You can credit Eddie for Rey's main-event push, but I have my doubts with Rey as a world championTHE PRO-WRESTLING DRIVER SEAT
By Hub Pacheco
(This column was originally published in http//:nikonboy.livejournal.com on 6 Feb. 2006 and now republished here for better referencing and for keeping the subject more up-to-date. Also, I've added a follow up entry at the last paragraph to assess how the subject has developed.)
The succeeding Raws and SmackDowns were still understandably in a state of mourning. Fans chanted for Eddie when either Chavo, Rey Mysterio, or Batista showed up. EG armbands were still wrapped around Rey’s biceps. I can understand the love. I can understand the Eddie chants. I can understand superstars imitating his shoulder shake dance and trademark moves. What I don’t understand is why Vince Almighty keeps on injecting Eddie in storyline promos.
During a Smackdown episode after Survivor Series 2005 (It was called a Smackdown Special), The main event was Rey Mysterio vs. The Big Show. Rey came out in a lowrider in respect to Eddie. Fine. Sure. That was nice. During the match, Big Show’s tag team partner, Kane interfered. Makes sense. All right. Then, Undertaker came in to help Rey. Really made sense because Kane is Taker’s brother. Finally, Randy Orton bursted in. Nice booking here because they were continuing the feud. The scene left Orton and Taker hammering each other. They made their way to the lowrider where Orton drove it (with Taker inside) straight into the SmackDown entrance (the one with the big clenched fist), causing it to explode in a fiery rage. Now, normally I would say, COOL! Nice effects! But need I remind them that it was a lowrider that they blew up? It was a straight out disrespect for Eddie. Rumor has it backstage that a superstar had the choice of backing out of certain promos if they feel it is too much. All they had to do was sat “no.”
All right, Vinnie. You had your ratings. Let’s move on. What? You’re not done yet?
During this year’s Royal Rumble (SPOILER WARNING! STOP READING IF YOU DON’T WANT TO BE SPOILED OF THE RESULTS), after Rey picked his number (number 2 entrant), he joked that Eddie must’ve played a joke on him. Rey dedicated the Rumble match to Eddie. Hrmm, a bit weird but okay. A little mention of Eddie here and there wouldn’t hurt.
Rey went on and won the Rumble match. On to RAW and SmackDown.
On the Raw following the Rumble, Triple H cut a promo where he said that if he can’t take out his frustration (of not winning the Rumble) on Rey Msyterio and Eddie Guerrero, Chave Guerrero might as well take the hit. They had a match where Trips won. Hrmm, going a bit too far there.
On the SmackDown following the Rumble, Randy Orton also cut a promo where he insulted Rey and his win at the Rumble, saying that Eddie is not in resting in heaven but he’s in hell. Hold on there. Now, that’s crossing the line.
What the hell is wrong with Vince? Why do they keep on mentioning, no, insulting, the legacy of Eddie through stupid promos. Sure, they want to get some heel heat but come on, the guy’s dead. Leave him be. Linda Robin said, and I agree, that superstars can imitate his moves, look up to the heavens, and wear EG armbands and all, but that should be the end of it
Vince wants controversy. That’s how the WWE has been able to survive all these years, through adapting to their audience and shocking them. The WWE’s newest slogan is The Power is Back! Well, if they think that disrespecting Eddie through this means that some remnants of the Attitude era (where anything and everything can happen) is back, they’re dead wrong.
Here’s a thought: What if WWE Creative kept on using Vince to push storylines after he’s dead? What would Vince feel? Being the biggest a**h*le that he is, I think he’d like that very much.
Sometimes, I think that Vince is the shrewdest businessman out there and at the same time the most insensitive businessman (Hence, the A**H*LE chants). Vince has sunk so low this time it just makes me sick to my stomach. Keep Eddie out of your shit. He’s not working for the WWE anymore (his image and copyright may still be).
When Davey Boy Smith passed away, they held tributes. And that was it. End of the story.
When Curt Hennig passed away, they held tributes. And that was it. End of the story.
When Road Warrior Hawk passed away, they held tributes. And that was it. End of the story.
When Brian Pillman passed away, they held tributes. And that was it. End of the story.
When Owen Hart passed away, they held tributes. And that was it. End of the story.
Have I made my point?
I wrote that one when WWE was at the height of the Rey "doin' it for Eddie" angle. After WM22, let's see what the consequences are of Rey's main event push.
Rey Mysterio is now the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION as predicted by his Royal Rumble win. Now, I don’t mean any disrespect to Mysterio, but he doesn’t have the look of a champion. Frankly, he really deserved it after all his years in the WWE. He had a couple of teases of main event title pushes, but up until the 2006 Rumble, or up until Eddie Guerrero’s demise, he was abything but a main-eventer. All right, with that being said, Mysterio as a WORLD champion doesn’t sit well with me. He doesn’t feel like a champion for me. Maybe I feel this way because of the way (or storyline) of how he came to the top. By using Guerrero’s death as a reason for a main event run, Mysterio really is a “charity case” (quoted from Randy Orton’s promo and I feel that it is really true). I mean, we’ve heard the (slight) BOOS from the crowd when he came out as champion. It seems to me that some fans feel the same way as I do. Mysterio’s mic work isn’t that good. Lines like “this is for you, Eddie” or “believe in the size of my heart” are just too CHEESY for me to buy it. Fine, you had a good WM moment when Vickie Guerrero, Eddie's widow, and Cahave Guerrero came out after Rey had won the ttile. But the big picyure still remains quesionable. His in-ring charisma isn’t too hot either. I mean, besides the unreal wrestling moves, there’s nothing much to watch out for. To keep it simple, his main event push is a fact of circumstance. Imagine if Eddie hadn’t passed away, it could’ve been Orton-Guerrero at WM22.
For me, I would’ve sat well with Orton winning or Kurt Angle retaining at WM22. (But Orton has his backstage issues that led to an indefinite suspension and Angle being injured by Mark Henry weeks later at a SD! Taping, it went well, technically.) Add the fact that the match itself was a bit too short for me to feel that Mysterio really earned the title. He also goofed BIG TIME during the match. He slipped while trying to maneuver a 619 off the ring posts. I mean, you can’t goof at the match where you’re booked to win it all.
Ah, but here’s when WWE booking comes in to save the day. As reported in various prowrestling news sites, RVD is scheduled to cash in his Money In The Bank briefcase in the next ECW One Night Stand this June. And he needs a good heel to feud with. I speculated earlier that John Cena would do good to turn heel at the ECW PPV, but as it turns out, WWE is booking RVD to challenge for SmackDown’s WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT TITLE. Rey vs. RVD? Two former ECW standouts going at it? Two faces fighting? No. With Judgment Day coming up, Rey is scheduled to drop the title to JBL, thus giving the ECV PPV a good main event feud with JBL vs. RVD. Remember that aside from Angle, JBL is the other top heel who opposed the ECW brand at last year’s One Night Stand. It seems like Mysterio won’t be champ for too long, unlike someone we know from the other brand.
But, in fairness to Mysterio, from a perspective of being with the company for so long, he really deserved the title.
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