Sports Talk with MC

by MC

The WWE’s first tri-branded draft occurred earlier today.

And there were a few surprises- from a very REAL marketing standpoint.

1) Torrie Wilson to Smackdown: What was the logic behind this one? SD has enough Divas already, and Torrie would only act as yet another pretty face amongst the roses. Maybe SD could have been served better getting someone like Randy Orton, or perhaps, even a CM Punk? What Friday nights need at this juncture, in my opinion, is starpower, major starpower, to help supplement Batista’s lack of charisma, and Edge’s already budding popularity. The Undertaker’s injured, and of course, that doesn’t help. Kane is old, and guys like MVP, Finlay, and London/Kendrick are by no means A-listers as of yet. Maybe Vince McMahon really has gone insane.

2) The Great Khali to Smackdown: Ah, another big man has been let loose to eventually fade away. He’ll probably be involved in a triple-threat match or two with Batista and Edge, but I don’t see any way he will beat either of the two aforementioned stars for the World Heavyweight Title (a championship he epitomizes from head to foot). Will this guy eventually become another Tyson Tomko, or Jamal? Maybe he doesn’t stink that much, but there’s no doubt that his character, which really, is brimming with potential, has been misused up until this point. Blame John Cena for this and other nosedives taken by the careers of many a newbie? Absolutely.

3) Mr. Kennedy to Raw: Can anyone say, “Breath of fresh air”?

The former Mr. Money in the Bank can now lick his chops with more of an auspicious outlook towards the future. His moving to Raw signals several things- a larger stage upon which he may showcase his in-ring (assuming he doesn’t suffer any more major injuries) and on mic (need I say more?) skills, stiffer competition for the Green Bay native (let’s admit, WWE’s starpower is saturated in the Raw brand), and a particular, gaping hole which is just waiting to be taken advantage of (Shawn Michaels’ indefinite LOA status could mean that Ken Kennedy has even more airtime he can sink his teeth into; that is a good thing, considering the fact that Kennedy, in truth, is a top brass performer).

Personally, I hope that KK challenges John Cena for his title, and invariably, manages to take down “The Marine” (or, as he is known in some circles, “god”). Not only would he make for an athletically competitive heel champion, he’d also make for one heck of a marketable “bad guy that the fans admire” (sort of like Triple H).

Yes, it pays to have the word “Kennedy” in your name when you’re a WWE employee, but there’s no doubt that Mr. K. has paid his dues, and it’s about darn time his sacrifices began paying very real dividends.

4) Gene Snitsky to Raw: Again, this a draft pick that could have been better utilized. Perhaps they could have pried Matt Hardy away from Smackdown instead? Or maybe CM Punk from ECW? Judging from how the Raw roster is packed with stars, maybe they needed to grab a jobber for humor’s sake. Hey, Santino Marella’s gotta beat somebody apart from who he’s already hit with his “rollup of death”, right? Gene the Machine fits the bill for that role perfectly.

5) Ric Flair to Smackdown: Now, this is another case of life being breathed into a stale piece of bread. The Nature Boy’s career had become nothing more than a blip since losing the Intercontinental Title some time back (although some might argue that the fall happened much sooner than that), and my view is that WWE writers, for a long time now, have struggled to find an apt storyline to fit the 16 time champ’s wrestling lineage considering the number of quality up-and-comers in the business from this generation. Perhaps Flair’s move to Smackdown could signal the beginning of a quality mid-level rivalry with someone like M.V.P., or maybe, could even signify an appearance amidst those contending for the World Heavyweight Title (because of his ties with Dave Batista, and because of a short rivalry he had with Edge previously). All things considered, this move is good for Ric, and only time will tell whether he’ll be able to ressurrect his career. There’s no doubting the fact that he’s a top level talent. The real factor to look at here would be whether he fits into the brand’s general direction. The acquisition of the legendary North Carolinean grappler immediately signals the addition of a heck of a lot of class to what many consider to be the WWE’s “A minus broadcast”.

In my view, he does fit, but of course, stranger things have happened in the WWE.

6) Bobby Lashley to RAW: This was something that seemingly had been coming for some time now.

Let’s face it- Bobby Lashley is a blue chipper, and not to mention, an apart fan and WWE talent officials’ favorite. His on-screen charisma is steadily improving, and, when you couple that with his amazing physical gifts, he becomes a shoo-in for the WWE’s flagship telecast- Monday Night Raw.

Lashley’s situation is similar, in a way, to that of Mr. Kennedy. Instead of getting past June as someone stuck in a rut, the intense ex-army man is on his way to an even larger place in the spotlight. Could the WWE be stocking up on talent on RAW to counteract criticism that WWE Champion John Cena is being marketed as someone who is all too invincible? Only time will tell. After all, once upon a time, RAW has had the likes of Chris Jericho, Triple H, Randy Orton, Shawn Michaels, The Great Khali, and Umaga on the active roster at one time or the other, with Cena managing to top each superstar with god-like efficiency.

Maybe with the addition of Bobby Lashley, along with Mr. Kennedy and the next chap clad in red and gold I’m about to talk about, Cena won’t seem so “divine” anymore, that is, unless WWE Films plans to release a sequel to “The Marine”.

7) King Booker to Raw: The life of John Cena is about to get interesting.

Make no mistake about it- Booker T is the consumate sports-entertainer. Yes, you might say that you don’t like him because his schtick annoys the hell out of you, but hey, that’s the point. The fact that you absolutely loathe him is evidence of the fact that his gimmick has succeeded in digging deep into the WWE audience’s consciousness.

It’s about time King BOOOKAH returned to Raw, and it’s about time someone established challenged Cena for his championship again. Ladies and gents, this fellow might be our man. He might just place the WWE Title in respectability’s limelight again by virtue of his long, elaborately executed, entrances.

Long live the King. Maybe.

We’ll see.

8 ) Chris Benoit to ECW: This selection, I love with all my heart for a couple of reasons.

-Benoit will finally get his hands on a world title again.

-The ECW championship will FINALLY be in the possession of an ECW ORIGINAL again (go away, Lashley, Vince, and Show).

-Benoit was getting no love on RAW or Smackdown. Why not return to your roots when the rest of the world doesn’t seem to be appreciative of your skills?

-It would be fascinating to see The Rabid Wolverine wrestle fresh talent in the form of guys like Elijah Burke, CM Punk, and Kevin Thorn (assuming they stay in ECW, of course).

This is seemingly the beginning of great things for Benoit, at least within the confines of Tuesday nights.

Go on, Chris. Prove your mettle. Prove that technical wrestling isn’t dead (John Cena…booo). Make the haters and the pretenders, TAP OUT.

9) Boogeyman to ECW: I’ll make this short, and sweet. Wild animals need to be caged to be controlled.

Get the point? The Boogeyman can take his black body paint and his worms anywhere, and he’d make quite an impact, but in truth, no brand seems to fit him more than ECW.

Blood? Barbed wire? Chairs? Matches with the most freakish stipulations?

It’s tantamount to rolling out the red carpet for Boogey. Don’t worry- be crazy.

He’s coming to ‘getcha. No matter how silly it may seem.

Uh huh. Wake me up when it’s over.

10) Chris Masters to Smackdown: After a losing streak courtesy of the Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella, Chris Masters has been shipped of to Smackdown to, presumably, achieve greater things via the maximizing his abilities.

But really, is talent the issue here, or is the existence of a shoddy storyline?

In my view, the latter seems to be more true.

Not too long ago, Masters was in contention for the World Tag Team Titles, and the Intercontinental and WWE Titles. As time went by, he became nothing more than a glorified jobber, and a sideshow freak (Masterlock Challenge? Please. What a farce). Perhaps this move to Friday nights will help WWE writers give Masters a fresh chance at glory. At least make him be in the mix for the World Heavyweight Championship, or maybe, the United States Title. I feel that even temporarily, this twenty something kid with muscles the size of planets could carry gold with a semblance of dignity. He could be a strong crowd drawer too, if writers can emphasize the supposedly “unstoppable” nature of his signature maneuver again (it would come to the fore even more if he had gold around his massive waist, or at least, was in the hunt for some).

Masterful move? Quite frankly, yes. Done deal? Not by any means. The Great Khali doesn’t need any more victims. Matt Hardy needs other people to “upset”. Batista ought to look elsewhere for “tune up match fodder”. Masters deserves a better spot in the sun, and everyone knows it. Well, except maybe for Vince and Steph McMahon.

-Lord knows what will happen in the supplemental draft which will happen at 12pm ET on Wednesday. Personally, I hope the Hardys are formally reunited, Randy Orton moves to Smackdown, Kevin Thorn goes to Smackdown, Melina goes to RAW, and Johnny Nitro goes to ECW. Those are just my initial thoughts on the matter. I’ll post more as soon as my brain decides to cooperate. =)