As a long time wrestling fan. more specifically a WWE fan. I am writing this with a heavy heart. Many people reach a point in their lives when they realize that something they once loved is no longer so? After watching Super Showdown, I have reached that point. Before I explain why, let me tell you a little bit about myself and my love with WWE. I’ve been watching it since I was about 4 or 5 in the mid eighties. I grew up idolizing Hulk Hogan. Then in the early 90’s, I was a fan of The Undertaker. I took a brief hiatus from it in the mid nineties but returned in late ‘98-‘99 when my buddies from high school renewed my interest in it with talk about Stone Cold and his rivalries with Mr McMahon and The Ministry, and I had been watching ever since. Even though I didn’t necessary enjoy everything and didn’t necessarily agree with every direction that WWE made, I still enjoyed it for what I did like and was willing to look at those decisions from a different perspective. But there was one decision that I simply cannot move past. I’m referring to the outcome of Goldberg versus The Fiend.
What made The Fiend so popular was that he was a character. For the first time in along time, WWE actually took the time to create a character rather than just bringing in someone from the indies and going on and on about how they’ve been trying to break into the WWE for years. That is what made him so refreshing in the eyes of many fans. Even if they didn’t necessarily get it. One part about his character was that he could take about any abuse and still get right back up as if nothing had happened. Which makes the outcome of his match with Goldberg so perplexing.
Now look. I get why The Fiend lost. I understand that WWE and Fox may not have been completely satisfied with the ratings on Smackdown with The Fiend as champion and I get that Wrestlemania season is upon us and that they want a big superstar like Goldberg in the main event. I get that. I’m not made that Goldberg won or that The Fiend lost. I’m mad about how he lost. One Jackhammer. A couple of Spears and then one measly Jackhammer and that was it! This was a guy who took multiple chair shots and Curb Stomps and lashes. Hell Seth even set him on fire once and he still survived! Yet apparently all this time all you had to do was Jackhammer the guy and that’s all it takes. It reminds me of those old video games where you struggle and struggle to get to the final boss character and when you finally do reach him you realize that all you have to do to beat him is to press a couple of buttons every few seconds.
We all knew that he had to lose the title at some point, but they should have done it in a better way. I envisioned The Fiend losing in a steel cage match or ladder match. That way he could lose the title but still come off as unstoppable. If they wanted The Fiend to lose by a Jackhammer, than why didn’t they make it a table match? They could of had The Fiend decimating Goldberg. Then he could have set The table up and dragged Goldberg towards the table. After the table was set up, he could have positioned Goldberg so he could Sister Abigail him through the the table. At this point Goldberg would over power The Fiend and then Jackhammer him through the table and therefore winning the title without actually pinning The Fiend. The Fiend would then be laid out on the table. But then he would proceed to laugh. Kind of like how The Joker laughs maniacally at the end of Batman after plunging from a building onto the pavement. Instead they chose to make him look weak and in the process damaging their only character that they’ve actually created in a very long time.
I’m not going to say that I will never watch WWE again, because I don’t want to be a hypocrite and you know what they say in WWE, “never say never.” But for now until at least after Wrestlemania, I will not be watching.
What made The Fiend so popular was that he was a character. For the first time in along time, WWE actually took the time to create a character rather than just bringing in someone from the indies and going on and on about how they’ve been trying to break into the WWE for years. That is what made him so refreshing in the eyes of many fans. Even if they didn’t necessarily get it. One part about his character was that he could take about any abuse and still get right back up as if nothing had happened. Which makes the outcome of his match with Goldberg so perplexing.
Now look. I get why The Fiend lost. I understand that WWE and Fox may not have been completely satisfied with the ratings on Smackdown with The Fiend as champion and I get that Wrestlemania season is upon us and that they want a big superstar like Goldberg in the main event. I get that. I’m not made that Goldberg won or that The Fiend lost. I’m mad about how he lost. One Jackhammer. A couple of Spears and then one measly Jackhammer and that was it! This was a guy who took multiple chair shots and Curb Stomps and lashes. Hell Seth even set him on fire once and he still survived! Yet apparently all this time all you had to do was Jackhammer the guy and that’s all it takes. It reminds me of those old video games where you struggle and struggle to get to the final boss character and when you finally do reach him you realize that all you have to do to beat him is to press a couple of buttons every few seconds.
We all knew that he had to lose the title at some point, but they should have done it in a better way. I envisioned The Fiend losing in a steel cage match or ladder match. That way he could lose the title but still come off as unstoppable. If they wanted The Fiend to lose by a Jackhammer, than why didn’t they make it a table match? They could of had The Fiend decimating Goldberg. Then he could have set The table up and dragged Goldberg towards the table. After the table was set up, he could have positioned Goldberg so he could Sister Abigail him through the the table. At this point Goldberg would over power The Fiend and then Jackhammer him through the table and therefore winning the title without actually pinning The Fiend. The Fiend would then be laid out on the table. But then he would proceed to laugh. Kind of like how The Joker laughs maniacally at the end of Batman after plunging from a building onto the pavement. Instead they chose to make him look weak and in the process damaging their only character that they’ve actually created in a very long time.
I’m not going to say that I will never watch WWE again, because I don’t want to be a hypocrite and you know what they say in WWE, “never say never.” But for now until at least after Wrestlemania, I will not be watching.
