[WWW] Mike Mooneyham 10.12.03 column - Latest limo stunt insults fans, stretches credibility

http://www.charleston.net/stories/101203/moo_12wrestle.shtml

7:49 a.m. Sunday, October 12, 2003 
 
Latest limo stunt insults fans, stretches credibility 

BY MIKE MOONEYHAM 
Of The Post and Courier Staff 

You've got to give Jim Ross credit. Having to sell outlandish,
over-the-top angles such as last week's Shane McMahon-Kane limousine
demolition requires an acting performance on par with The Rock.

But it's really an injustice to a seasoned announcer like Ross and an
even bigger insult to the audience. The Shane-Kane angle, in
particular, is counterproductive on a number of levels, not the least
of which is its total lack of believability.

It's also fairly obvious the writers don't seem to understand the
roles of heels and babyfaces. Trying to "murder" the bad guy (Kane) by
smashing a limo -- containing a helpless Kane -- into a parked
semi-trailer makes the babyface (McMahon) the heel. It's Booking 101,
but it seems to be a fairly simple concept lost on the WWE creative
staff.

Listening to co-host Jerry "The King" Lawler rehash a litany of
bizarre angles involving Kane while Ross reacts with his best game
face makes one seriously question the credentials of the writers of a
show that increasingly looks like it's put together on the fly.

Some proponents might laud the visual effects of a limo crashing into
a parked truck, a wrestler being tossed into a fiery dumpster, or an
announcer torched by a psychotic monster. No matter how well the
stunts are staged, however, it's hard to imagine anyone being able to
take any of it seriously. No one, of course, believes Kane is really
hurt, especially since he's come back week after week virtually
unscathed following a variety of brutalizations.

Although he was reported in "critical condition" at the end of Monday
night's Raw episode, Kane was still scheduled to make his shots at
house shows against McMahon this weekend. One has to wonder if the
company will even have him selling any injuries at the shows.

While WWE might enjoy temporary ratings spikes for its version of
Stunt TV, these angles eventually undermine the characters and the
show. When you completely kill all suspension of disbelief and
compound that by failing to follow up in any type of logical manner,
it's a sure bet that viewers will reciprocate in kind, eventually
refusing to invest their time or emotion in a product that treats them
like mindless lemmings.

-- As I mentioned last week, Triple H may be gone (temporarily) but is
making sure he's not forgotten. With his longtime buddy Kevin Nash
already in line for a heel turn and main-event program with new champ
Bill Goldberg, it now appears that ex-Clique cohort Shawn Michaels
will be getting a piece of the action as well, along with Evolution
member Randy Orton. A good bet is that the door is officially closed
on the likes of Rob Van Dam, Chris Jericho and the returning Booker T
as far as world titles go.

While Triple H is keeping the fire alive on Raw, his future kin
continue to dominate Smackdown, as shown by the lineup for next
Sunday's No Mercy pay-per-view.

The Vince McMahon vs. Stephanie McMahon unofficial headliner will now
have Vince putting up his position as chairman of the board against
Stephanie's job as general manager of Smackdown. In addition, Sable
(Rena Mero) will manage Vince, while Linda McMahon will manage
daughter Stephanie.

-- Maven (Maven Huffman) is gearing up for his biggest push yet this
week on Raw against Ric Flair.

Like many before him, Maven is a huge Flair mark whose greatest thrill
making it to the big show was when the 16-time world champ first
approached him and shook his hand.

"It's unbelievable," said the former baseball prospect. "It's a
humbling experience to just meet someone like that, a man who I
watched in my first-ever wrestling match at the Richmond Coliseum
against Magnum T.A. Just for him to go out of his way and come up and
shake my hand is mind-boggling."

Look for Flair to give the youngster more than just a handshake Monday
night as Maven moves up the ladder and toward a spot in Evolution.

-- Last week's Raw did a 3.6, the same as the previous week, going up
against Monday Night Football (10.2) and baseball playoffs (8.5).

-- It might not come as a shock that even some of the performers on
the Raw roster don't watch their show, a fact surprisingly reported on
the company's own Web site.

"Went to the Bucs-Colts game last night," wrote Edge, who has been on
the shelf recovering from neck surgery earlier this year. "Usually I'm
at work while football is played. Sunday and Monday nights are spent
throwing people around. So when my neighbor came to the door with two
Bucs tickets in hand, I decided, what the hell. I'd never been to a
football game, and I was not disappointed. It was a different
atmosphere than any team sport I've ever been to. Luckily I got to see
one hell of a game, too."

-- The deal bringing Hulk Hogan to NWA-TNA for a Nov. 30 pay-per-view
match with Jeff Jarrett reportedly is in its final stages. The
expanded, three-hour Sunday night PPV will be held at a location yet
to be determined.

Hogan will meet Masahiro Chono at a New Japan Pro Wrestling show
Monday at the Tokyo Dome. It will be Hogan's first match since
appearing as Mr. America and teaming with Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar
against Big Show, Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin at WWE's Smackdown
taping at Madison Square Garden on June 24.

-- Del "The Patriot" Wilkes and George South will make appearances at
Betaw Christian Church's fall festival at 6 p.m. Oct. 31. The church
is located at 2915 Santee River Road, St. Stephen, on S.C. Highway 45,
four miles off S.C. Highway 52.

The event, which is open to the public, also will feature food, games
and prizes. For more information, call (843) 567-2567.