As I sat and watched RAW on Monday night and HBK announced that he's the special referee for the Hell in a Cell match between HHH/Undertaker, I couldn't help but think back to 1997. The Rock is the only one who can give history lessons. Here's one for you: back at SummerSlam 1997, HBK was the special referee for Bret Hart vs Undertaker for the WWF title. The finish of the match saw HBK accidentally hit Undertaker with a chair. 1, 2, 3 … HBK had to reluctantly make the count for Hart to win the WWF title. Fast forward to 2012, and the same scenario could be in our future. It's clear that HBK is going to play some role in the ending of this match. As I've previously stated in the past, I hope that the Undertaker's streak hits 20-0 and it doesn't end by the hands of HHH; however, this HBK involvement does add a very interesting wrinkle in the dynamic. Could we see a SummerSlam '97 repeat? Could HBK have to “reluctantly†make another count? Would it be to help “The Streak†hit 20-0 or 19-1?
Last Monday on RAW, The Miz cut a promo about how he works so hard and yet he gets nothing from the people in charge. Had I written a second column last week, I was going to touch on what he said. Since I didn't, I'll do it now. The Miz is right. His promo was very truthful. I follow The Miz on Twitter, and this guy is taking a continental flight to do a radio interview every week it seems. He's constantly doing PR all over the globe, and don't get it twisted -- I understand that it’s a part of the job.
Although it is a part of his job, he is getting the short end of the stick. The Miz has been clearly lost in the shuffle on RAW. In my opinion, he should have a match at WrestleMania, which I'm sure he will have -- I hope. I wonder if anyone at WWE thinks it might be time for him to go face? I'll admit that Miz has done some things wrong and has also been wrongfully blamed for certain things. He was wrongfully pegged as the sole reason why the Survivor Series buyrate was lower than expected. I'll give you the Over the Limit buyrate as he was the WWE champion at the time. I'll also give you the botch spot with R-Truth as a reason, too. With all that being said, there's still NO reason why he has bottomed out so badly. The things he has done “wrong†do not justify such a dramatic drop off from last years 'Mania. I wrote a couple weeks ago that he didn't fall off like the Internet was saying he has. I change my stance on that-- he has.
I will type this: Miz better be afraid of a pink slip. Unlike some others in the WWE, Vince McMahon wouldn't mind if Miz went to Orlando because Vince knows he wouldn't provide much of a rating to TNA if he did end up there. If Miz landed in Orlando, he truly then would've hit rock bottom. Until then, he's just dangling over wrestling hell by a thread.