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WWE TV 5/20-5/26 RAW IS WILDCARD TITLE


sek69

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5 hours ago, NintendoLogic said:

According to the latest Observer, it was USA's idea. They knew something had to be done to turn ratings around and had been pitching ideas as of late. Apparently, all the ideas were terrible, but Vince knew he had to use one of them and the 24/7 title was the best of the bunch.

Or worst of the bunch? Or somewhere in the middle?

If that list of ideas ever does leak or get reported, its possible that it actually has some good ideas on it that Vince refused for whatever reason - even out of just spite or stubborness. I don't consider myself someone who blindly sees Vince or HHH or Stephanie or Shane as infallible creative geniuses - just as I don't think Kevin Sullivan, Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, Paul Heyman batted 1.000 when they were in charge of different companies. They all had hits and misses. Right now, though, it does seem like the WWE is missing way, way more than hitting and this title is just not something I am interested in. 

As for people shitting on it and speaking great things about the Hardcore Titles of yesteryear - I don't know what to say about that. The 90's/00's Hardcore Titles of WWE and WCW were an unfunny joke that I disliked when I was a teenager and, on rewatches, its still a part of those PPVs and shows that I don't like. I don't know of really anyone who appreciated those titles back then outside Crash Holly's involvement and, in WCW's case, Norman Smiley's work (which was also comedy-based). Maybe I missed the critical reassessment of Brian Knobbs and Al Snow's Hardcore Title runs, but I thought we all agreed that shit was nothing special. 

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4 minutes ago, sek69 said:

Finley nearly cutting his leg off in that stupid junkyard brawl WCW did was reason enough to never bother with any hardcore stuff again. 

Actually, that was during a match in the ring after he went through a table. But it's easy to mix it up, since lots of other injuries did happen during the Junkyard thing.

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2 hours ago, DMJ said:

Or worst of the bunch? Or somewhere in the middle?

If that list of ideas ever does leak or get reported, its possible that it actually has some good ideas on it that Vince refused for whatever reason - even out of just spite or stubborness. I don't consider myself someone who blindly sees Vince or HHH or Stephanie or Shane as infallible creative geniuses - just as I don't think Kevin Sullivan, Eric Bischoff, Vince Russo, Paul Heyman batted 1.000 when they were in charge of different companies. They all had hits and misses. Right now, though, it does seem like the WWE is missing way, way more than hitting and this title is just not something I am interested in. 

As for people shitting on it and speaking great things about the Hardcore Titles of yesteryear - I don't know what to say about that. The 90's/00's Hardcore Titles of WWE and WCW were an unfunny joke that I disliked when I was a teenager and, on rewatches, its still a part of those PPVs and shows that I don't like. I don't know of really anyone who appreciated those titles back then outside Crash Holly's involvement and, in WCW's case, Norman Smiley's work (which was also comedy-based). Maybe I missed the critical reassessment of Brian Knobbs and Al Snow's Hardcore Title runs, but I thought we all agreed that shit was nothing special. 

I mean, it's not interesting. But nothing they're doing is anyway. Might as well do it, in that case. It can't be any worse than just seven or eight overly long wrestling matches that amount to nothing & lead to nothing.

They've got to produce fifty-eleven hours of content every week. At least this offers variety.

Is it good? Nah. Is it funny? Nope. But it's different. So, while I'm not exactly watching any of it closely, I can see the appeal in at least trying it.

As far as the old hardcore division goes, I think you just about nailed it. Crash Holly handled the comedic aspect of it very well though. I actually think the ideal design to his reign(s) should have involved him being spring boarded up the card as a result of the momentum & the traction he gained as Hardcore Champ.

Instead, he just kind of petered out. It felt like they just sort of let his popularity die without ever really trying to capitalize on it.

I'm not saying he should've been IC Champ or anything like that. But he could have been a fun underdog character in the middle of the pack for years after that. Looking back, I guess Spike Dudley sort of inadvertently inherited that spot anyhow though.

 

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1 hour ago, Johnny Sorrow said:

Actually, that was during a match in the ring after he went through a table. But it's easy to mix it up, since lots of other injuries did happen during the Junkyard thing.

I was sure it was either him or Knobs that got hurt there. 

 

I will say Norman Smiley doing a Courage the Cowardly Dog gimmick as the guy scared of his shadow who somehow got roped into hardcore matches was one of the few entertaining-on-purpose moments in late era WCW.

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I loved the hardcore division of 2001. The Raven/Kane/Big Show WM match was awesome and the following Raven/Rhyno match at Backlash is really fun stuff. Later on we get RVD/Hardy delivering good stuff, memorable moments like Rhyno goring Jericho through the Smackdown set for it and I enjoyed Undertaker ending up as champion. Good times. I only wish they used Mike Awesome more/better.

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R-Truth is out there interacting with fans on Twitter and putting a seatbelt on his title, guys. The title is some good relief and can be a good counterweight to Corbin/Drew/Lashley snoozefests.

I'm positive most of you hated the Usos/Revival skits with the shaving and all that (even though it did get over), but Wrestling *needs* silly shit. Some ideas work and some don't, but having a product be serious all the time is not a good thing.

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2 hours ago, KawadaSmile said:

R-Truth is out there interacting with fans on Twitter and putting a seatbelt on his title, guys. The title is some good relief and can be a good counterweight to Corbin/Drew/Lashley snoozefests.

I'm positive most of you hated the Usos/Revival skits with the shaving and all that (even though it did get over), but Wrestling *needs* silly shit. Some ideas work and some don't, but having a product be serious all the time is not a good thing.

R-Truth is probably one of the more underrated guys on the roster, he can seemingly make anything work. If he can be the Crash Holly of the 24/7 title, maybe they have something.

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