WWE RAW hit the airwaves on Monday night. Steve Austin’s return to the company has become the #1 issue over on Monday nights, however the Four Horse..er… Triple H’s heel group continued to play the most important role on the program, as their storyline with Scott Steiner continued. The finish of the show was the same as last week’s, as Steiner once again got beaten down by the heels, including Jericho, who meets Steiner in a #1 Contenders match next week on RAW. Elsewhere on the program, the Dudleyz continued their saga with William Regal and Lance Storm, while we witnessed Jazz return after what I thought was the best match of the night — Victoria vs. Trish in a hardcore bout for the women’s championship. Oh yeah, the Tough Enough 3 winners also officially debuted in what was called a “Tough Enough III Exhibition” match, which ended with Tommy Dreamer welcoming them to the WWE with a good ol’ cane. Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho also continued their program, and Christian was present to help out. This week, I have a whole paragraph on ratings, which you’ll find after the SmackDown! summary.
WWE SmackDown! was a very good show for the second week in a row. After Hogan’s return last Thursday, Vince McMahon accepted Hogan’s challenge, however, it won’t be McMahon who’ll take on Hogan at No Way Out, but it will be The Rock, who also returned in a way through a “satellite” on Thursday night. Vince is set to kill Hulkamania once and for all this time, and while we’re at it, Hogan wasn’t even present at the show. Elsewhere, Team Angle won a #1 Contendership match for the WWE Tag Team titles thanks to their Captain Kurt Angle who is now a believer of the idea that Team Angle was his idea and creation, though Paul Heyman came up with it about a month ago on SmackDown!. The Undertaker continued to hunt for The Big Show and got nothing but a song for his worries. Billy Kidman wrestled Shannon Moore in a great match, Bill DeMott came out on top of Rikishi, and my and your favorite A-Train defeated Rey Mysterio. SmackDown! scored a 3.2 rating, but that is understandable as the show was pre-empted in many places throughout the country.
Ratings have been down for a long time. It was shortly after Steve Austin’s walkout in 2002 that I used to say in my reports (as well as my former Prime Cut column) that ratings will get a huge bump down for a bit, but then will slowly go up eventually, based on how WWE uses their star-power. Well, it’s February 2003, and ratings seem to have taken a small step forward. However, the new stars that WWE introduced isn’t the main reason. RAW scored a 4.1 rating this week. The show hasn’t scored above the 4.0 ws of the week — something WWE was used to in the past. It’s obvious that by introducing new talent like Steiner, or elevating superstars like Randy Orton and Batista over on RAW, the WWE will manage to move on, and they’re now entering that phase where things start to slightly get better. However, it’s also very important to note that they have now brought back The Rock and Hogan on SmackDown! and obviously Steve Austin is headed back. Enjoy the next one or two months of wrestling, because they will probably be the best the WWE has put up for the past year. I would expecting ratings to remain stable for a while, which brings us to another question…
How can WWE use what they have to the fullest of their advantage? Like I said, right now, they’re in a situation where they’re able to elevate their stars, and at the same time rely on some old guys who’re returning. It’s really a very interesting combination, but it also reminds me of something else. You just can’t help but think that Austin will want to main-event PPVs, that more troubles with Triple H will come up, and that after two or three months when both Rock and Hogan will be out again, we will basically be back to square one. It’s very important for WWE to realize that they have a golden opportunity right now to use their “legends” in such a way that it will be a step forward for the industry. I will take Steve Austin and give you an example, as Austin will probably stay for a year or so AT LEAST (unless things happen) upon his return. Have Austin return at No Way Out. Have him be involved in the major storyline surrounding Bischoff’s GM status and possibly a feud with Shane McMahon in the future. Have Austin feud the right person, the right heel, that will get him over and once again set his credibility in stone. If Austin heads to RAW, have him fight Jericho. If the Rattlesnake heads to SmackDown!, someone like Eddie Guerrero. Have Austin get the win, and then have him get another big win this time (over a guy like Triple H, or Kurt Angle) but not in a title match, but rather on free TV. Now he’s once again established and over for sure with the fans. That’s where they should feud him with someone like Batista or Orton. Get the young guys over, but in the process, do it in a way that you don’t kill what your started with — meaning still manage to keep Austin’s character alive and believable of being capable to be on the top for a time to come. You see, that’s a very good way to introduce your new stars and elevate them through the roof. The process takes a lot of careful thought and thinking in advance, so things can flow naturally. That’s what made the former WWF successful, and that’s why wrestling is what it is today. They managed to build up their characters greatly, and they managed to introduce new names. However, back then they were able to cross over all their talent because there were many wrestlers they had, and they didn’t have to worry about pulling the new guys to the top. They were simply all new. Anyway, I hope you get the point, and that WWE will NOT count on Austin, Rock, or Hogan for ratings and will not put them over in every match possible. In the case of Hogan and Rock, it won’t happen, but in the case of Austin they should be careful with how they handle his character.
After Hollywood Hulk Hogan made a return to SmackDown! last week, Vince McMahon introduced The Rock back this past Thursday and said that Rock will face Hogan at No Way Out with Vince’s intentions behind the decision being that Hulkamania will die at the PPV. I read many comments on-line about the promo that Rock cut, and I think that it’s a split call. Many say it sucked, others are saying it was good. I personally loved the promo Rock cut. You might have found him goofy and a bit stupid in the way he talked, but that’s how it should be really. Make no mistake about it, The Rock is turning heel and I think WWE has picked out the best way possible to handle Rock’s character. They’re taking it slowly, but steady. Take a closer look at his promo. From saying “Thank God” that he wasn’t present in the arena (gets booed) to quickly covering up with a line like how cold it was and how great the pie in the city was last time. (gets cheered) Saying “If ya smell what The Rock is cooking” twice and pausing a bit always gets the fan a bit irritated at the same time excited of what’s to happen with that phrase. From giving a description of what everyone thought would be Hogan to saying he’s talking about himself and that he’ll face Hogan at the PPV, Rock immediately gets a mixed reaction. That is until he laughs and says he’s just joking in a cocky way. I don’t know about you, but all this stuff entertains me. Rock is Rock, but he’s a cocky, heelish guy who still tries to be good. Eventually, he will turn, and it seems that something big is planned there. The best take is a match with Goldberg at WrestleMania. Rumors have had it that if Goldberg doesn’t sign, we’ll probably see Austin vs. Rock at ‘Mania one more time, again with Rock being the heel. There’s also another interesting possibility to just throw out there. If the rumors about Rock heading to RAW were true (obviously won’t happen before No Way Out), and with the possibility of Shane McMahon taking over RAW, WWE can always do what they like to do — bring an old storyline back and milk it for all it’s worth. I think you all know which storyline I’m talking about, but with a heel Rock, and with Shane and Vince not so far behind, it might be Corporation time. Just a thought.
Now to more news on The Rock that hav Dave Meltzer from the Wrestling Observer. Both these sources are pretty reliable, and one of the points made has already been proven. Anyway, it was reported that … 1) The Rock has bought out the name “The Rock” from Vince McMahon and now owns it… 2) The Rock will wrestle Hulk Hogan at No Way Out (already official)… 3) The Rock will turn heel upon his return (we’re halfway there)… 4) The Rock will face Bill Goldberg at WrestleMania XIX… and 5) The Rock will probably retire from wrestling for good after either WrestleMania, or Backlash depending how his movie schedule for the summer will go. Well, not many people were hooked on all these rumors when they came out but after Rock’s return on Thursday night, two of them came out true — him facing Hogan and turning heel, so I don’t know what to tell you. Rumors are rumors, but this one is interesting, so I’ll take a look at it. As far as the name “The Rock” goes it’s hard to believe that Vince McMahon will just give it away so easy. It’s one of his MAIN sources of income, so let me tell you, this one will be very hard to believeat WrestleMania is a part of the plan, but it depends on McMahon and Goldberg, so I don’t see Rock’s involvement there, besides the fact he’ll just be a part of the result between the talks of these two men. As far as Rock retiring goes, that’s far-fetched. As many have said, “retire” is a word you use carefully in this industry. I’d say Rock will probably move away from wrestling for a while, and if he is successful in Hollywood he might as well do that for a living. However, if he isn’t, he will definitely return to the squared circle, and in some way or fashion, The Rock will always be involved with WWE. Many blame him for saying wrestling is his blood and for leaving after that, but I think these people fail to realize that Vince McMahon had a big say in that speech Rock gave, and Rock does truly love wrestling. In this world of ours, it’s more important to look out for yourself sometimes, and I think that’s what Rock is doing. But knowing the type of guy he is, I definitely think he will always have some type of a role within the company. Even if it’s something like making 1 appearance per year. Or maybe not even appearing at all, or doing promotion, something silly like that. Rock will never forget where his roots are, and a good reason for that is that both his father and grandfather are legends in this business, and the family name is important to The Great One.
I find this interesting and I’m not trying to be a smark or make a big deal out of this, but for the past two weeks Rock and Hogan have returned to SmackDown!. Also for the past two weeks, Brock Lesnar is yet to make a LIVE appearance. He did do that the footage on the show.
Triple H’s heel group continues their destruction of Scott Steiner, as now for the second week in a row they have beaten Steiner down to a bloody mess. There’s still no word on what the name of the stable consisting of Triple H, Ric Flair, Batista and Orton will be called. Jim Ross continued hammering down the point that there are FOUR people beating on Steiner, while Jerry Lawler even said “Look at these horses,” so that’s a nice tease there. However, it seems that WWE will not go with “The Four Horsemen” which is a good thing. Vince usually doesn’t like using storylines or names from the past which weren’t his idea, so it’s most likely WWE will not call the stable that. The bigger news here actually came out during the week. It’s now all but confirmed that Rhyno will be the fifth member of the stable, and that he will join with the others as soon as he returns. Everyone, including myself, believes this is a great idea, as Rhyno will be no doubt a very nice addition to the group. The Man Beast is one of my favorite wrestlers, and he has proven his in-ring abilities on many occasions both in ECW and in WWE. Rhyno is still rehabbing and is currently in OVW, but should be back soon. The plan was always for WWE to come up with some sort of stable over on RAW that will feature these men, but that had to be pushed back due to Orton’s injury. Rhyno’s addition is a new piece of news though, but definitely a good one. Like I said last week, hopefully WWE will use that storyline to elevate Orton and Batista, and not have them on there just to help Triple H. Anyway, for now Hunter is the leader, so it’s normal for them all to help him out. Stay tuned.
In some news on the Women’s Division, Jazz returned to RAW this past Monday and immediately went after Trish Stratus, instead of going after the champion Victoria. I personally thought that Victoria vs. Trish was the best match on RAW, and that just like many others have said, though it wasn’t their first match together, it was their best one for sure. I was very pleasantly surprised of how well the match went and how good the two ladies worked. Now, as far as Jazz goes, I don’t see how she’ll figure into this thing, but I guess Victoria and Jazz will be the two evil women who will be after Trish, who for now has no support. I’m guessing WWE will either introduce Ivory yet again, this time as a face, or continue to count on Jacqueline, who is not exactly over with the fans. Another thought that comes to mind is the return of Lita, but she’s still rehabbing and has some time until she’s ready to return. I am just giving you all these combinations out, because Dave Scherer reported earlier that Victoria has a serious knee injury and she wants to work until WrestleMania and then get a surgery and heal. Maybe they introduced Jazz just to take over some of the heat of Victoria, but we’ll see. Bottom line is, the Women’s Division has improved dramatically, and I think Trish Stratus and Victoria are the main reason for that, as well as the great work of Fit Finley, the agent who takes care of that division.
The hype for the debut of Nathan Jones continues big time on TV. Jones debuted for WWE at a recent House Show against Matt Hardy and word has it that the match was horrible. Nathan even ended up injuring Matt Hardy, which was the reason he couldn’t wrestle on the SmackDown! taping this past Tuesday. Nathan Jones is very green where wrestling goes, and is reported of being uncoordinated and a bit confused of what he’s doing. However, the look and the history behind him is definitely powerful. WWE has done more than a good job of hyping his character up, and hopefully when he debuts soon, he’ll be at a level where he’ll be able to hang in there. Jones is definitely headed to SmackDown!, as that’s the right brand for him. I’m looking forward to his debut and hopefully he’ll be able to pick up a lot, and he’ll do it fast. Just a quick note for those who missed it — Jones’ character is supposed to be an evil genius type of guy, who is incredibly smart but snaps at times and goes insane. That adds even more drama to it, if you ask me!
Speaking of hype, WWE has done a very good job in hyping up another character of theirs who’s soon to return — Sean O’Haire. From the “I’m not telling you anything you don’t already know” catch phrase, to his mysterious ways, nice look, and controversial subjects of his promos, O’Haire has done a very good job of reintroducing himself to the fans. It’s expected that Sean will play the role of the Devil’s Advocate so to speak. He’ll be a smartass guy who goes around and questions all that is authority and has his own agenda at the same time. In his promos, he’s questioned issues like sexual intercourse, and even the existence of God. Though he’s definitely controversial, Sean has done great and hopefully we’ll see him debut soon. He’s headed to the RAW roster, by the way. Look for WWE try their best to capitalize on his look and ability.
Nothing to update you on where Bill Goldberg is concerned. He held an AOL chat this week, but nothing significant came out of this. News had it that he and McMahon met him several weeks ago and discussed several possible storylines. WWE is trying to get Goldberg to sign a long-term contract with the company wanting him to work 10 dates per month, but even willing to satisfy for the minimum. Goldberg prefers a short-term deal on the other hand. It’s been reported that the two sides discussed future storylines with The Rock, Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, Kurt Angle, and The Undertaker. Triple H’s name never came up due to an incident involving H and Goldberg not that long ago, which you may recall. The bottom line is that WWE still hasn’t signed Goldberg as of this writing, and it’s interesting to see how much longer we’re going to wait until finally one side gives up. If it’s Goldberg who does, he’ll probably be at WrestleMania, and if it’s WWE that gives up on him, he probably just won’t appear at all. I’ll keep you updated.
Before I say good-bye, I just wanted to give my condolences to the families of the seven astronauts who lost their lives this morning. It’s definitely a shame that such accidents occur these days, but I feel that all we can do is pray that it never happens again, and wish the best of luck in life to the families of the victims. In tough times like this, closure is an important factor. May all the victims Rest In Peace.
Folks, that will do it for this week. Thanks for your time, and I hope all of you have a great week! I should be back next week with more, but there’s also a chance Martin can do one of these bad boys. We’ll see how it unfolds. Oh yeah, speaking of Martin, the following is a message from the TBL Web Manager himself:
“Pardon The Ring hasn’t been active in the last month due to the fact that Adam Gorzelsky’s (who had the idea and designed PTR) computer broke down, causing him to lose the PTR content. Adam is back with a new computer and shortly will attempt to redesign PTR, either with one very similiar or exactly like the previous one, or a completely new design. When PTR returns shortly, special guest Paul Nemer of WrestleView.com and myself will have a very special edition. PTR should return in a few weeks if not sooner, so be on the look out.”
My Two Cents
Is the key to being a main-eventer for the WWE in your haircut? It seems that if you’re bald, you’re it… Austin, Rock, Goldberg, Hogan, and Kurt Angle come to mind.
How is it possible that Vince McMahon doesn’t understand the red and the yellow and doesn’t buy this crap, when just like he said, he was the one who created it, and he was the one who made the most money out of it?
Shouldn’t Martin sue Vince for saying “Mark my words — Hulkamania has No Way Out!” What a gimmick infrindgement!
Is Vince McMahon a TBL reader?
Not much of one-liners this week, but I do have a thought for you..
I was just going over some of the big things that have happened in the past three years in the wrestling industry, and I couldn’t help but realize something. The most unbelievable things have gone down lately. We’ve been dreaming to see WCW vs. WWF, we’ve been dreaming to see “The Big Three” — WWF, WCW, ECW — on one show. We’ve been dreaming to see Hogan vs. Rock, or nWo in the WWF. We’ve been thinking what will happen if Shawn Michaels was to return?! Well, some of these major events weren’t exactly perfect, but wow, there has been so much going on in the past two, three years. We’ve been “surprised” over and over and some surprises were very good, but most ended up bad. Now that you remembered all this and you think about it, do you agree with me that once Goldberg arrives, he’ll be the last of the “old-school” dreams we had when all three companies were around? I mean, everything we dreamed and thought of has happened pretty much. Austin vs. Goldberg seems to be the one match we’re waiting on, but Rock vs. Goldberg will cut it too probably. Time will tell, but it looks that once this is overy, there will be no more surprises. Now is the time for someone to come and start making history! Three years from now, there will be a new legend, I’m sure!
Thanks for reading! See ya.