BLARGH

Bryan/Sheamus - Maybe WWE heard us comment that “finally we’ll get to see these guys on the actual pay per view!” and they decided to do what they did. Fairly obvious it was done to set up something to make Bryan more despicable as a heel, taking out his frustrations on the loss on AJ this week on Smackdown, I’m sure. Still, they could have wrestled a bit and done that spot at the end of the match.

Kane and Orton was okay. There really wasn’t much of a build for this match, and to suddenly have Kane scurry away from Cena and go after Orton just looks like they wanted to shoehorn Kane into something. I expected Randy to win for some reason, which would have probably killed Kane’s ‘new’ character. But Kane won, now what?

Deeeeevahs match…LOL…let’s not explain why Beth and Natalya didn’t team up.

Big Show and Cody went as I expected. They really should have had Cody defend the IC title a bit more often. Show doesn’t really need the title after everything he’s done, but he’s held pretty much every belt now.

Hell In a Cell started slow (as expected), and depended too much on the ‘false finish’ spots; how Taker can eat a spinebuster on the steel steps, and then moments later put HHH in Hell’s Gate, I don’t know. But damn, these guys turned up the drama and you can’t deny the aura these guys have together. HBK got in the way of both men, looking to save their humanity. The ending was done a bit anti-climatic.

The 12-man, whatever. You’d think someone would pull Zack Ryder aside and tell him Eve’s up to no good. That whole thing has been going on way too long, which I guess it ended the way it did for him. No way Team Teddy was going to win this. The landscape of both shows will change, but I get the feeling Johnny won’t be running both shows for very long. Maybe Tiffany will come back?

Punk and Jericho didn’t lead off, as expected, but they stole the show once they got out of the block. I wanted to see Jericho win; he claims to be the original Best In The World, and should be able to go on that for a while. But it was a great match, and these two can keep going at each other if that’s the direction WWE goes in.

Rock and Cena was disappointing, not just because of the result. It was just slow. Maybe the match was a victim of the year-long heavy buildup. Why a part-time guy beat the full-time guy, on the surface, is puzzling. But I think this will lead to a change in John Cena’s character, and could very well lead to the heel turn that’s been discussed so much.

Overall, I bombed in my picks for the show, and I felt a little let-down. The segments and skits were atrocious, even if Curt Hawkins got some TV time and a speaking line. $65 for a show with commercials.

But it’s an experience to watch Wrestlemania, and an experience to see all the extra activities in the days leading up to it. I really enjoyed the tweets this week by both Superstars and fans in attendance. WWE and the wrestlers did a great job engaging the fans at the events and on Twitter as well. 

Due to my hours at work, I usually miss the first quarter of RAW while I drive home. And while the rest of RAW is playing when I get home, I catch up on what I missed via Twitter (I’m usually too lazy to watch on my DVR after the live show ends). Also, due to my hours at work, it is incredibly difficult for me to find the time OR the inspiration to do any free writing of any sort. I started this post the day after Eve’s breakdown in the ring, and John Cena embarrassing her in front of the entire world on RAW. It’s been a few weeks now, and the story has developed a little bit. Rather than trash this post, I’m going to push forward.

I was one of many who didn’t quite get Eve’s reason for spontaneously kissing John Cena when he saved her from Kane. It’s an old movie cliché, being caught in the heat of the moment, guy saves girl. This being WWE, Zack Ryder saw the girl he was in love with break his heart. Eve awkwardly told Zack that she still wants to be friends, something I’m very familiar with myself.

But recently on RAW, Eve started out suddenly explaining her devious and self-centered plan, to the Bellas of all people. Eve, going from #2 to Kelly Kelly all summer, wants the spotlight, and wants to attach herself to someone high-profile to do it. Then dump them when they’re no longer needed. She said that was her intention with Zack all along, and now she wanted the ‘big fish’, John Cena.

This being WWE, John overheard Eve’s conversation, and Cena looked like he was ready to embarrass Eve in front of the entire audience. Which he did. And here’s where a large contingent of fans got angry.

The worst thing you can call a woman, besides the ‘c-word’, is a slut. Granted, the word is used like it’s going out of style, but it’s still intended as an insult. So to expose Eve’s evil plan to the fans, Cena called her a couple of derogatory names and pretty much stopped short of saying she was a slut for using Zack, and now wanting to use him to get to the top. Eve was thoroughly embarrassed and had to be carried from the ring by referees, to end the segment. She came off looking weak and unhinged, but in further videos and segments she has been asserting herself and justifying her plan. 

Many in the Internet Wrestling Community took offense to Eve being “slut shamed”, and for the implication by John Cena that she is a slut. Granted, she never had sex with Zack Ryder, nor was it implied at any time. And she never specifically mentioned having sex with John Cena. Nor was it implied with him, either. 

This is PG-era WWE, of course, so they will never imply that Eve was having sex with either guy in an attempt to butter them up for her own self-serving needs. And while the WWE would like to pretend there was never really any seediness to the Attitude Era, this storyline would be a lot different ten years ago. And I think with the IWC’s general feelings for the Attitude Era and what that meant for pro wrestling back then, people are assuming that the WWE is making a big U-turn and will go back to making their women into easy stereotypes again.

The pro wrestling industry has been thriving off of stereotypes since its inception. Jinder Mahal debuted last year as a slightly different stereotype of a Hindu wrestler, emphasizing the caste system in India and his placement at the top. In an attempt to get him a bigger reaction from the crowd, he now wears a turban to the ring. To WWE, that’s “character development”.

Feminism is another subject entirely, and something that really hasn’t mixed well with the professional wrestling industry. Pro wrestling has often had the stereotype of appealing to the lowest group of people, something that companies have sometimes embraced. It’s a stereotype most wrestling fans hate. No one wants to feel talked down to or treated differently because they watch pro wrestling. Oddly enough, the WWE has taken that sentiment and used it to fuel campaigns like “Smackdown Your Vote” and “Stand Up for WWE”, the latter timed for Linda McMahon’s Connecticut Senate run.

Women shouldn’t necessarily be second fiddle on wrestling programs, nor should they all have to wear the same revealing outfits. TNA has differed slightly by featuring their female wrestlers (Knockouts) a bit more than WWE’s, although they are a bit more sexualized. But the Knockouts get considerably more TV time than WWE’s Divas, which in itself is a bit of a victory. But the mainstream companies will always feature the male wrestlers, and will always make more money off them than off the females.

I don’t take such an issue with Eve being portrayed the way she has, but more that the turn happened so suddenly. It’s not telling a story, but treating the women’s division like trash and hoping no one notices shows us fans what WWE thinks about us. It seems that they are developing her character a bit now, having her confront her former partner Kelly Kelly, Cena again, and more recently, share a passionate kiss with Zack Ryder and completely wrap him around her finger again. And now we’ll see what kind of territory this is heading for. But as of right now, I do not agree with my “IWC counterparts” in condemning the way the WWE has portrayed Eve. Not yet, anyway.