Want more wrestling news, rumors, and results? Be sure to visit PWInsider.com and PWInsiderXtra.com.
I once heard a story about Raven when he was in ECW. The story was that he would create gimmicks for other wrestlers simply as a way of amusing himself. The Dudleys and the Blue World Order were two of Ravens creations that started out as sources of amusement for Raven and turned out to be two of ECWs most endearing memories. With some of the things that are currently going on in WWE, it is apparent that Vince McMahon has taken up this same hobby. Unfortunately, as the final authority on all things WWE, if Vince is just amusing himself, he is hurting his product for his amusement.
The ongoing cartoon onWWE.com starring Vince McMahon's backside was a prime example of something that was amusing to Vince that he hoped the world would find amusing as well. Since the cartoon is on the website, visitors to the site have a choice regarding whether or not they are going to view the cartoon. On Monday nights Raw, that choice was taken away from the fans and the fans were forced to endure the farce that was the highly publicized match between Donald
Trump and Rosie ODonnell.
Rosie and the Donald have been engaging in a war or words lately so someone in WWE thought that it would be a good idea to spoof their conflict in a way similar to the Billionaire Ted sketches during 1996. It would have been very easy and perhaps mildly interesting if Vince had gotten two actors who resemble Rosie & Trump and let them meet in a debate in the ring. It might actually have been funny to
have them debate with Coach, Funaki, Simon Dean or someone else serving as moderator, only to have the moderator antagonize both debaters. Then Rosie & Trump could have made up and combined to attack the moderator. In my opinion, if they could keep this short, it could have been entertaining. Instead, we get a crappy match with a too small Rosie eating an ice cream cake that would not melt while her opponent, a too young, too short Trump with a too large wig, waited in the ring for her. The two bad replicas, even though they were both trained wrestlers, fluttered around the ring way too long before the fake Donald did his Junkyard Dog impression by no-selling the turnbuckle shots before winning the match with a few head butts from his obviously loaded wig and a well-placed cake to the face. The match, which ran way too long was highlighted by chants of Boring
and TNA throughout the contest, and like a comet, as soon as the match was gone, it was forgotten.
We all know that the purpose of all of the promotion leading to this debacle, just like TNAs VKM story line, K-Fed and the Kurt Angle-MMA rumors are to get people, fans and non-fans, talking about the company and their product. If nothing else, the match was able to deliver what was asked of it. People, including Rosie & Trump, were talking about it and were being asked about it. However, not everything promised is delivered and the entertainment that was promised by putting the match in the ring and on television was not delivered and the match wasted some valuable television time that could have been better used to begin a new feud or to debut a new star.
The Blue World Order was originally conceived to entertain Raven, and the gimmick became one of ECWs biggest merchandise movers. Rosie ODonnell versus Donald Trump in a WWE ring was conceived to entertain Vince, but the only thing hat was accomplished was a colossal waste of time. I hope that Vince was thoroughly entertained because the fans weren't and unfortunately for Vince, he doesn't have to buy a ticket.
Send comments, complaints or questions to me @ ericej@netzero.net
Eric E. Jenkins is an author who has written a semi-biographical book
covering the last 30 years in professional wrestling through the eyes
of a fan entitled Reflections of a Professional wrestling Fan: My 30
Years In the Business. He is currently writing Dead Too Soon, a
book chronicling the careers of and paying tribute to many of the
wrestling stars who passed away very young.
