Angle-The one to stop fall of WWE

[Guest MideonMark]

This is an article taken from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. I dont like Mark Madden, but he talks sense in this article:

 

 

 

Madden: Angle could break WWE's steep fall

 

Saturday, June 29, 2002

 

 

The World Wrestling Federation recently lost a lawsuit that forced it to change its name to World Wrestling Entertainment.

 

Kind of funny, since every trace of entertainment has been purged from the company's product.

 

Stone Cold Steve Austin quit. The Rock has put wrestling on the back burner while he pursues a movie career. Has-beens such as Hulk Hogan and the Undertaker dominate way too much television time, as does the owner, who happens to sport a physique Ken Caminiti would be proud of. New stars get politically sabotaged by more established wrestlers looking to keep their top spots (and top paychecks).

 

The story lines veer between tragically trite and spectacularly stupid, done to please a handful of Internet insiders instead of the masses that matter. The creative team is headed by the boss' daughter, a failed Hollywood joke writer, and a man who, in his previous job, ran the wrestling promotion he owned into bankruptcy. I guess the people who scripted "Joanie Loves Chachi" weren't available.

 

Events that would draw a good TV rating or make money on pay-per-view after several weeks' worth of buildup have been given away as "surprises," i.e., out of desperation. As a result, the return of The Rock, the return of Shawn Michaels, and a match between Vince McMahon and Ric Flair for "sole ownership of WWE" made little or no impact on the company's seemingly unstoppable downhill slide.

 

Vince Russo, the man who creatively resurrected WWE in the late 1990s, was brought back to the company last week -- then hastily put in an insignificant role as "consultant" because he wanted to change things drastically. Er, Mr. McMahon ... your TV ratings, pay-per-view buy rates and live attendance are all plummeting. It seems to me that drastically changing things might be a good idea.

 

I worked seven years for now-defunct World Championship Wrestling. I saw everything that happened that led to the company going out of business. The same things are happening at WWE.

 

But they're happening quicker. WWE was once a billion-dollar company. But the way things are going, WWE could be out of business within a year or two.

 

Luckily for Mr. McMahon, I've got the answer to his problems: Kurt Angle. That's right, Pittsburgh's own.

 

WWE too often goes back and forth between "work" and "shoot," i.e., between story lines and reality, and it stinks. Everyone knows wrestling is fake. But no one wants that fact rubbed in his/her face during the course of watching wrestling. The great unwashed wants to suspend disbelief, and WWE doesn't allow them to do so. If you keep reminding everyone that it's fake, how are viewers supposed to care about who wins or loses? Or about any "personal issue" between the wrestlers?

 

But Angle is the ideal blend of "work" and "shoot." He has mastered the art of pro wrestling. No one is better in the ring. Few are better on the microphone. He looks terrific. He's not overexposed. Angle rivals Ric Flair at his peak when it comes to making opponents look good. And, either because of naivete or genuine unselfishness, Angle is one of a small minority of wrestlers readily willing to do so.

 

If you like a splash of reality with your shot of fake wrestling, Angle wrestled his way to Olympic gold in 1996. He is a totally credible performer.

 

Angle should be made WWE's No. 1 star. Period. He is that good.

 

So naturally, WWE presents Angle as a clown. Angle recently lost a "loser gets his head shaved" match, so he started coming to the ring wearing a wig held in place by amateur wrestling headgear and claiming his hair had grown back instantly.

 

Angle is constantly made to look stupid, so constantly that it's not even funny anymore.

 

But the Undertaker, for example, is made to look like an indomitable monster. WWE has an Olympic champion who is still fresh in the fans' eyes, and they have a cliched, overexposed Hell's Angel wannabe. WWE gives the credibility and a top spot to the latter. And to Hogan, a pathetic cripple whom I could beat in a foot race.

 

Guys like 'Taker and Hogan, of course, have "paid their dues," which gives them the right to go on TV and kill the ratings as long as they can draw breath. I'm not kidding. That's the thought process in WWE.

 

Of course, pro wrestling could never disappear. No need to worry about that. Roller Derby endured a few rough patches, but now, er ... OK, so it's gone for good. Bad example.

 

It's not impossible to create new stars. Austin once sported a lame persona called The Ringmaster. The Rock, as Rocky Maivia, used to be midcard tripe. It's merely a matter of spotting talent, trusting talent, having good creative instincts and not worrying about hurting some has-been's feelings.

 

Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar, the behemoth former NCAA wrestling champion, must be the future of WWE.

 

Otherwise WWE might have very little future left.

 

 

 

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Guest Downhome]

I agree with everything he said 100%. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

 

...Kurt Angle is the future of WWE and Pro. Wrestling.

 

Angle should be made WWE's No. 1 star. Period. He is that good.

 

He hit it right on the head.

[Guest Slingshot Suplex]

I agree with everything he said 100%. I've said it before, and I'll say it again...

 

...Kurt Angle is the future of WWE and Pro. Wrestling.

 

Angle should be made WWE's No. 1 star. Period. He is that good.

 

He hit it right on the head.

I second that motion

[Guest Prince Paul]

Damn right. I usually think Madden is a schmuck and he still is, don't get me wrong. But he's right about Angle. I mean, how much more of a credible wrestler do they want. This guy is the total package, fuck you Lex.

[Guest Army Eye]

WWE too often goes back and forth between "work" and "shoot," i.e., between story lines and reality, and it stinks. Everyone knows wrestling is fake. But no one wants that fact rubbed in his/her face during the course of watching wrestling. The great unwashed wants to suspend disbelief, and WWE doesn't allow them to do so. If you keep reminding everyone that it's fake, how are viewers supposed to care about who wins or loses? Or about any "personal issue" between the wrestlers?

This is my favorite paragraph in the whole thing. Someone please forward this to the WWE brass.

 

I agree with the whole article pretty much. They seem to be hesitant to put Angle in the main event since he didn't draw the first time around, but when has Undertaker, the current champion, EVER been a draw? Angle's first championship run had him booked like a 'dork' and a fluke champion to boot. Strangely enough, they gave him a much better push after he lost the title.

 

He is a good enough heel now where he doesn't need massive interference and fluke wins to keep his heel heat. Book him as a strong champion and let him run with it. Like Madden said, he has huge credibility but if he keeps getting his ass kicked by EDGE I don't know how much of it will be left.

 

 

P.S. for those who are saying you hate Madden, do you hate as him as a writer or as the color guy in WCW? IMO he was always a good writer.

[Guest mach7]

Wow, for once.. I actually agree with Fatty McAss.

[Guest Prince Paul]

P.S. for those who are saying you hate Madden, do you hate as him as a writer or as the color guy in WCW?  IMO he was always a good writer.

Mostly hated him as the WCW color guy, but his writing often seems to come off as self serving as well. Not this time though.

 

 

 

Damn I wish Sunny still looked the same as she does on my avatar.

Cue boner.

[Guest Brian]

See, I don't think Angle can ever be turned face if he doesn't have that mean streak, and if he does he loses that coolness we saw in him, plus if he does start getting cheered and they decide to do a full-fledged turn rather than milk the tweener stage, they screw up. I just can see him as a face, and I just can't see Brock Lesnar main eventing for a few years as a face to oppose Angle. The guy's much too green, pretty unconvincing now as a monster, pretty bland in the ring (Vanilla Monster), and doesn't have that edge on the mic. If anything, they've got to push a combo of guys and take a shot at it, Lesnar/Eddie/Angle as heels and Benoit/Jericho/RVD as faces.

[Guest dreamer420]

i don't like madden but i do agree with him. angle is the wwe right now, and along with rvd and a few other guys are carrying the company.

[Guest caboose]

Damn I wish Sunny still looked the same as she does on my avatar.

Cue boner.

I wish Sunny looked as good as she does in your avatar and was still on TV.

 

As for Madden, everything he said is true, but it's not different to anything that has been said in the last month, let alone in the last year.

 

Madden however should be fearful of now being stalked by AngleSault.

[Guest cabbageboy]

I think Angle has been booked to look like a jobber for so long that it is almost impossible to push him seriously. I do agree with most of what Madden says, yet oddly I don't really want to see Angle get this huge Jesus push.

[Guest Big Poppa Popick]

I'm suprised AngleSault or Angle-Plex hasn't shot their load in this thread yet...

 

But Madden's right...and that's saying alot...But will VINCE understand it, finally?

[Guest Fook_Hing_Ho]

I think Vince is finally starting to understand this. Angle ditched the wig, he got a face Hogan to tap clean, and he's getting a title shot next week.

 

Hopefully they'll actually stick with this instead of having him go back to being a dork three weeks from now.

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

I can't Agree with everything.

 

{The story lines veer between tragically trite and spectacularly stupid, done to please a handful of Internet insiders instead of the masses that matter}

 

Huh?

 

Yeah, I'm real pleased that Hogan, A Waterdown Triple H, and Taker are pushed to the moon.

[Guest MrRant]

I can't Agree with everything.

 

{The story lines veer between tragically trite and spectacularly stupid, done to please a handful of Internet insiders instead of the masses that matter}

 

Huh?

 

Yeah, I'm real pleased that Hogan, A Waterdown Triple H, and Taker are pushed to the moon.

As you should be.

[Guest jimmy no nose]

I can't Agree with everything.

 

{The story lines veer between tragically trite and spectacularly stupid, done to please a handful of Internet insiders instead of the masses that matter}

 

Huh?

 

Yeah, I'm real pleased that Hogan, A Waterdown Triple H, and Taker are pushed to the moon.

I think that he's referring to how they often try to work parts of the backstage happenings into promos on the wrestlers they're feuding with. It's not as big of a problem as it was in WCW though.

 

Madden is quite a good writer and he always makes sure he knows what he's talking about, although he often trys to put himself over. I'm fairly sure that's it's done in a tounge-in-cheek way that is hard to convey in writing. I'm pretty sure that is what he does based on when he's on the radio although I may be wrong.

 

Totally agree with what he said, they may be going slightly in that direction, but I doubt Angle will ever over-take Triple H or Taker in how hard they are pushed and how often they are on TV.

[Guest Smeghead]

Wow. Maybe Madden's not so dumb after all.

[Guest jester]

{The story lines veer between tragically trite and spectacularly stupid, done to please a handful of Internet insiders instead of the masses that matter}

 

Huh?

Yeah. That really sticks out in article full of great points. Nobody is harder on the WWE than Internet smarks.

 

And rightly so.

 

jester

[Guest C.H.U.D.]

I'm suprised AngleSault or Angle-Plex hasn't shot their load in this thread yet...

Anglesault only participates to be negative, and this is a "pro Angle" thread, so how can he bitch this time?

[Guest Nezbyte]

Madden didnt say that Angel should run over and squash all?

[Guest FeArHaVoC]

{Angle rivals Ric Flair at his peak when it comes to making opponents look good. And, either because of naivete or genuine unselfishness, Angle is one of a small minority of wrestlers readily willing to do so.}

 

Nah, he said Angle puts people over like Flair. He's willing to do so, instead of "squashing" the guy he's against.

[Guest Flyboy]

i don't like madden but i do agree with him. angle is the wwe right now, and along with rvd and a few other guys are carrying the company.

I agree with dreamer's statements.

[Guest Vitamin X]

Angle is the future of the WWE, and Jericho was at one point in time. It seems that obviously they have had nothing for Y2J to do since the Benoit feud. I mean, come on...Kane? The Alliance? Rock- OK I stand corrected. But even the Rocky feud in the end, made him look like a jackass.

 

Want to dispute that claim? Look at where he is now after the Rocky feud. After the Rocky feud, he feuded with Austin, who was feuding with the nWold, so let's not pay attention to Jericho. Then there was HHH, and we all know how that ended. In other words, the heel Jericho is a compelte, utter, loser, and I am so very very upset with watching him be like this. I almost enjoyed him better as a jackass insulting, mischievious face who gave us the benefit of awesome matches and great work on the stick. But as a heel, it looks like he's almost been stuck as a "Look at me! I'm Canadian! I was the first Undisputed Champion, but I have to cheat to beat everybody!"

 

My point here is taht even what Angle has, Jericho has 10 times moreo f. Why? Because a star can be made from either two ingredients: 1. Be truly larger than life, be such a star that it's almost as if people put you on a pedestal at how great you are (The Rock or Angle), or 2. Be a common man who seems like an overachiever. The guy who doesn't LOOK like the best, but works hard and kicks ass anyways, and gets over with the crowd because he's not huge, he doesn't have all the accolades, but he could just as easily be one of them (Austin, or in this case, Jericho).

 

That's why I think that a small man push can work in many many ways, because people don't average 6'3", 245 lbs., I think most men are around 5'8"-5'10", and maybe about 170-200 lbs. at the most. That weight figure might be a little big even.

 

Angle works because he's a strange combination of those two pushes, he's larger than life being a real Olympic Gold Medalist, but at the same time, being 5'8", 220 lbs growing up in a blue-collar family, he's got the everyday commoner push as well.

 

But Jericho also has the charisma that he could be Larger Than Life (he's got more charisma than Rocky, but he doesn't have NEARLY the influence over his character that I'm sure Rock does), and again has that smaller size that could get him over overpushed manly men like HHH or Taker.

 

But it's all politics, which is why everyone on this board is brainwashed to think that noone outside of Angle has a shot as a smaller guy at the main event, and even that's disputable.

[Guest Brian]

So basically what you're saying Vitamin X is that Rock put Jericho over and a combination of the NWO, HHH and Steph buried Jericho. Sounds about right to me.

[Guest cabbageboy]

Wonder why no one comments on RVD making Jericho his bitch? I bet RVD has beaten Jericho about as often as HHH. Beat him on two PPVs, a hardcore match on SMDN, a 6 man tag, a tag match (when Jericho was champ no less), and by DQ on Raw in the title match.

 

This is about as damaging as him jobbing to HHH so many times. People expect HHH to beat Jericho, but RVD and Jericho seems more even on paper.

[Guest SuperTonyJaymz]

You know, as much as people hate the man on color, he did come up with the name for the most electrfying move in the history of wrestling and sports entertainment:

 

 

SPINAROONIE!

[Guest Army Eye]

You know, as much as people hate the man on color, he did come up with the name for the most electrfying move in the history of wrestling and sports entertainment:

 

 

SPINAROONIE!

Hahahahahaha...........

 

poor CRZ would be spinning in his grave. If he was dead.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

I agree with almost everything that Madden said. Almost everything.

 

" He has mastered the art of pro wrestling. No one is better in the ring."

 

Kurt, you're good and all but I've met Chris Benoit (I really have) and trust me, you're no Chris Benoit. When Angle goes around the world and creates 4 and 5 star matches without speaking Japanese or Mexican, THEN maybe he can fill Benoits shoes.

 

Let the Angle marks come in spades, just know that I'm a huge Angle mark, but I'm a Benoit mark first and foremost. If this turns into a Benoit vs Angle debate, so be it. I'm ready.

[Guest RavishingRickRudo]

I don't see this Chris Benoit winning any GOLD MEDALS and hitting Kobashi-esque MOONSAULTOHS...

 

Considering that MANY Japanese Wrestlers have had Amateur wrestling training, Angle would adapt nicely in Japan.

[Guest Lord of The Curry]

I don't see Kurt Angle winning any Super J-Cups and Super Juniour Tag Leagues! I don't see Kurt Angle tombstoning suckas off the top rope! I don't see Kurt Angle powerbombing fools off the top rope.

 

*raises arms in victory, knowing that playing the "Benoit top rope powerbomb" card ensures an instant win*