The 2010 Wrestling Observer Newsletter Annual Awards

[Remix]

I'd defend the Kane reign, X. Kane is shit at this stage of his career. I don't deny that at all, but WWE had fuck all other options to go with. Kane was the best choice to be 'Taker's attacker, and seeing as that became the driving force on SD it was only natural that he was given the title. Seeing as 'Taker's made of glass and SD has no other MEers. it also made sence that he kept the title until Edge came along and took it. It was shit, but it was entirely justifiable shit.

 

[JGlass]

The thing about the DBD/Gail/Bella segment is that it was an innocent angle from the get-go. It was never implied that Daniel Bryan was having threesomes with the Bellas, just that they had a crush on him and he sheepishly kept them around. That's why the subtlety worked so well in the end, because it was just a silly little angle.

The Orton/Triple H feud was not innocent, it was not silly, and it was not something that fit into the PG format. After Orton DDT'd Steph (Not RKO'd, but I'm splitting hairs), he just gave Steph an innocent little peck. What the fuck is the point of that? There's nothing evil about that, it would be like if instead of blowing up Disney World, Dr. Doom shut down the Teacup ride for half an hour. If Orton started slowly dry humping Steph as he looked at Triple H who was handcuffed to the ring post, it would be a monstrous act. The angle would have worked much better if they were allowed to take the angle to the extreme.

 

[Big Nick Dudley]

Totally disagree. Things are usually better when more subtle, and the Orton/HHH feud was no different. The kiss on Stephanie was awesome because it was so careful and didn't involve pretending to fuck a KO'd woman.

Another example: imagine if the Bryan/Gail/Bellas segment/story had taken place in the Attitude Era. Instead of the quite funny punchline of "No, I said vegan!", we'd have it shoved in our faces that the Bellas think he's a virgin, probably with segments of them buying condoms or some stupid shit like that, and it would have made the punchline a lot less funny.

The PG Era has made things more subtle, and while I wish we had more interesting personalities and characters, the toning down forces people to sometimes be a bit more creative when it comes to the subtleties.

I agree the Orton/Stephanie thing was better without simulated sex. But a guy like Orton, and the current character he's playing, will have problems going as far as he needs to in the PG-climate. And no, I'm not talking about excessive swearing.

I'm talking about being as violent as the character needs to be. I don't think the PG limitations are as great as most PG-haters seem to, but there are certain guys who just can't do what they need to do in this family-oriented setting.

 

[X]

I'd defend the Kane reign, X. Kane is shit at this stage of his career. I don't deny that at all, but WWE had fuck all other options to go with. Kane was the best choice to be 'Taker's attacker, and seeing as that became the driving force on SD it was only natural that he was given the title. Seeing as 'Taker's made of glass and SD has no other MEers. it also made sence that he kept the title until Edge came along and took it. It was shit, but it was entirely justifiable shit.

I don't know if I could justify another Kane-Taker feud. It was an all-around bad idea in my book and it turned the main event scene on Smackdown nearly unwatchable for several months. Taker/Kane has been beaten to death, leave it alone.

 

[Remix]

I don't know if I could justify another Kane-Taker feud. It was an all-around bad idea in my book and it turned the main event scene on Smackdown nearly unwatchable for several months. Taker/Kane has been beaten to death, leave it alone.

Very true, but who else on SD would have fitted into the role? Show would be worse than Kane and was a face (and not turning). Rey's never going to be a heel and and none of the SD midcarders had/have the credability to be believable as people who put 'Taker into a coma. Raw had no alternatives either. Nexus were busy with Cena, Orton was busy with Sheamus (and wasn't turning again) and similarly there were no believable midcarders. FCW was out by default, seeing as nobody comes right out the box into a big huge massive role (yes, ADR beat Rey in his debut that's got nothing on taking out The Undertaker and entering into a ME feud).

Kane was a shit option, but (sadly) there was no other option.

 

[X]

There were many other options, they could have brought someone up from the midcard or actually continued to push someone like Jack Swagger. Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, there were/are plenty of people that could've used that push for some good.

 

[Remix]

Ziggler wouldn't have been believable in the role, seeing as his record against the likes of Rey Mysterio and John Morrison was something like 3-100. Kofi was a face and similarly wouldn't have been believable as someone who took out 'Taker. Swagger would have been a decent choice though.