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From the basement......
Here is some background. I have been a professional wrestling fan since 1979. I was introduced to this spectacle on Saturday mornings in New Jersey. I watched Bob Backlund battle Superstar Billy Graham and The Wild Samoans defeat Jay and Jules Strongbow from my living room couch. In the early to mid Eighties I was introduced to Mid Atlantic, Georgia Championship and Florida Championship wrestling through cable and Pro Wrestling Illustrated. Thankfully, ESPN brought me the AWA and World Class. I have been hooked since. I have not always been completely plugged in, my life was calling, but I have always stayed in touch. The Monday Night Wars were the time period that I became a wrestling mark again and have been here ever since. I do collect tapes and DVDs and try to experience smaller promotions and the past in front of a TV in my “officeâ€ÂÂÂ. (Located in my basement , left of the children’s kitchen set and behind summer toy storage.) I am in no way proclaiming to know any more than anyone else, however I have enjoyed pro wrestling for over 25 years and do to this day.
From the basement, I am wondering......
Why don’t we respect Steve Corino? This question came to me as I compared Corino’s career with Mick Foley’s. I was looking at world titles: Foley, 3 times WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Corino, ECW World Heavyweight Champion, NWA World Heavyweight Champion, AWA World Heavyweight Champion. Steve Corino’s promos are so good he can take a ROH crowd of knowledgeable, internet savvy, cheering fans and turn them into enemies. Foley did the same in front of a RAW crowd one night, but was never “hatedâ€ÂÂÂ. Corino and Foley both put over young or lesser established wrestlers. Both have worked extensively in Japan. I am a Foley fan( not what he has done recently), but for sheer enjoyment , I will always watch Corino’s matches against Tajiri or the three-way dance with Sandman and Justin Credible, before the infamous Hell in the Cell against Undertaker or even Mind Games against Shawn Michaels.
Why is it so hard for WWE to build a strong heel? Sure, King Booker gets some decent heat but is it because the fans buy into the character or is it because the thought of someone obtaining a bad accent and wanting to “joust†is ridiculous. Correct me if I am wrong, this “royal behavior†is a result of a Royal Rumble victory? Great. Randy Orton gets to win against mid-card talent but jobs in important matches, only to hit the RKO afterwards. Awesome. Edge has slowly turned from a character who was pretty funny and deceitful to a guy who smacks old men and puts his woman up against his rival. Sweet. I don’t understand why WWE creative has to go to such lengths with these guys. Booker T is a great performer and decent on the mike. A program against Batista, Lashley or The Undertaker with assistance from his faction of Regal and Finlay will do very well with heat coming from attacks rather than “kissing the royal feetâ€ÂÂÂ. The teasing of Booker versus Cena is also incredibly interesting. Randy Orton is one of the better workers WWE has right now. His matches are usually pleasing to watch, but a little short. His promos are generally awful and painful to listen to. Why not put him with The McMahons? He could be their muscle, get a great rub from them and Orton will not have to talk. This would pit him against HHH and HBK as well as anyone else Vince chooses. Orton’s best matches have come against both members of DX and you know WWE could play off his past failures against Triple H. Being the McMahon family hired gun could certainly work for Randy Orton. Edge is an incredible talent, how can he be wasted in main event program? Well here we go.... Edge has great promo skills, good timing and is very funny. His promos are so scripted he ends up stumbling through them. I understand the cowardly heel, hitting Cena’s dad and putting Lita in with Cena. Remember when Edge and Christian were cowardly? They faked sickness to get out of a tag team title defense. It was one of the best bits on the early Smackdown shows. Let Edge go back to being funny and cowardly. Let him make fun of Triple H and Shaun Michaels for pulling a gimmick out of the past to get over. Edge should start referencing the crowds reaction to him. I always loved a heel with a great sense of humor. Also, Edge may have the best in ring skills on Raw, he just doesn’t use them. There is too much kick , stomp , sneer, spear . This guy can work, he carries Cena in most of the matches I have seen. Some possible improvements?
That will be about it , for now......
Regards from the basement,
Kurt Bartenstein
