Last night was a huge moment for Triple H. Based on the circumstances, he was put in a difficult position. He was essentially replacing, in the eyes of the fans, either John Cena or Chris Jericho or both. For Cena fans who bought tickets expecting to see Cena vs. Randy Orton, Triple H may have been a letdown. For fans chanting "Y2J," they may have been expecting to be part of the triumphant return of Chris Jericho, so Triple H could have been seen as old news being shoved at them instead.
Triple H [photo by Wade Keller (c) PWTorch]
What happened was a best case scenario for Triple H. After Vince McMahon shut down the hopes of Y2J fans quickly and decisively, Triple H came out to resounding cheers. No mixed reaction like with Cena. No boos because they wanted to see Jericho instead. It would not have shocked me if the crowd was quiet or booed. They didn't. They reacted to Triple H like he was a top tier major superstar there to play the lead role in filling the gap left by Cena.
Then Triple H delivered. Say what you will about how Hunter is portrayed on TV and the type of unnecessary destruction of mid-card wrestlers he has left in his wake, he came though last night with an overall tremendous serious of performances. The first two matches weren't designed to be show-stealers, but that main event was. And I believe it was just that. Torch columnist Bruce Mitchell wasn't as high on it as I was (and James Caldwell was), which we discussed in last night's VIP audio roundtable, but it seems as if most readers agree with me that it was a special match in a year that hasn't had as many MOTY contenders as we've grown used to.
It's hard not to think of Orton's baggage when considering his contributions to WWE, but it has to be said that he comes through time after time with great in-ring work. He's not the flashiest wrestler, and he is maddeningly overreliant on headlocks early in matches, but he is a pro's pro in matches, a true ring general who seems to be getting better during a stretch of time where a number of legends from the Monday Night War era are beginning to age out.
But it was Hunter's night last night. He was in a really tough position and the fans accepted him immediately, and he earned that acceptable by working triple duty and putting in a show-saving performance with Orton in the main event.
By the way, yesterday was the cover date of the first-ever edition of Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (Oct. 7, 1987). This month we'll be celebrating our 20 years covering wrestling with a number of acknowledgment of our history, some of which will be part of the Torch Newsletter, but others that I will share on the website. Thanks to everyone who has been part of this great journey covering pro wresting for the last 20 years. It's taken me places I could have never imagined and been a fulfilling job in so many ways. I've been able to meet an amazingly wide ranging group of people who have been unlikely friends over the years. I appreciate everyone who has visited PWTorch.com regularly since the website launched in 1999 and, of course, those who have subscribers - including a few who date back to the 1980s when we first began. I'll have more to say as the month progresses.
Updated Thursday, Oct. 4 - 3:30 p.m.
There is never a great time to lose a top star for any reason, and you never wish an injury upon anyone, but that said - Raw's rating headlined by Cena vs. Mr. Kennedy this week was just a 3.2. You have go back ten years to find a lower rated Raw on the first Monday of October. It's possible Cena was the only talent holding things together, but it's also possible that Cena had his fans and detractors, and that with him as the long-term champion centerpiece of Raw, it had become monotonous for many viewers who were watching less frequently, if at all. This injury forces Vince McMahon to take a new direction with Raw, and if he plays what cards he has well, it could lead to a surge in interest by presenting a product that feels fresher and newer. Just giving Orton and Hunter more TV time is the answer, though, isn't the likely best solution. Finding some newer, underutilized talents to give TV time would be nice. It's difficult to understand how McMahon thinks fans should watch two hours plus of Raw when 70 percent of it is filled with wrestlers who are firmly established to be jobbers to a few top tier players. The needless squashing and demeaning of Jeff Hardy (to both Umaga and Big Show over the past year), Cade & Murdoch, London & Kendrick, and Carlito (Hunter) has made the rest of the segments feel like filler, not a chance to see stars on the rise.
LATEST PRO WRESTLING TORCH NEWSLETTER #1037 (16 PAGES)
This issue begins with a cover story on the annoucement on Raw that Mike Adamle is the new Raw G.M... Wade Keller's BBL features a number of other shocking G.M. possibilities for WWE to consider... Page 2 Buzz with Jason Powell features his exclusive insider news galore... Pat McNeill continues his series of articles reviewing the history of Summerslam... Bruce Mitchell continues his series of Ric Flair DVD Liner Notes with a focus on "Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers htis week... Part four of the "Torch Talk" with Doug Basham... Sean Radican reviews in detail the ROH PPV before it's offered nationally on PPV... Plus the Torch Newswire, Top Five Stories, reports on Raw, Smackdown, and Impact, and more......
