HOW TO GUIDE: HOW TO IMPROVE THINGS IN 2009
By Zach Levine on 12/27/2008 9:34 AM
Welcome back to Zach's How To Guide. A Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanzaa, Happy Boxing Day, Happy Other Holidays and Happy New Year to all.
Last week I did a piece on how to make the ultimate 2008 year end show. At the end I said this week's column would be about booking the 2009 Royal Rumble, but I'm calling a bit of an audible and pushing that one back a week. Just want to see some more contestants before I commit to a column.
So for this week in Chapter 7, I will look at how to better the wrestling landscape for 2009. Obviously with Benoit and the Signature Pharmacy Scandal in 2007, this past year had a lot of work to do. Besides for a few minor hiccups – looking at you Hardy and Regal – 2008 made it once again feel good to be a wrestling fan. Throw in a little movie coming out now starring Mickey Rourke, and 2009 could become one of those banner years if executed properly. WWE and TNA just need to learn from their past mistakes if they want to make this year better.
So how to better the WWE in 2009???
- Everybody goes to FCW before they come up to the big leagues. Just look at Mike Adamle and Chris Harris. These two men seemed woefully unprepared when they stepped foot in the WWE. It doesn't matter if in 2009 the WWE signs a new wrestler from TNA or just an announcer, put them into FCW to train for a little while and watch them flourish.
- Get more selective when it comes to celebrity crossovers. Floyd Mayweather = good, Jackass = not so much. Might I suggest a Kimbo Slice/Gina Carano cameo as enforcers for a Wrestlemania match? How about bringing in Mickey Rourke or Darren Aronofsky? Also make it a two way street…why not get Cena to host Saturday Night Live right after "12 Rounds" comes out around Wrestlemania?
- Have the match that would get people most excited…Hardy vs. Hardy. The two have become some of the biggest faces in the WWE in 2008. Fans are getting behind them quite a bit. If I may put on my fantasy booker hat one second…there we go…Matt drops the ECW title to Finlay around No Way Out. He then wins MITB V. I'm going with a TLC match between the Hardys and Edge/Christian and Miz/Morrison. After the match, Matt cashes it in against Jeff, beating him for the Smackdown belt. Seeds have then been placed for a feud to takes us through 2009.
How to better TNA in 2009???
- Enough gimmick matches! No more beer bottles on poles. No more reverse battle royals. No more ladder matches for wedding rings. People who watch TNA do it as an alternative to the WWE, and gimmick matches are not the answer. Straightforward wrestling is.
- Speaking of WWE alternative, be just that. The WWE now seems to market to six year olds. Try and remember the last time someone in the WWE bladed. I want to say it was Jericho-Michaels at the Bash. Some fans want to see blood for the sake of blood, and cursing for the sake of cursing. Keep being an alternative to Stamford's product and show a strong difference between the two.
- Cherry pick the WWE cast offs and make them stronger in your company. See Elijah Burke and Paul London for help with this. Burke especially could have been such a huge talent in the WWE if booked right. You put him with the right push in the company, and I don't think the main event would be too far off. I'd personally love to see a Burke-Styles and London-Joe matchup.
So that's what I've got for '09. Like the ideas? Think they suck and I should stop watching wrestling? Let me know via email at zachlevine86@gmail.com.
Thanks for reading and stay tuned for Chapter 8…for real this time…how to book the 2009 Royal Rumble
