1/11 Wednesday One Shots: The Dot Net staff give their quick thoughts from the previous week in WWE, TNA, MMA and indy wrestling
Jan 11, 2012 - 08:34 PM |
Welcome to the Wednesday One Shot. Each week, we will present a quick "one shot" thought from each staff member about the previous week in each of the following areas: WWE, TNA and Other (MMA, Indies, etc).
WWE
Will Pruett (Twitter - @itswilltime): John Cena is surrounded by cartoon characters. I know that wrestling often paints with broad strokes, but Kane and Zack Ryder are two ends of a terrible spectrum. I'm not asking for a ton of realism, but in the main event of a show, there should be a bigger threat of losing than "being dragged straight to hell" as has been the case for a few days.
Jake Barnett (Twitter - @barnettjake): Brodus Clay and Chris Jericho have really divided WWE audiences in recent weeks. I happen to think both new acts have the potential to be a lot of fun if handled right, but I also see the potential for both to be squandered. Jericho has enough sway backstage to exercise some control over his character, but Brodus may not. I hope he pulls this Funkasaurus bit off.
Ryan Kester (Twitter - @TheRyanKester): Love it or hate it, it is obvious that Brodus Clay's new Funkasaurus gimmick drew a reaction out of everyone watching. I remain skeptical of the character, but it's hard not to be won over by Clay's enthusiastic commitment to the character. I still think the money in Clay is as a monstrous heel, but I hope this unique direction can help him click with some of the fans for a short while.
Chris Shore (Twitter - @TheShoreSlant): The follow up to Chris Jericho's debut was about what I expected, but it didn't work as well as the first week. Part of it was that the segment got lost in the shuffle. But part of it was that a lot of fans expected him to not speak again. That doesn't mean he should have, but perhaps he should have been emotional the first time and excited this time. I have no doubt this is going to be a solid story, but this felt like an early miss in the run.
TNA
Will Pruett: Genesis was an awful pay-per-view. There might have been some good action, but it was instantly undercut by a creative group that has no idea what they are doing.
Jake Barnett: Looking back at the Genesis PPV, it was one of TNA's most disappointing shows in a year full of them. Now this week on Impact is a bunch of Genesis rematches. Why does anyone pay for TNA PPV's again?
Ryan Kester: Every time I start to really invest in TNA and enjoy some of their better shows, a PPV inevitably comes along that frustrates me to no end. There's no excuse for TNA to skimp so terribly on its PPV product when it's TNA's most loyal followers that are the ones parting with their hard-earned money. It's disrespectful to their fans and it's entirely understandable why many TNA fans don't bother to come back after they are treated to shows like last Sunday's Genesis.
Chris Shore: I hate to pile on, but I would be embarrassed if I worked for TNA and had anything to do with Genesis. The wrestlers did what they could, but they were hamstrung by incredibly poor booking decisions. When the only clean finishes come in a garbage match and a tag match, you know you have a mess. I realize they don't want to do these PPVs, but they should stop taking their frustrations out on the fans who drop their hard earned money on their PPVs.
Other (MMA, Indies, Etc)
Will Pruett (ROH): This week's "on the road" show was a great new concept. I don't want to see it all the time, but I was happy to deviate from the normal format. With this week bringing the first TV shows taped after Final Battle, I'm curious to see where Cornette and company plan to take things. Hopefully there will be some excitement to inspire people to watch this fading product.
Jake Barnett (MMA): I'm disappointed to see so many people on the web attempting to diminish what Brock Lesnar did for the sport of MMA during his relatively short career. He was one of the biggest draws in the sport that appeared on 3 UFC's highest grossing events of all time, a lot of which had to do with his notoriety. You can dislike his fast track to the big time all you want, but you're missing the point if you aren't counting the money before you open your mouth.
Ryan Kester (UFC): Be sure to stop by this Saturday for my UFC RIO: Aldes vs. Mendes coverage. UFC is getting to the point of PPV overload, but if you want to follow along feel free to check out my coverage.
Chris Shore (EVO): I have said for a long time that the first promotion to really leverage the Internet to their advantage is going to break out. While not the first to do so, Pro Wrestling Evo will hold a free pre-show event this Friday starting at 6:15 CT on Ustream. Groups like CHIKARA have done these in the past, and I believe it is a very smart way to entice fans to see their product, without having to give away the world. (Full Disclosure: I will be hosting the pre-show, but my purpose is not to plug the pre-show itself, just the idea.)
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