Editorial: Hittin' The Ropes #7 - Harrak's Hitlist

I hope you all are having a very happy and safe holiday. With it being the last week before the New Year, I thought I would take it a little bit easy and provide you with my opinions of the news and events of recent weeks in "Harrak's Hitlist".

- Jeff Hardy WWE Title Win: Do I like Jeff Hardy? Yes. Does he deserve a run? Yes. But it won't last. Hardy is anti-everything McMahon feels a superstar should be. So while I am glad Jeff is getting to shine a bit on top, look for his run to have amazing similarities to Rey Mysterio's and CM Punk's.

- Batista Injured: I have never been a big fan of big Dave. It's not really because of his work but more that he is so injury prone. Working for the WWE, we always tried to keep Batista out of any long term plans or promotions as we never knew if he was going to be able to go. He has never achieved the popularity that was expected of him after his feud with Triple H and I honestly feel this will allow some other superstar to step up and claim his spot.

- 'The Wrestler' Gets Rave Reviews: I, unfortunately, have not been able to see this film yet but so far the reviews have been nothing but spectacular. It still baffles me that a movie like this could be made and be widely accepted by a mainstream audience. I already had great respect for Darren Aronofsky and Mickey Rourke but to hear that they passed on paychecks for this film is amazing. I don't think the film will do much in the way of a wrestling resurgence but I do feel it will have a great emotional impact among wrestling fans and moviegoers alike. I cannot wait to see it.

- WWE Tribute to the Troops: By far the most rewarding thing that I have ever worked on, the annual Tribute to the Troops show is one of the most generous and well intentioned events the WWE holds every year. I cannot begin to describe to you how good it feels to get some of the stories the men and women wish to share out to a worldwide audience and how rewarding it is just to bring them a bit of entertainment in these harsh times. Every year, the WWE never ceases to amaze me with this special and this year was no exception.

- Gail Kim to the WWE: Is anyone eagerly awaiting her debut? I didn't think so. Kim is a wonderful talent but she will only really shine as a big fish in a small pond. The Knockout division has been drawing it's last gasps since her departure and honestly, the WWE doesn't really need her. We'll just have to wait and see what happens but my hopes are not high.

- Mick Foley Makes Waves in TNA: I've been saying for awhile now that the only way Foley will really make an impact in TNA is if he is given real creative power to help establish the company. I still think this is true but in the recent weeks, he has been doing some great things on the mic. His desire to help young talent and his seemingly genuine passion for TNA in the press has given the upstart company some new life. I'm interested to see where Foley goes on camera as well as behind.

- JBL/Joey Styles Showdown: When I met Joey Styles, it was his second week with the WWE and his first week at the studios. He walked around aimlessly, seemingly not knowing what to do with himself and looked like the kid in high school that no one really talked to because he didn't talk to anyone. I introduced myself and he was a genuinely nice, humble person who was following the advice of "keep your mouth shut and eyes and ears open." Boy, how have things changed. I'm sure Joey was an entirely different person than what I remember before he came to the WWE and it seems that person is beginning to show himself. JBL is a notorious bully with the opinion that he is the veteran everyone should look up to and respect, although he hasn't done much in the business to earn it except survive. His sense of entitlement is unmatched. Of course Joey Styles is an internet darling and that's why this is such a big story. But beyond that, this has been coming for a long time and it just happened to be Styles who knocked Layfield down a couple of pegs.

So what do you think? Agree? Disagree? Let me know! I want to know you're reading and what your thoughts are on this as well as on the past "Hittin' The Ropes" articles. You can email me at hittintheropes@yahoo.com or head over to HittinTheRopes.paidtoblog.com and leave me comments after the articles as well as catch up on all my reviews of the shows.