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CALDWELL'S TAKE
CALDWELL & PARKS WEEKLY CHAT 3/23: Home stretch on WM28 hype, Will Cena & Rock fight pre-Mania?, Jericho-Punk Family Feud, Impact takes a step back, Repo Games

Mar 23, 2012 - 4:34:36 PM
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On a weekly basis, PWTorch staffers James Caldwell and Greg Parks have a casual, yet insightful, Lounge-style chat reviewing the week in TV wrestling and looking ahead to what's next for key storylines, matches, and future events. An occasional "Seinfeld" or "The Office" reference is also mixed in for good measure.
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James Caldwell: This is PWTorch assistant editor James Caldwell joined by PWTorch columnist Greg Parks for our weekly TV wrestling chat. Greg, we're nine days away from WrestleMania, Rock and Cena are doing a lot of media promoting their main event, and the card has finally rounded into shape. What's your general view of the Mania hype at this stage after Monday's Raw?

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Greg Parks: I think it's been fine; it's a top-heavy card with three or four big matches and then a few undercard matches thrown in. To me, Hunter vs. Taker has the most intrigue, but I'm most looking forward to Cena vs. Rock, not because of how they've built the feud, but because of how "big" I view that match. Then the title matches are secondary behind those, but Jericho and Punk has really kicked into gear the last two weeks.

Caldwell: It feels like the Cena-Rock build-up has been too inconsistent throughout - attempts at comedy one week, trying to be serious other times, tearing each other down at other times, acting like the other is the biggest star of his respective era at other times. But, at the end of the day, it does feel like a big deal. I think that's the biggest thing they have to hammer home this Monday on Raw - forget all the fluff, tweets, and trash-talk, it's Rock vs. Cena in the same ring. As for this week's Raw, Greg, what did you think of Rock's video promo from Philly and subsequent Rock Bottom to Mark Henry in front of Cena?

Parks: I think they were both well done, given the circumstances; you couldn't have Cena and Rock do another face-to-face promo, plus it added the dimension of Rock getting physical in the ring for the first time since Survivor Series, but by no means did they give anything away by doing so.

Caldwell: That was definitely the right balance, especially since if WWE wants this to seem like a real, legit beef, they can't have Rock and Cena continue to just talk at each other when, realistically, they would be coming to blows at this point. I'd like to see a Piper's Pit segment to finalize the hype this Monday, but they could also run a contract signing - they basically need someone in the middle to play a buffer role to "ensure there is no physicality." What do you see happening in the final week of hype?

Parks: I could see something similar to that happening, for sure. It'd seem a little odd to have a contract signing a year after the match was announced, but hey, this is pro wrestling. I wonder if they tease physicality between the two or have them do something physical with each other this Monday. Like you said, if they want fans to think they have a real beef with each other, they've got to come close to coming to blows; that hasn't really happened in the past few weeks, despite each man's biting commentaries.

Caldwell: It felt like WWE scaled back this week on Raw by spotlighting Taker-Hunter-Michaels, so it will be interesting to see how much time they devote to Cena-Rock, and whether that means more than just an exchange of video promos a la Punk and Jericho this week, or if they tease coming to blows, as you mentioned. As for Punk-Jericho, they continued to incorporate Punk's family into the build-up. I don't anticipate "family members" becoming involved in their Mania match (perhaps at Extreme Rules in Chicago, though), so how do you see this family-driven aspect being incorporated into their Mania match, or will it? And, what did you think of Jericho's promo and Punk's response?

Parks: I expect Jericho to go for a kill shot this week, complete with props and everything. If not this week, then at Mania. I don't see Punk's family getting involved either until, like you said, the next PPV in Chicago, mostly because this new angle has given the feud legs to take it past Mania, and I think this feud could last a few months. Hopefully, since the heavy focus has been on Rock vs. Cena and Taker vs. Hunter the last few weeks, Punk vs. Jericho will get that hard sell this week on the go-home show.

Caldwell: I see the match going one of two ways - Punk gets the feel-good Mania victory a la Edge over Alberto Del Rio for the World Title last year when it would have made sense for Del Rio to win, or Jericho wins via nefarious means and they lead to "MITB II" in Chicago with Punk regaining the WWE Title. Because, if Punk retains at Mania, I just don't see Jericho or this program having enough juice to draw buys the next month at Extreme Rules. Jericho could do something nuts like hold Punk's family hostage to get the re-match, but that might feel more like a TV angle than something worth ordering a PPV to see play out in the ring. So, with all that said, Greg, what do you see as the most likely outcome?

Parks: I see Punk overcoming Jericho to retain at Mania. They would have to do something to get Jericho a re-match at Extreme Rules, so they could do a screwy finish (Jericho gets his foot on the rope, ref doesn't see it) or something like that. Then again, if John Laurinaitis wins his battle of the GMs match, he could just give Jericho another match for no real reason. But yeah, with all Jericho has been throwing at Punk, it would seem a little strange to have Punk lose. That said, it wouldn't shock me if he did.

Caldwell: The post-match could be key, similar to when Jericho beat Edge at Mania a few years ago, but Edge got the final word with a post-match attack and spear...Spear...SPEAR!. The roles are reversed, though, with Jericho the heel challenger instead of heel champion. So, that should be quite fascinating. As for the main event segment this week, Greg, what did you think of Taker, Hunter, and Michaels in the same ring together?

Parks: I thought they did a nice job, but it didn't blow me away for as much as they hyped the three-way encounter. I did like the ending line where Taker said HBK was better than Hunter, along with Shawn's smirk and Triple H looking not-so-happy with Michaels for it. Good way to end things.

Caldwell: I feel like something is missing or not quite crystal clear or one too many balls in the air, but at the same time, it's just nice, solid, professional, and achieving the objective. I'm with you that it didn't blow me away, but I thought Michaels simplified things at the end to make it seem like he's not 100 percent on Triple H's side as special ref. I feel like the match itself has to be clean since they can't have Michaels do something to cost either man the match because then there would be no payoff since Michaels can't wrestle again, but I think Michaels "trying to steal the show" as special referee can add something intriguing to the match in addition to the Cell structure. This is one of those matches where the outcome isn't in question in my mind, so I'll be really interested to see how the story unfolds at Mania. Any other thoughts on Taker-Hunter-Michaels at this point?

Parks: I don't think so, and we've hit on the other big matches, so what about the battle of the GMs? Even though the teams haven't been fully named yet, who's your pick to come out on the winning side?

Caldwell: In general, Mania is the place where the heels get their comeuppance and the faces get their triumphs, so I would have to say Teddy Long, followed by some sort of storyline development in the weeks to follow Mania that will reset the authority figure position on Raw. Or, Laurinaitis finds a technicality via the legal skills of David Otunga, Esq. to get back his position, and they're right back where they were before Mania. On the Livecast yesterday, I proposed a few big changes that could follow Mania, but, at the end of the day, I see WWE holding this thing steady and returning everyone to where they were after Mania. How do you see it playing out?

Parks: I just don't think WWE is giving up on the John Laurinaitis character, and I think it would be odd at this stage of his career for WWE to decide that Teddy Long's presence on their shows should be doubled. Just strange timing to me, so I think Team Laurinaitis wins but Johnny doesn't stay as GM of Raw AND Smackdown for long.

Caldwell: So, you're siding with Team Johnny at Mania? I see how it is. It would be a way to re-focus on Dolph Ziggler (who I would assume would be the victor if your result were to happen) and some other heels who need to be re-built going into the next WWE season following Mania. I am curious to see who fills the final slots in this match. There are numerous candidates on the sidelines right now. Overall, though, do you feel the wrestlers are being overshadowed by Teddy and Johnny, and now Aksana and Vickie? Or, do they benefit from being part of a GM feud that's received a lot of attention over the past few months?

Parks: I think they benefit somewhat, but the focus has been on Teddy vs. Johnny and for good reason: The match result affects them both, so why wouldn't they focus on them? I'd love for some of these guys (Ziggler, Henry, etc.) to have something for their own to do where they could be the focus, but I think this match will have some good heat to it, if the crowds the last few weeks are any indication.

Caldwell: Point noted. Elsewhere on Raw, I thought Cody Rhodes had a memorable showing taking out Big Show, who was unable to fight back. What did you make of Kane's quick victory over Show, then Rhodes teeing off on him?

Parks: The post-match was memorable and should fire up Big Show for this week's Smackdown or Raw. Another match I'm torn on who will win...I may have to see how they're booked the last week heading into Mania before a clear picture develops.

Caldwell: I think this one goes the way of the standard WWE formula - heel gets spotlighted on TV and builds credibility by being one step ahead, the face wins on the PPV to right the wrong, and the heel spins the loss on TV afterward. Now, do I see Show winning the IC Title? I don't see that happening. I'm picturing Show with a DQ-type victory and the lasting image is Show standing tall with Rhodes KO'ed. It should be a fascinating match, though. Then, there's Randy Orton vs. Kane, which feels like it just got started, but is also simple enough to where it doesn't need much hype or extra-ness. What did you think of Orton's old-school platform promo and what are your expectations for their match?

Parks: I liked the Orton promo but I hate having him repeat "my name is Randy Orton" in every promo. It's just so awkward and forced, unlike when Alberto Del Rio and Armando Estrada have done it, when it's supposed to be grating to the fans.

Caldwell: It comes across like it's supposed to be real simple, effective, memorable, and BA like "My name is Randy Orton...and all I do is beat people up." But, it seems somewhat silly coming from Orton's character with his history of wild and crazy stunts and storylines. I think WWE needs to reset Orton's character post-Mania after this period of Orton being lost in the shuffle due to injuries and write-offs. Greg, anything else jump out at you from Monday's Raw?

Parks: I'm all set. Let's move on to Impact. It was another step back for TNA last night, as so much of the show was a "miss." James, was there anything from last night to hang TNA's hat on as something that was of high quality?

Caldwell: I thought James Storm's promo was the highlight of the show, but I think the problem with Storm is that TNA has not gone all the way with him as the central figure of the show. I need to see a few more weeks of TV before committing to the following opinion, but I feel like TNA is panicking right now by bringing back Hogan, re-involving Dixie, and teasing Sting returning to full-time wrestling. If it's because of the ratings, then I believe it's way too early to panic because TNA needs to give the audience a lot of time to invest in the newer stars like Storm, Roode, etc. as top guys. Hogan, Dixie, and Sting being front-and-center is a mistake, in my view, and I feel like it will stunt the growth of this product even more. What did you think of Hogan's return and the follow-up to Victory Road after Bobby Roode tormented Sting and Dixie to close the PPV?

Parks: Ugh. I just think back to when Hogan and Bischoff conned Dixie out of her company, and we're just supposed to forget about that? It would be one thing if it was three, four, five years later, but it's less than one, isn't it? Just makes Sting and Dixie look dumb, and, yeah, involving Dixie was a mistake. Hogan, he's Hogan so I can't say that having him on the show is going to really hurt anything. I do wonder where Sting will go from here, since I don't expect him to be a full-time wrestler as we have come to know that term.

Caldwell: I also wonder what that entails, as I think it would be a mistake for Sting to suddenly start wrestling every other week on TV. It's like Shawn Michaels about five years ago - it was a waste to simply throw him in the ring in meaningless matches because he was much more valuable to WWE as a special wrestler who only wrestled when it was necessary. TNA already over-exposed Sting in the ring on Impact when he was just an authority figure, so I'm concerned what they'll do now that he's not an authority figure. I understand TNA only has so many main events, Spike TV demands top-line matches, and that Sting can provide a TV main event, but it's more reason to take the time to establish newer stars so TNA doesn't have to give away the same main events with the same guys and over-exposure talent. I do like what they're doing with Magnus & Samoa Joe as tag champs, though. I thought that was one strong point from Impact. Did anything else stand out as something positive to grab hold of going forward?

Parks: Not really. Even the tag match was bogged down by Mexican America and the thing they were doing with the Repo guys from whatever TV show he's on, and he got not one but THREE segments. I mean, really? The last one I can't even believe made air. So yeah, Joe and Magnus are positives, but this was an off-week for them, thanks mostly to Hernandez and Anarquia.

Caldwell: Yeah, the Repo Games bit was one of those TNA moments where you want to make sure no one else is watching the show with you for fear of complete embarrassment. I'm sure there was some sort of contractual item in there about the host getting as much TV time as possible to promote another Spike show, so I can try to excuse that. Not excusable is continued focus on Garett Bischoff. These clock challenges gives TNA a chance to spotlight Kurt Angle and get him in the ring without having to take bumps, but it seems like the time could be best used on some other stars. What do you think of the latest from GB and what appears to be official - Angle-Jeff Hardy at Lockdown?

Parks: I could excuse the Repo Games thing if he was in one segment, but he was in THREE. That's too much and someone either in TNA or Spike TV needs to stand up and say that. I looked at the challenge as more that "they don't have to have Garett do much work" rather than trying to limit Angle's bumps. Garett did not look any better this week against Angle, though Angle is the right opponent to make a green rookie look good. That said, I agree that Angle vs. Hardy is the way to go at Lockdown and hopefully Garett, like this month, will stay on the sidelines.

Caldwell: If he does not stay on the sidelines, did you see any indication on Impact that they're building to the rumored tag match of Hogan & Garett vs. Eric & Flair, or another heel?

Parks: It seems more like Garett and Hardy against Angle and Gunner right now, but it's not far-fetched to imagine Eric and Hulk getting involved, since they have played at least some role in Garett's on-screen career to this point.

Caldwell: We shall see as the Lockdown hype unfolds going forward. Elsewhere, Greg, there was a four-way X Title match interrupted by Bully Ray. I felt like it was a flashback to when TNA presented the X Division wrestlers as second-class citizens. There was also the latest silliness with EY & ODB in the Knockouts division. What did you think of the X and KO Divisions this week?

Parks: Or, a flashback to when WCW used to do that with the cruiserweights. Both that and the KO matches were below average. I didn't like how Kash and Nese emerged from the abyss to all of a sudden get an X Title match; same with Mexican America and the Tag Titles. Just makes a mockery of anyone having to "earn" a shot in the future.

Caldwell: Similar to Santino getting a U.S. Title shot. Granted, it was within the context of the GM vs. GM feud, but Santino did nothing individually to earn a title shot against Jack Swagger. I'm with you on that - needing to re-establish why someone gets a title shot, rather than just flippantly creating title matches for the sake of title matches because they look good on TV. Speaking of abyss...Mr. Joseph Park resumed his search for Abyss in one segment. How long do you see this playing out before there's some sort of reveal/payoff?

Parks: I think it could be one of two things: They reveal Park is actually Abyss and he's suffering from some sort of identity crisis; or they play it up as Joseph is actually the brother and they do a Santino/Santina thing. I'm not sure which way they're going to go yet.

Caldwell: Hm...I like Abyss with an identity crisis. I can only imagine how they explain the back-story and how he went from Abyss vs. Bully Ray to this man in a suit speaking coherently. Anything else from Impact worth breaking down, Greg?

Parks: Not a thing, James.

Caldwell: Very good. We tackled the most-recent Smackdown immediately after the show in last week's Chat, so let's talk about Mania hype for Sheamus vs. Bryan for the World Title thus far. It's steady; do you like what they're doing with Bryan's character and is Sheamus prime for a World Title run? Or, is this not the right time for him?

Parks: This match seems more about Bryan's character than Sheamus or the World Title. That's not a terrible thing, since Bryan's character is awesome. But you'd like to see more of the World Title involved. Those who are complaining about Jericho and Punk's match being infused with a "sports entertainment" storyline and who just wanted it to be champion vs. challenger, we're getting that with Sheamus vs. Bryan. There's no other story there besides "Bryan is champion, Sheamus is challenger and wants belt, they have a match to see who is better." And I'm okay with that.

Caldwell: Concerning A.J., do you see it playing it with A.J. potentially turning on Bryan after she realizes his manipulations, or do you think it will be she's known all along what's going on and it will be revealed that she was playing Bryan the whole time?

Parks: Like the Abyss/Joseph Park thing, this could very well go either way. Right now, it seems like they'll have her turn. The stuff with Bryan being mean to her is subtle enough that I think if it were a true set-up, they'd come out harder with Bryan being mean to A.J. And, I think there's much more intrigue to A.J. turning on Bryan than having this be some sort of scam. What's the payoff? And, who would they be scamming with it?

Caldwell: That's certainly the follow-up issue with my scenario! Would it simply be A.J. just picking Bryan as her mark a la Eve to Zack Ryder, working with Sheamus or some other third party, or A.J. just looking to get ahead by being on TV hitching her wagon to the World champ? It seems like WWE has tapped into some of that with Eve turning heel, so perhaps they won't go the same direction with A.J. Greg, anything else from the Smackdown brand or the World Title feud we haven't touched on yet?

Parks: Nah, we covered last week's Smackdown in last week's chat, so we'll let that simmer for a while before we discuss tonight's show next week and get back on track. So instead, I'll take the time to plug this week's Gonzo & The Greg: We present the top five lists of the most deserving people who AREN'T in the WWE Hall-of-Fame. Look for that on Sunday.

Caldwell: Very timely ahead of next Saturday's induction ceremony. There are some strong #1 and #2 candidates, so I am looking forward to seeing who you guys come up with on the back-end of the lists. All right, Greg, one more Livecast & Chat next week, then it's WrestleMania. So, we'll see how everything gets finalized beforehand and break it down next week. Have a great weekend!

Parks: You too, James!


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