By Scott Bowden
July 21, 2005
Reality Check: Scott Bowden says that WWE’s recent personal angles are proof that the company hasn’t completely lost the plot
Aw, Shoot: When Matt Hardy jumped through the crowd to tackle Edge two weeks ago on RAW — even going so far as to call him out by his real name, Adam, (ooooh) — thousands of Internet smarks probably rejoiced (I know I did), thinking “Ahhhh, WWE finally reached a deal with Hardy to return.” Hundreds of thousands more sat there confused momentarily: Sure, Hardy used to date Lita…but that was before she married Kane, right? (And don’t even ask me to explain the logic behind Lita falling for Kane, her rapist and father of her lost bastard child.) So…does WWE have a hot feud on its hands, as Matt returns seeking revenge for Adam stealing Lita (Amy) away from him in reality? (And I use that term loosely in this business.)
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Or, because most fans aren’t even aware that Hardy and Lita were a legit real item, will the angle fail? (After all, why should fans take the word of announcers Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross about anything — that is, when they actually get around to explaining to the casual fans what exactly the hell is going on with this love triangle. Besides, WWE isn’t fooling themselves (I don’t think so, anyway) that Internet fans actually believe the Hardy return is a shoot. (If it were, WWE cameras wouldn’t be struggling to get a good shot of Hardy as security guards/police/office personnel apprehend him.)
Critics of the angle say it won’t work, as Hardy was a midcarder (at best) when he left. And Internet fans who appreciate Hardy’s work know in reality it’s just another angle — there’s no speculation over whether or not it’s a work, which Brian Pillman and Kevin Sullivan were able to achieve with their infamous program years back, in which they worked the boys, casual fans and Internet smarks alike their “Booker Man” incident.
But, really, that’s not the point. The angle will work because, while it’s not a shoot, the Hardy/Edge/Lita program is at the very least reality-based, which is a novel concept in today’s WWE. It’s not a shoot, but even casual fans can pick up when something is truly personal. By contrast, the angle between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio is attempting to be personal, but it’s not working because it’s such an off-the-wall notion that Eddie is the father of Rey’s child. I can’t imagine anyone successfully suspending disbelief and enjoying this angle. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I wouldn’t be interested in a Rey/Eddie feud. When the angle between Eddie and Rey was initially centered on personal jealousy over Guerrero’s inability to defeat his partner, the feud was working. I mean, that made sense: A little over a year ago, Guerrero was at the top his game as WWE champ and now he can’t defeat his own tag partner, a much smaller wrestler who’s never been pushed to main-event status. It was believable because professional jealousy with someone you work with is on much more common ground with the audience, as most of us have felt that way at one point or another. And when you have two tremendous workers like Eddie and Rey, who are both over with the fans, that’s all you need anyway. It’s almost as bad as the forced, tacky triangle with Kurt Angle and Mr. and Mrs. Booker T.
As I’ve pointed out before, the Hardy/Edge/Lita isn’t the first time a legit love triangle has been used in attempt to draw money. Hell, I was even part of one on a very small level during my days as a manager in the Memphis-based USWA. When Downtown Bruno was having legit marital problems with his wife, Karen, with rumors of her alleged infidelity with at least one of the boys, Jerry Lawler suggested a program in which Karen allegedly sends me letters, poems and candy. Did our program even put one more ass in the seats? Not a one. But looking back, it was probably one of the best angles I’ve ever been involved in because it was personal, with Bruno confronting me as I goaded him with taunts like, “Isn’t true that your wife left you, Bruno? I think she’s looking for a neeeewwwww man.” Of course, in response to that comment, Bruno blurted out, “Scott Bowden, I’m gonna kill you!” The look on my face was priceless, as I was as stunned as announcer Dave Brown…which is saying a lot. Dave cornered Bruno and me during the commercial break, yelling, “I hope Scott Bowden doesn’t wind up dead in the next week, or the police are going to come looking for you, Bruno!” (Gee, Dave, I hope that doesn’t happen, either. And I hope if I wind up dead, Bruno’s potential for incarceration is the least of everyone’s worries.) Weeks later, when Karen actually got involved in the angle, Bruno was so upset that we had to pull the plug.
Not sure how long they are going to drag out these Hardy run-ins before finally putting them in the ring together, as a bout at SUMMER SLAM would be rushing things. After all, according to the storyline, Hardy’s not even signed with WWE. I’d milk it for a while longer, with their first singles bout occurring as part of SURVIVOR SERIES. And if this turns out to be an elaborate angle all along (which I don’t think it is), well, kudos to everyone for keeping their mouths shut and to Adam’s wife for those scorching e-mails to the Internet community. Frankly, I’m just happy they finally found something for Matt Hardy to do, as I think he’s been tremendously underutilized for years.
Michaels Knows Best: On that same note, while the HBK promo on Monday’s RAW was of course a work, it was so effective because undoubtedly Shawn Michaels was channeling whatever professional jealousy might have ever existed between the two. And there’s no question that Michaels felt frustrated with Hulk’s position at one point in his career, as he was one of the best workers in the world and working the midcard, while the Hulkster worked on top. In the late ’80s, tremendous (though smaller) workers like Michaels and Bret Hart had to wonder if they’d ever get the chance to headline. (Of course, they did, and they helped revolutionize the business to the more athletic product we have today in the States.)
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I also thought Hogan’s response was strong, some of the best stuff Hulk’s done since the buildup with McMahon leading up to WrestleMania a few years ago. (Though, I could have done without the plug for HOGAN KNOWS BEST, his new reality show, to kick off what should have been a serious matter. HBK covered it beautifully, dissing Hogan for his reality-show “press junket.”)
While the actual match between the two can’t be as strong as it could have been even five years ago, both will have their working boots on. I fully expect HBK and Hulk to be the highlight of SUMMER SLAM.
Hebner Twins…Deactivate!: Longtime WWE referee Earl Hebner was fired this past week for the alleged unauthorized selling of WWE merchandise at the Hebner brothers’ shirt shop in St. Louis. Earl’s twin brother, Dave, was also let go, while Earl's son remains with the company as a WWE ref.
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Earl, of course, is the infamous official who double-crossed Bret Hart out of the WWF title in Montreal, calling for the bell while the Hitman was momentarily caught in HBK’s sharpshooter, a spot specially called for by agent Pat Patterson. Earl bolted from the ring and into a running car, while HBK was crowned champion in the ring. Hulk Hogan can also tell you firsthand how evil Earl is. Earl was a longtime NWA referee who I believe walked out on Jim Crockett Promotions in the days before the Hogan/Andre the Giant match on primetime NBC, which his brother, Dave, was scheduled to officiate. In a diabolical plot, Earl helped kidnap his twin and took his place officiating the bout, counting a three-count for Hogan despite the Hulk lifting up his shoulders at the count of one. Turns out Earl had a price for the Million Dollar Man, who paid “the evil twin” to betray first NWA/JCP, the company he worked for and then his own brother. (Hogan initially accused DiBiase of paying for “plastic surgery” to have some poor sap take on Dave’s appearance.) Oh, the irony: Years later, Earl goes on to betray Hart, one of his best friends in the WWF, and now, once again, the company he works for. Gotta love the rasslin’ business.
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