Editorial: Hittin' The Ropes #2 - Must See TV

There has been much criticism lately about the current storylines and how they seem to be "out of touch" with today's culture. In my previous article, I took a brief look at some of the more prominent stories headlining the shows in pro wrestling. Now I intend to take a look at some of the major shows in the business today and what direction their respective companies might be sending them.

Raw:
- "The New GM?"
o Can anyone remember when the role of General Manager added to the quality of the program instead of being just another segment that we have to sit through? I would have to actually go back to the very first set of general managers, Eric Bischoff and Stephanie McMahon. Bischoff had already established his character in WCW and Stephanie is just simply a McMahon. Since that combination, the role of general manager has truly been hit or miss. Paul Heyman played the role well but Teddy Long has been brutal from the beginning and has yet to get better. Vickie Guerrero is just a joke and all the others were largely forgettable. But now it seems like we could be seeing a new spin on the authority figure with the sibling rivalry of Shane and Stephanie McMahon. We all know that the McMahons equal ratings and that's exactly what the WWE desperately needs. A feud between Shane and Stephanie McMahon would be ratings gold. They were on screen a total of 10 minutes this past Raw and already people are drooling for more. Shane and Orton had immediate chemistry in the ring and Stephanie can instantly make any audience turn against her, or fall deeply in love with her. This just might be the storyline backbone that the entire company needs as a spark. The only problem with this scenario is Shane's lack of desire for being on camera. He would much rather stay on the corporate side of things and be able to be home every night for dinner with his family. This will be the one factor that will make this angle sink or swim.

- "Randy Orton & Priceless"
o Ted DiBiase in Randy Orton's Priceless will have the same fate as Orton in Evolution. The slooooooooow build for this whole angle has played out very well with the audience chomping on the bit for the 4 men to just join together and take over the Raw brand. Its about time that a dominant group of men ran roughshod over the WWE and all 4 of these men have the pedigree to reign on top for a long time. DiBiase will be the breakout star of this crew and a feud with Orton will headline at least 2 Pay Per Views in 2009.

Smackdown:
- "Battle of the Big Men"
o The Undertaker and the Big Show are once again embroiled in a feud. And surprisingly its no more exciting than the first 3 times they attempted it. The Big Show could have very well been on the same career resurgence as Chris Jericho but instead he ended up stuck in 1999. The Big Show would be more suited in a program with Edge as the heel and the Undertaker could be giving the rub to MVP or Ezekiel Jackson, both of who could move up the ladder extremely fast with the right program. Its time to move on from the "go-to" matchups between men who have worked numerous times before. Try something new. You never know when you'll strike oil.

ECW:
- "New Talent Initiative"
o Evan Bourne. Jack Swagger. Ricky Ortiz. These are just 3 men who have done their damnest to make their mark with the opportunities they have been presented. Now with FCW having a weekly television slot, superstars like Joe Henning and Kizarny are being allowed to develop a fan base even before hitting the big time. ECW might not be the most exciting hour of television but being able to see these future major players on a smaller stage is definitely a treat.

TNA:
- "Main Event Mafia vs. TNA Originals"
o This angle was another slow build, beginning with Booker T and Sting probably before anyone really realized what was going on. TNA's timing capitalized on constant "backstage reporting" on how the veterans were holding the younger talent down. The MEM have a nice dynamic of personalities and abilities and have just the right amount of accolades to make it believable. Sting was able to pull off a slow heel turn to relatively good results. Essentially, creative combined all the successful feuds from the past year and threw them all into one pot. I just wish they would focus on a few TNA Originals along with Joe and Styles instead of a rotating group of mid-carders. But yet I still feel that finally TNA was able to strike cord with a major angle that could develop into something huge.

- "Foley in Charge"
o As I stated in my last article, Foley at the top of the creative food chain could be the best thing to happen in the history of TNA. His creative mind is probably the most valuable resource they've acquired in the past year but now its up to them to realize this and capitalize on it. Only time will tell.

The potential for each of these shows is pretty high and it's been awhile since anyone has been able to say that. But history is against them. As with the Orton/Punk program, the blow offs for some of the biggest angles in the past few years have been lackluster at best. Even the Ladder Match climax of the Shawn Michaels/Chris Jericho feud (while a classic), did not provide the closure that many angles need in order to feel complete. And this was widely considered to be one of the best storylines of the past 5 years. It just goes to show how the standards have fallen slightly across the board and that is the main dilemma that needs to be addressed before things can begin to improve.