-started at Wrestlemania (MVP-Matt Hardy). However, WWE is also doing something they often shy away from. They are taking some chances. They are booking two feuds that break away from recent WWE storylines. One has the potential to deliver very good matches and possibly elevate one of the performers in a big way. The other, quite frankly, will put a top star in a "put up or shut up" situation that could very well determine what his WWE future holds for him. One feud is an extension of a recent moment that captivated wrestling fans. The other, quite honestly, came from left field, with no one predicting it. Let's look at these two feuds.
When JBL made the move to return to the ring on Raw following his successful tenure as a commentator on Smackdown, it seemed obvious what he was doing. Return to the ring, collect a Wrestlemania payday, then go back behind the microphone. Instead, JBL is back on a full-time schedule, and like his character stated from the start, he wants the WWE Championship. This has led to the rather head scratching move of JBL challenging fellow heel Randy Orton. Yep, an out-of-shape but verbally superior JBL vs. an athletically gifted but charismatically impaired Orton for the WWE Title. For JBL, it is one last run at the top, where we'll see if his body can hold up (we know his promos will). For Orton, it is a test, probably the biggest test of his career. If JBL fails here, it's because he wasn't in good enough shape, or because he didn't have enough "left in the tank". What will Orton's excuse be?
In the last year, Randy Orton has gotten to work with legends (Shawn Michaels), top in-ring performers (Triple H), incredibly popular stars (Jeff Hardy), and the number one pushed wrestler in the company today (John Cena). To put it another way, Orton has never had to carry the load. JBL, while arguably one of the best talkers in recent memory, has never been a leader in the ring. He can brag all he wants (both in character and real life) about his WWE Title run on Smackdown. The simple truth of the matter is, unless Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero or John Cena were pushing him and guiding him to good matches, JBL was dull in the ring. A stiff clothesline doesn't change that. If Orton vs. JBL, which already has one knock against it being a heel vs. heel match (meaning fans have no one to cheer for, or care about) succeeds, then Orton will have proven he can carry a match on his shoulders. If it bombs, then WWE will have to consider whether they are wasting time pushing a wrestler as a top star who can't bring the best out of others.
Bringing out someone's best will most likely not be a problem for the other feud WWE is taking a chance with, Batista vs. Shawn Michaels. Riding the wave of emotion from Ric Flair's retirement, this feud looks to be Batista's chance to top his run with the Undertaker from last year, as well as the Triple H feud that made him a star. Working with Shawn Michaels brings out the best in people. Whether the fans cheer Batista for looking to destroy "the man who retired Ric Flair" or boo him for not realizing that "Flair's okay with it", there should be a lot of crowd reaction for what, on paper, is a babyface vs. babyface feud. The direction WWE takes Batista and Michaels in on the mic will decide what kind of feud this will truly be, but it would appear at the base level, neither of them is going to turn heel. Rather this looks to be a storyline with a "shoot" element to it, something WWE has shied away from in recent years, and that is where the company is taking a chance here.
When Batista made the comment on Smackdown that "Shawn Michaels doesn't do jobs", it probably evoked one of three reactions from a viewer. Either they groaned over a "shoot storyline" in the worked world of pro wrestling, they popped for Batista pointing out HBK's infamous crybaby past, or they said to themselves "What the hell does that mean?" More than once, especially if you look back at WCW, shoot storylines have been totally ineffective because the people writing the storylines think the audience knows more than they really do. Not every fan is aware that Michaels used to "lose his smile" whenever he had to drop a championship. Today's audience is much more familiar with the Shawn Michaels that put over John Cena and gives back to the business. So, while Batista-Michaels will be exciting matches, WWE is taking a risk on fans not quite understanding the promos surrounding them. Explanations may be needed to make this work.
Will these two feuds help WWE "keep the train rolling" after Wrestlemania, or will they flop and quickly be discarded? We should know the answer by the end of Backlash.
PWInsider.com