Wrestling News June 27, 2005
The WWE has put up a story about the infamous JBL/Blue Meanie incident. “The incident with Meanie had nothing to do with any old heat, I don’t even know the guy,” JBL said. “I understand he worked here, but I don’t even remember working with him. I couldn’t care less about the fat little kid. “
SD: Obvious BS. If you recall prior to the ECW: One Night Stand pay per view, JBL cut a scathing shot-laced promo against the company and some wrestlers in particular; Blue Meanie was among them. The comments weren’t aired because they didn’t sell the pay per view but rather were an airing of personality disputes.
JBL continues: “Before the brawl at the end of the pay-per-view, he starts cutting a shoot promo on me, saying I’m the reason he got fired and the only reason I got where I am is because I suck Vince McMahon’s d**k. I was incredulous,” JBL said. “I thought there’s no way he could really mean this. So I got to work with him at the end, and here we are trying to give the fans a great finish when we begin to lock horns in the melee. But he’s basically not even acknowledging my presence. Now I might have caught him snug with a shot, but then he starts throwing back heavy punches, including a body shot. So make no mistake, I club him back to make sure he knows I’m not playing, and I think I got him with a shot over the eye and one near the forehead and apparently opened him up a little.”
“Backstage I asked him if he wanted to finish it right then and there,” JBL continued. “He told me it’s all a show and that he didn’t want to fight. And he pretty much ran off.”
Meanie, as you might expect, had a much different view of what transpired.
“I was jaw-jacking with everyone, that was the whole point,” Meanie said. “The tape doesn’t lie. He went right for me and hit me when I wasn’t even looking. He even tried to pull my shirt over my face and have one of those hockey fights. He wanted a receipt for the things I’ve said about him.
Meanie is referring to old interviews on various Internet sites that quote Meanie calling JBL a “bully.”
“I tried to fend him off the best that I could, but at that point, I was also trying to protect the 14 staples I had in the back of my head from the night before,” Meanie added. “He’s a real big guy and there’s only so much I was able to do.”
SD: I’m sure the truth lie somewhere in between. Looking at the footage it is obvious JBL went right after the Blue Meanie. Now if something was said off-mic or in the back we have no idea. JBL was obviously more than a little tipsy which doesn’t allow for a safe work environment in any industry let alone one where personality conflicts and fights can be hidden in the guise of being a work.
Paul Heyman attempts to make light of the situation: “I'm not surprised the JBL-Blue Meanie incident is still generating so much buzz,” Heyman told WWE.com. “The top star on SmackDown!, a former WWE Champion, hit ECW's court jester with his best shots and couldn't knock him out? This is like The Sandman pounding on Howard Finkel and Howard walking away with some bumps and bruises.”
He continues: “It's pretty amusing the SmackDown! brain trust hasn't capitalized on the interest in JBL and The Meanie and begged Vince McMahon to allow this match to take place on TV or pay-per-view,” Heyman said. “If they don't have the vision, ECW certainly does, and I'd welcome that match on any platform ECW is afforded. I even propose we allow the two to fight in the streets of New York City and broadcast on ECW.com! After failing to silence his harshest critic, I think it's on JBL to prove if there's anything but bullsh** behind the Wrath of the Wrestling God.”
SD: I love when Heyman borderlines like that. I suppose now would be a good time to mention that WWE is considering a return of the ECW brand for the house show circuit. Also, it's weird to find the WWE handling a story like this. It is better for a company to try to keep a handle on these things but it's still odd.
Speaking of ECW, a few of the workers from the company are in talks and are booked for tryouts for the company. Axl Rotton and Balls Mahoney are scheduled for tryouts at TV tapings next month. In addition they are still wanting to meet with Sabu and there is some possibility that they want to talk to Danny Doring and Roadkill as well.
SD: WWE can definitely use more tag teams. It would be a real shame if they didn’t let Axl and Balls keep their personas as is rumored they may not if hired. Danny Doring and Roadkill are a lot of fun as well. And what can be said about Sabu that hasn’t been said already?
Ed Ferarra talks more about the WWE’s (former?) view of fans and fan responsibility itself. The WWE has always had an unspoken (and sometimes spoken) derision of any criticism from the fans. If something is over, it's because the fans "get it." If the fans fart on something, well they "just don't understand what it is that we're doing."
Well, if THE FANS don't understand/appreciate it... who are they doing it for? That's akin to a hot musical act - let's say U2 - puts out a horrible experimental polka party album. If their fans sh- all over it and it doesn't sell, the band would say, "Well, they just don't get what we're doing." No... the fans get that what you're doing sucks. And they'll stop lining your pockets with their money.
Wrestling is a more dangerous beast, however, due to the fierce loyalty of the fan base. I've never seen, in any industry, a fan base that will stick around for YEARS while the product suffers. And, while they're sticking around, they're still plunking their money down, with the desperate hope that "TONIGHT will be the night that the product starts to turn around." I know because I was one of those fans for a long time.
Unfortunately, management only sees the bottom line ($$$), and as long as money continues flowing in, they'll take it as a validation of the product's creative direction, and not listen to the valid criticisms.
SD: He has one hell of a point about wrestling fans. We’re as bad as comic book, anime and Star Wars geeks. I do wonder which group has the worst personal hygiene…
Miscellaneous wrestling news:
- Eugene is set to return to the main roster within the next month or two
- Rico was in the audience and backstage at Vengeance since he lives in Las Vegas. Some of you may know I was a huge fan of his. I doubt he’ll be coming back any time soon, unfortunately.
- - Forever Hardcore is available for immediate sale and shipping here. It makes a great companion piece to WWE’s Rise and Fall of ECW and features commentary by Raven, Shane Douglas, Tod Gordon, New Jack, Sabu and many other ECW alumni.
- If you’re interested, WWE has a site up for this year’s Diva Search finalists.
SD: Obvious BS. If you recall prior to the ECW: One Night Stand pay per view, JBL cut a scathing shot-laced promo against the company and some wrestlers in particular; Blue Meanie was among them. The comments weren’t aired because they didn’t sell the pay per view but rather were an airing of personality disputes.
JBL continues: “Before the brawl at the end of the pay-per-view, he starts cutting a shoot promo on me, saying I’m the reason he got fired and the only reason I got where I am is because I suck Vince McMahon’s d**k. I was incredulous,” JBL said. “I thought there’s no way he could really mean this. So I got to work with him at the end, and here we are trying to give the fans a great finish when we begin to lock horns in the melee. But he’s basically not even acknowledging my presence. Now I might have caught him snug with a shot, but then he starts throwing back heavy punches, including a body shot. So make no mistake, I club him back to make sure he knows I’m not playing, and I think I got him with a shot over the eye and one near the forehead and apparently opened him up a little.”
“Backstage I asked him if he wanted to finish it right then and there,” JBL continued. “He told me it’s all a show and that he didn’t want to fight. And he pretty much ran off.”
Meanie, as you might expect, had a much different view of what transpired.
“I was jaw-jacking with everyone, that was the whole point,” Meanie said. “The tape doesn’t lie. He went right for me and hit me when I wasn’t even looking. He even tried to pull my shirt over my face and have one of those hockey fights. He wanted a receipt for the things I’ve said about him.
Meanie is referring to old interviews on various Internet sites that quote Meanie calling JBL a “bully.”
“I tried to fend him off the best that I could, but at that point, I was also trying to protect the 14 staples I had in the back of my head from the night before,” Meanie added. “He’s a real big guy and there’s only so much I was able to do.”
SD: I’m sure the truth lie somewhere in between. Looking at the footage it is obvious JBL went right after the Blue Meanie. Now if something was said off-mic or in the back we have no idea. JBL was obviously more than a little tipsy which doesn’t allow for a safe work environment in any industry let alone one where personality conflicts and fights can be hidden in the guise of being a work.
Paul Heyman attempts to make light of the situation: “I'm not surprised the JBL-Blue Meanie incident is still generating so much buzz,” Heyman told WWE.com. “The top star on SmackDown!, a former WWE Champion, hit ECW's court jester with his best shots and couldn't knock him out? This is like The Sandman pounding on Howard Finkel and Howard walking away with some bumps and bruises.”
He continues: “It's pretty amusing the SmackDown! brain trust hasn't capitalized on the interest in JBL and The Meanie and begged Vince McMahon to allow this match to take place on TV or pay-per-view,” Heyman said. “If they don't have the vision, ECW certainly does, and I'd welcome that match on any platform ECW is afforded. I even propose we allow the two to fight in the streets of New York City and broadcast on ECW.com! After failing to silence his harshest critic, I think it's on JBL to prove if there's anything but bullsh** behind the Wrath of the Wrestling God.”
SD: I love when Heyman borderlines like that. I suppose now would be a good time to mention that WWE is considering a return of the ECW brand for the house show circuit. Also, it's weird to find the WWE handling a story like this. It is better for a company to try to keep a handle on these things but it's still odd.
Speaking of ECW, a few of the workers from the company are in talks and are booked for tryouts for the company. Axl Rotton and Balls Mahoney are scheduled for tryouts at TV tapings next month. In addition they are still wanting to meet with Sabu and there is some possibility that they want to talk to Danny Doring and Roadkill as well.
SD: WWE can definitely use more tag teams. It would be a real shame if they didn’t let Axl and Balls keep their personas as is rumored they may not if hired. Danny Doring and Roadkill are a lot of fun as well. And what can be said about Sabu that hasn’t been said already?
Ed Ferarra talks more about the WWE’s (former?) view of fans and fan responsibility itself. The WWE has always had an unspoken (and sometimes spoken) derision of any criticism from the fans. If something is over, it's because the fans "get it." If the fans fart on something, well they "just don't understand what it is that we're doing."
Well, if THE FANS don't understand/appreciate it... who are they doing it for? That's akin to a hot musical act - let's say U2 - puts out a horrible experimental polka party album. If their fans sh- all over it and it doesn't sell, the band would say, "Well, they just don't get what we're doing." No... the fans get that what you're doing sucks. And they'll stop lining your pockets with their money.
Wrestling is a more dangerous beast, however, due to the fierce loyalty of the fan base. I've never seen, in any industry, a fan base that will stick around for YEARS while the product suffers. And, while they're sticking around, they're still plunking their money down, with the desperate hope that "TONIGHT will be the night that the product starts to turn around." I know because I was one of those fans for a long time.
Unfortunately, management only sees the bottom line ($$$), and as long as money continues flowing in, they'll take it as a validation of the product's creative direction, and not listen to the valid criticisms.
SD: He has one hell of a point about wrestling fans. We’re as bad as comic book, anime and Star Wars geeks. I do wonder which group has the worst personal hygiene…
Miscellaneous wrestling news:
- Eugene is set to return to the main roster within the next month or two
- Rico was in the audience and backstage at Vengeance since he lives in Las Vegas. Some of you may know I was a huge fan of his. I doubt he’ll be coming back any time soon, unfortunately.
- - Forever Hardcore is available for immediate sale and shipping here. It makes a great companion piece to WWE’s Rise and Fall of ECW and features commentary by Raven, Shane Douglas, Tod Gordon, New Jack, Sabu and many other ECW alumni.
- If you’re interested, WWE has a site up for this year’s Diva Search finalists.
posted by Stefan at 6:15 PM
1 Comments:
I do wonder which group has the worst personal hygiene…
the comic fans are the worst.
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