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View Full Version : Christian's Two Cents #1: RAW writers should consider their options


Jeremy Christian
01-05-2004, 07:14 PM
Many people dont' know (or don't care about. Besides, only one person on this forum REALLY knows) who I am, but I am Jeremy "Christian" Crum. I've been watching wrestling on-and-off since 95, and time-to-time I purchase videos of old Wrestlemanias or Summerslams. I, therefore, have become very critical of wrestling, both the backstage aspect and the ring work. After watching BottomLine the previous years that I have had access to it (I use to watch Jakked, and that was a Smackdown thing), I now believe that I have enough insight to bring to your computer desk this article I call "Christian's Two Cents." This gives you the chance to interact with me, the writer, and others who post here as well. As opposed to asking Triple A for a writer's spot of this column (which will appear when I damn well please it to be), I will post it here so that I can recieve input from you, and so that I can get my ass flamed or cheered. Maybe if this is recieved into your arms in vast amounts, I may consider options and ask Triple A for a columnist position. As for now; "Christian's Two Cent's."

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This week's "Christian's Two Cents" has to do with the RAW writers and their latest trend of starting storylines and turning them into crap. Take the Kane angle, for example. Kane unmasking was great, and the make-up job they gave the guy to make him look burned and the hair just made it look almost belivable. Two nights afterwards, Kane shows up at a house show; no hair, o make-up. Right then, Kane's new gimmick gets buried. It was a shame. Within the next several RAWs, Kane destroys Steve Austin, Rob Van Dam, and Jim Ross. The only hightime of this new gimmick was when he used the Tombstone Pilediver on Linda McMahon. The next week, Shane McMahon returns, and kills the gimmick.

RAW writers have lost touch with their viewers, and even more so, viewers that are critics of the sport, such as myself. RAW writers are believing that there is only one way to go with a storyline. They stick themselves on a one-way road, and they stay on it, never branching out onto other avenues to reach more viewers.

The burn-faced Kane could have worked. I mean, how much does a Ben Nye Make-up Kit cost these days? I know the one's I use on the opera stage are only around $5.00. Kane could have destroyed more people instead of stopping to fued with Shane. Just anybody with any connection to him; Christian, Terri Runnels, Hurricane, anyone he ever tagged with, anyone he fought with, anybody! Go on this rampage of destruction, destroying everything in its path. It could have worked. He could have stuck fear into ever RAW superstar and every viewer, but now, it's just random attacks. There is no connection. He could take about how the mask held him back, how every person with any connection to him held him back, how he now knows his true power and he's going to use it. Now it's just Explosion, Chokeslam, collect paycheck, leave. Kane is going nowhere.

A few weeks ago, Mick Foley was to face Randy Orton. The Stipulation of the Match: Foley win, Bischoff leaves. Orton win, Foley leaves. Foley ends up leaving the building before the match started. There. Storyline finished. Another storyline buried, only to bring back Stone Cold Steve Austin. RAW is relying on the presense of Stone Cold. Instead, they could have Mick Foley come back on the next live RAW, and say that the match did not officially start, the stipulation was not in effect, therefore, he is still Co-General Manager. Did anyone on the writing staff think of that? Maybe, maybe not. Would writers consider it? I doubt i. Mick Foley being Co-GM could have gone further. It's these changes of face-power that they are using to "jump-start" RAW.

Writing in "jumper cables" won't work guys. It didn't help the Kane/Shane feud.

-Jeremy "Christian" Crum

DXJerky-Version 2.5
01-05-2004, 09:46 PM
Many people dont' know (or don't care about. Besides, only one person on this forum REALLY knows) who I am, but I am Jeremy "Christian" Crum. I've been watching wrestling on-and-off since 95,

Hence why no one cares...

The CyNick
01-05-2004, 11:04 PM
I actually thought Kane looked really stupid from the first minute they took off the mask. I thought it was a decent idea to try to freshen up the charcater, but the whole 'he was never really burnt' thing was pretty stupid. However, even with that they still had a chance with him because he was drawing in higher numbers. Unfortunately they stuck him with Shane, Kane had to sell his ass off, and he stopped being a monster and people were turned off.

As for Foley, I think you have to be patient with that angle. I didn't want to see Foley return as GM because we've already seen that, twice. So why go back there again. I think with what they did, there is some intrigue, and when we see it play out in a couple of weeks it'll seem really good.

Hired Hitman
01-05-2004, 11:46 PM
...it's a mental thing guys... kane THOUGHT he was still burned... burned skin heals over time... you have to remember that.

Kane Knight
01-06-2004, 12:39 AM
...it's a mental thing guys... kane THOUGHT he was still burned... burned skin heals over time... you have to remember that.

Shhhhh...If they haven't figured it out by now, they probably never will.

Corkscrewed
01-06-2004, 02:16 AM
Burnt makeup would have inevitably run down his face during sweaty wrestling matches. I thought the whole twisted psychological criminal-type was a perfect swerve and explanation for Kane's character, though that means that having him scarred when he did unmask made no sense.

Still, it was an interesting extension of his character. Now, he's a Hannibal-type psycho, a character that really could have been developed into a scary yet believable gimmick.

But then they had to kill it by making a non-wrestler do what wrestlers could not do: stop and actually hurt Kane. It's not that I mind Kane being hurt, though I would have definitely made him indestructible or at least avoid injury during the first few months of his new character. It's that out of all people, they chose Shane, the gimmick bumper, to do it. Thus, Kane's credibility is instantly dashed so that the boss's son gets his moment of glory.

So what must you do now to make people think Kane is a menace again? Feed him to Booker T. I mean, on SD!, they're feeding Hardcore Holly to Brock Lesnar, which is totally fine. But Booker T? Could you feed someone more useless... like Mark Henry?

c4g2
01-06-2004, 03:58 AM
^ Can Kane lift that guy???

targo_the_sho_stopa
01-06-2004, 01:39 PM
i've had this convo time and time again with my friends, it seems logical yet ilogical at the same time, I agree with Corkscrewed on the perfect swerve of him being metally scarred, but as you've all mentioned, WWE killed it by feeding him JR to get into his and hurt him mentally then Shane O' to hurt him physically.
All fairness, Shane O' is talented and can tell a story in his matches and their two outings were impressive, but still, they could've fed Kane a full-time wrestler to hurt both physically and mentally e.g. RVD could've had a longer spell but no, the WWE didn't see this, the man who fully humanised the manster gets thrown out the window to sit around for an invisible title shot.
Another thing they could've done with Kane was to build him up to make him up to be what has been rarely done, and that is super-heel status by having him attack heels as well as faces and they briefly touched on this with HHH.
Quick side note: If Kane has been burnt and masked all his life, how could he have hooked up with Katie Vick 10yrs ago????
As for Foley, he said himself it was only temporary till he got Austin back, they did a double repeat of stories-1) When Rock put forth a petition/ultimatum to get Foley back (circa 2000) adn 2) Foley as commish. Personally, I thought him walkin out on the match was a good twist because he knew he couldn't hang with the Legend Licker after what happened a few months ago and also cos he knew his back was against the wall with Eric Pissoff and Evolution breathing down his neck and also cos he knew his petition would get thru to the board and Austin would return.
Thats my personal take on this whole situation.
Thanks for your time.