OK, so I've been in absolute awe of the TNA product. The Hulk Hogan promos (especially dealing with Abyss) lately have done things like 1) move me to burly tears 2) enliven my senses as I ride on the wave of Hulka/Abyssomania 3) give me faith that wrestling can satisfy narratological, emotional needs. There's no more truth in television than when you hear Hogan admit to mind-numbing pain waking his muscular ass up every morning because he's given his soul (seriously, Mark Calaway) to the business of entertaining chumps like me.
And now TNA, this coming Monday, will go head to head with the colossal E. How will they fare? Who knows, but I'm sure they won't overtake them in one week. But comparing the two products right now, I know who I'd be watching if I weren't screening a film for my freshmen writing seminar students. I'm even seriously considering restructuring my syllabus around Mondays so that I can be there for the Monday Night Wars, v2.
As for the E, I've been pretty bored as of late. The Shawn Michaels/Undertaker match seems more interesting now that there are stipulations for HBK, but what kind of booking does this mean? Will Taker's streak come to an end? Probably, unless this is HBK's retirement match, which makes enough sense, though would still be abrupt. I think it is a bad move to end the Streak, ever, as it makes Taker a mere mortal, which is not what we are paying to see. Or stealing to see as the case, etc.
Big match for Bret Hart, huh? I wonder what the match will be like considering the Loyd's payout Bret received years ago. I just hope he gets in good enough shape to don the black and pink and look good. There's nothing worse than an old-guy wrestler performing in a big t-shirt. Buff-up Bret! Bring back the Canadian hero. And be sure to use the Sharpshooter. If not, I'll demand my sixty dollars back.
Friday Night Smackdown tonight, but I'm not even sure what's happening on the B show (as I don't even know that much about the A show right now). I'll definitely DVR it, but who knows what I'll do while watching it--grading papers, ironing clothes, cleaning the oven, organizing the My Documents folder, ordering from campusfood.com, or maybe having a social life.
Showing posts with label Promos. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Promos. Show all posts
Friday, March 5, 2010
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Rumble fallout
Alright, I went on a little blogging hiatus due to paper grading and other academic duties. But that doesn't mean that I haven't tried to watch most of the wrestling I can catch on Time Warner in the last few weeks. I guess I should address foremost the Royal Rumble.
So unsurprising, Edge returned from injury to win the Rumble match a la John Cena a few years back. I like the face Edge, one because the crowd (myself included) has not forgotten what a bastard he was as a heel, and because Edge can work the mic in this tweener position. He crashing out Sheamus was great, especially because Sheamus's character is somewhat dopey. His "loss" against Randy Orton was well played at the Rumble I think. Because laying him out takes away from the boring invincibility gimmick that had him going. It was better, in other words, when he was still Razor's Edging Jamie Noble and kicking camera men, because it shows that he's just a posturing asshole who wants to appear tough. Him in cahoots with Legacy is building nicely, and I wonder if Orton is going to turn face, despite rumors for about a year of Dibiase turning face.
The actual Rumble match had some pretty good story telling: Shawn kicking Trips, obviously, but also McIntyre and Morrison getting double chokeslammed, R-Truth eliminating both Mark Henry and Big Show, and especially, especially CM Punk's beginning streak and promo routine. Hairy-chested CM Punk is a great character, and he is proving to be one of the best talkers and actors in the business. His hurt look when Batista dismissed him truly put Big Dave over as a jerk while at the same time adding complexity to CM Punk's potentially one-note character. Not sure where his stable is going in terms of story-line, but I am eager to follow it.
After the Rumble, we of course, got the build for Bret Hart. After his first appearance, I was almost wincing, but Hart alleviated all my fears in his next few spots. He looks much better after being off air for a month, and he seems to have thrown away the script for some classic Bret Hart circa 1996-97 promos, that have the aura of a shoot. And if the E can let Hart do as he pleases, then my hope for wrestling in 2010 is strong.
So unsurprising, Edge returned from injury to win the Rumble match a la John Cena a few years back. I like the face Edge, one because the crowd (myself included) has not forgotten what a bastard he was as a heel, and because Edge can work the mic in this tweener position. He crashing out Sheamus was great, especially because Sheamus's character is somewhat dopey. His "loss" against Randy Orton was well played at the Rumble I think. Because laying him out takes away from the boring invincibility gimmick that had him going. It was better, in other words, when he was still Razor's Edging Jamie Noble and kicking camera men, because it shows that he's just a posturing asshole who wants to appear tough. Him in cahoots with Legacy is building nicely, and I wonder if Orton is going to turn face, despite rumors for about a year of Dibiase turning face.
The actual Rumble match had some pretty good story telling: Shawn kicking Trips, obviously, but also McIntyre and Morrison getting double chokeslammed, R-Truth eliminating both Mark Henry and Big Show, and especially, especially CM Punk's beginning streak and promo routine. Hairy-chested CM Punk is a great character, and he is proving to be one of the best talkers and actors in the business. His hurt look when Batista dismissed him truly put Big Dave over as a jerk while at the same time adding complexity to CM Punk's potentially one-note character. Not sure where his stable is going in terms of story-line, but I am eager to follow it.
After the Rumble, we of course, got the build for Bret Hart. After his first appearance, I was almost wincing, but Hart alleviated all my fears in his next few spots. He looks much better after being off air for a month, and he seems to have thrown away the script for some classic Bret Hart circa 1996-97 promos, that have the aura of a shoot. And if the E can let Hart do as he pleases, then my hope for wrestling in 2010 is strong.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Art of the Promo
In the last two weeks at camp E, I have to admit it, the promos are getting better. Monday Night Raw saw an invigorated John Cena, chumming with the guest host Dulé Hill, yelling at this and that, playing the moral good guy (Bret Hart's old job) against V. K. McMahon, and acting generally psychotic throughout. This is much improved from the over-determined (and overdetermined), all-American, kid-friendly John Cena.
Speaking of this, would it be that much of a crime for Mr. Cena to wear something other than his orange merch?
Perhaps this improvement was sparked by the recent promo of McMahon, where he talked about putting Bret Hart out to pasture. Something the writers or whoever is coming up with this stuff could actually do something with. Cena brought to McMahon's attention how he treats wrestlers like commodities (which is true) and how shitty that really is. What was impressive about this exchange, which could have come off as boring, over-serious, or melodramatic, was not only Cena's understated delivery but also the contrast of his zaniness in other backstage promos. Unlike recently, when the wrestlers all seem to be hitting one, shrill note (the unhinged Randy Orton, the menacing and white Sheamus, the overbearing Miz), Cena pulls out different flavors of Cena all in the same night--something he should do night after night.
Think--wrestlers that seem like real complex people. Albeit glamorous exaggerations of real people! This is supposed to be fun and occasionally moving, not just the same fierce monochromes every night, usually paired up the same way.
I feel this harkens back to some of the better moments of wrestling from twenty years ago, and definitely back to the long-gone Attitude Era. Even though Hogan's promos were often similar in incoherence, he seemed capable of being himself without always expressing the exact same emotion. And if we need to look for the role model of all wrestling promos, we should look to the work of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, whose personality didn't even necessarily change between heel/face changes. I'd like to not be able to sum up a wrestler's character by a concise emotion or a single characteristic. Try that with the Rock. Try that with Bret Hart. Ric Flair, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels. And if Cena keeps Monday's performance up, no one will hold him from joining this list.
About to watch TNA. I hope to be impressed.
Speaking of this, would it be that much of a crime for Mr. Cena to wear something other than his orange merch?
Perhaps this improvement was sparked by the recent promo of McMahon, where he talked about putting Bret Hart out to pasture. Something the writers or whoever is coming up with this stuff could actually do something with. Cena brought to McMahon's attention how he treats wrestlers like commodities (which is true) and how shitty that really is. What was impressive about this exchange, which could have come off as boring, over-serious, or melodramatic, was not only Cena's understated delivery but also the contrast of his zaniness in other backstage promos. Unlike recently, when the wrestlers all seem to be hitting one, shrill note (the unhinged Randy Orton, the menacing and white Sheamus, the overbearing Miz), Cena pulls out different flavors of Cena all in the same night--something he should do night after night.
Think--wrestlers that seem like real complex people. Albeit glamorous exaggerations of real people! This is supposed to be fun and occasionally moving, not just the same fierce monochromes every night, usually paired up the same way.
I feel this harkens back to some of the better moments of wrestling from twenty years ago, and definitely back to the long-gone Attitude Era. Even though Hogan's promos were often similar in incoherence, he seemed capable of being himself without always expressing the exact same emotion. And if we need to look for the role model of all wrestling promos, we should look to the work of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, whose personality didn't even necessarily change between heel/face changes. I'd like to not be able to sum up a wrestler's character by a concise emotion or a single characteristic. Try that with the Rock. Try that with Bret Hart. Ric Flair, Steve Austin, Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels. And if Cena keeps Monday's performance up, no one will hold him from joining this list.
About to watch TNA. I hope to be impressed.
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