Vince McMahon. Perhaps it’s time to let go of the reins and let someone else take over.
Before you do. Whatever you do, don’t give the reins to your daughter, and her good-for-nothing husband!
I have been a wrestling fan since I was about 5 years old, which precedes the original WrestleMania by about 3 years. And [...]
Vince McMahon. Perhaps it’s time to let go of the reins and let someone else take over.
Before you do. Whatever you do, don’t give the reins to your daughter, and her good-for-nothing husband!
I have been a wrestling fan since I was about 5 years old, which precedes the original WrestleMania by about 3 years. And yes, that is showing my age. Whooptie Shit!
The biggest problem with the world of “Sport Entertainment” for the last several years, is that the product itself is nowhere near the level that it should be. Now there are a bevy of reasons as to why this is, and most of them are because of McMahon himself.
Now first off, Vince McMahon is half-responsible for professional wrestling being where it is today. The other person half-responsible for this, is Hulk Hogan. Over 25 years ago, the two of them set the whole world on fire with Hulk-a-mania, and things just snowballed from there.
Both have done really well for themselves, up until the last few years, of course Hogan with his divorce, and McMahon, with his inability to put together a product that will inspire fickle fans of the sport.
But at the age of 63, I think that it’s high time that he let someone else take the reins of the company that he made great. In the last ten years, he has made, what I feel are some crucial mistakes which have hurt the business, that he himself says he cares a great deal about.
The biggest by far, in my opinion was made in 2001.
The Acquisition of World Championship Wrestling, by the then, World Wrestling Federation, I originally thought was awesome. Here was a chance to see dream matches that we never thought that we’d see! Perhaps the chance of seeing someone like Booker T, or Diamond Dallas Page Square off Against The Rock, or The Undertaker was something that was mind-boggling.
But unfortunately, it wasn’t. The WCW/ECW Alliance Vs. WWF storyline was lackluster at best, and really didn’t capture the imagination of the fans like it was intended to.
Why?
Well first off, because WCW went belly up, McMahon held all of the cards, and offered these wrestlers who were making a lot of money under Ted Turner’s regime basically pennies on the dollar to come work for him, so the smart ones stayed back, collected a check, then signed later. The ones who wanted to work, were either ones who were wanting to make a name for themselves or, established veterans who truly loved being in the ring.
The acquisition failed for another reason as well. With that much talent on one brand, many wrestlers were overshadowed, and never got a chance to earn a shot at the spotlight, so many potential wrestlers got overlooked for a number of years.
And finally the worst thing that happened as a result of the purchase of WCW, was that now with no direct competition, McMahon had no longer any reason to put on a top-notch product.
Back when WCW and WWF were competing against one another, they were trying to top each other, and as a result, the fans started seeing programming that was not only entertaining, but it took the business to a new level, which at that point had never been seen before.
And the reason why McMahon bought WCW? For the video library. So that he could launch a Video On Demand Channel of classic wrestling. He didn’t do it to get the wrestlers, he did it, so that he could control the video library.
The next reason, and for me the most personal reason why the world of wrestling stinks nowadays, is summed up in Three Letters. H, H and H.
Hunter Hearst Helmsley, or as he’s more affectionately known as, Triple H, is the single most reason today why pro wrestling stinks. Why would it be him, and no one else, you ask? Well it’s because for over 10 years now, he’s had the ear of the boss himself, and as a result, has instated changes in the company, which I think are not so good ones.
Trips, as I like to call him, puts himself over so often in the business, that he has elevated himself to Ric Flair levels of fame, when he’s nowhere close to Ric Flair. Even Ric Flair kisses Triple H’s ass, because he knows where the power lies in the world of Wrestling.
There are many examples of how he’s buried careers of wrestlers, so that he could remain the top guy in the business, when let’s face facts, wasn’t he the same guy complaining that the top guys in WCW were doing that to others while he was the underdog/renegade in D-Generation-X?
Case in point. WrestleMania 19. Safeco Field, Seattle. The Match? Booker T vs. Triple H for the World Heavyweight Championship. The match was what I would refer to as a mediocre one at best. Booker, having been in the company for 2 years at this point, and a former 5-time holder of that very belt had no need to prove himself as a top contender. I am sure that he would have no problem “Jobbing” to the champ on this night, but they did it in such an untasteful manner. Trips gives Booker his signature finisher the Pedigree, fine. It was going to happen. But then he waits nearly 10 seconds to pin Booker. And Book cleanly gets pinned. Essentially burying him for the next couple of years.
How about this example? In 2004, after WrestleMania XX in New York City, of which I was in the crowd at Madison Square Garden, the very next night on Raw. Vince McMahon announced a Draft Lottery, which would move wrestlers from the Then RAW and SMACKDOWN! brands.
On March 22nd, the fifth pick was Triple H, who was moved from the RAW to the SMACKDOWN brand. The very next night, he was traded back to RAW for Three Wrestlers.
The Three Wrestlers? Booker T (The Man he buried a year earlier) and Both D-Von and Bubba Ray Dudley, The Dudley Boys. All three of these wrestlers at the time were all top-tier stars. The Dudleys, arguably one of the greatest Tag Teams ever, and Booker, being a MULTIPLE champion himself, Being World Champ many times, Multiple Time Tag Champ, WCW TV, United States champion. How is that even a fair trade? Are you saying that he’s worth more than 3 legends of the sport?
Come on, what a load of Crap!
In my opinion. Triple H is the biggest problem in Wrestling today.
If he claims to love the business to the degree that he says, he should really be taking a step back and letting others take the reigns of the company. At 40, his career is starting to wind down, and the WWE needs someone more like Steve Austin, Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels or even The Rock more than they need a Triple H.
If he loved this business, he’d take a cue from the AWA. True fans know that part of the reason that company stunk as much as it did, was because the owner, Vern Gagne booked his best friend, Nick Bockwinkel as the number one guy for how many years??? And because of that, no one cared about the AWA, because why would they, when they had Hulk Hogan in the WWF, or Ric Flair in the NWA? Sure, Trips is Better than Bockwinkel, I will give him that, but come on, Trips. You’re a hypocrite, you claim to love the business, yet do nothing to bring it back to its former glory.
Triple H, is the modern day Nick Bockwinkel. He’s mainly in his position due to a personal connection to the Top-man in the company. He’s married to the bosses daughter, and she’s totally Daddy’s little girl, so of course, she’s in his ear, and as a result, so is Trips. He’s come up with some of the stupidest things the company has done since getting together with Stephanie, look at the controversy spawned in and around 2003-2004, when Trips suggested to Vince that all wrestlers show up for shows in Suits. Come on. Who really wants to see The Undertaker in a tie, or John Cena with a Sport Coat on?
He even cost Mean Gene Okerlund his regular spot on TV when he suggested to Vince that showing Wrestlers outside of the ring was a mistake, so click! WWE confidential got shelved, even though it was one of my favorite bits of WWE programming. In fact, part of what helped elevate the WWF in the late 90’s was that they went there. They took reality and infused it into the programming of their shows. Look at how much it helped Mick Foley’s career!
It’s probably because it didn’t get Trips any face time on that show, because let’s face facts, he didn’t want any reality coming out about how he two-timed his then girlfriend, Chyna to get with the Bosses daughter, and as a result, costing her a job, and driving her to alcoholism… Nah, good idea Trips. We don’t want to see how much of a sack of shit you are!
Getting back to McMahon though, I think that in retrospect to Triple H, who he apparently has too much loyalty to, he has NO loyalty to ANY of his past or current talent. He’s not afraid to drop someone from the roster without batting an eye. I know that we’re in an economic crisis here, but the fact remains that as of July 31st, over 40 superstars and employees have been let go. Many of them being people who had an active role on, or behind the scenes.
McMahon’s been one of those guys who cuts people because “Creative has nothing for them” and I disagree with that practice. I think that first off, there needs to be newer people creating storylines in WWE programming, because the same thing seems to be playing out week after week. I’m tired of seeing John Cena Vs. Randy Orton, or Randy Orton Vs. Triple H, or Triple H Vs. John Cena.
Look at Ken Anderson, AKA Mr. Kennedy. Kennedy was released May 29th. Now first off, I will acknowledge that he got hurt alot, and was off TV a fair amount, but the fact is, is that he was easily one of those guys who should have been elevated to the top-tier a long time ago.
He has the athletic talent, the on-screen presence, and the charisma that they need in their top guys. The man has his first match back from an injury, and gets let go less than a week later. Why? Looks like he may have botched a spot in a 10 man tag match, sure. Spots get blown all of the time, but fire the guy? Come on, Vince. That was a huge mistake. He was the one of the few guys I was still watching wrestling for. Now, it’s just Jericho and C.M. Punk.
Now, some of the guys, sure, they deserve to get let go, either because they’re too old, or just not getting over, but the fact is, that it’s your job to help get them over, and when I say you, Vince. I mean you. This is your company, the buck stops with you. You can go ahead and blame anyone else for your company’s shortcomings, but when it all boils down to it. It’s your head.
Case in point, the following article that was on my personal favorite wrestling news website, lordsofpain.net, I will read the quote as it was posted.
Since the recent injuries to WWE’s top stars, Vince McMahon has been described as “on edge” and “unhappy with the product now.” The lack of depth of main event talent is said to frustrate and worry Vince. WWE officials have been criticized for recent decisions and not working to elevate talent such as MVP and Jack Swagger. Both wrestlers have been highly praised and some have questioned why they were moved to Raw only to become midcarders.
Most within the company also feel the development system is doing a horrible job of producing ready talent, and the success in recruiting top athletes has declined.
This is your fault, Vince. We reap what we sow. The problem is, that you don’t hold yourself accountable for your company’s less than stellar performance as of late. Like I said before. The buck stops with you.
So maybe it’s time to let someone else put the head in the noose for a while. Keep the business in the family, sure. But just don’t let Stephanie run the show. I think that it should be Shane’s time to shine. He’s the older son, it’s his destiny. Who knows? Maybe wrestling will once again have another golden age like it did in the late 90’s. Us fans deserve it.
But that’s just my opinion…. What do I know???
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