What’s the point of having a wrestling match? What’s the point of two (or more) guys (or gals) putting on some spandex (or jean shorts) and staging a fight in the ring? For me, the whole purpose behind this crazy sports/art/theater/TV mash-up of ours is to tell a story. And it’s something that’s not been done to the extent it should be on national TV lately.
I don’t know if it’s the rut running the national circuit of WWE brings or the hunger pangs of being the #2 company, but neither national wrestling company has impressed me in this aspect.
Sure, both have done a decent job lately. Two examples that spring off of the top of my head are:
1) The match we saw Monday on Raw where Christian’s arm was being worked by ADR*. Sure, an injury is one of the most obvious stories a match can tell, but these vets worked it to perfection. Slowly building from arm attacks to the use of the steps to that arm, eventually stopping Christian from hitting the Killswitch. Then, in the end, our Canadian hero pulls the match out with a small package inside cradle.
2) The use of the Figure 4 in the recent KO ladder match on Impact*. The Figure 4 had been a part of the story for weeks, and was Kim’s main method of attacking various competitors via the ring post. The whole match built up to that one moment: when Kim would use the figure 4 on the ladder to hinder her opponent and attain victory. Well told.
That being said and all kudos being given, shouldn’t this be what we see all the time. Too many wrestlers (and yes, Christian is supremely guilty of this too) just go out and do the same thing in the ring. They run through the motions and give us exactly what we’ve seen from them before. It’s boring. And every once it a while it makes me really angry.
One of the worst culprits is Rob Van Dam. I know this guy has a great wrestling mind. And I don’t mind him doing his classic moves. But do you mean to tell me that someone who has been in that many matches as him (and good matches at that) can’t bust out a new move? Some crazy kick? Anything? Instead we’ve gotten the same old RVD both in TNA and since his WWE return.
This is a main reason why I fell in love with the independent federation Chikara (now known as Wrestling Is…). They’ve always told stories in every single one of their matches. From a tag team partner turning on his friends to win a match (see Icarus / Dunkerton vs. Gargano / Taylor from “A Piece of the Action” ) to the Safety Dance being performed to ward off demon opponents*. Each match they have has its own purpose.
Now I am by no means suggesting that a WWE or TNA match stop for a dance break. That would not at all keep with the feel or attitude of either of those organizations. What I’m saying is that the less a match does to tell a story and hold our interest, the more we as wrestling fans use these matches that feature the same old shit for our bathroom breaks.
– Tom Lahdnuh
*Check some links
Christian vs. Del Rio starts at the 56:00 mark
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