CROSS CONTINENTAL CONVERSATIONS
By Joel C Croyle and Michael Campbell on 5/28/2008 1:05 PM
Welcome to the second edition of Cross Continental Conversations. Every few months or so Michael Campbell (who writes The Cynical View) and myself (Joel Croyle, who writes Spotlight) get together and so a conversation about wrestling. The first one went well and we got some cool feedback. So here is our next installment. Tell us what you think, join the conversation…start talking!!!
Questions from the Irishman to the American
- What do you think is the single biggest factor in the WWE’s decline in ratings? Is it an issue with certain talent? The general direction of the company? Or something else altogether?
I don’t think it is an issue with talent because I firmly believe WWE has the best Sports entertainers there are (with maybe the exception of the current WWE divas). I think many things contribute to the ratings decline but first and foremost it is the writing. All the storylines are the same and many times the competitors are as well. We keep getting the same old slop as yesterday. As barbaric and insane as the Katie Vick angle was from years ago I’d rather have that on my screen than the crap we get week in and week out lately. Yet I still watch, because I love wrestling and I love TNA and WWE.
- Should the WWE bring back the Cruiserweight title (I think so), what would you do differently with it?
I disagree. Though I am a fan of fast paced matches, and I do believe there is a place for all shapes and sizes in wrestling, I don’t need another title in WWE or TNA or ROH for any reason whatsoever. On top of that I’d much rather see a cruiserweight guy can pushed into the US or IC title area or maybe the tag team ranks ala Moore and Yang. Now if it was forced upon me I’d use it to build other stars as best as I could.
- Is the WWE’s Wellness policy effective enough? While we’re at it, is TNA’s worthwhile whatsoever?
I am definitely the wrong fan to ask this question. I think drugs are horrible…that said, I also think they should be legalized here in America (let the flood gates open…you can reach me at www.myspace.com/joelcroyle) . If an idiot wants to kill himself on drugs or alcohol…that’s their life. If you can do your job and be off kilter…more power to you…I wouldn’t recommend being a truck driver…and if I botched a move even once in the ring or got rowdy with someone backstage or with a fan…then there is still no need for a wellness policy…don’t let the door hit you in the bon-bons. - I believe the WWE have it completely wrong when it comes to their attitude in hiring talent, and their developmental process. Performers are often seemingly de-programmed and less interesting by the time they appear on WWE television. What’s your take on this?
Yeah, I completely agree with this assessment. I saw an old tape of Cena when he was coming up the ranks just last week and I absolutely loved his OVW characters and such. Plus, when he first came in and did the rap thing, I thought it was great. They have made him into Hulk Hogan lite. They need to work on mic skills and wrestling moves but there has to be a way to keep the good things while eliminating the bad.
- Who should headline at the next Wrestlemania (ignoring dream matches involving Rock, Austin etc) out of the current rosters?
This is an interesting question. Personally I would like all the world titles unified. So I have three scenarios. Kane vs. Undertaker vs. Big Show (Show would be Raw champ by then for this to work). Winner takes all three titles. This would be a great way to have Undertaker “lose at wrestlemania” but not be pinned and he can retire. 2nd scenario would be again to unify with Matt hardy vs. Jeff hardy vs. CM Punk, all would have to win world titles before hand. Now, since I know WWE won’t do it I would say Smackdown: Edge vs. Mat hardy. Raw: HHH vs. Finlay (HHH playing heel) and ECW: John Morrison vs. Shelton Benjamin.
- Would you ever consider it worthwhile to bring back such belts as the European Title, and the Hardcore Championship?
If two of the three world titles were vanquished than yes but in the current state, no way. And not the European…I never liked it anyway in the first place.
- Should TNA attempt to promote more bouts such as Joe/Angle? Who do you think is capable of this style of working?
I don’t think so. I like what TNA does much of the time. I think they just need to promote better and have better in-ring and verbal work at times. As far as who could? Tomko and Steiner come to mind.
- In contrast to myself, are live wrestling shows somewhat plentiful where you live? Do you find yourself more choosy about attending shows when they’re in abundance? In Ireland , I’ve been know to travel across the country for shows in a gym, is this something completely unnecessary In your parts?
You never hear about shows here in Wisconsin . In other states there are plenty. I actually had to go and look on-line to see what is available to us. There is apparently a fed called ACW here and they are a subsidiary of some kind to NWA Wisconsin . There is a ton of amateur wrestling clubs and high school/college stuff and that is fantastic to see... 9. Which stars do you believe should be headlining in TNA, and on which side of the good guy/bad guy divide? Fans often seem confused as to whom to cheer for, and TNA prefers shades of grey, when their fans seem to be demanding direction.
Stars to be headlining: Booker T, Samoa Joe, Awesome Kong, The Beautiful People, MCMG, LAX, Team 3D, Sting, Nash (in a limited capacity, maybe a final run with the belt), Daniels, and the most important…AJ STYLES. I might add Robert Roode and Christian Cage in that list. To be honest I’d like to see TNA promote tag team and women’s wrestling as their headliners…it would make them different and quite frankly those two areas are where TNA outshines everyone in my opinion. As far as good and bad goes I’d leave it how it is except make Styles a for sure face and Booker T a complete heel as he is great at it. I might turn Joe heel down the road for effect and buy rates.
- Do you believe the Women’s Championship should be treated as a main event worthy event, on television, in both TNA and the WWE? TNA’s highest ratings are typically for Knockout matches, yet they haven’t the faith to close a show with them.
Two things on this…WWE…no way man. The divas can’t handle that except Melina and Mickie James and I think both of them should get smart and move to TNA anyway. I really think they should kill the women’s championship in WWE and start over. As for TNA I’ll go you one better…yes they should headline PPV’s and also they should have a third hour totally for themselves and possibly their own PPV’s. Wouldn’t it be interesting if James Storm managed Jackie instead of the reverse for a change???
Question from the American to the Irishman
1.) I think Kane adds a lot to the ECW brand, do you agree and do you think he brings prestige to the ECW Title?
No, I don’t think he brings any prestige whatsoever to that belt. I like Kane being on ECW, but not as the top draw, and his impact is diminished by the fact that they’ve shoved so many lumbering big guys onto that brand. But I think he has a place there. Certainly not as champion though, especially as the challengers have been portrayed as worthless. I think the belt needs a complete reboot, starting with an ECW original beginning a long quest, I.e. Tommy Dreamer, and finally winning the strap, before dumping it to an up and coming heel. Kane should go back to being psychopathic.
2.) It seems every week we get Hardy vs. Umaga, Orton vs. HHH, and Michaels vs. Batista vs. Y2J...What are some newer match ups you'd like to see on WWE programming?
Aside from Orton/HHH, I think right now those other match-ups are fine.
I think the biggest mistake is in how Hardy is booked kind of an island on his own, where he isn’t quite on par with the top tier, but superior to the Intercontinental guys. Ignoring brands, I’d like to see Undertaker/Finlay in a serious rivalry, and even more so, Umaga and Taker. Batista/Jeff- Dave is more versatile than many of us would have ever guessed four years ago, and Jeff plays a great underdog. Cena versus CM Punk is an ultimate dream rivalry in my opinion, that I’ve always said, could mean big money down the line, and draw in two separate fan bases, each of whom who stubbornly and passionately support their cultural representative. The possibilities are astronomical there, but it largely would depend on the booking of Punk over the next year or so. If Hunter moved to Smackdown, I’d love to see Matt versus HHH. The Game would play the heel, and the feud would be based on HHH’s contempt for Hardy, pointing out his insecurities, while Hardy would be the hero in confronting these. Jericho/Finlay, Jericho/MVP, Jericho/Morrison Punk/HHH, Punk/Shawn Michaels, Edge/Michaels (again, but Edge wasn’t a top tier talent then), and probably a few others.
3.) What one young superstar do you think deserves a main spot (as in world title) in wither TNA or WWE
Hmmm. I would have said Jeff Hardy a couple of months ago, but I feel I can’t given his indiscretions. If he proves himself to be sorted by the turn of the year, then I’d still go with him, because he has an intangible “it” factor, that marks him as having genuine superstar potential. “Deserve” is an expression I’m never uncomfortable with, because you could argue Finlay, for his years of service, and talent in the ring, “deserves” a run with the belt, but that doesn’t necessarily mean he should get one, it being a business and everything. Of everyone who has the tools, and is young, and “deserving”, I would go with Matt Hardy, but he would need completely and utterly rebuilt.
In TNA, Joe “deserved” it more than anyone, and thank God he got it. Christopher Daniels, like Finlay probably “deserves” it, but I certainly don’t think he has the versatility to be in main events. AJ, of course, is a yes.
4.) What ladies do you see coming up to WWE or TNA soon out of the independent circuit?
I would imagine TNA would likely see more activity than McMahon land in this respect, although they’re already stacked in terms of talent. They may well show interest in Alison Danger and Lacey. The WWE may and could plump for Sara Del Rey, who may get lost in the Kong shuffle in Florida , and for that reason they may not bother with her. Lacey would be a huge asset to the WWE and thanks to her being absolutely stunning looks-wise, is definitely a candidate, if she was interested, which with their product as it is, I believe she isn’t. I would think Amber O’Neill is more of a possibility.
5.) Soon will be night of champions. There are some title matches I'd like to see like Matt Hardy vs. Jeff hardy vs. MVP vs. Jericho in a fatal four-way ladder match to unify the IC and US titles. I'd like to see HHH vs. Edge. What matches would you u like to see for the belts and why? I think that Unification Ladder match is way into multiplayer dream match mode on the play station.
I do like the idea of Edge/HHH. Even if they’re on separate brands at the time (which they will be), it could be interesting to take challengers from the opposite brands for this show. I also think they should have Jericho lose the IC title to someone they’re going to run with for a while, either Santino, or Cade, if he’s ready, or Carlito if he’s about.
The most important thing for me, with this PPV, is to ensure that the tag belts are treated fairly, and there’s some distinctive match-types without overdoing the stips.
However, ideally, I’d like to see the PPV cease to exist, because I think in the long run, it’s detrimental to both the titles, and feuds, and also diminishes the value of the surrounding shows. Regardless of the fact that the last one popped a buyrate thanks to the theme of all the belts being defended, I think it’s a short-sighted gimmick concept that underlines the fact that they have so many redundant straps. Right now, the only meaningful ones are the WWE and World titles.
6.) Mike Dibiase debuted on Raw last night. This question is two fold...do you think WWE should have used Ted Dibiase as they did or not at all and Who do you think Mike's partner will be...I'd vote for IRS of course (LOL)
I have no idea; I haven’t even though about to be honest. I don’t think he should be in the tag ranks at all, and should be managed by his father, on ECW instead. If they’re going down this way, what I’d like to see, is him apparently go for the belts on his own, and Cody would turn on Holly and the two next-generation stars would unite, and boot out Hardcore, and form a heel unit. That would be awesome.
7.) What is the independent scene like where you live in Ireland is there a lot of promotions?
No. Not at all. Up here, in the North, there’s next to nothing, aside from the odd touring appearance. There was a group called UCW, who were amateurish at best, but don’t run shows anymore (thankfully really), and seem reduced to a weak training capacity.
Elsewhere, there isn’t much to speak off, but Irish Whip Wrestling, based in the South are a really great promotion, who have made huge strides in the past few years, recently producing a fine 5th anniversary tour. Their next batch of shows includes Raven, the reunion of La Resistance, Davairi, and best of all, Bryan Danielson. A couple of others have sprung up recently, and show potential, but it’s a struggle for to follow, so I only really keep up with IWW. They got over CIMA and Dragon Kid last year, and their current line-up is equally impressive, so they’re worth checking out.
8.) It seems to me tag teams may be coming into resurgence. What four teams would you like to see if you could from TNA and WWE and ROH if we could have cross-company matches? I'd like to see London and Kendrick vs. LAX vs. The Briscoe’s vs. a reunited Hardyz team..your thoughts?
I actually completely disagree. I don’t think tag teams are in resurgence at all. Smackdown’s tag champs, aren’t a proper, long term team, and have what, three teams that are challengers? That’s if you include Edge’s jobbing running buddies. On Raw, it’s another non-unit as champs, and the unannounced series of four-minute defenses speak volume about Vince’s perception of the drawing power of this form of wrestling.
You’ve almost picked exactly the same bunch that I would. Except, if it were only limited to TNA and the WWE, I’d throw in Motor City Machine Guns, in place of The Briscoe’s, as they could both take on similar roles. I also wouldn’t include the Hardyz at all, as I think it would be unfair to them (especially as Jeff is so popular), to pull them back into an area they would get very stale, very quick. Instead, I’d reunite Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas.
So, the World’s Greatest Tag Team, London and Kendrick, LAX, and the Motor City Machine Guns.
9.) The draft was announced last night; we are now 4 weeks away. Who do you think should move where and why?
What the hell does having a draft even mean right now? Absolutely nothing. A few guys, who don’t fancy leaping about shows (Undertaker, Jericho , HHH, Michaels, etc) are affected by which “brand” they’re on, but otherwise, everyone flips about far too often.
Triple H should be shipped to Smackdown. CM Punk and Supercrazy to Smackdown, and Jeff Hardy to ECW. Shelton Benjamin to wherever the hell Charlie Haas is (Raw I just realized), along with John Morrison (put him back with Melina for Christ), and maybe Finlay and both Paul Burchill, and Ted Dibiase JR to ECW. I’d have Million Dollar Junior as a singles guy there.
On ECW, they could build the promotion around Jeff. His move can be taken as a punishment, in the sense that he is no longer on a top brand. But they also need more untainted future prospects, and that’s where golden boy Dibiase JR can go, make his mistakes, but be a solid character in the meantime, because he shouldn’t be on Raw until he’s ready for the big time.
Actually, looking at the roster’s right now, they have pretty much about the right number of personnel, but I believe there’s quite a few that are not good enough to be on TV and/or some complete wastes of space (Duggan, Ashley, Henry), and I also think that the tag belts should be united, and on Raw, with Smackdown the home of the Cruiserweights, and attempt to seriously push Women’s wrestling, a’la TNA, on ECW (though I wouldn’t concern with that too much just yet.
So…
Triple H to Smackdown
CM Punk to Smackdown
Super Crazy to Smackdown
Jeff Hardy to ECW
Shelton Benjamin to Raw
John Morrison to Raw
Finlay to Raw
Paul Burchill to ECW
Ted Dibiase JR to ECW
At least…
10.) After the debacle that was Coach and Cole and the horridness of Mike Adamle on ECW, how would you arrange the broadcast teams, who would you have? My thoughts...RAW: King and JR, Smackdown Foley and Styles, ECW Tazz and Roddy Piper or Vince McMahon (I'm not joking). I think TNA needs to get rid of Tenay's partner and call Shivone or Larry Zibisco or Gov. Ventura
I would keep JR and King, but I’d definitely add someone to their unit, because they’re way stale. Maybe JBL. On Smackdown, I think Foley needs A LOT of work, but could ultimately be great. Partner-wise, I’d bring in Raven for colour. Keep Cole with the two of them in the meantime, until they get the right balance, with Foley as
the colour man. When JR retires, Cole could perhaps take his place, if he’s improved by then. As for TNA, I’d go with Frank Trigg on play-by-play, again with Mike Tenay staying on to help him be groomed into the role somewhat. For colour, I’d give Dustin Rhodes or Kevin Nash a shot.
I’m sure there are talented young folk out there so for ECW, I’d have a search for someone with genuine potential, not an Adamle-type, and pair them with Tazz, again with a third man to smooth any growing pains, in this case, Josh Matthews. I’m a big fan of the three person teams clearly!
