Hardy Boyz vs. The Hurricane & Lance Storm
WCW Tag Team Championship
Any indications would have had Shane Helms teaming up with his good buddy Lance in a grudge match with the Acolytes here, yet instead they're somehow crammed onto the card against the Hardys, winners of the WCW tag straps on a fluke a couple weeks ago. It's pretty easy to connect the dots here and realize an APA run-in is almost an afterthought. They'll probably demolish the Hurri-cycle too, which is really a shame. But unlike my partner here, I actually get a kick out of some of Hurricane's comedy spots. I mean, c'mon, how can you not enjoy a guy Helms's size trying to chokeslam the Big Show? It's a nice change of pace, so long as they keep him active in the ring all the same. Which leads me to my next point; even though there isn't so much of a build for this match, we can most certainly look forward to some fantastic work between the ropes. With the Hardys and Helms already very familiar with one another through OMEGA (that's right, I'm stealing fellow Oratory member Justin T's thunder here, with an OMEGA reference), and Storm still working on a bit of a high after his superb match with Jeff about three weeks ago, things should be blistering both on the mat and in the air. As long as the overbooking is kept in check, this should act as a tidy little curtain jerker, but I don't think a title change is in the air.
Winners: The Hardy Boyz
Dudley Boyz vs. Big Show & Tajiri
WWF Tag Team Championship
Perhaps the only interesting thing the Dudleys have done recently is put Torrie through a table, and even that was forgotten in a rush. They're directionless, repetitive and slowly losing their credibility thanks to all these handicap matches. What the Dudleys really need right now is a heel tu-.... what? They're already heels? Shit, I'm fresh out of ideas then. As long as the Show keeps the mat in his corner warm through this match and Tajiri feels like working, things should go smoothly for the viewing audience. I'd like to see this lead to a "Big Show on a pole" match between Tajiri and Spike somewhere down the line, not just because the two smaller guys could really put on a great show with one another, but because I'd love to see the tremendous visual of the Big Show stuck on top of a large steel pole. I guess it would be interesting watching them try to get him down, too. Hm. But I'm getting wayyy off the topic. Standard fare will transpire here, with an ending that's likely to be shady and / or involve the Alliance. The Dudleyz get the nod here, possibly using the title belt or a low blow to take out the Big Show yet again.
Winners: The Dudley Boyz
Torrie Wilson vs. Stacy Keibler vs. Trish Stratus
First-Ever Lingerie Match
I'm sure somebody out there installed a TV set with PPV in their bathroom for the sole purpose of viewing matches like this one in privacy. And hey, far be it from the WWF to let them down. I suppose I should be looking on the bright side; at least Mae Young remains far, far away from these things anymore. The kids will get their entertainment here, and those much more mature members of the audience won't have too long of an interruption in their regular schedule of sweaty men rolling around with one another in their underwear and shouting a lot.
Winner: Torrie Wilson
Test vs. Kane
I actually think this one's gonna be a lot closer than you'd think it would be, as Kane has yet to catch up to his brother in terms of both suck and blow. He'll still sell, makes an effort on occasion and doesn't refuse to job. In other words, he's got a lot of growing to do in big brother badass's eyes. I'm in complete agreement with you as far as Test's growth over the last few months into something worth watching. Though he often botches that big boot to the face, he's still putting forth an effort and shows willingness to improve. He's most definitely been working on his skills during his off time, and it's slowly starting to pay off. I no longer think of him as Diesel 2000, so that's one hell of a step in the right direction. It's pretty safe to say one of the brothers Grimm is taking a fall tomorrow night, while one is walking out with his hand held high. One guess as to which one is which.
Winner: Test
Undertaker vs. Booker T
Well, it's put up or shut up time for the WWF with Booker T. If they're serious about keeping him in the main event and plan to give him any kind of push somewhere down the line, he needs to go over in this match. Badly. They were on to a good thing in the weeks after Summerslam, when they sent him out there to completely destroy anything in his way. He got over as a supreme badass, the ultimate dickhead heel. He talked a big game, but then he went into the ring and backed it up with his actions, and audiences were livid to see him pinned. Unfortunately, as Dave mentioned, he was pinned... again, and again, and again, by the Rock. Yeah, so that didn't go anywhere. But I still believe there's promise for him, especially with Steve Austin remaining with the Alliance. The two have great chemistry together, and their characters are such a natural fit for one another that I'm amazed it's taken them this long to make the connection.
So, if the WWF honestly wants to use that whole "the Taker's just no selling so it means that much more when he finally jobs" excuse, that's fine by me. But this better be one of those instances when he throws that pride to the floor and gives it his all to finally put somebody over. Unless Booker comes out of the curtain a changed man, this match is going to disappoint. He's been slumping ever since he entered the WWF, and even when he was in the main event over in WCW, he was a shade of his former self. The big Suckah himself looked solid in the ring on RAW, but god only knows if that's gonna carry over this Sunday. And when the bell rings? Hey, I remain optimistic... but I'm not stupid.
Winner: The Undertaker
Christian vs. Edge
WWF Intercontinental Championship - Ladder Match
I've been pleading since day one for the WWF to keep Christian out of the Alliance, and after a slow start with the gold, they've chickened out on the Christian heel character and stuffed him into the Alliance like so much breading in a bloated turkey on Thanksgiving day. I don't know how, but this feud's been lost in the shuffle, which really makes me worry about what's going to happen in the follow through of the Jericho / Rock angle. Nevertheless, both guys are working their hearts out here, as they know this is the angle that'll either launch their careers into the atmosphere or plunge them into the bowels of Metal and Jakked for eternity. It's really too bad that the bookers have decided to cloud things up with so many useless swerves and developments, as it's really faded what should've rightfully been one of the year's most memorable feuds.
As for the match, again Dave's right... this should tear it up. You've gotta figure, working together for so many ladder matches in the past, with the inevitable breakup in the backs of their minds these guys must've come up with dozens of cool spots that they decided to save for themselves. This feud really needs another couple months to make it important, but things are already dragging along. It may be time to just cut the losses and salvage what you can from the wreckage. Edge gets his revenge and the angle blows off for the time being Sunday.
Winner: Edge
The Rock vs. Chris Jericho
WCW Championship
This is the one that's building all the hype, all the interest, all the buzz about tomorrow night's event. As you said, both guys have adequate reason and motivation to turn, and the crowd appears more than willing to buy into whichever direction the bookers should choose. The smart money's on Jericho, but therein things get a little complicated. Y2J really, REALLY needs the win here, if he ever hopes to be accepted in the main event. He needs to shake that 'choker' image in the absolute worst way, and this is the time and place to do so. In sharp contrast, the best way I can see for Jericho to turn here is by throwing a temper tantrum after dropping the big match. The Canadian soul has been showing much more character evolution than the Rock, integrating a more hard-edged set of maneuvers into his ringwork and tweaking the image of his character on TV. Then again, the heel Rock isn't very different from the face Rock... he just has longer sideburns. They're both conceded pricks, and they both rely heavily on catchphrases to do the work for them. It's a really tough call regarding who turns, and one I'm not nearly certain about making.
The action between the ropes, though, will be fantastic. Rocky's work has been steadily improving for years, to the point where he's now absolutely able on his own in the ring. Jericho, too, has been on an upward swing of late, though that may have as much to do with his luck in opponents as it does his own effort. Regardless, the bottom line here is Chris Jericho's absolute need to go over clean. It won't matter if he wins with a chairshot, because he still would've choked in the big match and had to rely on outside interference to save him. Just like I stressed above, Y2J really needs the win here, and I'm quite sure that fact hasn't been missed by the WWF creative team.
Winner: Chris Jericho
Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Kurt Angle vs. Rob Van Dam
WWF Championship
Rocky / Jericho should by all means be the main event Sunday night, and I'm really hoping they give Y2J his spot in the sun and make that big switch. However, I don't think this match is quite as predictable as one might think it would be. Here's my reasoning; the WWF's on a downward slope in terms of viewership. They're losing their hold on the cable TV ratings, and the fad is winding down. Right now they're thrashing this way and that, desperate for something, anything, that fans will latch onto. Right now it appears they've found that special something in the form of Rob Van Dam. Fans love him because he's different, and the WWF loves him because the fans love him. They're really trying to make every RAW one you can't afford to miss right now, and if RVD walks out with the gold tomorrow night, the following night's programming will seem that much harder to overlook.
Speaking personally, this angle's really hooked me. I don't know which way they're going to take it, and I like it. Sure, you've got the Scott Kieths of the world out there, proclaiming "Austin pins Angle! Dewey defeats Truman!", and I can't really argue with that. After all, that prediction is without a doubt the most likely. But if the WWF's as worried about the ratings as they've let on lately, I really think this one's got much more of a chance to surprise than anybody's giving it. Hey, who's to say Angle won't shock us all and win the title? I seem to remember a certain Mankind / Austin / HHH Summerslam a few years ago when everyone had all but written off Mankind in their predictions, and the poor fool walked right in and won the gold. The WWF has a real knack of bucking you just when you're most confident they won't. Tomorrow's match really has me guessing, but I'm gonna have to go with the safe pick.
Winner: Steve Austin
IN CLOSING...
It's notable that this is the first WWF PPV in quite some time that I can remember going without 'SOLD OUT' status. In the close of an era that saw tickets to such events going on ebay and with scalpers at nearly double the initial cost, this doesn't bode well for the future. We all knew it was coming, and we've seen the writing on the wall. It's becoming "unhip" to be a wrestling fan once again, and that's both good and bad for those of us who stick around for the in between years. It's good, because the WWF will slowly start to gravitate away from what entertained the short term fans. They'll give their hardcore fan base more of what it wants, which is (for the most part) quality wrestling and believable, unpredictable angles and storylines. On the down side, however, ratings ain't gonna be going up any time soon, and the Federation itself is going to have to close those storm shutters and avoid pricey mistakes at all costs. Production values may go down, and business won't be good for the insiders. But, if the fed keeps chugging along, doing what it does best and nothing more, the mood will eventually change yet again to its favor. The dual main events for No Mercy stand as a perfect example, especially in contrast to the unorganized undercard. There's quite a bit of solid storytelling going on between Rocky and Jericho, RVD and Austin, & Austin and Angle. These feuds will without a doubt produce some solid, memorable matches. It's what got the WWF thus far, and what will keep them afloat when pickins are slim down the road. On the other hand, weak, underdeveloped matches like this Big Show / Tajiri vs. Dudleys tag matchup were hurriedly booked, and really shine as an example of bookers' concentration on a few select feuds and not the big picture. This was, for the most part, a product of this last rush of popularity. It's something they're gonna have to work on if they want to survive in the years to come.
until next time, i remain
drq
drq
No comments:
Post a Comment