Notes from the Nosebleeds #55
February 27, 2010
By: Matt O’Brien of WrestleView.com
What in the hell did I just see on my TV? That question was the first thing that came to mind last week when TNA aired a segment featuring Hulk Hogan motivating Abyss to be a monster. For those of you who didn?t see it or just want to watch it again you can do so below.
The segment was professional wrestling at its most over the top. You have Hulk Hogan talking about Popeye and spinach of all things. Then you have a guy in a strange mask making these high pitched noises and shrieking at everything Hogan says. You ever see something where you just don?t know how to react so you either don?t acknowledge or sit with a blank stare on your face? Well, this segment was one of those moments. Still, the segment was gold.
There really isn?t a better guy to get an on-air endorsement from than Hulk Hogan. Anyone who thinks different can look at Drew McIntyre. Even the endorsement of Vince McMahon cannot push a guy as hard. The reason for that is because Vince has played a heel on TV for the better part of twelve years. While he will always have credibility, he has had a number of guys act as cronies for him and screwed the good guys out of titles and matches. It just serves to make his endorsed acts look like cheaters. While Hogan has done the same, he has not done so to the extent McMahon has. Also, Hogan is still remembered by most of the wrestling world, and the non-wrestling world as well, as the guy who wrestled in the red and yellow. Having the biggest name in wrestling endorse you is a hell of a rub.
Hogan has been accused of holding people down and playing backstage politics to keep his spot. Assume that all of the rumors are true. It makes the angle work even more so on a different level. To the smart fans or whatever the heck we are supposed to call them nowadays, this angle reaches them. People that think Hogan is this guy who holds people down are now pulled into this angle where Hogan is endorsing and pushing a younger guy. The strangest thing about all of this is that Abyss does not have the Hogan look. Hogan didn?t choose a young muscle-bound guy with blonde hair. He chose a guy that looks like a combination of Mankind, Kane, and?Mankind. Choosing a monster like Abyss may be a build for Hogan to slay one more monster in the future, but in the meantime you have Hogan giving a full endorsement to a main who may be the future face of TNA.
Of all the guys on the TNA roster, is Abyss really the right guy to get the big Hogan push? Yes. Looking at the other guys on the roster, there are several guys who fall into the choreography of indy wrestling. This isn?t to say they aren?t good, but looking at it from Hogan’s view Abyss is the perfect guy to push. He has an interesting character, size, and the ability to be molded and mentored by someone like Hogan.
Is this angle silly? Yes. Is it over the top? Yes. Is it good? Hell yes. Hogan said something very heartfelt that he had not really said before. He said that he can barely get out of bed in the morning after thirty years of breaking his body and selling out all the major venues. When you think of all the wrestlers that have broken their bodies for the business Hogan does not come to mind, but still he has. It was a side of Hogan we hadn?t seen before. The speech really resonates with Abyss who is a man who breaks his body in his matches. The angel with Hogan is channeling the monster within him and giving him a purpose. If Abyss is going to break his body, he must do so for a reason. Hogan recognizes this as a character and as an observer from behind the scenes. This angle is perfect for Abyss on both character and out of character conditions. TNA and Hogan have started to build momentum with Abyss, all of which now hinges on how all parties make of it.
Other Notes
I was wrong. I truly believed that Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels was not going to happen, that it was going to swerve into a match between HBK and Triple H. Well, best of luck to both men at Mania.
Speaking of HHH, the man is left without a WM opponent. Who should he fight? Drew McIntyre. If this guy really does have it, let’s put him in the ring with HHH and see what they can do. HHH could cut a promo saying that the WWE title is the only one that matters and he wants to have it going into WM, thereby challenging Batista. Drew can then cut a promo on SmackDown! saying his title is the one that truly matters and if HHH wants to fight for a championship, he can come get his. They could play that up over a few weeks where HHH kind of ignores the I-C champ, similar to what John Cena did last year with Miz. Eventually, McIntyre would coax HHH into the match and you have a big I-C title match for WM.
Kudos to WWE for the way they are handing Daniel Bryan. His match with Chris Jericho on Tuesday night was fantastic and his impending feud with Miz will be very interesting.
Apparently the Nasty Boys want to have a lengthy feud with Team 3-D while the latter is not so enthusiastic about the extension. I would PAY to see these two teams keep up the feud. You read that right. I really enjoy the feud. Nasty Boys may be over the hill, but they are still entertaining. If they have bad matches, they have awesomely bad matches.
Thanks for reading and enjoy the weekend.
Matt O?Brien