Unleashing the Monster
By George Appiah; Contributing Writer
February 9, 2008

When you think of monster big men in WWE, you think of names like the Undertaker, Kane, Big Daddy V, Mark Henry, Umaga and the Great Khali. At one point or another in their careers, all of the above superstars had an impressive streak of dominance which cemented their “monster” status. And while some superstars, such as Kane, have been plagued with illogical booking decisions and ridiculous storylines, they’ve somehow managed to keep their monstrous character and fan base intact.

The same can’t be said for TNA, which has only one dominant big man in “The Monster” Abyss. TNA has chosen not to protect Abyss in the same manner that WWE protects its big men.

When I first started watching TNA, there was something about Abyss that I liked. While he isn’t the greatest in-ring performer by any means, compared to the monsters of WWE, he’s leaps and bounds ahead of them. He’s extremely agile for a man his size, plays his role well, is willing to do things that the superstars of World Wrestling Entertainment wouldn’t dare, like willingly being slammed on thumb tacks, glass and barbed wire week in and week out. In fact, these are a few of the reasons that make Abyss a true monster.

There was a time the former TNA Heavyweight champion was a dominant monster heel, destroying everything in his path. The decline in Abyss’ character came when he began suffering brutal and bloody beat downs for what seemed like several weeks in a row. While no competitor should be exempt from getting beat down, your big men should never have to endure such situations on a weekly basis as it makes their characters weaker in the eyes of the fans and they begin to lose their credibility and allure of invulnerability, something the company had spent months building up.

The problems that TNA face with Abyss’ character are the lack of decent feuds, constant changes, explanations and secrets of his past. The random and ridiculous secrets ranged from Abyss being in jail, to witnessing a murder, to watching his mother shoot his father in the back and last but not least, the revelation that Father James Mitchell was in fact biological father. At the end of the day, the fans don’t really care. No one cares. TNA failed to realize that it was Abyss’ mysteriousness that made his character so unique. Let him be the dominant monster that the company groomed him to be in their early days.

The best thing for Abyss is to finally end this never-ending feud with Father James Mitchell. TNA needs to book Abyss to win all of his matches against the likes of Rellik, Black Reign, his brother, Judas Mesias, and any other monsters Mitchell can conjure up. The wins must be decisive and impressive. The feud has dragged on for far too long and the fans are clamoring for something different for “The Monster.”

Perhaps even a win over Mitchell himself in a match could mark the culmination of the feud and the beginning of Abyss’ return to the main event scene, with the recapturing of the TNA World Heavyweight championship being his only concern.

TNA Abyss T-Shirt Check out this awesome Abyss t-shirt. It’s an awesome design featuring his mask donein metal. Kind of reminds us of the Quiet Riot mask.

The WWE Tag Team, World Tag Team, Cruiserweight and to a certain extent, the Women’s championships all have one thing in common – they’re horribly neglected in WWE.

As a fan of professional wrestling my entire life, I’ve always found myself being highly entertained by a show’s under card. In most cases, the superstars competing in the under card matches would outshine their colleagues featured in the main events, which usually showcased the heavyweight championship.

One can usually gauge how well a particular show or pay-per-view event will do based on their use and buildup of under card matches, To have a successful, well rounded show take place, time and effort must be put into the midcard.

It baffles me that World Wrestling Entertainment continues to put sole emphasis on the main event scene. Based on booking and writing decisions, WWE gives off the impression that if you’re not a superstar that is carrying one of the three world heavyweight titles then you’re not important, which is truly the wrong mindset to have when the business is already in a downward spiral.

With injury and suspensions running rampant throughout the company, each of the brands have taken major losses. For years, fans have been calling for the end of the brand split. Instead of ending the brand split, amend it and re-introduce some titles as tri-branded championships.

Unification

Earlier this year, WWE had a tremendous chance at making this possible when Raw hosted two 10 team battle royals involving teams from all three brands competing for the World Tag Team championships, held then by John Cena and Shawn Michaels.

Too further the feud between them, Michaels eliminated Cena, therefore guaranteeing new tag team champions. London and Kendrick, the WWE Tag Team champions at the time, were in the final group of contenders and fans thought a show down between London, Kendrick and the Hardy Boys would take place. However, in what appeared to be a slip on the apron, preceded by a high risk maneuver sent Kendrick reeling to the floor, thus eliminating the team and that opportunity. The Hardy Boys went on to capture the World Tag Team championships.

It would’ve been great if London and Kendrick had returned to the ring following Matt and Jeff’s win congratulated them on beginning the world tag team champions. Later, Vince McMahon could’ve announced that at the next pay-per-view, the two teams, known for their high-flying, daredevil styles, would compete against one another in a tag team title unification match. Both teams love to fly and if billed and booked correctly, would’ve been an amazing match. It would have also set up the idea of a tri-branded championship.

That was months ago and things have changed drastically in both brands tag team division. It’s not as stacked and developed anymore and the idea of pulling off a move is questionable, but can still be done.

Cruiserweights

Due to his heavy involvement in the Vince McMahon’s illegitimate son storyline, Assistant General Manager Vickie Guerrero made Hornswoggle abdicate his WWE Cruiserweight championship two weeks ago on Friday Night Smackdown.

This was the best thing for cruiserweights on all three brands as putting the title on Hornswoggle was perceived as a comedy stint that further degraded the belt after being built up so diligently in the past year by the likes of Gregory Helms and Chavo Guerrero.

Again, the Chairman of World Wrestling Entertainment, Vince McMahon should take the opportunity to re-introduce the title as a tri-branded championship, with cruiserweights on all three brands being able to contend for it.

System of Order

In making the championships tri-branded, the company would need to create and develop a ranking system that ranks, rates and regulates the tag team and cruiserweight competitors on all brands to determine eligibility for a title shot at upcoming pay-per-views. The company can take the system that they already have in place, the Power 25, and expound on it by implementing some of the WWE Fantasy elements to categorize the way competitors rise and fall in rank.

In regards to the champions, title holders would usually compete on their respective brand’s show, but can make appearances on the other brands’ shows to promote programs and scout matches. Barring a few rare occasions, title defenses should only take place on pay-per-views.

Doing this not only makes the actual championship seem important, but if a good feud revolves around the title, it would provide consumers another reason to purchase the pay-per-view to see the championship defended.

Closing Thoughts

The rebuilding process for World Wrestling Entertainment starts now and to build towards a better future, every division needs to be given the proper time and attention to restore the importance of each championship.

It started with a handicap match against the World Tag Team Champions as punishment for making a mockery of Mr. McMahon and his family woes. It ended with a win over the duo followed by a prompt beat down by the champs and his former opponent, Carlito.

As Triple H became a victim of a severe post-match stomping from Lance Cade, Trevor Murdoch and Carlito, the tag team champions’ rivals, Paul London and Brian Kendrick, rushed the ring, making the save and fending off the champs, leaving Carlito for Triple H. After clearing the ring, London and Kendrick returned to the ring, using the moment in the spotlight to perform their trademark second rope double back flip and pose as Triple H looked on in amazement.

Opportunity Knocking

What WWE had on Raw was an excellent opportunity for a bona fide main eventer to elevate an authentic tag team that has recently found themselves on the receiving in of horrible booking and as a result, are struggling to find their niche following being sent to Raw via the Supplemental Draft.

If a cohesive team, that just happens to be one of the longest reigning tag team champions in recent memory, can’t get over with their in-ring performance, lightning speed, and high-flying maneuvers, then surely they would benefit from the positive endorsement and approval of a 10-time former Heavyweight champion. An act that not only would’ve given fans more of a reason to care about the tag team, but for the most part, could’ve been used to set up an exciting six-man tag match for next week’s Raw, pitting Carlito, Cade and Murdoch against Triple H, London and Kendrick.

Instead, we have The Game, who’s been back for little over a month and still being embraced by the crowd, repay the acrobatic superstars for assisting him in his time of need by buying them with two devastating Pedigrees before shrugging his shoulders and leaving the ring.

At that very moment, if you weren’t already aware, Triple H summed up what the tag team division has become, much like his career in 2007. A running gag.

The division has been relegated to sideshow status, right alongside the Cruiserweight championship. The tag team titles on Raw are the biggest disgrace, which, in the last year, have been used as a stepping stone or a sidebar in a much bigger story, usually the main event picture.

Unfounded Statement

During the handicap match on Raw, Jim Ross’ kept driving home his point that “Lance Cade and Trevor Murdoch are the best tag team in the entire company.” Cade and Murdoch aren’t even the best team on their own brand, let alone the entire company – that status is currently held by current WWE tag team champions, MVP and Matt Hardy, who just happens to be a multiple time tag team champion alongside his brother, Intercontinental champion, Jeff Hardy.

What’s worse is that Jim Ross, who’s been in the business for decades, knows Cade & Murdoch wouldn’t have even smelled championship gold 20 years ago as they would’ve been used solely to elevate mid to upper echelon tag teams. It’s appalling, in this watered down division that fans are presented with today that the current tag team champs are viewed in the same light.

Personally, I wouldn’t have an issue with Ross’ claim if the company took the time to focus on the division and build up worthwhile challengers for the championships, but it’s extremely hard to do that when the division is considered an afterthought. It doesn’t help having main event talent who are above over, destroying solid teams for no reason, on the rare occasions tag teams are given a chance to shine.

Repercussions

Last week, Shelton Benjamin found himself to be a victim of Triple H and although it was thrown together to further his ongoing feud with Carlito and to give Benjamin something to do while his tag team partner, Charlie Haas, serves his suspension, the loss did more harm than good for Benjamin.

In a few weeks, Haas will return and reunite with Benjamin, presumably to go after the tag team titles. Why would any fan accept them as a credible when your main event superstars are squashing them in singles competition?

Counterproductive

By taking out Benjamin last week, defeating Cade and Murdoch, the current tag team champions, in a handicap match this week and by burying Paul London and Brian Kendrick following the handicap match, Triple H has somehow managed to destroy Raw’s tag team division in a mere two weeks. All that was missing was backstage segment with the Cerebral Assassin obliterating The Highlanders and his mission would’ve been complete.

With reports of Degeneration X members, Shawn Michaels and Triple H, assisting, monitoring and overseeing WWE’s developmental territories in the near future, rising superstars would be well within their right to feel a little uneasy. It’s a double edge sword as Triple H would offer advice and hope for these aspiring talents to get popular only to squash them if they ever made it to the big leagues.

He doesn’t drink, smoke or do drugs. His only addiction is competition. That’s the creed the straight edge extremist lives by, but as of late, CM Punk has been itching for a chance to face John Morrison with the ECW heavyweight title on the line and just when it seems that he’s on the verge of golden glory, Punk’s championship aspirations slip through his fingers.

Why is it that Punk chokes whenever the gold is at stake? Up until last night at Summer Slam, Morrison has defeated Punk cleanly in the middle of the ring and even when the champ tries to cheat, something he has failed to do right, he still defeats him cleanly. The matches that Punk was defeated in cleanly weren’t stellar matches at all. The two don’t seem to have great chemistry and often seem to be going through the motions.

Ruled Out

Being ruled out of title contention usually occurs when a number one contender for the heavyweight championship is successfully defeated three times by the champion. It has happened to former champions, John Bradshaw Layfield and Dave Batista and now it’s only right that the same thing happen to Punk. It’s time for ECW General Manager, Armando Estrada to rule CM Punk out of title contention. The rule is usually enacted when it fits a storyline and now is the perfect time. By doing so, Estrada can generate more heel heat by seemingly protecting the brand’s champion all the while preventing Punk from achieving his goal of winning the title.

With the recent demoralizing defeats that he has endured, Punk’s credibility has come into question and fans don’t buy him as a viable contender to the championship anymore when the chances of him winning the match are “extremely” low.

In Good Company

While Punk is definitely disappointed in himself and the constant deferment of his championship aspirations, he should take solace in being in the company of some great superstars that were once shared his plight.
Following his defeat at WrestleMania XIX and after being stuck in a comedic tag team role on Raw with no foreseeable hope of seeing heavyweight gold again, the five time WCW champion, Booker T was traded to Smackdown where he went on to strengthen and redirect his career, anoint himself royalty after winning the King of the Ring tournament, and springboard into the main event scene where he captured the first heavyweight championship of his WWE career.

Edge, who had only received a sampler of a championship reign during his tenure on Raw, found hope and a longer championship reign upon conniving the Money in the Bank briefcase from an injured Mr. Kennedy on Raw and cashing it in the very next night on Smackdown, winning his second heavyweight championship by defeating the Undertaker following the conclusion of a gruesome cage match.

“Brand” New Options

What we do know is that the Raw brand is completely stacked at the moment and the injury-riddled Smackdown and short-staffed ECW brands are in dire need of help and fresh faces. Perhaps the writers can be creative enough to have the general managers make a “four or five superstar trade” involving all three brands. This would be a perfect way to right some of the wrongs of the draft by moving some superstars. A possible idea would be to move Big Daddy V to Smackdown, which is the rumored plan, while moving CM Punk to Raw or Smackdown and having Raw give a few main event superstars, including the returning Jeff Hardy, to ECW in exchange for one or two future draft picks.

The trade would provide fresh faces and new feuds for all three shows and enhance the credibility of the brands’ general managers. Punk, if moved to Raw, could immediately jump into the Intercontinental title hunt with Carlito, Kennedy, Marella, etc. If moved to Smackdown, one could only dream of the matches that would take place between Punk and Matt Hardy, MVP, Batista, and the Undertaker.

The end result of the blockbuster trade would strengthen the lackluster midcard on Raw, provide new challengers for Morrison’s title in ECW, and restore the injury-prone Smackdown brand back to its once great wrestling-oriented trademark.

It’s a win-win for all parties involved.

The Smackdown brand has always been known as a superstar harvesting ground that is raided every year in the annual draft by Raw and now ECW. It is common knowledge that of three brands, Smackdown is the wrestling-oriented brand.

Smackdown has groomed and developed some up and coming superstars and interesting gimmicks, including Mr. Kennedy, Montel Vontavious Porter, King Booker, The Boogeyman, The Miz, Paul London & Brian Kendrick. With the exception of MVP, all were taken away from the brand in the draft.

With SummerSlam this coming Sunday, WWE has an excellent opportunity to strengthen its Smackdown heavyweight division and elevate one of their superstars into the main event making him a bonafide superstar. After putting him out of action for almost a year, Chavo Guerrero will be facing the returning Rey Mysterio at the “Biggest Party of the Summer” and if booked properly, this feud can do more than just springboard Rey Mysterio back into the title picture.

Chavo Guerrero has been doing an amazing job carrying this feud for the last month, but even before the vignettes began airing for Mysterio’s return, Chavo has consistently been putting on stellar matches. His ring work has improved greatly over the years and now can carry his opponents in matches with his ring savvy and match pacing.

The writing staff has done several things right since the development of this feud. 1) Unlike most heels that have to deal with the consequences of a returning superstar that they’ve put out of action, they booked Guerrero as more than looking forward to the return of Mysterio and possibility of re-injuring the former heavyweight champion. 2) They also booked Guerrero in a skit that mocked Mysterio. One of the things that I found unique about this segment was the use of Mysterio’s mask and how Chavo talks to it, often placing it on opponents and attacking them as if they’re Mysterio. It’s eerily similar to the way Chavo’s uncle, Eddie, reacted in his feud with Mysterio a few years ago.

Speaking of Eddie Guerrero, Rey Mysterio greatly benefited from their feud as it elevated him to main event level and served as the initial starting point of his quest to win a heavyweight championship. By defeating a former heavyweight champion, in the matter in which he did, made Mysterio main event material in the eyes of the fans. Now it is time for Mysterio to return the favor and help elevate Chavo the same way Eddie did for Mysterio.

Should Chavo win the match at SummerSlam? If the writing staff chooses to end the feud at the pay per view, then yes, Chavo should pick up the win. Mysterio hasn’t wrestled in singles competition in almost a year, while Chavo has been at the top of his game and was just recently the cruiserweight champion. It would be really hard to believe that Mysterio could come back off an injury and defeat one of the most consistent in-ring superstars on the brand. Besides, the win would do more for Chavo than it would for Mysterio.

Now, if the writing staff chooses to do the right thing and extend the rivalry, then Rey should pick up the win at SummerSlam, to avenge the loss from last year. Have Guerrero and Mysterio put on wrestling clinics for the next few months with each of them exchanging wins over one another. Following the conclusion of their initial feud, move Chavo into high profile matches with the main eveners on Smackdown. He has to be involved with big time superstars to be perceived as a big time superstar.

Guerrero has been in the shadow of his uncle, Eddie, since their days in World Championship Wrestling. I don’t know if Chavo will ever escape the shadow that Eddie has cast, but if booked properly, this could quite possibly be his best chance to at least begin casting a shadow of his own, with Mysterio providing the light.