Dear #WWEUniverse: You Lack Vision Re: The #DivasRevolution

I've watched every WrestleMania since 2.  Yes, that far back.  I used to love watching GLOW (Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling) which I felt was sorely under-appreciated at the time, and I've seen the evolution of women's wrestling in WWF/WWE over time.  It's had ups and downs.  Just like its tag team division.

Looking at things from an era perspective, nobody can argue that the Attitude Era shined with respect to the women.  Trish Stratus and Mickie James basically headlined WrestleMania.  Their storyline was so much in focus that, with the exception of upper tier players like HHH, the event was largely forgettable.  That's how you build a feud.  We've never seen anything like it since Trish/Lita.  You even had the women winning men's titles (Chyna won the IC title, Marlena/Terri Runnels won the Hardcore Title).  It gave them exposure they lacked otherwise.

Fast forward to now.  Triggered largely by short, laughable women's matches and terrible booking, this idea of a "Divas Revolution" hit the forefront.  Everyone's got an opinion on who kicked it off: AJ Lee, Paige, Natalya, Beth Phoenix (?), etc.  I would argue that, if you look far enough back, the resurrection of women's wrestling really started with Maryse.  Yes, Miz's wife, Maryse Ouellet.  Stay with me here.

Once the longest reigning Divas Champion, Maryse was not a super talent in the ring.  She botched moves, she didn't have a strong moveset.  But what she did have are traits that 99% of current WWE stars lack, and it is these that made her a strong character.

Absolutely Gorgeous

The woman oozes sexuality.  She always did.  Her French accent just helped the matters.  You couldn't help but look at her, she was so gorgeous and still is.  Very strong crossover appeal (but she didn't stay around long enough to capitalize on it with WWE).

Where this came in even better was her feud with Kelly Kelly, another visually appealing yet technically lacking Diva.  I argue that the two of them had in-ring chemistry that they lacked against everyone else, with the possible exception of Beth Phoenix (who lacked charisma).  It's like in school, where you've got the girl who all the jocks want but can't have (Maryse), then you've got the girl all the jocks joke about already sleeping with, true or not (Kelly).

A Nearly Flawless Heel

Maryse was a face for a hot minute.  Most people didn't know that.  She even had face theme music that would remind people of the sort of bubble gum feeling that Brie Mode gives you.  But it was her heel run that she shined in.

1. She had a finisher that people didn't kick out of (DDT).  This is key.  Stone Cold also called this out as a problem in current WWE.
2. She had a unique pin that you can't forget (you know how your girl will lay on you?  Yeah, that), complete with a pieface afterwards (ultimate heel move).
3. She had a unique ring entrance (hair flip, wink and flirt), like HHH has his water spit. It's something you remember about her.
4. She would laugh evilly at her opponent, at the crowd, at herself, etc. after landing a strong move.  Again, ultimate heel behavior.
5. She put a twist on her Camel Clutch by widening her legs (adding leverage), swaying and laughing with the occasional tug.

It wasn't until WWE started putting her into "take your boyfriend" storylines that her red hot momentum cooled (Ted DiBiase, Deuce & Domino).  

The Deuce & Domino story was a problem only because Cherry Pie (Kara Drew) was so perfect a fit for an OVW-established tag team/manager combination that splitting them up just didn't make sense.  We see that now with Lana & Rusev.  

The Ted DiBiase storyline was a problem because DiBiase Jr. has zero charisma, and couldn't connect with Maryse except to use her as a figurehead on his arm, which destroyed her credibility.  We see that now with Summer Rae and whatever other male they pair her with.  

The reason I picked Maryse as the real kickstarter for the revolution, if there is one, is that she was the first one in a long time that WWE has booked strong despite having literally no experience as a wrestler.  

WWE wants crossover appeal.  They want women that can be more than just WWE talents.  They want ones that are going to show on national television, to a wider audience, in the hopes that it will bring in more viewers.  I'm not going to waste your time ranting about why this is a faulty strategy, I'm just calling it like I see it.  

Here's the thing: the women they're bringing up from NXT are helping this process, but not in the way people think.  Everyone has this faulty impression that WWE is going to wash out Divas like Alicia, the Bellas,  etc. in favor of women wrestlers like Sasha and Becky.  That's not what they're doing, nor should it be.  

A strong roster has a blend of different types and characters, with the occasional perfect pairing, and perfect opposition.  I would say that AJ Lee and Paige made a perfect pair in terms of tag teams, but horrible opponents in the ring.  That's more about AJ than Paige though: AJ's style in the ring seemed to only really shine against lesser opponents like Rosa, Eva, and Alicia.  Paige seemed to only shine against mat wrestlers like Natalya.  Every other Diva is in a state of flux with their styles.  WWE is adding different talent and skills to that pool to try and create interest in the division.

Enter this woman: Eva Marie.

Eva Marie came to WWE at the same time Total Divas was launched.  She is the poster child for crossover, except for one key thing: She couldn't wrestle worth a damn when she came in.  WWE has been pushing to get her up to speed, but she originally took a passive interest and only really focused on the modeling.  At some point she decided she would go for it, training with Brian Kendrick, and she has been showing improvement in every match she's in.  

At the moment, she has one of the two key traits I called it in Maryse: beauty.  She has not been developed as an effective heel yet, despite her very heat already contributing to it.  Just kind of "there" as someone who's trying hard and ignoring the fans.  That might work long term, we'll have to wait and see.  

I pride myself on being at the forefront of the #GiveEvaAChance movement, because I clearly recall how bad Trish Stratus was when she first started.  I think it's unfair to beat Eva up for botching when everyone does it.  Samoa Joe, a veteran, nearly killed Tyson Kidd with his finisher.  It happens.  You accept the risks when you sign on.

The only real thing holding her back is her age; being in her 30's and trying to thrive in WWE's "young talent" climate will be a challenge.  I applaud her for trying to overcome that.

But she's also highlighted a key gap in WWE: thus far, the only person she's had a good match with is Bayley.

I'm not dissing Bayley; if anything it's a testament to her skill to carry a wrestler with lesser talent, but it also shows that styles make matches.  Bayley's character does not have strong crossover appeal, but her in-ring skill allows her to develop matches with others that do, while at the same time drawing talent to the brand that want to headline matches with her and, as a result, draw fans that want to see "dream matches".   WWE is pushing Bayley strong: at some point she will be the face of NXT, easily.  Not Tyler Breeze, not Apollo Crews.  Bayley.  That's huge, and many fans don't see it.  It allows so many doors for women that were closed shut before, and she will get an opportunity to hit an amazing status if she keeps up with the pace (and the writers don't screw it up).  But she didn't get here alone.

When Snoop Dogg's cousin came to NXT, I wrote her off.  Not because I didn't believe in her skill, but because she's black and, with slight exceptions (Jazz, Jacqueline), WWE doesn't believe in pushing black wrestlers.  But Sasha Banks has truly owned the BOSS gimmick end to end.  She's gone from face to heel, and it is her heel side that has shined (as with Maryse).  She plays to the crowd, she generates heat when the crowd is cheering for her as a heel.  She is singularly responsible for Bayley's momentum, because she was the perfect heel against the perfect underdog face (shades of Flair/Steamboat, and Dusty knew it).  Fantastic charisma and in-ring talent the likes of which we haven't seen since Michelle McCool.  Her character has almost zero crossover appeal, but doesn't need it, because she's often paired with those that have it.

My only complaint now with Sasha: they shouldn't do the segments with the New Day.  It "exposes too much of the business".  If you're going to push her as a dominant boss heel, she shouldn't be twerking and doing cart races with New Day.  They should be conspiring with each other to dominate their divisions, with the occasional insults.

Once Sasha got over strong, and WWE felt they could trust her to develop stars in the ring, she needed an equal (this is where we see Benoit/Angle).

Daughter of the "Nature Boy" Ric Flair comes around, and it's only natural she be paired with Sasha Banks.  The two of them would have great matches, but I would argue that their chemistry felt off for some reason, mostly because of Charlotte.  Great wrestler, tremendous talent, but simply no charisma whatsoever.  It's Beth Phoenix all over again.  But what Charlotte brought to the table was the perfect challenge for arguably the most talented women's wrestler in all of WWE.  

But these women are not here to replace the Divas.  They're here to elevate and support them as they (hopefully) get better.  Now that they're established, each has a critical role to play in the future of the women's division.  Bayley will have NXT on her shoulders for the time being, with (probably) occasional guest appearances from the others.  But Bayley is at the forefront and must showcase why she belongs there until she builds the "next her", at which point she will likely transition to the main roster.  Sasha and Charlotte are there to add credibility to the main roster and help the women put on quality matches, rather than filler.  At some point Eva Marie will either wash out or become a strong contender.  It's too early to call it, but my guess is that Eva will be added to the main roster and bypass the feud with Bayley.  Summer Rae and Lana are still around and winding up their love angle (hopefully) to where they will get in the mix, and they will need strong opponents that can carry them to quality matches (especially Lana).

The ideal outcome of the Divas Revolution?  We identify real quality feuds and chemistry that lend themselves to "the next Trish", or "the next Lita" or "the next Mae", or dare I say, "the next Rock/Austin".  But the vision is not to wash out who's there, the vision is to support and build the roster with strong talent against not-so-strong talent, in a cycle.

Racism Lives Forever. #HulkHogan

The Immortal Racism.

I already know that despite the intent of this article, I'm sure to get attacked.  That's fine.  I've got a thick skin.  I've learned to "Rise Above Hate", or at least, ignore it.

Quick back note: I've experienced both closet racism and blatant racism.  Closet in the sense that I've worked at jobs where clearly, those around me thought less of me because of my skin tone (since the quality of my work often exceeded others), blatant in that the friend I knew the longest (who was white) once called me "The N Word" right in front of a group of others simply because he was angry about a girl he liked that was attracted to me.  A white girl.  So yes, I know a bit about racism.

Racism isn't just about physical harm.  It's a thought process; an illogical one.  You simply think less of a person who isn't of your same race.  You might not even hate them as a person; you just don't think much of them compared to yourself.

Much has been made of  the recent news regarding Hulk Hogan, and I want to clarify points, because I'm seeing really disturbing responses.  Most everyone knows the name "Hulk Hogan", whether it's because you saw him as a wrestler or you saw him in movies.  At a point, his character transcended anything: the will to survive insurmountable odds, the physical strength to overcome what normal men couldn't.

Now, he's associated with something that people thought Hillbilly Jim would be better suited for.

The interview where he went on a rant IS NOT the talk show where he talked about how he just got used to saying "nigga" with his "black friends".

You see, some years ago, Hulk Hogan was BFF's with Bubba "The Love Sponge", a radio shock jock.  For some stupid reason, Sponge literally pimped his (ex) wife out to Hogan and video taped not only the performance, but their conversation while he was in an adjacent room.  When the news broke, there was Safe-For-Work snippets released of this performance, but very little.  The situation went to court and a deposition was taken, because there was no consent to release the footage.

http://gawker.com/5948770/even-for-a-minute-watching-hulk-hogan-have-sex-in-a-canopy-bed-is-not-safe-for-work-but-watch-it-anyway

Now, it is apparently during this video that Hogan made these comments.  There may have been a confidentiality agreement in place, which is why we hadn't heard about this before and why Hogan's now-lawyer is saying they're going to go after whoever leaked the footage.  It was never meant to be heard by the public and in fact, it's surprising that WWE even hired Hogan back (he wasn't working there when the footage was released) given they stated they had a policy that they wouldn't hire anyone with a sex tape.

The catch: Gawker is who originally broke the story, and was later silenced by a judge (but refused).  They posted the footage on their website, but then got sued and had to take it down per court order.

Fast forward to 2015.  Early in the morning, Twitter lights up with news that WWE.com has apparently begun scrubbing Hulk Hogan.  No known reason why at this point - though his recent matches and interactions appear to still be available (he's in or referenced in at least half of WWE's history, I would imagine!)

Later, it's discovered that a transcript has been leaked.  The transcript is from the full deposition from the sex tape fiasco, and apparently, WWE officials (probably, Vince himself) has watched the video and determined that it was clear Terry Bollea (Hulk Hogan's real name) was a racist, and not appropriate for PG WWE.  Somewhere, an instruction was sent to distance from Bollea, and a page written indicating that he was terminated.

For many hours Hogan trended as people made fun of the situation, but it is here that I saw the disturbing replies.  I won't repeat what was said and I won't link to the transcript, because I don't want people excusing bad behavior.  But let me get on to my points now that you understand the real genesis of this story.

People have to learn and understand that they can't just say whatever about people.  Stop and process what you're thinking of saying and make sure it's not about to offend people or get you arrested; or, if you believe you have every right to share it, then accept and own the negatives of that decision.

A not-so-wise character once said, "choice is an illusion".  I don't agree.  Choice is all we have.  You make choices all the time; some good, some bad.  But when you can control the situation, you maintain power over it even when you are in the wrong.  In this situation, Hogan was being filmed, presumably didn't know, but the problem is he was talking to someone and saying things that could harm his reputation.  Again, this is a guy who was at the forefront of what it meant to appeal to children: say your prayers, eat your vitamins, etc.  He was a figurehead.  He had to always act that way, even if he didn't believe it (I'll get to THAT later).  

Hogan had a choice of words.  He could have said, "I feel like all I've done to benefit my daughter, she hasn't appreciated, because she's turning to other resources that I don't agree with".  Instead, he went on a total tirade and denigrated an entire race of people, and it all centered (presumably) around his disagreement with his daughter's choice of boyfriend.  That's bad.  It's not what you say, it's how you say it.

Now, flip this.  Benedict Cumberbatch gave an article where he referred to "coloured people".  In context, he was referring to fellow actors of color, but because of his heritage he said the first thing to come to mind, and he didn't expect any sort of backlash because he wasn't referring to them negatively; he was actually talking about them not getting fair opportunities compared to white actors.  But he got literally roasted for that slip and apologized for his ignorance.  He didn't know that it was a sensitive thing, and realistically, he shouldn't have been attacked; unfortunately, he needed to assume that certain words or terms would be taken wrong in context.

That's the unfortunate state of society today.  You can't just say what you want.  People will jump down your throat for it.

It's not about "free time" or "personal time".

I saw this excuse quite a few times.  That he wasn't on the clock, it was his "free time", and he was having a "private conversation" on his "personal time".  I'm thinking to myself, why don't these people get it?  Are people seriously that blind?

It has NOTHING to do with free time, personal time, private time, private space, etc.  Nothing.  If you're sitting in a room by yourself with nobody in earshot, you're more than welcome to rant all day long about whatever you want.  It doesn't matter, because nobody's there.  If you're in a situation where someone could hear what you're saying and you're not sure they share your same sentiments, you're putting yourself at risk of backlash - possibly legal backlash - and a nightmare situation.  

Especially when you're someone like Hogan who is at the forefront of a marketing giant.  Why he would basically talk to a hooker about his racial bias I have no idea.  The whole situation started because he ranted off at the mouth very disturbing things about another race on video.  No, he didn't know about the video - but that's EXACTLY why he shouldn't have said the things in that situation!  Even if there weren't video, the hooker could have just blackmailed him, set her phone to record in her purse and used it to extort him.

Like another wise person said, "D.T.A. - Don't Trust Anybody".  Yes that's sad.  But it's the only way to protect oneself. 

If you're a flat out open racist and you don't care who hears your rant, that's one thing, but Hogan now says he's "not that type".  On the transcript, he said he was.  Now he looks like a liar and a hypocrite.

Excuses for the racism just allow it to fester and continue, rather than die off.

In addition to the above excuses, I see people saying "I know he's a good person", "not a racist bone in his body", "he deserves to be forgiven", "it was a mistake", "what's the big deal", "but WWE does it too tho", etc.  These are all excuses.

The only way we can move past it - TRULY move past it - is to confront it head on.

Hogan admitted saying the terms.  He apologized.  But then he made a mistake saying, "I'm not that person".  Uh, yes, you are: you SAID you were.  You can't do both.

What he should have said is this (or something like it).

"This is Terry Bollea.  You know me as Hulk Hogan.  For years I've entertained you in many ways, but recently things have come to light that have tarnished that history.  

In a private communication I said some very hateful, bigoted things about African Americans because I was frustrated about a family situation involving them.  I want to be clear: I did it, and it was wrong.  Period.  There's no excuse for what I said or why.

I'll be honest.  It's the way I think, it's the way I was raised.  I can't help that.  But I can try to learn, try to improve and understand why it's wrong.  I can say I have never directly said or done anything inappropriate to someone of the opposite race.  Some point to an incident with my restaurant which I agree was in poor taste and might have been subconsciously related to the way I think.  But I acted to remove it because it was inappropriate.

I have more respect for why the way I think just doesn't work.  I have more respect for why it's stupid to put down another race for any reason.  I've got some work to do to fix what's been done.  For now, I accept the punishment.  But I'll keep on pressing forward until I get to a point that I can view all men equally, and truly "fight for the rights of every man"."

In the above, as Paul Heyman says, he does everything to capture the audience.  He makes a clear distinction between the man and the character, first and foremost (I'll do another article on that later).  He accepts responsibility and owns it.  He doesn't say "that's not me!" he OWNS it.  He explains it.  Then talks about what he's doing to fix it.

That's how respect is gained.  He'd still be attacked by those who let their emotions guide their actions, but the majority of people will respect him and dare I say, forgive him for something that, while not just a simple mistake, was something done and in the past.

People making excuses for Hogan are just making the problem worse.  Racists, even closet racists, have to own up to the way they think and feel and accept it.  Then, work to fix it.  If they deny it or pass it off as "a mistake", they're not really getting rid of the disease.

That WWE, WWF, TNA, etc. have had racially charged storylines is not a free pass for Hogan.  That they have had racism behind the scenes is not a free pass for Hogan.

This is another issue.  People can't separate a storyline from a real-life racism situation.

Pro wrestling has had its fair share of racially charged storylines.  The intent is to get people interested with some realistic in-the-media situations.  But it's not just wrestling, regular TV does it too.  Law and Order had plenty of racially charged stories.  Night Court had racially charged stories.  Even people's favorite "Star Trek" had tons of racially charged stories.  They're STORIES.  They're told to attach to the reality and as part of The Arts, are used to tell the story forward.  They shouldn't be used as an excuse for real racism.

This does not say that Michael Hayes throwing a racial slur at Mark Henry should be overlooked and forgiven.  He got punished for it, but the thing is, it wasn't on air. It wasn't recorded.  It wasn't in a deposition.  It wasn't exposed to general audience.  And no, it's not the same thing as the Del Rio situation where Del Rio physically attacked someone in response to a racial slur.  Said person was fired from WWE eventually.  Plenty of African American stars of the past have talked about racism - Mark Henry included - but they didn't physically assault someone.  

But more importantly, Michael Hayes isn't an icon.  Most wouldn't even know who he is if he were walking down the street.  He's not in front of a marketing machine selling merchandise like Hogan.  He's not on national TV with sponsors selling products.  There's a whole different ball game with Hogan doing it.  You'd see the same exact outcome if Cena were to come out (outside of the WWE) ragging on Asians or something.

Shots of Michael Hayes' old gimmick where he'd paint the Confederate Flag on his face, or Roddy Piper painting blackface, or JBL doing the Hitler march in Germany...all stories designed to get a reaction.  (Devil's Advocate: I do believe that Roddy Piper simply hates fans.  I don't think he cares what their race is.  But I digress.)

Racism will live on no matter what, because people are quick to excuse it, but they'll deny it when presented it.

Deja Vu: The #WWE #RoyalRumble Debacle

Clearly, someone at Stamford has read - and re-read - Eric Bischoff's book, "Controversy Creates Cash".  It's the only logical explanation for what most of the WWE Universe witnessed with the Royal Rumble on January 25th.   To understand what I mean, we need to go back in time a bit.

The #WWE Universe Gets a #RAW Deal

First, a disclaimer.  For those that didn't know, I have been boycotting RAW for the longest time.  In fact, I've been boycotting so long that I forgot when I actually started.  But I remember the reason: at the time, WWE was consistently putting certain stars over others where the others were not given the opportunity to shine.  John Cena was at the top of this list, where I saw him consistently put over stars like Bray Wyatt.  I do also remember that Damien Sandow was still a standalone star - one who got added unceremoniously to history as the only person to truly lose the Money in the Bank cash-in match.  Against John Cena.  It all came back to Cena, and the reason for my boycott was that Cena needed to speak up and do the right thing.

Why The #WWENetwork Was Doomed To Fail In The US

$9.99 a month seems like a dream price for access to the WWE's entire wrestling library, right?  I mean DAYS worth of content from the territories, from WCW, ECW, and the various eras.  Pay-Per-View no longer an overpriced nicety but a cost effective avenue to get your fix.  Yet, WWE failed to even scratch the surface of American viewership.  Why?  It's easy...the price doesn't make sense.

#WWE Doesn't Understand How To Rehash Storylines Properly.

 I really don't know what's going through the minds over in Connecticut.  It's like they want to rehash stories from old times but just don't do it right for some reason.  I don't get why they do things this way.

On RAW, The Authority vs. Bella storyline was advanced in anticipation of the rather doomed match between Stephanie and Brie Bella at SummerSlam.  While I'm never a fan of having a PPV match between two Divas who arguably aren't that good in the ring, it's at least putting Divas in the front and center of attention again.  There will be two Diva matches, which we haven't seen in many years if my memory serves me.

My problem hinges around the storyline itself.  I get what they're doing at a basic level, I just don't know why, because they're missing a much larger payoff - and possibly more satisfied long term fans.  The key?  John Cena.

Kayfabe Conspiracy: Is Nikki Bella Sister Abigail...?

Recently, John Cena experienced an injury during an attack by the Wyatt Family.  The commentators positioned that Cena's knee was hyperextended, later a photo was shared that seemed to show Cena's knee cap being completely dislocated, apparently validating the knee injury.  However, Cena would later go on to claim it was a groin injury.

For those that don't remember the song, the knee bone is NOT connected to the groin muscle.  At least, not unless you're African American.  But I digress.

A groin injury can happen a number of ways: muscle gets pulled inappropriately, strain during workouts, etc.  But we don't know it's a valid injury; let's go with it for now.  So assuming it's a groin pull, sex is yet another way it can happen.  Given the feud with the Wyatts, is it possible...remotely...that the writers might end up positioning Nikki as Sister Abigail?