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CALDWELL'S TAKE
CORNER CUBE MONDAY 2/25: Thoughts on Mayweather and Big Show press conference for WrestleMania Feb 25, 2008 - 4:39:39 PM
Updated throughout the day from the corner cubicle, Torch columnist James Caldwell's weekday blog focuses on hot topic current events and other items of interest from around wrestling.
Updated Monday, February 25
- Mayweather press conference. I've determined I'm never eating at Jack in the Box again after sitting through the same JitB commercial for 30 minutes waiting for WWE to stream the Mayweather press conference on their website. That aside, it's clear that Mayweather is the heel in the program against Big Show unless it's strictly a pro-De La Hoya and anti-Mayweather thing in Los Angeles.
But, Mayweather is a natural heel, so I believe the best dynamic here is to keep Mayweather cocky and arrogant, while keeping Big Show tough and the aggressor. Even with Rey Mysterio by his side, Mayweather created his own heel wrestling persona at this press conference by flashing dollar bills and flaunting that he's got money, mansions, cars, and girls.
Whether or not fans in different markets boo or cheer him isn't a big deal, as long as there is interest. That said, Mayweather probably won't make too many more live appearances between now and Mania. It doesn't make sense to keep giving him away on free TV, which will cut into the mystique of seeing him wrestle in the ring.
Some training videos and video packages working with Rey Mysterio would serve as much better build-up going forward than setting in motion the law of diminishing returns following his No Way Out appearance and appearance on Raw last week.
It will be interesting to see if mainstream interest picks up going forward. This is the biggest star in boxing mixing it up in a wrestling ring. Shane McMahon hyped the match as Mayweather risking big PPV dollars down the road by getting involved with wrestling and accepting a match against the much-larger Big Show. We'll see if WWE blurring the line on the reality of the match is marketable to mainstream audiences. That's the next interesting part of this story to follow.
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