More On HHH/Curtis Axel
So this was kind of a big deal but I didn’t have the chance to really talk about it in detail. It’s now two days later so here are some more thoughts on it.I’m still very much the same on it as I was before: I love the idea of pushing Axel, but I can’t stand the way they ended the show.
McGillicutty had been a guy who clearly had skill and looked very poised in the ring but he never got a chance to shine on his own. The biggest reason of all was his stupid name: Michael McGillicutty. I don’t know if you’re a fan of the show I Love Lucy, but Lucy’s maiden name was McGillicuddy, which is the first thing that comes to my mind whenever I heard Axel’s old name. The name sounds like a low level dinner theater actor, not the name of a talented wrestler. Again I’m not sure why they can’t just call him Joe Hennig, but I’m sure it’s some high concept idea that doesn’t make sense once you think about it for more than two minutes.
The idea of putting him with Heyman is a great move, especially given the amount of success Heyman has had lately. Heyman putting his seal of approval on you is usually a good sign (Heidenreich aside) and it’s hard to argue against the theory that putting someone with Heyman is going to mean success for them. Axel has the look, the skills, the poise, and everything else that he needs to win. It was a good debut for the character and all that jazz. Good move here.
Then we get to the problem.
The second HHH’s music hit, he became the focus of the whole thing. Axel stopped mattering, with HHH even saying move away so the adults can talk. What’s even worse is that Axel actually did step away as Heyman and HHH talked in the middle of the ring. Then HHH slaps him in the face and Axel…..does nothing. He falls down and just sits there as HHH smirks and says that they’re having a match later tonight. Again, it’s all about HHH and Axel is just some new guy for him to beat up later in the night.
Then we get to the match and HHH beats up Axel like he’s any other guy. He stomps Axel into the corner and then pounds on him outside as well. Axel comes back in and gets in some shots to the jaw, but they’re nothing special: a dropkick, a middle rope punch and that’s about it. HHH comes back, hits two of his signature moves (facebuster and spinebuster) and knocks Axel to the floor. They start to head back in, HHH can’t get back in, the show ends with the focus entirely on HHH.
Based on what we saw, Axel was either completely destroyed after about five minutes of action with him being in control for about two of those minutes, or he’s just too nice a guy to follow up on HHH. The idea of the match was that HHH was so banged up from his match with Brock that he couldn’t finish off Axel. There-in lies the problem: it wasn’t Axel who did this. Axel could have been any other guy int he match on Raw and HHH still would have been hurt. That’s the same problem that has plagued the HHH vs. Brock feud. Brock Lesnar could have been any other heel and now Curtis could have been any other guy who could hit a dropkick and throw right hands. It wasn’t some big move from Axel that caused HHH to not be able to continue, but rather Lesnar’s actions the night before.
That’s what this boils down to: Lesnar and Axel are both just people who happen to be involved in a HHH story. It has nothing to do with either of them specifically, but rather they’re just around and doing various things while HHH gets the glory (side note: Brock Lesnar has beaten HHH twice now. The night after both of those victories, HHH gets promos in the middle of the ring. Lesnar hasn’t been live on either show) and the attention. This seems to be the start of some big long concussion angle with HHH and if we can get to Axel and Lesnar later on that’s cool, but the focus is ALL going to be on HHH.
I’m fine with HHH having a storyline, but the thing is he’s going to be around and likely on camera in WWE for the next twenty five to thirty years. Brock probably has a year or two left and Axel is just getting started. Do we really need to have HHH’s big story NOW? Do we need to put him ahead of Lesnar and some new guy that apparently you’re going to push as a big deal? From past experience with HHH stories, that’s by far the biggest thing you’re going to hear about over the next few weeks, because in HHH’s WWE, he can’t just be the big story. He has to be the ENTIRE story and Heaven help you if you disagree with him on it, because he has no problem telling you why it should be about him in a 20 minute promo.
I’m okay with pretty much everything until the very end, when WWE tried too hard to make it seem “real” instead of telling a story like it should. HHH can’t continue due to the concussion–but just have him like fall down in the ring and have Axel beat the hell out of him until the match is stopped or he gets DQ’ed or whatever. Have Heyman and Axel villainously laugh and gloat. Have Axel maybe throw some doctors around, have HHH be carted off as Heyman says he won’t be back, whatever. It’s cheap heat sure, but that’s the story you were telling.
I agree with this. It’s fine bringing reality into it, but “reality” and storytelling don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Make it obvious HHH has the concussion, and make Axel that much more evil by attacking the head and causing the match to be stopped. It’s not complicated.
Just a question to Jay: If TNA did this same exact angle, would you still find nothing wrong with it? I think I’m on Team Blue Jayzer now
And why is that?
Because you accept whatever WWE does and just say how much you liked almost everything.
Actually, easier way to do this since reading what I write doesn’t work that well for you: read the Not Jay stuff. It’s dead on.
Yeah because I need to read something from a coward sitting behind a computer because he’s got nothing better to do.
Maybe I do still like watching WWE but I don’t accept everything they throw at me despite your claims. Yeah no shit it ain’t perfect all the time but I don’t need to shit on it all the time because I can look past the stupid stuff.
To answer your question James if they did it with Hogan or Sting maybe I would have a problem with it. If they did it with Storm,AJ,Roode,Aries,or whoever I wouldn’t.
Im sorry if I am a WWF/E guy but I did watch WCW & ECW,some SMW,I watch TNA and have gotten into ROH recently. Guess what I like what ive seen so far from Ring Of Honor.
KB I like you reading your Reviews and Thoughts but I don’t always have to agree with you or anyone else if I choose.
Not that I want to get involved but could not the same argument be used for you kb? Your approval of John Cena as the super babyface, because wwe says so?
Not exactly, as I approve of Cena because he’s entertaining, not because of what WWE pushes him as.
Touche
Well clearly im an idiot who’s only been watching for over 20 years and doesn’t find anything wrong with what happened.
I’m starting to see why I don’t read your comments anymore.
Ok then explain to it to me since you think i missed the point.
maybe re-read the article?
I spent half an hour writing an explanation. I’m not breaking it down even further.
I got the point,you think HHH buried him and took any chance he had of getting over away in his Re-Debut.
I was right. You missed the point.
Thats fine but im not going to dismiss him just because he didn’t win the Match with a Pin. I think him being with Heyman will do wonders for him.
You really missed the point of this. Like, really missed the point.
I was thinking the same thing when I saw Raw. How am I supposed to take him seriously when Raw has already labelled him as a guy who is not going to play with the big boys?
I thought him joining Heyman was joining the big league, apparently not.
Good read here KB…as always
He won? I didn’t hear them announce anything that he had won.
Subtlety isn’t your thing is it?
Winning vs getting owned are theoretically different, but in a wrestling disco mean the same…
Agreed.
OK aren’t we harping on this a little much? If HHH had beaten Axel in 5 minutes then I could see the argument but Curtis went toe to toe with him for about 10 minutes and I bet next week he & Heyman will take credit for putting him out.
I think some of the hate he gets is unwarranted just because he married the bosses daughter or is being groomed to take over when Vince steps down. His push came well before all that began. Remember when he and HBK formed DX? Yeah them,thats when his push began and when he turned Heel at WM 15 is when he really took off. I just think its a litlle tiresome at this point.
1. The whole thing, counting HHH collapsing, was about 7:30, not ten minutes.
2. HHH won the beginning, was in slight trouble in the middle, and dominated the ending. That’s not toe to toe.
1.Ok but your acting like he won the Match,he didn’t.
2.Does a New Guy have pin someone huge right away? No not necessarly.
1. For all intents and purposes, HHH won the match.
2. If you don’t want him to look lame coming out of the gates, yeah it’s not a bad idea.
Dragon, I think the biggest problem with HHH is, similarly to John Cena, he doesn’t sell like he should. And what I’m saying is not merely in a wrestling match but selling as if he is vulnerable enough to be beaten. After Extreme Rules, HHH didn’t need to appear on television because if he was that beaten up, the fact that he wasn’t there along with the announcers and Paul Heyman talking up how beat up HHH was would have gotten the effect across. They could have even had Stephanie McMahon come out to give an update on her husband. There’s just so many different paths they could have taken. And instead of HHH totally overshadowing Curtis Axel’s debut as Heyman’s new protege, they could have waited at least a week for HHH to confront Axel.
The way HHH continually puts himself over and being allowed to do it makes me think he’s got something on Vince McMahon. While HHH has carved a nice legacy in the WWE for himself, for him to be booked as strong as he is becomes laughable. While John Cena could barely hang with Brock Lesnar and had to escape with a narrow win, Triple H can stand toe to toe with the guy? Brock, who is the only person to win the WWE and UFC championship, can barely beat HHH?
And then on Monday, apparently HHH couldn’t return to the ring and that’s the only time he actually wants to sell is when the camera is directly on him. It’s ridiculous.
Problem with Brock Lesnar is that he is limited to how many appearances he can make…..that is the reasoning for HHH to be cutting a promo Monday night instead of Brock……as for Curtis Axel, I am sure they will run an angle with him taking credit for HHH’s condition……KB I agree somewhat with your viewpoint but in the end HHH will be writen off tv for a while now so maybe this was the launching pad Axel needs as a lying cowardly heel type character.
Another good article this week KB.
Appreciated.
The problem is Triple H has never been nearly as important as he thinks he is.
Hogan, Sammartino, Thesz, Lewis and Gotch combined aren’t as important as HHH thinks he is.
He had a great 2000, but other than that year I’m not sure he’s been all that captivating as a main eventer. It’s funny when some try and say he was of the same level as Austin and Rock.
I totally agree here. HHH was easily the best heel in wrestling in 2000, but other than that? Solid but nothing amazing. Definitely not great enough to warrant having the spotlight on him throughout 03-04 and definitely not 9-10 years later. At least in 04-05 he ended up giving the belt to guys like Batista and Benoit but now it’s all about him and it benefits no one but him.