By Scott Bowden
March 10, 2005
KFR Heat Lamp: Scott Bowden looks at Randy Orton’s killer announcement, the booking of the IC title and the return of the former Mrs. Jerry Lawler. Also, the Rattlesnake slithers his way into Piper’s Pit and Ted DiBiase looks to make a buck or two.
A killer undertaking: As expected, Randy Orton challenged The Undertaker to a match at WrestleMania, with the Dead Man’s undefeated streak on the biggest stage in the business at stake. Has anybody been as poorly booked as Orton of late? I still cannot get over the fact that they stuck him with Stacy Keibler, making him come off like a whipped bastard, despite the fact that we’d all love to be whipped over (or even by) her. It’s like he can’t even make a move without talking to her first. (Guys just love that.)
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You could tell that Orton is itching to return to his heel role as the legend killer, with his subtle smile and cocky attitude as he issued the challenge. Thing is, I doubt they’ll pull the trigger on this, leaving Orton as a somewhat of a ‘tweener heading into WrestleMania, a role not he’s not suited for. He’s not over as strong as they’d like as a babyface (hence Batista getting the World title shot), and they probably won’t push him as a heel at this point, leaving him in limbo. Personally, I’d love to see Orton go heel, setting him up for matches with Batista down the line. Curious to see where this is headed over the next few weeks.
Wrestling with logic: RAW of late has featured a strong blend of good wrestling and angles, a sign the company is headed back in the right direction. Alas, the silly backstage vignettes remain, but there seems to be less of them nowadays. I just wish they’d stop using that device to reveal major plot points like Triple H’s plot to convince Batista to jump to the SMACKDOWN! brand. Any show that features Edge vs. Chris Jericho as well as Chris Benoit vs. Shelton Benjamin is strong in my book. But again, I must nitpick. Why is Benjamin’s bout with Benoit not for the Intercontinental title? I mean, really, Simon Dean gets a title shot, but Benoit doesn’t? If the creative team doesn’t come back with a title match between the two next week, then that must mean that either Benoit doesn’t want to bother with a second-rate title like the IC championship, or Benjamin is scared to put the belt on the line against him. For the IC title to mean something again, it’s got to be booked logically. Other than that, it was another good bout with Benoit, the workhouse of RAW.
Snake pit: An intriguing addition to WrestleMania will see HOF inductee “Rowdy” Roddy Piper host Steve Austin as part of a Piper’s Pit at the Staples Center. The only drawback: There’s almost no way for this to live up to the billing; case in point: the Pit with Morton Downey Jr. years back that was one of the most ill-conceived skits ever. (That was more Downey’s fault than anything else; however, the Former Fed really gave him nothing to do, with the exception of blowing cigarette smoke in Piper’s face. I believe they thought that, much like Ric Flair could have good match with a broom, Piper could make just about any scenario work.) I’m betting this will turn out better, as the Rattlesnake has been sorely missed from WWE TV, and the fans will be hot for his return. They’re two of the most entertaining personalities ever in the business, so seeing them together should be interesting at the very least.
He’ll make WWE look like a million bucks: Ted DiBiase has been hired on a trial basis as a road agent for WWE. The Million Dollar Man will work with today’s young superstars on their storytelling abilities (or lack thereof), as well as critique WWE programming on the SMACKDOWN! side.
The hire surprised some, as DiBiase, a born-again Christian, has been critical in recent years of the adult nature of WWE TV. Hmmm…maybe he’ll change that. I wouldn’t bet on it; however, an old-school pro like DiBiase can only help…especially with the ridiculousness on the UPN show. And if JBL is suddenly wearing a loaded black glove, you’ll know DiBiase truly has some influence.
Three’s a crowd: Like a bad wrestling angle playing out, Matt Hardy announced the end of his relationship with Lita on his Web site, citing a mysterious betrayal by a close friend. (No word on whether that friend was driving a limo or a Hummer.) Staying in character, the Matt Fact on his official site pointed out that “Matt has never betrayed a close friend.” I’d be surprised if this turns out to be some kind of lame attempt at a shoot-like angle, but in this business you never know for sure. Hate to see Hardy and Lita part ways, especially after they’ve been through so much together—y’know, that ugly Kane/Snitsky business.
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Judging from the crowd reaction of a few clusters of Internet smarks at RAW, Edge appears to be the heel here. Apparently, neither Edge nor Lita will be punished, as both played key roles on Monday’s show. That’s probably the right move, as it’s more of a personal issue than an office issue…despite the fact that it’s probably not the best thing for locker-room morale. Hopefully, Matt can switch to SMACKDOWN! and finally receive the singles push he’s deserved for a while now. I’ve always been a fan of the V1 gimmick, especially when he had his young protégé. It’s been disappointing to see his talent wasted just because Hardy isn’t over with the creative team.
Royal family affair: Proof that the wrestling business isn’t above turning real-life infidelity into an angle: The former Mrs. Jerry Lawler, Paula, returned to Memphis Wrestling TV last week as part of Cory Macklin’s Militia, swearing revenge for Lawler cheating on her years back while she “played housewife.”
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Obviously, Paula is doing this as a favor to Lawler, which speaks volumes about the business. Only in wrestling could a guy ask his ex-wife to come on TV and expose him as an adulterer. Ah, well, it’s good for the business, right? I guess I shouldn’t be surprised by this. After all, Lawler and Jerry Jarrett have preached for years that “Personal issues draw money.” Granted, this is a little on the tacky side, but this kind of thing can work in Memphis. Funny: Upon seeing Macklin’s Militia, Lawler cracked that the group looked more like “F-Troop” than a militia. As most of you don’t know, F-TROOP was the name of a TV show starring Ken Berry in the mid-1960s. Lawler hasn’t exactly been on the cutting edge lately with his putdowns.
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