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The Crossface

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The CrossFace is a weekly series where SmartMarks Staff tackles the week's hottest wrestling issues. Tonight, we hit hard on the Booker T turn, the NWA PPV Scheme, Bob Costas, and Judgment Day. Once again, Mark Goodhart and Danny Gregory square off…

 

Stephen: Gentleman welcome!

 

Mark: Hi

 

Stephen: We are back for the second installment of CrossFace...Once again; I'm your moderator, Stephen Popick.

 

Danny: Since "gentleman" is singular, I'll assume you're addressing me.

 

Stephen: Gentlemen then...We have a wide variety of topics tonight.

 

Mark: Here I thought I was the only man in here; did your balls finally drop?

 

Danny: No comment.

 

Stephen: Okay...how about you all bite each other's heads off when we have a question. On the Raw Brand, Booker T it appears joined the nWo. Your thoughts on the matter...Was this a good for bad thing for Booker T and the WWE?

 

Mark: It is a good thing for both parties. Booker T gets to be in the main events of RAW week in and week out and the nWo finally gets a respectable member that's not going to be drunk or injured or really, really fat every week

 

Danny: From all outward appearances, it was a stupid thing for everyone involved. It made no sense and it came off horribly. If that was the intent, and the idea is to use this to turn Booker face, then fine. However, saddling him with the nWo is more of detriment to his WWE career than being jobbed out every week has been.

 

Mark: What doesn't make sense about it? Booker has a history of sucking up to owners that can get him ahead, and he is doing the same thing here.

 

Danny: But in the context of existing storylines, it makes no sense. Booker has a thing with Goldust. Is that on the backburner now? He does not fit in with the nWo, either, which is just going to make that group seem like more of a random collection of un-over talent than it was before.

 

Stephen: Then nothings really changed.

 

Danny: It's like the nWo B-team has migrated to the WWE. At least their spirit remains.

 

Stephen: Personally, I feel that unless this is the last catalyst to push Booker to Main Event face-dom on Raw, it was a bad move. Booker was a consistent entertaining performer on a thin roster...

 

Danny: That is my opinion exactly.

 

Stephen: Changing gears completely, let's talk about the impending start of the NWA's weekly pay-per-view series. We have all heard about it... What is at stake, and will this, after the new federation abortions (WWA, XPW to name a few) bring forth new competition for Vince McMahon.

 

Mark: It is going to be an abortion; no one is going to actually pay money to see a show that is worse than RAW.

 

Stephen: Is there such a thing?

 

Danny: I do not think it will work. People will not pay to see wrestling on a weekly basis. We're in total agreement here.

 

Mark: If the biggest star is going to be Jeff Jarrett, it is a very real possibility.

 

Stephen: Normally y'all disagree... Guess we will be seeing bankruptcy papers soon then, right fellas?

 

Danny: I would imagine. If they can pick up Goldberg, though, I'd expect the company to last a few months longer.

 

Mark: If that contract doesn't bankrupt them first.

 

Stephen: Here is the stumper then...How do you see competition coming back, if ever, on American soil?

 

Danny: As a grassroots thing, like ECW. That is the only way. It will take years of steady building before that happens.

 

Mark: An independent federation is never going to be able to compete if it tries to be WWEv2 or another ECW knockoff. They are going to have to come up with something that the WWE does not provide that people would want to see.

 

Danny: Like wrestling.

 

Mark: More like a style of wrestling they would not get from WWE pay-per-view

 

Danny: I do not know that a different style is going to gain the sort of following required to be competitive with the WWE, though. Like it or not, that's what most people in America consider wrestling to be.

 

Stephen: And Canada, after we all saw the cheer Hogan got tonight.

 

Mark: Maybe Lucha, maybe Strong Style, but promoters are going to need to start pumping out alternatives that people find entertaining. If Paul Heyman can get people to accept pure brawling, others can create a similar brand.

 

Stephen: Lets talk about something else. We've got a PPV with a lack of matches coming up...looking to be another HEAT-filled Sunday night...How, in total, is the PPV going to shape up, and what are we looking for to see if the WWF is "turning the corner?"

 

Mark: The PPV is going to live and die on the Hell in The Cell match. No one should be expecting anything good out of Undertaker-Hogan.

 

Danny: Exactly. However, several matches could potentially be good. I think it will be the sleeper hit of the year, with the added element of Hogan-Undertaker for comic relief.

 

Mark: The thing to watch for is if the mid-carders pick it up this time around, Eddy-RVD and Brock-The Hardyz. If they continue their lackluster performances of recent times, the PPV's going to suffer.

 

Danny: The point is just good matches, more or less. If they deliver that, then people get their money's worth. In addition, momentum from a good PPV generally carries over into the next night's RAW. I'm optimistic, even though I have no reason to be. I just sense that Jericho and Triple H are going to tear down the house.

 

Mark: I'm kind of optimistic that the matches will be good, and that there doesn't really seem to be a whole lot of overbooking shadows lurking on the horizons with the possible exception of Austin v. Big Show/Flair.

 

Stephen: Finally...Bob Costas took on Vince McMahon in what was a relatively nice little segment. I know Mark did not see it, but then it doesn't matter if he did or not.

 

Danny: He didn't miss anything.

 

Mark: I have one thing and one thing only to say, Bob Costas is a sexy minx and I don't care who knows it.

 

Danny: Well. I can't follow that.

 

Stephen: I'm now worried about Mark's sanity That's the Crossface for this week...See you all after the PPV!

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