"Cop Outs" in Wrestling

[Sabretooth]

I'm not really sure if this is a cop out or not, but I want to say I was appalled by the way WCW "retired" the TV Championship. At one point, this title was used to make superstars out of the wrestlers in the lower cards. The TV title did wonders for the careers of Booker T, Chris Benoit, Steve Austin, and Arn Anderson just to name a few. However, near the end of the WCW Days, Scott Hall was the TV Champ and instead of defending the title he just throws it into the garbage. Not long after this incident, Hacksaw Jim Duggan (In his Janitor gimmick) finds the title in the trash and names himself the new TV Champion. The title was never really defended again (maybe at house shows and weekend shows no one watched) and was soon "retired". To me this was a horrible way of ending a legacy.

We went from having: Arn Anderson vs. Tully Blanchard in the 1980s; Steamboat vs. Austin in the early 1990s; Regal vs. Steamboat; Booker T vs. Benoit vs Martel; to having the great trashcan reign of Jim Duggan!

Well I guess you could say that was the easy way out.

 

[Petty]

Personally I think The Rock Beating Cena was awesome. I believe it was gonna lead to The Rock winning the WWE Title, holding it until Wrestlemania and dropping it to either CM Punk or Cena or a Triple Threat match of The Rock Vs CM Punk Vs Cena where they can slap the title on Cena. It still works cuz that would mean Rock put them over on the Mania. If it were me, I wouldn't ask my biggest draw whenever he does come back, even if it's only for alittle bit, we are gonna have you lose Wrestlemania in your hometown. Hell, I don't doubt The Rock and that if they asked, he would have done it, put him over in Miami, but they didn't.


And, if we wanna talk about Cop outs, how about the way they buried The Alliance in the Invasion angle. He made it seem like he had a home for WCW/ECW and for the first month, I was like man, this could shape up to be great for us wrestling fans, but right after WWE Invasion I slowly started to see his cop out. He didn't wanna give no one against him a chance. He took it out on PLENTY of amazing superstars that had DRAW value out the ass like most of the top WWE superstars and he decided to bury them for the simple fact, that Eric Bishoff and Ted Turner wanted to put him out of business. And I don't care, Vince can say he wasn't out to put anyone out of business, yes you was, just as much as they were too. I'm not complaining because The Monday Night Wars was fun, but he hurt the business really bad with the way he nuked everything not WWE related.

 

[Horrorfan_1986]

I'm not really sure if this is a cop out or not, but I want to say I was appalled by the way WCW "retired" the TV Championship. At one point, this title was used to make superstars out of the wrestlers in the lower cards. The TV title did wonders for the careers of Booker T, Chris Benoit, Steve Austin, and Arn Anderson just to name a few. However, near the end of the WCW Days, Scott Hall was the TV Champ and instead of defending the title he just throws it into the garbage. Not long after this incident, Hacksaw Jim Duggan (In his Janitor gimmick) finds the title in the trash and names himself the new TV Champion. The title was never really defended again (maybe at house shows and weekend shows no one watched) and was soon "retired". To me this was a horrible way of ending a legacy.

We went from having: Arn Anderson vs. Tully Blanchard in the 1980s; Steamboat vs. Austin in the early 1990s; Regal vs. Steamboat; Booker T vs. Benoit vs Martel; to having the great trashcan reign of Jim Duggan!

To be fair, the WCW TV Title had seen better days. In the last five years of the title, you had epic reigns of The Renegade (1995), Prince Iaukea (1997), Alex Wright (1997), Disco Inferno (1997), Fit Finlay (1998), Stevie Ray (1998) and of course Scott Hall (1999). In addition, you had a series of title changes between Benoit and Booker T on live shows that were never acknowledged on the TV shows. Same is true for the Johnny B Badd/Lex Luger title changes in 1995.

The belt had lost all of it's meaning once Eric Bischoff took over. Instead of being a gimmick belt like it had been in it's prime, it was just a secondary title for guys who aren't in the US or Crusierweight picture. Looking back, they should have got rid of the belt sooner.

 

[Swamps]

To be fair, the WCW TV Title had seen better days. In the last five years of the title, you had epic reigns of The Renegade (1995), Prince Iaukea (1997), Alex Wright (1997), Disco Inferno (1997), Fit Finlay (1998), Stevie Ray (1998) and of course Scott Hall (1999). In addition, you had a series of title changes between Benoit and Booker T on live shows that were never acknowledged on the TV shows. Same is true for the Johnny B Badd/Lex Luger title changes in 1995.

The belt had lost all of it's meaning once Eric Bischoff took over. Instead of being a gimmick belt like it had been in it's prime, it was just a secondary title for guys who aren't in the US or Crusierweight picture. Looking back, they should have got rid of the belt sooner.

I agree with you that they should have done away with the title a lot sooner than they had in WCW. I just didn't like the way WCW just had Hall throw the title away and Duggan (a man who has never really been all that relevant) find the title in the trash and begin defending the title. At one point, (arguably Austin's reign was one of the best in the WCW days) it was a very prestigious title. You had guys like Steamboat and Windham (both former World Champs) chasing Austin. I just hate the way they did the title.

 

[Citan]

Personally I think The Rock Beating Cena was awesome. I believe it was gonna lead to The Rock winning the WWE Title, holding it until Wrestlemania and dropping it to either CM Punk or Cena or a Triple Threat match of The Rock Vs CM Punk Vs Cena where they can slap the title on Cena. It still works cuz that would mean Rock put them over on the Mania. If it were me, I wouldn't ask my biggest draw whenever he does come back, even if it's only for alittle bit, we are gonna have you lose Wrestlemania in your hometown. Hell, I don't doubt The Rock and that if they asked, he would have done it, put him over in Miami, but they didn't.


And, if we wanna talk about Cop outs, how about the way they buried The Alliance in the Invasion angle. He made it seem like he had a home for WCW/ECW and for the first month, I was like man, this could shape up to be great for us wrestling fans, but right after WWE Invasion I slowly started to see his cop out. He didn't wanna give no one against him a chance. He took it out on PLENTY of amazing superstars that had DRAW value out the ass like most of the top WWE superstars and he decided to bury them for the simple fact, that Eric Bishoff and Ted Turner wanted to put him out of business. And I don't care, Vince can say he wasn't out to put anyone out of business, yes you was, just as much as they were too. I'm not complaining because The Monday Night Wars was fun, but he hurt the business really bad with the way he nuked everything not WWE related.

I agree with this, 100%

The way they treated WCW and ECW stars was just pathetic. Seeing them kiss Austin's, a WWF star, every episodes of RAW and Smackdown was pretty symbolic. I'm sure for Vince this was nothing more than him enjoying the spoils of the victory. Not saying the angle was a total disaster, because it wasn't. I think 2001 was the last solid year for both RAW and Smackdown before it all went downhill drastically in 2002 (for RAW at least, once Triple H was "awarded" the World Heavyweight title)

 

[Petty]

I agree with this, 100%

The way they treated WCW and ECW stars was just pathetic. Seeing them kiss Austin's, a WWF star, every episodes of RAW and Smackdown was pretty symbolic. I'm sure for Vince this was nothing more than him enjoying the spoils of the victory. Not saying the angle was a total disaster, because it wasn't. I think 2001 was the last solid year for both RAW and Smackdown before it all went downhill drastically in 2002 (for RAW at least, once Triple H was "awarded" the World Heavyweight title)

No doubt. Most of 2002, 2003 and 2004 I didn't watch WWE. Period.

 

[Kushikimi]

And, if we wanna talk about Cop outs, how about the way they buried The Alliance in the Invasion angle. He made it seem like he had a home for WCW/ECW and for the first month, I was like man, this could shape up to be great for us wrestling fans, but right after WWE Invasion I slowly started to see his cop out. He didn't wanna give no one against him a chance. He took it out on PLENTY of amazing superstars that had DRAW value out the ass like most of the top WWE superstars and he decided to bury them for the simple fact, that Eric Bishoff and Ted Turner wanted to put him out of business. And I don't care, Vince can say he wasn't out to put anyone out of business, yes you was, just as much as they were too. I'm not complaining because The Monday Night Wars was fun, but he hurt the business really bad with the way he nuked everything not WWE related.

For some reason I always believe in competition... If I were Vince in that situation I would have bought WCW and ECW, but kept them as separated entities. I would have earned a lot of money due to revenues and I would've kept the interest in the sport because there was "competition" in front of the TV, even when behind it, it was the same man running the show.

 

[Petty]

For some reason I always believe in competition... If I were Vince in that situation I would have bought WCW and ECW, but kept them as separated entities. I would have earned a lot of money due to revenues and I would've kept the interest in the sport because there was "competition" in front of the TV, even when behind it, it was the same man running the show.

Which is what HE act like we was gonna do with putting Shane Mcmahon in charge of WCW. I'm really disappointed in Vince.

 

[Kushikimi]

Which is what HE act like we was gonna do with putting Shane Mcmahon in charge of WCW. I'm really disappointed in Vince.

That's my point... I wouldn't have acted like... I would have done it. It was a win/win situation for him in the money part (or at least I think of it that way)

 

[Petty]

That's my point... I wouldn't have acted like... I would have done it. It was a win/win situation for him in the money part (or at least I think of it that way)

Me too. I agree with you 100 percent. But he screwed it up.