WWE 'Friday Night Smackdown' Aftergasm: There's No Crying in Wrestling
This week on WWE Friday Night Smackdown Jeff Hardy responded to the challenges of his brother, Matt. The wrestling was very solid, fast paced and entertaining from beginning to end but the drama was surprisingly lacking given the short time remaining before Wrestlemania. It was basically another pleasant evening of Smackdown, more the kind of perfectly enjoyable two hours of wrestling I'd expect from a Friday in mid July rather than mid March. But it doesn't always have to be more complicated than that.
Kofi Kingston put on a very nice opening match with Edge before tapping to the Sharpshooter. Both men did what they needed to do, with Kofi proving he's ready to hold his own in a singles match with someone like Edge, and Edge proving that he's still a big time star who can make someone like Kofi tap on Smackdown.
Throughout the night MVP, Shelton Benjamin, R-Truth, Chavo Guerrero, John Morrison, Primo Colon, Maria, Melina, Michelle and Maryse all made their case for why they're one of the rising stars whose future should arrive sooner rather than later. Smackdown is now - as it has always been - the brand to watch for good in-ring wrestling action. I was surprised to see MVP lose given his recent winning streak but since Shelton picked up the clean win I have no objection. Spotting potential main event talent on this show was like spotting stalks in a cornfield. It was hard to find anything else.
I was glad to see Matt and Jeff Hardy finally stop feeling around the obvious and make their Wrestlemania match official. The dog collar scene had a cruel bite to it and it was easy to understand how Jeff finally could have crossed the line he swore he never would and punched his own brother. The Hardy brothers' match at Wrestlemania should be a showstopper. But I would personally love to see the feud take on a different tone before its over because I see a gold mine of potential that's only been skimmed.
Matt and Jeff have an amazing 30 year story as real life brothers and during about 10 of those years we got to see them grow as professionals on stage. Much like the feud between Bret and Owen Hart, the Hardy Boyz are bound to have stories about growing up together and tagging together that few if any fans know. There's probably even some real tension between them, not in an abnormal way but in a very human way.
I can't help but think of a great line from A League of Their Own. “Did you ever hear how mom introduces us to people? ‘This is our daughter, Dottie. And this is our other daughter, Dottie's sister.“ Right from the beginning you understand Kit's loneliness and hurt even though Dottie hasn't done anything wrong. In the same way, you understood Owen's desperation to be taken seriously and cared about his story even though Bret remained the greatest baby face in the company. Though much of what Matt is saying gets at a similar dynamic I think his message has become a little muddled by the murder storyline.
A lot of people love the WWE's larger than life storylines. I know I do. I know the reaction on Matt Hardy's MySpace page from angry fans has been overwhelming since the Royal Rumble, which shows people are truly enraged by the idea that he tried to have Jeff killed. But in order for me to be completely hooked on this storyline the way I want to be I need more of a human touch, the kind of softer sell that's made moments like The Boyhood Dream of Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair's tearful goodbye and, yes, Owen's celebration after beating his brother Bret so powerful.
When Matt finally won a world championship - the ECW Title - and Jeff had to one up him one more time by winning the World Heavyweight Championship later that same night, how frustrated do you think Matt must have felt? To me, that's the story right there. Matt doesn't hate his brother or want him to die. He hates the fact that no matter what he does it's never good enough because Jeff's always one step ahead of him. He wants a match to show the world that he can beat Jeff. Kit cried. Dottie cried. I want to see the Hardy brothers share their deeper emotions, not just their blood lust.
The WWE rarely disappoints and I doubt they will here. Everyone knows that contest itself has legitimate Match of the Year potential. It's a must see. No matter what it will be one of the most anticipated at this year's Wrestlemania by the fans and the guys in the back alike. But A League of Their Own had a great ending that solidified its status as my favorite sports movie of all time. It's the World Series, bottom of the 9th, tie game. Kit's racing around the bases. Dottie's the catcher at home plate. Dottie catches the ball, buckles down and Kit barrels into her. Dottie holds the ball and then, in slow motion, at the last second, she drops it and her sister finally has her moment.
No, Jeff isn't going to let his brother win out in the end - not after his brother tried to have him killed. But if I know the WWE there's every possibility Matt and Jeff may still share an emotional moment, no matter what the outcome - one that can stay frozen in time. That would turn a four star match into a moment to make fans shiver and, well, maybe wipe a tear off their nose when no one's looking. Oh, wait. I forgot. There's no crying in wrestling.
Kofi Kingston put on a very nice opening match with Edge before tapping to the Sharpshooter. Both men did what they needed to do, with Kofi proving he's ready to hold his own in a singles match with someone like Edge, and Edge proving that he's still a big time star who can make someone like Kofi tap on Smackdown.
Throughout the night MVP, Shelton Benjamin, R-Truth, Chavo Guerrero, John Morrison, Primo Colon, Maria, Melina, Michelle and Maryse all made their case for why they're one of the rising stars whose future should arrive sooner rather than later. Smackdown is now - as it has always been - the brand to watch for good in-ring wrestling action. I was surprised to see MVP lose given his recent winning streak but since Shelton picked up the clean win I have no objection. Spotting potential main event talent on this show was like spotting stalks in a cornfield. It was hard to find anything else.
I was glad to see Matt and Jeff Hardy finally stop feeling around the obvious and make their Wrestlemania match official. The dog collar scene had a cruel bite to it and it was easy to understand how Jeff finally could have crossed the line he swore he never would and punched his own brother. The Hardy brothers' match at Wrestlemania should be a showstopper. But I would personally love to see the feud take on a different tone before its over because I see a gold mine of potential that's only been skimmed.
Matt and Jeff have an amazing 30 year story as real life brothers and during about 10 of those years we got to see them grow as professionals on stage. Much like the feud between Bret and Owen Hart, the Hardy Boyz are bound to have stories about growing up together and tagging together that few if any fans know. There's probably even some real tension between them, not in an abnormal way but in a very human way.
I can't help but think of a great line from A League of Their Own. “Did you ever hear how mom introduces us to people? ‘This is our daughter, Dottie. And this is our other daughter, Dottie's sister.“ Right from the beginning you understand Kit's loneliness and hurt even though Dottie hasn't done anything wrong. In the same way, you understood Owen's desperation to be taken seriously and cared about his story even though Bret remained the greatest baby face in the company. Though much of what Matt is saying gets at a similar dynamic I think his message has become a little muddled by the murder storyline.
A lot of people love the WWE's larger than life storylines. I know I do. I know the reaction on Matt Hardy's MySpace page from angry fans has been overwhelming since the Royal Rumble, which shows people are truly enraged by the idea that he tried to have Jeff killed. But in order for me to be completely hooked on this storyline the way I want to be I need more of a human touch, the kind of softer sell that's made moments like The Boyhood Dream of Shawn Michaels, Ric Flair's tearful goodbye and, yes, Owen's celebration after beating his brother Bret so powerful.
When Matt finally won a world championship - the ECW Title - and Jeff had to one up him one more time by winning the World Heavyweight Championship later that same night, how frustrated do you think Matt must have felt? To me, that's the story right there. Matt doesn't hate his brother or want him to die. He hates the fact that no matter what he does it's never good enough because Jeff's always one step ahead of him. He wants a match to show the world that he can beat Jeff. Kit cried. Dottie cried. I want to see the Hardy brothers share their deeper emotions, not just their blood lust.
The WWE rarely disappoints and I doubt they will here. Everyone knows that contest itself has legitimate Match of the Year potential. It's a must see. No matter what it will be one of the most anticipated at this year's Wrestlemania by the fans and the guys in the back alike. But A League of Their Own had a great ending that solidified its status as my favorite sports movie of all time. It's the World Series, bottom of the 9th, tie game. Kit's racing around the bases. Dottie's the catcher at home plate. Dottie catches the ball, buckles down and Kit barrels into her. Dottie holds the ball and then, in slow motion, at the last second, she drops it and her sister finally has her moment.
No, Jeff isn't going to let his brother win out in the end - not after his brother tried to have him killed. But if I know the WWE there's every possibility Matt and Jeff may still share an emotional moment, no matter what the outcome - one that can stay frozen in time. That would turn a four star match into a moment to make fans shiver and, well, maybe wipe a tear off their nose when no one's looking. Oh, wait. I forgot. There's no crying in wrestling.
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