TAKE PWTORCH
WITH YOU! Get our iPhone App (FREE!): Click Here Or enter "PWTorch.com" on your Blackberry or other Smart Phone browser for mobile-version of PWTorch.
KELLER'S TAKE
KELLER'S BLOG: Reacting to PWTorch content - Angle's TNA persona, Flair-Michaels last night, MVP voting Mar 4, 2008 - 2:05:53 PM
-In the latest "McNeill's Take," Pat McNeill wrote about Kurt Angle being "Not Hot" and his character being mismanaged. I agree. Bruce Mitchell has been harping on this for years - the argument that Angle can't draw as a comedy character. For years I disagreed, but that was in the context of a talent-rich WWE promotion with larger-than-life personalities. I thought since Angle was entertaining at being a goof and clearly excellent in the ring, he could get away with it and stand out. On Impact, though, a serious Angle is needed right now. There is a way to transition Angle from being wacky to carrying himself like a serious main event world champion. TNA ought to seriously consider that. The drop in rating for the first-ever Angle vs. Kevin Nash match should be a strong indication that's needed.
-Jamie Penick's new blog entry today contends that the Flair-Michaels segment worked on Raw. Bruce Mitchell gave it a thumbs down, specifically because he felt Flair was left "standing there with his thumb up his ass" (quoting the VIP Mojo Mitchell commentary posted last night). I'm with Jamie on this. WWE has several more weeks of TV to fill. Since WrestleMania's top matches are all set, there's room for stretching out some of the developments in the relationships between opponents. What Michaels said to Flair was a strong follow-up. It was logical that Michaels, especially after a thrilling win teaming with the wrestler who inspired him to become a wrestler, would have doubts about wanting to be the one to retire him. The fact that Flair didn't respond, as Jamie wrote, builds anticipation for next week. FLair, of course, has to actually be given time to respond next week.
-MVP voting for last night's Raw is pretty spread out among four performers all receiving double-digit percentages, but Michaels is on top. I think he deserves that spot. No. 2 in our poll voting (voting is still open, by the way) is Santino Marella, who was very good last night. Even the subtle screw-up of the line "that time of month" (he said "that timing of the month") was funny. His faces pasted over Maria's body was a funny image. Third is John Cena, who was solid, but didn't really stand out. On color commentary late in the show when he got serious sounding about holding a grudge against Orton for kicking his dad in the face, it did make it seem strange he was able to calmly stand next to him earlier for William Regal's instructions. Fourth place goes to Maria in current poll results. Underrated right now is Big Show. Don't blame him for Floyd Mayweather being a terrible on-air performer.
Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
INCREDIBLE BENEFITS! Over 50 full-length audio updates per month (iPod compatible)... New weekly award-winning Pro Wrestling Torch Newsletter (text and printable pdf versions) with latest exclusive insider news, new Torch Talks, great columns, Keller's cover story, much more... Hundreds of full-length back issues of PWTorch Newsletter from late-'80s to today... Ad-free access to PWTorch.com's Main Listing... VIP Forum with interaction with other subscribers and Torch staff... Torch Talk Library with text and audio of hundreds of interview installments from last 20 years... Great layout... Deepest archives on pro wrestling history anywhere... Keller's PWTorch Today PDF Bulletins with email alerts... VIP Email reports on major PPVs and TV shows... Staff Roundtable Reviews (text and audio) followiing major events... The best staff of writers and world class reporting since 1987... We'd love for you to join us and experience the most entertaining, authoritative, experienced staff of professional reporters and commentators in the business...
Compare the value of four or five months of PWTorch VIP content to the price of just one PPV. Can you cut 25 cents a day from your budget to make room for PWTorch VIP?
AND NEW FOR 2009! Monthly "Vintage Audio Torch Talks." We are releasing for the first time ever audio versions of our text Torch Talk updates, the historical first series of insider interviews ever. Wade Keller's newsmaking in-depth interviews with wrestling's biggest names are now being made available exclusively to VIP members. But you must be a member each month, as these are not archived, so they are replaced with a new one each month! This debuted in January 2009 with a 68 minute interview with the late "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. Who's next? Hulk Hogan? Eric Bischoff? The Rock? Goldberg? Jeff Hardy?
