SummerSlam a summer snooze
For some reason, the WWE is acting like it can’t kill a feud, good or bad, until the thing has run at least three consecutive PPVs. For this reason, the John Cena versus Randy Orton match was the only thing decent in the whole PPV if you don’t count the returns of Rey Mysterio (who looked like he was five months pregnant ‘ do some crunches Rey) and Triple H (who appeared to be down about 20 pounds but looking fit from when we last saw him).
The problem we’re getting is that the WWE figured out people won’t buy their Smackdown or RAW-only PPVs so they’ve combined them all to incorporate all three brands. However, in doing this they are rushing the storylines and are having to do repeats seeing they are still insisting on doing 15 PPVs per year. The next PPV, Unforgiven, is on Sept. 16, just three weeks after SummerSlam, not much time to set up anything fresh.
Just look at the evidence. The Great Khali and Batista was a train wreck before it ever got booked the first time yet we are likely due for a third dose of these two Rock ‘Em, Sock ‘Em Robots at the next PPV given the lame DQ ending of the SummerSlam match. The problem is that Khali is like as big as a house and can’t move while Batista has been stiff since he returned from his most recent injury. However, when you look at Smackdown, there’s not much over there to do anything with seeing Rey can’t challenge Khali in a David and Goliath scenario since it wouldn’t be believable.
Speaking of Rey, does he know how to wrestle anyone other than a Guerreo? Before Eddie died, all we saw for six months was Rey versus Eddie. Now, they pick up the Chavo Guerreo feud where it left off a year ago. It was stale then, it’s stale now.
Speaking of stale, how many times do we have to watch C.M. Punk job to John Morrison for the ECW strap? It’s been three consecutive PPVs. Can we let it go now? We get the point. Sure, they put on good matches but we’ve seen it a million times before. Of course, like Smackdown, there’s no one left at ECW to pair off.
An offshoot of these stale feuds is the fact the same people keep on winning, thus weakening the characters of the losers. Just look at Batista. He has lost all eight of his last major matches. He was beaten three times by Undertaker, three times by Edge and likely now three times by Khali. Sounds like ‘The Animal’ is being put to sleep.
Same is true with C.M. Punk who used to be way over with the fans. They’ve jobbed him against Morrison (formerly Johnny Nitro who is a very good talent and a good character which is based on Jim Morrison of the Doors) so many times that now his character looks weak, especially given the clean wins Morrison has had in the PPVs. It’s one thing to have the face chase the belt, it’s another to deny him so many times that people don’t care anymore. I think Samoa Joe could say the same thing over in TNA (or should I say Kurt Angle Championship Wrestling) where the Samoan Submission Machine has always been the bridesmaid and never the bride when it comes to the title.
All I’m saying is that people have a limit when it comes to sequels, especially when they have the same ending every time. There’s a reason ‘Porkys IV’ and ‘Halloween VII’ didn’t do well at the box office. It’s because people get tired of the same old, same old. It’s the same reason the buyrate for Unforgiven will be dismal seeing the card will likely consist of Cena/Orton II, Khali/Batista III, Punk/Morrison IV and maybe even Rey/Chavo XXXII. You get the point.
And, on another SummerSlam note, to answer several inquiries, the Latin words on the entry screen behind Triple H ‘Genibus Nitito Canus’ means ‘on your knees dog,’ which is a line from his alternative entry theme ‘King of Kings’ by Motorhead.