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Brandon Truitt: I’m a regular here on the Crossface and happen to own a heaping helping of shoot interviews. Check out my recap of the Ricky Steamboat shoot interview. I will be moderating this discussion.

 

Byron Vester: Catch Byron when 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 know why he is always pissed off, THIS is your destination.

 

O.R. Polk, Jr.: Polk is a regular in the weekly Crossface and has a knack for giving detailed, entertaining DVD reviews… without giving away the movie! Don’t forget to read his latest Velocity Recap!

 

Damian “The Dames: ” Gonzalez: Dames keeps busy with the NWA:TNA recaps and whatever else he feels like chipping in with. Check out his latest piece of art as he recaps Ring of Honor: The Era of Honor Begins.

 

Dr. Tom: Tom brings the content every week, providing the reader with his Smackdown recaps, The Mid-Week News, movie reviews and much more! Read up on Tom's feelings of I Spy.

 

 

 

Brandon: What did you think of the opening 20 minute promo of RAW last week, where Vince basically gave the finger to everyone who didn't like Raw Is Necrophilia?

 

Dr. Tom: I thought it was the typical egomaniac blather from WWE. The fans didn't like it, so obviously, something is wrong with them, so just have HHH go out and insult them. I thought it was rubbing salt into the wound that the stupid angle opened in the first place. Totally wrong, and totally without class. Insulting your customers is not a good way to retain them.

Byron: It was so boring that I don't even remember the interview now. I just played the PS 2 throughout RAW and watched it on Tuesday.

Dames: To the normal fan, they tried to pin the blame on HHH and get more heat on him, but the media and us Smart Marks know better. We should all be insulted.

OR Polk: I've officially downgraded my status from Smart Mark to "casual fan" within the last month. I've been working nights and I used to record RAW and watch it later. After the "Kane is a Murderer" angle began, I stopped recording it. I didn't see RAW last week and don't really care to ever see it again unless I have time and nothing else is on.

 

 

Brandon: On to the next question... What do you think of the Elimination Chamber being revealed as a 6-man combination of the Royal Rumble, Wargames, and traditional Survivor Series Matches and it being for the RAW title?

 

Byron: I just want to know how the hell they are going to work this out... WarGames and Survivor Series, okay, but parts of the Rumble as well?

Dames: I think that the Wargames gimmick would have gotten a lot better response. Considering we don't know what it really is yet, I don't know what to expect...

Dr. Tom: I think it could be really good, or it could be a clusterfuck. It's hard to say at this point, since we're all kust speculating on how those formats are going to merge. But I think it'll end up being a good match, despite the fact that it certainly blows Raw's wad for the PPV.

Byron: I agree, Dames. WarGames alone would have been a good way to do this because really all you have to do is alter the rules a bit, but now Vince has gone and created a whole new match and it'll just be one huge clusterfuck

Dames: It'll definitely be better than Show/Lesnar and with Booker/RVD/Jericho involved, it'll probably give some people some incentive to order it....because they'd expect a title change in a match like this

OR Polk: It's WWE grasping at straws trying to get the buyrate up for Survivor Series. Obviously they're not gonna tell us what it is on TV. You're gonna have to shell out $30 for that info and by then it'll be too late when you're no doubt disappointed...which pro wrestling has a long history of doing where it concerns "surprises".

 

 

Brandon: Our next question is what do you think of the ratings last week's RAW got? Think that Vince will take what the fans have said through these ratings seriously?

 

Byron: Judging by how ridiculously boring tonight's show was, I'd have to say "negative".

OR Polk: Uh...no. When has he ever? He'll throw some more gimmicks at us, hot shot some angles, push some rookie down our throat as supposedly a "future" superstar or new blood and then things will return to the same old, same old...SHIT.

Dr. Tom: He's too stubborn to take the ratings drop seriously. He's a "billionaire," so he has to know more about what the fans want to see than the 350,000 or so who decided not to watch his shitty Monday show last week. I think he'll get the message eventually, but the ratings will have to skate closer to 3.0, and even then, he'll be receiving the signals reluctantly

Dames : : No, I'd have to say that he did because in terms of tasteless angles, there weren't any tonight. The Katie Vick issue is dead (no pun intended) and I'm sure they got the message

Dr. Tom: They got the message, Dames, but did they listen to it?

Dames: they didn't do anything this week to offend anyone...and thats AFTER the memo that Vince supposedly sent, so it looks like someone had a change of heart.

Byron: I'd like to think so, but given it took him 3 years last time to change his ways, I highly doubt it

Dames: I think the fact that the media didn’t catch on had something to do with it too

Dr. Tom: What did he expect the media to report, anyway? "Wrestlers pretended to have sex with a corpse tonight, in a badly-acted skit that alienated a third of a million fans?" Come on.

Byron: Well, he was trying to do the Pillman gun but all over again and it failed miserably

Dames: He wanted them to make a big stink over it and have people tune in to watch the controversy UNFOLD~!

Dr. Tom: But he should know by now that he has zero cred with the real press, and for many good reasons. And trying to convince people that a corpse was violated isn't exactly going to win over the folks at CNN

Byron: But like I've said for a long time, I think Vince should step down for good because he doesn't seem to have the mental health needed to run the promotion.

Dames: Oh and Steph would be better? She's backing him all the way?

Byron: I'm not saying Steph is better, Dames. If anything, Shane should be the one in charge.

Dames: Regardless, a McMahon will be in charge and Vince will still have control in some form. It won’t matter which one...think they won't listen to daddy?

Byron: Maybe, maybe not. I think Shane would want to more do his own thing then listen to Vince.

Dames: just because his on air character has been more of a rebel, i'm not convinced that he won't listen to daddy.

 

 

Brandon: Moving to Smackdown, what do you think of this Brock Lesnar vs. Big Show feud?

 

Byron: I understand that, but I really feel Shane would want to do his own thing and maybe listen to Vince every now and then, but ultimately use his own preference before making any sort of decision

OR Polk: I can't even imagine why they're doing this. Where's the logic? Is this why Show was traded to Smackdown; to feud with Lesnar for a month? It might've made an interesting TV match and it would add to Brock's championship legacy but to Main Event a Pay Per View with it is pretty much putting your promotion in the toilet and flushing. This isn't Hulk Hogan versus King Kong Bundy here. People don't want to pay money to see Show wrestle, much less main event.

Dr. Tom: I think the Big Slow's only use in comedy skits, where he seems to have an actual talent. He's a useless tub of rancid turds in every other situation. Putting Brock over him won't help Brock, since Jeff Freaking Hardy beat Big Slow. If anything, it will hurt Brock no matter how badly he beats Slow at the PPV.

Dames: The only reason Brock/Show is happening is to turn Brock face and debut the SSP. The way the match is being built up, Brock won't be able to F5 Show and will end up using the SSP to finish him off....and that move always gets face heat.

Dr. Tom: Agreed, Dames. I think he busts out the Shooting Star Press (which Heyman's speech to him last week set up nicely) and wins.

Brandon: Actually... it's happening because Hogan didn't want to job to him again and they shafted Benoit for now because they have plans of Benoit-Angle-Lesnar before Wrestlemania.

Dames: Brandon, because of that, they're turning him face, so it's all related. Anyway, as long as Show doesn't dominate early, Brock should remain unharmed.

Byron: Pushing Big Slow will do Brock no good whatsoever. The guy is pretty much a jobber in everybody's eyes and it won't matter how many people he squashes, that stigma will ALWAYS be with him. I still think they should have ran with Edge/Lesnar for Survivor Series.

Dames: I disagree with you there. Unless you book Edge to win, which he shouldn't be, it would be a waste of Edge's push

Byron: Edge can take a job every now and then. It helped in the Guerrero feud. And plus, it'd easily be better than anything Big Slow/Lesnar could be.

Dames: It would be better....but an Edge/Lesnar match should be saved for something special as Edge has "next big face" all over him according to WWE

Byron: Normally, I would agree, but given that the WWE has royally fucked up anything that concerns build-up sans the Brock push, I think it'd be better if they did it now.

 

 

Brandon: Speaking of Edge, he and Benoit had a good match, and Angle had one with Eddy on this past Smackdown... How much longer can this workrate renaissance last on Smackdown?

 

Dames: Well, the last time we had such a great workrate run was May of 2001, where Beniot/HHH/Austin and Jericho were going at it constantly.

Dr. Tom: It can last as long as Smackdown keeps the talent on the roster. And as long as the booking focus stays in the ring, not on stupid backstage skits. Keep the talent and keep Heyman, and Smackdown is good indefinitely.

OR Polk: As long as they continue to put Benoit, Angle, Edge and Eddy in the ring with one another. A cool thing about Smackdown is that they've done almost every possible combination between these four guys (five when you include Rey Mysterio) and they've kept it interesting and it hasn't gotten the least bit stale. I never liked the "Tag Champs who don't get along/Odd Couple" pairings, but it works with Benoit and Angle simply because they get to team up and they get to face each other and that equals in-ring goodness. I'm all for it.

Dames: Three of those guys got injured at that time so if they can stay healthy and inject some new life into those matches...it could go on for as long as they want.

Dr. Tom: I think Brock's good enough to be included in the good group on that show.

Dames: Brock hasn't shown that he can work like those guys....but if the rumors are true, LET HIM OUT!

Dr. Tom: I'm very positive on Brock. He's shown me a lot since they've given him the belt. He has a lot of natural ability and potential, and they're not even letting him use much of it.

Byron: I agree, Tom. Every since SummerSlam, Brock has been stepping it up when allowed to and he's starting to come into his own.

Dames: I like Lesnar so far....but I want him to just cut loose

Brandon: He supposedly cut loose at Rebellion, as he got to wrestle Edge.

Byron: Eventually, it has to happen, but more than likely, he'll do it during the face run and not the heel run.

 

 

Brandon: Okay, switching gears for a second... Matt Hardy has pulled a miracle off and gotten a great personality. Now that people are reacting to him, will he get a push in the near future?

 

OR Polk: Matt's over? Well, it won't be long before somebody in the front office realizes that he's gotten over despite taking on a gimmick that was supposed to kill his heat because he was in the doghouse. He'll be back where he belongs soon enough, gettin' squashed by hosses with ZERO heat and charisma ala The Hurricane for daring to get over and being entertaining. The nerve of him.

Dr. Tom: He should. If they had a secondary singles belt on Smackdown, he'd be the perfect guy to give it to right now. I think it's obvious he's having a ball with this character, and they should strike while the iron is hot.

Byron: Tom, I think Matt's emergence as a heel is a damn good reason why the WWE should go with your TV Title idea from a while back. It’d be PERFECT for Matt.

Dr. Tom: It would, Byron. I'd love to see him get a run with something like that.

Dames: He'll probably get a half assed push that wont really do anything. If anything, he'll end up turning face and killing the character in the process

Byron: More than likely, he won't. He's one of the hottest things going on Smackdown now, but they went and jobbed him to Rikishi? What a load of bullshit

 

 

Brandon: How about Scott Steiner's introduction to the WWE? As you've seen, they've been doing the "free agent" storyline as well as the vignettes teasing his appearance. Are they doing the right thing by introducing him like this?

 

Byron: I don't think so. It reeks of the whole "sign HHH" bit and lord knows THAT didn't do anything good for anyone. If they want to get Steiner over, then actually have him DO SOMETHING, ya know?

Brandon: I think they're going to throw him out there and hope he draws.. as well as hoping he doesn't kill someone in the process.

Dr. Tom: I think their expectation is the fans want to see someone like Steiner as a "free agent." The one reason I like it is because it maintains the illusion of competition between the brands. But I think they should just announce that Raw or Smackdown signed Soandso, and be done with it. Stephanie or Easy Eric can rub it in on-air and reinforce the competition idea.

Dames: I'm happy that they are teasing it and not just having it be one big surprise that doesn't do anything for the ratings

 

 

Brandon: Booker T verbally punked out HHH tonight and pinned him (although with a LOT of help from HBK). What do you think that means for the Elimination Chamber match at Survivor Series?

 

Dr. Tom: I think it means HHH gets his job back-uh.

OR Polk: It means HHH will get his job back, of course. Silly rabbit and silly question. It's a shame that the only way HHH will do a job for anyone anymore is if it's Shawn who costs him the match. Does this mean Sweet Chin Music > The Pedigree?

Byron: Triple H beats everyone clean with the Pedigree. They run this same crap for his last two feuds

Dames: I think it means Booker T won't win.....but I have a feeling that HHH will finally lose that title.

Brandon: Then who does that leave, Dames?

Byron: If HBK wins it, I won't be watching RAW ever again.

Dames: RVD most likely, seeing as how he wasn't in the main event picture tonight and WWE likes to have swerves like that.

Brandon: I wouldn't mind that as long as Rob was treated as a champion.

Byron: That sounds like something Vince would do. RVD hasn't done jack since the HHH feud, so he wins the title on a SWERVE~!

Dames: Yep...and it wont do jack shit because his credibility is shot.

Byron: Well, Brandon, the inherent problem is that the belt is utterly useless. No one really gives a crap about it other than Hunter

 

 

Brandon: NWA TNA was sold to Panda Energy this week. What effect will this have on the company?

 

Byron: Well, if the new owners can actually pump some money into the promotion and get them a TV deal, it'll work out okay for them. Still doesn't solve the problem of how much of their talent is really sub-par

OR Polk: I have no idea as I don't know much about NWA TNA or who Panda Energy is. I'm outta the loop on this one.

Dames: all I can say about is THANK GOD Russo is gone! The X Division was flourishing and then when he came in we got shit like the Dupp Cup and Bruce.

Dr. Tom: The key for TNA is a TV deal. New money, Russo or no Russo... none of that matters unless they get a real TV deal and can get their product into a lot more homes.

Brandon: Russo being forced out will eliminate some of the crappier stuff they've done lately and, hopefully, run off BG James and some other guys that suck.

Dr. Tom: What a dreadful wrestling name that is. "BG James." How utterly vanilla. That names makes me think of the jobbers who used to be on WWF Superstars back in the day.

Byron: True, Tom. They need some more talent too. Many of the guys they have now are just burnt out on the audience and with all the crappy turns that Russo loved to book week in and week out, it's pretty much wrecked everything

Dames: The X Division can still be saved....

Byron: Maybe if Styles stops acting like a wannabe brotha... Also, the World Title seemingly means crap now. They need to move Lynn up and have him beat Killings to stop the bleeding

Dames: there is NOTHING wrong with Styles!! As for Killings, he needs better opponents. His matches with Lynn and Lo'Ki were great, but outside of X division competitors his best match was with Monty Brown!

Byron: Monty Brown is godawful. I hope to NEVER see him ever again.

Dames: I wouldn't say he's THAT bad, just very green.

Byron: TNA could really use a better arena as well. The Asylum is just way too small and crappy for a supposed national fed.

Dames: ECW had a smaller, shittier arena that did very well on a national scene. I don't think the arena really doesn't affect the in ring product

Byron: ECW's arena came off a bit better on TV.

Brandon: It's not the arena that is as important as the crowd. If you get a crowd of a reasonable size that's EXTREMELY hot, like the ECW mutants, then you can build off of that.

Dames: Yeah, the ECW fans cared a lot more about their product

Byron: I'm not saying it affects the in-ring product, but it just looks so blah to me.

Dames: The guys at TNA don't give a shit...not even about the X division at times.

Byron: Yeah, Dames, that scares me because TNA's calling card is starting to lose steam. If that happens, they might as well call it quits.

Dames: As long as it doesn't lose its steam with the viewers, so what?

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