Dave Scherer at PWInsiderElite originally reported -- and several wrestling Web sites have followed by doing the same -- that the Umaga vs Jackass Crew match that was in the works for SummerSlam is now off, with Umaga instead continuing his feud with Jeff Hardy. Some of the Jackass guys were meant to be at the Great American Bash to hassle Umaga, possibly costing him the title, but Johnny Knoxville started getting cold feet about the entire deal after the Benoit tragedy. He began cutting back on his deal to fewer TV dates, to just the SummerSlam PPV, to pulling out altogether. Other guys, like Steve O and Pontius, were still in but WWE felt Knoxville was the only one with crossover potential and so they cancelled the entire angle. As the plan was apparently for the Jackass guys to go over, perhaps it's for the best.
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Too bad, I was looking forward to Steve O somehow fucking up this match and having Umaga legit pound on him.
Kevin Kelly: "Mr. Austin, would you like to comment on Wade Keller's Take that endorsing the XFL hurts your anti-authority character?"
Steve Austin: "Oh shit, he actually said that? I thought the boys in the back were ribbing me!"
Kelly: "No, he really said that. Did they tell you the part about you sitting in the stands, looking all skeptical?"
Austin: "AHAHAHAHAHAHA. Yeah... oh man that was too much."
Steve O's a walking PR nightmare. After everything that's happened in the last few months, he's the LAST person Vince McMahon should want on WWE television. This should be considered a blessing in disguise.
Originally posted by VenomYeah, when Johnny Knoxville is worried about the dangers of associating himself with your product and any hazards wherein, you have a problem.
I'm inclined to agree with this statement. For the love of God, this is the guy who used to have various objects shot at his testicles on a weekly basis! If this guy thinks being on WWE TV is a bad idea, that's gotta say something.
Although with the numbers that Walking Tall drew at the box office, it should have proved to someone that Johnny Knoxville does NOT have crossover potential. At least not to wrestling audiences.
The Wisdom of Homsar: AaAaAaAaAaAaA! Caramel corn for president, please!
This angle probably would have been better for the Jackass guys than the WWE. Umaga should be the happiest about the news as a feud like this could have really hurt him.
-USA Network has been allegedly sticking its nose into WWE's creative business, wielding its influence when it comes to celebrity involvement.
-Steve O has a new show starting this fall on USA.
-Steve O was still on board with the angle.
And the angle was cancelled because of *Johnny Knoxville*??
Nice try, Elite Scherer.
Of course, WWE may actually think Knoxville is still the most relevant of the group, but given the Steve O / USA factor, I'm inclined to think Dave's filling in his own blanks.
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoThis angle probably would have been better for the Jackass guys than the WWE. Umaga should be the happiest about the news as a feud like this could have really hurt him.
Maybe, but I think it would only hurt him if he jobbed. I think the Trump-Vince angle set him back after coming off a suprisingly good feud with Cena. Don't get me wrong, he's a decent worker, and plays the part well. But the part he plays is still the problem to me. He is walking, talking, Wrestlecrap. It's still not 1985.
Dean! Have you been shooting dope into your scrotum? You can tell me! I'm hip!
Originally posted by BigDaddyLocoThis angle probably would have been better for the Jackass guys than the WWE. Umaga should be the happiest about the news as a feud like this could have really hurt him.
Maybe, but I think it would only hurt him if he jobbed. I think the Trump-Vince angle set him back after coming off a suprisingly good feud with Cena. Don't get me wrong, he's a decent worker, and plays the part well. But the part he plays is still the problem to me. He is walking, talking, Wrestlecrap. It's still not 1985.
No moreso than Kane or The Undertaker. I think the worst part of the character is that he doesn't have a handler anymore.
Originally posted by kentishI don't doubt that is true about Steph and Heyman, but how does that explain the Sandman push? Or Super Crazy (to an extent)?
I think it was Meltzer who wrote that Vince was "intrigued" by Sandman (or something like that), so he's behind that push I guess.
My Vengeance hangout report and more!: Experience It
Originally posted by geemoneyI think it was Meltzer who wrote that Vince was "intrigued" by Sandman (or something like that), so he's behind that push I guess.
If this is true, I sort of understand why. There's something about Sandman, something interesting, almost magnetic. It's hard to explain.
I've met him twice over the years, once at an ECW show in 96 and again a couple of years ago at some indy show in Boston. Both times, spoke to him very briefly. First time, he boffed LanceJr on the head with his cane and let us hold whatever title belt he had. At that recent indy show, he tagged with two local guys in a six man, and openly said to the audience he didn't know what their names were, and made one of them fetch him a beer DURING THE MATCH!
Each time we met him, my friends and I remarked the same thing, for a strange, ugly drunk who wrestles, Sandman's pretty cool. Maybe it's because he's a strange, ugly drunk who wrestles. Point is, I WANT to watch him. Sandman's automatically interesting the second he appears. He's very entertaining. They don't make too many like him.
All I remember of the Jackass crew was the night they were plugging something on Raw, and they were rolling around on the mat and laughing instead of selling the scripted beatdown. If I was the E, I wouldn't have wasted anyone above a Snitsky-type, maybe Big Daddy V... then if the Jackasses blew the selling off, no great loss.
I think Sandman's been the best of the ECW originals brought in to re-launch the brand. He was in better shape than I remember him (for me, in WCW and maybe ECW's TNN era?) before, and he's worked hard despite minimal push in WWE to date.
Although the suspicious conspiracy theorist in me is wondering why he's come out with no beer the last couple of days. Wouldn't be the first time WWE's tweaked a gimmick to turn down the heat on someone (i.e. - changing Goldberg's music just enough to make it hard to chant along with) Could it just be a stupid California law?
Originally posted by TheOldManAll I remember of the Jackass crew was the night they were plugging something on Raw, and they were rolling around on the mat and laughing instead of selling the scripted beatdown.
I remember that and I wondered why WWE would even bother with them again when I read they were booked for SummerSlam.
Although the suspicious conspiracy theorist in me is wondering why he's come out with no beer the last couple of days.
I noticed that and chalked it up to WWE trying to clean up their shows because of all the post-Benoit media scrutiny.
Originally posted by geemoneyI think it was Meltzer who wrote that Vince was "intrigued" by Sandman (or something like that), so he's behind that push I guess.
If this is true, I sort of understand why. There's something about Sandman, something interesting, almost magnetic. It's hard to explain.
I've met him twice over the years, once at an ECW show in 96 and again a couple of years ago at some indy show in Boston. Both times, spoke to him very briefly. First time, he boffed LanceJr on the head with his cane and let us hold whatever title belt he had. At that recent indy show, he tagged with two local guys in a six man, and openly said to the audience he didn't know what their names were, and made one of them fetch him a beer DURING THE MATCH!
Each time we met him, my friends and I remarked the same thing, for a strange, ugly drunk who wrestles, Sandman's pretty cool. Maybe it's because he's a strange, ugly drunk who wrestles. Point is, I WANT to watch him. Sandman's automatically interesting the second he appears. He's very entertaining. They don't make too many like him.
(edited by John Orquiola on 25.7.07 1239)
This is all very true, but he loses almost all of that the moment the bell rings. Maybe it is the two minute non hardcore matches, but other than being able to take a beating and swing a cane the guy really has nothing in the ring to speak of ... although he always draws me right back in the next week.
Losing his music sucked, losing his cigarettes was really crappy, but no beer and beer can smashing on the head may be even too much for The Sandman to survive.
I'd still love to see the smile on his face when he goes to the bank and cashes one of those WWE checks for doing next to nothing.
The Sandman is the very definition of "Entrance Over". But his entrances in ECW were an event themselves, his matches were pretty much an afterthought. The crowd ate it up. And, they were eating it up on Raw a few weeks ago. But with the beer now gone, look for his pops to diminish more and more every week. Teaming with Duggan won't help either.
I predict now that they have taken everything cool away from his character, he will be off of regular TV in a month.
I still think losing the beer had something to do with Austin, but "cleaning up their act" is also a possibility.
Dean! Have you been shooting dope into your scrotum? You can tell me! I'm hip!
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Using one of the main guys on WWE.com (Styles) as a quote for anther one of the main WWE.com guys (Cole). Kayfabe is alive and well AMIRITE. I've got no problem with this, just like I had no problems when people had feuds with The Brain. Or the Genius....