Main Event:
I liked the opening segment to set up the main event.
Nice match! Both guys looked like capable performers. Of course, it's going to be important to see how they match up with other superstars.
I didn't really like the PTP/Tensai/Brodus segment due to its subject matter. This is crazy. They're more talented than this.
Other than the dancing, I really liked Tensai vs. Titus. Two talented "big men". It wouldn't surprise me if Titus moves up the card some day.
Everything else from yesterday is after the break.
Alberto Del Rio said in an interview that WWE's last tour of Mexico didn't go well, with not much merchandise sold. They're avoiding the market for the time being. That's a shame.
Shawn Michaels talked, saying he misses being in the ring. No, I don't think that means he'll come out of retirement.
Jerry Lawler also talked on a number of topics.
El Generico has passed all of his medical tests and is now officially a part of the WWE roster. He's expected to report to developmental sometime in February.
Dixie Carter spoke, confirming an eventual UK PPV among other things. Sounds like big things are coming for TNA.
A number of independent talents will be evaluated at NXT in the next month.
WWE has released Gavin Reid from his NXT deal. He only has one NXT match on record. It doesn't sound like a big loss.
It is now somewhat up in the air as to whether The Undertaker will be able to wrestle at WrestleMania this year. The plan was for him to face C.M. Punk. It's always a big match and presumably a big draw when Taker wrestles, so I hope he's around on the grounds that Punk gets a big rub from working with him.
WWE has dropped the Intercontinental Cup idea.
WWE has moved a Smackdown taping on 4/16 from Charlotte, NC to the University of Tennessee. That's a shame. Hopefully they come back in the future and I can attend.
A lot of the WWE roster was stuck in San Diego due to flight problems.
For my take on yesterday's PWInsider.com questions:
1. Their theory makes a lot of sense. I'm always partial to Kane ending it to finally close out their rivalry. I definitely think they should have one last match when one of them retires.
2. Enough!
3. Not so much that they suck, but that they aren't quite at Rock's level. Cena kind of got cocky in his match and that led to his downfall. Either way, they do usually send the message that the part-timers and Cena are pretty far ahead of almost everyone else. Sometimes Big Show, too.
Nothing to add to 4 or 5.
More wrestling tomorrow.
Man, I guess we're on opposite sides of the fence here with the PTP/Tensai backstage bit and the Titus/Tensai match itself. I personally found humor in the backstage bit from both PTP members. I think the difference between them doing it versus most other wrestlers embracing humor is that PTP's gimmick is built around humor. I give them and guys like Santino a pass with the humor. Other guys like Tensai or Rock really need to still prove their toughness and "fire" if they're gonna go that route.
ReplyDeleteI personally didn't think much of the Tensai/O'Neil match from Titus' end. All I really saw from him was powerslams and punches. I know he's not built around being a Shawn Michaels-type performer, but I wasn't impressed, personally. If he gets into singles competition, he will have a lot to prove.
I'm noting a common theme in a lot of these new guys who have just turned face (Miz vs Otunga and now Tensai vs Titus) in that the WWE tries to get the crowd behind them by having them fall behind early in the match and then seem heroic in rebounding after their opponents' onslaught to the tune of a victory. I can personally see through it, but I think it makes sense and is a good way to build more credibility with them being good guys now.
To me, I think the humor and dancing with Tensai is moreso to 1) show a different side to him and 2) to give him characteristics of a good guy. Yes, he has been built to be a serious tough guy, but I don't mind a small change of the guard as long as he maintains some of his aggression here and there. Do you get what I mean there?
To me, this is EXACTLY what C.M. Punk was talking about the other week. Today's WWE is about dancing giants, leprechauns, imaginary friends, catch-phrases, and putting smiles on little kids' faces. That's fine for the kids, but there's a large adult population who wants to see something a little more "advanced" and hard workers getting their due.
ReplyDeleteI just don't find humor in grown men in lingerie anymore. And to me PTP and Santino still need to prove that they can go in the ring.
I think you just don't like Titus. Is he a top-tier talent? No. But he's continuing to get the hang of it and improve. He's shown a marked improvement since even Season 5. I don't know if I'd go this far myself yet, but I've even seen some say he's a potential main eventer down the line.
That's been going on for quite some time. WWE matches have a tendency to be formulaic in places.
I don't see it as a small change. It's night and day from his original gimmick. I get what you're thinking, but I think he's better than being stuck in the middle of the tag team division in something of a comedy role. Why not give that spot to Fandango or someone else who's not doing much of anything? I'd even be ok with them putting Otunga there if I felt that he and Brodus could put on decent enough matches for it to be worthwhile.
Tensai at one point had credibility to battle with main eventers. That's not easy to come by and they shouldn't have thrown it away. It's not like Ryder or Santino are doing big things now that they've beaten someone with such a size advantage over them. Total waste of a monster heel who's paid his dues and shown his worth. Again, WWE has the wrong priorities: comedy and kids' stuff instead of talented wrestlers cutting good promos and wrestling good matches.
Eh, I personally don't mind the humor segments unless it's TOO often. I think people in our age bracket and even older don't mind the humor as much with it being more about entertainment. Personally, I think after working or going to school for hours and hours and as long as there's still serious competition going on in the other 2.75 hours of the show, it's worthy of a pass.
ReplyDeleteI will say this...I was not a fan at all of Titus when he was a face. I really disliked his promos, limited ability, stale promos, and pandering to the audience. Now, he has shown a decent amount of "fire" and entertainment, but I don't consider him a formidable, sustainable main roster guy as a singles wrestler until he can prove his worth more in the ring.
With all of these wrestlers that were in developmentals emerging, the U.S. and I.C. Titles gaining more credibility, and him almost being 36 years old added to him needing to grow in the ring, I personally don't view Titus as even a U.S. Title guy now or in the near future, and certainly not in the World Title picture with so many more talented guys being held back from it on top of him. We'll see what happens.
I partially see your point with the comedy, though. I definitely am against comedy if it's a bit too strenuous or if I see a certain character not showing any fire or aggression away from it. Sheamus, for example, likes to be humorous in his promos a lot, but definitely shows that aggression in the ring to back it up.
With Tensai, I just think part of the justification with him having humorous segments lately is because the seriousness and one-dimensional aggression he had going just wasn't going anywhere. He's still got aggression, but it's added with some humor. Now, fans are already cheering him and he's gaining more traction as a good guy.
For me, the bottom line is I give the humor for the WWE in general a pass if 1) I still see good competition and 2) It's not going too far and 3) With it having Entertainment attached to the company name. For John Cena, however, I definitely am a bit frustrated with his lack of aggression and focus on humor.
I see a good deal of complaints about some of the more off-the-wall segments. There are plenty of outlets out there for silly stuff like fart jokes and men in lingerie. There aren't nearly as many for scripted competition. WWE has a lot of talented people who aren't on TV or aren't used to their best ability because WWE isn't a "wrestling company".
ReplyDeleteIt's weird to me that you like someone as limited in the ring as Otunga but not Titus. They're really not that far separated in ring skill. Titus probably shows more fire in the ring.
Titus isn't as solid as some of these other guys out there, but he's growing. If WWE's willing to give pushes to Khali, Show, Tensai, etc., I don't see them hesitating with him. I do think he needs some more experience at any rate.
To me, the show's about being the champion and all that kind of stuff. It comes across as kind of cocky to be treating your opponents as jokes. Not everyone needs to be super-serious, but there are points where it seems like characters care more about cracking people up than beating their opponent (Cena is a huge offender here). The whole business model is getting people to tune in/pay for matches and that should be their focus.
They could have done a good deal better with Tensai. They've shown in the past couple of years with Kane, Henry, and Big Show that serious big guys can be serious threats. They could have tweaked his character without turning him ridiculous. He's too good at being big, quick, and imposing to waste in a comedy tag team.
I just think of the better uses they could be putting the time to than humor. There are talented people stuck working internet shows and live events as basically nobodies while Khali and Hornswoggle are regulars. I get that they're "entertainment" but I don't think that implicitly means that they have to do silly stuff.
Maybe if the humor was less juvenile I'd feel different, but a lot of it's pretty childish.
I can see how there could be some of the die-hard fans who may shift away from the odd humor and I know some just watch for the wrestling element moreso than the humor. I get that, but with it being entertainment, others should note that any way to get a rise out of the crowd and those at home is fair game, and Tensai did do that.
ReplyDeleteThe way I take it is that I do know some have noted WWE to be very reserved since the Attitude Era and it was definitely a surprising, yet entertaining shock to see that Tensai segment, which is the purpose of the company, though. Even though humorous male lingerie segments are a bit odd, it was kind of a humorous flashback to some of the humorous segments back in the day. Like I mentioned, I personally don't have any issues with it unless the company is trying too hard to gain humor traction or if Tensai lost all of his aggression.
I definitely find it a bit odd myself that I am a fan of Otunga and not Titus. Let me clarify that I don't think Otunga is World Title-worthy at this point. The main differences in why I see more in Otunga is that 1) He has more "star" potential as an entertainer with his movie work and wife, 2) He's 4-5 years younger than Titus, and 3) I see more natural charisma and hateability with him. If he gets better in the ring, I see him is a formidable U.S./I.C. Title guy. I definitely think Titus lacks too much to be a main eventer down the line.
I respect your point-of-view about some segments being a bit childish. I guess it really depends on each fan's preferences, which can create a lot of heat to the company.
My main beef with the silly segments is moreso about believability and storyline progression moreso than it being juvenile, personally. I can understand your beef, though.
For example, I felt the humor to build Tensai credibility as a face made to get over with the fans a bit made sense. On the other hand, Khali dancing, calling himself a "Punjabi Playboy" when he can't even talk, and even him getting air time with his weaknesses really is a head-scratcher. What do you think? I know you're not as high on Khali and it is indeed probably moreso a cultural popularity aspect with him.
I'd be less upset about it if it wasn't someone so talented getting such a big de-push. He seems like the prototype for a guy Vince would push. Solid training background (Killer Kowalski and Dory Funk, Jr.), size, speed (for his size), etc.. He had a pretty solid run in Japan and gave that up to come back to WWE.
ReplyDeleteWWE shouldn't have to resort to him wearing lingerie and singing Christmas carols on live events for him to make a mark, even as a face. They've seriously failed if that's the best way they can think of to endear him to people.
I don't find it funny in the least. If I wanted to see that kind of thing, there are plenty of outlets for it. It's embarrassing to be a wrestling fan with segments like that, Santa being run over, and Mae Young giving birth to Hornswoggle. I think that's a big reason people don't watch anymore. Sometimes it's not about being the top guy or championships or wins and losses. It's about farting Divas and Star Wars references and all that kind of stuff. I don't think it's a coincidence that things got hotter when Nexus and Lesnar were on a tear and everyone treated them like a threat.
I will say that Otunga really has something as far as his fiancee and movie work. Honestly, if he didn't have that I don't know how far he'd make it in WWE. WWE can get some buzz by him being out and about. Age is important, though I don't think Titus is out of the running to be a big deal at 35, and he's only 3 years older than Otunga. And charisma I'm not so sure about anymore. Titus has really picked it up in that department. He sounds much more smooth than he did when he started out.
I still think Otunga has a good ways to go to compete with the current U.S./IC level guys. Again, if it wasn't for his talking ability and the celebrity/movie aspects, I could easily see him in NXT or on Superstars. He just doesn't really impress as a wrestler. Titus could of course be better, but is doing a good enough job as a power guy. I think he might could surprise us if he got more time and the right opponents. I don't know about future main eventer, but I can see him moving up the card.
And I respect that some fans like the comedy segments or don't mind them. I used to eat a lot of it up, too. It's just frustrating to go from great displays of athleticism and solid mic work to the sillier stuff. It reminds me of how people hate Jar Jar Binks and wish he wasn't a part of Star Wars because there are so many good characters in that series and if that's your main impression of the movies, it kind of sours you.
Khali's just... bad. Like dangerous bad. But WWE likes that he appeals to such a large market in India (where he is apparently a celebrity) and his size. I guess he's kind of like Shaquille O'Neal in that regard (near the end of his career)? Not an amazing technical ball-player but popular and useful in certain roles. I don't mind Khali being around to give a big win to Cesaro, but other than that I don't really like seeing him. It goes back to all those guys in and out of the company busting their asses to make it to Raw or Smackdown, sometimes for over a decade, and not getting that spot. Obviously some guys aren't as marketable as Cena, but there's got to be SOME way they can make use of all that talent. If you can't tell, that Punk promo the other week really spoke to me.
My perspective with the humor is that segments that make no sense storyline-wise or just completely are illogical just don't belong with the company. You make a good point in that even though this is entertainment in any way possible, way too many guys have been given little tv time. Segments like Del Rio running over Santa and Hornswoggle's "birth" really aren't justified enough from a storyline aspect or just aren't comprehensible enough to justify keeping up-and-coming stars off of tv.
ReplyDeleteHowever, if the humor segments make sense from a storyline and aren't so off-the-wall that they are semi-logical, I don't mind them. An example being Tensai's face turn humor segments. Though I obviously don't like to see men in lingerie, I can understand why it's happening (unlike Mae Young's "birth" segment).
Most of the time, to me, there aren't too many ridiculous segments like the Mae Young one. It's often on holiday shows and whatnot. If it did happen more often, I honestly would lose some faith and respect for the company.
With Otunga and O'Neil's future, though it is seemingly a small difference from age 32 (Otunga) and 35 (O'Neil), I think three years can prove a good amount enough for the difference to matter. I think since Otunga has proven a good amount OUTSIDE of the ring and with his personality, if he proves more in the ring, I can see him possibly being a mid-level champion within a few years.
Most of my stance is completely hypothetical with the WWE's stances on pushes being so fickle, but Titus is at a disadvantage being almost 36 and still having his limits in the ring. Though he has proven a lot since his heel turn and doesn't need to be a superstar wrestler in this company, I think being that age and not gaining even a small amount of credibility until he was 35 doesn't help much.
You made the point about Kane and Big Show being 40+ and not losing much traction, but they have been sustainable guys in the company with a lot of longevity in which they've established a lot of credibility in and out of the company. I think for Titus to be at that level, it will be really hard with a lot of hurdles to run over.
That being said, I wouldn't put it past Titus to eventually be a U.S. or I.C. Title guy. However, with the WWE's past history with big guys and with Titus still being a project, he may slide down the ranks eventually.
Your stance on Khali mirrors mine. Would you think if Khali didn't have the international presence and credibility he currently has there along with his size that he wouldn't even be in the company? I mean, with this being ENTERTAINMENT, the man can't even talk in English, so how is he expected to get over with the fans in this country? On top of that, he is really limited in the ring, so he's not going to "wow" anyone with his ability, either. That goes hand-in-hand with what you mentioned about time management and how other guys are victimized by someone like Khali. It is a shame, man.
I would also venture to say (though you would know this more than I would) that many of these guys who are either in the Independents or on TNA have left the company due to instances like Khali gaining exposure or the sometimes ridiculous humor that leaves more talented people off of television.
You're right that there aren't just an abundance of comedy segments/promos. It's just that a lot of them feel out of place on a show about winning titles and matches. I think a lot of it is that I feel it's kind of "executive meddling" where someone in management thinks it will be funny and they go with it (more so than thinking it will be a good idea that advances characters and storylines). I do like some comedy segments and think they have some place. It's just the humor of each individual piece I measure. And again, the general purpose of the show, to me, is to sell matches and elevate superstars so that people buy PPVs, merch, and tickets.
ReplyDeleteOf course a lot of times it just comes down to whether Management likes you or not! It will be really interesting to see what happens as Triple H gains power. Titus seems more motivated in the ring lately, and if Management's paying attention that will help him. I just don't see much fire from Otunga when he's wrestling, but it could just be that he's going for a more "cerebral" style instead of coming hard and fast.
It's hard to tell where either man will be in a few years since any number of things can happen (gimmick change, splitting up/joining a tag team, Creative/Management changes, injuries, new signings, retirements, etc.).
That said, I don't think age is going to be a massive factor. Maybe if Titus was 38 or 39, but I think he's still got time to improve.
I don't really see him reaching Kane or Big Show's level. Not because he's not talented, but because those two are bona fide Hall of Famers with over 15 years of experience each. But reaching the top of the card some day wouldn't be a massive surprise IF he continues to work hard and maybe gets some lucky breaks. But yeah, he has to make it through the U.S./IC level first and I personally don't see him as a future main eventer yet. I've just seen a former WWE writer and a PWTorch journalist peg him as such. It's an interesting hypothesis at least.
It's weird to me that you talk up Otunga but you only see him reaching the U.S. or IC Title in a few years. I wouldn't be shocked by that and he could very well earn it (though he has a lot of competition). For whatever reason I pictured you rating him higher.
I don't see Khali making it far at all if he wasn't so big and popular in India. Those are the only two reasons I can think of to defend him! He's purely an "attraction" style wrestler.
I know that Batista was specifically upset with the PG direction and Eve made a remark at one point about the Chris Masters "dancing chest" gimmick being ridiculous (the implication being that she's more talented than being stuck with him doing that). Other than that, most people who have left the company have been released so it was Management's decision, not theirs. I'm sure there are people who are upset that talent is misused,though. Punk, Ryder, Hawkins, JTG, and Michael McGillicutty have all made remarks at one point or another about either themselves or others not being featured as they should be.