SmackDown Maintains the Pace to WrestleMania...

How’s It Going, Enthusiasts?

 

Happy Friday! So, we have a few things to chat about this evening. AEW has been getting my attention and it appears to be for the right reasons, more or less, so they’ll take up the first half and then it’s on to the WWE Universe. Can you hang with that? Let’s get into it. Just note that I got a lot to say today so, this will be one of the longer ones. Feel free to skip ahead if you’re not interested 😉

 

As said, we’ll start in the Realm of AEW as preparation begins for the showdown between Swerve Strickland and Jon Moxley. The face-to-face they had this past Wednesday was poised, to my slight surprise. Though Mox, may be registering at a “6” there are different colors to it and this time around, he offered Strickland a fair share of respect, as he should ‘cause Strickland is a good wrestler and Mox was honest enough to offer praise and hope. Mox will be Mox however so, we’ll see what Strickland does with this “chance”.

 

In terms of the Future, I liked this development. Time will be needed to allow everything to slot into place and for the first time, I think Mox finally understands that. This was my primary concern ‘cause I’d tune in and feel it was all too fast. This can’t go down tomorrow, 18 months to 2 years however, then you’re talking. Yes, this will be an “extended at bat”, to bring in baseball again but that’s the way this kinda has’ta go and in the end, it should wind up in a “brawl on the mound” and “ejection” of sorts but we have plenty of time for all that. Please proceed.

 

Yet, what adds extra color to all this, no pun intentionally intended, is Strickland's recent comments on being Black in the WWE. Thankfully, I am a woman of color so I can speak on the matter with less apprehension. I don’t doubt some very questionable interactions occurred over the years but you have to both put them in context and remember what the prime directive for WWE is.

 

Different times don’t condone racism but it does explain it. If you’re over 35 and a person of color, you have your share of stories. Fortunately, mine can’t compare to growing up in the 60s or 70s but I’ve seen and put up with some very rude behavior all because of how I or someone else was born. If you ever met me, you’d find I’m not exactly stereotypical but as we all know, that doesn’t stop people from adhering to stereotypes.

 

Just remember that racist behavior and sentiments reflect more upon who issues it. Dealing with such types can be similar to talking to a wall. They're not gonna budge. They’re going to do whatever the hell they’re going to do. They don’t want to hear it, to a certain extent. And I think we can more or less agree that in the McMahon Era, there was a staunch sense of “My way or the highway…” permeating the air.

 

However, what tempered this was success. If you’re successful, packed the seats, who cares what the fuck color you are. You’re bringing in the green, the only color that really matters. I would think stars like The Rock exemplify this. He’s essentially ethnically ambiguous to look at him but he’s one of the biggest stars in the world, hands down, if anyone likes it or not.

 

It's points like this that have always brought me to frown upon the concept of Affirmative Action. I don’t want to be hired in accordance with a quota. I want to be hired because I am a respectable and qualified associate. If it were up to me, we’d apply to jobs under randomized numbers with just our work history and maybe gender, depending on the role. If you can do the job well, you can do the job well. What does it matter what you are?

 

I think backdrops like professional wrestling allow talent and that all important X-Factor to shine. It’s kinda like if you got it, you got it. I wouldn’t say Strickland doesn’t “got it” but let’s face it. His aura, as the kids say, isn’t that grand. I don’t doubt he’s a great guy and wrestler but this is Entertainment. And it just doesn’t crackle-pop like when The Rock is around when it comes to Strickland.

 

And so, when the Race Discussion comes up in Sports Entertainment, be careful about what you’re talking about. Sure, people of color should get opportunities, but they should also have what it takes. In recent years, it’s hard to say talent of color has been held back. If a wrestler is popular, s/he is probably popular for obvious reasons and we can all attest that race doesn’t often have much to do with that. It’s always been a popularity contest. If you’re hot, you’re hot. If you’re good, you’re good. If you’re funny, you’re funny. If you pop, you pop. Everything else is just physical description. I’ll leave it right there.

 

Over in WWE Universe, I’ve been a tad intrigued by this John Cena Heel Turn. I touched on it on X/Twitter but what I was getting at is that Cena appears to be missing the cardinal rule of Heeldom. We the Audience/The Crowd has to still like you. One can’t be the “bad guy” for being the bad guy’s sake. One has to be one’s particular brand of bad and it’s got to be deliciously fun. I think Kevin Owens is starting to find that stride as is Drew McIntyre and it’s about damn time in his case. I’m not sure Cena gets that.

 

I was hoping for far more shit-talk and kinda making fun of himself. I’m always going to push for comedy ‘cause that makes for a good time and he can sling some burns so I’m not sure why he’s not having more fun with it. He’s coming at it like some stern camp counselor and it’s making me wanna boo and not in the good way.

 

I think Cena going Heel was a good idea but if it’s not going to be properly or entertainingly executed, I don’t see why bother. I’d either have him spice it up and get more catty with it or just drop the hints that he’s not too sure about all this and maybe Cody Rhodes starts to get to him.

 

I want this to be a good retirement tour for him. I may not be his biggest fan but I respect his dedication. He deserves to go out on a high note and that can happen if he’s bad but I don’t see that happening on the current track. We’ll see what they do with it. There’s a little time. Not much but some and I take it the end won’t be at WrestleMania. I think it’s his last one but I think we got until at least SummerSlam.

 

And so, that takes us to tonight’s SmackDown. We got about 3 weeks until WrestleMania so, we’ll see what holds and what doesn’t from now until then. They’re wrapping up the European Tour in London so, all this is tape delayed. We can expect Pretty Deadly trying to fake the Street Profits out of the Tag Team Titles. LA Knight will see if he can hang with Braun Strowman. Cody Rhodes gets opening duties and I guess at the end we’ll see the Contract Signing between Romain Reigns君, Seth Rollins君, and CM Punk先輩. It looks like it’s peaceful so…that’s unexpected. I’ll see for myself if I read that right.

 

The unofficial watch party is at 8pm PDT. Feel free to stop by if you don’t know what else to do. It’s a way to pass some time.

 

See You in a Bit,

-Nicole Alexis (^_~)