Welcome to the Three Count, yes I’m back and this week I’m going to take a
look at the current champions in WWE and ECW after the announcement of the main
event for Cyber Sunday, yes Tuesday really was Taboo when it came to PPV ratings.
Over on Raw it’s been a ‘you have it for a bit but I want it back’ situation
between John Cena and Edge. In fact they’ve totally dominated the title situation
all year apart of course from when it was really time to sell PPV’s in which
case Triple H got the shot at Wrestlemania. At the moment Cena has the belt
(anyone would think he’s got a film coming out) which isn’t really that impressive
is it? I’d have preferred Edge to keep the belt and actually get involved in
a programme with someone else apart from the crap rapper. But Vince has faith
in the guy even if nobody else does. What he really needs is a new feud but
looking at the Raw roster that isn’t too easy is it? Orton seems to be teaming
up with Edge to take on DX and of course Michaels and Triple H aren’t interested
in the title at the moment. Umaga is a potential opponent but hardly thrilling.
Cena for me doesn’t really feel like a great or even average champion. The
misuse of the Raw roster is partly to blame. Cena v Triple H never lasted that
long, certainly not in the timescale of Cena v Edge and Cena v Michaels is a
feud just waiting to happen but which stays dormant forever. I wish actually
Cena had moved to Smackdown but I suppose Vince knows best. As a champ though
Cena doesn’t deserve to be in the position he is, certainly not for as long
as he’s had a belt round his waist.
Over on Smackdown it’s King Booker and a right mess of a title situation to
boot. Booker is ok and at least has a bit more wrestling ability than Cena and
the gimmick is passable. Then again Randy Savage never spoke like that and we
didn’t have to put up with Sharmell, knights and ‘Hail King Booker’ till the
cows come home (why do cows come home anyway? Don’t they live in fields and
where did they go in the first place?). So he’s champ but with a roster that
now includes Batista, Benoit and Undertaker should he be?
The main problem Booker has is the booking! Lashley was given his big chance
but then WWE decided he couldn’t sell PPV buy rates by himself so we had a fourway
with Batista and Finlay. Batista must surely be given the belt back sooner or
later and I love Finlay to bits but surely there are others who deserve the
chance. I just don’t see Booker at this point in his career as a main eventer
let alone a champion, that’s the main problem here.
Over in ECW it’s even worse. When we heard that the brand was coming back did
we really imagine Big Show as the champ? Of course he’s only been given the
belt because RVD shares a habit with George Michael and we’re not talking Hampstead
Heath here! Surely it would be better to let someone like Sabu have the belt.
OK he cocks it up a bit (back to George Michael again) but he’s won the fans
over and deserves a run with the belt.
But Vince feels I suppose that non-ECW fans have to see someone with the belt
who they recognise from WWE, hence the decision to give the belt to RVD and
to put Angle in a brand he never really belonged in. I for one feel that decision
didn’t help Angle and no wonder he’s now in TNA even if it won’t do his health
any good in the long run.
I just don’t like Big Show as a champ because he’s been around too long, we’ve
all seen him lose on numerous occasions and we all know his weaknesses. He just
doesn’t feel like an ECW champion to me, face it he’s hardly Terry Funk or Shane
Douglas is he? Start counting down the days to when CM Punk gets given a chance,
though after all those matches in ROH I wonder how he feels about wrestling
for just a couple of minutes these days.
So three champs who face off at Cyber Sunday in what is just a rehearsal for
the Survivor Series with plenty of interference, a mass brawl and a no-result
guaranteed. Just think how excited we’d be if it was Triple H v Sabu v The Undertaker,
or Shawn Michaels v RVD v Batista. WWE needs to sort its champions out to be
honest!
Stephen Ashfield