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CALDWELL'S TAKE
CORNER CUBE MONDAY: Raw preview, thoughts on Impact ratings Dec 17, 2007 - 7:05:57 PM
Updated throughout the day, Torch columnist James Caldwell's weekday blog focuses on hot topic current events and issues from around wrestling.
From the Cube: Monday, December 17
7:05 p.m. WWE found the Ric Flair retirement program. It may have been hiding behind the Cruiserweight Title. And they pick it up tonight on Raw with Flair facing Umaga. In the WWE.com preview, they play up Flair's dual personality from that promo a few weeks ago where he was contemplative, reflective, and emotional, before turning to the old Flair focused on hellraising.
They have a mega-tag match booked tonight with Orton and Mr. Kennedy facing Jeff Hardy and Shawn Michaels. Also on the show, Chris Jericho has invited JBL to make an appearance to explain his interference in the WWE Title match last night. The opening match in a Santa's helper-themed divas tag match.
These segments attract plenty of eyeballs because, to be quite frank, you have guys flipping through channels at home looking for eye candy. Bam! They stop on Spike TV when one of the knockouts is slowly rubbing her crotch on the middle ropes before entering the ring.
They're not concerned about anything on this show. They've probably never even heard of TNA. They're certainly not going to order a PPV or stick around for the next segment to see what else is going on.
They got their eye candy and they're off in search in more eye candy on another station once the knockouts segment is over. So, it's nothing more than TNA attracting the non-customer, short-term-interest viewer with these segments.
Otherwise, the rest of the segments maintain that base of hardcore TNA viewers who show up for the party every week, like they're on Cheers, but don't bring any friends with them. And they get their fill of wrestling entertainment every Thursday night like clockwork, which is perfectly fine. TNA has its base audience, but they won't attract any additional, consistent viewership above the base with the current product.
2:45 p.m. This past weekend was definitely a wrestling viewing weekend in the Caldwell household. (College football withdrawal, I suppose.) And all that wrestling viewing came without being able to watch the WWE PPV. It was bittersweet cable experience this weekend, as I discovered WWE 24/7 by accident on Saturday night, then spent three hours going through most of the programming.
The Legends Roundtable is simply great. Jim Ross anchors the panel and you get to see a different, less-produced, side of Ross. He's cracking jokes, telling "old war stories", and engaging the panelists for more great stories. Mick Foley has the best story on the "Greatest Badass" Roundtable that is currently airing. He talks about Kurt Angle pulling him aside before facing Tazz at the 2000 Royal Rumble in Tazz's WWE debut match, and being legitimately concerned about Tazz shooting on him in the ring. Michael Hayes and Pat Patterson have the bar fights covered with stories on wrestlers tearing up bars in the wrestling territories to create the impression with fans that the wrestlers were legit.
They also have some of the most famous title matches in WWE history, from the WWE Championship History DVD. I started with Hogan vs. Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania 6. It had been some time since I watched that match, probably the last time was on an old Coliseum Home Video release.
It was amazing to watch as every single move in that match meant something. They did a test of strength to start the match that seemed to last 30 minutes. It was so basic, but the crowd ate up every second of it to see who would come away with the advantage. The magic of the moment carried the match, the wrestling was as basic as it comes, but it's still one of the top title matches in WWE history.
It had been a few years since I watched the Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart 60-minute iron man match from WrestleMania 12. My memory is quite creative, as I remembered it being far more exciting than when I watched it again. They were in second gear for about 55 minutes before finally finishing the marathon with a burst in the final five minutes, leading to over-time. Still, it's a classic match that was part of WWE's transition away from the Hulkamania era.
I have a review of ROH's Manhattan Mayhem II DVD on the main listing. A great one-two punch main event with Morishima vs. Danielson and the Briscoes vs. Steen & Generico. It's close to year-end award season, and Morishima has solidified himself as a Top Five wrestler this year. He's just having great matches every time he steps foot in an ROH ring.
***
11:20 a.m. Gauging the Armageddon PPV based on Wade Keller's report and Torch reader feedback, it sounds like the PPV was a hit or miss show. Hit for quality, consistent wrestling throughout, but a miss for the finishes to some of the big matches. The concept of a bunch of fake people running around the ring during a PPV main event title match doesn't work, especially when the Orton-Jericho and MVP-Rey Mysterio title matches ended with bogus finishes.
That said, WWE.com has a note that the Major Brothers played the role of fake Edge last night at the PPV. If it means something different and edgier from the Majors, then I'm all for it. They were pretty bland as a babyface tag team without any personality. I'm sure we can expect 10 straight weeks of the Majors getting beat up by Undertaker or Batista, but at least it's something different for the Majors.
I'm also getting a sense that they're slowly building Vickie's Empire, spearheaded by new World Hvt. champion Edge. With the addition of the Majors to chase the tag titles, Vickie can now find a Johnny Devine in the Cruiserweight ranks to reinstate the Cruiserweight Title. That is, if anyone knows where the belt is. Why not turn Funaki heel, with last week's beating from Edge part of his initiation?
I'm lukewarm on the concept of Vickie being drunk with power as Smackdown G.M., as we've seen the concept so many times before, but it could lead to some interesting storylines. Teddy Long is firm as a credible babyface authority figure, and he'll eventually get tired of being Vickie's gopher, so they can set up Teddy's group of babyfaces against Vickie's Empire to create some good TV matches.
Some other thoughts from the PPV ... Transitioning Chris Jericho into a feud against JBL is a good move. It's a slight step down from feuding against the WWE champion, but he moves into an important feud against one of the most prominent individuals on Smackdown. I'm curious to see who steps into the color analyst slot next to Michael Cole, as they really have to find a dynamic person who brings as much energy and passion as JBL does.
They picked a good time for Jeff Hardy to get a signature win over a top heavyweight to set up a PPV title match. It's been a long time since Hardy was in a meaningful WWE title match - having to go back to the ladder match against The Undertaker on Raw five years ago. And, with Hardy getting his title shot at the Rumble, he won't have to deliver killer promos to hype his match, as the Rumble PPV usually sells it self.
It would be great for Hardy to have consistent promo time starting tonight and leading to the Rumble, as he is capable of delivering a compelling word or two on a wrestling match. He just won't have to sell the PPV by himself in the next few weeks of main event TV storylines.
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AND NEW FOR 2009! Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?
