The Eddie-sploitation continues....

[Guest Bruiser Chong]

My problem isn't so much about how it's tasteless (it is), but because of how beneficial it is to the storyline (it isn't). Seriously, what's the point?

[Guest MJHimJfadeaway23]

I'm not saying I'm shocked or suprised that Vince/WWE would do this angle, I'm just saying that I'm disgusted by it. I know this is something well within the scope of Vince's known sleaziness, I just don't like what they're presenting under the banner of "entertainment". I don't like when kids are involved in wrestling, period. I didn't like it when Sandman's kid was involved, I didn't like it when Domenic was involved in the Rey/Eddie storyline, hell I even thought it was kind of creepy when Steph would model T-shirts in WWF mag as a kid and they'd have her in oversized shirts that made it look like she wasn't wearing pants.

Fair enough. I could see all of this. Wrestling started getting into weirdness when it started clearly marketing towards kids. Since the last 90's they've been caught in a flux of trying to decide how to do things...it's one of those hidden "why wrestling is in the shitter" things that doesn't get discussed much.

 

If you're trying to argue for Rey winning the belt, people, it starts (and ends) with marketing the show to kids. There really is no other good reason.

Rey is also the most over wrestler on the roster and draws the biggest ratings.

[sek69]

I can't even begin to fathom the IWC's reaction when Meltzer or whoever uncovers the reason that Vickie will attend the show.

Storyline or for real?

Real.

Do you know something we don't?

[kjh]

Foley was supposed to take three unprotected chairshots and ended up taking 15.

I've always thought that story was bullshit - that the plan was always to do more than just 3 unprotected chairshots and that the real heat came from Rock not checking on him afterwards to make sure he was OK. Just like Foley's story that the Hell In The Cell bump through the cage at King Of The Ring '98 wasn't planned was BS.

[sek69]

Didn't the Rock admit at some point that he got carried away? I don't think the plan was for 15 unprotected chairshots. Not even Foley is that crazy. I'd buy they planned more than 3 but not 15.

[Guest SweetMama Scaat]

My problem isn't so much about how it's tasteless (it is), but because of how beneficial it is to the storyline (it isn't). Seriously, what's the point?

Thats what Im saying.

 

Ive defended the WWE time and time again, Ive even understood why they did things that most of yall dont like. But this is just dumb. Plain and simple. It serves no purpose and makes EVERYBODY involved looked bad. Even if it wasnt offensive itd still be a pointless waste of time and effort.

[Guest bravesfan]

I can't even begin to fathom the IWC's reaction when Meltzer or whoever uncovers the reason that Vickie will attend the show.

Storyline or for real?

Real.

Do you know something we don't?

Well, she must have a reason to attend the show. Either she's being held up by McMahon on the proceeds going to her family, or she's okay with the angle, which I don't see.

[sek69]

I'm thinking WWE sold it to her by mentioning that her appearing at a PPV that's going to be released on DVD would mean more royalties for the family.

[Guest savagerulz]

I'm not saying I'm shocked or suprised that Vince/WWE would do this angle, I'm just saying that I'm disgusted by it. I know this is something well within the scope of Vince's known sleaziness, I just don't like what they're presenting under the banner of "entertainment". I don't like when kids are involved in wrestling, period. I didn't like it when Sandman's kid was involved, I didn't like it when Domenic was involved in the Rey/Eddie storyline, hell I even thought it was kind of creepy when Steph would model T-shirts in WWF mag as a kid and they'd have her in oversized shirts that made it look like she wasn't wearing pants.

Fair enough. I could see all of this. Wrestling started getting into weirdness when it started clearly marketing towards kids. Since the last 90's they've been caught in a flux of trying to decide how to do things...it's one of those hidden "why wrestling is in the shitter" things that doesn't get discussed much.

 

If you're trying to argue for Rey winning the belt, people, it starts (and ends) with marketing the show to kids. There really is no other good reason.

Rey is also the most over wrestler on the roster and draws the biggest ratings.

Is Rey "world champ" over?

 

Who is to say that Rey as world champ wouldn't flop? There have been numerous cases of guys that were way more interesting to the fans as pursuers of a title than title holders. Why wouldn't Rey be one of those guys?

 

I think a lot of people here are dead wrong about Rey. But maybe you can argue. Here's my points.

 

1. Rey is small. No, really. SMALL SMALL. Not Benoit "I am short but can still kick your ass" small, but a head shorter than the average wrestler in the league. Why is that not a problem when you hold that guy up as your World Champ. Doesn't that diminish the rest of the league?

 

2. Rey can only pull off the more interesting moves in his arsenal with a small group of potential challengers.

 

3. Rey is appealing to kids, but limited in his appeal to everyone else.

 

4. Rey would be incredibly limited in any kind of roughhouse gimmick match (elimination chamber, last man standing, streetfights, etc.) that main eventers would be required to wrestle in.

 

5. Rey's skills have visibly diminished in the ring, and he would be unable to make a match over 10 minutes interesting, which would certainly be a requirement of a main event star.

 

6. Rey's best moments in the WWE are ones where he was carried by the other performer (Eddie, Angle). As champ he would have to carry inferior performers...and he can't do it.

 

7. The fans are interested in the novelty of Rey, but support for him would quickly fade when Rey becomes champ and the mystique is gone...especially once his limitations are exposed having to carry a show.

 

So now instead of assuming too much in regards to Rey, address these issues above. Don't some of them hold water? Do some of them not matter? To fix these situations, is the WWE going to have to throw the rest of their roster under a train to make Rey look credible...and if so, won't that hurt the league's long term success? Doesn't having Rey as champ further cement Smackdown as the B-team brand?

[Guest Kilgore Trout]

6. Rey's best moments in the WWE are ones where he was carried by the other performer (Eddie, Angle). As champ he would have to carry inferior performers...and he can't do it.

 

This is just fucking mental.

[Guest TheNewAge]

Fine, but is Rey "world champ" over? Being the highest rated segment on Smackdown is like being the luckiest member of the Hart family.

 

So, basically, you're agreeing that Rey is the most over wrestler on the roster, and the biggest draw, but then asking if he is "world champ" over? What more must he do? And don't try to take away him being a ratings draw. He is, and your snide comments won't stop that. He's far and away the biggest draw on SmackDown. It's not just one or two viewers.

 

Who is to say that Rey as world champ wouldn't flop? There have been numerous cases of guys that were way more interesting to the fans as pursuers of a title than title holders. Why wouldn't Rey be one of those guys?

That's just stupid. You don't know if someone will or will not flop unless you actually, ya know, try runnning with them on top. Lets never have another new World Champ, 'cos he might flop! Do I think it's a risk? Not really. I don't see business being any worse with Rey on top than it is now. Will we see a huge turnaround? I don't know, but none of their current top guys are huge draws, so why not try someone new? The guy deserves for how over he is, and how many viewers he brings in.

 

And Rey hasn't even chased the title yet, so you can't make that argument.

 

1. Rey is small. No, really. SMALL SMALL. Not Benoit "I am short but can still kick your ass" small, but a head shorter than the average wrestler in the league. Why is that not a problem when you hold that guy up as your World Champ. Doesn't that diminish the rest of the league?

The fans buy Rey vs. Show. Rey Vs. JBL. Rey Vs. Triple H. Why would those matches be any different with the WHC on the line? He recently went 20 minutes with the biggest guy on the roster, and the fans bought it. That kills your argument.

 

2. Rey can only pull off the more interesting moves in his arsenal with a small group of potential challengers.

Not true. Some of Rey's best matches in recent years have been against JBL and Mark Henry, two of the bigger guys on the roster. That tells me Rey is a smart worker, and knows how to incorporate his offense in to matches against "giants". Look at his use of the 619 in the matches with Henry. Besides, it makes the match story even more fun "how will Rey beat Batista if he can't use the rana?" or "how will Rey keep Kane on his back?".

 

3. Rey is appealing to kids, but limited in his appeal to everyone else.

Which is why he's the most over guy on the roster.... seriously, stop kidding yourself. It's said that Cena is only over with the kids and the women, hence the amount of boos he gets. If Rey is only over with the kids, why can I hear nothing but cheers? Do the men just sit on their hands for Rey's matches? Hardy.

 

4. Rey would be incredibly limited in any kind of roughhouse gimmick match (elimination chamber, last man standing, streetfights, etc.) that main eventers would be required to wrestle in.

Main eventers aren't required to wrestle in those matches. The majority of time, they're put in these matches to protect them and mask their weaknesses. Rey wouldn't need to wrestle in those matches, because he can wrestle a good singles match with anybody. And Rey is good enough to adapt to those matches anyway. Ignoring the fact that the Chamber is on Raw, he'd be ok in that. Why couldn't he have a good streetfight? Because he's small? Don't be silly. Anyone can throw a fist, and anyone can swing a chair. His size would make for some unique gimmick matches, which is something we havem't had in a while. So what if it isn't the usual formula LMS match? That's a good thing.

 

Oh, and John Cena wrestled in two gimmick matches during his reign. I Quit with JBL, and the Chamber. That was over 9 or 10 months. Batista "only" had two, too.

 

5. Rey's skills have visibly diminished in the ring, and he would be unable to make a match over 10 minutes interesting, which would certainly be a requirement of a main event star.

You have GOT to be kidding me. Tell me you're just joking here. I'm not even attempting to argue against this asinine statement.

 

6. Rey's best moments in the WWE are ones where he was carried by the other performer (Eddie, Angle). As champ he would have to carry inferior performers...and he can't do it.

Wow. I don't know what to say. If you think Rey was carried in those matches then you really are beyond hope. But, just because I'm kind, Rey has had very good matches with Chavo, Henry, JBL, Tajiri and Matt Hardy during his run in the 'E. All of these guys have varying ability, and are all very different types of wrestler, yet Rey has produced in every single match. That doesn;t mean he carried them, mind you, but he has wrestled good matches with "inferior performers".

 

7. The fans are interested in the novelty of Rey, but support for him would quickly fade when Rey becomes champ and the mystique is gone...especially once his limitations are exposed having to carry a show.

You know this how? And wasn't the same argument made for if Rey was used outside the cruiserweight division? And didn't he become even MORE over?

 

 

 

 

Anyway, no, you're points hold no water. They're just ridiculous claims from a guy that refuses to accept that Rey Mysterio IS the most over guy on the roser, IS the biggest ratings draw, and IS (possibly) the best wrestler on the roster.

[Guest savagerulz]

6. Rey's best moments in the WWE are ones where he was carried by the other performer (Eddie, Angle). As champ he would have to carry inferior performers...and he can't do it.

 

This is just fucking mental.

Rey hasn't worked a successful program with someone (had an outstanding, show stealing match of note or elevated anyone) who wasn't clearly great talent. Eddie and Angle were his best program and match, respectively. Who has Rey elevated? He's been in the business for a long, long time. He's been in the WWE for quite a spell. Would Rey be able to, say, wrestle the Smackdown undercard and make them look great while still keeping the belt? It's what a champ is supposed to do.

[Guest Dangerous A]

Actually, there is some weight to the argument if Rey would or wouldn't make a good champ. He is sympathetic and the story of him chasing the title is great. The win (if it happens) would be a great moment, but he may not be a guy people want to see defending the championship. Because of the way the WWE is structured, he'd be the underdog in every match and there is only so far the audience may suspend their disbelief that the little guy keeps escaping and keeping the title.

 

It's a great story leading up to the win, but the aftermath may not have legs as the same story (David vs Goliath) will be told and the believability factor starts to come into question.

[sek69]

What gets lost in the outrage over the Eddie angle is that WWE felt that's what had to be done to get Rey heat, basically turn him into Eddie by proxy. When you stop to think about it, that's pretty disrespectful of Rey.

[Guest savagerulz]

Rey Mysterio was interviewed by the Baltimore Sun and talked about a variety of topics, including his thoughts of Eddie Guerrero being used in WWE storylines.

 

Responding to a question from Sun reporter Kevin Eck, Mysterio said, "It's hard to hear what has to be said from Randy. Eddie Guerrero had such an impact on the fans, on the company, on the [wrestlers]. He was loved by everybody. But I think the most important thing is that his wife has a lot of say in this. If she's comfortable with all of this being done ... she knew Eddie very well, and I think Eddie would want this to continue as long as it could. I think he's up in heaven, and he's enjoying every single moment."

I have to agree. The Eddie I remember loved it when instead of just following a storyline, something would bring real emotions out of the fans. There's no doubt this whole angle is doing that.

[Guest Bruiser Chong]

Whatever. Fans aren't getting pissed because "ooo, that Randy Orton is a real bastard." They're getting upset because this is in such terrible taste.

 

And Rey's a tool.

[Guest Dangerous A]

I have to agree. The Eddie I remember loved it when instead of just following a storyline, something would bring real emotions out of the fans. There's no doubt this whole angle is doing that.

 

I also remember the Eddie that refused to take part in angles that revolved around the deaths of his best friend Art Barr and his father in Mexico.

 

Not saying I'm definitely right and you're wrong, just saying there is contradictory evidence out there that shows perhaps Eddie wouldn't be down for all of this.

[goodhelmet]

Actually, there is some weight to the argument if Rey would or wouldn't make a good champ. He is sympathetic and the story of him chasing the title is great. The win (if it happens) would be a great moment, but he may not be a guy people want to see defending the championship. Because of the way the WWE is structured, he'd be the underdog in every match and there is only so far the audience may suspend their disbelief that the little guy keeps escaping and keeping the title.

 

It's a great story leading up to the win, but the aftermath may not have legs as the same story (David vs Goliath) will be told and the believability factor starts to come into question.

Yeah, Bob Backlund actually made a career as champ for 5 years being just that... an underdog.

 

(sarcasm on)Nope, he didn't sell out MSG for most of those 5 years.(sarcasm off)

[Guest Dangerous A]

I'm not saying that a Rey title reign can't work, because it can. I'm saying I could see it not working.

 

Backlund did indeed do a lot with the underdog role, but the landscape for pro wrestling was different back then. There wasn't as much saturation in the market and the title matches were less frequent. Today, people start tiring of champions around 6-8 months unless they are really special.

[goodhelmet]

I have no doubt in my mind that even if Rey was given the title that the Fed would screw it up. On that, I agree with you. However, I don't think it would have anything to do with Rey's actual skills.

 

As for Backlund, at least in the WWWF, if you look, he was defending the belt on a regualr basis and selling out MSG on a regular basis. My point is that the underdog theme is timeless and could work today just as much as it worked back then... if booked right. Ultimately, it all depends on the booking. If Rey is booked as a weak champion, he will be a weak champion. If they protect him and play up his strengths then he could succeed.

[Guest Dangerous A]

Yeah, I don't see Rey as anything but a feel good moment if he is ever given the title.

 

As you said, IF booked right, it could work. He's already a huge draw for kids and the hispanic demographic. Thing is, when I see him jobbing to Mark Henry twice before the Rumble, it just shows me the 'E' either A) have no plans for Rey to have the title or have no clue on how to protect Rey in his chase for the title.