WWE Champion John "Bradshaw" Layfield was on the 93X Half-Assed Morning Show here in Minneapolis this morning and had some interesting stuff that may be of some importance to some of you W's.
Quickly and, most importantly, when asked about the undercard for WrestleMania 21, JBL confirmed that the WWE was signing Japanese sumo superstar Akebono (who appeared on SmackDown! last month) to face Big Show on the grand stage of Sports Entertainment.
JBL sounded very at ease and wasn't at all in character. I really got the impression that he was having a good time and he came off as a really cool guy on-air.
As a note, when the crew asked JBL about his long-title reign, JBL said something to the relative effect of, "I think the WWE said to themselves, 'This guy has been around for too long and won't leave, maybe giving him the belt will shut him up.'" Good stuff.
If this is true, then they’d better get started on some form of buildup ASAP. Most American fans don’t even know who Akebono is, and he’s only appeared briefly in cameo from that week in Japan. While this would go over huge in Japan, I have a feeling that the American crowds will mostly use this as a chance to get more beer and hit the restrooms.
Originally posted by PhantomIf this is true, then they’d better get started on some form of buildup ASAP. Most American fans don’t even know who Akebono is, and he’s only appeared briefly in cameo from that week in Japan. While this would go over huge in Japan, I have a feeling that the American crowds will mostly use this as a chance to get more beer and hit the restrooms.
(1) It's the Big Show, wouldn't that (beer/bathroom breaks) already have been the case? :-)
(2) I think you underestimate how much press Akebono has received in the past. He's the first American to reach the level of Yokozuna (not the former wrestler, the highest position in Sumo), and has had a good deal of pub in the past.
I hope he comes out dressed as Ake-Show and they do comedy because a straight up match would probably be among the worst ever.
"When did they pass a law that says the people who make my sandwich have to be wearing gloves? I'm not comfortable with this. I don't want glove residue all over my food; it's not sanitary. Who knows where these gloves have been?" - George Carlin
If nothing else it will give them a reason to bust out the old "specially reinforced ring" spiel not heard since the days of Andre,Earthquake and Yokozuna...
"Flaming Box of Stuff:
If a brewery closes in the middle of the Pacific Northwest and no one cares, what happens to the soon-to-be-unemployed? The refreshingly low-keyed Seattle troupe answers that question in "It's the Water." Set in the 1970s — the show opens with black lights, "Dark Side of the Moon" and a character named Burnout — but not so '70s that anyone makes a "Laverne and Shirley" joke.
In the opening sequence, the plant manager, a one-man Revenge of the Nerd, ducks his workers' questions about rumors of a layoff. From there, the show moves from direct silliness (a bear-hunting expedition during the final company picnic) to an unexpectedly moving encounter between a brewery grunt and a waitress in a local tavern. There's a pleasing lack of strain in "It's the Water."
He's going to be at the Mall of America (or maybe he has been already? I forgot what time) as part of the Judgment Day hype. I had a presale password and forgot to use it - or I TRIED but the ticketmaster.com website is a total piece of crap and didn't really want me to spend any money...which is fine.
Also, Taco Bell was giving away a meet-and-greet with JBL or something - since I didn't win it I don't remember what the prize was. I kinda thought I'd be the only guy to enter and thus I'd win, but apparently there are still more than a few fans still kicking around the Twin Cities Metro area who are also part of the extremely exclusive SPICE UP THE NIGHT! club.
When it seems like the whole world is full of idiots, maybe your standards are a bit high. - Guru Zim
He was also on the RAW Is Tokyo show. Sounds to me as if Vince is covering all angles and spending money to make money in Japan. What are the buyrates for WM in Japan?
I understand the crowds that turned up to the RAW show was good , is that indicative of the following or would it be like here in Australia ''a special event''?
Frankly, a better option would be to put Big Show and Akebono as a tag team in a handicap match against, say, Orlando and the Bashams. It would be fun to see the cowardly Cabinet try to somehow counter the 'biggest tag team in the world' as they would no doubt be billed.
On a side note, with all of the talk about Undertaker's unbeaten streak, could this be the year that Big Show finally gets a win at the WWE's "big show"? Big Show is 0-5, having lost to Mankind, HHH, Kane, Undertaker and Cena.
I'm interested in selling my youngest daughter into slavery as sanctioned in Exodus 21:7. She's a Georgetown sophomore, speaks fluent Italian, always cleared the table when it was her turn. What would a good price for her be? While thinking about that, can I ask another? My Chief of Staff Leo McGarry insists on working on the Sabbath. Exodus 35:2 clearly says he should be put to death. Am I morally obligated to kill him myself or is it okay to call the police? Here's one that's really important because we've got a lot of sports fans in this town: touching the skin of a dead pig makes one unclean. Leviticus 11:7. If they promise to wear gloves, can the Washington Redskins still play football? Can Notre Dame? Can West Point? Does the whole town really have to be together to stone my brother John for planting different crops side by side? Can I burn my mother in a small family gathering for wearing garments made from two different threads? Think about those questions, would you? One last thing: while you may be mistaking this for your monthly meeting of the Ignorant Tight-Ass Club, in this building, when the President stands, nobody sits." --- President Jed Bartlett, The West Wing
Originally posted by Sec19Row53 (1) It's the Big Show, wouldn't that (beer/bathroom breaks) already have been the case? :-) (2) I think you underestimate how much press Akebono has received in the past. He's the first American to reach the level of Yokozuna (not the former wrestler, the highest position in Sumo), and has had a good deal of pub in the past.
He HAS gotten some American media exposure, but c'mon. Ask the average person, or even the average wrestling fan, who Akebono is. Probably nine times out of ten they won't have any idea who you're talking about. Granted, I completely pulled that figure out of my ass, but you get the idea.
Originally posted by Deputy MarshallHe HAS gotten some American media exposure, but c'mon. Ask the average person, or even the average wrestling fan, who Akebono is. Probably nine times out of ten they won't have any idea who you're talking about. Granted, I completely pulled that figure out of my ass, but you get the idea.
But...he was on Iron Chef!!!!
When it seems like the whole world is full of idiots, maybe your standards are a bit high. - Guru Zim
Originally posted by WhattaburgerJBL sounded very at ease and wasn't at all in character. I really got the impression that he was having a good time and he came off as a really cool guy on-air.
Haha, someone thinks JBL is cool...
Anyway, I'm interested to see how this match goes down. Will it be wrestling? Will it be sumo? Will it be a work? A shoot? A WORKED SHOOT?!? WILL VINCE RUSSO RETURN AND HIT SHOW WITH A WOODEN CROSS?!? I MUST TUNE IN TO FIND OUT!!!
I was actually thinking that one day they might go the opposite Undertaker way and milk Big Shows zero-wins-at-Wrestlemania-streak. If he also goes down this year, there's definitely hope for a unique angle for WM XXII.
I think I'm back to near non-whiny-level health so hopefully the full schedule of comix n' workarates will get mostly done this week. We'll see, won't we.
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Sweet dreams......