People, please. With all the hoopla surrounding the World Title on Smackdown, lest we forget something earth-shatteringly important happened with the ECW World Champion last night:
Johnny Nitro is no more. He is now John Morrison.
I kind of chuckled at his promo about how he overachieved since birth ("I was voted student body president - and I didn't even run!") But judging from the sleepy crowd, no one gave two shits of a damn. Also, I tend to doubt that most of the kids in the audience even knew Morrison is invoking the lead singer of The Doors who's been dead for 36 years. But I don't know, I kind of liked the name change and gimmick adjustment. And if Morrison and Melina reunite, instead of MNM they can be M&M - and be sued by the candy company!
Rest of the show was crap.
Punk beat Burke with GTS Miz got a lapdance from Extreme Expose Big Daddy V's giant flabby breasts squashed a jobber Thorn beat Dreamer
Prediction: No way does Punk beat John Morrison on Sunday. He didn't change his name just to lose to the straight edge guy.
Based off the bit at the beginning of the show, I thought the swerve was going to be Johnny wanted the group to be called Nitro Championship Wrestling or something equally as silly. I guess I had the wrong old reference.
I kind of chuckled at his promo about how he overachieved since birth ("I was voted student body president - and I didn't even run!")
I know every heel brags about how awesome there were, are, and always will be, but this bit felt like a poor imitation of those XX "Most Interesting Man In The World" commercials. I would be entertained if he snuck in a line about having punched a magician.
The bigger problem with this promo is Johnny delivering as if he's on a movie set or backstage, or some place else where the fans aren't reacting ten yards away from him. Even when the crowd reacted to him, he didn't react to him, just reading thru his lines the same as he must've when he rehershed it earlier with no crowd around. Maybe this is just another case of everything being too scripted, and Johnny prioritizing getting all the words right than acting like he was actually talking to the crowd. Whatever the reason, I thought it came off bad.
Punk/Burke has got to stop. They are burying Elijah.
The gimmick change is bizarre. Johny Nitro was a great gimmick, made better by outrageous swagger and entrance style. It all fit together well. Unless his ring style changes (and I can't see why they'd do that), he's taking a big step backward from what seemed like a can't-miss heel character. I just don't get it.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Any word on which writer decided he wanted to be on camera so he became the publicist?
Am I the only one who thought he saw an ECW promo on RAW promising Punk vs. Cor Von? So where was ol' Monty Marcus last night? Instead, we get the same Punk/Burke match we've seen a coupla times already...although MAYBE that's still better than a Punk/Cor Von match.
Kim DID nail "Morrison" before he said it (I figured he'd go back to one of the other half-dozen names he had when he was Bischoff's flunky), so at least they got the hair right. Of course, that theme music invokes NOTHING related to his presumed namesake, so I hope they work on that if they're serious about this character.
After the name change, can he really drop the title on Sunday? Now that he's a pet project of the writer(s) I just can't see him being beaten by "Heyman's guy."
Why does Big Daddy V have a double left bosom but just the one right bosom?
Didn't Leyla hate Miz on Smackdown? WHERE IS THE CONTINUITY PEOPLE
I got nothing from the Thorn/Dreamer match - neither did Laredo, Tejas. GOOD NIGHT.
John Morrison, okay. Because you just can't have enough reminders of people dying young from drug abuse? At least the look works, but the promo was flat. The only thing on the show that worked for me was Stryker - imagine what he could do as a manager for Lashley, or Shelton.
They have to move someone to headline this show, or Punk is going to get buried like Batista sort of is now from losing championship matches over and over. Dave has the 'tools' that will get him more chances, I don't believe Punk will get as much rope if his reactions soften.
Originally posted by Super Shane SpearDoes anybody know if ECW happens before, or after Smackdown(!) tapings? Because, without going into spoiler details, the crowd looked just SPENT.
If ECW is in fact "live" as they say on the show, since they start at 10pm EST, I'd assume it's AFTER Smackdown is taped.
My Vengeance hangout report and more!: Experience It
Originally posted by Super Shane SpearDoes anybody know if ECW happens before, or after Smackdown(!) tapings? Because, without going into spoiler details, the crowd looked just SPENT.
If ECW is in fact "live" as they say on the show, since they start at 10pm EST, I'd assume it's AFTER Smackdown is taped.
See, I'd figure that too, but what happens when Raw is on the left coast, starting at 7 PST? I can't imagine they'd start Velocity tapings at 4:30 in the afternoon.
Originally posted by Super Shane SpearDoes anybody know if ECW happens before, or after Smackdown(!) tapings? Because, without going into spoiler details, the crowd looked just SPENT.
If ECW is in fact "live" as they say on the show, since they start at 10pm EST, I'd assume it's AFTER Smackdown is taped.
See, I'd figure that too, but what happens when Raw is on the left coast, starting at 7 PST? I can't imagine they'd start Velocity tapings at 4:30 in the afternoon.
(edited by Super Shane Spear on 18.7.07 1622)
They could just switch the order of the programs and tape SD at 8 PST.
Originally posted by CRZ Of course, that theme music invokes NOTHING related to his presumed namesake, so I hope they work on that if they're serious about this character.
Who did that The End is Near song for Armageddon 2002?
Regarding "live" shows in this half of the country: For SD/ECW, they do ECW first. The upcoming 7/31 show here has official start time of 6:45 MST, so it'll go: -- one or two warm-up matches at 6:45 -- ECW broadcast live to the East Coast at 7:00 MST = 10:00 EDT -- short intermission while they fiddle the staging stuff -- SD taping gets started about 8:10-ish
And, yeah, for Raw, they just start really early! The upcoming Raw here has an official start time of 5:00 MST. -- sometimes dark matches starting as early as 4:45 -- Heat taping & dark matches between 5:00-5:55 -- live to the east coast at 6:00 MST = 9:00 EDT
Originally posted by CRZ Of course, that theme music invokes NOTHING related to his presumed namesake, so I hope they work on that if they're serious about this character.
Who did that The End is Near song for Armageddon 2002?
I believe it was a Jim Johnston (WWE's musical guru) creation.
I only caught the "Morrison" segment, so I will only comment on that. It seems like they took the best parts of his character (his look, entrance, and his name) and did away with them.
If left to sink or swim based on his promo skills, he will fail. While he still has a decent look, now he just seems too gimmicky. I had hight hopes for him, but now I am not so sure.
Dean! Have you been shooting dope into your scrotum? You can tell me! I'm hip!
I think the change was necessary to get rid of the stink of "Johnny Nitro: Raw jobber/Melina's cast-off". And I kinda like the look. The homage to Jim Morrison may seem blatant to us, but it's subtler than tiger-striped pants and fake furs. He needs better music, though.
To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
The Morrison gimmick (similar to Dok Hendrix for the '60s reference) shows again how out of touch the writers are with attracting the crucial 18-35 fanbase.
A character based on an a singer who died in 1971? While he may be an icon, he's a dusty one. It's not hip, it's not current. It's dated. This disconnect is evident every Monday when Ross and Lawler toss out their cultural buoys (the June Taylor Dancers, Liberace, football players from the '80s), and I recognize them only because I'm an unabashed pop-culture geek. At least someone had the good sense to drop Cena's rap gimmick after awhile; he sounded like he was reading Poffo's Frisbee poems.
When RVD named himself after Jean-Claude, he could use a reference-appropriate style of ring work. What of Morrison's work suggests he would/could fight? Does Nitro name his moves after song titles?
Viscera's identity change works for me. Nitro's (the second in as many weeks) does not. Revamping the performers is not the overall solution for ECW.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
I don't get the impression that this is supposed to be a "Jim Morrison" gimmick, though. He's borrowed his look from him, and it's a cool look. But that's about it. Nitro's still a super-arrogant pretty-boy obsessed with material things, which certainly isn't Morrisonesque.
Besides, the one thing that's worse than an outdated reference is a reference that's so timeframe-specific that its shelflife is next-to-nothing.
To those who say people wouldn't look; they wouldn't be interested; they're too complacent, indifferent and insulated, I can only reply: There is, in one reporter's opinion, considerable evidence against that contention. But even if they are right, what have they got to lose? Because if they are right, and this instrument is good for nothing but to entertain, amuse and insulate, then the tube is flickering now and we will soon see that the whole struggle is lost. This instrument can teach, it can illuminate; yes, and it can even inspire. But it can do so only to the extent that humans are determined to use it to those ends. Otherwise it is merely wires, and lights, in a box.-Edward R. Murrow
yeah they now know they are coming... but look at the reaction... cheering when they are mentioned.. the signs... how many more signs do you think there will be when they do appear?... Look at D-X...