Before I begin, I need to talk a moment about the absolute crushing feeling I experienced just an hour before Shabbas began this past Friday. My insides just sank into the pit of my stomach, as I learned about the passing of Rowdy Roddy Piper. I put up a short tribute on Friday, but the truth, the hard truth for me, is I have very little to say. It is hard to put into words the feeling of hearing about a true industry icon, Roddy Piper, a man who perfected an art of using the microphone to cut promos so intricate and with a commanding tone, earning the attentive respect of everyone from live crowds to viewers at home. I watched a tribute promo which originally aired on WWF Saturday Night’s Main Event, where Piper took retirement for new ventures. This promo, while dated March 14th, 1987, is a wonderful promo which epitomizes both the villainous and heroic side of the original “Hot Rod.”
Piper, whose accomplishments in WWE include reigns as Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion, was known more for his antics in an out of the ring, his outlandish and over the top promos, often provoking both friend and foe, in a way which set the bar for future masters of the microphone in “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, The Rock, and CM Punk.
Rowdy Roddy Piper, the Hot Rod, Mr. Unpredictable often used the phrase “Just when you think you have all the answers, I change the questions.”
That you did Roddy. That you did. There is a significant void which no one will ever be able to fill. You will be truly missed.
Lots of things happening around the wrestling world. Besides the fiasco featuring Hulk Hogan, there have been some other rumblings which may have gone unnoticed.
Alberto del Patron, if you recall, many were concerned about no-showing an event and not responding to calls. However since then, he is fine, his health is fine, and it is back to business as usual.
A report came out (no pun intended) about Brock Lesnar originally being booked as an open homosexual, and being pushed as a babyface to support gay right. Keep in mind, this goes back to about 2004/2005, where the gay rights issues was not as hot of a topic as it is now. I think it would have been progressive to try, however I can see the other side, being it is just a character, would challenge the validity of WWE’s sincerity, as we know, the internet and dirtsheets can often be critical and cruel. Since then, Darren Young, who came out last year, and continue to be an advocate for the LGBT community.
MVP and Hernandez seem to both be done with TNA/Impact Wrestling. This comes as a blow to the company, in my view, as MVP was a main player on television, and those knowing Hernandez, is someone with incredible talent and was considered main event material by many wrestling fans. I can’t see either heading to WWE or NXT just yet, but perhaps another run in Lucha Underground might be in the works.
John Cena got his face busted up. That was not pretty to watch, over, and over, and over again. He got emergency reconstructive surgery and was advised to stay out of the ring for the next few weeks, with the implication of missing SummerSlam. Love him or hate him, he works hard for the company, and hell, he pushed through that match with Rollins on RAW with probably no feeling in his face, or a crapton of pain. The guy is not a quitter, unless he is ordered to stand down. Will Cena face Seth Rollins at SummerSlam, or will cooler heads prevail and wait until the green light?
This does lead into rumors about Sting returning at SummerSlam. The last time we saw him, was at WrestleMania, scripted as the loser against Triple H in what many felt was a heart-sinker. Sting looked decent, but not great. Like The Undertaker, not getting any younger. With Undertaker and Brock on collision course at SummerSlam, is it necessary for WWE to bring Sting in as well? There have been internet rumblings about Sting being paired with Dean Ambrose and Roman Reigns to face the Wyatt Family, or perhaps to face Rollins for the WWE Championship. There is no way Sting could keep up with Rollins, or is there even a thought of Sting winning the belt.
Another WWE wrestler suddenly front-and-center, is Cesaro. Having consecutive show-stealing matches against Rusev, Kevin Owens, and John Cena, many perceive Cesaro to be the new underdog hero most deserving of a main event championship match. He is being booked as a face now, recently teaming with both Cena and Orton in a RAW main event. Do I expect Cesaro to make it big? Absolutely, but not yet. If the fans remain behind him and the creative team have faith, expect a Royal Rumble victory in 2016.
Now, my thoughts on Hulk Hogan. Man, it is a bigtime bummer. The guy was doing well for himself, back on his feet, and then crap hit the fan, again. He cannot catch a break, which is a norm for the celebrity type. Hogan is a celebrity. If Justin Gabriel made remarks like this, would anyone care? Of course, but the storm which followed Hogan would have been a drizzle for Gabriel.
Point being, did WWE do the right thing? For business, yes. For the fans, eh, maybe. I do believe they might have overreacted though. I mean, pulling every trace and mention of him off the website and the WWE Network like he never existed? It is a harsh punishment and wake-up call. I heard many “He got the Benoit’d’ jokes over the internet. It feels like it, doesn’t it? He does something bad, and out comes the erasers.
Except you cannot erase history. Plenty of magazines and books out there, what is WWE going to do, recall everything printed since 1984? Hulkamania exists. Unfortunately, the actions of one many can be poorly reflected on a company, and like any company or business, there are repercussions and consequences. There is damage control. This is it. This is 2015, and this is what can, and will happen. He gets replaced with The Miz on Tough Enough. Ouch.
The last tidbit, is the brewing of a feud between Stephen Amell and Cody Rhodes as the Green Arrow vs. Star Dust. People might joke about this being lame, but I am going to love every minute of it. I’m a big fan of the show, Arrow, and somehow I feel Adrian Neville will continue to be involved as he still feuds with Stardust. Could you imagine, Stardust vs. Green Arrow vs. some new gimmick for Neville?
By the time you are reading this, I will be hawking my wares at the Wayne Toy and Collectible Show. Come buy some stuff.
