Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
This edition of walking the aisle will take a look at some of the booking criticism that WWE has faced heading into WrestleMania XXV this Sunday. I hope you all like or at least are interested in my take. As always, hate mail, thoughts, and/or appreciation can be sent to ncattles@gmail.com.
A week or so ago when I sat down and did my WrestleMania research for my first column, I noticed a lot of the same matches and same talent (especially up top) over the past five Manias. So besides writing about my observations, I decided it’d be fun to see what kind of card I could come up with on paper. Well, during that process I slowly transformed. No not from human to mutant, but from fan to WWE booker. I started to see the card differently once I imagined what it’d be like to book Mania XXV for Vince McMahon in the current situation. I tried to look at things with 100% reality and noticed how many different aspects go into creating a show of this magnitude. At the end of a long and trying task, this is what I realized…
I realized that no matter how you feel as a fan about some talent, they’re going to be on the show no matter what and need a spot. This is Vince McMahon’s company and this is one of the biggest shows he has and will promote to date, so I’m sure he only feels that its right to get certain guys booked. He’d want the loyal and long tenured guys who have done mostly everything in a professional way inside and outside the ring, to have an in ring spot on the card. Some fans may not like the idea of Kane, Finlay and Henry in the Money in the Bank from a visual standpoint, but really it’s the most logical way to get these guys involved in the card and not be a major focal point. Some may argue with JBL getting an IC match vs. Mysterio, but again, this is by all accounts a “McMahon guy” with the aforementioned credentials and wrestling in his home state. Therefore, he gets a chance to shine a bit more in a singles titles match against one of the best workers in WWE.
The next realization that came about was that injuries stink as a fan, but they really stink as a booker. When fantasy booking, you can sometimes tap dance around certain situations, but in the real world an injury or two or three can really mess things up. Two guys that are injured that would’ve most likely been deeply involved in WM XXV are Batista and Mr. Kennedy. For some people clamoring for younger talent at the top, myself included, we need not look any further than Mr. Kennedy’s briefcase WrestleMania countdown that began before his injury and after XXIV. Yes, a lot can change over time, but that storyline had all the intentions of getting the young guy in a main event match at this year’s Mania. As for Batista, I don’t look at it from the main event point of view, but rather where he might’ve fit elsewhere. Maybe with a healthy Batista, John Cena gets a rest from the title picture? Maybe that opens up a spot for The Big Show getting a singles match or Jeff Hardy getting involved in the three-way?
And while we’re talking about Jeff Hardy, I realized that mitigating circumstances also sometimes get in the way. And some times fans can forgive and forget quickly, but bookers cannot. Yes, Hardy is extremely talented and over. Sure, Hardy could’ve wrestled for a title at WrestleMania. But unfortunately, due to past discretions, I don’t think McMahon and the PG WWE brand is ready to push Hardy far enough to main event their biggest pay-per-view of the year. Do I think they’ll ever let him? Possibly in due time, but not yet. I think that Hardy’s title win late last year was a test and an early indication that McMahon has not given up all hope for him. But I also believe that McMahon needs Hardy to follow his recent path longer, before he gets the big-time shots. The mitigating circumstances category also fit for guys like MVP, who is talented enough to have a big match at Mania, but momentarily got stuck in neutral due to rumored attitude problems. He himself has said that he might’ve spoken up a bit much behind the scenes and needed to fine tune that a bit before climbing the ladder (no pun intended).
And while some guys ascend the ladder in a timely fashion, I also realized that there are certain guys that when the WWE seemingly is ready to push them higher, something happens. One can imagine that we could’ve been treated to an RVD vs. Jericho classic this year, but RVD at the height of his WWE success decided to take time off and then faced a tough family situation. He’s still non-committal about ever coming back full time and who could blame him? Then there’s William Regal who was receiving the most promising push he might’ve ever had as King of the Ring, only to then fail a test. You can add Umaga to this list since every time the company builds him up for a big comeback or match he suffers an untimely setback. These are three guys who might not get title shots at Mania, but are formidable foes for big names like Jericho, HHH, Cena, and Orton, and could allow the WWE to mix things up a bit more.
The final thing I realized, which was the toughest, was that even though us fans may feel that a certain somebody is ready, it’s only up to one man – Mr. McMahon. And to be quite honest, even though we think we know what’s best for WWE, you have to believe McMahon does indeed know what he’s doing. I’m sure some will squabble with that, but look at the man’s overall record. So, while we salivate for the days when the top of the WrestleMania card is littered with new and younger talent, we’ve got to keep in mind the realities of booking. The reality is that there are seven guys listed above that could’ve made a gigantic difference to this year’s WrestleMania, but didn’t due to injury or extenuating circumstances. We must also remember that patience is a virtue and maybe some talent, while incredibly close, is just not there yet in the eyes of the ultimate decider.
Who are those possible young lions that might be ready for the next step? Well, I’m going to examine that next time, when I take a look at the WWE roster, as we get ready for the annual draft. Until then, enjoy WrestleMania XXV and always remember, even with analysis, to suspend your disbelief.
