John: Welcome to the first edition of For Love or Money in 2008 and the seventeenth edition overall. The first eight questions will deal with current topics in WWE followed by the final two questions that will be our usual “classic” questions talking about things from the past. Then we’ll wrap it up with some Quick Hits. Think of it like a written version of Pardon the Interruption, the hit ESPN sports talk show program featuring Mike Wilbon on Tony Kornheiser. Not exactly like that, obviously, but loosely based on it.
Little backstory before we start. The last edition of FLOM happened last April. There was going to be another one in late June, but then one of our favorite wrestlers killed his family and himself and frankly we didn’t feel like doing it. Here we are over a year later with both of us having renewed our interest in the business enough to bring you FLOM again. We hope you enjoy it.
Note: As always, Matt chose the odd numbered questions because he’s odd while John chose the even numbered ones because he’s not odd.
1. Mike Adamle as Raw GM. Um…okay?
Matt: It’s ballsy, I’ll give them that. They obviously put a lot of stake into Adamle and he hasn’t paid off so far, so we’ll see how he does in this role. I actually had a lot of hope for him when I heard he was signed because I loved the old American Gladiators, but it’s just been embarrassing lately. I’m in Adamle’s corner out of nostalgia, but he needs to give me more reasons to get behind him. The GM role is an interesting route. He looks like he could get levels of Vickie Guerrero heat, but they already have something like that on Smackdown. Why do the same thing on Raw?
John: I’m just as surprised by it as everybody else seems to be. I think it’s hard to judge him in the role after only one show although clearly you can tell he’s not very natural when it comes to live television. He stumbles over words a lot, he seems to be nervous a lot of the time and I’m not sure if he’ll get better. It’s McMahon’s own fault for paying a guy with no wrestling background a salaray of $300,000 per year because he was on American Gladiators 15 years ago. They have to put him in a substantial role like GM otherwise they’re throwing money away. Then again this is the same company that threw $3 million away, so they seem to be experts at doing that. If they could write quality programming as well as they could throw money away then maybe they’d get more viewers.
Matt: It’s been almost three years since the departure of Eric Bischoff, and nobody they’ve brought in to be Raw GM has been able to match his awesomeness. Not Vince himself, not Johnathan Coachman, and while Regal was getting there, he messed up and was ousted. How will Adamle stack up? Not that well I don’t think.
John: Right out of the shoot it seems like he’s getting the heel heat not because he’s good at his job necessarily, but because people know him as the announcer that screws up wrestler’s names. That’s not a good thing.
Matt: I wouldn’t mind him being more like Teddy Long in the sense that he’s there to make matches and not do much else. If that’s the best way to justify his $300k/year contract than so be it.
John: Thing is too, the guy is 58 years old. It’s not like they’re tossing out some young looking dude out there. See his backstage segment with Kelly Kelly (the current worst name in wrestling by the way) on Raw? It was atrocious and they probably did like five takes! This could end up being one of those “it’s so bad it’s good” type of things although I could be wrong too.
2. John Cena vs. Batista is scheduled for the first time ever at Summerslam. Good idea to do it so soon or bad idea because this could have main evented WrestleMania?
John: My initial reaction was that it was a bad decision, but then I thought about it some more and realized it’s fine just as long as they keep them apart after this match. With Undertaker vs. Edge likely going on last at Summerslam they could probably do a DQ finish here and not piss the people off too much. Between now and then, Batista could end up turning on Cena after their buddy-buddy babyface act goes on, which could spark the feud to carry us into 2009. They could headline Mania with Batista coming in as the heel champ defending against the babyface Cena. Plus, Randy Orton’s coming back soon. How about pairing him up with Batista to lead a stable that also includes Dibiase & Rhodes to make it almost like Evolution 2.0? Sounds interesting to me.
Matt: I think it would be if they actually had a better build than just “here’s Cena vs. Batista.” It would have been cooler if they ended up in each other’s way on the road to getting a title shot against CM Punk. I guess this could have main evented Wrestlemania, but if you recall, this year’s mania main event of Cena vs. Hunter vs. Orton had all iterations happening the year prior. A Mania main event doesn’t necessarily have to be a first-time-ever match. Even HBK vs. Cena happened on Raw at the end of 2006. If this pops a buyrate, then more power to WWE.
John: You bring a good point up about the buyrates because that’s definitely what they’re going after. Summerslam is one of their top three PPVs and in year’s past the buyrates for it have gone down. I guess they think if they offer up a first time ever “dream” match like this they’ll be able to convince some people that are on the fence to buy the show. I just hope this is the start of the feud that carries us into WrestleMania rather than some one off thing that bombs.
Matt: Summerslam hasn’t really been an amazing PPV since 2002. If anything, it’s been outclassed by Unforgiven pretty much every year. So if Cena/Batista is going to finally bring Summerslam back up to that upper echelon of PPVs then I’m all for it. I don’t think it will though. I could be wrong. Both guys are hit and miss and can only click with the right opponent.
John: The question is, how do you book it? I think it goes to a DQ type of finish because booking one of them to lose is so tough to do unless Cena wins leading to Batista going heel because of it, which I’m all for as I’ve stated before.
Matt: Honestly? Probably a shmozz. Kane’s not really doing anything on the show and they’re giving him a push so I think he’ll interfere and get Batista’s ire. They’ve been facing each other on house shows so I think a Batista/Kane feud is in the works.
John: God, they’re the worst together. I’m so damn tired of Kane against anybody really.
Matt: Maybe we’ll find out what’s in the bag, but that’s for a later time…
3. What are your thoughts on the Edge/Vickie Guerrero storyline?
Matt: My initial feelings were those of woe. The idea of Edge romantically involved with the widow of Eddie Guerrero just seemed…sick. It ended up being one of the biggest storylines of the past year. I’ve never heard somebody like Vickie get the heat that she got while she was a heel, not at least since Vince McMahon back in the Attitude Era. Shame they had to break up Edge and Vickie, but it was obviously a vehicle to reinstate the Undertaker. I’m very interested to see where they take it because they’re obviously going to keep both of them heel because they’re the two biggest heels on Smackdown, but since Edge cheated, there’s no way Vickie would ever take him back.
John: It’s been excellent with a few exceptions. I think WWE was foolish to do the “Undertaker is never coming back” angle because they obviously didn’t plan it well. They wanted him to go away for a bit, but didn’t want an injury angle because he’s been hurt so much in the past. That meant Edge and Vickie had to break up much too soon so that she could reinstate him for revenge on Edge. I’m shocked at how good Vickie’s been as a heel and am hopeful that WWE will realize that. Maybe they’ll do something where Undertaker beats Edge in the Cell, then Edge is so hurt that Vickie falls for his act yet again and they reunite to make life hell for the babyfaces again. I hope so because they make eachother better as performers.
Matt: I’ve never really been able to get behind this storyline because to me it’s always been weird to watch Edge make out with Eddie’s widow. I guess that’s where all the heat she gets comes from. It’s just so…unnatural. Thankfully Edge is such a good actor he pulls it off, but there’s something nauseating about it.
John: I’m with ya. I remember openly ripping the idea of her as GM. It’s just weird knowing who she was married to before. On the other hand, she does have to move on with her life and she’s really done a good job in the GM role as far as generating genuine heel heat. I dislike that they had to break them up so soon due to the foolish Undertaker angle, but am hopeful that they get back together because she wouldn’t be nearly as good as a babyface GM.
Matt: Nobody will buy it. I think the plan all along was to break Edge and Vickie up because nothing lasts forever in WWE land, but the couple worked too well and now they’re scrambling. I say just let Vickie continue to be an obnoxious heel, I think they can pull it off without having to resort to having her and Edge get back together.
John: See, to me I think she needs to be with Edge more than he does with her. Obviously he’s a chickenshit type of heel and he’s great at that, but he’s way over on his own. She needs this pairing to continue more than he does.
Matt: I’ve always been a proponent of her being employed in WWE. Vince isn’t required to do it but it’s a really nice thing to do for Vickie and her family, and to Vickie’s credit, she hasn’t taken the job lightly and has actively worked to be a better actress, so I would not want to her to lose the prominent role that she has. Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what they do.
4. Finish this statement. The three best performers in all of WWE right now are…
John: I think Edge and Chris Jericho are definitely the top two with my third pick being Big Show. Wait a second, WWE doesn’t even use Big Show! Thing is, when they were building to WrestleMania the one match I most wanted to see after Flair vs. HBK was the Big show against Mayweather largely because of Show. He was so entertaining in that feud both on the microphone as well as his actions in the ring. And then what? Nothing. So disappointing. I guess if I have to really pick a third then I’ll go with my guy MVP because he’s really been entertaining me a lot lately. That one promo he did with Jeff Hardy on the VIP Lounge to open SD was terrific. More time on the microphone for MVP, please.
Matt: Chris Jericho, Edge and Matt Hardy, one from each brand. Jericho has been on fire since his heel turn, and actually is at the top of my wish list for who takes the belt off CM Punk. The Michaels feud turned him into a conflicted killer. The tights are a nice new direction for him as well, when you figure he’s been using long pants for more than a decade, but that’s neither here nor there. Edge has consistently been “the man” in WWE since 2006 when they gave him a run with the belt. Heat magnet, and more than capable in the ring. Hardy is so good they have him wrestle multiple times in the week. While he won’t put on **** matches, he gives you a good match every show, sometimes more than one match a week. He can definitely be counted on and I’d love to see him win the ECW title (though not necessarily at Summerslam). Honorable mention goes to John Morrison. The man is WWE’s best kept secret.
John: I think we, along with most people reading this, can pretty much agree on the Edge and Jericho choices because they really are the best all-around performers in the company right now. Your Matt Hardy selection is interesting because I have noticed that he seems to be getting better at just about every aspect of his “game” so to speak. I don’t know if he’ll ever be a main eventer for a major PPV, but at least they can see how he does near the top of the ECW show even if very few people seem to watch it. Look where it got Punk after all.
Matt: Everybody has their role, and Matt is playing his well. He’ll be an invaluable resource to the up-and-coming kids on ECW. I can see Evan Bourne (Matt Sydal) looking to Hardy to craft his mat game because his high-flying game is good enough as it is. MVP is a good choice, but he’s been floundering with little direction since losing the U.S. Title at Backlash. Sure, he’s facing Jeff Hardy at Summerslam, but they also wrestled at Judgment Day, so I wouldn’t call this anything amazing.
John: I think MVP is the guy they need to make the second top heel on Smackdown. Put him over Jeff Hardy, then let him have a PPV match against HHH. So what if everybody knows he won’t win. Remember a young John Cena got a PPV title match against Lesnar when he wasn’t a main eventer and it impressed a lot of people. I think MVP based on his in-ring work and his promos, as well as the heat he generates, deserves a chance to show us what he can do.
Matt: Totally agree, but I’ll save some more ideas on him for later (foreshadowing again! DUN DUN DUNNNNN!).
5. What impact will Rey Mysterio have on Raw?
Matt: I’m not entirely sure. It looks like Rey doesn’t really want to be there. Smackdown was his kingdom for the past six years and it was conducive to a smaller kind of athlete. Yeah, he was World Heavyweight Champion, but for the most part, it made sense (until he started jobbing clean in non-title matches). Aside from the Santino feud, I don’t know what other kinds of feuds he could have. A really interesting idea would be to play on his reluctance to be on Raw and turn him heel. You have fresh feuds with John Cena, Shawn Michaels (if he in fact returns), CM Punk, and even his “friend” Batista. I’d love to see Rudo Mysterio, but would the fans buy it?
John: I think they’ll use him near the main events although he won’t be at that level for very long. The good news for him is that WWE is trying to bill itself as a family company with its PG rating and in terms of marketing to children there’s not a person on the roster that can hold a candle to Mysterio except for maybe Cena. The chance of Mysterio going heel is pretty unlikely, so ultimately he’ll probably be that upper level babyface as he’s always been while giving us entertaining matches along the way. I just hope we get to see a long Mysterio vs. Michaels match soon before both of them are done because their knees are screwed up so bad.
Matt: Interesting you say that Mysterio going heel is unlikely. They already have Punk and Cena on the show to cater to the kids. Why can’t you see Mysterio as an antagonist?
John: Because aside from a run as a rapping Mexican without a mask on his face, he’s been a babyface in America for over a decade now. The guy is just so damn likable due to the fact that he’s always the underdog in EVERY match he’s in due to the size. You don’t need to tell a story with him in there all the time. The story is can the small guy win? It’s a story that can be told forever.
Matt: But there’s been a backlash. It started when he was World Champion and it continued to when he was challenging Edge (Edge was getting cheered against him). There comes a point when the Cinderella story gets old, and that could really jade Mysterio and turn him sour. I personally think it could work.
John: It’s not that I’m against it. I just know from reading the Observer and other such things that two demographics that WWE is targeting right now a lot are the Hispanic population in the US as well as children. Mysterio fits that as well as anybody. Maybe in six months they could turn him heel if it’s not working, but I think when he’s back full time (very soon, I hear) they’ll keep him the same as he’s always been.
Matt: I’ll agree with you on Mysterio vs. Michaels. That needs to happen immediately. I loved their Eddie tribute match and that was a small taste of what they could do.
John: I’d rather see Michaels being the heel in that scenario, but I’m all in favor of your idea of Rey as a heel too. It’s different and could definitely work. I just think they won’t do it.
6. Will CM Punk’s title run really elevate him to the main event level or will he fall back down to the midcard once he drops the belt to one of the bigger names on Raw?
John: I don’t think he’ll have an especially long title run, nor a very memorable one. He’ll probably beat JBL although that’s not saying much since JBL has barely done anything since coming back despite the overbooked win over Cena. From there he probably can go over Jericho because he thrives on putting people over when they need to be cemented as champion (see Cena and Orton). After that he’ll drop it to somebody like Batista or a returning Orton and then Punk will head down to the IC title level most likely similar to what happened to guys like Mysterio and that guy whose name nobody wants to say. I hope I’m wrong, but knowing how McMahon has traditionally booked his champions I think I’m probably right.
Matt: Fall to the midcard? That’s a little harsh. Fall to the upper card would probably be better. Since when has a “former World champion” really fell to the midcard? I can rattle off tons of names of former world champions. Cena, Batista, Edge, Mysterio, HBK, Jericho, Kane, JBL. Sure, they may work a lower-program feud here and there, but they never really fall out of the stratosphere. They always get another chance at the main event, and they carry the “former World champion” card with them to continue giving them credibility. I could see Punk where Cena, Batista, HBK and Jericho are now. Not fighting for the belt, but in a highly featured match.
John: I think it will be hard to convince people that Punk’s a top guy when he’s not the champ. They have a lot of established babyfaces in Cena, Batista, Michaels and Mysterio who are all ahead of him on the depth chart. I think once he drops the belt he’ll be in IC title feuds within a few months, which is probably too low for him to be.
Matt: I disagree. The IC corps on Raw right now is strong with Kingston, Burchill, Santino, D’Lo, Cade (if he so chooses), London (if he gets a push), Deuce (when he gets repackaged), Ted Dibiase (once the team with Rhodes is done). There’s so many. Big difference between IC level and upper midcard/lower main event scene. Punk’s a made man after being World Champion.
John: I guess I just remember how things were for Jericho (and the nameless guy) after he was champ. He was barely at the top after that. Punk seems too new in WWE for me to belive that Vince will push him hard after being champ. Seems like we’ve been down this road before with people in this company.
Matt: And the nameless guy was going to be ECW champion before the tragedy, and Jericho seems to be poised for another main event run, seeing as he’s the hottest heel on Raw right now. That’s the beauty of a former World Champion: instant credibility, can be called to task at any moment.
John: I don’t think being ECW Champion is an accomplishment considering the lack of quality present on that show. Anyway, I do see your point. I’m hopeful that Punk gets the chance to cut promos more because the guy can talk really well and that will help him a lot more in the future.
Matt: Regardless or not, it’s a hell of a feeling living in a world where CM Punk is World Heavyweight Champion. Pretty damn good feeling.
John: I agree with you, CM Seagull.
7. After Bryan Danielson worked a dark match with WWE, Jim Ross mentioned how beneficial it would be for WWE to use ROH as an official developmental system for them. Would this conceivably work?
Matt: You can’t deny the success of ROH graduates in WWE, from moderate (Brian Kendrick, Paul London, Evan Bourne) to tremendous (CM Punk). And wait until Colt Cabana debuts. WWE could definitely stand to have a closer relationship with ROH, as they did with ECW back in the mid 90s. One big thing stands in the way of this ever happening, though. ROH is Gabe Sapolsky’s baby and it was founded on the principal that it was its own entity and an alternative to WWE. It would take a lot of bucks to buy out ROH and have Gabe abandon his vision. However, even though ROH isn’t losing money, nobody can really say they’re getting rich off the company. So having WWE subsidize ROH would probably make everybody a little more comfortable. It’s a nice thought, but I don’t think it could conceivably work.
John: No. It could work except for the fact that Vince McMahon is way too stubborn. If WWE used ROH as a developmental system would they want to put their own trainers in there to make them work the “WWE style” or would they allow the wrestlers to work how they want? I’m guessing they’d be forced to learn WWE style much like those in OVW and now Florida Championship Wrestling have to do. What makes ROH unique, and you’d know more about this than me, is the different kinds of wrestling styles you get on the show. It’s not the same thing over and over like we mostly see in WWE. I think buddying up to WWE would worsen ROH even though it would give WWE better, more ready wrestlers than what they currently have.
Matt: Since we both agree that ROH under WWE control is a pipe dream, allow me to switch gears for a second. I just read on Figure Four that Dragon’s ROH contract is up in May. Do you think we might see “the best wrestler in the world” on WWE TV in the near future?
John: I hope so. They could definitely use him because it’s hard to find a technically sound wrestler in his mid 20s like this guy is. It would be perfect if he could be brought in now for this Jericho/Michaels feud since I know he’d work amazingly well against Jericho as Michaels’ understudy. I think he’ll be in WWE by next year. He’s been around the world, he’s been the best performer in the indy circuit and I think he’s ready for the challenge of being in WWE.
Matt: As selfish as it is to want to keep him in Ring of Honor, I’ll agree that he’s done everything he can and if he cares about his craft and not just the payday (which he does), WWE seems like the next logical step. I personally can’t wait. I think he could easily rival the success of CM Punk.
John: He definitely has people in WWE that would be on his side with Michaels and Punk being two that immediately come to mind, not to mention agents like Ricky Steamboat. There are so many potential opponents for him to go against that I’d be interested in seeing. I think he’ll be there by next summer.
8. In two or three years, what current superstars do you think will be at the main event level that aren’t there already?
John: I’m going to avoid saying Jeff Hardy because he’s been there nearly ten years now and is clearly on the brink. The two guys that immediately jump out at me are Johnny Nitro and MVP with Ted Dibiase Jr. being in the mix because I think his ring presence is already pretty good for somebody with such little experience. Nitro’s the kind of guy that may take the Edge route to the top in that he’ll be in the midcard and tag scene for six or seven years before getting over the proverbial hump. Clearly he has the talent to do it, plus he was trained by WWE, so they are going to back the guy. I think MVP’s good at everything at this point. He just needs to show us that he can be great. Dibiase’s time may be a bit further down the line because there’s no sense in rushing him. Lastly, I’d love to see Shelton Benjamin there, but I doubt it ever happens sadly.
Matt: MVP is on the cusp and he just needs that one big feud to break out. I think he could run with the ball if given to him. And even though he’s had a taste of the main event before, I would love to see Umaga get a Yokozuna type reign with the belt. Kofi Kingston is charismatic enough to hold down the main event scene, and would be vicious with a couple more years of ring experience under his belt.
John: We agree on MVP. Clearly, he’s my favorite of the “young” guys in the company. I like Nitro a lot and I think he’ll get to that main event level although it may take a few years. I like your Kingston pick, but I wonder is he too thin for Vince to really get behind?
Matt: He’s got a similar build to Randy Orton. I personally don’t see a problem. For me, though, the Shelton Benjamin train has left the station. We’ve been talking since 2004 about all his potential and how he’d be the next main event star. You’d think four years would be enough time for him to do something. It’s not happening. Besides, MVP is everything Shelton Benjamin wishes he could be.
John: I think Benjamin is a better natural athlete than MVP is, but he’s a lot less charismatic. How about soon to be newcomer Ron “The Truth” Killings aka R. Truth (awful name)? Think he’ll be given the chance to get to that level?
Matt: Extremely doubtful. Sometimes, things just “click” and Killings’s time in TNA in 03 I believe it was? It just clicked. I don’t expect that click to happen in WWE.
John: It all depends on how the crowd reacts to him. Building him up with videos is a very good idea, so we’ll see when he comes in and probably talk about it in a future edition fo FLOM.
9. Ric Flair and WWE just parted ways. Even though he had already “retired,” this is a pretty big deal as he’s been with the company since 2001. Flair’s NWA/WCW career is well-documented, but what’s your favorite Flair moment from his WWE career 2001 – 2008?
Matt: Believe it or not, the moment that stands out the most in my mind is the night he rejoined the company the night after Survivor Series 2001. Rumblings had made their way across the net that he’d show up (the event was in Charlotte I believe), but when the music hit, I couldn’t believe it. And the speech he made to Vince was hilarious. Never before had the word “consortium” sounded so fun. When I look back on the end of the InVasion, and the fact that Flair debuted the night after it was over, you had the nWo and Bischoff join in 2002, and Goldberg join in 2003, the InVasion could have been so much fun if they were all around at the same time. Of course, that would mean having WCW look to be on the same level with WWE, and we wouldn’t have that, now would we?
John: A few things stand out to me with his goodbye on Raw being at the very top of the list because it was just so perfect to have the fans and his peers being able to say goodbye to him like that. The moment that sticks out to me the most is that match against HHH on Raw back in May of 2003 when they really gave him a chance to shine. He has spoken and written about that match being huge to him because he had lost his confidence as a performer, but this match and the post match tribute by the locker room allowed him to continue performing at a high level. It wasn’t the match that I’ll remember. It was the fact that it was the moment where WWE finally realized it was time to let Flair be Flair. Woo.
Matt: I remember that night you spoke of. I actually thought THAT would be the night Flair was going to retire. Who knew he’d have enough gas in the tank to go another five years after that??? I also recall that being the best Triple H match of 2003 (with the exception of the title match against HBK at the end of the year), which isn’t saying much, but still, there you have it.
John: I agree with you that I didn’t think he’d last until 2008. You’re right about his debut too. People may forget because the end of 2001 was a letdown, but that was such a huge moment to see Flair face to face with Vinny Mac again. I mostly liked his WWE time, but I’m still upset that they didn’t put him in a match at WrestleMania 23 in 2007. That was just inexcusable.
Matt: Technically he was on the preshow teaming with Carlito against Chavo Guerrero and Gregory Helms. Get your facts straight! Flair didn’t wrestle at Wrestlemania 21 or 19 either for that matter (both shows he was in Triple H’s corner), so I don’t really see the big deal.
John: People watch the pre-show? I don’t. It’s Ric Fucking Flair. Get him in a big match at WrestleMania. That’s all I’m saying. On another note, did you ever think they’d put a world title on him even if it was for a short? I thought they would and am disappointed that it never happened.
Matt: If they did it for Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels in 2002 when they were part-timers, I wouldn’t necessarily see the harm in giving him a transitional, nostalgic reign.
John: I wish it happened. Would have been a great thing to see.
10. It has been ten years since Edge debuted in WWE with Summerslam 1998 being the first PPV he ever appeared on. In honor of this great performer, what are your favorite memories from Edge’s career so far?
John: There are a lot of things that stand out from the early years like ladder matches including the first one against the Hardy’s at No Mercy 1999 as well as the very entertaining skits performed with Christian. Obviously the highlights in the last few years have been plenty and I think what stands out to me are all the matches with John Cena that really elevated both guys because they were so damn good. The best of the bunch was the TLC match at Unforgiven 2006 (aka the show where Trish retired – hold on I’m tearing up!). That was one of the better title matches in the last three years and some of the best uses of weapons that I have seen in any one match. I think that match really cemented Edge as far as being a legitimate top guy whereas the stuff before it made you wonder if he really had it in him.
Matt: Honorable mentions go to all his Edge and Christian moments, but because there are so many, they cancel each other out. I’m going to go with the moment when he cashed in Money in the Bank on John Cena, because the moment really came out of nowhere (he was the first to do it, now we expect a MITB cashing at any point), and it was a sight to see the Pepsi Center in Albany go nuts when he pinned Cena for the belt. Probably the best moment of 2006: nothing that happened that entire year topped it.
John: I like your pick a lot. As a moment it was absolutely huge for him because like you said it was the first time it happened and it’s going to be very hard to top the first time somebody cashed in MITB. I think of all his matches, and there have been many good ones, that Unforgiven 2006 match against Cena stands out the most to me with the WrestleMania one against Foley being right there too.
Matt: I’m really surprised you didn’t pick the moment when he and Booker T were fighting over a Japanese shampoo commercial. That seems to be up your alley.
John: Ha, man, that was such an awful idea. One of my big regrets as a longtime Edge fan is that none of his matches with Christan were epic. I would have loved to see them work against eachother more than they did.
Matt: I liked their ladder match at No Mercy 01. Bottom line: Edge rocks, and he’s WWE homegrown, which means he’s set for the rest of his career.
John: And he reeks of awesomeness still, for the record. I miss the five second poses, though.
QUICK HITS
Matt: What’s in Kane’s bag?
John: A good storyline! Well, I’m definitely wrong there.
Matt: I say Gwyneth Paltrow’s head (hopefully).
John: I don’t get it and don’t want to get it.
Matt: Somebody hasn’t seen Se7en.
John: I have, but I guess I forgot it.
John: So are you still crying over the accident that happened to your buddy Vince McMahon?
Matt: I’m going to answer that with a question of my own: how come he gets all the edgy storylines? I wouldn’t mind these things if they involved the actual WRESTLERS once in a while!
John: Why? Because his ego is ginormous.
Matt: Who’s the bigger mistake for a callup: Ricky Ortiz or Braden Walker?
John: Man, hitting me with an ECW question is tough. I’ll go Ortiz because at least I know Walker from his time as Chris Harris in TNA.
Matt: Walker is just boring, Ortiz is annoying. I’d rather have boring than annoying so Ortiz it is.
John: Who’s the best female wrestler in WWE right now?
Matt: Mickie James. She’s the next Trish Stratus (if they’d ever let her talk).
John: Mickiel’s solid, but I really enjoy Beth Phoenix and seeing her act with Santino makes me like her even more because it’s hilarious. I’d also like to add that I still miss Trish a lot and reading about her removing her breast implants brought many tears down my eyes.
Matt: Do you see The Brian Kendrick making any waves on Smackdown, or will this be a failed experiment?
John: I think they like it enough to put him over the likes of Yang and Moore, but after that? I doubt it. I am in favor of wrestlers using “The” in front of their names because anything that mocks Adamle is good.
Matt: I’m not optomistic, but at least they’re trying something new, and I’m a huge Spanky mark so I’m in his corner.
John: The build for this HHH/Khali feud has been awful. Does anybody want to see this match?
Matt: I do, just to see how hilarious it will be when Hunter bitches out Khali in the match.
John: It reminds me of Steiner/HHH in its badness and also in terms of how I don’t want to see it at all.
Matt: Will we ever see DH Smith again?
John: I hope so. I liked his work from what I saw in the indies and thought he’d be ready to be on the main roster. Guess not.
Matt: I forgot he was even on the roster until I stumbled upon the Smackdown Superstar pages on WWE.com.
John: As I alluded to earlier, Big Show was great in the build to WrestleMania. Why aren’t they using him on a consistent basis these days?
Matt: Smackdown is stacked. They have Hunter, Jeff Hardy, Mr. Kennedy, and now Undertaker again as big faces. Show looks like he’s getting into a program with Umaga so that should be fun.
John: Show is talented, though. He’s a good promo and knows how to work well for somebody his size. It’s a shame that they can’t settle on a good role for the guy.
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John: Thoughts? Questions? Comments. Email us at the addresses below or feel free to talk about it with us in the column feedback section of our forums. Also, if you’ve got an idea for a topic that we can use please let us know and we might use it.
The next edition of For Love or Money will come whenever we get the chance to do it. Since we don’t have a schedule for this stuff I would say roughly between 4-6 weeks from now.
Visit the For Love or Money Archives for previous editions. Thanks for reading.
Thanks for reading.
Matt “The Love” Seagull – [email protected]
John “JC Money” C. – [email protected]