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bedsitter23Of course. the Ultimate Warrior's death has led to conspiracy theories. Largely because he made his first appearance on Monday night Raw for the first time in 16 years this week. Apparently, he flashed Illuminati signs if you know where to look.
The Warrior death led to Nancy Grace taking the most sensationalistic approach possible. She had Diamond Dallas Page on this week, and though DDP did say everyone used back in the day, that the industry has cleaned up and we know more about steroids than we did 20 and 30 years ago. Grace also claimed that Owen Hart died of a steroid overdose.
Wrestlers have been angry at Grace all week, and Zeb Colter had the best tweet of all
- - -
Wrestlemania culminate with Daniel Bryan winning the WWE belt. Bryan is huge with wrestling fans in a way I never expected.
CM Punk did well in recent years and is cut from much the same mold Bryan is- came from Ring of Honor, really into the fans, lives a clean life style, really has put in time to learn the craft, and is an average looking guy.
I never expected Bryan to get as huge as he has. He's clearly the biggest star (in many ways) since the Attitude era; yet, I don't think that has crossover into mainstream appeal.
Bryan's angle is with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon (for pro wrestling purposes- the COO and Owner of the Company). It is an angle that the WWE has used quite often- but it's the rebel vs the corporation.
Most famously, that was the angle used to make Stone Cold Steve Austin huge. I think Austin beats Bryan for charisma, and he was one of my favorite all-time wrestlers, but that angle didn't sit right with me.
I know people loved to see Austin tell his boss off or drop him into a Stunner, but if any of us did that ,we would be fired immediately.
The Bryan/HHH angle rings true. So true to the point of wondering how real it is. The idea is that the WWE think Bryan is too small to be champion (at 210 pounds, he's smaller than 90% of the roster) and that champions should be muscle bound men like Batista and Randy Orton. Those are the types of people Triple-H want to see as face of the company.
I really like the angle, and we inevitably got the pay-off, though it felt like we never would. I do like Bryan (don't get me wrong) and I like him a lot, but I never expected him to be embraced like he has. Crowds go crazy when he is in the ring.
Also, I really liked the way he was awarded his match against triple H. Of course, as COO, Triple H would never have to put him in a match (kayfabe) but something akin to the Occupy! movement happened with Bryan taking over Raw.
- - -
At Wrestlemania, one of the industries biggest talents John Cena faced Bray Wyatt.
In the last five years, any new WWE talent first has to come through their developmental program NXT.
Some stuff sticks and a lot doesn't (last Monday, Raw introduced a new guy with a Russel Brand-type gimmick. Hmmm...)
Outside of Bryan (who already had a fanbase from Ring of Honor), Wyatt has to be the most successful of these new wrestlers.
He is also one of the most unlikely. He does have a wrestling pedigree. He is Mike "IRS" Rotundo's son and related by marriage to the Windham/Mulligan family. However, he is not the typical wrestler bodytype, to the point that his original name was Huskey Harris.
Like Bryan, Wyatt s one thing the WWE has going that is right. He's a heel, but I think inevitably he will get too popular.
It's hard to do a scary character in 2014 a la classics like The Undertaker or Kane, but Wyatt nails it. He is part Charles Manson and part Swamp People or True Blood.
He may have a long career in front of him a la Kevin Sullivan. Some people just have the talent, and this guy looked like Chum Lee from Pawn Stars and now is one of the most interesting characters in the sport.
- - -
Not much else to cover, except the New Age Outlaws wrestled in a match in Wrestlemania... in 2014. WM30 started with the sport's three biggest stars- Hulk Hogan, the Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Hogan was brought back home to the WWE as his role with competitor TNA never managed to pan out in the form of ratings.
Hogan started the night by calling the Superdome "the Silverdome" which ultimately made him look as old as he really was. The Rock meanwhile is as good on the mic as anyone who ever set foot in the ring, explaining how there are millions of "Rock babies" from over the years, born 9 months after a Wrestlemania featuring the"People's Champ"
The Warrior death led to Nancy Grace taking the most sensationalistic approach possible. She had Diamond Dallas Page on this week, and though DDP did say everyone used back in the day, that the industry has cleaned up and we know more about steroids than we did 20 and 30 years ago. Grace also claimed that Owen Hart died of a steroid overdose.
Wrestlers have been angry at Grace all week, and Zeb Colter had the best tweet of all
If anybody receives an email entitled NANCY GRACE NUDE, do not open it. It's not a virus. It really is Nancy Grace nude. @NancyGraceHLN@WWE
- - -
Wrestlemania culminate with Daniel Bryan winning the WWE belt. Bryan is huge with wrestling fans in a way I never expected.
CM Punk did well in recent years and is cut from much the same mold Bryan is- came from Ring of Honor, really into the fans, lives a clean life style, really has put in time to learn the craft, and is an average looking guy.
I never expected Bryan to get as huge as he has. He's clearly the biggest star (in many ways) since the Attitude era; yet, I don't think that has crossover into mainstream appeal.
Bryan's angle is with Triple H and Stephanie McMahon (for pro wrestling purposes- the COO and Owner of the Company). It is an angle that the WWE has used quite often- but it's the rebel vs the corporation.
Most famously, that was the angle used to make Stone Cold Steve Austin huge. I think Austin beats Bryan for charisma, and he was one of my favorite all-time wrestlers, but that angle didn't sit right with me.
I know people loved to see Austin tell his boss off or drop him into a Stunner, but if any of us did that ,we would be fired immediately.
The Bryan/HHH angle rings true. So true to the point of wondering how real it is. The idea is that the WWE think Bryan is too small to be champion (at 210 pounds, he's smaller than 90% of the roster) and that champions should be muscle bound men like Batista and Randy Orton. Those are the types of people Triple-H want to see as face of the company.
I really like the angle, and we inevitably got the pay-off, though it felt like we never would. I do like Bryan (don't get me wrong) and I like him a lot, but I never expected him to be embraced like he has. Crowds go crazy when he is in the ring.
Also, I really liked the way he was awarded his match against triple H. Of course, as COO, Triple H would never have to put him in a match (kayfabe) but something akin to the Occupy! movement happened with Bryan taking over Raw.
- - -
At Wrestlemania, one of the industries biggest talents John Cena faced Bray Wyatt.
In the last five years, any new WWE talent first has to come through their developmental program NXT.
Some stuff sticks and a lot doesn't (last Monday, Raw introduced a new guy with a Russel Brand-type gimmick. Hmmm...)
Outside of Bryan (who already had a fanbase from Ring of Honor), Wyatt has to be the most successful of these new wrestlers.
He is also one of the most unlikely. He does have a wrestling pedigree. He is Mike "IRS" Rotundo's son and related by marriage to the Windham/Mulligan family. However, he is not the typical wrestler bodytype, to the point that his original name was Huskey Harris.
Like Bryan, Wyatt s one thing the WWE has going that is right. He's a heel, but I think inevitably he will get too popular.
It's hard to do a scary character in 2014 a la classics like The Undertaker or Kane, but Wyatt nails it. He is part Charles Manson and part Swamp People or True Blood.
He may have a long career in front of him a la Kevin Sullivan. Some people just have the talent, and this guy looked like Chum Lee from Pawn Stars and now is one of the most interesting characters in the sport.
- - -
Not much else to cover, except the New Age Outlaws wrestled in a match in Wrestlemania... in 2014. WM30 started with the sport's three biggest stars- Hulk Hogan, the Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin. Hogan was brought back home to the WWE as his role with competitor TNA never managed to pan out in the form of ratings.
Hogan started the night by calling the Superdome "the Silverdome" which ultimately made him look as old as he really was. The Rock meanwhile is as good on the mic as anyone who ever set foot in the ring, explaining how there are millions of "Rock babies" from over the years, born 9 months after a Wrestlemania featuring the"People's Champ"
