Explanation For The New Hometowns

[Enigma 0]

"Some or all of the Canadian babyfaces have been told that they want to change their hometowns to cities in the U.S. The decision was made prior to Chris Benoit winning the World Heavyweight Title, but that they gradually want to do it with Edge and Chris Jericho (who is now billed as from Manhasset, NY, which is where he was born, starting this week). I think Edge will be billed from Tampa, FL, where he lives. Christian, since he's a heel, apparently is from Toronto again (despite announcing Tampa as his new hometown on a RAW over two years ago to turn heel in Canada). Vince McMahon (or someone who doesn't think like a wrestling fan and convinced Vince) was concerned that so many of his top babyfaces on RAW are billed from Canada and was afraid it would cause an anti-Canadian backlash among his U.S. audience, which is the prime audience. They're nuts. Secondly, everyone knows they are Canadian to begin with and never cared about it in anyway negative. It won't help in the U.S. and if it has any effect, it would be to cause a minor Canadian backlash since WWE has generally been more popular per-capita in Canada and a lot of Canadian fans take this stuff very seriously, and it's a legit slap in the face. The story I got is that the wrestlers aren't happy with this doctrine (most notably Benoit and Jericho), but nobody wants to rock the boat on it for obvious reasons. Then to make things even funnier, for Backlash, they are pushing Benoit's return to Edmonton including listing the terminal and flight he's coming in on, hoping to get a huge group of fans there for good video footage."

 

credit: Dave Meltzer/Wrestling Observer Newsletter

 

Current Changes:

CHRIS BENOIT

BEFORE: Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

AFTER: Atlanta, Georgia

 

CHRIS JERICHO

BEFORE: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

AFTER: Manhasset, New York

 

CHRISTIAN

BEFORE: Tampa, Florida

AFTER: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

GAIL KIM

BEFORE: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

AFTER: Korea

 

LA RESISTANCE

BEFORE: Paris, France

AFTER: Quebec City, Quebec

[Guest Trivia247]

LA RESISTANCE

BEFORE: Paris, France

AFTER: Quebec City, Quebec

 

guess they aren't worried about the Anti Canadian backlash there hmm.

[JoeDirt 0]

Dumbest decision ever.

[Guest Danny Dubya v 2.0]

GAIL KIM

BEFORE: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

AFTER: Korea

Hello? That's not even a country. They should at least announce her as being from South Korea.

[Mecha Mummy 0]

GAIL KIM

BEFORE: Toronto, Ontario, Canada

AFTER: Korea

Hello? That's not even a country. They should at least announce her as being from South Korea.

Unless she's still going to be heel, in which case she'll be announced as being from North Korea. (Insert obvious Kim Jong Il joke here.)

[Guest nikowwf]

so.....we will hate her if she's canadian (even though she's freaking asian) but not if she is from korea? uh...ok....makes sense i guess in BIZARRO WORLD.

 

niko

[Damaramu 0]

This is one of the dumbest things they've done in a long time.

Sometimes I wonder what goes through Vince's head.

I honestly think he walks through his normal life just like the Mr. McMahon character.....only stupider.

[Guest Goodear]

Its only stupid because Canadian fans are the fiercely provincial set while the US crowds don't seem to care all that much. Which only goes to show that Canadians are stuck in the 90s with their rediculous mark garbage that they won't let go of ever.

[Vyce 0]

Wait - Jericho was born in NY?

 

Then he's American.

 

I don't let people get away with that shit. If you're born here, you're American. I still get pissed off when people say Mel Gibson's Australian. The fuck he is - the bastard was born here in the States and lived here for like TWELVE YEARS - he's not an Aussie just cause he moves over there as a teenager and comes back a few years later with an accent.

[Damaramu 0]

Its only stupid because Canadian fans are the fiercely provincial set while the US crowds don't seem to care all that much. Which only goes to show that Canadians are stuck in the 90s with their rediculous mark garbage that they won't let go of ever.

WHAT!?

How are canadians stuck in the 90's? They love there wrestlers. Big f'n deal. If Americans took pride in there wrestlers like Canadians and Japanese then maybe it wouldn't be a big joke in America.

Oh wait......mark crap? Are you referring to Montreal? Right.....the thing that the WWE can't forget about. Not the fans.

 

All in all. This is a stupid idea. There's nothing wrong with having top faces be canadian. I'm sure nobody will protest. There will be no anti-canadian backlash. And the fact that they promote them as residing from somewhere else and then will probably try to announce them from Canada in there hometowns is even worse.

[DerangedHermit 0]

Wait - Jericho was born in NY?

 

Then he's American.

 

I don't let people get away with that shit. If you're born here, you're American. I still get pissed off when people say Mel Gibson's Australian. The fuck he is - the bastard was born here in the States and lived here for like TWELVE YEARS - he's not an Aussie just cause he moves over there as a teenager and comes back a few years later with an accent.

He was born in Manhasset at North Shore University Hospital while his father was playing for the NY Rangers. They lived in Winnipeg during the offseason. He's Canadian-American.

[Guest Adrian 3:16]

WHAT!?

How are canadians stuck in the 90's? They love there wrestlers. Big f'n deal. If Americans took pride in there wrestlers like Canadians and Japanese then maybe it wouldn't be a big joke in America.

Oh wait......mark crap? Are you referring to Montreal? Right.....the thing that the WWE can't forget about. Not the fans.

Yes, they are.

 

Its one thing to love your favorite wrestlers, but Canadians take it a little too far. Look at Bret Hart: Canadian Hero as an example.

 

And it all is a big joke. This is pro wrestling, not life or death.

 

Oh and before you or anyone else accuses me of xenophobia...

 

 

 

 

I'm Canadian.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

Don't they have better things to do?

 

Like making Smackdown somewhat watchable again?

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Don't they have better things to do?

 

Like making Smackdown somewhat watchable again?

Who cares about that?

 

*that damn sarcasm button.....*

[Guest Goodear]

Canada is one big giant villiage that wants to grab onto their homeboys so badly in some sort of reflected glory its sad. Why in the name of anything would I cheer for Billy Kidman just because he comes from my home area much less my home country? Its stupid and people need to get over that 'He comes from here too! YAY!' stuff.

Edited April 14, 2004 by Goodear

[2GOLD 0]

When did Vince become the father from The Critic?

 

Because right now, they have to be working at the same brain wave level.

[Spaceman Spiff 0]

Why in the name of anything would I cheer for Billy Kidman just because he comes from my home area much less my home country? Its stupid and people need to get over that 'He comes from here too! YAY!' stuff.

Isn't that the same argument *against* making these changes? Are more people going to cheer for Benoit & Jericho just because they're billed as living in America?

 

Replace "people" with "Vince McMahon".

[jester 0]

Canada is one big giant villiage that wants to grab onto their homeboys so badly in some sort of reflected glory its sad. Why in the name of anything would I cheer for Billy Kidman just because he comes from my home area much less my home country? Its stupid and people need to get over that 'He comes from here too! YAY!' stuff.

If Billy Kidman was competing in something where he was one of the few Americans, in an environment which Americans were clearly viewed as exceptions and outsiders, wouldn't you be more inclined to cheer for him?

 

I am a Canadian and I *like* Bret Hart, I don't idolize him. Wrestlers have to be more than Canadian for me to like them. I don't go around worshipping Test (to say the least), and I think that some of the Lance Storm supporters are way over the top.

 

Trust me, Gail Kim will not become a national sensation simply because she's Canadian. Most of us aren't that shallow. She has no personality that we've seen and she sucks in the ring. Now, if she suddenly became that female Mysterio she was supposed to be and could cut wicked promos, Canadians would love her, because she's fun and a winner, and the fact that she's one of us would be a great bonus.

[TheDevilAndGodAreRagingInsideMe 0]

He was born in Manhasset at North Shore University Hospital while his father was playing for the NY Rangers. They lived in Winnipeg during the offseason. He's Canadian-American.

I was born there too.

[Guest wildpegasus]

WHAT!?

How are canadians stuck in the 90's? They love there wrestlers. Big f'n deal. If Americans took pride in there wrestlers like Canadians and Japanese then maybe it wouldn't be a big joke in America.

Oh wait......mark crap? Are you referring to Montreal? Right.....the thing that the WWE can't forget about. Not the fans.

Yes, they are.

 

Its one thing to love your favorite wrestlers, but Canadians take it a little too far. Look at Bret Hart: Canadian Hero as an example.

 

And it all is a big joke. This is pro wrestling, not life or death.

 

Oh and before you or anyone else accuses me of xenophobia...

 

 

 

 

I'm Canadian.

ALberta is the official home of wrestling now. It's important that you get announced from there.

 

Bret Hart is a hero.

[Hektik 0]

Canada is one big giant villiage that wants to grab onto their homeboys so badly in some sort of reflected glory its sad.  Why in the name of anything would I cheer for Billy Kidman just because he comes from my home area much less my home country?  Its stupid and people need to get over that 'He comes from here too!  YAY!' stuff.

There is nothing wrong with cheering people from your area. I was always a big Rey Misterio supporter because we grew up in the same neighborhood and went to the same high school. He has put San Diego in a good light. It still freaks me out that white kids in the mid west carry signs and have shirts that say 619. Wearing a shirt that says 619 usually means something gang related in my old neighborhood.

[Celtic Jobber 0]

I'm from Mobile, and I still hate Hardcore Holly and think he sucks.

[Guest netslob]

gee, McMahon's a bigot...what a revelation.

[Tawren 0]

Canada is one big giant villiage that wants to grab onto their homeboys so badly in some sort of reflected glory its sad. Why in the name of anything would I cheer for Billy Kidman just because he comes from my home area much less my home country? Its stupid and people need to get over that 'He comes from here too! YAY!' stuff.

I guess that's why you aren't making fun of all the stupid American towns who cheer whenever Rock says "Finally, the Rock has come back to ____" or Mick Foley's cheap pops, eh?

 

For a mod, you're certainly conducting yourself in a way that makes you look more retarded than Eugene.

[Damaramu 0]

It's still just a stupid idea.

There will be no anti-canadian backlash. Even McMahon isn't dumb enough to believe this.

The other reason has to be simply that Vince doesn't want his top face billed from Canada and he wants them from America. Not because of some anti-canadian backlash but he fears another canadian hero like Bret Hart. That is the only logical explination for this and even then it doesn't make much since. Then again considering who we have to work with....

[Lil' Bitch 0]

I wouldn't be as big of a Rico fan if he wasn't from my hometown simple as that.

[Guest JMA]

I feel it's insane for anyone to defend this. It would be different if it wasn't JUST Canadians getting their hometowns changed. As for Americans disliking wrestlers from Canada...WTF? Those New Yorkers in MSG sure didn't seem to hate Benoit.

 

Vince has a grudge against Canada, and vice-versa. It's as simple as that.

[Just John 0]

Those New Yorkers in MSG sure didn't seem to hate Benoit.

 

Amen. I haven't noticed an increase in pops for any moved Canadian face. A wrestler's home town doesn't affect his reaction unless they're in his home town. That being said, why the hell was Benoit's town changed a month before his first big title defense in Edmonton? It just doesn't make sense.

 

The Gail Kim "Korea" thing bothered me too. Have the writer's even looked at a map from the last 50 years? What's Next? Is Kenzo Suzuki going to be from "Asia?"

[Guest Trivia247]

JR and Vince goes over the list of babyfaces..

 

JR: Bah Gawd! Jericho Benoit and Edge are from Canada! Where they don't sell my BBQ!

 

Vince: Clearly in my opinion this revelation might upset the very paranold conservative pro america fuck everyone else in the world Fan.

But what can we do?

 

JR: We can turn them heel! Its not like they are Hosses or anything who will care?

 

Vince: The Smart wrestling community, you heard them.. We try to slap them around and ignore them, and they screw up our programing by cheering and booing the wrong people at Events. Quite Frankly I can't afford to screw their favorites as I use to.

 

JR: its a sad day for the ivory tower of wrestling sniff sniff... Wait boss I got a Idear..

 

Vince: What putting them in a stable run by the A-Train?

 

JR: hmmm not a bad Idea no but listen, why dont we get them houses down here in the US of A! then when they move in we will just get the Fink to say they are from America!

 

Vince: It worked for the Rougeus...

 

JR: The who?

 

Vince: Nevermind they were before your time, (mutters back when wrestling announcers was best) But that sounds like a great idea. Go get on the phone with Allstate, lets get these guys some houses!

 

JR waddles away shouting STONE COLD STONE COLD STONE COLD!

 

Vince mutters, we gotta get him some therapy

[Guest Man Of 1,004 Modes]

This decision makes as much sense as when they put the Light-Heavyweight Title on Duane fucking Gill.