killeroflegends

Since Randy Orton had first started his feud with the McMahons, I have been thinking about a heel turn from Stephanie. It did not happen after Vince got his punt, nor at No Way Out, nor after Shane got taken out. I think Orton giving Stephanie an RKO is not a sign that they are best friends forever. But what would a swerve look like?

It seems like it will be Triple H vs. Randy Orton at Wrestlemania. Triple H has already broken, or altered, the storyline world (kayfabe) by admitting that Stephanie is his wife, they have kids, and all that. That makes this feud personal. So what if Stephanie comes out at Wrestlemania and screws her husband? Where can the storyline head then? The WWE ignored that Triple H and Stephanie were married for years, so now that real life marriage will be on the rocks again? It will be all storyline, of course. What does Orton get? Was Stephanie having an affair with him? I do not think the WWE would go there. Maybe Stephanie just craved power? Maybe.

In the end, this is just very reaching speculation. Triple H and Stephanie will most likely remain on the same side against Legacy. But Legacy already looked so weak against the barbaric Triple H last Monday. Orton needs something to get some momentum on his side. Maybe he could punt Stephanie next?

I am not the only one wondering why Mickie James has only had one match in two months on TV. I have seen some fans say that she is still healing from her injury in November, was hurt in the car accident many weeks ago, and some even think she was actually arrested (based on the Cryme Tyme scheme segment where Mickie and “Hacksaw” met an arena cop), among other reasons as well. In the end, I still stand by the reason I have been hinting at a few times before, and there is only one person to blame. That is Mickie James.

Am I turning on Mickie James? Read what I say and decide for yourself. For months I have been saying that Mickie has not been getting time because the WWE wants to push Melina and Kelly instead. I am going to dig into that more. Why can they still not give Mickie time in some other way? She is the most popular diva they have. That is not an honor the WWE has given Mickie, or even want her to have, nor an honor wrestling news sites may hand Mickie, though a few of them have admitted her popularity, nor an honor I am tossing on her, even though she is my favorite of all time. That is an honor Mickie earned from the majority of the fans out there. Her pop is amazing during her entrance, and her wrestling skills can keep the audience captivated during matches. Maria may get a good pop at times during her entrance, but she is not a great wrestler, and  she does not have the popularity of Mickie James, not since that Playboy push ended anyway.

Back to Raw, the WWE believes that they must give other divas time to get over. Nothing wrong with that, but let me just make one point first. The WWE can try to create popularity for these women, but in the end, a lot of it depends on the talent of the individual. Practically every diva has had at least a debut angle. Some get over during this period, some do not. Mickie James did. What got her over? Was it just the “rub” from Trish Stratus (working with her and having her put Mickie over)? No. Many other women have had that rub, but none got so popular that the fans actually booed a face Trish and cheered the heel. The WWE did not work very hard to get Mickie James over. It was Mickie’s own charisma and ring psychology that got her over during her heel run, and it was her own energetic wrestling style, among other things, that keep her over during her present generic face run. The WWE has given Mickie very little in terms of intricate, successful storylines or feuds since 2006. Everything has been vintage WWE “You Have Title, Me Want Title” feuds. Few storylines and feuds that could have been great were cut off without a finish. Point is, no one can say that Mickie got her popularity through the WWE’s building of her, that she did no hard work of her own to earn that popularity, or that she is a botchfest in the ring.

So is the WWE right in wanting other women to get over? Of course. Are they right in burying Mickie to do it? You decide. It is still obvious that it is still Mickie’s fault. What were you thinking Mickie? Working hard? Sharpening your talents? Putting on solid matches? Showing a charisma to actually make the fans interested in the show? Wanting to perform? Caring about the business and the fans? This is all so disgraceful! I would not be surprised if Mickie James was arrested for doing these things. No. There are reasons why this burial is still not necessary.

WWE, make use of Mickie’s popularity. The fans love her for a reason. She has a unique combination of an energetic charisma and awesome wrestling skill. I honestly believe that Mickie James has raised the bar for all other divas in this way. That is why some divas are having trouble getting over. The fans appreciate what Mickie James is doing. Instead of the WWE using Mickie James as a symbol for the other women to work for, pushing them all to work harder, they get rid of Mickie James, bringing the bar back down. Was not the point of having guys like Finlay and Matt Hardy on ECW for them to work with the younger guys and represent something for them to work for? The WWE does not want to do that for the women? Or do they just not want Mickie James, who already is that over, to be the woman to do it? Think about it more. The WWE is not just burying Mickie James, but telling the fans that love her to alter their standards, pretty much lowering it for many, to start loving women who are not honestly at Mickie’s level of getting over by themselves. The WWE female wrestlers will not be improving in this way.

There is another way that the WWE can make use of Mickie James, not just by having her be a symbolic measuring stick for other divas to thrive for, but by having her actually go out there and work with these women. And Mickie has. Watch many tag matches last year. Mickie regularly does tag-team moves with women like Maria, Kelly Kelly, Candice, and Melina. Watch one of the 45,754 recent matches featuring Melina and Kelly Kelly teaming together. That team continuity is not really there. It seems very likely that Mickie James is the one suggesting these spots in her matches. You honestly think Maria did? And look at even singles matches. Many of the spots Mickie executes forces her opponents to show some strength and agility of their own. She actually forces them to work, or someone will get hurt, not to mention botch a move. Beth Phoenix has botched many of Mickie’s spots, proving that mediocre performances are safest for Beth Phoenix. But is Mickie trying to make the women she works with actually work something bad? She is pushing them to look good, not just make herself look good. And she does make others look good. I have written much on how good Mickie is at selling. She makes her opponents look like credible threats. Look at what she did in the ring with Layla. Layla is not a great wrestler in any way, but Mickie made her look strong. Mickie can do that for any woman, she has the talent.

Just like the WWE used Trish to give other women the rub, why can they not use Mickie, the most popular diva now, to still do it? I have already talked about how well Mickie can sell to make others look good. She also has the ring psychology to make her opponents look good. I remember her title rematch she got against Beth Phoenix in September 2008. Candice, the number 1 contender for the winner of the match, was at ringside. Mickie was giving Beth a threatening stare, making herself look focused and making Beth look like a threat herself. Beth, the genius she is in the ring, was busy smiling at Candice at ringside, ignoring Mickie. Mickie ended up just shrugging it off. How can Mickie make her opponent look good if she is getting buried? If the WWE and her opponent do not respect her, Mickie cannot be properly utilized to put anyone over. Look at her feud against Beth in January 2008. She actually started crying and acting frustrated after continuously losing. That bit of ring psychology was meant to make Beth look unbeatable. Even that could not help Beth get over. As I said before, the WWE can try to make these women popular, but much of it depends on the talent each wrestler has. Connect the dots, figure out why it was so hard for Beth to get over by herself before Santino. Even after, it is Santino and his talents that are getting her over. Nevertheless, just as Trish was used to get other women over, Mickie can do the same thing.

In the end, burying Mickie James because she is popular is not fair to her, her fans, the quality of matches, and will not help to improve the women of the WWE.

The fiery Christy Hemme may have been seen on TNA before her injury, but do not forget that she got her wrestling start in the WWE. In considering if she will ever be in the Hall of Fame, what does she have going for her? What does she have against her?

Christy started out in the WWE as the first winner of the infamous Diva Search, beating out a woman who only had Playboy going for her and no charisma at all during the contest, Carmella. Christy’s first feud was against this woman, leading to a lingerie pillow fight. I may be wrong, but I believe Christy is undefeated in these matches. Back to the Diva Search, it was definitely her playfully wild and sexy charisma that got the fans to vote for her. She was doing the splits in the WWE before Melina showed up on Smackdown. She also was ready to flaunt what she had, doing a Playboy photoshoot. This led to a feud with Trish Stratus and match at Wrestlemania in 2005. She was on the way to improving in the WWE, but was released. TNA realized her drawing power and hired her. Her improvement only continued. She was definitely on the path of gold until that injury. If she ever does become TNA Knockout’s Champion, and gets the dream booking associated with being top player of the division, the WWE may not only be crawling to get her back one day, they may just put her in the Hall of Fame. She was a WWE original, after all.

What does she have going against her? How about the fact that she came from the Diva Search? Many fans criticize this WWE invention. It got no real wrestlers to the business, just models. Some went on to improve well, like Michelle McCool, but others still need a ton of work, such as Maria. But Christy Hemme does not necessarily have to be harmed by her association with that. She will be remembered mostly for her charisma anyway. The WWE released her before she really got to hone her skill. Will the WWE acknowledge her TNA success? Only if that success continues. That is the key for her. If she can still make a huge name for herself there, in decades from now, after TNA is broken, the WWE may give her a place among the legends. She has to keep working for it, however. Unlike the other women I have looked at so far in figuring if they can ever be in the Hall of Fame, they may all be out of the WWE now like Christy, but she still needs to make that name for herself in wrestling to make it.

I have always believed that the WWE releasing Christy Hemme was not the smartest of moves, but I doubt she will ever be in the Hall of Fame. She did not really accomplish that much in the WWE. The Diva Search is not a grand title to hold up. She never showcased great wrestling talent in the WWE. Her main draw, her fiery charisma, has been seen in other sexy WWE divas, although Christy did take it to new levels of energy, but it also may have led to sloppiness at times. It is definitely up to what she does in TNA. After that injury, however, it may be all over. If that is the case, she has not accomplished enough in her wrestling and managing career there to really warrant the WWE to acknowledge her again. 

All the ECW women were used on ECW. Alicia, Katie, and Natalya all accompanied their men for their matches. Aside from Katie Lea, none really did anything interesting. At least they are getting used. Gabriel continues to be depushed, taking a loss. Burchill lost to Dreamer, but his problems with the Boogeyman continue. Tyson Kidd is still killing jobbers. More diva action should be coming soon to ECW.

http://www.wwe.com/content/media/video/vms/afterthebell/2009/february22-28/9438664

I really loved this new segment of the Cryme Tyme scheme involving Mickie James. Irwin R. Shyster is being interrogated by Cryme Tyme and Mickie, who have still not found out where “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan is. Music is still in the background, but at least it does not hurt the scene by making it look cheap as I felt the last two episodes were. Besides that, Kelly Kelly was not there adding to the cheapness. I.R.S. wants to be released by April 15th, believes kidnapping is almost as bad as not paying taxes, and there were some other tax jokes in there. Cryme Tyme did very good in being funny, but still maintained that serious atmosphere that created a little chill. I believe the setting also helped in that sense, as well as the choice of music. They did good in matching it up this week. The setting is a closed, dark space. The darkness does great in concealing Mickie for the first part of the segment. When she seems to come out of nowhere, that adds to the creepiness. The music was eerie and that fit the scene so well. In the end, it is either Cryme Tyme get Duggan back next week, or things do not look good for Mr. Shyster.

Speaking honestly as a critic, I think Mickie was wonderful tonight. I said before she was a good actress, I said before that this plot would let the people involved go to places they do not usually get to, and tonight proved that all for Mickie James. I already mentioned how her entrance into the scene worked well to add to that chilling, eerie atmosphere that was already there. Her dialogue was also great. She sounded strong and heelishly confident. That is right, I said heel! Sit back down, Mickie did not turn heel. I said before that the girl does not have to be psycho to be interesting. She has that charisma in her. “Oh, you look so angry.” Mickie mocked her prey first before trying for what she wants. Screaming in the ear of a tied-up man after just adds some more insult and injury to it. And I just loved how Mickie was positioned in between Cryme Tyme and behind I.R.S., which makes her seem like the boss of the group. It is like Mickie is trying out to be the small-sized villainess of some action movie, this being her audition. The direction of this segment was wonderfully done, the creation of the setting was great, they matched it to the music, I.R.S. did good in staying in his character while still reacting to the tense situation, Cryme Tyme kept the charisma there but modified it to match the overall tone, and Mickie came off looking like a heelish boss of the whole affair. Comedy, drama, suspense, a little sex appeal, craziness, and who knows what the next installment will bring? I hope the quality is as good as this one was. Everything was organized well to match the tone, and everyone did a good job acting.

I do not enjoy putting a picture of Vickie Guerrero up there, but of all the women, she arguably made the biggest statement tonight. Looking at the other women, I will make it short. Melina, Beth, Rosa. A few random divas were seen backstage while Triple H rampages through the halls, but that is just about the same as not getting used.

Before the mixed-tag match, Santino, Beth, Rosa, and Dolph Ziggler had a brief backstage promo to set up Ziggler as the tag partner, as well as to try to add some charisma to Beth. Speaking for possibly only myself, I did not find Santino that refreshingly funny tonight. It has been weeks since he has been that funny in the least. But this is about the divas, so I will move on.

Santino, Ziggler, and Beth took on Cryme Tyme and Melina. After so many recent weeks, not to mention certain segments last year, of Mickie working with Cryme Tyme, I will admit I was upset that Melina got to be their partner. But it makes sense. Melina is the face to push. Cryme Tyme is the only real face team on Raw, and seem to be getting their push back slowly. It makes sense to pair them together, booking-wish. Plus it is obvious that Beth and Melina are still feuding. Of any other face diva had Melina’s spot tonight, that would be a sign of them getting attention going into Wrestlemania building. The WWE does not want that. The two women started the match and did fine for the short time they were there. Some pretty good counters from Melina. Good to see Ziggler get used again. And it seems the WWE is putting some faith back in Shad, since he did get the pin on Santino. More comedy crap from Santino costs his team the match. Cryme Tyme and Melina defeat Santino, Ziggler, and Beth.

Stephanie is out selling the RKO. Do not think that she is really injured, she is not. The woman has taken Pedigrees, Twist of Fates, and a lot more painful bumps than an RKO, just to be back the next week. I hope to see her back soon, but it looks like Triple H will take over against Orton. Did you know Triple H and Stephanie were married? After all these years since they split up too? Amazing, isn’t it? I would like to see what they do if they ever want to take that out of kayfabe again in the future.

While Stephanie is out, Vickie Guerrero is in charge. Did the WWE love the heat she was getting that much? It helps to further Cena’s feud with Edge, so that explaisn her presence. Brand lines usually melt around Wrestlemania, and tonight was no different. Edge, Big Show, Chavo, and Kozlov all were there as well as Vickie. Will her reign of terror stick to Cena or go after other victims on Raw?

No Mickie James, Candice, Kelly, Layla, or Jillian tonight. No Lillian either, but she reportedly missed her flight to the arena. I did say that some of the women were seen backstage briefly, but that is crap. If it was promo time, I would not complain. Even if they only said one word, I would complain, but it would be better than being seen and not heard. Mickie James and Candice have had one match all year. Mickie has never seen a singles, match involving herself. Candice has not even been given a web angle, like Mickie has. I feel even worse for Mickie. She is being grouped with Candice, who has a fraction of the experience of Mickie and had a huge backslide in ring ability when she returned last fall. That can explain why the WWE is depushing Candice. Mickie suffered and injury a few months ago and competed sparingly through it. Even then, she never put on a performance as sloppy as what Candice did (You know what match I mean). Is that why Mickie is being depushed? That reason does not cover it. Mickie was being pushed aside even before her injury. Her feud with Jamie Noble against Regal and Layla was already being swept under the rug before her injury, and even before Cyber Sunday, where her match was a choice. They could have done it the next night on Raw, or even the week after, but the WWE had already decided to push Regal and forget about Noble and Mickie. I am sorry for the sidetrack, but I just want to show that Mickie has done nothing wrong as far as performance goes to warrant this treatment. This is her reward for working through an injury at a time where she was not in line for a push anyway? I still question why this girl did it. The WWE obviously mistreats you, but you still wanted to perform for the fans? I find that so amazing. Just to wrap up, I am still waiting to read a report from a wrestling news site that Mickie has not been used these past few weeks because Vince does not want anyone to confuse Mickie James with Mickey Rourke as they head into Wrestlemania. Please give me that reason to pull the trigger and blow my brains out. I would not put it past Vince.

Natalya recently blogged about a few issues, but what I am going to talk anout here is her idea of facing Trish Stratus. The WWE is reportedly pushing to get Trish to compete at Wrestlemania for one more match, but Michelle McCool is rumored to be the opponent they have in mind, not Natalya. Is Natalya even on the radar? She is an ECW diva now. Will the WWE even consider pushing and ECW woman at Wrestlemania? I doubt it. Moreover, Natalya just turned face. They will have a face vs. face match with no real build and feud? There is over a month until Wrestlemania, but I cannot see how they can push a big feud between Trish and Natalya in that time. ECW is too small a stage, Natalya would have to do something to really draw Trish into this feud to make it interesting, and Tyson Kidd would have to take a short backseat. I do not see it happening.

Another thing I found interesting is how Natalya phrased her comments. She was talking about it with Canadian pride and doing what she and Trish do best. She is talking like a face. Just a few months ago, I could have sworn that hype about Trish coming back first surfaced because Beth and Natalya talked badly about her. That was forgotten quickly. And even Trish talked about facing Natalya. Is everyone blind to the fact that, regardless of what wrestling talent she may possess, the WWE has not been big on pushing her for months. This hurts her from really getting over with the fans, and I do not mean the internet nerds like me, but the average fan who judges what they see more than real-life or backstage hype. If that continues, you will never see Trish vs. Natalya unless it is in some high school gym in Canada in 20 years.

The countdown to Wrestlemania continues. Some matches are already pretty obvious, like the major title matches. What about the Women’s Championship and Diva’s Championship? Nothing too sure yet.

One thing is for sure, no Playboy match this year. Cheer or boo, your choice. I am happy about that. The women of the WWE have reportedly been scrambling to pitch ideas to the creative team. Rumor has it that The Undertaker is pushing for his girlfriend to have a spot. I thought the days of this crap from Michelle McCool were over. I do not think I can complain too much, however. McCool has been the main force of Smackdown for a long time, whether by positive means or negative. Assuming McCool does get her match, will it be against Maryse, Maria, or possibly Gail Kim? What about Trish Stratus? The WWE may want to put these two together.

Just because Smackdown has a match does not mean that the Raw women cannot have one as well. Beth Phoenix and Rosa still have their angle going on. Melina is still Women’s Champion. If divas are pitching ideas, I have to believe Mickie James is trying her best. Melina and Mickie are friends. Can they be pushing to face each other? I honestly do not want to write an article next week about a diva who is missing her third Wrestlemania in a row. And lastly, whatever they do, please do not bunch all the women into some battle royal for the title and say that this is treating them right. I want a real feud. Let there be a storyline behind it. Has the WWE forgotten how to do this for the women?

Most should have seen the diva tag match now, Maryse/McCool vs Maria/Eve. It was not as bad as internet reports made it seem. It was a solid match. Was it spectacular? Most diva tag matches are not, and this one follows suit. Maryse did fine, and I like how her ring psychology is developing, but her arrogance still comes off as indifference to me, and a few other things. Save that for another day. Maryse and McCool win.

http://rajah.com/base/node/15190

WWE Superstars. Let me put it in simple terms, based on what Rajah says at least. It is a show for jobbers to get time. It is a show for the wretches that the creative team has nothing for. It pains me to see Mickie James on this list. Is she injured? No. Is she not getting a good response from the crowd? Keep trying, WWE, the burial is NOT working yet. Does she not have wrestling or acting talent? What do you think got her so over so fast? Has to be a combination of those two things. So what is going on? This burial is just getting disgusting now. News sites are lumping a 4-time Women’s Champion with people who are not great wrestlers in any way (Kizarny), generic jobbers with little success (Hawkins and Ryder), and just a bunch of rejects in the WWE’s eyes. Mickie James has now reached that level in the eyes of some? Do not let this burial work.

I could be wrong. Maybe this show will let these stars shine. Maybe it will feature a mix of jobbers, midcarders, and guys in the main event. Maybe the list is not really something to be ashamed of. Maybe this is just a talent pool with potential. Did I forget to mention one more thing this show is? It is a show for those who will be released. Scotty Goldman is on that list and was released shortly after the article was written. Things do not look good for Mickie James if this list means anything.

Take a look at what Smackdown will be offering:

The WWE has been quick as of late to answer things I talk about here. I asked just yesterday if Gail Kim would appear now that Maryse is back, and the WWE has given us this hype video for Gail Kim. What should you really take note of? This video seems to hint that Gail Kim will definitely be debuting on Smackdown, not Raw or ECW. The exact date is still an issue, but at least we know where she will be showing up. As I have been saying for months, Smackdown needs her badly. This is a great choice. Gail vs. McCool or Maryse vs. Gail can both be good. What if she debuts as a heel? I doubt it. I hope to see her very soon.

Michelle McCool has been carrying it for the Smackdown heel divas for a while now, but Maryse returned to this week’s Smackdown tapings to actually wrestle. About time. She has been out with an injury since December. Now she is just in time to get involved in the road to Wrestlemania. The faces are still pretty weak on Smackdown, so time will tell who she faces. Is this what they were saving Gail Kim for? Or will Michelle McCool win the title back somehow?

I will not spoil the return match results, but I have read reports of the match not being good based on audience responses. Do not be quick to judge any of the women too harshly. The faces, as I just said, are not that experienced on Smackdown. Maryse is also coming back from an injury. It is obvious that McCool would have to do a little more than her fair share. Besides that, I have read that the fans were not happy with missed spots in other matches that same night. Everyone botches, is sloppy, or just does not have the heart to perform now and then. The Undertaker and Big Show wrestled a casket match in the dark match that night that lasted about a minute. That must have stolen the show, right? Just wait and see how these women actually did first before judging for yourself.