By: Jason the Ace

The wrestling industry used to use the summer as a head start on the rest of their television competition. All the broadcast channels had re-runs, football wouldn’t be back until September and kids were home from school. Now with every American household having 100 + channels, technology making other forms of entertainment more desirable and out of town sports in general becoming more accessible, it is becoming harder and harder to corner the market. Wrestling has made some bold attempts to snag viewers in the time between Memorial Day to Labor Day. Some attempts have been more successful than others, but all have been memorable.

The Mega Powers vs. The Mega Bucks, 1988. The story arc was perfect. Ted DiBiase pays Andre the Giant to take the title from Hulk Hogan. Andre does but under questionable circumstances and gets stripped of the title. Randy Savage wins the vacated title in a tournament. During that summer, a vengeful DiBiase and Andre set their sights on Savage, who is ultimately aided by Hogan. The set-up for the main event of the first Summer Slam couldn’t have been written better. The actual match left a little to be desired, but the build-up for the four biggest stars in the company to compete in one match was electric.

The Lex Express, 1993. With Hogan officially out, the WWE turned to what they thought would be the face of the new generation. With the biggest non-Hogan push since 1984, there was no doubt Lex Luger would be taking the torch. A body slam of Yokozuna on the USS Intrepid, a country wide promotional tour and even a brand new inspirational song, Luger was poised rake in the cash. Pitted against Yokozuna in a red white and blue themed Summer Slam, all the stars seemed to be aligned for Luger.  It was a fool proof plan … until Luger left Summer Slam without the title. Whether it was Vince getting cold feet about Luger being champion, or some other unknown factors, the Lex Express Tour has a spot in history as one of the biggest missed opportunities ever.

The NWO, 1996. By far the most successful summer angle ever. Scott Hall emerging from the crowd on Memorial Day to start an invasion changed the entire industry for good. His formation of the NWO, led by Hulk Hogan gave wrestling that rough edge it lacked for such a long time. Finally there was an anti-hero the hardened fans could hang their hat on. The first few months of attacks on WCW left an overwhelming feeling of excitement and anxiety for every wrestling fan. While there is much controversy regarding how the angle went on too long, it certainly did its part of keeping fans through the Fall of 1996.

The Invasion, 2001. As successful as the NWO invasion was, the 2001 version attempted by the WWE seems to be taking up real estate in the basement. Botched from the very beginning, the summer long feud consisted of the premiere stars of the WWE battling WCW and ECW mid-card defectors. However, it wasn’t until Steve Austin, a WWE guy, joined the Alliance, did the invaders ever pose a threat. No one ever believed that the WWE would be ousted from Raw, plus people were switching sides so frequently fans could hardly keep track who was on who’s side.

 Vince McMahon’s Illegitimate Child, 2007. What was supposed to be “Who Killed Vince McMahon” before the Benoit incident, turned into a paternity soap opera when it was revealed that Vince had fathered another child who happened to be a WWE Superstar. The speculation of who it could be ran wild all summer. It would have been nice if the payoff led to a huge money making feud. Rumor has it the idea was to have it be Mr. Kennedy before an injury took him down earlier in the summer. The result was that Hornswoggle turned out to be his son, and the main event angle was turned into a comedy routine.

 McMahon’s Million Dollar Mania, 2008. The most blatant attempt at just getting viewers to simply watch Raw came when Vince McMahon announced he would be giving away a million dollars to a Raw viewer on every episode. The buzz generated was great at first, but as expected, it didn’t have the staying power. After a few weeks, McMahon was put in the hospital when a piece of the Raw set fell on top of him, effectively ending the mega millions campaign. Sadly, the Mega Millions theme song and video of Vince’s face plastered on one hundred dollar bills ended with it.

The Guest GM, 2009. Just like the NWO, this is an angle that worked well at first, but went on way too long. The concept was that Donald Trump bought Raw from Vince McMahon, then sold it back to him for double the money and with a few additions. The contract said there would be a revolving door of guest GMs who would take over the show every week. Some were really good, like Bob Barker and Shaquille O’Neill. Others were less than comfortable, like Al Sharpton and Jeremy Piven. The personality of each GM gave each episode character, but the formula got old. It was also clear which celebs actually knew the product and which didn’t. SummerFest anyone?

Nexus, 2010. The concept that sent the wrestling world in a frenzy in June of 2010. In what seemed like a regular Raw, the eight rookies who just competed against each other for one WWE contract for months on NXT, attacked the WWE’s top dogs John Cena and C.M. Punk during their main event match on Raw. The winner of NXT and leader of Nexus Wade Barrett claimed he and his group felt degraded for having to compete against each other, and felt they all deserved contracts. The subsequent attacks on a group of WWE legends and ultimately Vince McMahon led to a much hyped 10 man tag at SummerSlam. The seemingly simple concept fell victim to the perfect storm of disaster from the beginning, including the termination of Daniel Bryan, the injury of Skip Sheffield and they ability of the lesser skilled members of Nexus. In what could have been another success ended up being a missed opportunity.

C.M. Punk’s pipe bombs, 2011. Real life imitating art is always the most intriguing television, especially when it comes to professional wrestling. It is hard to tell how much is genuine and how much was show, but that was the beauty of this angle’s success. It made C.M. Punk a big star through his “shoot” style rants against the WWE, and brought to light the pettiness of contract negotiations. The build-up led to the match of the year between Punk and Cena is Punk’s hometown of Chicago, and undoubtedly solidified the legacy of this hot summer angle.

Hulk Hogan. The twelve year run of Hulkamania was brought to a screeching halt with one leg drop. What seemed like a life time of saying prayers, taking vitamins and believing in yourself disappeared the moment Hulk Hogan joined the NWO. How could the man who body slammed Andre, saved us from Slaughter and made a living off the admiration of children turn his back on all his Hulkamaniacs? Easy, it was time for a change. The fact that Hogan was so extremely popular made him such a villainous heel. Nobody brought more popularity to professional wrestling than Hogan. He was the singular face of a company in their most profitable era. Erasing that memory sparked hatred that would last for a long time. People all over the world felt bamboozled. They were “had” for twelve years and weren’t happy. He really didn’t have to put any effort into getting people to hate him. The heel turn alone could have carried him had he not even said a word. But then came the feather boas, the air guitar, the alliance with Eric Bischoff. All built on the foundation of a man who used to be wrestling’s American Hero. The worst part of it was, WCW capitalized on the heel turn WWE was too scared to pull. But despite all the underhanded in and out of the ring tactics, the fans still wanted to cheer Hogan. So for his unparalleled run at the top from 1984-1996, then his return to the red and yellow in 2002, Hogan should be forever classified as a hero. Decision – Hero.

“Macho Man” Randy Savage. The Macho Man nickname falls along the same line as Mr. Perfect, Mr. Wonderful, Ravishing Rick Rude, Beautiful Bobby Eaton … they are heel nicknames. What better way to get the audience to hate you than to call yourself “Macho Man” and have a beautiful girlfriend that you treat like dirt? From the treatment of Elizabeth, the cracking of Steamboat’s windpipe with the ring bell, the turn on Hogan, the spray painting of Kimberly, Randy Savage has committed some of the most devious deeds in the last 30 years. He reigned as Macho King for almost two years, and helped Sgt Slaughter win the WWF title in the middle of the Iraqi War. Sounds like a hands down heel to me. Not so fast. How could you not root for him to avenge his wife’s reputation against Ric Flair? What about his friend Crush turning his back on him, and aligning with Mr. Fuji? Don’t forget the time Jake forced his King Cobra to bite him on the arm. It would be really hard to find someone who would cheer against Savage’s multiple quests for revenge. There has been no other wrestler in the world that has been as good on both sides of the law. For this Randy Savage gets the only split decision on the list. Decision – Hero and Villain.

“Stone Cold” Steve Austin. It is easy to say Steve Austin a natural heel because of his bad attitude. But just as anything in pop culture, the audiences’ attitude changes too. The late 90s were a time when the general public felt they all had a chip on their shoulder. Uprising against corporate big wigs, drinking on the job, foul mouths and reckless intent were no longer frowned upon in society. The more Austin broke the rules, the more people loved him. Austin’s natural charisma and intensity made him undoubtedly the most popular wrestler of the attitude ear. Sure the Rock was great, but nobody dominated like Austin. The tricky part of figuring him out is this – He was extremely underrated as a mid-card heel in WCW. His stint as Ringmaster and as the leader of the Alliance was okay, but nowhere near as great as his feuds with the McMahons and Rock. Is Austin brash, stubborn, obstinate and difficult to work with? Yes. Is he naturally likeable? Oh hell yeah. Decision – Hero.

Randy Orton. The third generation superstar falls into the same category as Steve Austin. He started being cheered because he was so devilish. His reign as “the Legend Killer” early his career propelled him to top heel status at the age of 23. He spit in the face of Mick Foley, RKO’d Fabulous Moohlah, insulted Harley Race and burnt the Undertaker alive. While Austin was given the nickname “the Texas Rattlesnake”, Orton was dubbed “the Viper”. Orton’s later offenses included a long list of superstars and personalities who were put on the shelf following his vicious punts to the head. He laid his lips on a unconscious Stephanie McMahon, formed Legacy (with Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase) which wreaked havoc on Raw, and tricked Kelly Kelly into “dating” him only to dump her immediately after. However, despite all the horrific deeds associated with Orton, there seems to be a likability surrounding him. The fans respond to his aggressive attitude in a positive way. For a long time, he was the legitimate number 2 draw in the company. In fact, arguments can still be made that behind Cena, Randy Orton is the most consistent box office attraction in the past 7 years. After his break-up with Legacy, he has been a consistent fan favorite. With Steve Austin, it only seemed natural for him to evolve as a fan favorite. For Orton, it is similar. No matter what he does, people can’t help but to cheer for Randy Orton. It is certainly a benefit to have a top superstar who can succeed in whatever role he is given. However , unlike Austin, the money is in Orton as a heel. He was a perfect foil for Cena (too many times), Triple H, Batista and the Undertaker. The feuds always seem to work better when the Viper is the hunted. Decision – Villain.

The Rock. The millions and millions of Rock’s fans would find it hard to believe that The Rock could even be classified as a villain but it was his role as a member of the Nation of Domination that propelled him to the main event status he has enjoyed since 1999. When the fans jeered his “apple pie” image after his debut, Rocky let the true Dwayne Johnson shine through his mic skills as a formidable foil for the likes of Ken Shamrock, Mankind and Triple H. His most famous and arguably most profitable feud came as a member of the Corporation against Steve Austin. The legendary feud sparked two Wrestlemania main events where Rock worked heel, and led to numerous battles through the year. And shouldn’t the smack talking be done primarily by the antagonist in the story? When it comes to verbal dressing downs, nobody is better than the Rock. However, with all the catch phrases, the eye brow raises, the baby face offense, the Rock owns the audience from the minute he enters the arena. He has an uncanny ability to manipulate a crowd, possibility even better than Hogan and Austin. His popularity has sky rocketed from his roles in Hollywood and his newest endeavors in the WWE. Now, it is almost impossible for the Rock to work heel no matter what he does. He could slap Betty White in the face and get the biggest pop of the night. Decision – Hero.

Shawn Michaels. From the time he put Marty Jannetty through the Barber Shop window, the Heartbreak Kid’s character has not really changed. He’s cocky, arrogant, a showoff and does not lose. He might not win all the time, but it seemed like Shawn Michaels held the I-C title for all of 1993 without winning a match. It was after that time Michaels wandered out of Flair territory and into Hogan territory. The reason Flair was such an effective heel was because he was a scum bag who was champion for a long time. However, fans didn’t want to be him at the time because he was portrayed as a coward. Hogan built a strong fan base because he won all the time. Little kids especially want to be associated with winners. The more Michaels won, the more popular he became. The fact that he is one of the best in ring workers of all time helped his popularity. Guys like the Honky Tonk Man were never cheered because they had no desirable qualities. It seemed like Michaels had so many it was not possible for him to be a villain anymore. His reign as champion in 1996 was the height of his popularity in the first part of his career. His reign as DX drifted from hero to villain, but when you get down to the brass tacks, it was a heel role in 1997. When Michaels came back in 2002, he remained a face until his retirement in 2010. He enjoyed much success as a member of the extremely popular DX, and led the company with hot programs against Randy Orton, Kane, Edge and other devious foes. But where does Shawn Michaels really excel? A few years ago when everyone breaking into wrestling said they wanted to be like Shawn Michaels, most of them were not talking about the Shawn who prays on his way to the ring. Decision – Villain.

Gorilla Monsoon frequently used an expression about going to the well “one too many times.” In regards to the Big Show’s run as a main eventer, it is like they have gone to the well, came back empty the past three times, but for some reason continue to drop that bucket expecting water.
The Big Show hasn’t been a legitimate box office draw since WCW. He was a monster in 1995-96. He flourished as the feared heavy hitter for the NWO, and then as their bitter rival. His jump to WWE in the Attitude Era made noise, but couldn’t possibly have made too much of an impact on ticket sales. From there, the character took a turn for the worst. He floundered in the mid-card with feuds with the Big Boss Man, failed to gain any interest in a program with Brock Lesnar, took up space during the brand extension and finally took a leave of absence after an ECW title run. When he returned he made a big punch in the start of a program with Floyd Mayweather, but the intensity of the kickoff didn’t translate all the way to Wrestlemania.

In 2009 and 2010 he won back some respect with his successful tag team title runs with Chris Jericho and The Miz. At this point, all options have been exhausted.
There are three very big related problems with putting The Big Show in a main event program.

1. He is not seen as a legitimate threat. Sources who maintain win/loss records have the Big Show suffering 163 televised pinfall loses in his career. Think about that. The man billed as the World’s Largest Athlete has had his shoulders pinned to the mat for a three count on 163 occasions. The same source has Vader suffering 43 pinfall defeats and Andre the Giant at an impressively low 18 pinfall defeats. True there is more television and pay-per view in this era, but the concept could still be executed. Andre and Vader were protected by the company. Even in defeats, they never seemed vulnerable.

2. He isn’t marketable. In a continuation of the issue above, if you are no longer “the monster” of the company, you have to attract fans in some other way. Fans don’t really want to be the Big Show. He’s not “cool”. CM Punk is cool. Randy Orton is cool. Big Show is … oafish. He doesn’t do anything remarkable in the ring. He doesn’t endear himself to fans. Andre had the personality that made him likeable. Big Show is known for lumbering down the ring and spitting all over when he talks.

3. He is overshadowed by his colleagues. Weird to think Show could be overshadowed by anyone, but this is metaphorically. The feud with Cena wouldn’t work without Cena and John Laurinaitis. When he was a team with Miz and Jericho, they outshined him by far. Remember his feuds with Eddie Guerrero and Triple H? If you don’t, don’t feel bad because they didn’t do anything but fill a spot on the card.
Now he is being asked to carry a main event program with John Cena. There is only one problem. The Big Show no longer seems like a legitimate threat to beat anyone.

By: Jason the Ace

Since June is the most popular month of the year for weddings, it is only be fitting to look back at the best (and worst) nuptials to take place in and around the squared circle. Even though some were done for drama and some for comedy, all were done out of pure fun. There is something about a wrestling wedding that makes everyone take notice.

Randy Savage and Elizabeth – August 26, 1991. When Randy Savage finally tied the knot with his long time manager Elizabeth at Summer Slam 1991, it was the final chapter to the WWF’s most popular romance angle ever. What sets it apart from every other wedding was that it was used as a main event to attract pay-per view buys, and did not feature an angle at the actual event. Instead, it was the happy ending the Madison Square Garden crowd was looking for. Even though they taped a portion of the reception which started a feud with Jake Roberts, it was as straight forward as weddings get. In reality, the wrestling wedding without a swerve at the end winds up being the most popular of all time. Whether it was the event or the individuals that contribute to its popularity cannot really be determined, but it should be mentioned the spectacle has never been duplicated.

Test and Stephanie McMahon – November 29, 1999. The only other wedding that can be mentioned in the same breath as Savage and Elizabeth is the extremely captivating ceremony between the Vince’s daughter Stephanie and her wrestler boyfriend Test. The result was an interruption by Triple H, who was desperate to take out his company frustrations with Vince through his daughter. The story included a kidnapping plot, little white chapel and some over the top fun. This was the angle that really got the ball rolling on the outlandish aspects of the attitude era. The final segment of Raw that night launched an era of McMahon family drama on Raw, which would not cease until late 2003, right before Stephanie married Triple H for real.                  

Uncle Elmer and Joyce – October 5, 1985. The first wrestling wedding that got national publicity was a comedy sketch set for the WWF’s popular Saturday Night’s Main Event. All the major stars were involved, including the best man Hillbilly Jim. The segments did seem a bit odd because the red neck groom and dowdy bride were really supporting characters used in the background to fuel the feud between Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper. The most important aspect of this segment that changed wrestling television was the emergence of Jesse Ventura in the role of heel commentator. Ventura, who was recently forced into early retirement due to injury, served as the antagonist to Vince McMahon’s straight man. It was the success of Ventura’s comic timing and thoughtful insight that started a new broadcasting formula.

Uncle Elmer’s Wedding by TSteck160

Billy and Chuck – September 12, 2002. You have to give Billy and Chuck credit. They executed the segment as well as anyone could have asked. It was an attempt at shock television that attracted viewers, but didn’t necessarily maintain them. In a time when the WWE was trying to out-do itself with outlandish angles, the thought of two tag team partners falling in love and getting married was a little ahead of its time even in 2002. I am not even sure it would be successful if executed properly in 2012. But on the other hand, what was the event supposed to do besides attract viewers? It certainly didn’t enhance Billy or Chuck. Three Minute Warning didn’t come off as monsters for destroying two men who were just exchanging vows. There was the twist in the middle of the ceremony that was a true swerve. I would venture to guess 99% of fans watching had no idea of the identity of the preacher until he revealed himself.

Edge and Vickie Guerrero – July 14 2008. In a time when Smackdown wasn’t doing much innovative television, the cougar in power gimmick was an exciting blend of fun and intensity. It was implied that Edge was only marrying Vickie because she was the General Manager. The heat this power couple drew, although mostly Vickie, catapulted them to main event status on Smackdown for the entire year. Their wedding, which took place through the entire episode of Smackdown, was slightly comical and pretty unmemorable in comparison to other wrestling weddings.

If ever there was a time to bring back Cyber Sunday/Taboo Tuesday, this would be it. Imagine the hype – Pint sized diva AJ is torn between C.M. Punk, Daniel Bryan and Kane. She is so distraught about having to choose, she asks the fans to pick for her. The AJ story line is the most intriguing thing going on Raw right now. The natural progression of the story tells us the decision should have been made already. It seems there are two reasons it is still going. The first is because it is generating a lot of buzz. The second is probably more logical. They don’t know where to go from here. The entire company knows this has the potential to go really well, but it can also end really bad. All three choices could work if executed properly. Here are just a few thoughts on how to make the decision.

C.M. Punk. – AJ reveals her love for Punk, but over the weeks her love starts turning to worship. She throws herself in front of opponents to save Punk, offers to carry his bags, maybe a segment where someone disrespects Punk and AJ starts challenging them to a fight. Suddenly AJ is no longer seen with Punk and she refuses to talk about it. Rumors run rampant over Twitter and WWE.com. After a couple weeks, Punk begrudgingly addresses the issue in the middle of the ring. He claims AJ was great but she became addicted to him and broke up with her because it wasn’t a healthy relationship for either of them. Towards the end of the year, AJ starts hanging around with Cody Rhodes. She starts worshiping Rhodes, but he likes it. Cody takes advantage of AJ and treats her like his slave. At the Royal Rumble, AJ and Punk run into each other for the first time since their split. Punk shows compassion, but AJ is timid. AJ helps Cody win the elimination chamber, but suddenly the sparks between Punk and AJ return. This builds to a Wrestlemania match for the WWE title where AJ’s loyalty to Rhodes is tested.

Daniel Bryan – AJ goes to Punk with a black eye saying Bryan struck her. Punk demands to face Bryan, but Bryan says he will only do so with the title on the line. AJ helps Bryan win the title, and wipes away the black eye to show it was make-up. The next week, AJ and Bryan are gloating in the ring when the GM comes out. It would work really well if it was Stephanie McMahon returning for the night, but anyone will do. Stephanie mentions how she used to pull tricks like that all the time, and she admires her savvy. However, now she is an executive and does not appreciate them messing with her title. Stephanie tells AJ she can keep her job as long as Daniel Bryan is champion. “That means, if and when Daniel Bryan loses the WWE title …AJ – you’re fired!”. AJ has anxiety for every title match, and does everything in her power to make sure Bryan keeps the title. That includes getting disqualified to keep the title, forcing Bryan to walk away and get counted out etc. When Bryan finally loses the title, AJ is escorted out by security. Bryan begs whoever the GM is at the time to reinstate her. After a few weeks of begging, the GM is willing to make a deal with Bryan. The audience is not made aware of the deal until the Royal Rumble. During the Rumble, Bryan comes in and eliminates Randy Orton as a favor to the GM. The GM does not like the attitude of Orton and considers Daniel Bryan to be the superior athlete he should model himself after. AJ is promptly reinstated and joins Bryan in his feud against Orton leading to Wrestlemania.

Kane – During a match between Punk, Bryan and Kane, AJ gets knocked unconscious. Kane is livid and destroys the ring side area, tombstones security, referees and anyone in his way. Two weeks later, the GM tells Kane they cannot afford having Kane on the roster because he is too much of a liability. Kane begins to throw things around again, and AJ comes in to calm him down. The GM sees AJ is the only calming force in Kane’s life, and says he can stay if AJ agrees to act as his handler. AJ agrees because she feels guilty for the destruction at Kane’s hands. AJ handles Kane well for a while. In a backstage segment, Jack Swagger offends AJ. Later in the show, Kane storms to the ring and destroys Swagger. AJ smiles devilishly, realizing she is in control of a monster. AJ sends Kane on a path of destruction all the way to the whoever Kane’s Wrestlemania program will be against.

His success is essentially character enhancement. The more he wins, the more he is hated. The majority of interest in his recent feud with R-Truth was to see the Miz get “got”. In what other industry is business driven so much by hatred?  If you are a Red Sox fan, would you pay to see the Yankees lose to anyone but your home team? Do people watch Two & a Half Men because they hate Ashton Kutcher? You have to evoke some kind of passion in your audience. This isn’t a tangible element, but something the Miz undoubtedly has. There is a buzz around everything he does. He’s seems to be getting less and -less television time each week, but every weekly Raw re-caps talk about how he is not being used properly.  Behind John Cena and C.M. Punk, Miz is probably the WWE superstar least likely to leave the fans feeling indifferent. Everyone seems to have an opinion about Cena and Punk, and Miz is certainly in that ball park as well. There are superstars like Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan that everyone seems to like, but those who don’t like them typically don’t “hate” them.

So what is the plan with Miz? He could be serving a long term punishment for sloppy ring work, but surely everyone has forgotten about that by now. I suspect they are burying him now, so when he is finally back on top, he will have even more heat. You don’t send a guy you have no faith in to represent your brand at the USA Network Upfronts, or to Brazil to promote a huge international tour. If I had a company, I’d be thankful to have a reliable resource like the Miz who can be used in so many different ways. You can build a main event feud around his character, have him enhance mid-level talent or even be the face of your company. And to think it all comes from having a big mouth.