I could tell you that even if he were not on TV. Something has been different these past few weeks - different and good. I don't know how to describe it, so I'll just use examples.
1. Eddy - only weeks after...ick...Eddy has become not only serious but deep. It helps that some of what he said last night was sincere. True, it was part of the storyline, but he really was addicted to drugs and alcohol. I believe what he said about his father's words and crawling up out of hell. Maybe I'm being gullible. I don't care. The crowd loves Eddy. They don't just love seeing him - they love him. I remember a match against Edge, I don't know how long ago. Eddy received a standing ovation. He lost, he was a heel, and he received a standing ovation. I have gone so far from my original topic.
2. Relationships which are neither friendship nor hatred. Heaven forbid we have complexity in relationships between wrestlers. Not to mention conflict between heels.
3. I'm gonna have to watch my tape of RAW. I'm to hyper right now to remember anything further back than SD. Ok, number three. Fun. People having fun. Not silly humor. Not stuff you can't believe. Just Tazz getting pushed in a tub of chocolate and then having to continue annoucing while sticky.
Maybe I shouldn't be too quick to credit Heyman with the changes I've seen. Maybe I shouldn't eat ice cream for breakfast. Anyways, just as I was about to give up, the WWE has made me care.
And now for something completely random: Stop saying fine and dandy! It makes you sound like a hick! Oh, wait, you are a hick.
And if you think that its fake try to receive a chokeslam, a sweet chin music or a spear without scream or drop a tear..
His job before was to sit at home and review the scripts and make suggestions. According to Meltzer, they very rarely used his suggestions.
He's still got that role in addition to being an on-air character but he's not part of the creative team. However, knowing how Heyman operates, I'm sure the writers are more apt to implement his suggestions when Heyman's there in person to persuade them.
Those things you mentioned are typical Heyman touches. The deeper and more real stuff that pays attention to history.
While publicly we're aware of the role as on-air talent and armchair consultant only, I must admit that I find it interesting that Heyman's return coincides with Steph's time off for her honeymoon.
I see Scherer is already suggesting that Heyman could be responsible for this week's ratings increase, which I personally find more than a little far fetched...
I have this theory, actually. I think that the reason Smackdown's been so bad lately is Steph's wedding. From what I gathered, Steph ran the booking committee for both shows, but spent most of her time on Smackdown. With the wedding coming up (and now gone), I figure she wasn't spending a lot of time booking. So Smackdown didn't really have anyone in charge. Now, I guess Heyman's picking up the slack.
Scherer is an idiot. When ratings go down, it's a "sign of the times", but when they go up he finds a way to credit someone from ECW for it. I remember when he said he thought Sabu-Sandman from N2R 97 was a great match, what a fucking shill.
When Heyman was booking Smackdown it sucked. Does anyoe remeber Undertaker opening the huge gifts from Big Show every week and Heyman being featured in almost every segment?
(edited by T.i.O a B.m.F on 1.11.03 1041) "T.he I.mmoral O.ne's A B.ad M.otha F.u*ka"
First of all, the bit with Eddie Guerrero on Smackdown was terrible in every possible way. The idea behind it, Eddie's execution, everything. What got Eddie over was being a clever cheater who outsmarted everyone, not being a dull "it's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up!" type of guy.
That doesn't make his character deep, it makes him boring and will make him annoying if it continues past this week. He should be smacking Chavo in the face and telling him to shut his mouth, not getting choked up about his past with drugs, which probably 80% of the audience had no idea about. If that angle had happened in El Paso, where the fans would be teary-eyed and giving Eddie a ten-minute standing ovation, that would be one thing. But it wasn't.
That said, Heyman is not booking anything. According to one of the sheets, the Smackdown writers don't even like that he's back as an on-air talent, so it's doubtful that he has any sort of influence with them. And for that matter, Stephanie was not booking either. Being the head of the writing team means that she helps supervise and acts as a go-between for the writers and Vince, but she isn't plotting out the shows. Regardless, since Heyman was demoted, Smackdown has been entirely what Vince wants.
"First of all, the bit with Eddie Guerrero on Smackdown was terrible in every possible way. The idea behind it, Eddie's execution, everything. What got Eddie over was being a clever cheater who outsmarted everyone, not being a dull "it's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up!" type of guy.
That doesn't make his character deep, it makes him boring and will make him annoying if it continues past this week. He should be smacking Chavo in the face and telling him to shut his mouth, not getting choked up about his past with drugs, which probably 80% of the audience had no idea about. If that angle had happened in El Paso, where the fans would be teary-eyed and giving Eddie a ten-minute standing ovation, that would be one thing. But it wasn't."
A total 2D character-which, let's face it, is what Eddie's "Cheat his way out of everything" persona was-is good for getting the fans to pop for somebody, but once a guy starts playing with the big boys you're going to need a little more to him. And you can call it boring all you want, but last week's speech was something different from Eddie. Of course his old persona ain't dead-it's being added to.
Murdoch Had Just Made A Mistake That No Man Ever Should-He Kissed A Big Angry Black Guy
Originally posted by oldschoolhero"First of all, the bit with Eddie Guerrero on Smackdown was terrible in every possible way. The idea behind it, Eddie's execution, everything. What got Eddie over was being a clever cheater who outsmarted everyone, not being a dull "it's not how many times you get knocked down, it's how many times you get back up!" type of guy.
That doesn't make his character deep, it makes him boring and will make him annoying if it continues past this week. He should be smacking Chavo in the face and telling him to shut his mouth, not getting choked up about his past with drugs, which probably 80% of the audience had no idea about. If that angle had happened in El Paso, where the fans would be teary-eyed and giving Eddie a ten-minute standing ovation, that would be one thing. But it wasn't."
A total 2D character-which, let's face it, is what Eddie's "Cheat his way out of everything" persona was-is good for getting the fans to pop for somebody, but once a guy starts playing with the big boys you're going to need a little more to him. And you can call it boring all you want, but last week's speech was something different from Eddie. Of course his old persona ain't dead-it's being added to.
Exactly. There are only so many cheat-to-win ploys you can pull off without the gimmick getting tired, and without compromising Eddie's effectiveness as a wrestler -- I want to see Eddie *wrestling*, not spiking his opponent's pre-match drink with LSD or stuffing a chain down his opponent's tights during a suplex or whatever other goofy stunt the writers have come up with this week. If they're really going to push Eddie above the US title level (which I don't really expect, but one has to be optimistic sometimes), they have to make the crowd take him seriously as a wrestler and as a character, not just as a Latino Bugs Bunny.
"I do have a degree in electrical engineering... from almost 20 years ago. Punchcard systems were just becoming obsolete, we had rotary phones in the dorms, and a modem was still a gizmo the size of a shoebox into which you squooshed the phone receiver itself. In short, we lived like animals.
The instant obsolesence is why I became a writer. The rate of punctuation in a sentence doesn't double every 18 friggin' months, and you never have some 22-year-old looming over your shoulder, shaking his head, saying "dude... you're still using adverbs...?"
Originally posted by Shem the PenmanIf they're really going to push Eddie above the US title level (which I don't really expect, but one has to be optimistic sometimes), they have to make the crowd take him seriously as a wrestler and as a character, not just as a Latino Bugs Bunny.
I thought they were booking him as Speedy Gonzales with just a hint of Senor Bugs. Arriba!
Josh Beckett is God. If you don't believe me, ask the Yankees (or what's left of them after Georgie Porgie goes nuts).
I agree with OSH and Shem about Eddie. His interview absolutely made his character deep, and the reason why he changed his attitude was because of Chavo and family. I doubt if Tajiri was railing on him Eddie would have come out with that speech. But because it was his flesh and blood, Eddie had to turn off the smirking attitude and explain things to Chavo.
This instantly makes Chavo seem more important because Eddie made such a drastic and dramatic speech. Time will tell if the fans will buy this family feud, but I like that in the course of one show we get both Eddie and Chavo involved in something bigger than a random match.
As to Heyman's impact, again time will tell. It does seem like some here are just using wishful thinking and Scherer-logic in blindly praising Heyman for Smackdown's improvment. We need to see if Smackdown continues to improve in its stories, and even then it will be reaching to give Paul the credit.
In the end, all I know is that its good to have Heyman back, even if it's only as on-air talent.
(edited by Torchslasher on 2.11.03 2202) Molly, Stacy and Daffney all in WWE? I suddenly lost all my will to complain about anything regarding the WWE. Hope I don't lose my street cred for this.
TS, the greatest Wiener rated 6.1554 ever to live!! Oops, I mean 5.5...4.5?? Oh, dammit! I guess Notorious FAB was right.
He was booking and writing smackdown a while ago but he got fired and was replaced by two yes men who steph appoved (i can't remember their names at the moment) At the moment he's been off for back surgery i read but anyway its nice to have him back
Offically he's only an on scereen performer but it wouldn't surprise me if he was writing as well
Overall its good to have him back Definately one of the best actors in a non wrestling guise
P.S (Does anyone remember that speech he made to the Mcman in the invasion storyline. That was brilliant)
I've always thought that WWF is more fun to watch when the wrestlers are having fun (See: 2000)...and it's always fun when Heyman's around! What will we see next? A Benoit push??
I know - and they're all from the UK and they all use The Planet. This is why I continue to promote myself through the use of links...at least occasionally. ;-)
Yeah, well, do to my horrid lack of funds, I haven't been to a wrestling event at all since the last WWF event in the Boston Garden! And that was only because I won the tickets!