I initially wanted to do this via audio but I am fighting off a sinus infection and the last thing Elite subscribers need to hear is that, so here are some thoughts on the Vince McMahon podcast featuring Steve Austin interviewing the Grand Poobah of WWE:
No One Has Grabbed the Brass Ring since John Cena.
Now, ignoring the fact that CM Punk certainly did in 2011 and Daniel Bryan did earlier this year, that statement was basically Vince McMahon saying that since John Cena ascended to the top of the company and became a star, no one else has.
To me, that is an admission of mediocrity, at best, or failure, at worst...and not a failure of the talent. It's a failure of Vince McMahon.
It was only a few months ago when The Shield and The Wyatt Family faced off and the crowd chanted "This is awesome" before they even touched. Now, neither entity exists. That is not their failure...and neither act was mediocre. This, more than anything was a sign that WWE has failed itself and failed it's talents by not recognizing what they bring to the table.
Remember, the original plan for Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania was to have him wrestle Sheamus...on the undercard...for the third time. Guess that's because Bryan hadn't grabbed the brass ring? Guess again.
I really wish Austin had followed up with Vince and pointed out names that "have" grabbed the brass ring, because off the top of my head, I had several. None of them, sans Bryan, have ever made it to the main event of Wrestlemania - and if that IS the brass ring, only one man pulled it away - Vince himself.
Cesaro.
Vince McMahon's comments about Cesaro will likely be the most frustrating thing for any long-time fan of his to digest.
Cesaro's placement in the card currently is due to being a victim of the start/stop/start booking that plagues a lot of the talents today and that all begins and ends with Vince seeing things he likes and doesn't like in talents that have nothing to do with how the audience sees them.
Let's not forget that Chris Jericho often tells the talent of wrestling Daniel Bryan on the debut of WWE NXT and telling Vince after that Bryan was a star. Vince's reaction? "Him? He doesn't even eat meat!" That right there is a great insight into the thought process of what being a star means to Vince McMahon and how hard it is for talents to overcome whatever perception Vince has of them.
Cesaro may be a beast in the ring. He may have great matches. He may have that unique European presentation, but if Vince doesn't see him as "having it", where Cesaro resides now - the nexus that is the mid-card, is likely where he will always dwell.
Ask Zack Ryder.
It wasn't Cesaro who asked to stop doing the Big Swing. It was WWE who told him to stop. When you start taking elements of a performer away from him - elements that were getting a reaction - without something equal to replace them with, and then book him to lose all the time, what sort of connection do you expect him to have?
Cesaro hasn't been used right since he won the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. Austin pretty much said that to Vince but the message didn't seep through. Go back and study how he's been utilized Vince, and you will see why he's "not there yet". It has NOTHING to do with being European, or is that the excuse as for why Bad News Barrett, Sheamus, etc. haven't grabbed the brass ring, either?
CM Punk Apology
While apologizing for CM Punk getting his termination and breach of contract letter on his wedding day, McMahon really didn't acknowledge any wrong-doing by himself of his lieutenants, explaining that in a company of their size, legal didn't talk to talent relations.
That of course fails to take into account that CM Punk said he texted back and forth with Triple H and told him they could talk when Punk got back from his honeymoon as he was getting married in two days. So, if "Talent Relations" means Triple H (who is in charge of that department), that means HHH purposely didn't contact legal and say, "Wait up." or it means someone working for HHH is so inept that they lacked common sense.
During the podcast, Vince claimed he didn't listen to the Punk interview. I believe that to be the case, but perhaps someone should make him listen. Even if half of Punk's claims are absolute bullsh**, the other half may not be and if even a smidgen of truth surrounds his accusations of WWE's medical staff, Vince McMahon should be tearing heads off to make sure nothing of that sort ever happens again, because if it does, someone is going to drop dead under WWE's watch.
Whether Vince feels CM Punk did him wrong or whether he feels Punk will come to regret his comments or whether the issue was that Punk lacked "communication skills", the reality is that WWE did nothing to repair the relationship that we know of, either.
WWE was in Chicago a number of times. How many WWE execs went by Punk's home, which HAD to be in the 30 minute driving radius of the Allstate Center? How come no one reached out to him after his suspension ended? If Vince knew Punk had been concussed, why didn't he or anyone in WWE's medical team ever follow up on Punk's health?
Vince apologized last night but at the end of the day, the apology should have been to the WWE fans, because there are always two sides at fault when a relationship goes to hell, and WWE didn't apologize for their part in that rift.
Vince, go listen to the damn interview.
Millennials
I don't think I have ever heard, over the course of any interview, podcast or public statement, the owner of a company pretty much bury the entire roster he has, but that's what Vince McMahon did last night - on the Network they built with their own hard work.
When Vince said that he felt the current roster where "Millennials" who didn't show the same aggression that the Attitude Era talents did, what he was really telling them is that they suck, although he did name a few that he felt were doing well.
Meanwhile, Austin blatantly said that the talents walk around on eggshells backstage and are afraid to piss anyone off. Vince's reaction? "So, They better not piss anyone off then" was the absolutely stupidest thing he could have said. What Vince should have said is, "I wish they would piss me off. Then, I wish they would prove me wrong. I would welcome that."
Vince McMahon painted his locker room as a bunch of lazy failures who are happy to be in the corner he has painted for them and then warned them they better not do anything to disrupt that. That my friends is exactly why we have a bunch of Harlem Globetrotters, happy to be on the roster and perform, instead of a bunch of NBA Superstars seeking to shake things up so they can win The NBA championship.
It's an analogy I've made many a times before about today's WWE roster vs. the past rosters, but it's true. There are far too many of the talents scared to take a stand, scared to do what they know in their hearts is right as performers and too shackled by overwritten scripts to break out as performers.
If Vince really feels that way, he should turn around and fire the entire roster. He's got hungry talents in NXT waiting, so bring them up and throw them to wolves. Obviously, these Millenials aren't getting the job done.
When you think back to last night, remember that Austin challenged the performers to break out. Vince didn't. He just crapped on them.
I'm Not Out of Touch
I worked in the Hollywood and Broadway realms from 1997-2004. Trust me when I say, when someone makes that statement, it usually means they are indeed out of touch. It happens in the entertainment industry, as the pulse of the audience changes so often and especially when someone has made so much money, they insulate themselves in a bubble, perhaps not even realizing they've done so. That doesn't mean things can't change, but if Vince really thinks he's not out of touch with his audience, remember he said no one has grabbed that brass ring in ELEVEN YEARS.
ELEVEN YEARS.
Heavy is the head that wears the crown and the crown is on Vince's head.
P.S. You just had a cat as the guest star on a wrestling (sorry, sports-entertainment) show, Vince. This week, you had the return of the Anonymous General Manager. Next week, Seth Green (who I like personally a lot). None of these are David Arquette in WCW, but they aren't the glory days of WWE programming either.
Speaking of which, when was the last great moment on Raw you can name Vince? The type that will be celebrated the way the Austin beer truck moment is? Or Hogan vs. Andre?
Well?
"I'm Extremely Open to Feedback...."
"...But I don't listen to critics."
Vince McMahon actually said that within about 30 seconds of each other. The problem with feedback is that you can't listen to everyone because them your own thought process gets muddied. But, it can be helpful. That said, if WWE are only looking to fans for feedback, well, there are a lot of fans who think the Ding Dongs and The Godwins should be back on TV. Not all fan feedback is relevant to today's product.
Now, if Vince is tuning out critics completely, THAT is a bad sign for the future because while some of what they say will be tapped into the minutiae and won't be relevant for the big picture, the remainder should be seen as what it is - a reason to strive for something better, to strive to prove them wrong and a free sounding board that's going to point out flaws in ways family members and paid "Yes Men" never will.
The interview was fascinating to be sure. Scary at times, absolutely. But, certainly, newsworthy and thought-provoking. I just hope some of what he said, once it's dissected by the outside world, gives Vince some reason to think about what he said and what his thought process is and how they, like WWE, can be improved going forward....as long as it doesn't come from those critics, that is.
Is she wearing any panties? Her top covering her crotch like that and the blurred lower-half seems to imply it but I get the feeling I'm looking at it wrong.
