By Shawn Valentino, PWTorch Specialist

It was the best of wrestling. It was the worst of wrestling. In reviewing the build to WrestleMania thus far, somehow paraphrasing Dickens seems to aptly describe my attitude towards WWE’s storytelling approach. The last few weeks have contained some of the most gripping segments that I have seen in my 25 years of watching wrestling. At the same time, WWE has taken its most marketable feud and Superstars and have put on a clinic on how not to build a feud. Today, I want to take a look at some of the key moments of the first month of the Road to WrestleMania and analyze how they illustrate both everything good and bad about current-day pro wrestling.

THE BEST OF THE ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA 28

(1) The Last Outlaws

Last year at WrestleMania 27, The Undertaker and Triple H competed in one of the most epic masterpieces in the history of the squared circle. It was two warriors struggling in a dramatic clash for the ages. From the second they stared each other down and looked up at the banner signifying that they would be facing off at the Grandest Stage of Them All, we knew we were in for something special. After the classic showdown, Undertaker went home on a stretcher and Hunter vowed that when he returned, he “would be waiting.”

Although the Dead Man and the Cerebral Assassin have barely appeared on television over the past year, they have recaptured the magic they created last year. It has been wrestling theatrics at its absolute finest: two legendary, larger-than-life figures having compelling confrontations that have been based around the “thrill of victory and the agony of defeat.” The ABC Wide World of Sports would be proud of these unforgettable segments.

Neither Superstar has tried to tear the other down with cheap shoot comments, and they are not winking and smiling at the camera. It is a simple story of two veterans with enormous pride realizing that each of their legacies rests in the outcome of one match. That is when wrestling is at its finest, when you are drawn into emotional saga that makes you believe that neither man can lose and the consequences of a victory or defeat will have serious ramifications on each of their futures.

What has made the feud so captivating is that they have done so many of the little things right. Just look at the way these two men enter the arena, stare down the crowd, and slowly approach the ring. They have a gravitas and presence that I believe no one from this generation of Superstars, John Cena included, has been able to match.

The serious tone of their promos, the subtlety in the way they play off of previous interactions, and the intelligent manner in which they try to manipulate each other’s emotions by challenging their pride while building their opponents strengths should be studied by future generations of bookers. I can almost guarantee these two will not be in a tag match against each other or have any type of serious physical alteration before Mania. They are smart enough to build up the mystery and aura of what will take place when they finally have their “apocalyptic” clash.

This may not be popular, but I wanted to make a quick comment on Triple H’s proclamation that this is the “end of an era” and that they come from a generation of wrestlers that do not exist anymore, implying that the current crop of wrestlers are way below their league. While it may not have been the wise thing to say given his corporate position, I feel that he was absolutely right. Last year, my friend, a long-time wrestling fan disenchanted with the perceived lameness of the cookie-cutter Cena-era Superstars, commented that the Undertaker-Triple H showdown seemed like the last of the clash of the titans.

This generation seems to have failed to learn the art of building up to dramatic battles that become magic moments. Look no further than the last decade of WrestleManias, WWE’s seminal annual show. How many historic matches and memorable moments have Cena, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio, Batista, etc. created compared to Shawn Michaels, Undertaker, Triple H, etc.? This year has provided even further evidence of the discomforting truth, as C.M. Punk and Chris Jericho and Sheamus and Daniel Bryan have failed to create much buzz for their Championship matches and Cena seems to be oblivious to what I see as him sabotaging the biggest match of his own career. I believe the battle between the “last of the smash-mouth wrestlers” is the end of an era, and the Last Outlaws are again demonstrating why they were such important elements in the most successful boom period in the history of wrestling.

(2) Shawn Michaels stirring the pot

This week on Raw, Triple H called Shawn Michaels the “greatest in-ring performer” he had ever seen. HBK has always been lauded for his incomparable matches, especially those on big stages. One of the reasons Michaels was so sensational, particularly after his return from back injury, was that he was brilliant at building up both himself and his opponent by utilizing his cocky, defiant personality to bring out the emotions and character development within the context of a feud. He is not even wrestling anymore, but he has not lost this ability, and his interactions with Hunter have greatly elevated the importance of this year’s eagerly awaited re-match.

Michaels challenging his best friend’s ego in order to manipulate him against his better judgment into a match against the man who ended his career has added significant intrigue. This week’s game of cat and mouse between the former DX members had viewers on the edge of their seats because each man was sarcastically trying to get under the other’s skin, but neither would dare display weakness.

It's clear Michaels has great chemistry with Undertaker, so tonight's segment should be spectacular as well. Last year’s exchange between HBK, Taker, and Triple H on Raw the week prior to Mania was state-of-the-art and the best promo I have seen on Raw in recent years, and no one even touched each other. This shows that WWE does not need to cheapen their biggest matches with tag matches or pre-Mania physical altercations. Sometimes there is nothing more entertaining than watching wrestlers we are emotionally invested in talk about what it means to win or lose a match. Again, wrestling is at its best when it depicts a simple struggle between compelling characters about who is the best.

(3) C.M. Punk versus Chris Jericho’s verbal exchange

Obviously, Chris Jericho’s unique return drew a divisive reaction. I will discuss this in further detail later. It went over the head of much of the crowd, but I felt his satirical representation of returning wrestlers was one of the most entertaining and intelligent portrayals I had seen in the ring. Sadly, he transitioned back into a character not too different from his excellent, but dated act before he left WWE. “The end of the world as we know it” ended up becoming a feud that began with a weak run-in to attack Punk from behind, and a tired promos that made little logical sense.

As far as Punk, I think he is one of the most talented wrestlers in the world, and when he was heading the Straight Edge Society cult, I thought he was the best act in wrestling. However, unlike many hardcore fans, I have not enjoyed the “truth-teller” of the last six months and feel that he has done more harm to the industry than good by taking fans outside of the fictional world WWE is trying to create. Again, wrestling is at its best when presented in a serious fashion as if everything from the start of the show to the finish is absolutely real.

Despite my reservations about how Punk and Jericho have been booked lately, when Punk and Jericho went face-to-face two weeks ago, I was glued to my seat. I loved how they drew from their past histories and showed each other mutual respect while simultaneously being convincing that they need to beat each other. The common theme in this article is that wrestling is at its most entertaining when it presents easy-to-understand stories with interesting characters. In this instance, I like how they each expressed a desire to be the best. These two do not need to resort to shoot comments or tearing each other down in a damaging fashion to make people excited about their match. If there are more segments like this and fewer “pipe bombs,” then this has the potential to be a show-stealing undercard contest.

(4) John Cena’s Empty Arena Promo

My views on WWE’s biggest star of this generation seem to be a paradox. I feel that he deserves his spot at the top because he is a hard worker and an excellent ambassador for professional wrestling. I feel he plays this role much better than previous stars that were far more talented such as Michaels, Bret Hart, Triple H, etc. He seems to be a genuinely nice guy, and unlike many of his predecessors, he avoids scandals and politics. Many criticize his wrestling, but I feel that he is more than good enough in the ring, and he rises to the challenge to put on solid performances in big matches.

Unfortunately, as a viewer, most of those good qualities that convince me to begrudgingly accept his position as the face of WWE are offset by the atrocious portrayal of his character. His awful sense of humor, goofy facial expressions, dorky persona, bad timing, and general obliviousness to what attracts adult audiences is part of the reason you will have a difficult time finding a group of people over the age of ten that think WWE is a cool product right now. While Rock shares in the blame, I believe Cena is the primary reason that Raw ratings are flat despite the fact WWE is presenting one of its few remaining dream matches and showcasing the biggest mainstream star in its history on the Road to WrestleMania. My main problem with him is not that he lacks charisma or star power - he has both in abundance. I am just befuddled why WWE has not overhauled his character with a cooler look, intense persona, and serious approach.

That brings me to last Monday’s empty arena promo on Raw where Cena emotionally expressed how vital it was for him to win his epic Mania match with the People’s Champion. He did not resort to cheap shots at his competition and he did not come off as a corporate tool. He described Rock as the greatest Superstar of all time, and, in the process, it made him seem like a bigger deal because a star of such magnitude had returned to face him. That is how you put over a match, not by taking cheap shots and making underhanded political comments. It was a proud warrior with his back against the wall highlighting the importance of winning and losing, therefore putting across this year’s main event as something for the ages. I am hopeful this is the direction WWE decides to take, not only with this feud, but its overall product in general.

(5) The Rock’s Charisma and Starpower

When The Rock first came back to wrestling last year after a seven-year absence, it generated a buzz amongst the mainstream public that has not been felt in years. People that do not even watch wrestling were talking about the Great One’s return to the place that made him famous. Sorry, C.M. Punk fans, his cheap shoot promo was not even close to being the best promo of the year. Just look at the increase in ratings the week after Rock came back and the stagnant viewership after Punk broke the fourth wall.

Sadly, in the year since then, WWE has absolutely botched the return of one of its more successful stars of all time. The decision to systematically bring down the man that has the ability to single-handedly change the general public’s perception of wrestling as a juvenile sideshow is baffling. If Rock looks flustered, as many have pointed out, I believe it's because he is not allowed to tear down Cena like he could if he was given the same free reign. I would love to see Cena’s reaction if he is called out on the fact that business and the general perception of wrestling is far lower with him as the centerpiece than when the Rock was on top. And, of course, he can easily destroy the stupid comments about not showing up by exposing that the reason Cena is on Raw every week is because no movie studio interested in making money would ever want to hire him to star in a main role.

What about The Rock only coming back to promote his films? WWE does not even know how to promote their own movies, so, obviously, Dwayne Johnson does not need the company platform to make his big studio films successful. Unfortunately, the company and Cena are not the only ones to blame for this lackluster feud, as Rock has also played a role in the relative disappointment, which I will discuss later.

Despite the awful characterization, what has not changed is that, in my view, he is quite simply the most charismatic star in the history of modern wrestling. The energy, intensity, and excitement he generates is incomparable. Just look at the Rock Revolution skits this past Monday as an example. Although the content was not always money, his electrifying presentation skills made viewers jump up and down in living rooms across the country as if everyone watching at home were in the arena.

WWE should not feel insecure or bitter that Dwayne Johnson left the company. They should be thrilled that this once-in-a-lifetime performer has decided to return home. The Rock does not need wrestling to promote his movies or himself because he has established himself as one of the top action stars of his generation. He came back because wrestling is in its blood and he loves it. WWE should capitalize on his unmatched magnetism to bring the entire product to a higher level instead of foolishly bringing Rock down to the stale quality of programming we have suffered through the last few years.

THE WORST OF THE ROAD TO WRESTLEMANIA 28

(1) An unprofessional John Cena as Vince McMahon’s mouthpiece

I was in the arena in Atlanta last year when The Rock stood in the ring with John Cena and they announced “the biggest match of all time.” Obviously, that proclamation was a gross exaggeration, but WWE had an entire year and unlimited options to make this a compelling feud that will go down in the annals of wrestling history. Unfortunately, the “storytelling” in this rivalry has been nothing short of mind-bogglingly frustrating. Anyone reading this article could probably draft a better tale drunkenly scribbling notes on a Post-it during an episode of Raw.

Think back to January 2011 and imagine the mere possibility of the return of the Most Electrifying Man in Sports Entertainment from Hollywood fame and stardom. It had the potential to ignite a fire under a lame Cena character and elevate the entire business itself. So, out of all the ways to showcase Rock’s immeasurable talents, they chose to build a feud around the absurd notion that he does not care about wrestling and that he abandoned WWE? This is a man that is headlining billion dollar film franchises, but he is choosing to come back to his roots despite the fact that he has no financial incentive to do so. Obviously, the only reason he returned is because he loves the thrill of being in the ring and the roar of the live crowd.

WWE and Cena resorting to cheap shots to sell the match is disenchanting and utterly stupid because, in actuality, WWE is damaging its own product. Just look at the inexcusably low ratings and the terribly low buyrate for Rock’s Survivor Series return as evidence. For those of you who think this has elevated Cena or made him edgier, what are you guys watching? What has he done or said that makes him any cooler or elevated the status of the company? If anything, he has come off as an insecure dweeb who keeps making the same illogical argument week after week that only makes WWE look like a second-rate option not worth coming back to. It is completely ridiculously that they have chosen to tear down a huge attraction instead of making it feel that the entire organization is special because such a high-profile star has decided to return.

If I wanted to review all of their mistakes, I would have to write a dissertation, but I wanted to point to a few moments. Cena caused a buzz when he called out Rock for having notes on his arm. Now, I am not sure if that was pre-planned or not, but what I do know for sure is that it was completely dumb and bad for business. Let us assume that it was real. Even if he did need notes, to paraphrase Rock, who in the blue hell cares? He still had the crowd in the palm of his hand, and I did not even notice until Cena pointed it out. In fact, Rock should have retorted that Cena should have notes on his arm because his material is weak, and if writers are responsible for the goofy garbage viewers are subject to every week, they should be immediately fired.

Now, getting back to last week's Raw. While I praised Cena for his memorable promo in the empty arena, he completely destroyed the effectiveness of that segment in his confrontation at the end of the show. After the heartfelt speech stressing that winning this match truly meant everything to him and finally genuinely acknowledging his rival in a manner that elevated both of them, he stood in the ring with the goofiest, dorkiest smile I have ever seen as Rock attempted to intensely deliver a match-selling promo. It was awkward and embarrassing to watch and I thought it made the show look like a joke. It was not even irritating in a way that made me want to see Rock get revenge; it just felt like Cena lost his composure and needed a director to yell “cut” while both men awkwardly stood there on completely different planes. I would not blame Rock if he slugged him in the face, left the arena, and just cancelled his Mania contract because this juvenile nonsense is below him. You know that is bad considering some of the horrible movies he has made. The Tooth Fairy, anyone? I will be in the arena for WrestleMania 28, but this is not the match that I am excited about, and it is because I believe WWE and both Rock and Cena have done a terrible job hyping "the biggest match of all time.”

(2) Mr. Image Conscious loses his way

As I said earlier, just a little over a year ago, weekly appearances and a WrestleMania main event from The Rock seemed like many wrestling fans’s ultimate fantasy. Sometimes, though, dreams are much better in our minds than in reality. WWE has seriously mishandled Rock’s return, in my view, but Dwayne Johnson is not without blame in this mess. I have always liked Rock's character when he is cocky and a little bit serious, more than when he is trying to crack jokes or trying to coin a new catchphrase. Frankly, I think the Team Bring It name is lame as well as some of the attempts at being witty such as Fruity Pebbles, Boots to Asses, and Kung Pao Bitch.

Just like Cena should not be running down the his opponent, Rock should know that the best way to capture the audience is to build up his opponent as the top star of this era. How much control WWE has in the direction Rock is going with his promos could be a factor, as well. Instead bringing something new to the feud, Rock is resorting to juvenile jokes. like talking about Cena and “yumrockets." Rock is the definition of cool and he is so charismatic that the people will get behind pretty much anything he says, but I do not believe this stuff compels viewers to order a pay-per-view.

From the first promo he gave leading into Survivor Series to last week’s bizarre confrontation in Boston, the shoddy manner in which he has allowed himself to be portrayed has been inexplicable. WWE already saw the results of disastrous booking that formed to a tag team people did not want to see at Survivor Series. The handling of the Mania build-up should have been better after learning from November, but I would argue that it has been worse. I still think Rock, with his innate magnetism and formidable speaking skills, has made the best out of a bad situation, but I do agree with many that he is not the same cocksure legend that came back for that industry-shaking promo last year. Much of it is the booking, but Rock deserves some of the blame for not properly planning his return, and for such an image-conscious star, not being more wary about how his character would be presented.

(3) Chris Jericho becomes just another guy

The first few weeks of Chris Jericho’s return to the squared circle were absolutely nothing short of genius. His satirical decomposition of wrestlers and how they manipulate the fans was brilliant. Unfortunately, it was probably too intelligent for the average wrestling fan because complaints and confusion probably led WWE to have Jericho return to being the same smarmy, whining heel he was before he left. Not that it is necessarily a bad thing because that character was tremendous, but this was an opportunity to do something unique and special. When he announced that the Royal Rumble would be “the end of the world,” it created an intrigue about what type of master plan he had in mind. I do not know what the original plan was for the finish of the match, and I do not even think that it was a necessity that Jericho won, but Jericho entering the Rumble as just another competitor and doing nothing special or memorable was a turning point moment for the new character he wanted to create.

Symbolically, ever since then, he has essentially become just another wrestler on the roster. The promos after the Rumble were confusing and disjointed from the sarcastically smiling star in the flashy jacket mocking the people. He had arguably the worst road to a WrestleMania main event of all time when he won a Battle Royale, of all things, to earn his championship match. Additionally, I strongly disliked how the four stars competing in the Mania World Title matches were thrown together in an impromptu tag match that was completely forgettable and made them all seem like they were far below the two true main events.

As I mentioned above, I liked Jericho's verbal confrontation with Punk two weeks ago, but the overall handling of something that could have been an epic return for Jericho, and a rebirth with a fascinating new incarnation of his character has dwindled to the same old thing. After all his bravado in pre-return interviews that he would do something totally different upon returning WWE, I have a feeling that he is upset about it and that there are others to blame, which brings me to…

(4) The Creative staff showcases its ineptitude

Over the last year-and-a-half, PWTorch readers have had the opportunity to go behind the scenes on what takes place in WWE's Creative offices. Let me throw a plug in here that non-members should definitely sign up for VIP membership and listen to the countless hours of interviews with former company writers. While I have been thoroughly entertained by the employees recalling their experiences working for Vince McMahon, I have also listened closely and completely understood why wrestling is stuck in such a rut. Part of it is McMahon’s instability to be sure, but I think blame has to go to writers that do not seem to have a good grasp on what the viewer wants.

No further proof is needed than the Road to WrestleMania 28. The Rock's return to the ring should have written itself and should have alone made this year’s event a grand success. Again, why they have chosen to try to turn the crowd against this legendary, beloved figure by questioning his loyalty to WWE and its fans is beyond comprehension.

There have been many theories as to whether the recent segments were written or improvised, but I do not think it matters. If everything has been scripted, then the “Creative” team needs to be immediately disbanded and sent back to the bowels of Hollywood. I say that with the knowledge that they are catering to McMahon’s whims and it may be Vince himself who is responsible for sabotaging his own product, but there needs to be some repercussions for the inexcusable character assassination of the man who should be sending business booming. At the same time, if Rock were brought back to try to take Cena’s stardom to a new level, it has done just the opposite. WWE’s biggest star of this century thus far has been made to look like an adolescent, insecure jerk. I have no idea where any of this is going, but, miraculously, whoever is responsible has found a way to make everyone look bad, including the fans for getting behind a returning icon that abandoned them, according to WWE's propaganda, and supporting a current star who is an underhanded doofus.

Now, I will give the booking team the benefit of the doubt and be open to the idea that Rock and Cena are improvising their segments and trying to “be real.” If that is the case, it is even worse because it shows two of the biggest stars of all-time have no idea how to construct a wrestling feud. I do not care if these two hate each other for real. Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart could not tolerate each other and I believe it led to substandard promos and disappointing matches. Austin and Hart and Rock and Austin were friends behind the scenes, but they created magical memories both in and out of the ring. I will be interested to see if someone realizes that what they are doing is not working and steers the ship in the right direction leading into the Showcase of the Immortals.

(5) The “experts” and the fans

It seems like ancient history now but over a decade ago the Phantom Menace was the most anticipated movie of all-time. Unfortunately, to say the quality of the film left something to be desired would be an understatement. While most Star Wars fans were sorely disappointed, hardcore supporters tried to argue the merits of the new film by saying that the original trilogy also had bad acting and cheesy characters. I remember being baffled that people were actually trying to defend their view by bringing down a product that is indisputably great and saying it was just as bad as the awful new film. It seems farfetched, but I think this is analogous to what is going on currently with WWE’s top feud.

The past few weeks has seen endless debates of who has been winning the war of the words between Rock and Cena. While the majority of people are still behind the People’s Champion, I believe WWE has “succeeded” in manipulating some people to somehow form the misconception that Cena is “winning” their confrontations and that he has shown “attitude.” In the unfortunately immortal words of Stone Cold, “What!?”

First, I believe there is nothing Cena has done in his undercutting of Rock the past few weeks that have made him any more cool or reminiscent of the Attitude Era. If anything, he has demonstrated how lame the current era is by highlighting what a demotion it is for Rock to actually want to come back. So, who does that make look bad more than anybody else? Certainly not the star of the top grossing movie in the world at the moment who will go right back to making blockbusters after WrestleMania is over.

I think many experts and fans need to sit back and think about whether there is even a reason to decipher who is “winning” so far. Like the Star Wars-Phantom Menace debate, the arguments on each side are futile because what people are really debating is not who has been better, but who has not been made to look worse. Even respected wrestling journalists have been completely confounding me by somehow calling this compelling television that should build interest in the match. By choosing to play to the lowest common denominator, WWE has squandered an opportunity to create a memorable rivalry for the ages by making two icons look like elementary school kids making fun of each other. At this rate, the WrestleMania main event might as well have been held in my neighborhood playground.

THE BOTTOM LINE BECAUSE SHAWN VALENTINO SAYS SO

When Mike Tyson made his grand, extended cameo in WWF at the dawn of the Attitude Era, it caused an enormous mainstream buzz and increased an audience that tuned in to see that there was a new generation of cool, edgy characters that would capture their attention. After Tyson left, viewership did not fall flat. In fact, it increased, mainly because viewers were drawn to the colorful array of Superstars and the energy and momentum of the product.

Now, let us fast forward to 2011. The Rock comes back and causes even casual fans to pay attention and viewership and buyrates boom. As soon as he leaves, the ratings fall straight back to where they were before because the stale characters and illogical storylines failed to sustain the attention of those who had tuned in. Not to mention wrestling is still coming out of a boom period, whereas the Attitude Era followed a period of mediocre wrestling on national TV.

It is not a perfect analogy, but it just showcases that there is a large audience of fans that are not watching because they are disenchanted with this generic generation of cookie cutter “stars” and plots that have no sense of consistency. Instead of retaining viewers with a younger crop of Superstars, it is one year later and WWE has once again had to go back to a previous generation’s legends to build excitement for the biggest show of the year.

WWE has to look no further than the extremely disappointing ratings of the past few weeks, which are absolutely inexcusable given that one of their biggest celebrities ever has been a central figure in the television programming. There is still one month left on the Road to WrestleMania for the company to salvage the show. WWE does know how to create compelling television when they are disciplined and tell a simple story built around winning and losing. Despite all the theatrics and the soap opera elements WWE stresses, that truly is what the best of wrestling is all about.

Please seed questions, comments, and feedback to valentino.torch@gmail.com and check out my debut book, "The Showstopper Lifestyle" on Amazon.com.

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