The No Smark Zone 12: Fact Or Fiction. Ok I didn’t initially intend for it to be this way, but I already have four pages with F or F so I’m just gonna hold off on the rest until next week. In this column we will talk about Chris Benoit, Matt Hardy, Bobby Lashley, Johnny Nitro, and more. Today to help me out we have the esteemed boss of the IWF Mike Chaos. Also my favorite mod, Monkeystyle. We have the answer man Montana adding in his two cents and rounding out the panel we have a guy with one of the funniest sigs, Defiant One. Lets get to it!
In light of the Chris Benoit Tragedy and it’s coverage in the media, the WWE has taken a blow from which it will never recover.
Mike: FICTION. Of course it makes the WWE look bad but that's not going to make people stop watching. The media will give the WWE a bad name possibly but eventually it will blow over... if everyone will let it go.
Munk: FICTION. What's going to happen here is the exact same thing that happens any time the media take an interest in wrestling. They'll blow things out of proportion for a little bit, garner a little negative press, then go back to ignoring it like they always have.
Defiant One: FACT no matter what WWE does to repair its image, the media will not forget what Benoit did. If another wrestler is violent or is known to be using steroids it will always come back to Benoit. If anything the Benoit tragedy has given the media another bullet to use in their fight against pro wrestling.
Montana: FICTION. I wouldn't say "never Recovered" The wwe has been through this several times in the past, and it affects business a lot, but to say never recover, wouldnt be fact in my opinion. The wwe has great lawyers in my opinion, mainly because they specialize in the wwe, and all that goes on. If anyone were to fight against the wwe and its wellness program, simply doesnt know the ins and outs of pro wrestling. But i do think it will affect them. I think the results will be the wrestlers on their best behavior, and their body will tone down. Cm Punk will shoot to the main event scene with his all natural straight edge gimmick.
Kaedon:FICTION. While it will take some time, the media is going to get over this. They don’t particularly care about the WWE, they just need something to draw ratings. And a double murder/suicide along with a steroid scandal will work until someone in office gets a blow job from someone who isn’t his wife.
Johnny Nitro is the ideal choice for ECW champion as he is one of the brightest young stars in the ECW/WWE roster.
Mike:FICTION!!!! Nitro doesn't deserve the ECW title, but if he is being built up now for CM Punk to win the title so it means more and all that then I am for that.
Munk: Fact. Truth of the matter is, that's probably a little biased on my part since I've really been enjoying Mr. Nitro since he started, but in absence of having anyone else he was the best choice over all. Some say give it to Punk, and they will eventually. But you make more money with a face chasing a heel.
Defiant One: FICTION Johnny Nitro may have a bright future ahead of him but there were far better choices for ECW Champion right now. For example Cor Von, he is already built up, its more believable to place the strap on him, as opposed to Nitro who was just drafted and already won it. Not only that but WWE isnt really using Cor Von at the moment. Nitro could have been built up to be made a credible challenger and then won it. Rather than winning it and then becoming credible.
Montana: Fiction Johnny Nitro was not pushed right to the ecw title. There was no push. Its only been about two weeks, and he doesnt really seem to fit in. I would have taken Punk, Burke, Corvon, even Kevin Thorne over Nitro. I think Nitro will be fine as champion, but he wasnt the ideal choice.
Kaedon:Fact. They could have given it to Burke or Cor Von but then the two would have to most assuredly break up and the WWE seems to be changing their minds on that idea for now. Punk chasing for the title is better right now. Besides they just came off of a face having the title for a while, give the heel a shot.
The Smarkier “fans†of the IWC got a wakeup call with the last episode of Smackdown. Despite having “more wrestling†(8 matches) the show was still lackluster and shows that “not enough wrestling†isn’t the problem with the WWE.
Mike: FACT. I don't watch Smackdown and if I was able to watch it I still wouldn't. Maybe if the WWE would showcase the wrestlers with wrestling talent then maybe the IWC would be happy, but the WWE doesn't care and they shouldn't care either. They are a business in the entertainment industry.
Munk: Fact. More matches does not equal better quality wrestling. There were some solid matches on the show, no doubt, but most were less than average at best. Solid wrestling matches will definitely boost the WWE's stock amongst wrestling fans, but they need to realize that more is not necessarily better.
Defiant One: FICTION The IWC will always complain about something. Can't satisfy everyone all the time. If more shows are like last week's then you'd eventually hear stuff like "we want better storylines". If it isnt one thing its another.
Montana: Fiction. Some people are never happy. If you are a smark, you better know how the wwe runs its programming and matches by now. The SD roster underwent some changes, probably to the worst so it will take some time for them to really adjust. People want more wrestling, but they also want good wrestling, which is understandable. They dont have the wrestling talent they once had. But im not sure i would even call the show Lackluster. I thought there were some bright spots on the show. Cryme Tyme on SD looks like a great fit. MVP will likely be the MVP of SD. Edge will always be edge, im looking forwards to this Friday nights Smackdown.
Kaedon:Fact. Complete fact actually. Those matches, while solid, were FAR FROM spectacular. It proved 100% that more wrestling doesn’t mean it will be good.
Matt Hardy has turned into the new “Chris Benoit†of Smackdown as he has recently started to shoulder longer matches with the likes of Finlay thus filling a void that was going to be left by Benoit going to ECW.
Mike:FICTION. Matt Hardy could never fill Chris Benoit's shoes and I doubt anyone else on Smackdown could either... except for Finlay.
Munk: Fiction. Matt Hardy has been on the verge of a decent push in the WWE for years, I thinks its just a matter of the WWE finally noticing the pops he gets when he comes out. Also, I think he might've gotten nailed for the whole Lita/Edge thing and since Jeff's returned it seems like that heat is off of him. Whether he actually goes anywhere or not, I doubt it. But I'm hoping against hope.
Defiant One: FICTION Hardy was beginning to do this before Benoit was drafted. Now that Benoit is gone it is simply more noticeable. I think Hardy is easily one of the top wrestlers on SD, and lately WWE is starting to play to his strengths more.
Montana:Fiction. Matt Hardy has been doing that on Smackdown for about the last 2 years or so. Slowly he has been given more time, but Benoit has had almost no affect on Hardy. Hardy has earned everything he's gotten. Matt Hardy was producing match of the night on SD when Benoit was there most of the time.
Kaedon:I think that Matt Hardy is now the go to guy on SD for a great match. The WWE can now depend on him like they could depend on Benoit to produce a match to keep the hardcore wrestling fans interested.
The newest rivalry on Raw between John Cena and Bobby Lashley is going to go the way of HBK and Cena with neither one of them actually turning heel but just having it teased until the feud is over.
Mike:FACT. I don't see either one of them becoming a heel and I hope not. Cena is clearly the number 1 face no matter what anyone thinks or says about him and they seem to be building Lashley up and honestly Lashley would be no better as a heel than he is a face. He sucks. Zero charisma, and he could lose all the heat he has (if any) if he were to turn now. Think of it this way, it took so long for the people to like Lashley as a face if he were to turn now to heel and then a couple months down the road turn face again it could be hard to make the people like him again....... I just very much dislike Lashley, I am not a fan of anything he has done.
Munk:Fact. The fact that I couldn't care less about this feud aside, I don't see either of them turning heel. Which is too bad, I think its about time the WWE shocked us all with a drastic heel turn. Oh well.
Defiant One: FACT I think a Lashely heel turn is very possible but I just don't think WWE is ready the cross that bridge just yet. Lashley will most likely play a role similar to that of what HBK did a few months back. Do everything in his power to win the belt but just come up short. He will flirt with the heel turn but not turn the corner just yet. Which sucks cuz Lashley would probably be better suited as a heel.
Montana: 100% FACT. Thats exactly how i felt after raw went off the air. Cena vs HBK again. It should be a interesting match and fued, if it goes that far. Raw doesnt need another top heel in my opinion. They got Orton, Booker, Kennedy.
Kaedon:Factizzle. I don’t want to see either of them turn heel. There is much more entertainment to be had with Lashley subtly acting heelish than a full turn. Maybe if Lashley could talk Id agree with it, but he cant.
Well that’s it for this week. Next week, I PROMISE NEXT WEEK, I will have an answer to Soulpower’s request for me to talk about CM Punk. I will FINALLY REVEAL my top 5 PPV’s of 2005 and I will also have “I’m Not Buying It.†If you would like me to talk about something or someone, just ask and I will be happy to talk about it. Until next week, see ya on the flipside!
In light of the Chris Benoit Tragedy and it’s coverage in the media, the WWE has taken a blow from which it will never recover.
Mike: FICTION. Of course it makes the WWE look bad but that's not going to make people stop watching. The media will give the WWE a bad name possibly but eventually it will blow over... if everyone will let it go.
Munk: FICTION. What's going to happen here is the exact same thing that happens any time the media take an interest in wrestling. They'll blow things out of proportion for a little bit, garner a little negative press, then go back to ignoring it like they always have.
Defiant One: FACT no matter what WWE does to repair its image, the media will not forget what Benoit did. If another wrestler is violent or is known to be using steroids it will always come back to Benoit. If anything the Benoit tragedy has given the media another bullet to use in their fight against pro wrestling.
Montana: FICTION. I wouldn't say "never Recovered" The wwe has been through this several times in the past, and it affects business a lot, but to say never recover, wouldnt be fact in my opinion. The wwe has great lawyers in my opinion, mainly because they specialize in the wwe, and all that goes on. If anyone were to fight against the wwe and its wellness program, simply doesnt know the ins and outs of pro wrestling. But i do think it will affect them. I think the results will be the wrestlers on their best behavior, and their body will tone down. Cm Punk will shoot to the main event scene with his all natural straight edge gimmick.
Kaedon:FICTION. While it will take some time, the media is going to get over this. They don’t particularly care about the WWE, they just need something to draw ratings. And a double murder/suicide along with a steroid scandal will work until someone in office gets a blow job from someone who isn’t his wife.
Johnny Nitro is the ideal choice for ECW champion as he is one of the brightest young stars in the ECW/WWE roster.
Mike:FICTION!!!! Nitro doesn't deserve the ECW title, but if he is being built up now for CM Punk to win the title so it means more and all that then I am for that.
Munk: Fact. Truth of the matter is, that's probably a little biased on my part since I've really been enjoying Mr. Nitro since he started, but in absence of having anyone else he was the best choice over all. Some say give it to Punk, and they will eventually. But you make more money with a face chasing a heel.
Defiant One: FICTION Johnny Nitro may have a bright future ahead of him but there were far better choices for ECW Champion right now. For example Cor Von, he is already built up, its more believable to place the strap on him, as opposed to Nitro who was just drafted and already won it. Not only that but WWE isnt really using Cor Von at the moment. Nitro could have been built up to be made a credible challenger and then won it. Rather than winning it and then becoming credible.
Montana: Fiction Johnny Nitro was not pushed right to the ecw title. There was no push. Its only been about two weeks, and he doesnt really seem to fit in. I would have taken Punk, Burke, Corvon, even Kevin Thorne over Nitro. I think Nitro will be fine as champion, but he wasnt the ideal choice.
Kaedon:Fact. They could have given it to Burke or Cor Von but then the two would have to most assuredly break up and the WWE seems to be changing their minds on that idea for now. Punk chasing for the title is better right now. Besides they just came off of a face having the title for a while, give the heel a shot.
The Smarkier “fans†of the IWC got a wakeup call with the last episode of Smackdown. Despite having “more wrestling†(8 matches) the show was still lackluster and shows that “not enough wrestling†isn’t the problem with the WWE.
Mike: FACT. I don't watch Smackdown and if I was able to watch it I still wouldn't. Maybe if the WWE would showcase the wrestlers with wrestling talent then maybe the IWC would be happy, but the WWE doesn't care and they shouldn't care either. They are a business in the entertainment industry.
Munk: Fact. More matches does not equal better quality wrestling. There were some solid matches on the show, no doubt, but most were less than average at best. Solid wrestling matches will definitely boost the WWE's stock amongst wrestling fans, but they need to realize that more is not necessarily better.
Defiant One: FICTION The IWC will always complain about something. Can't satisfy everyone all the time. If more shows are like last week's then you'd eventually hear stuff like "we want better storylines". If it isnt one thing its another.
Montana: Fiction. Some people are never happy. If you are a smark, you better know how the wwe runs its programming and matches by now. The SD roster underwent some changes, probably to the worst so it will take some time for them to really adjust. People want more wrestling, but they also want good wrestling, which is understandable. They dont have the wrestling talent they once had. But im not sure i would even call the show Lackluster. I thought there were some bright spots on the show. Cryme Tyme on SD looks like a great fit. MVP will likely be the MVP of SD. Edge will always be edge, im looking forwards to this Friday nights Smackdown.
Kaedon:Fact. Complete fact actually. Those matches, while solid, were FAR FROM spectacular. It proved 100% that more wrestling doesn’t mean it will be good.
Matt Hardy has turned into the new “Chris Benoit†of Smackdown as he has recently started to shoulder longer matches with the likes of Finlay thus filling a void that was going to be left by Benoit going to ECW.
Mike:FICTION. Matt Hardy could never fill Chris Benoit's shoes and I doubt anyone else on Smackdown could either... except for Finlay.
Munk: Fiction. Matt Hardy has been on the verge of a decent push in the WWE for years, I thinks its just a matter of the WWE finally noticing the pops he gets when he comes out. Also, I think he might've gotten nailed for the whole Lita/Edge thing and since Jeff's returned it seems like that heat is off of him. Whether he actually goes anywhere or not, I doubt it. But I'm hoping against hope.
Defiant One: FICTION Hardy was beginning to do this before Benoit was drafted. Now that Benoit is gone it is simply more noticeable. I think Hardy is easily one of the top wrestlers on SD, and lately WWE is starting to play to his strengths more.
Montana:Fiction. Matt Hardy has been doing that on Smackdown for about the last 2 years or so. Slowly he has been given more time, but Benoit has had almost no affect on Hardy. Hardy has earned everything he's gotten. Matt Hardy was producing match of the night on SD when Benoit was there most of the time.
Kaedon:I think that Matt Hardy is now the go to guy on SD for a great match. The WWE can now depend on him like they could depend on Benoit to produce a match to keep the hardcore wrestling fans interested.
The newest rivalry on Raw between John Cena and Bobby Lashley is going to go the way of HBK and Cena with neither one of them actually turning heel but just having it teased until the feud is over.
Mike:FACT. I don't see either one of them becoming a heel and I hope not. Cena is clearly the number 1 face no matter what anyone thinks or says about him and they seem to be building Lashley up and honestly Lashley would be no better as a heel than he is a face. He sucks. Zero charisma, and he could lose all the heat he has (if any) if he were to turn now. Think of it this way, it took so long for the people to like Lashley as a face if he were to turn now to heel and then a couple months down the road turn face again it could be hard to make the people like him again....... I just very much dislike Lashley, I am not a fan of anything he has done.
Munk:Fact. The fact that I couldn't care less about this feud aside, I don't see either of them turning heel. Which is too bad, I think its about time the WWE shocked us all with a drastic heel turn. Oh well.
Defiant One: FACT I think a Lashely heel turn is very possible but I just don't think WWE is ready the cross that bridge just yet. Lashley will most likely play a role similar to that of what HBK did a few months back. Do everything in his power to win the belt but just come up short. He will flirt with the heel turn but not turn the corner just yet. Which sucks cuz Lashley would probably be better suited as a heel.
Montana: 100% FACT. Thats exactly how i felt after raw went off the air. Cena vs HBK again. It should be a interesting match and fued, if it goes that far. Raw doesnt need another top heel in my opinion. They got Orton, Booker, Kennedy.
Kaedon:Factizzle. I don’t want to see either of them turn heel. There is much more entertainment to be had with Lashley subtly acting heelish than a full turn. Maybe if Lashley could talk Id agree with it, but he cant.
Well that’s it for this week. Next week, I PROMISE NEXT WEEK, I will have an answer to Soulpower’s request for me to talk about CM Punk. I will FINALLY REVEAL my top 5 PPV’s of 2005 and I will also have “I’m Not Buying It.†If you would like me to talk about something or someone, just ask and I will be happy to talk about it. Until next week, see ya on the flipside!
