What a difference a year makes!

[Guest Loss]

Would you all agree that the booking in December 2004 is worse than the booking was in December 2003? I look back at the tail end of last year and recall that several storylines were already in the works that would culminate at Wrestlemania -- HHH lost to HBK in a handicap tag match, leading to their 12/29 match with the controversial finish, keeping HBK in the title picture for months. Benoit had a title shot against Lesnar, lost and was being pushed hard going into the Rumble. Eddy's breakup with Chavo was already being teased and was on the verge of happening, leading to him going solo, winning the WWF title and defeating Angle at Wrestlemania. Kane attacked the Undertaker, costing him a match with Vince McMahon, leading to a Kane/Taker match at WM. Mick Foley walked out on a scheduled main event, building up a six-man at WM. The Jericho/Trish/Christian storyline was two months in, which also culminated in a Trish heel turn at Wrestlemania.

 

Right now, I don't think we could say any one match is an absolute certainty at Mania. HHH/Orton and Angle/Taker were talked about for months, but HHH and Batista is what's being pushed on TV, and they haven't even started to hype Angle/Taker. Benoit and Jericho are directionless. We might have Edge/HBK, we might not. We might have Edge/Benoit, we might not. We might have Edge/Orton, we might not. We might have HHH/Orton, we might not. We might have HHH/Batista, we might not. We might have JBL/Cena, we might not. We can't see where they're going, and I'm not sure they know where they're going.

 

I guess the point of this is to bring to light just how much things have fallen apart in the last 12 months. There have been some bright spots, but the quality has been totally inconsistent.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I'll say it does. I have no interest in anything the WWF is doing right now compared to last year when I found Smackdown to be fairly interesting.

 

The company seemed to have direction last year and this time around it seems they're back to writing a show on a napkin right before the show.

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

I think the problem here is that the quality; in terms of the shows itself is just about the same or perhaps slightly ahead but the problem is; they can't start shooting the WM programs yet and that's hurting it.

 

Cena/JBL should already be set up and hinted.

 

Shawn/Angle has been hinted at Series...

 

but that's it.

 

Hopefully after NYR we finally get a clear idea of what's wwe intentions are.

[Hunter's Torn Quad 0]

Not only is the booking worse than in this time last year, but even what they do have booked doesn't leave me all that keen to keep turning in. Things might change, what with ideas being 'set in stone', only to be scrapped on a whim, but I don't see anything on the immediate horizon that makes me think that 2005 will be any good, creatively, in WWE.

[Brett Favre 0]

Sadly, I see the inevitable Taker/Angle match happening at Mania, with Angle taking it in a triple threat match with Big Show, and Taker taking it at WrestleMania. They really need to start pushing Cena right now. They have pulled an RVD on him for 2 years straight.

[rising up out of the back seat-nuh 0]

If you look back to this time last year and the run to WMXX, everyone thought the booking was crap. Benoit jumping to Raw made no sense, Eddie and Chavo's split was rushed to put the belt on him and the whole Undertaker/Kane stuff was seen as needlessly stupid (levitating rings? Really?)

 

Who can tell where the next few months go. They still have time to do Batistas turn or set up a couple of interpromotional matches.

[Guest Loss]

Not everyone did. There were people criticizing the booking, as there always are, but the vibe was mostly a positive one.

[Guest Fook_Theta]

Easily worse than last year. Now, 2002/01? Maybe better.

 

It really is sad when Velocity is arguably the better hour spent than watching Smackdown! Raw is usually better than Heat though, slightly better than Velocity.

[what 0]

The booking to Wrestlemania was very good last year. So good that it brought me back as a viewer.

 

Now it's just horrible. The Raw title chase is entertaining and would be more entertaining if the belt wasn't obviously going back to H. But everything else besides that is shit especially on the Smackdown side. SD is just god awful.

 

Edit: I'm not minding the Maven heel turn. Maybe that fuck can actually become entertaining now. Doubt it but at least it's a change.

[The Mandarin 0]

I'd be perfectly happy with the direction of Raw if they'd get that goddamn Jericho over to Smackdown.

 

At least he'd have some use there, and I wouldn't have to watch or hear him.

[Guest Salacious Crumb]

I think what depresses me every year is that another year is done and we always still have Triple H as champion and no one to face him because he's beaten everyone.

[Art Sandusky 0]

I think they put more into last year's booking because, well, it was friggin' Wrestlemania XX, something they'd been hyping for a solid year and running those Wrestlemania Moment things for eight months before the event, as well as hanging the Wrestlemania XX logo at every show. This year is just "21" (XXI) with little going for it.

[BHK 0]

From a smark standpoint I agree, the build up to Wrestlemania should have started to be in place already.

 

However, from a mark standpoint, I just want HBK/Angle and/or HBK/Rock while they have the chance to hitt ****+. All sins will be forgiven if this can be delivered.

[Chazz 0]

Every year since Stephanie McMahon took over Creative In late 2000 has been worse and worse, IMO. You think maybe Vince would finally realize that their going nowhere with her In charge of The Writing Team. If It had been another Writer Instead of her that have been producing these kind of numbers for the past several years, they'd have been shitcanned already. The worst, I fear, Is yet to come.

[Kahran Ramsus 0]

I think they put more into last year's booking because, well, it was friggin' Wrestlemania XX, something they'd been hyping for a solid year and running those Wrestlemania Moment things for eight months before the event, as well as hanging the Wrestlemania XX logo at every show. This year is just "21" (XXI) with little going for it.

The booking for Wrestlemania XIX was better too, at least on Smackdown where Angle/Lesnar was the obvious dream match and Vince/Hogan was being talked about as early as July (before Hogan bolted the first time). Jericho/HBK was well booked prior to the actual finish of the match. The only real problems were Benoit getting lost in the card, and the disasterous title run HHH was in the midst of.

[Tawren 0]

Last year wasn't anything good, by any stretch of the imagination. Jericho/Trish was horribly drawn out, HHH was reigning supreme (GASP), Orton was in the middle of his boring uberpush, and we just came off Shane/Kane in the world's worst feud. Smackdown was doing okay with Brock as the monster champion, but aside from that the situation wasn't that good.

 

But, I would say that it is better than it is now. At least they were working towards something during last years crapfest. This years crapfest isn't building to anything, no matter how bad that anything might be.

[Exslade ZX 0]

Last year wasn't anything good, by any stretch of the imagination. Jericho/Trish was horribly drawn out, HHH was reigning supreme (GASP), Orton was in the middle of his boring uberpush, and we just came off Shane/Kane in the world's worst feud. Smackdown was doing okay with Brock as the monster champion, but aside from that the situation wasn't that good.

 

But, I would say that it is better than it is now. At least they were working towards something during last years crapfest. This years crapfest isn't building to anything, no matter how bad that anything might be.

But actually...yes, it is. I don't see how someone can say it's not. There are many stories that can be pulled from what's going on now for WM.

 

And just look at the initial post, in a way..while it's not good that they really don't have a sure direction, for WM yet, one thing I have seened complained about on so many message boards, is that WWE is so damn predictable. Well, Loss' post says it's not. And it isn't. We cant' even say that HHH will be going over, because we don't know.

 

This years 'crapfest' has a lot of build sort of, I mean, Edge for instance. I have a feeling he may have the/one of the biggest nights. Or at least in the next few months building to it. Then of course you have HHH, and all of his enemies. (Benoit, Orton, Jericho, 'Batista'.) And the question could be...who's going to face him? Or, when it is clear, will that person be able to beat him? Then on the SD side, JBL. Two ways to look at it, can he be beaten? or can he win without cheating? Either way. Where will the US title be come WM?

 

Now..I'm not saying it's better then last year of course, because yea...that's a matter of opinion, but I honestly don't believe that saying that it really has/will have, no build is correct.

[Guest I *Heart* Jeff Weaver]

Eddie and Chavo's split was rushed

I hope you mean post break up. Because the break up angle was drawn out well past the point of being even remotely interesting. They took an angle, chavo turning on eddie that had a reasonable lifespan of maybe a month and dragged the boring thing out for three. It got to the point where I was screaming at the TV for Chavo to finally turn, damnit.

[KingPK 0]

I actually agree with Exslade a bit here. Around this time last year news came out that all but spoiled everything that was going to happen over the first three months of '04 (Eddie winning the title, Benoit winning the Rumble). This time, WWE is going into '05 leaving us guessing who's facing who at the big one, which is either what WWE wants, or they don't know themselves. They have a lot of directions to go to start the year, and plenty of chances to screw up each one of them.

[Bruiser Chong 0]

I haven't watched in so long, but Loss, do you remember telling me online in '03 that you were sure that '04 was going to be a rebuilding year, but '05 was going to be great? Still sticking by that?

[Guest Loss]

Unpredictability is overrated. Instead of leaving me guessing what is going to happen next, I'd rather them start hyping a match and do everything in their power to make me want to pay to see it.

[Guest Loss]

I haven't watched in so long, but Loss, do you remember telling me online in '03 that you were sure that '04 was going to be a rebuilding year, but '05 was going to be great? Still sticking by that?

Actually, I thought '04 would show the initial sparks of a turnaround, and that ended up not happening. Barring a major star coming out of nowhere and getting over like crazy, basically being so over that the company has no choice but to push him to the top immediately, I can't see '05 being much different from '02, '03 or '04. At least when WCW was losing popularity, they were doing really overtly stupid things to make themselves morbidly entertaining. WWE is a different animal. You expect an angle and get nothing. With WCW, you expected an angle and got one, just a horrible one.

[cawthon777 0]

They really need to start pushing Cena right now.

I think that match at Armageddon was a sign of things to come.

 

But do they keep the US belt on him while at the same time pushing him to the world title?

[ChrisMWaters 0]

They really need to start pushing Cena right now.

I think that match at Armageddon was a sign of things to come.

 

But do they keep the US belt on him while at the same time pushing him to the world title?

Like I said, why not?

 

I could easily see WWE Champion vs. US Champion at Mania.

[Guest Loss]

Perhaps there's a "bigger fish to fry" promo in his future, leading to Carlito suggesting that Teddy Long fire him.

[KingPK 0]

So do you think RAW is headed in the right direction with their title picture, or does the spectre of HHH make it meaningless?

[Guest Loss]

So do you think RAW is headed in the right direction with their title picture, or does the spectre of HHH make it meaningless?

Nothing will ever change as long as HHH is breathing. Chris Jericho, Chris Benoit and Randy Orton against HHH, Batista and Edge should be the top feud (and basically is), but with all of them being portrayed as equals for the most part. I have no problem with HHH being The Man, so to speak, but his job in that role should be to make everyone else look good enough to be world champ. That's basically happening with everyone involved except Jericho, I guess, which shouldn't surprise anyone. Edge winning a match or two might help his push though, considering he's gone on a massive losing streak since turning heel.

[cawthon777 0]

So do you think RAW is headed in the right direction with their title picture, or does the spectre of HHH make it meaningless?

I'm torn when it comes to Triple H and the title.

 

If he wins at NYR, he can add some main event credibility to the WrestleMania title match. But then we're left with ANOTHER title run. And I think it's fair to say variety would be nice at this point.

 

If he doesn't win at NYR, does the winner have what it takes to defend the world title at the biggest show of the year?

 

The only two, at this point, who could conceivably get a 3-month run with the belt just to drop it at Mania are Edge and Benoit ... just because they have that main event heat right now. Everyone else would need more time to be seen as a worthy champion. I didn't include Orton in the mix because I still think he's walking away with the title in LA.

 

By the way, I would have responded sooner but I spent 5 minutes hypnotized by JLH's cleavage.

[Guest Loss]

BTW, house show lineups for January suggest Jericho is about to get saddled with Muhammad Hussein.

[ChrisMWaters 0]

BTW, house show lineups for January suggest Jericho is about to get saddled with Muhammad Hussein.

...

 

Poor Jericho.