PapRoach123

I was reading an interview with Buff Bagwell from a while back and to my surprise he said some things that I downright felt the exact same way about. I've been having lots of controversial feelings about the WWE and all, especially the difference between RAW and SmackDown, but I could never put a finger on it as to what it was.

This isn't the complete interview with Bagwell, but I just took the points that I had similar thoughts about.


- They talked about wrestling's decline in business. Buff said that if Vince could, he would buy a wrestling company just to compete with his, but because of the internet things like that wouldn't work anymore. Buff said that bringing back the big names doesn't make much impact when there is no competition. He talked about how every match needs a person coming out who is a star and the fans shouldn't be saying "who is that?" at the person that comes out.

I feel that this is the reason why they made RAW and SmackDown different brands. To simulate competition. However, it's just not the same thing. I do feel very good about the draft in general though. And the moods and stuff do point out a satisfying difference between both shows. But real competition? No...


- Buff discussed the Vince/Stephanie match. "If all they would have done was show vignettes, I would have bought it and been so excited. But they showed them too much. And you realize this isn't going to be a good match."

That match was just plain aweful in my opinion. I think I've seen the first minute of it or so, but I decided to change the channel. I didn't even want to watch it any longer, heh.


- Buff talked about Smackdown and how a few weeks ago he saw three of the best matches he had ever seen. He brought up again how most of the guys involved got no reaction, and the crowd only popped because the match was unreal. "Fans would say that was a hell of a match, now who were those guys? Now if they knew those guys and that match, you'd be talking money." Buff said that RAW is more like how Nitro was, while the guys on Smackdown work their butts off more.

I feel pretty much the same. I find that SmackDown is the better show soley for this reason. RAW is like how Nitro was in 2000, while SmackDown is more pure. I enjoy SmackDown more, but RAW has the bigger names. I watch SmackDown for the wrestling, and RAW for the wrestlers. heh


- Buff said that Scott Steiner was never a babyface. "In the ring, he wants to be a killer. And he is a killer. He looks like a killer. Make him a killer." He talked about the Steiner and Test feud. "I'll get heat for this, but what has Test ever done? Work-wise great. Looks great. But when he walks out, do people pop?" Buff said that Goldberg can work, but his matches haven't been that good because he isn't used to working with the guys in WWE. He said a match between Goldberg and Steiner would be really good because they have worked together before.

You know, that is the EXACT same way I feel about that too. Steiner is much more than this. Buff Bagwell and Scott Steiner have been nWo friends for 2 years. When Steiner became Big Poppa Pump, turned heel and joined the nWo, Buff was at his side at all times. Because Buff wasn't clearned nor able to wrestle for a couple of years due to a serious neck injury he had to endure, he's been Steiner's "active manager" the whole time.

They even had a handicap match Steiner & Bagwell vs. Goldberg. Goldberg won it of course, but he took a huge beating afterwards. Then Rick Steiner came in and helped Goldberg out, creating a tag team matchup for the week after. The Steiner brothers were in a big feud at the time, as well as Steiner and Goldberg were. This was in 1998. In 1999, Steiner gave Goldberg the worst defeat of his career, heh. Steiner always refered to it as being at Halloween Havoc, but if my memory serves me correct, it was the PPV before that, heh. But either way, compared to this, what we see of Goldberg in the WWE today, is pretty much half of the kind of matches that he can give us.

I never really could come up with a good reason for it, but what Buff says makes perfect sense. So that must probably be it. The first match between Steiner and Triple H was rather disappointing too, probably for the same reasons.


- They talked about some of the wrestlers that could become big stars. Buff said that Batista has the look, but he thinks that Randy Orton is too thin. "They want to see a freak come out and have a hell of a match." Buff feels like WWE is forcing things that they know aren't going to work.

I agree with this too. A man like Batista has it written all over him, he is a real main eventer. He has the spirit and the heart, you can see that just by looking at him, heh. Orton however, I think that's gonna be a lot more boring having him being in main events. I hope that the WWE will make a right decision this time around, and NOT push Orton to main event shows, but use Batista instead.


What are your thoughts on these points? Have you had the same feelings, or something different?

MMB

I think it's normal that the former WCW stars need a period of adjusting, to gain experience in the WWE. They entered a world of superstars with who they never worked with.

The real problem is that they aren't given a lot of time. They enter the WWE business, they have to face people who they worked with AND immediate (and perfect) results are expected by a lot of WWE fans (and by the WWE bosses).

And it's especially there where it turns the bad way.

If these former WCW wrestler have a tough time adjusting, the right thing to do (to retaliate with) is encouraging them with some good remarks, telling them what they could do better and most of all, give them time to improve. But in most cases, the wrestlers get heavily critisized, wrong move ... only makes it worse and it destroys the self confidence of the wrestler completely.

I've seen Steiner and Goldberg growing since their arrivals.
I remember a match between Goldberg and Flair some time ago. And I read (never 'watch') that things went well and automatically. Obvious, cause they faced each other in the past in WCW. They worked together before.

The perfect example is Booker T.
He went from: young boy ---> tag team champ ---> WCW Champ/WCW Superstar ---> Invasion fool ---> WWE rookie ---> WWE 'sucka' ---> WWE superstar

He got very dumb and very louzy story lines at the beginning of his WWE career, but currently he's one of the best superstars on the RAW roster. In my eyes he equals the WCW Booker, with the only difference being the possession of the gold.




Batista is an animal and I truely hope to see him get higher as time goes by. He seized his first gold though and what an honor, with legend Flair.
What I'd like to see, is that Batista faces more opponents of his size. With that I mean one-on-one matches with guys like Goldberg and Kane. But whenever he encounters such big men, it's when he's interfering in matches involving another Evolution member. Also a bit of a down side, is that besides Goldberg, Kane and Mark Henry, RAW doesn't really have much more powerhouses. ALso, keep in mind that Kevin Nash is out and no one knows when or if he'll return. And as Goldberg and Kane seem to be involved in title matches (and Batista is not for now), it reduces the chance to see him in a one-on-one match with a powerhouse. If you compare that to Smackdown: Lesnar, Bradshaw, Big Show, Matt Morgan, A-Train, Undertaker.
Anyway, if I'd have to pick one guy, I'd chose The Rock as opponent for Batista.

Orton is good, but not great. He still has potential. But I believe that he's IC material, nothing more. He's the current IC Champ and that's how far it should get (for now) for him. Sure, he's called the Legend Killer and sure yes, I agree, he has defeated quite some legends already. But don't forget that he only accomplished this with the very significant assistance of another legend, Ric Flair.