By Scott Bowden
September 29, 2005
KFR Mailbag: Scott Bowden answers your e-mails, discussing Triple H’s return as part of WWE HOMECOMING, and talking SMACK’. Plus, one fan delivers bad news in the form of really bad lyrics.
ANYONE UP FOR DEGENERATION Y?
Is it just me, or did WWE miss the boat on Trips’ return? During the Carlito/Masters - HBK/Flair tag match a few weeks ago on RAW, when Michaels wound up in a handicap match because Flair was laying in a “bloody” heap backstage, am I the only one who expected the D-X music to hit and the Game to come running out in the black and green? I wasn’t even paying attention to the match because of the anticipation. What a letdown.
--Michael Hodge
Bowden: Yeah, Michael, I’m pretty sure you were the only one waiting for that scenario. One positive about Trips: He’s usually moving forward with his gimmick, so while a return of DX has been teased in the past, it’ll never happen. DX was a right-place, right-time gimmick for Trips that enabled him to lose the snooty Hunter Hearst-Helmsley persona—which was mired in prelims and the mid-card at best—in favor of the more hardcore, hip Triple H. (Granted, Helmsley also benefited from doing promos with Shawn Michaels, whose HBK cockiness and attitude undoubtedly rubbed off on the young star in 1997.)
Trips has since lost the jeans-and-leather look that defined the DX-HHH in favor of the tailor-made look that worked for years for Ric Flair as World champion. (I’ve gotten used to seeing behemoths like HHH and Batista wearing suits, but at first it seemed ridiculously of place and out of character—not to mention uncomfortable.)
Months ago, Jim Ross promised a Triple H we’ve “never seen before” upon return, so I doubt seriously he’ll be part of a heel faction. (We can only hope he’s ridded himself of the mutton chops, which quite frankly made him look like SUPER SIZE ME’s Morgan Spurlock on the juice.)
That being said, I think Trips’ return might get lost in the shuffle with such a loaded card; however, there’s no way he was going to sit this one out. Plus, with Ric Flair gushing about their friendship the last few weeks, you just have the feeling that perhaps a feud between the two is in the offing. Problem is, a deal-breaking rift between the two has been teased so many times that I’m not sure if WWE hasn’t missed out on what could have been a money-making feud. (I thought they were finally going to pull the trigger after Randy Orton defeated Flair in the cage, and the Nature Boy shook his hand afterward.)
Trips returning to attack Flair seems a little anti-climatic at this point, but that may just be the best scenario they have for the 10-time World champ right now, with Angle and Cena picking up steam. While I can’t imagine Trips being out of the World title picture for long, I think even he realizes that it would be a mistake to include himself back in the hunt so quickly after growing stale as champ during his last run. Better for him to get involved a strong personal feud upon his return, with a challenge to Cena not too far off in the distance. Flair’s probably the best option, as I just can’t see a Flair/Trips vs. Carlito/Chris Masters tag feud.
As for DX, it’s dead. Without Michaels or Trips, a reunion just wouldn’t work, and they’ve clearly moved on. Plus, it’s unlikely the company would dig up fellow degenerates Chyna, Sean Waltman or Mr. Ass again just to resurrect the gimmick.
TALKIN’ SMACK’
As far as SMACKDOWN! goes...why not have Randy Orton going after Batista? I mean, Batista did play a big part in Randy Orton losing his World Championship Belt. Seems like it’d make sense that his character be somewhat resentful about that and they did have an awesome match before. Still, they have yet to even come face to face on SMACKDOWN! as Randy feuds with the Undertaker. Don’t get me wrong, it made sense that JBL be the first opponent of Batista, since JBL lost his title to a RAW-bound Cena.
After that, I think it would have made sense to have had a #1 contender match, Undertaker vs. Randy Orton as opposed to just naming Eddie as the #1 contender. I will admit, I love Eddie as a heel...but he did lose so many times to Rey Mysterio before beating him just once. How can he be taken seriously as a #1 contender when he’s gotten just 1 win in the last 2 months or so? They completely teased us when Teddy Long was about to name Rey as the #1 contender. Rey did beat JBL last week, why not make him the little engine that could?
Back to Orton, do you have any idea in hell why they decided that he suddenly needs his father’s help? When he was on RAW he won the World Heavyweight Title over Benoit without any interference during their match but suddenly he comes to SMACKDOWN! and needs his father’s help in every match? That makes no sense. What do you think of an Batista/Orton feud? I think it makes sense to put two of the business’ brightest young stars in the ring together! I don’t know why WWE “Creative” doesn’t see this. Triple H used to refer to SMACKDOWN! as the “minor leagues”; the way things are set up now though...I’d say they’re equal and maybe SMACKDOWN! even has more talent. As an example, RAW is pushing Rob Conway, who as you said is...”nowhere-bound.” Meanwhile, SMACKDOWN! is pushing a well-polished and pretty entertaining young man named Ken Kennedy. Comparing the two guys in the ring and on the mic is like comparing the two “brands.” Conway, much like RAW, is getting old quick. Meanwhile, Ken Kennedy, much like SMACKDOWN! is very entertaining and grows on you.
--Nicholas
Bowden: I believe the company is saving Orton vs. Batista for WRESTLEMANIA, provided they don’t take the belt off the Animal before that. For all the reasons you mentioned, there’s a helluva story waiting to be told there, as the two former friends in the hottest heel faction in the company the last couple of years still have a score to settle with one another. If handled correctly, a Batista/Orton feud could be an intriguing draw on the SMACKDOWN! side. I think the company’s been smart in not jumping the gun and rushing the feud, especially with the Orton/Undertaker issue left over from WRESTLEMANIA. (They’ve nearly dropped the ball there, too, with all the hokey skits.)
Plus, as you mentioned from my previous column, it probably made sense for Batista to get past JBL first to truly make the World champ seem like the dominant player on SMACKDOWN!—I just wish it hadn’t taken two PPV bouts to reach that point.
Ideally, Undertaker will truly put Orton over in the end (unlike the outdated, ’80ish-like finish at SUMMERSLAM), positioning the Legend Killer as a legit threat to regain the strap from Batista. (Notice I said “ideally.”) As far as pairing up the Ortons, I think it’s a good idea, especially with Randy back in his natural heel role. The interference doesn’t bother me, as valets/managers interfering for the heels has been a mainstay of the business for years—old-school heat. The aforementioned SUMMERSLAM finish doesn’t apply here, as it didn’t annoy me that Cowboy Bob interfered…I simply didn’t like the execution of the angle b/c I felt it made Undertaker and announcer Tazz appear like buffoons. (Bob as a disguised fan out of the audience? Atrocious.) Still, Randy should get a fairly clean win in the blow-off, as he’s an integral of the company’s future, while ‘Taker’s appeal is only out of our fondness for nostalgia.
I agree with you to an extent about Ken Kennedy, although I think his personality is a little too over the top to be taken too seriously right now. Once he gets settled, though, I think the guy’s got serious potential—eventually as a hot babyface character. Kennedy’s the type who fans will be dying to cheer for a year from now, if not sooner. Besides, his finisher looks amazing.
Another scenario to watch for down the line: I’m thinking perhaps Edge defeats Matt Hardy at HOMECOMING to remain on RAW, sending the latter superstar to UPN. However, Edge himself makes the jump to SD! around WRESTLEMANIA to cash in his World title shot. With Guerrero, Orton and possibly Edge on tap, Batista has a strong selection of heels to work with over the next six to eight months. Such a move would also enable Hardy and Edge to rekindle their feud down the line…perhaps with even the World title in the balance.
In closing, I agree with you that WWE rushed naming Eddie Guerrero the No. 1 contender after he did so many jobs for Rey Mysterio over the last five months. Seems like Guerrero could have used one more win in a high-profile match to warrant a challenge to Batista. The company certainly hasn’t done themselves any favors by portraying Guerrero as a hapless comedic figure. I know humor is what got him over for years, but I thought perhaps his character had turned the corner (a la the newly intense Kurt Angle on RAW) with his intense promos of late regarding Mysterio. I don’t understand how the current skits are supposed to sell a World title match between Guerrero and Batista—but then I suppose that’s why Stephanie McMahon turned me down for a WWE writing job.
FOOL’S GOLD?
1) TNA claims that their NWA title is the true descendant of the “10 pounds of gold.”
Bowden: Correct.
2) WWE inadvertently backs up this claim by listing Triple H as the first “World Heavyweight Champion” (from his defeat of Flair on that one RAW years ago) on their site.
Bowden: Actually, Trips became World champ after Eric Bischoff handed him Big Goldy following the brand split with SMACKDOWN!—tainting the WWE title win of Brock Lesnar over the Rock. The belt seemed to pick up steam following Triple H’s win over Flair, which was a great angle that unfolded in one night on RAW.
3) Which is to say the belt Batista holds is now somehow not the belt the Rock won from Booker T at SUMMERSLAM 01?
Bowden: Rock won the WCW title from Booker T, which was later unified with the WWE title. However, instead of having one Undisputed WWE World champ to face both SMACKDOWN! and RAW superstars (making the belt special and unique once again), the decision was made to create a new World championship for the RAW side. The story goes that Trips at that point thought that the IC title was beneath him and helped push the idea of a new World title—although he can’t be solely to blame.
4) Also wasn’t there an active NWA when Flair took the big belt to WWF in 91? At what point did that belt stop being the NWA title and start being the WCW title? Before Lugar beat Windham for that ugly WCW title in 91?
Bowden: Indeed the NWA was active, but by that time WCW was no longer a member (Ted Turner mistakenly thought the NWA name was included in the purchase of WCW), so the title Flair took to WWF in 1991 was really the WCW World belt.
5) At what point did the ugly WCW belt become the proverbial “10 lbs.” again?
Bowden: Around the time Flair left WWF to return to WCW the first time, Bill Watts was helping run WCW, with the Cowboy building up the heritage of the NWA name. This was supposed to culminate with a big Unification match, I believe, between the WCW and NWA World champions, possibly at 1993’s STARRCADE. Masa Chono won a tournament final over Rick Rude to become champion and was awarded Big Goldy, which had been returned to WCW months earlier.
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The Atlanta-based promotion continued to promote their own WCW World champion (Vader, Sting, Luger, etc.) as the NWA World title bounced from Chono to Muta to Barry Windham…to Flair. I believe when WCW had Flair drop the NWA title to the late Rick Rude without consulting the NWA board (not to mention breaking kayfabe at the spoiler-friendly TV tapings in Orlando in the process), it caused the Alliance to strip their recognition of Rude as the titlist. In an amateurish move, WCW began promoting the title as “the big belt” and later the “WCW International World title.” (If my timeline is off on this, I’m sure one of you marks can set me straight.)
6) Doesn’t all of this mean that Jericho was never really the undisputed champion (I mean they booked it like it might as well not have happened anyway)?
Bowden: I think it just means Jericho’s reign is disputed after the fact. Kidding. I suppose in theory the Jericho win meant that the WCW and WWE titles were united; however, with the creation of Triple H’s RAW World title, it seems like they shouldn’t have bothered.
7) Does this all mean that the NWA title became the WCW “World Heavyweight Championship” and then those lineages ended when Jericho unified the titles and did not restart when Triple H beat Flair on the aforementioned RAW? This seems to be what the WWE is saying.
Bowden: Sheesh—now I’m starting to get confused. The first WCW champ was Sting, as he won the NWA World title from Flair; however, when the company didn’t renew their NWA membership, WCW began recognizing the Stinger as the “WCW champion” and not the “NWA champ.” So…Jericho’s WCW title lineage traces only back to Sting…not the Funks, Jack Brisco, Harley Race, and the like.
As part of WWE’s desperate attempt to give their new World title credibility after Bischoff forked over Big Goldy to HHH, they had Flair and Jim Ross claim that the title had NWA lineage. (They didn’t come right out and say that, but they sure as hell implied it.) However, I don’t believe WWE also didn’t want the lineage of the WCW championship, because the title bounced around so much that it was virtually meaningless by the time the company folded. Plus, with the World title the main championship on the flagship show at the time, there’s no way they’d portray what was considered the WCW title as being in higher prestige as the WWE title. (Keeping up?)
8) It also indirectly seems to be what TNA is saying (check their Spike site), and then those lineages were somehow restarted when TNA chose the NWA title as there flagship belt.
Bowden: Technically, the belt Jeff Jarrett is carrying around has the NWA lineage; however, everyone would agree that it’s lost a lot of luster since the days of Lou Thesz and later Race, Dusty Rhodes and Ric Flair. It’s almost a joke to claim it’s the same title, but technically, it’s true. I think.
9) Then again did TNA choose that belt or was TNA an NWA affiliate promotion that made it big? Or has there not been an active NWA all of this time and it has been restarted by TNA?
Bowden: I believe the Jarretts chose the NWA championship as their company title as they believed it would help give them credibility with old-school fans who had grown disenchanted with the WWE product. It’s no secret that Jerry Jarrett has always held the NWA title in high regard, so paying the licensing agreement (which I believe runs for 10 years) seemed like an attractive option at the time.
Trouble is, old-school marks like myself have a hard time buying Jeff Jarrett as a longtime NWA World champion.
Anonymous
BAD NEWS INDEED
Bowden: I feared that when I mentioned Lawler’s songs last week that someone would submit lyrics—and sure enough, an old Memphis fan did just that. Even lower, they dragged songs by the Road Warriors and the Freebirds into the fray. I feel like I’ve been hit with a steel chair—by the late Moondog Spot.
Hey, Scott, how about this:
Bad news travels like wildfire
Good news travels slow
That’s why they call me old wildfire
Cause everybody knows
That I’m bad news
Everywhere I goooooooooo
Always getting into trouble
Leavin little girls that hate to see me go
Or...
There’s gonna be a rumble...tonight!
Cause we’re the Warriors....that’s right!
There’s gonna be some trouble...tonight
Cause I’m Hawk...I’m the Animal...that’s right!
I watched the DVD and was friggin’ singing along with the entire thing, despite not having heard it in 10 years.
Bowden: That’s certainly nothing to be proud of. I should know.
Is it pathetic and wrong that I’m still waiting for a DVD to have the Badstreet USA video?
Bowden: Hmmm…well….
Bad Street, Atlanta G-A
Baddest street in the whole USA
Bad Street, nasty and hot (ew)
The further down the block you went the badder it got
(and we live on the last house on the left!)
Yet I can’t remember if my girlfriend’s birthday is on the 6th or 8th. I need help.
Bowden: Indeed.
--Mike
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