Some time ago, Benoit's hometown announcement changed from "Edmonton Alberta, Canada" to "Now residing in Atlanta, Georgia."
Just this past week on RAW, Jericho's hometown changed from "Toronto, Canada (well, somewhere from Canada)" to "Manhattan, New York."
Yep, there's gonna be some "You Sold Outs" and booing to these former Canadians come Backlash. Why they didn't wait until after the PPV to change their hometowns is beyond me, but it's saddening that either Jericho, Benoit, or WWE Management doesn't consider Canada to be "good enough" for any face on RAW to come from anymore. I would have been surprised that the WWE would have considered their crowd naive enough to boo anyone who's not from America, but seeing as how they expect this Eugene gimmick to float, I'm not really surprised by anything anymore. I mean, even "Dudleyville" was changed to "New York City."
On the other hand, La Resistance now hails from French Canada. Maybe those annoying USA chants will finally die out and be replaced with cheers (and hopefully a new gimmick). That is, if they're even booked on the PPV.
For what it's worth, WWE.COM has had this little blurb under "live events" for some time.
Don't Miss Chris Benoit's Homecoming! The next WWE pay-per-view event is Backlash, a RAW brand event, on April 18 from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. The event is a homecoming for the new World Heavyweight Champion when Chris Benoit returns to Edmonton. Don't miss the next exciting WWE pay-per-view event!
"Huard, gonna go back to throw the ball. Sets up, looks, throws towards the corner of the endzone...it is INTERCEPTED INTERCEPTED, THE DUCKS HAVE THE BALL! Down to the 35, the 40. Kenny Wheaton's gonna score! Kenny Wheaton is gonna score! 20, the 10, Touchdown! Kenny Wheaton on the interception, the most incredible finish to the football game!"
Do people really care about the hometown announcement? Is it going to make the 5 people sitting around the TV set watching the PPV on their stolen box boo?
Are you a professional halfwit or talented amateur?
There won't be booing or any chants from the Canadian crowds. We're used to our celebrities moving to the US. It makes no difference to the Canadian crowds. Benoit and Jericho will get monster reactions.
I said it in the Raw thread so I'll repeat it here: "moving" to Atlanta and Manhattan is pure genius by the two of them. There's always the talk of "Vince embarasses wrestlers in their hometown" that's even stronger in Canada. Heck, ever since Benoit was put in the main event scene I've seen people discuss how if he won at WM it was only so he could be embarassed in front of his hometown fans.
Well, now when Vince looks down the list of wrestlers for a Canadian to embarass, there'll be two fewer Canadians! Look for Christian and Trish to be embarassed by the Manhattan native, and the Atlanta native to hold onto his title! ;-)
Originally posted by HokienauticI said it in the Raw thread so I'll repeat it here: "moving" to Atlanta and Manhattan is pure genius by the two of them. There's always the talk of "Vince embarasses wrestlers in their hometown" that's even stronger in Canada. Heck, ever since Benoit was put in the main event scene I've seen people discuss how if he won at WM it was only so he could be embarassed in front of his hometown fans.
Well, now when Vince looks down the list of wrestlers for a Canadian to embarass, there'll be two fewer Canadians! Look for Christian and Trish to be embarassed by the Manhattan native, and the Atlanta native to hold onto his title! ;-)
On one hand, I think there is something behind it. On the Canadian broadcast of RAW, they gave fans the flight that Benoit would be arriving on in Edmonton, encouraging people to come out and meet him. Plus, he's doing something with the mayor.
On the other hand, maybe the WWE just felt that too many of their strong faces were Canadian, so they have emphasized the good guys(Benoit, Jericho) are from the USA, and the bad guys(Christian, Trish, and now La Resistance) are from Canada.
In the "I've been smoking up" fantasy booking, maybe this is going to set up a good Canadians vs. evil Canadians angle, marking the return of Bret Hart(there, I said it).
Originally posted by madiqStill, I do find it interesting that WWE saw fit to make all Canadian faces (and Gail Kim) have US hometowns.
Actually, Lilian announced Gail as being from South Korea (I think, I wasn't really listening until I heard 'Korea'.)
Point of interest: Lilian announced Nidia as from Puerto Rico. I thought she was from the South...
How long have they been announcing Benoit as being from Atlanta? I heard it the last two weeks, but never paid attention to it before that. And do they even announce hometowns on Smackdown?
HHH: You two had better stop your ambiguiously gay excersions before I kick you happy asses out of Evolution, damn it! (H yelling at Ric & Randy from 'God Knows', http://www.fanfiction.net/.) ~~*~~*~~ Be good, Vince. Don't be dumb.
I'm sure when they come to Canada these guys will be billed as Canadians....if Benoit isn't announced as from Edmonton at Backlash, I'd be shocked.
As for crowd reactions, I wouldn't worry about it...the crowds here know who the Canadian guys are and respond accordingly. Even guys like Test (billed from nowhere) and Venis (usually billed from Vegas) get better pops here than in the US based on that recognition. The only way the Edmonton fans would turn on Benoit would be if he came out and endorsed the Calgary Flames and Pierre Trudeau.
Originally posted by Tenken347If I recall correctly, didn't Jericho used to live down in Tampa (along with like, 10 other Canadians)? When did he move to New York?
I'm pretty sure he was actually born in NY during the time his dad was playing for the Rangers. He does live in Florida.
Originally posted by Tenken347If I recall correctly, didn't Jericho used to live down in Tampa (along with like, 10 other Canadians)? When did he move to New York?
A lot of Canadians own winter homes in Florida. Usually it's just retired "Snowbirds", but I guess some wrestlers can afford one too.
I just hope they never change J.R.'s hometown. Every time we go watch Raw here in Oklahoma, the fans go FUCKING CRAZY for J.R. It's the dumbest thing ever. If they change his hometown, there will probably be an axe murder in the arena. We love our rasslin' down here...especially the hometown boys.
"My image spoke to me, yes, to me and often said...YOU ARE THE SON OF INCESTUOUS UNION." - The Pixies, Nimrod's Son
Originally posted by Tenken347If I recall correctly, didn't Jericho used to live down in Tampa (along with like, 10 other Canadians)? When did he move to New York?
A lot of Canadians own winter homes in Florida. Usually it's just retired "Snowbirds", but I guess some wrestlers can afford one too.
Doesn't FL have something like no state income tax, or something like that?
Originally posted by AerosionJust this past week on RAW, Jericho's hometown changed from "Toronto, Canada (well, somewhere from Canada)" to "Manhattan, New York."
Winnipeg, Manitoba. Not Toronto.
It sure smells fishy to me that all the Canadian faces in the WWE have changed their hometowns in their ring announcements. It's not a very Canadian thing to do, really. Canadian celebrities usually make it a point to be proud of where they come from. I wonder if there's some big angle in the works.
Lance Storm is still from Calgary. But I guess he's a heel now.
And how come Test is never announced as being from anywhere? The eternal homeless?
What about Edge. He's obviously a face. He hasn't been "announced" for a match yet. Will he still be from Toronto?
(edited by Stilton on 6.4.04 2303) So sayeth Randy Stilton, the real Stinky Cheese Man!
(I'm told that, in the UK, my name is actually hilarious.)
There is the added fact that neither men cared much about the business. Sting lost his motivation years before WCW died. Goldberg's just a psycho on an egotrip.