Strummer Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 via 411: - Vince McMahon has told his staff that from this point forward, John Cena is the future and that he should be protected as if he were Hulk Hogan or Steve Austin. - The plan is for Big Show to end up as ECW's top heel. Many of ECW's upper card spots will be given to newcomers that will be introduced in the coming weeks. - Tazz and Lawler were both unhappy trying to work out their match. Tazz no longer wants to wrestle, and did not want to have a wrestling match. This upset the King, who then thought that if Tazz is no longer going to wrestle, then Tazz should have jobbed. Lawler agreed to lose as long as he didn't have to actually tap out (his arm was lifted three times by the ref instead), and wanted to lose to the choke so he could play up the notion that chokes are illegal in wrestling. - Jon Bolen, a wrestler who won TNA's "gut check" talent search competition and was only used by TNA once or twice, is close to be signing a WWE developmental deal. TV Central put out a list of shows most recorded by people who use digital recorders like TiVo. UFC actually beat wrestling, coming in at #20. Raw was listed as the 25th most-recorded show. - TNA had been hoping that the Sting vs. Steiner match would be their highest-rated segment, but it came up short. However, the Samoa Joe/Steiner confrontation drew their highest second quarter hour rating ever. - TNA referee Mark "Slick" Johnson is said to be getting so much TV time because he's good friends with Jeff Jarrett. Johnson wears shorts because he had wanted to do a soccer ref gimmick where he hands out red and yellow penalty cards. The idea was rejected, but the shorts remain. Johnson is now trying to convince TNA staff to make him a heel manager. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Luds Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 They certainly have to protect Cena with his movine coming out... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 It's GREAT that they're sticking with Cena, although I'm sure some people out there are upset about it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mad Dog Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 It's quality entertainment seeing all the net fans crying about Cena. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Spaceman Spiff Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 So nice they've decided to protect Cena *NOW* after letting him twist in the wind the last 6 months, especially during the program w/ HHH. Pretty funny/sad that Rey & Cena, probably the 2 biggest draws in the company at the moment, were/are 2 of the least protected guys on the roster. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JHawk Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 How has Cena not been protected? OK, Triple H acknowledged that he wasn't a great wrestler. Fine. But Cena had had a stranglehold on that title for 14 of the last 15 months, and his title losses have come: 1. In an impromptu defense after being in the Elimination Chamber for nearly 30 minutes. 2. On an ECW show under ECW rules where not only was there interference, but the pin wasn't counted by a sanctioned referee. And how often does Cena lose in televised matches, title on the line or not? At least Triple H would lose a non-title match on occasion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchistxx Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Cena is completely protected. He never loses clean, in fact has lost less than 5 times in about 18 months, the times he does lose he's at a real disadvantage by other factors. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 The main problem with Cena being protected isn't the way he's booked, but the way others are booked to interact with him. I'd say at this stage, with over a year of being on top under his belt, he shouldn't be taken lightly by his challengers anymore. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchistxx Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 The reason Triple-H took him lightly was because HHH perceives himself as the top guy, and thinks Cena is just a street thug. Doesn't hurt Cena's credibility, especially since he beat him, convincingly. Edge has to go over for the title at Vengeance. Just hold some tournament in ECW or something. Then Edge can feud with Cena and then hopefully we can see an Edge/HHH feud, which would be a new match I'd actually be interested in seeing, even if it wouldn't be amazingly good. Edge and Lita are really good at the moment, from any recent stuff I've seen. An Edge title win would make me tune into Raw the next night, just like I ded when he won the strap in January. Cena isn't out of options for feuds once the Edge feud is over, he can go heel and feud with Michaels when he heals or Carlito, and he can stay face and wrestle Kane, Shelton Benjamin, Masters, Umanga and eventually Orton at Wrestlemania. They aren';t the most exciting of matches but he'll get his heat back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 HHH needs to concede occasionally that he lost to the better man. Flair did that pretty much every time he jobbed, and said "but you were only better for one night". It's like in 2004, when HHH lost to Benoit a half dozen times, but HHH still treated Benoit like an underdog. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchistxx Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 I guess, but HHH has been booked in a way that now he's always the favourite in his matches, whoever he's facing. The exception would be against guys like Undertaker or Angle, who people buy as equals to HHH. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 Just because Cena held the title for a while doesn't mean he was protected. People seem to be getting it in their heads that not jobbing equals protected, but it doesn't mean a damn thing if you lose or not when the build for most of your feuds involve your opponent pointing out all your flaws and basically calling you a shit wrestler and then having you agree with everything they said. It would be a welcome sight to see the guy WWE considers one of its big stars for the future not get shit on in someone's promo for 20 minutes and not have anything to say in rebuttal besides "YEAH YOU'RE RIGHT BUT I'M CHAIN GANG 4 LYFE~!" Edge has to go over for the title at Vengeance. Just hold some tournament in ECW or something. I'm hoping the reason RVD kept the spinner belt when Paul presented him with the ECW title is that they're going to do the old "you only won one of these belts" when Edge wins at Vengance. It's completely backwards booking to job out the champ of your new offshoot brand on his first PPV match, but it's not like they're actually trying to make ECW work anyway. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 All I have to say is that Joe's promo on Scott Steiner where he focused on his strengths and made his opponent look good did a lot to help the build for that match. That was what they used to call a money promo. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 HHH's opponent-destroying promos are probably going to have a bigger negative impact on wrestling than his lack of jobbing or relationship with the writing staff. Not only has his constant burials kept the WWE from producing a whole generation of superstars, a lot of people in the indys are probably going to copy his promo style since they'll think it's how a heel is supposed to cut a promo on someone. It still boggles the mind how a company can have Jerry Lawler, Ted DiBiase, Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, and Arn Anderson on the payroll and have almost no one on the active roster who can put asses in seats with mic work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loss Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 HHH could probably win way more than he does without anyone bitching if his interviews didn't cut the other guy down quite as much. If you recall, HHH has had his biggest money feuds with Austin, Rock, Michaels and Batista, four guys he has treated like equals (for the most part) in the buildup. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest teke184 Posted June 19, 2006 Report Share Posted June 19, 2006 HHH could probably win way more than he does without anyone bitching if his interviews didn't cut the other guy down quite as much. If you recall, HHH has had his biggest money feuds with Austin, Rock, Michaels and Batista, four guys he has treated like equals (for the most part) in the buildup. And, on the flip side, got a TON of X-Pac heat for treating Jericho like an errand boy, telling Booker T that "his kind" will never win the title, etc. Those programs all bombed, BTW, and the guy on the other end was the one who usually got blamed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Sabu may blow a lot of spots, but him stopping on the top rope and giving the crowd a "fuck y'all" look was pretty awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sek69 Posted June 20, 2006 Report Share Posted June 20, 2006 Jeez, I totally posted that in the wrong thread. I thought I was in the "Thoughts that don't deserve their own thread". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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