The crossroads

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

I must admit I have been excited since Monday Night.

 

RVD (and not Bradshaw) getting a Main Event push on the Raw show?  Well...that certainly makes Monday Nights more interesting.

 

AND...I watched Smackdown and saw them talking about RVD and Taker on that show...thats a good sign.  Watching MTV today I saw the RVD title situation featured in the Heat commercials...Also very cool.

 

Is it for real this time?  Is RVD going to be pushed to the main event?

 

The rhetoric coming from Vince on the Costas show and JR in his Hoss report all points to the need to elavate new talent...and it seems obvious that new talent is Edge and RVD.  Now usually we can dismiss everything they say..but look...RVD just had a fake title win and Edge is beating Angle and having promo confrontations with HHH.  This could be for real.

 

And it had better be.

 

We've been here before.

 

RVD has found his way to the top twice before too.

 

The first time was when he was the only positive thing that seemed to come out of the Alliance angle.  He gets his first WWF title shot...at No Mercy.  He had pinned Taker, Austin, Rock, Jericho and Angle leading up to it.  Thats one hell of a push.  And the fans were going absolutely nuts.  Chanting his name, and not the Rocks in their encounter...  Given the fact that RVD remains over despite false starts (not AS over...but still quite over) I beleive its safe to say that he could be THE top player right now if they had continued his main event push that time.  But they didn't.

 

It didn't take long for him to find his way back though...

 

The second time came as he was the first guy to challenge Jericho for the new "undisputed" title.  They had a match on Raw that (despite horrible Flair officiating) was super hot.  In fact it looked like RVD had won the belt to the delight of the crowd...until we found out it was a DQ finish.

 

Oh well...Things seemed primed for an RVD Main Event against Jericho at the Royal Rumble.  The next Smackdown RVD (featuring a new "focused" (or "intense" in HHH terms) attitude) attacked Jericho and the crowd was in to it.  He beat Storm (because he was in Jerichos dressing room) on the next Raw.  And faced Jericho in a tag match on the smackdown before January 7th, while the announcers played up their "unfinished business".

 

Then on January 7th he was curtain jerking against Test.  Without speculating on how that happened...it did.  The Rock went on to beat Booker T in a #1 contenders match and faced Jericho at the rumble.  RVD went on to curtain jerk in 6 man tags with the Hardys.

 

What happened there?  Through that all RVD remained one of the most over people in the company.  2 minutes in the Royal Rumble match?  Still drew incredible pop the next night on Raw.  

 

He has been one of the most reliable wrestlers to draw a pop from the crowd.  His matches always have heat...but he was depushed.

 

But here we are again.

 

He lost to Taker after an almost title win...and TV is telling me about it 6 days later.

 

Heres my point.

 

Despite the fact that he is still over...hes not as over as he was after the January 7th depush.

 

If RVD is in the KOTR tourney...I don't think it matters if he wins or not...the path for him wouldn't appear to be towards the Main Event...at least not any time soon.  

 

If he main events against Taker it would be a big step forward for him and for a company that has marketed 4 straight ppvs on Hulk Hogan (No Way Out was the nWo, but still).

 

Of course...RVD isn't a WWE guy.  And he has "dues" to pay.

 

Whatever.

 

If those dues actually meant something...Funaki would be world champion.

[Guest]

I think its pretty much getting to where the WWE has no choice but to push new talent just to try something different. The ratings of course as well all know are dropping at an alarming rate. I know the creative team hasn't really been all that creative lately, but I think they're aware that it's time to wake up and listen to the fans, because if they don't, the WWE might not exist within 5 years. The time is now, and a HHH/Undertaker feud is NOT the solution the fans are screaming for.

 

Of course, even if pushing RVD and Edge doesn't work to bring the ratings back up, at least its a step in the right direction. Hopefully the WWE won't fall back to the old formula.

[Guest bps "The Truth" 21]

My concern is more if they don't push him instead of if they blame him for it not working.

 

I mean...if they push him and it fails...he may never get another shot...

 

...but if they don't...then if and when they do it would pretty much be a guaranteed failure.

[Guest]

My concern is more if they don't push him instead of if they blame him for it not working.

 

I mean...if they push him and it fails...he may never get another shot...

 

...but if they don't...then if and when they do it would pretty much be a guaranteed failure.

I agree. Thats why I keep ranting about how the WWE needs to just kind of forget the ratings to a certain extent and just focus on the product. People will start watching again someday... it's just a matter of patience as well as a drive to make a better product. The potential is there... its just that they don't seem to know how to tap into it

[Guest humongous2002]

Even though ratings mean a lot to the WWE , right now is the right time to elevate new wrestlers and start focusing a lot in the booking. RVD is extremely popular and all they need is for him to start cutting promos because if it wasn't for those 7-11 comercials nobody would know that he speaks. I remember back in 96 when Austin was getting now even half the pops that RVD gets, but he kept on getting a good push and right after Wrestlemania 13 he was getting those huge pops that we all hear now(thanks to Bret of course).

[Guest]

If RVD is in the KOTR tourney...I don't think it matters if he wins or not...the path for him wouldn't appear to be towards the Main Event...at least not any time soon.  

Which is exactly why RVD will be in KOTR, while the ME will be something like HHH vs UT

[Guest Brian]

They actually have a really good looking PPV line-up if they shake things up.

 

Undertaker vs. RVD

Jericho vs. Hogan (smart move to do retirement since Jericho can "give Hogan his farewell" and Hogan is unhappy now)

Edge vs. HHH

Eddie vs. Austin

Tag Titles: Rico and Rikishi vs. ? (Billy and Chuck)

Hurricane vs. his nemesis

NWO (Booker T vs. Golddust or Booker T/Golddust vs. Show/Pac)

KOTR tournament (Lesnar vs. Benoit? finals, because they are really waiting to start this thing)

 

The storylines going in aren't half bad plus between Hurricane's, Eddie's, KOTR possibilities, and on a whim that Edge/HHH is good, it can't be that bad. Only problem is I can't fit Angle on the card.

[Guest cabbageboy]

I've heard all this stuff about HHH/UT and I have no idea how it makes any sense.  Taker has a promising feud with RVD (and to some extent still messing with Hogan).  HHH has been fighting Jericho, having trouble with Edge, and Test attacked him.  I don't know how anyone in their right mind could add up all that and come up with HHH and UT at KOTR.  If they fight each other there is basically NOTHING for anyone else to do!  What is RVD going to do?  Edge?  Angle?  Jericho?  Or (not that I care) Test?  I figure Hogan fights Vince, but it would literally fuck up the entire card if they went with HHH/UT as the main.

 

RVD could be truly fucked if he doesn't fight UT.  I mean, they would have jobbed him out of the IC title and the Eddie feud.  And his feud with UT would be dropped.  In that scenario I see no choice but have him win KOTR.

[Guest Human Fly]

Well, I don't see how the WWE could rationalize putting someone else in the ME at KOTR. But, I've thought that before. I'm concerned after the Smackdown interview HHH had where he talked about going back for the title. So I figure we've got one ppv at most before he's back in the ME. I wouldn't be surprised if he's in it at KOTR though. More of the same = decreased ratings.

[Guest RickyChosyu]

They actually have a really good looking PPV line-up if they shake things up.

 

Undertaker vs. RVD

Jericho vs. Hogan (smart move to do retirement since Jericho can "give Hogan his farewell" and Hogan is unhappy now)

Edge vs. HHH

Eddie vs. Austin

Tag Titles: Rico and Rikishi vs. ? (Billy and Chuck)

Hurricane vs. his nemesis

NWO (Booker T vs. Golddust or Booker T/Golddust vs. Show/Pac)

KOTR tournament (Lesnar vs. Benoit? finals, because they are really waiting to start this thing)

 

The storylines going in aren't half bad plus between Hurricane's, Eddie's, KOTR possibilities, and on a whim that Edge/HHH is good, it can't be that bad. Only problem is I can't fit Angle on the card.

I'm guessing Angle will be involved in KOTR again. I wouldn't be suprised if he claimed that he would leave the WWE if he didn't win the tourniment, which will allow him to leave in a logical manner.

[Guest TheyCallMeMark]

Well I agree with BPS... They can't drop the ball on this one. Even if they don't push the right new star, they've got to give either Edge or RVD the rub. Preferably both, having RVD win the title off of UT and Edge winning his second KotR, which I believe is unprecedented. I think KotR is one of their last chances to blow themselves out of the ratings rut. It could truly begin the push into a new era of the WWF.

[Guest]

I've heard all this stuff about HHH/UT and I have no idea how it makes any sense.  Taker has a promising feud with RVD (and to some extent still messing with Hogan).  HHH has been fighting Jericho, having trouble with Edge, and Test attacked him.  I don't know how anyone in their right mind could add up all that and come up with HHH and UT at KOTR.  If they fight each other there is basically NOTHING for anyone else to do!  What is RVD going to do?  Edge?  Angle?  Jericho?  Or (not that I care) Test?  I figure Hogan fights Vince, but it would literally fuck up the entire card if they went with HHH/UT as the main.

It's just been one week. Alot of things can change before the pay per view... keep in mind. I can list several different examples of a sure fire feud aborted for another. One that pops to mind was when Austin returned and ended up with about a 1 week feud with Regal that looked promising, but they chose to take Austin somewhere else before the next pay per view

[Guest Risk]

Hm.  Someone should hire a bunch of guys to jump Triple H, injure him, and make him "lose his smile."  

[Guest bcu1979]

They actually have a really good looking PPV line-up if they shake things up.

 

Undertaker vs. RVD

Jericho vs. Hogan (smart move to do retirement since Jericho can "give Hogan his farewell" and Hogan is unhappy now)

Edge vs. HHH

Eddie vs. Austin

Tag Titles: Rico and Rikishi vs. ? (Billy and Chuck)

Hurricane vs. his nemesis

NWO (Booker T vs. Golddust or Booker T/Golddust vs. Show/Pac)

KOTR tournament (Lesnar vs. Benoit? finals, because they are really waiting to start this thing)

 

The storylines going in aren't half bad plus between Hurricane's, Eddie's, KOTR possibilities, and on a whim that Edge/HHH is good, it can't be that bad. Only problem is I can't fit Angle on the card.

The undercard would still be weak but at least things would be a little more interesting on top. It seems like they have completely forgotten the Edge/Triple H thing though and I still don't see Hogan going anywhere until he wrestles Vince though.

 

What does Hogan have to be unhappy about? They put the belt on him. He's been in the last 3 PPV main events. Everyone kisses his ass and they seem to revolve the show around him even as ratings collapse. They showed his big retirement segment again on Heat last night even though it's supposed to be a RAW show.

[Guest Matt]

ok ok ok, im gonna ramble a bit here, brace yourselves

 

I was thinking about the rvd situation the other day and how to handle what I like to call "The business saving and fan appreciated RVD-mega push." (or Steve for short). I figure it plays out like this.

 

The Undertaker comes out on T.V. not tonight but on the next RAW. Ideally the course of events this week have Vince McMahon preoccupied with giving HHH and Hogan their just desserts. HHH wants a shot at the title for winning the second most high profile match at Judgment Day and Hogan wants to retire. While Angle and Jericho play henchmen to Vince's plot against HHH, (which is now starting to include Edge) Taker is searching valiantly for an opponent for kotR.

 

Enter Hulk Hogan yearning for a title rematch at KotR, his rationale being that if he cant retire he might as well be the champ and work only when absolutely neccesary. So Hogan gets on Takers nerves on that weeks SD! Attacks him with a chair, all that angry stuff, leaving us to believe and making it quite obvious where they are heading for KOTR.

 

So, on the next weeks RAW Taker comes out and says he has made his decision about who he wants at KOTR but will wait to say so until SD! because there is a certain someone he wants to hear the challenge. "Great" say even the most casual fans through eyes of glass "Hogan-Taker II, I can't believe Im STILL gonna pay 40 bucks for this shit."

 

Smackdown rolls around and Taker comes on down to the ring. And says that there is one sonnamabitch that he wants to kill more than any other... Hulk Hogan. But... says he (and the villagers rejoice) he has been advised by Vince McMahon (who, very smartly, realizes he can milk more moeny out of Hogan's path to the title then he could out of the reign itself) that such a match would be bad for business. Then he runs down Smackdown top tier competitors ... and Edge. Seems they are all busy.

 

So, being the newbie friendly lockerroom leader that he is, he agrees to make someone famous at KOTR. He's gonna take a rising star and push him through the roof all on one night. So he's laying down the gracious offer of giving he who wins the King of the Ring a wwf title shot on that very same night. Takers acting will have to be incurred here so that he comes off as believing he is being generous and still convey to the fans that we know he's really doing it because he thinks it'll be a walk in the park. (Meanwhile, though we've mainly tuned it out, Hogan is furious)

 

So KOTR rolls around and the brackets look like this:

 

Quarterfinals:

 

RAW:

 

RVD v. Booker T

Brock Lesnar v. Bubba Ray Dudley

 

Smackdown:

 

Rico v. Randy Orton

Test v. Rikishi

 

And the results pan out like this

 

RVD pins Booker T in a stellar opening bout after a lil' mistimed Goldust interference (this will prove to be the straw that breaks the camel's back in the T-Goldust fiasco)

 

Brock eats Bubba Ray alive

 

Rico pins Randy Orton after "shady tactics" (Shady tactics is a trademark of WWE Inc.)

 

Rikishi makes Test look like a fool.

 

....Anyone who stopped reading before this is a homosexual, not that they could heed my insult anyway as they would've had to stop reading prior to now...

 

So we move onto the semifinals, in which

 

RVD pins Brock with a fluke cradle after Brock does some massive working over of Rob's Ribs (Rob's Ribs is soon to be a trademark of the Applebee's Corporation, that is if they know good adverrtising campaigns when they bite them on the ass in the form of subtle remarks made on a post in a pro wrestling forum)

 

Rico pins Rikishi with those ever-so-present shady tactics

 

So now we have a pretty much duh final as the WWE realizes that a lot of fans might be falling asleep and this gives them time to wake up and pop a bag of popcorn in await of the Main Event.

 

RVD pins Rico after working through his injured ribs

 

So RVD is the KotR. We cut to Austin v. Eddie and Jericho & Angle v. HHH & Edge and then return to on-topic (which becomes meaningless after a post of this length)

 

RVD makes his way to the ring, wounded and confident. Taker comes down poised to strike, which he does, fast.

 

Soon Taker has taken RVD to the outside. He busts him open. He takes him up the aisle, he beats him back down to ringside. JR is losing his mind in anger. Taker hoists RVD up and Tombstones him on the concrete. JR has a midocardiac infarction and Jerry laughs at the name of the condition as the EMT's explain it to him.

 

Taker has RVD against the barricade. He has his fist tight as he steps a few feet back so that the punch will really have Velocity (Saturdays on TNN) And as he races forth RVD leans over a back drops him into the crowd. RVD looks up towards the people who are quite obviously losing their minds. He signals for the crowd to part and we begin to realize what's coming. Up to the top rope and into the crowd with flipping plancha right onto the waiting Taker. Fans go nuts. RVD stumbles over the barricade and into the ring. Taker follows startled. RVD manages to keep Taker dizzy with stiff punches and a very limited aerial attack. He does measure Taker (who has some fleeting offense)  with a thrusting sidekick off of the top rope, No pin though as he goes for the Rolling Thunder, once again no pin as we get a patented FIVE STAR FROGSPLASH !, 2 but raises his knees and RVD rolls around for a while. Taker works over RVD's ribs that were injured during the tourny and leads into a Chokeslam. RVD kicks out, and there is still hope. Taker kills RVD's second wind very quickly and hits him with a Boot, sideslam, a few punches in the corner BUT WAIT, while in the corner RVD turns it around on Taker and hits the shoulderblocks...Fans go crazy. RVD backflips and is caught with a stiff kick in the midsection. Taker has him in position for The Last Ride. Fans cheer somewhat less. He has him up and RVD nails him with a stiff shot to the forehead, Takers falls back and RVD lands on his feet. On pure adrenalin and instinct RVD races to the turnbuckle and pulls out The Five Star Frogsplash and it hits full force. But Taker kicks out at the last possible instant. And we all start to realize who's going over in this one. Taker battles back hits the Chokeslam again and RVD kicks out, hits the Last Ride, starts to pin him and hesitates-deciding to humiliate RVD with a steel chair. Hebner tries to cut him off and is awarded a stiff shot with the chair in retailiation. With the ref down Taker goes to work on RVD's ribs. He even does the throat spot with the chair before leaning him face first into the turnbuckles and whailing away at him with the chair. But Hogan makes his way to ring through the crowd. turning taker around and shoving the chair down to takers side. ~INTENSE~ staredown begins,.

 

After a few seconds and after the crowd reaction dwindles Taker says to Hogan "I'll deal with you later" and he turns around, chair raised for another strike.... right into the Van Daminator. The force of the shot cause taker to stumble backward landing leaning on the bottom turnbuckle pad. RVD looks spent through a bloody face. Hogan tries to play cheerleader Hulking up for RVD's sake. RVD manages to get to his feet as Hogans walks over to place the chair in front of Takers face. Hogan continues to Hulk up outside of the ring as RVD mounts the adjacent turnbuckle. Hebner stirs to see Taker get creamed with the Van Terminator! Figuring it would be much better revenge to just count the pin than to DQ him, Hebner counts 1,2,3.

 

RVD rolls onto his back the undisputed champion and king of the ring. If played right, one night gets RVD completely over once again, lends the company some new direction, and pleases marks and smarks alike.

 

The Match setup takes into account the fact that many think RVD still has dues to pay in that he takes a very brutal beating to get to the finish, which im sure the taker would embellish upon in the heat of the moment. Its not completely clean so as to appease any concerns of the front office. And if it fails, the belt can be taken off again just as easily as it was put on. Either RVD can drop it back to Taker or have Hogan demand a shot a regain fairly. But ideally this establishes RVD as the man to beat during the summer ala The Rock in 2000 or Austin last year.

 

Also a mini feud that can be played out on RAW between Brock and RVD might generate some interest in the following month as well as fallout between Taker and Hogan with Taker being unable to enact his revenge on SD!'s Hogan and allowing hatred to boil til a undisclosed time and place.

 

Wow! that kinda turned into a glorified rant

 

thanks for hanging in there...

 

Me personally, i want Angle to have the strap, but i'll take what i can get...

[Guest]

Hm.  Someone should hire a bunch of guys to jump Triple H, injure him, and make him "lose his smile."  

Too bad Lou Thesz isn't around anymore when you need him...

[Guest Brian]

"Brock eats Bubba Ray alive"

 

That's exactly what we need. Brock eating people.

[Guest]

I don't know how anyone in their right mind could add up all that and come up with HHH and UT at KOTR.

I thought the deal was that raw and smackdown swapped who named the number one contender at each pvp, of course this would mean continuity but wouldnt that make it smackdowns turn, hence my post saying HHH - UT would be the ME, especially seeing as HHH said he was going after the title again

[Guest cabbageboy]

I've never heard them actually say on TV that one show names the #1 contender, then the other for the next PPV.  I mean, it sorta seems like what they've been doing but it doesn't seem set in stone by any means.

[Guest ManKinnd]

Matt, why the hell would Rico even be in the KOR Tourney?