With the rest of the pro wrestling community dealing with the aftershock of the renewed Monday Night War, I thought I'd weigh in on the programming put out by both WWE and TNA. I will do this in three columns. The first will deal with WWE Raw, the second with TNA iMPACT, and the third will be for closing statements of the two and a final decision on who had the better product of the night.
For those of you unfamiliar with this scenario, the Monday Night Wars originally took place back in the late 90's between rival professional wrestling promotions World Wrestling Entertainment (then known as the "World Wrestling Federation" or WWF), and World Championship Wrestling (WCW). The two organizations aired their flagship broadcasts, WWF Monday Night Raw and WCW Monday Nitro, respectively, head-to-head on prime time cable television and engaged in a ratings war to win over fans from the competition. The war ended in 2001 when WWF (now World Wrestling Entertainment, or WWE) owner Vince McMahon bought out his competition. Since then, there has not been a wrestling promotion strong enough to rival WWE's stronghold on the pro wrestling market. Now, after eight years, Vince McMahon's monopolizing empire has been openly challenged by rival promotion, Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling. This past Monday, January 4, 2010, marks the first time in those eight years that two premiere wrestling programs have aired on the 9-11 p.m. time slot on a Monday night.
With all the anticipation leading up to this event, fans expected to see a higher quality of product from both promotions as TNA attempted to knock WWE Raw from its perch, and WWE, presumably, would do everything in its power to stay there.
The most obvious move by WWE to keep fans tuned in, was the heavily promoted return of Bret "The Hitman" Hart to WWE after a 12 year absence and his infamous falling out with Vince McMahon following the "Montreal Screwjob" at Survivor Series 1997. Other advertised bouts included a tag team match for the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship between D-Generation X and Jeri-Show, and a grudge match between Randy Orton and Kofi Kingston.
Let me start off by saying that while WWE is clearly aware of the competition, Vince McMahon is not shaking in his boots when it comes to TNA. Vince has a billion-dollar empire and a ratings juggernaut in WWE Raw, a show that consistently draws between a 3-3.5. To my knowledge, TNA averages about a 1.8 rating at its best.
Nevertheless, keeping in mind that TNA's 3-hour extravaganza started at 8:00, attempting to lure would-be Raw viewers away early, WWE knew they had to get those fans back, and so, wasting no time at all, Bret Hart was the first thing fans saw after the opening Raw sequence.
After making his way to the ring, "The Hitman", after acknowledging and graciously thanking the fans for their years of loyalty, immediately called out none other than Shawn Michaels.
I don't think this moment was properly built. The anticipation was there, but it could've been bigger. This is HBK vs. Bret Hart. This was THE feud of pro wrestling, and many, including Bret himself, believed that "hell would freeze over" before Hart set foot in a WWE ring again, much less in the same ring as Shawn Michaels.
Nevertheless, HBK's music hits, and out comes "The Showstopper". He's dressed up in his DX gear, which I could've done without, but he has a match later, so I guess it works.
I will also say that this is the first time in YEARS that I was literally shaking with goosebumps when I saw Shawn and Bret stare each other down.
Part of me suspects that what Bret really wanted was to tear into Shawn verbally, but Bret makes no bones about why he's here. He wants to "bury the hatchet" and bring closure to this chapter in his life. I know a lot of people had issues with this, after all, this was the biggest event in wrestling since Burno Samartino lost the world championship, and these guys are just going to shake hands and be friends? On the flip side, both these men are long past that stage in their lives and careers, and if it is not dealt with now, there is little chance of it ever being showcased again.
Shawn offers some words of praise for Bret's unparalleled in-ring performance before admitting that he was no the easiest person to get along with. Bret wholeheartedly agrees. Shawn talks about respect, and how he never felt he got any from Bret, but assures Bret that he is a different man now. Bret agrees to most of what Shawn says, and then extends his hand in a sign of truce. Shawn accepts, and there are cheers from the crowd as the two put this legendary feud behind them. Before he exits the ring, Shawn even goes so far as to embrace Bret in what has to be the stiffest hug on worldwide television since Vince hugged Eric Bischoff. Bret then calls Vince out, but Vince doesn't answer. In an awkward moment, we cut to commercial.
I don't care who is coming to TNA tonight, this was the most historical moment in professional wrestling and something that should've been seen by every wrestling fan, not just WWE die-hards. Hulk Hogan may be the best known wrestler in the world, but these are two of the best to ever set foot in the ring, finally putting to rest a true and real hatred and bitterness that has existed for almost a decade and a half. If we look at what was happening on iMPACT while this segment was going on, I believe, it pales in comparison.
When we come back Vince tells Josh Matthews that he was in a meeting and did not hear Bret Hart call him out. Vince says he will face Bret on his own time and on his own terms later that night.
We're then told that Divas Champion Melina was injured while performing at a house show and will be out for several months. As such, she has vacated the Divas Championship and a tournament will be held on Raw to determine who the new champion will be. In the first round, we have Maryse vs. Brie Bella. This is a descent match, but the finish was extremely confusing. I'm not exactly sure what the point of the Bella Twins pulling the old switcheroo was if they weren't going to win the match anyway. Maryse is a much stronger character, and would make a much stronger champion. It's clear WWE plans to send her to the final round and possibly strap her with the belt.
The Miz has come a long way since his debut and is one of the charismatic heels on the roster. People genuinely dislike this guy, and not because he's a bad wrestler, but because he is good at making people hate him. He's there to supervise the Fatal 4-Way match to determine the #1 Contender to his United States Championship. MVP, Mark Henry, Jack Swagger, and Carlito are all in the running here. This was a solid match featuring some terrific young talent, and it was nice to see them showcased here in a prominent spot vying for a shot at a title instead of just a random match with no consequences. MVP comes out the winner, and this should make for an interesting feud leading up to the Royal Rumble and possibly into the Money-in-the-Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania 26.
Chris Jericho is backstage with Big Show, about to tell the big man that he's going to have a talk with Bret Hart about their match against D-Generation X. If Jericho and his partner lose, Jericho is forced to leave Raw and return to Smackdown for good. When he gets to Bret's office, he showers "The Hitman" with compliments before asking him to guest referee the tag team title match and help him "screw" DX out of their championships. Bret says he's done playing that game and Jericho will have to find a way to win the match on his own.
DX is backstage with Hornswoggle. He's promised that if DX wins their match, Hornswoggle will be rewarded with a slew of action figures featuring his favorite WWE Superstars. Shawn comes over to watch, and this to me is just ridiculous. Shawn is best when he's being himself and when he's not trying to hard to be funny. But the DX segments keep getting worse and worse. After coming back from his epic confrontation with Bret Hart, Shawn returns to form by being the goofy sidekick to Triple H. Santino Marella comes in dressed as Chris Jericho and actually pulls off the funniest act by attempting to mimic Jericho's speech. Hornswoggle attacks Santino which I guess if funny to anyone under the age of 8, before Santino wishes them all "Good luck with the Suck It". A wasted segment that does nothing for the upcoming match.
The match itself is as exciting as it can be. We've seen it before, but it is still a strong showing for both teams with a great finish. A lot of people complain that the wrestling in WWE isn't as fast-paced as the wrestling in TNA, but we also have to remember that it's not trying to be. WWE has a very different wrestling style, and it works for them. It does not make it bad or inferior. It is simply an alternate way of performing, and often allows for better storytelling in the ring since the fans have time to take in what's happening before the next move. In any case, DX wins their match and Jericho is banned from Raw. We get the "Na Na Na" from the fans, but it is ultimately pointless because no one really cares where Jericho wrestles. He will be just as annoying on Smackdown as he was on Raw.
I also thought they would have DX drop the titles due to the upcoming Royal Rumble. We know that Shawn will be facing The Undertaker at Wrestlemania, so why not let them drop the belts and have Shawn concentrate on that. I'm sure Triple H will have no problem occupying his time with Sheamus and winning his 14th world championship before heading into Wrestlemania.
Backstage, Randy Orton offers his services to Vince McMahon for his confrontation with Bret later that night. Orton says he would have no problem killing the legend of Bret Hart, and in return, Vince would enter Orton as the #30 entrant into the Roayl Rumble. Vince refuses, and says he can take care of Bret himself.
Speaking of the Rumble, isn't this about the time that everyone starts talking about how they're going to win the Rumble and become Champion at Wrestlemania? This seems to be lost on everyone as the rumble is only three weeks away and no one has even tried to earn a spot.
In any case, Orton is confronted by his Legacy brethren who say they will test him the same way he tested them last week. Namely, should Orton lose his match to Kofi Kingston, Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase will beat the hell out of him and kick him out of Legacy. It's about time they did something here. These two can stand on their own, and if anything, dealing with them holds Randy Orton back. It's not exactly the fall out Evolution had, but it's something to keep the fans guessing.
Sheamus comes out after the commercial and says he's tired of facing John Cena. This is great because, well, a lot of people are tired of John Cena. Sheamus wants a new opponent, and dares anyone to step out and face him. This is great for the Champion, by the way, since despite winning the WWE Championship he is still overshadowed by, well, everyone else on the roster. In response, Evan Bourne steps up. This is great. A young face squaring off against the Champion who says if Bourne can beat him tonight, Bourne gets a title match at the Royal Rumble. Bourne puts out a strong showing, but ultimately loses when he is dominated by the Champion. We still don't know who will face Sheamus at the Royal Rumble, but my guess is it will either be Triple H or a rematch with John Cena.
The company quickly, but respectfully pays tribute to the late "Dr. Death" Steve Williams before going to commercial. King has nothing but kind words for this legend, though he is more known for his work in Japan than in the WWE. I'm sure he will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame this year.
We come back from commercial to recap Bret's career up to Montreal, then Kofi makes his entrance. Then...back to commercial. What a waste of time.
When we come back, Orton is in the ring, and Rhodes and DiBiase are at the announce table. The match begins and it is by far the best match of the night. I don't care how many times you've seen these guys square off, it is fun and exciting to watch. Kofi's energy is undeniably addictive, and Orton's cunning makes you wonder what will happen next. Orton does manage to scrape out a win here, and is congratulated by the Legacy as they make their way backstage.
Next thing we know, Vince is coming to the ring and says he will not be speaking to Bret Hart tonight as he has nothing else to say. Bret makes his way down to the ring anyway, sans his entrance music, which makes us wonder if he's really supposed to be there. Bret says he wants to bury the hatchet with Vince as he did with Shawn. Vince says he will never forget Bret spitting in his face, sucker-punching him backstage after the match, or walking out on his company. Vince says, this time to Bret's face, that Bret screwed Bret. Bret says he still wants this done and over with, so Vince butters him up by talking about all the great moments Bret has had in his career in the WWE, then reluctantly shakes Bret's hand and takes the mic away from the "The Hitman". Bret looks confused, but follows along as they pose on all sides of the ring. Then Vince kicks Bret in the groin to close the show. Bret gets to his feet and stares at Vince as the boss makes his way up the ramp.
I have to believe that Bret will be around for a little longer to get some well-deserved revenge on Vince. I wonder how Bret feels about using Montreal as the basis for another angle, as that is something he specifically asked HBK (to no avail) not to do. I'm sure we will see some confrontation between Bret and Vince at Wrestlemania, but of what kind, I don't know.
The show wasted a lot of time. I'm tired of WWE's instant replays right after the commercial break. We all saw what happened, and they will replay it again at the end of the show anyway. I'm tired of the exterior shots of the arena. They do nothing for the fans in attendance or at home. Airing the Bret Hart video package three times in one night got a little old. We all know what happened, and if you don't know by now, you don't care. WWE could save a lot of time by cutting some of, if not all of these things out and putting the focus back on what happens in the ring. The Bret Hart segments went a little long, but I feel it was deserved since it is truly an epic feud here.
Overall I think Raw was a notch or two above its normal standards. Was it enough to beat the "full steam ahead" TNA? Maybe not in the eyes of hardcore fans. But then again, WWE really doesn't need to try, does it? It has a built-in audience, whereas TNA is trying to grab viewers and turn them off to Vince's well-established product. Did TNA do enough to get the audience they wanted? We'll see.
I'll be discussing TNA iMPACT in my next article. Keep clicking.
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