Badseed's Bottomline #325: Matt Hardy can save wrestling

»Reported by Jon Minners of WrestleView.com

On Thursday, July 14, 2005 at 10:14 PM EST

Badseed's Bottomline


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Jon Minners

Hey yo! This is Badseed with a special commentary that will focus on just one subject. That subject will be Matt Hardy. Who else would it have been?

Besides Muhammed Hassan, what other wrestler is creating a buzz around the wrestling world. Matt Hardy swerved us all and I loved it. I was feeling down at a time after a bad breakup and I was one of the people who wrote Matt to wish him good luck after I met the newest love of my life and you would think I would be pissed. Hell no!!! I loved it. Thank you for renewing my faith in wrestling. Of course, it is going to become harder and harder to swerve the fans after this. I hope the WWE doesn’t try this too often and now that everyone knows it is a work, it seems pointless to continue the charade, or does it? Yes, Badseed has a great idea. Matt Hardy can save wrestling.

What I am about to say is quite absurd. It will not happen, but I think it should. If the WWE gives a damn about wrestling and wants to see it thrive over the next few years, they may want to listen to me. This will help the WWE, Spike TV, USA, ROH, TNA and Matt Hardy. Let me just get into it.

So, Matt Hardy invaded Raw and it looked real. They screwed up a few things that sort of gave it away, but the unexpectedness of it all; the fact that he was to sign a contract with TNA, the fact that TNA seemed to be setting up for his debut and the fact that Hardy was using the Internet to get his views across and sounding more and more absurd with each post made the moment so surreal. For a second, I wasn’t sure what was going on. I never popped so loudly for a wrestling segment. It was totally unexpected. Then, I watched Byte This and they did a good job to sell it as real. When Lita attacked Matt for cutting a wrestling promo in a real life situation, it made it seem even more real, because it was probably what everyone was thinking. When Lita could not answer what was missing in her relationship with Matt, it made it seem more real. When Matt quickly plugged his appearance at Ring of Honor and his websites, I thought it was a great touch to make it seem that much realer. I mean, if he had said it all calm-like, it would have smacked of fake. So, what next?

Well, Matt Hardy will wrestle at Ring of Honor this weekend. He will cut a promo against the WWE, but fans are smart and they will probably boo it. If he is smart, he will cut a quick promo to state that he will not waste his time dealing with the WWE, because Ring of Honor is the real deal. That will get fans on his side. He will have cut the WWE down a bit and then he will wrestle a great match that will keep the fans on his side. Then, what has to be done is this; Matt Hardy has to show up on TNA on Sunday’s PPV. He has to show up and cut the biggest anti-WWE rant ever on TNA. See, once he is on TNA, suddenly, everything starts to look real. How can this be a work? He is on the rival program. He can’t be working us. This may actually be true. Oh snap, I have to check out Raw on Monday. I have to check out Impact on their website. Ring of Honor is coming to my town next week; let’s go see what Matt Hardy has to say. Let Matt Hardy show up on Smackdown and have him attack Animal as a way of getting back at Johnny Ace, pointing out that he is Ace’s brother? That would add to the realism of it all.

The WWE should run this angle for some time. Keep it going until Raw moves to USA and TNA goes to Spike. The WWE should be working with everyone and no one should spill the beans, because it is good for wrestling as a whole. The WWE doesn’t burn bridges with Spike by helping them out before they go in exchange for a promise from Spike not to put TNA against them on Mondays. TNA gets an immediate ratings boost by being part of the hottest angle on wrestling. ROH becomes the ECW of the three; the alternative federation fans go to for real wrestling excitement and no soap opera drama. Suddenly, the glory days of competition is reborn as USA benefits the most because the hottest star in wrestling is on their network for the long haul. Eventually, the WWE will have to explain why Hardy will join them full time, but if they work with TNA, the WWE could have Jeff Hardy show up to continue the angle if a restraining order is placed on Matt. They could do so much with the angle with the competition of others.

Now, add this. WWE.com interviewed stars they released. Why would they do that? Well, why is D-Von Dudley and Bubba Ray so upset that they don’t want to be interviewed? How can creative have nothing for the Dudley Boys, especially with ECW still fresh in people’s minds and Axl Rotten and Balls Mahoney showing up along with the possibility of other ECW stars? How come Spike Dudley would cut the WWE down so badly? Why not start having other wrestlers show up on TNA and bad mouth the WWE, starting a big rivalry between the two? The Dudleys could be on loan to TNA to spark the tension up, to build it up beyond the Matt Hardy vs. Edge, Lita and the WWE angle so they can get more life from it.

Does this sound like a dumb idea? I don’t think so. In fact, this would be the hottest thing to ever hit wrestling and Vince McMahon would be a part of it. Vince McMahon knows he will not be defeated in the wrestling wars by TNA or ROH. They are not big enough and will not be big enough. He will just help them become a legitimate alternative to help get fans back to wrestling. Plus, a good relationship with TNA and ROH could help with future ECW reunions. Vince wants to make money on the ECW name and do you really think he would let go of so many ECW stars that would go to TNA and ruin the ECW PPV experience? I don’t think so. This angle sounds so out there. It probably will never happen. However, I needed to bring it out there just in case, because wouldn’t it be something if it did? TNA’s PPV is only a few days away and Matt Hardy’s Florida vacation comment for Sunday probably already boosted some buys to TNA’s PPV just to see, so if the WWE is willing to help TNA and ROH with a few comments, why not go all the way? If it doesn’t happen, oh well, but if it does, I told you so.

Well, I have said my piece. That’s all for today. Be sure to check out my website at www.g-pop.net and go to my message board at http://gpopnetwork.proboards31.com/index.cgi where there is a spirited conversation going on about who is the better tag-team; The Legion of Doom or the Dudley Boys. Plus, in non-wrestling related topics, discuss why women are crazy, whether it is a good thing to have sex before marriage and the VH1 television shows. Have a voice. Get popped. Sign up and give us your thoughts. That’s all for today. Until next time, peace…