03-14-08

" No more stop signs, speed limit.. . "

Boo-yah...here we go!! 

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Item # 1 – Can he ever make it back to the main event?

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This isn't the first time Jeff Hardy has messed up his career.   He got fired from WWE for his substance abuse issues.   He never did anything in TNA because of his substance abuse issues.   After returning to WWE, he missed a huge payday at SummerSlam because of his substance abuse issues.

Jeff's career will never be the same again.   Why should WWE place any stock in a guy who is one f*ck-up away from getting fired?   Why should WWE place a title or even a main-event push on a guy who has already failed two Wellness tests...especially in this post-Benoit era where everybody and their dog is looking to see who will be the next WWE superstar to have substance abuse issues?

Thank god Hardy was going to be in a multi-person match.   Can you imagine if WWE had pulled the trigger on Jeff's title reign or main-event push like many people were begging them to?   Good lord...I can only imagine the shitstorm that would surround a 1-on-1 main event match between him and Cena or him and Orton or even him involved in a 3-way match.   What if he was WWE champion and this happened?   It's embarrassing enough for WWE to have their biggest babyface have substance abuse issues blow up less than a month before WrestleMania...but I can't imagine the embarrassment WWE would have if the guy was actually WWE champion.

Jeff's entire career, for better or for worse, will forever be defined by the events of 2007/2008...when he practically threw his career down the toilet.   Not once but twice.   Twice now the guy has been in the biggest push of his entire career and on the verge of singles superstardom...and twice now the guy has made a conscious decision to do something he absolutely knows he is not supposed to do.

And I don't care what it was...recreational drugs, HGH, steroids, pain killers...it doesn't matter.   He is receiving the same scorn that an Olympic athlete gets when they fail a test...or an NFL player getting suspended after failing a test...or even a frickin' singer gets after getting caught lip-syncing in concert.   Those people all did something that they knew they weren't supposed to do in context with the job that they perform on a daily basis...and those people all get shit on and justifiably so.

Regardless of whether or not he has an addiction to anything or simply enjoys doing whatever he got caught doing...he KNEW what he was doing was wrong and that if he got caught, it totally risked his entire career.   And if this was just a one-time issue, then I could see sympathy playing a role from a lot of fans.   But this one hurts.   Because fans far and wide...even people like myself who didn't really care for him but had to begrudgingly admit he was doing a great job of running with the ball this time around...put so much faith into this push, that is where the anger is really coming from.   It's also anger at the knowing that Hardy will never get this opportunity again.

Again...there is now way WWE is going to put their eggs into Hardy's basket with a main event run when they know one more mistake and they have to fire him.   Why would they put their resources behind somebody unreliable like that?   They can't TRUST him.   And any business that can't trust its employee is not going to put a lot of resources into that employee, regardless of what type of business it is.

Hardy can pretty much be considered "midcarder 4 life" going forward.   The only saving grace that I can think of is that if he got fired and got re-hired, you would think his three strikes could start from scratch all over again.

Anyway, the following remarks are from Jim Ross's latest online blog.   His words certainly provide a tale of how many in WWE management are feeling right now:

“This is Jeff’s second strike and with one more he is out of the WWE, which would be a terrible waste of talent and opportunity. To say I am disappointed in these recent events would be an understatement and for those of us who have long believed in Jeff and have pulled for him throughout his career, these self inflicted wounds are especially distressing.

“For anyone to accurately predict what the future holds for Jeff is nothing more than speculation. Only Jeff can determine those answers but the one thing a talent can ill afford to lose is the company’s trust they work for. Obviously trust has to be an issue at this point in time between the WWE and Jeff Hardy .

"I can remembering sharing with Shawn Michaels many years ago during one of his darkest periods that I still believed in Shawn and, luckily for all involved, HBK made it back to the WWE a better man and is a bigger asset today for the WWE than he was in his prime. 

“Jeff is still a young man and can still be a big time player in the WWE if Jeff so chooses. Interesting days lie ahead for Jeff Hardy and I for one hope he is able to address his issues, take responsibility for his actions, and get back on the road to happiness and success.

"I would love to know if Jeff was having fun in the business or if it was burn out or simply other issues that caught up to him. I can relate with the pressures of the business weighing heavily on those who care and sometimes that weight can be perceived as insurmountable.”

-- Jim Ross

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Item # 2 – Vince gets a star on the Walk of Fame.

No... I'm not kidding, either .

SMACK DOWN ON THE BOULEVARD! VINCE MCMAHON TO BE HONORED WITH STAR ON THE HOLLYWOOD WALK OF FAME.

WHO: Vince McMahon

Hollywood Chamber of Commerce, President/CEO Leron Gubler
Guest speakers: Shane McMahon, WWE Superstar Triple H
WHAT: 2,357th Star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame
WHERE: 6801 Hollywood Boulevard in front of Hollywood & Highland
WHEN: Friday, March 14, at 11:30 a.m.

ZAH UPDATE: Here is a pic of the proud father and son from the ceremony.

For whatever reason, Thursday night was the first time I had actually heard about Vince getting a star.   This is a big deal, when you think about it.

Hell...just last year they put stars on the sidewalks of Hollywood for such international superstars as Erik Estrada, Hilary Swank, Donald Trump, and the Munchkins!   If anybody deserves to be inducted into a group like that, it's definitely Vince McMahon.

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Item # 3 – It's been saved...

I'll be the first to admit...I jumped the gun on burying the Mayweather vs. Big Show angle.   I thought after last week's RAW, there was no way in hell they were going to turn things around.   Well...sometimes WWE decides to actually use its head and not be stubborn...and they subtly turned Floyd Mayweather heel and turned Big Show babyface.   It's not overt...it's not totally complete...but it's there.   And it worked.

I loved the heel Mayweather.   He still wasn't 100% comfortable as an actor in the ring with Show, but he was a LOT better acting like an asshole than acting like a goody-two-shoes.

You add to that the elbow "injury" that Mayweather sold and the legit heat between the posse and the wrestlers...and you really had an incredible segment.

This feud has really been hills and valleys thus far...but the hills have really turned into mountains with their execution.   I really don't think there will be a "wrestling" match between the two at WrestleMania (I'm still predicting a boxing match or something...because I don't think Mayweather can pull off anything else), but whatever they do will get buys because this is a hot angle.   I'm really enjoying it, and from the mainstream press the "Mayweather Toss" received, the casual viewing public (and more specifically, Mayweather's millions of boxing fans) might end up wanting to find out just what in the hell is going on come WrestleMania and buy the darn thing.

Maybe I'm alone...but consider me a fan right now.   Keep up the good work, WWE...don't f*ck it up.

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Item # 4 – MITB looks f*cking awesome now.

I realize that there won't be the absolutely batshit insane bump that always takes place whenever Jeff Hardy wrestles in a match involving ladders, but now things are looking quite interesting without him in it.   The best thing is the fact that it's now completely unpredictable.   Who is gonna win the thing?  

Jericho is possible...but he's been given a singles title to hold him over until his full-fledged heel turn so I'm not totally convinced he's going to be given the ball.

Shelton Benjamin?   Sorry, but when a black man's gimmick is the fact that he has blonde hair, big-time opportunities aren't really on the horizon (yeah...'cause it worked out sooo well for Butch Reed).   Benjamin's in there to make the match look great.   The end.

Carlito?   Nah.   I think he's being totally misused right now, but there's no way he's ready for a main-event push.   I don't even think he's that great of an addition to this match, to be honest.   I don't think his style meshes well with a ladder match...at all.

CM Punk?   It's possible, but not probable.   Listen...you all know how much I love this guy, right?   But even I would be insane if I didn't admit that in his current role/gimmick, the midcard is about as good as he deserves.   Punk doesn't equal ratings, unfortunately.   But that's alright.   I fully expect a kick-ass heel Punk to emerge by this time next year.

Mr. Kennedy?   This is quite possible, given the ball he was provided last year.   It's quite common knowledge that if Kennedy hadn't been suspended (Wellness~!!!) that he probably would have had the biggest push of his career by now.   But that was then, this is now.   Kennedy is simply too talented to hold back...and his time to shine may actually be right now.

MVP?   My top pick.   This guy is the total package and is 100% ready to run with the WWE title ball.   Heck...I'd even go so far as to say the guy may be ready for a run with the World title.   He's entertainment personified and he's more than capable in the ring.   This may be the beginning of the MVP era, kids.

The bottom line is that this match is more exciting without Jeff Hardy in it.   It was pretty much a given that he was going to win...so now the possibilities are much more exciting.   Hey...I'm just using lemons to the best of my abilities here.  

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Item # 5 – Too little too late?

So TNA plans on giving Samoa Joe his uber-push leading into the Lockdown PPV and his singles title match against Kurt Angle.   Well, as the title suggests...is it too little too late?   Has Joe's time already passed him by?   Is he now just an afterthought whose most "over" time was in late 2006?   Should TNA even bother trying to place stock in a guy who hasn't appeared to have changed his wrestling tights in over three years?   Since TNA has completely gone away from being a wrestling-based company and have turned into a sports-entertainment company...does Joe even fit into the grander scheme of things?   Many, many questions.   And I think the majority of the answers are the same:

I think spending time on Joe at this point is a bad idea.

Hey...I know how that may sound to you long-time readers who remember me declaring Samoa Joe the wrestler of the new millennium back in late 2005.   But you know what?   TNA booked the excitement right out of Joe.   Joe was white-hot throughout 2005 and the majority of 2006 until he was booked in his feud with Kurt Angle.   I understand the reasoning behind pushing that feud fast and hard as soon as possible upon Angle's debut with TNA, but the booking of the feud was horrible and Joe has been stagnant ever since.

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2007 was the year that Joe was floating around aimlessly.  He didn't have any ***** matches (not even close), he didn't have any intense, spectacular feuds, and he didn't do anything that helped make him the most popular guy in TNA upon his initial run.  He ended up looking like the thing that every fan feared he would end up as:  just another wrestler.

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There's nothing that separates him from any other wrestler at this point.  He's just so generic looking, it's sad.  He has done absolutely NOTHING to help his gimmick since his debut.  He hasn't changed or grown or altered anything about himself.  And I'm not even talking about his weight...I'm talking about his tights, his hair, his facial hair, ANYTHING. 

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And before I get the complaints, yes I realize that Samoa Joe's gimmick is that he's a bad-ass "shooter" who just goes into the ring and beats people up.  Fine.  But if you're not booked to do that, how are fans supposed to buy into it?  Why should they?  Why should fans get behind the guy who thinks he can coast based upon 2006 booking?

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Above average matches with Kurt Angle at this point probably won't help his popularity.  A last-second mega-push after months of bitching and complaining about how much he gets paid probably won't help, either.  I am more entertained by Angle than I am by Joe at this point...and Joe's smart-ass or bad-ass promo style (depending on his mood that particular day) doesn't work for him.  He's no Rock.  He's no Triple H.  Hell...he's not even Carlito.  He doesn't come off as credible in his promos and if that doesn't happen...why should people believe he's credible once he steps inside the squared circle?

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I used to be one of Joe's biggest fans.  I would defend him up and down against his detractors.  I said his look didn't matter...his attitude matched his gimmick...his style would carry him through.  I was wrong.  This, kids, is sports entertainment.  In order to be successful, you have to entertain.  In order to entertain, you need to evolve over time.  The most successful entertainers in this business are the ones that changed and evolved and altered themselves to keep audiences interested, whether it be subtle or extreme.

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Joe is boring.  This feud has already been done.  Having him be champion now is simply appeasing him and the crowd long after he was at his hottest.  It's a shame, too...not too long ago a Samoa Joe title reign had awesome potential.

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Item # 6 – LOSER OF THE WEEK.

Each and every week, I pick somebody (not necessarily always from wrestling) who has either acted in a dumb way, said something stupid, or generally was an idiot in some way, shape, or form. This week’s choice is...well... 

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 Please...is it really that hard of a guess this week?

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Jeff Hardy!!!

You expect anybody else?   Puh-leeze.   So congrats have to go out to Jeff Hardy for being ZAH's "Britney Spears Loser of the Week"!  

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Pillar to Post 

Each and every week (well...NORMALLY each and every week) I take three statements that you, the WorldWrestlingInsanity.com readers, have submitted on the hot topics du jour and then get two or three volunteers to give their thoughts and insight.  Ladies and gentlemen, this week I bring to you two great Insanity readers in Guenhwyvhar & DJ Lunchbox!!!

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1. Agree or Disagree
Jeff Hardy's drug suspension does not spell the end of his main event push.

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Guenhwyvhar : Disagree.

I doubt that WWE will turn around and push someone they just took off suspension, regardless of where they currently are. Look at Kennedy. He didn't just jump right back into his storyline with Vince McMahon and carry on as if nothing happened. While Jeff might return from his suspension with the same amount of fan support, he will almost definitely have to work to get back up to belt contention status.

DJ Lunchbox:   Disagree.

Hardy is now an example to other wrestlers, to congress and the non wrestling world. Maybe someday ages from now he might get another shot, but I doubt it. The more likely case is that he messes up again, gets caught and fired.

Welcome back to TNA Jeff. Now Jump off of something stupid.  

2. Agree or Disagree
Samoa Joe will not win the TNA title in 2008. 

Guenhwyvhar : Disagree.

What will probably happen (if TNA is smart about it) is that Joe will win the belt, then will get screwed somehow on the next show and will lose it right back. Then Joe will carry on saying that he has won it, and will win it again, which will help make him look better for another championship run. But Joe's title run should be kept short to get him more riled up while also building him as a title holder .

DJ Lunchbox:   Agree.

It makes sense for the company, for the fans, and for the future of TNA. So no, it won't happen.

Guenhwyvhar : Disagree.

This trainwreck of an angle has been nothing but crap since it began, and it's not going to change just because Mayweather tossed some bills around. Seriously, after last week's live interview, I was convinced that I would not pay money to watch this year's Wrestlemania. I'll wait for the DVD (I would normally do both). I don't want to see this match. I don't like Mayweather's cocky attitude, and all I want to see is him getting legitimately hurt, which probably won't happen. Cudos to Big Show though for putting up with this heaping pile of crap as his first angle after coming back. WWE has completely dropped the ball on it .

DJ Lunchbox:   Agreed.

During the angle everyone played their part perfectly...all the way down to Super Crazy getting a bonus for appearing on TV. Then we had Show throwing Mayweather into the wrestlers who clearly had their jobs threatened if they didn't catch him. When the posse went into business for themselves it was just icing on the cake. A very sweet and very interesting cake. Personally I can't wait till WrestleMania. But that's the point right?

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Good job, guys! I'm looking forward to seeing who joins me next week.  

What...you've never participated before?   Or maybe you have and would like to do it again?

Hey...you ALL have a chance to be part of an upcoming column.   You get a chance to have your thoughts on the crazy world of professional wrestling read by thousands every week.   This truly is open to everybody!   And with a new year comes a new list...I'm still basically starting from scratch, people.   Contact me NOW and you'll be put at or near the top of the list.   Why wait?  

I want readers to participate!

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No problem.    Seriously...it's not a problem at all.    NOW is the time for you to volunteer.    Really...RIGHT NOW!!    It's a brand new year and I need a brand new list of guest columnists.

You can let me know either by e-mailing me at Zah@worldwrestlinginsanity.com , hitting me up at ZAH Nation (found on the Insanity Message Board ), or look me up on Facebook as ZAH Insanity and letting me know that you'd like to participate (and then join the Insanity Facebook page ).    

So until next week, take care.