The Crossface

[Guest TSMAdmin]

Well, people are calling this past week's RAW one of the worst ever. People aren't lining up to praise Smackdown either. This week, the Smart Marks discuss some of the major angles breaking through on these shows and what they hold for the future. We also discuss the possibilities of HBK's and Scott Steiner's return to the ring. Before we start, let's meet the players....

 

Brandon Truitt: Brandon is a regular here on the Crossface and happens to own a shitload of shoot interviews. Make sure to check out his Jake 'The Snake' Roberts shoot interview recap right here!

 

Byron Vester: Don't forget to Catch Byron now on Sunday nights as he drops in with the news. When the wrestling world really pisses him off, he'll drop in with his Anger Management column. If you want to kno what happened last week, THIS is your destination.

 

Dr. Tom: Tom brings the content every week, providing the reader with his Smackdown recaps, The Mid-Week News and movie reviews! Don't forget to read his opinions on the latest Smackdown!

 

Fake Razor: Razor is the Smart Marks weekly Heat recapper (with the exception of PPV Sundays!). When he feels like expressing his views on a multitude of topics, he drops in with his Last Word column. Check out his Heat recap from last week's show!

 

William Helmick: If you're interested in writing for the Smart Marks, drop William a line. For now, he'll be moderating the discussion.

 

William: Both RAW and Smackdown were very sub-par shows this week.

Brandon: That's an understatement, Will.

Fake Razor: That they were…

Byron: RAW has NO undercard whatsoever and Smackdown has started to become very RAW-esque with the jumping ship of PoochieTaker.

William: The ratings are suffering and the fed is concerned about the product. Are we in store for another change in direction?

Brandon: Yes, Will, and it already started... They scrapped the concept of Brock Lesnar leading the way and went back to Cripple H and The Underseller.

Byron: No. I think Vince knows now that changing directions every week is hurting more than it's helping, so I think they'll stick with this for a while.

Brandon: It sucks because Brock was starting to get over after the Hogan and Rock matches, and would have been fine if properly booked.

Byron: Brandon, Brock was never leading the way, anyway, so how would it be a change when HHH and Taker were already on top?

Brandon: He was SUPPOSED to lead the way as the new champ, as it would be a sign that things were finally changing and that the *OLD* guard wasn't running things anymore.

Fake Razor: I don't see the point in having Triple H as the champion either, though it was obvious that he'd be the one awarded the title.

Byron: While that's true, he still wasn't the central figure in the company even during the mega-push. Hell, HHH/HBK got an insane amount of build-up as compared to Brock/Rock, which was treated more like a midcard match despite some of the great promo packages.

Brandon: I think we all know who to blame for that... McMahons and HHH. They're the only people in the U.S. who thought that this whole HHH/HBK feud was working to begin with.

Fake Razor: I agree with Byron on this one, giving the title to HHH and devaluing Lesnar's reign is a definite step back. The shows WERE getting better, now they're starting to suck again like earlier this year.

Dr. Tom: I'm not sure the ratings are suffering. They've been holding steady of late, and even improving a bit. SD takes a hit when it gets pre-empted in major markets. I don't think we'll see a significant change in direction.

Brandon: Dr. Tom... Things had been turning around until Vince went on a nostalgia trip to 2000 and thought that Taker and HHH could draw. Now that they've made THAT change of directions, they need to change again to a better one, with RVD, Brock, and other fresh talents leading the way.

Byron: I disagree there, Brandon. Taker is more being used as cannon fodder for Brock instead of being an actual drawing point for the PPV

Brandon: You'd think that, Byron, but he's steamrolling all of the heels he's run into, INCLUDING Brock. I know that Vince likes to make the challengers seem unbeatable, but he's going overboard with it this time.

Byron: Good point, Brandon, but I think that's more along the lines of Taker's seemingly disdain for putting anybody over for real

Dr. Tom: Taker still gets massive pops, Brandon. Even if he doesn't draw dick, they have an obligation to make the arena fans happy.

Brandon: Massive pops, Tom? He gets to do things that no one else gets to do... He's had major artists' hits as his theme music and rides the goddamn bike down to the ring. If Brock could do that, there would be no question about his heat. He gets nice entrance pops, much like HHH, for having an over elaborate entrance.

Dr. Tom: Edge has a major artist as his theme. So does Hogan. So does HHH, to an extent. The bike helps, sure, but the fans still respond for him when he's in the ring. I'm not saying he should be the focus of the shows and not put everyone over, but if the crowd likes him, then WWE has an obligation to make the fans happy. It's a self-fulfilling prophecy, sure, but it's the nature of the business

Brandon: Look at that list, Tom... it's all the people that the WWE wants to get over (or stay over) in a big way. HHH, Taker, and Hogan are all established stars and it's generally accepted that Edge is going to be made a top star no matter what happens with him.

Byron: We also have to take into consideration that RVD is seemingly being elevated now too. It seems to be for real this time as he beat Triple H clean

Fake Razor: While the Brock and Taker feud may fuel Smackdown, much of the hype will be shifted onto HHH/RVD anyway. That match will be the drawing point of the PPV just like HBK vs. HHH.

 

 

William: Speaking of which Razor, RVD scored the clean pin on HHH on RAW? How do you guys see this feud shaping up?

Byron: RVD jobs at Unforgiven and then goes over at No Mercy to a huge pop

Brandon: I see RVD getting jobbed out to HHH in order to "legitimize" HHH's RAW title, which was handed to him on Monday.

Dr. Tom: Does anyone really think RVD will go over when it counts? Rob wins the match on Raw that a lot more people see, but HHH wins at the PPV when the match means a lot more.

Fake Razor: I think they'll have RVD chase after the title for a while.

Brandon: The fact that RVD drew first blood indicates that HHH will win the feud.

Byron: I see the RVD/Triple H feud as a "chasing the title" angle much like Steve Austin from 97/98. I predict RVD jobs at Unforgiven and then goes over at No Mercy to a huge pop.

Fake Razor: I agree, Byron. Maybe with some interference from Jericho or something since they might be turning him face. I don't know if HHH will do the clean job to Van Dam on PPV either, so interference from Jericho would satisfy HHH and give RAW another much needed face.

Byron: True, Razor, but I think that the fans will be too busy cheering to give a damn unless it's complete crap.

Brandon: What's the point of RVD even chasing that title? That belt's even more worthless than it was back in 93, because no one even WON it this time.

Dr. Tom: Yeah, Brandon, I hate the fact they just gave the belt away. If you're going to put it on HHH, then do it, but at least have the decency to hold a tournament, or something to make his claim to it legit.

Byron: As for you Brandon, what better way to make the belt legit than to have the top face and top heel chasing it?

Brandon: Byron, they shouldn't even be in this situation. They should have had a tournament with someone WINNING it instead of HHH getting it as a consolation prize. As for legitimizing it now, it's more ass backwards than it should be... the Intercontinental Title is much more prestigious than the RAW title, and RVD already has it.

Byron: Brandon, I don't deny that, but it's kind of worthless to just analyze it over and over again when it's already happened

Fake Razor: Yeah, a tourney would have been a cool idea for this month, climaxing at Unforgiven. It almost seems as if they're making this shit up as they go, Benoit should have held onto the IC title if they were going to stick Van Dam in the RAW title hunt.

Dr. Tom: I agree, Razor, unless they plan to job RVD to HHH and eliminate the IC title in the process.

Brandon: You've got that right, Razor... they're back to booking on cocktail napkins.

Fake Razor: Now we are probably going to see the unification of the IC title with YET ANOTHER title. That thing has got a hell of a lineage behind it.

Byron: I really don't see the IC Title as that prestigious since RVD seemingly doesn't really care about it

Brandon: Byron, RVD doesn't care about anything except revenge if he gets screwed over. The only time I've seen him show real emotion in the WWE was when Jericho screwed him out of a rematch for the Unified Title in late 2001.

Dr. Tom: I like having fewer titles, Byron. What have the European and Hardcore titles ever meant, especially recently? Getting rid of shit belts is always a good idea.

Byron: Brandon, that's pretty much one of my main problems with RVD. He doesn't seem to give a damn about the belt yet I'm supposed to care when he loses it

Brandon: That may not be RVD's problem as much as a writing problem in general. Who's the only wrestler right now who cares about his belt? Jamie Noble... that's it.

Dr. Tom: No one cares about their belts. The belts have been treated like shit for a while. At least Brock WEARS his, as opposed to throwing it over his shoulder or dragging it beside him.

Brandon: They're STILL putting over Noble's motivation for being a champion on Smackdown during his title defenses.

Byron: I have no problem with how some people carry the belt if it fits their character like Austin.

Dr. Tom: I do, Byron. It's a championship belt, and it should be treated like one. Not like a trinket.

Byron: Understandable, Tom, but for guys like Austin who are pushed as authority-defying rednecks who don't give a shit about tradition, why should he treat the belt any differently than he did?

Dr. Tom: You can defy authority all you want, but if you win a belt, especially a World Title, your character should treat it as something special, something he had to go out and earn the hard way.

Byron: I disagree there, Tom. If it doesn't fit the character, then he shouldn't do it.

 

William: Does anyone see this world title situation as just another excuse for another unification of the world belts down the road?

Brandon: Yes, I do Will. This is an excuse for someone else to get the rub that Jericho was supposed to get at Vengeance 2001.

Fake Razor: I guess it all depends on how well the split angle goes these next few months, Will. I think they're trying to create the feel of two separate promotions, and if the angle fails (like most BIG WWE angles have recently) then they can always unify the damn thing.

Brandon: This split isn't going to last, Razor... they'll make a show of it until Wall Street believes it was a good idea, but they're hurting badly with the split crew house shows.

Fake Razor: I know that, but I think they'll try and drag it out for a while, Brandon. At least I hope so.

Brandon: They'll try it for a few more months, probably until Survivor Series or Wrestlemania at the least, and then they'll kill it because it will have run its course.

William: One of the main problems I've witnessed with the split so far is the lack of intriguing match-ups. Does anyone else notice this problem? The undercard wrestlers fight each other every single week and the matchups are getting stale.

Brandon: Yes, it's a distinct problem Will. Whenever they run a matchup into the ground, they only fix it by moving someone onto a different show.

Byron: That's RAW's main problem now. They have a dearth of talent on Heat that they could use on RAW to freshen up the product every week, but they refuse to use them.

Fake Razor: Yeah, I've noticed the same thing, Brandon. How many Intergender tags with Regal, Nowinski, Bubba Ray, Trish and Molly are we going to see?

Brandon: We've now seen about 1000 versions of Spike-Bubba-Trish vs. Molly-Regal-Harvard. If they were as good as Booker vs. Benoit, I wouldn't mind it, but this is just pathetic. They absolutely refuse to bring up talent from Heat to RAW. They're better about bringing talent up from Velocity to Smackdown, though.

Dr. Tom: That's because they see Smackdown as a showcase for the younger talent, Brandon. Raw is seen as having more established stars, so I guess they're just not very interested in creating new ones. That's the one area in which the split really suffers. They only want to push so many people, so we get various iterations of the same match all the time.

Fake Razor: D'Lo needs to be brought up to RAW. The pops he gets are crazy.

William: But D'lo is just one example, Razor. There are many others who deserve it.

Fake Razor: Sure, like Steven Richards (Who I've become a fan of in recent weeks for some reason), Shelton Benjamin and a bunch of others. D'Lo and Raven put on a damn good match this past Sunday by Heat standards.

Brandon: D'Lo and Raven should be on RAW, but politics are a bitch, Razor

 

William: Well, two guys who are getting airtime are Billy and Chuck and for all of the wrong reasons. Next week, we have a commitment ceremony. Thoughts?

Brandon: My thoughts are "Is Russo back"?

Byron: This angle has "BAD IDEA" written all over it. Bullshit shock TV angles won't draw a damn dime and this will prove it.

Fake Razor: I haven't seen Smackdown, but this sounds like Russo circa 1999.

Dr. Tom: I hate it. It was a lousy idea three years ago when they tried to do it with Too Much. Whether or not they go through with it, this is something that could taint those guys' careers. It's no loss in Gunn's case, but I'd hate to see Palumbo have to deal with ignorant "Faggot!" chants the rest of his career.

Brandon: The only good thing about it is that Rico will get more mic time.

Fake Razor: Billy and Chuck are pretty much jobbers now anyway. I wouldn't waste any more TV time on either of them, especially with something as ridiculous as a "wedding". I do feel bad for Palumbo, Tom, he's not so bad. However, Gunn deserves what he gets.

Brandon: Tom, would Chuck's career REALLY be that much of a loss? I don't begrudge him a living, but he isn't much in the ring. Of the Natural Born Thrillers, he and Stasiak are the least impressive.

Dr. Tom: I like Palumbo, actually, Brandon. There's no reason to potentially kill the guy's career when he's still pretty new in the company.

Fake Razor: I wouldn't mind the team of Palumbo and O'Haire again, to be honest with you.

Brandon: I wouldn't mind them either, Razor, but you know that the Brothers of Destruction wouldn't be far behind them.

 

William: Well, two guys who I think Smart marks around the country would like to see get more airtime are Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit. Is everyone as excited for the second go-around of this matchup as I am?

Fake Razor: I sure am. You can't really go wrong with Angle vs. Benoit, as clichéd as that might sound.

Dr. Tom: I am, Will, but I wish they weren't turning Angle face just because 9/11 is coming up. It just seems really artificial.

Brandon: I'm excited about it because it has the most potential of any teased match so far. They've done many matches, but they're all great.

Byron: I’m kind of excited, but why should the general fanbase give a damn if both guys are heels?

Dr. Tom: Angle won't be a heel next week, Byron.

Byron: True Tom, but it just reeks of last year when we had the exact same feud, only that Benoit turned face instead of Angle

William: How do you propose they turn Angle face?

Dr. Tom: Having him come out and wave the flag would be enough. Next week's Smackdown airs on 9/12. The tie-in is obvious.

Byron: I say Angle stops a beatdown that Eddy and Benoit are doing on Smackdown. It may be simple, but it would more than likely work.

Dr. Tom: It would be as simple as Angle coming out and cutting a pro-American promo next week. The fans would eat it up, he'd be massively over as a face, and Benoit could come out and tell him to shut up.

Fake Razor: If Hogan were still around, Angle saving him from a Benoit/Guererro beat-down would work pretty nicely.

Byron: Let's say Edge is getting punked by Benoit/Eddy in the ring and Medal hits, they could do a slow burn and make it seem like Angle is going to help and he just turns on them behind their back.

Brandon: I'm not sure what they're going to do with this whole situation. They might turn Benoit face just to swerve us all at this point.

Byron: Benoit going face is a bad idea, I think, Brandon. He's better suited as a silent heel

Brandon: It doesn't mean they won't do it, Byron. They haven't exactly been bound by logic lately.

Fake Razor: But on the other hand guys, Angle’s gimmick is sort of lame as a face. I guess we'll just have to live with it, hey, at least we'll be getting damn good matches in the process.

Byron: Very true, Razor. In order for the Angle face turn to work, he's going to have to get it right the first time

 

William: Well, speaking of potentially good matches, it is also reported that HBK will see more ring time. Was his performance against HHH his swan song or do you see him producing more great matches?

Brandon: If HBK comes back, he'll be returning the job to HHH so that HHH can finally "kill" him. I think it's a swan song because he'd only be good for matches every so often, and not on a nightly basis. Think of him as the 2002 version of Shane McMahon.

Dr. Tom: If he can still tear it up like he did at Summerslam, he should go for it.

Byron: While Shawn surprised a lot of people, including me, last month. I think he should just stay away

Fake Razor: HHH vs. HBK is one of those fantasy matches we never thought would happen. It's the perfect swan song for HBK.

Dr. Tom: I think he CAN produce more great matches, Will. No one sells better or times his comebacks better than HBK. They have to be careful about only using him occasionally, though.

Byron: I don't think they will use him occasionally, Tom. Vince seems to want to ride everything out until it dies away like Hogan's huge nostalgia pops. Plus, if you put him over anybody, there may be a bit of a backlash because it would seem that a young and healthy wrestler couldn't beat a broken down cripple

Dr. Tom: I think he'd be good in the role Flair should have, Byron. Let him wrestle on TV every other week, but in HBK's case, make sure those are safe matches. Then let him turn it up at the PPVs. That way, they can get him involved in an actual feud, instead of just trucking him out there and making up a reason for someone to fight the guy who wrestles every quarter.

Byron: Understandable. I'm just not sure even HE knows how his back will hold up at this point, which is why I'd question putting him out there like Flair

William: But where Flair has made it a habit to put over the younger talent, do you think HBK will be as professional and job when asked?

Dr. Tom: Probably not but he's also not 53 years old.

Brandon: It depends with HBK... If Vince makes a big production out of "Do what I say because I paid you for 4 years at home", he'll job to whomever Vince wants him to.

Byron: I agree, Brandon. I don't think Vince would put up with HBK's shit this time around

 

William: Well, speaking of guys who have an ego problem, Scotty Steiner is rumored to be the next big acquisition by Vince and Co. even though Jim Ross denies it. Do we really need Steiner around?

Byron: No. A thousand times… no!

Brandon: Not at this point. If they didn't have Lesnar, who was a mix of Steiner and Goldberg, they'd have an excuse to sign him.

Dr. Tom: He does give WWE a monster heel, which is something they've had trouble building on their own.

Fake Razor: I don't think so, we've got enough talent that isn't being used properly as it is, why bring in another guy to hog a top spot that someone new, fresh and more talented could use?

Byron: Steiner is a roided up dirtbag who can't even walk three feet without blowing up. And he is a psychopath to boot.

William: Ok Tom, you have some arguing to do!

Dr. Tom: I never said they should bring him. I just said what he brings to the table. Personally, I don't want to see him but he does make a good monster heel.

Byron: Another thing is, Vince has always made the perception of WCW being second-rate next to the WWE, so the fans would more than likely shit on Scotty just as soon as he mumbled his first word

Fake Razor: They'd probably find some way to fuck up his monster heel image too. Dropping the ball is the norm in WWE nowadays, it would seem.

Brandon: Unlike many of the WCW talents brought into the WWE, Steiner DOES have a history with the federation. That might save him from the "he's not one of us" mindset.

Byron: I wouldn't think so, Brandon. The Scott Steiner "Big Poppa Pump" image is WCW all the way, Vince would more than likely fuck it all to hell.

Brandon: Byron, if you look at most of the people who got screwed with, they were people who'd never been in the WWE before and "didn't know the rules" or "didn't work the style". Steiner's work for the WWE in 1993 might give him a slight break. The only former WWE guys to get messed with were Kronik, but that was because their sponsor, Undertaker, no-sold all their offense.

Byron: Vince seemingly always revamps WCW wrestlers whenever he gets his hands on them

 

William: Well fellas, thanks to the fed, we have discussed some pretty depressing topics. Personally, I am still recovering from the visions of Billy and Chuck’s wedding. To try and erase that image we’ll close this out with congratulations to Tommy Dreamer and Beulah McGullicutty.

Fake Razor: Congrats Tommy, Beulah.

Brandon: Be sure to send all correspondence to Beulah's box... waitaminnit, can we say that? [trademark Joey Styles]

Dr. Tom: Yes, congrats to the happy couple.

Byron: Congrats are in order!

Brandon: Yes, congrats on their nuptials.

William: On that note, the Crossface…is…now…over.