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RADICAN'S TAKE
TALES FROM THE PULPIT 7/9: PWTorch.com readers sound off on Radican’s new overwhelmingly popular web-exclusive feature Jul 10, 2008 - 12:51:57 PM
I don’t see enough reader feedback on the site these days, so with the resounding success of my new Radican-centric PWTorch.com features, which kicked off with Tales From the Pulpit, so I present to you the voices of the PWTorch.com readers, who have sounded off on John Cena’s “poopy” catch phrase.
Jason Barnett writes: “Did you happen to read the HOLT report that said Cena was insanely over before you posted this? Also, I think Cena's just decided to go over the top with this because it annoys the people who don't like him.”
Radican’s Reply: I don’t doubt that Cena was over. I’m pretty sure if he comes out every week talking about poopy, his star will fade quickly and he’ll only be popular with the people backstage who he’s amusing with his promo work.
Shane McKinley writes: “I thought that the last Raw was more of a science experiment than an actual wrestling show. No one in their right minds would throw together such a underwhelming mid-card. Punk and Kofi have to face two guys who have not been on TV for 6 months. What bothers me is that many times Raw will throw away matches just for the sake of storylines or to not bruise any egos.
“If you ask me whether or not I would take Raw's lame attempts to be edgy with its humor or Impact's trashy and unfunny segments, I don't know what to say. Truth be told, Cena's "poopy" line isn't really that big of a deal. What it is though is the culmination of many fans' view of Raw: It is largely devoid of actual meaning and will either hit a homerun or a strikeout. I don't know how one turns a "miraculous recovery" into him becoming the biggest joke in all of wrestling. I mean, at least when Cena rapped his really bad promos, it was sort of believable. Nobody is repeating Cena's lines the next day of school, but somebody in the company must be getting a kick out of it. Cena's promos are usually devoid of true meaning, involve a lot of clichés, and are shameless in getting cheap pops. People have to ask themselves: Would Cena get the same reaction from the crowd if he did not have the same body? Jericho-HBK won't last forever for Raw.
If you ask me what show I look forward too most, it is certainly not Raw anymore with it's showcasing of the same mid-card matches and it's heavy reliance on its main event. It's certainly not ECW anymore, which is just development/purgatory. It's not Impact, which continues its streak of sucking. It's Smackdown.”
Radican’s Reply: Thanks for writing Shane. I agree with you that Punk and Kofi could have been given better opponents to work with this past Monday. I haven’t seen Haas or Snitsky wrestle on TV in a long time. I don’t think this was a case where the creative team didn’t want to bruise any egos; I think it’s just a case of bad booking.
I think Cena has shown in the past that he can cut some excellent promos without relying on the toilet humor, so my guess is that these lines were scripted by someone in creative with a nasty fecal fetish. As for why Cena’s over, I don’t think it has anything to do with his physique. Sure his physique is part of his appeal to fans, but he’s very charismatic and connects well with the audience. I don’t think anyone can get over just based on their look. They have to be able to entertain in the ring.
I wouldn’t go as far as to say Raw has become what Smackdown used to be, but I agree with your statement that the show has been more hit and miss lately and lacks consistency.
Briandi Howard checks in with some sign ideas for Cena: "Cena's wrestling is........POOPY!!!! and Cena 'nuff?"
Radican’s Reply: Those would work. Although I think his wrestling has been pretty darn good for a long time and he’s shed his reputation as a lousy worker.
Torch VIP Member Mr. Morneau writes: “What is so wrong about Punk facing Snitsky and Kofi facing Haas? There is no need to send either out there against a top tier guy on tv for at least a month. Build them up some more.”
Radican’s Reply: I think we're on the same page. I'm not saying they have to face top guys, but I think Kofi needs to be having some good matches on TV, as does Punk and those two matches didn't do much to capitalize on their momentum.
I'm mostly interested to see how Punk is treated from week to week.
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