Message-ID: 

On Thu, 11 Sep 2003 09:40:01 +0000, Hack-Man wrote:

> Don West is kind of an annoying hick, but is probably still better
> than most of the WWE color commentators.  Still, I'd wish they'd
> find someone better before they grow the company any more.

He often seemed to pause for a couple seconds when Tenay turned the
commentary over to him.  Problem with the TelePrompTer?

> Vince Russo should never be on air (and probably shouldn't be
> involved in booking either).  He does look tons better without the
> beard, though.  I didn't recognize him until the announcers
> mentioned it was him.

What was the deal with Russo attacking this guy, then attacking that
guy, then attacking *that* guy?  They sold it like Russo and Styles
were in cahoots from the beginning, but it came off more like (a) Russo
was delivering random beatings just to mess with our heads, or (b) the
writers were telling Russo to deliver random beatings because they
didn't know where they wanted the angle to end up.

Why did they talk about the S.E.X. shirts without showing (a) the
shirts or (b) any wrestlers wearing the shirts?  I'm not sure if
they even showed any of the wrestlers who *used* to wear the shirts
before Russo decided to sit on his exclusive rights to 'em.

> It's nice to see talents like Jim Mitchell and Raven earning a
> living from the business they're so good at.

Whoever matched Mitchell's beard with that red suit is a genius!  The
long silky ponytail doesn't hurt, either.  Yeah, it's cartoony, but
it's a *good* cartoony.

I still don't get Raven.  Matter of taste, I suppose.  (I didn't get
to see ECW hardly at all, so maybe that enters into it.)  I got him
back in WCW:  "How do you beat a guy who *enjoys* getting hurt?"  (By
knocking him unconscious.  But it was still a good sound bite.)

What the hell is a "Clockwork Orange House of Fun" (other than an
invitation for Kubrick's estate to sue)?  Seems like Yet Another
Hardcore Match, just with Raven's choice of international objects.

> Before the first match, they showed rapid clips of all the highspots
> from the past year.  That was probably better than anything else
> shown in the two hours.

Until they showed part of it again.  I liked the move that looks like
a senton bomb with a sideways twist-- what's it called, and who's that
guy doing it?

> 1.  Ultimate X (Michael Shane vs Chris Sabin vs Frankie Kazarian)

The announcers telegraphed the ending by saying that Shane couldn't
possibly recover enough to have a chance.

What the hell is the X Division?  Seems like Yet Another Hardcore
Division, minus Crash Holly's 24/7 concept.

> 2.  Triple X vs America's Most Wanted (Steel Cage Match)

And they telegraphed *this* ending by saying that XXX was 4-0 against
AMW.  Yet Another XXX Win wouldn't have made a best-of show (unless
it was setting up context for XXX Finally Loses).

> 5.  Raven vs Jeff Jarrett 
> 
> Ugh.

Preceded by a few rounds of the Raven/Douglas feud.  Raven beats
Douglas in a #1 contender match.  "You think I'd come all this
way and then lose?  Of course not!"  So, of course, he loses to
Styles.  This was the worst idea since Mick Foley losing his
last WWE match.

> Roddy Piper will be back next week, so there's no chance I'll be
> ordering that (as it means less time for X Division matches).

And Raven/Douglas raise the stakes as never before, in... a hair
vs. hair match.  Who do you think you're kidding?  Save this for
(a) guys with *long* hair (Jim Mitchell would be perfect!) or (b)
guys who really excel at playing goofy losers (i.e. Kurt Angle).


--- Internet Rex 2.29