Okay. So, this is my first time doing this “column” thing. Be gentle. Or, be rough. The Don can handle it!
I've been watching Raw and lately have been entertained. This shoot-style is very appealing to me. As a 33-year old wrestling fan, I’m very partial to this style, going back to WCW.
Eric Bischoff bringing in Hall and Nash, and calling them by their real names was revolutionary. I was much younger then, and more of a mark, but this ground breaking event actually had people scratching their heads. Was this an era of WCW/WWF cooperation, or were we seeing the beginnings of a wrestling war? “Smarts” all over the world began giving their opinions, including the very young IWC, which I am proud to consider myself a member.
Even the precursor, the proverbial “first shot in the Monday Night Wars,” which saw Lex Luger jump ship to WCW within days of leaving WWF started getting fans thinking about what goes on behind closed doors in the wrestling industry. There is no doubt in my mind that the Monday Night Wars gave birth to the IWC. We, as a community, owe our very existence to it. The “Montreal Screwjob,” which gave birth to the Mr. McMahon character, surely saved the WWF.
Even the Attitude Era helped evolve the “shoot style.” Guys with idiotic, fake-as-hell gimmicks like HHH, Rock and Stone Cold were allowed to evolve their characters into something we could relate to. No one cared about the Ringmaster. But, a blue-collar guy getting over on his rich boss? Everyone could relate to that! No one cared about a preppy, snobby Helmsley. But, HHH, joining with DX and then later crippling guys with sledge hammers? Hell yeah! Rocky going around smiling like an idiot? (yawn) But, the Rock kicking ass and throwing around catch phrases rules!
Let’s look at WCW’s death. Everyone wants to blame Bischoff, Russo, AOL, Hogan, OJ Simpson and everyone else. Well, maybe, just maybe what killed WCW was stupid crap like the “finger poke of doom.” Maybe it was putting the world title, held by men like Ric Flair and Sting, around the waist of an actor who had never wrestled a match in his life! Or, could it have been Hogan wrestling a fat talk show host like Jay Leno? A LOT of things helped kill WCW. And, descending from a touch of realism to madness could have been the nail in the coffin.
My point is, (you knew I’d get to it eventually,) is that making it more real, making it make more sense, seems to work! And, now, we have this whole CM Punk/John Cena/Vince McMahon scenario. Is Punk leaving? Has he signed an agreement? How much of that promo was a shoot? I don’t know. I DON’T KNOW! And, I love it! Not knowing! Something being pitched as such a shoot that I’m not 100% sure what the hell is going to happen. I’m looking forward to the MITB Pay Per View! I want to see it! You’ve sold me on it, and that’s what you should be doing every month.
Get the pattern, WWE? Stop insulting our intelligence. Give us something that screams of realism. John Cena seemed real to me for the first time, talking to Vince without yelling, without the gimmicks, just talking to him man to man. And, Cena willing to throw down that belt for his principles? Brilliant! This was the first time I’ve actually said, “Hell yeah, Cena! You go!” Yeah, I marked out for Cena.
In the end there aren’t just Little Jimmys out there. There are some Big Jimmys. Intelligent fans who like being thrown a swerve. Could the tides in the WWE be changing? Could HHH and Steph be giving a lot more input now? HHH is an Attitude Era junkie. So is Steph. Maybe WWE is switching those fan bases again, and coming back to what brought them to the dance. The old-ass 33 year olds like me.
And, remember. Kissing the ring isn’t an option, it’s a requirement!
Don_Bronx
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