Matt O’Brien writes and maintains the Wrestleview poll every two weeks.
In the latest Wrestleview poll asking when WWE should reveal the identity of the anonymous Raw GM, the results are as follows:
Now 46% (1,510 votes)
Around the New Year 20% (666 votes)
At Wrestlemania 20% (672 votes)
Late 2011 2% (73 votes)
Never 12% (396 votes)
Total votes cast: 3,317
It was July of 2002 when WWE introduced the concept of the General Manager. The idea was that both Raw and Smackdown would have their own separate authority figures outside of Vince McMahon. WWE used to have a president in Jack Tunney and Gorilla Monsoon. They engaged the role of the authority figure during Vince McMahon’s feud with Steve Austin. The fallout of that program brought about the use of the WWE Commissioner. That role was used more heavily than the presidential one. By the time WWE split their roster into two separate brands, the idea of the General Manager came about to create separate yet equal authority figures.
The first GM appointed was Eric Bischoff. It was one of the most significant moments of WWE that year. The Raw GM has been the title of several characters over the past eight years. There was Steve Austin, Jonathan Coachman, Bret Hart, William Regal, Vicki Guerrero, Stephanie McMahon and even Mike Adamle. After eight years of GMs coming and going, who is left to appoint in that role? The answer is nobody.
The current GM of Raw has been hiding behind an email address for months. Speculation over this individual’s identity has ranged from Michael Cole to Triple H, and even though months have passed, there is no indication of an impending revelation. So the question becomes when they will, and when they should.
Two percent of the voters feel WWE should wait until late 2011 to reveal the identity. This allows for the New Year to come, for Wrestlemania to pass through, and for the GM to develop a little further. Next up in the results was the vote for WWE to NEVER reveal the identity of this individual. Can you imagine that? It really is an interesting idea. There are a couple different ways to look at this choice. One is that no matter who WWE can put in this role, it will not love up the hype. Another is that the GM storyline simply doesn’t need to reveal anyone. Eventually Vince McMahon will develop a beef with the GM and simply fire them, having never revealed their identity. Many may feel that is a cheap way out, but it is a plausible scenario.
The next two choices cam in just six votes apart! 666 people believe that WWE should reveal the GM around the New Year, which isn’t too far away; while 672 voters believe WWE should do it at Wrestlemania. With this revelation building for so long, what bigger stage to show this person’s face to the world. The GM could then resume their duties the following night on Raw, finally having revealed their identity.
Coming in with the most votes was the request to reveal the identity now. Some feel that the idea was stupid to begin while others feel that this idea has run its course. The sound of the email alert has become nails on a chalkboard to many. Mystery storylines come up quite frequently in professional wrestling and the anticipation to a revelation is met with a combination of impatience and intrigue. If a storyline is done well, the result will mostly be intrigue. People will want the mystery to continue, if only for a little while. The results of this poll may have nearly half the votes demanding an immediate resolution, but the majority of the voters do not believe it needs to be revealed right away. In a way, the jury is still out on this one.
Thanks to all those who participated and be sure to check out our latest poll on the Wrestleview homepage.
Matt O’Brien
Columnist, Wrestleview.com
mattman5436@yahoo.com