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Changing Seasons: The Weather’s Heating Up, But the Heels Are Not
Winter is finally coming to a close across the United States. The weather is finally heating up, which is more than can be said about the WWE, their stagnate storylines, and Wrestlemania build (if you can call it that). First and foremost, it’s easy to say that its mainly because of the storylines that have made this one of the most lackluster builds since the Orton/Cena/HHH triple threat from Wrestlemania 24 or the Jericho/HHH build from Wrestlemania 18. But let’s look at the other equally important aspect of this equation: the heels. So let’s dish out a serving of the sad reality…The hottest heel on the road to Wrestlemania 25 is…Shawn Michaels.
“WHAT?!?!?!†That is probably the first word going through your head right now. But let’s be realistic, folks. What other men have heat on them heading into the Granddaddy of them all? Jericho, who may have had the most intriguing storyline for Wrestlemania at one point, is now looking like an irritated male nurse at the local state-sponsored nursing home. How about that Randy Orton, who had a head full of steam right around the time of the Royal Rumble in January? He’s now involved in a “Days of Our Lives/WCW Fusion†storyline with Triple H and the McMahon’s in a match-up that has been done to death since September of 2004 and even more so in the year 2008.
And what about the heel that was once considered to be the best performer in the WWE as well as the hottest heel from 2006 to the summer of 2008, Edge? Both he and Big Show’s heel heat has been convoluted by the over-the-top storyline involving the WWE golden boy, John Cena. What’s more sickening than this entire love triangle is the fact that Edge’s “Ultimate Opportunist†angle has been redone so much, that fans seem to not care about it anymore. What about the undercard?
The Colons/Miz and Morrison match should be great, but they’ve done that match on many occasions over the past month. JBL used to grab a microphone and create instant heat as well as interest in his rivalries with Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio in the past, but all of a sudden one of the most hated heels (for various reasons) has his match announced by the commentators DURING a match? That in itself is reprehensible. Money In The Bank never has had much of a story to it, but it doesn’t have to.
So why is Shawn Michaels the hottest heel heading into RAW? Because he called someone out, who in the fans’ eyes, is someone that you do not dare mess with. He made it apparent that he should never have to qualify to face an opponent, and his goal is not only to steal the show, but also to be the man that ended the famous streak of the Undertaker. So we have the promos, a simple storyline, plus a cheap shot that was taken on this week’s abysmal Monday Night RAW, and we have the hottest heel in Shawn Michaels.
Remember when Macho Man turned on Hulk Hogan after his jealousy got in the way of their friendship? Remember when Edge shouted “15 and 1 Deadman!†and annihilated the Undertaker? Remember Shawn Michaels and HHH embarrassing a younger Stone Cold Steve Austin every week on RAW? How about when Kurt Angle constantly weaseled his way out of fighting Brock Lesnar time and time again until their classic at Wrestlemania XIX, or when HHH did everything he could to try and avoid facing Batista at Wrestlemania 21? I hope you can see where I’m headed with this.
Wrestlemania is in less than THREE weeks, and the intensity and heat typically created by the Heels, the heat that DRIVES UP the buyrates, is missing in every match except for one. Sadly, that one match involves two face characters. WWE has two more weeks to make people even consider ordering this Wrestlemania.
So let’s all grab our glasses and make a toast: here’s to the hope that WWE makes it happen, and here’s to the reality that tells us it won’t.
