Jan 14 2009
Notes On Victoria And Mickie James And The Burchills Vs. DJ Gabriel & Alicia Fox
Katie Lea and Paul Burchill took on DJ Gabriel and Alicia Fox on ECW. The WWE showed that they want to continue Gabriel’s win streak, as he got the win. The match itself was pretty short. They wanted to save all the time for the main event. Nevertheless, the women got to mix it up a bit. Solid showing, but I am not overly impressed as I was last week, when they had time to work. I cannot really condemn the women for that. Alicia Fox showed that same agility that I noted last week, and to which I still compare the ability of Mickie James. I also noticed her jumping on the ring apron trying to rally the fans. Forgive me again, but that did remind me of Mickie James as well. Alicia has some agility and charisma, but I want to see her offensive arsenal, her finisher, more of her selling ability, and more of her ring psychology overall. It is obvious some fans are getting on her side, so that means it is time to start looking at what this woman can really do.
Some may not like that I am comparing Alicia Fox to Mickie James. I do it for two reasons. First, her agility and trying to rally the fans in the manner she did honestly remind me of Mickie James. Second, as I will openly admit, I am a Mickie James fan. It is not because I am her fan that I will blindly attribute all these great qualities to her. I am not that kind of wrestling fan. It is because I am honestly able to see these qualities of greatness in Mickie James that I am her fan. I will not say Mickie James can do anything and everything. I will not say that she can lift The Big Show over her head. When another diva does something I like that I think is unique to her, I will credit her for it. Nevertheless, for me, Mickie James remains the overall measuring stick.
If you have read the spoilers for this week’s Smackdown, Victoria announced her retirement after her match. She announced her impending retirement months ago, then retracted it, teased it, and now supposedly does it. I am not even sure if this is an angle, especially with the ups and downs Victoria has been playing with the fans’ emotions. On next week’s episode, it seems like pure business as usual, no mention of Victoria, according to spoiler reports anyway. If it is true, the Smackdown heels have Michelle McCool, Natalya, and Maryse, who is injured. The faces as Maria, The Bella Twins, and possibly Eve, who is training to wrestle still. There is an unbalance anyway you look at it. Add Gail Kim to Smackown and things get even more interesting, depending if she is a face or not. Do not think that this is all the attention I will give Victoria. I am just waiting to see what the WWE itself says about it, as well as news sites. Victoria has played with my emotions before, and I do not like being fooled twice, although it seems likely that she has retired. I will definitely dedicate a post solely to Victoria once I am sure.
http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/articles/8328268/9120126
Last week, Mickie James had a minor role in a segment involving Jim Duggan talking to Cryme Tyme on walkie-talkies. I did not think it would lead to her involvement. I think most fans may have thought that. In this week’s installment of that WWE Mobile plot, Mickie James actually gets more involved with it. I have not viewed the footage yet, but I am sure it will make its way on youtube. Last week’s segment did.
I have mixed feelings about this. On the one hand, I am ecstatic that Mickie James is getting an angle while Melina and Beth feud. It is also, to my knowledge, the first plot treated as a WWE Mobile exclusive, I believe. There have been web show plots, and even matches, before. Heat is not around anymore, but the WWE still puts matches on their website occasionally which can only be viewed there. It makes it a little more cool that Mickie gets to be a part of it. On the other hand, it is a very minor plot. Cryme Tyme are not getting a great push, Duggan is treated like a joke, and now Mickie is thrown in with these guys. She has the charisma to attempt the part, but she can also wrestle a pretty good match to say the least. I do not see how this plot can turn into a real feud and match for Mickie. It is only something to keep her busy, but I cannot complain. Hopefully, if it gets enough attention, it will make its way onto Raw itself.
Also, I am glad to see Mickie working with Cryme Tyme again. Ever since CTC (Cryme Tyme Cena) was formed last year, I was hoping Mickie could get involved. She had the romance angle with Cena then. Since then however, Cena has been written away from both Cryme Tyme and Mickie James. So Mickie and Cryme Tyme still cannot work together? Having Mickie as a valet is an easy but great way to still use her well. Fans get to see her, she gets to get involved in promos sometimes, and there can be mixed tag matches and complexed feuds involving men and women. I mentioned her teaming with Ziggler a few days ago. I knew the WWE would not go anywhere with that, and I expect nothing from Mickie’s segment with Rhodes last night, but this Cryme Tyme angle is at least going somewhere at the moment, so it has potential. Mickie can stay face and join a very over face tag team. Time will tell if it plays out like that, but I am happy for Mickie James overall.
Did not catch the ECW match yet. Hope it is good.
It is a shame that Victoria leaves, I really like her style. I think she is very interesting wretler which did not get enough chances to shine.
About Mickie James, here is a point to consider regarding the WWE uses of her. I think they might not wish to “bury her popularity”, but instead, they kind of take it for granted. This “plot for cellulars” buisness is obviously something which needs to be pushed, and they may use her for this exact reason: to push the unpopular like Ziggler and this phone buisness (instead of shining in the popular spotlight). If this the case, after few experiments like these, wether they will succeed or not they will return her to do what she knows best.
It is like, they are trying to push other diva, but always tell us “We remember Mickie James, she will be back!” in small ways.
It might be wishful thinking though, but never the less, I hope it is correct.
That is an optimistic view to take on how they use Mickie James.
Just looking at how they have treated her in the past, I can just find better support to believe the pessimistic view. The second Candice returned from injury in early 2008, Mickie dropped off TV, despite being in the midst of her feud with Beth. She stayed off until Wrestlemania. Candice got hurt again, Ashley took her spot. Mickie was the third choice to win the title from Beth, not even second. Recently, the last real feud she had was when she teamed up with Noble to take on Regal and Layla, only that match never happened. Dropped without a finish. They never even gave Mickie any real promo time for it, just Regal, Noble, and Layla.
I am not expecting Mickie James to always be in the spotlight, but just don’t drop her in the midst of a feud, keep her off TV for long periods of time, and then give her useless segments when she is used. If they take something like Mickie’s popularity for granted, it may not still be there when they are ready to push her again. That is not fair to the woman who worked hard to get over, and stay over. I am liking this Cryme Tyme plot so far, I just saw the segment, and Mickie is able to step out of that “always happy” persona so many people incorrectly say she always has. I just hope it does not get dropped like many other things the WWE gives her.
Optimism was always one of my sins.
I will agree to one thing, taking Mickie’s popularity for granted can back fire and reduce it in the long run. This is already happening, I guess, but she is still very popular.
It is their choice and their legal property, but it is a shame to jeupredize the hard work of Mickie for all sorts of reasons. This is, though, part of the risks in this buisness, and it seems that Mickie knows that as well.
I, however, am a comic book fan, “trends” affect me less than the WWE wishes to believe, so for me, Mickie will be for a very long time “The best”, even if all waht she will do is to sing on stage… Hopefully there are enough fans which will stay with Mickie in the times she is not used very much.
It is still not a good way to treat talent. I even feel terrible calling them that. These are people, human beings. They have emotions, they think, they get mad. One small cause can have huge effects down the road. I am not talking only about Mickie and the past. But many other superstars, new and old, who the WWE has lost because of mistreatment. More than once, they have to be sorry they did it.
I am sure that Mickie is taking it like a veteran, she has been doing this for about a decade now, but it gets to many of her fans. When that happens, they sometimes criticize and blame Mickie, as if it is her own fault she is not in the spotlight. Then that might come back and hit her. It is a tough life.