Hey, readerland. How we doin, my friends? Well, I hope. Thanks for joining me in another edition of the Ogre's Den. Today, we're going to be looking at an annual tradition this time of year: the WWE's post-Wrestlemania firing spree.
Now, when you read other blogs about this topic, I'm sure you'll see a lot of people talking about various midcard talent who need to be fired because they're boring or can't connect with the audience or something like that. I'm taking a slightly different approach. My approach isn't from a business standpoint (as you'll see why shortly) or an IWC (internet wrestling community) standpoint. No, this is the standpoint of me, a fan.
Now, I may catch a lot of heat for this, but hey...my opinions are as good as anyone else's. If you don't agree with me, leave a comment or write a blog of your own.
Slightly off topic, but kinda on: Here's another guy's thoughts on who to fire. He writes good stuff: http://www.lopforums.com/entry.php/596-Blog-Watch-43-%28-Let-s-Play-the-Firing-Game-%29 There ya go, Watcher. A plug.
Anyway, back on topic. Who would The Ogre fire if he were the one paying the bills? I'll tell you who: The Undertaker and Triple H. Okay, maybe "firing" isn't the right word, but if were up to me, I would say to them, "Look. You guys are legends and you just had an incredible match at Wrestlemania. However, I'm asking you guys to step away from your in-ring career so that we can make some more room at the top."
Let's look at why. The Man from/Demon of Death Valley. The Phenom. The Deadman. The Last Outlaw. The Undertaker. One of the most revered wrestlers of all time and a 7-time heavyweight champion. Every year at Wrestlemania time, the main question floating around the wrestling world is: who is going to challenge the Undertaker's undefeated streak. Let's set aside for a moment the fact that the "streak" is in a sport (yes, it's still a sport) that has predetermined finishes. At Wrestlemania, whether he's 100% or not, the Undertaker always puts on one Hell of a match. His last two with Shawn Michaels were simply amazing. If you can, I suggest you find them and watch them if you haven't already. One of the most impressive men in the ring and great on the mic, most of the time. But.
The Undertaker is forty-five years old and has JUST come back off of the injured reserve, if you will, and rumors are going around that the injury to his shoulder, a torn rotator cuff, is SO bad and he waited SO long to take care of it that there's most likely going to be permanent damage to his shoulder. Rumors also say that he's not even 100% on what he can do with a damaged shoulder, so what kind of shape is he going to be in after he throws himself into his Wrestlemania match, especially since it's a No Holds Barred match? Mostly likely, really bad shape. This, if for no other reason, the Undertaker should hang up his boots after Wrestlemania.
It's not that difficult to put together, either. Taker comes out on the Smackdown after Mania and says, "I have beaten immortals and I have beaten icons. I have beaten everyone they've put in front of me for 19 years at Wrestlemania. There are no more challenges left for me, so The Last Outlaw is riding off into the sunset." That's it. Nobody comes out to say, "No, wait. I can beat you" or something similar. Taker simply walks out of the ring and heads to the back, stopping one more time to acknowledge the fans and then goes through the curtain. Now, obviously, you'd still keep him around, maybe as a road agent or a booker, or even special appearances, but after Wrestlemania, in my opinion, the Undertaker's in-ring career should end.
The Cerebral Assassin. The Game. The King of Kings. Triple H.
Part of one of the most beloved groups of all time, Degeneration X, and a 13-time heavyweight champion. Triple H has more intensity than any other wrestler I've ever seen. While he's not a personal favorite of mine, I will never argue that he is one of the best brawlers in the ring and one of the best on the mic. But.
Triple H is forty-one years old and is also coming back from an injury, a torn bicep. As far as I know, this is his third major muscle tear, the other two being his quads. Is he 100% from the bicep tear? I don't know. He has wrestled a few times since the end of October, so he's probably good to go for Wrestlemania, which is good, considering he'll probably have to do most of the carrying to get the Undertaker through the match. One good thing about Triple H is that it's been announced that he has accepted a role as Executive Senior Advisor to Vince McMahon, which means H knows his time in the ring is coming to an end and is working on the business part of the WWE. I wouldn't be surprised if the No Holds Barred match becomes Streak vs. Career.
Here's the thing. Regardless of whether they are the Main Event at Wrestlemania, they are being considered 'the main event.' The main problem *I* see is that here are two men, both past their wrestling primes, both coming off of serious injuries. I see this as a problem because those are two spots on the Mania card that could be used for an Intercontinental title, a Diva's title or a tag team title match, among other matches you could do. Granted, you could toss out the 6-person mixed tag team match and just make it John Morrison vs. Dolph Ziggler (my pick for stealing the show) and more people would be happy, I think. I know I would. And don't get me started on The Rock.
Am I saying that Taker and Triple H are lame horses that need to be put down? No. Well, mostly no. What I'm saying is that I personally don't want to watch another Wrestlemania match by the Undertaker and then have him gone for the next ten months due to injuries. Taker, I know you're not reading this, but I want to say, as a fan...please. Make this the Last Wrestlemania for the Last Outlaw.
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