WEED THE PEOPLE

Posted by Doug Garbark on 02/22/2013 at 05:37 PM

What a whirlwind of events for Jack Swagger since returning from a 5-month hiatus! He returns with no story or momentum in the typical role of a mid card heel receiving a small push aka fighting Kofi Kingston. He then received Zeb Colter (Dutch Mantel) as a manager which was just plain awesome because Zeb has one of the best beards in the history of the WWE. With a beard trifecta of side whiskers, a vast and unruly chin part, topped off with a mustache that would make the bad guy from Jumanji blush, Zeb seemed like the perfect guy to propel Swagger out of his doofus role. Given Zeb’s promos were a bit long-winded and repetitive, he made Swagger one of the most interesting stars in the WWE. Once Swagger qualified for the Elimination Chamber WWE had little option but to make him the victor because otherwise his push would have been killed in less than a month since it begun. Booking him to win the Chamber match made sense but what didn’t is; why was he even in the Elimination Chamber match?

Answer: Creative can’t book! Like I mentioned in my last column, you can’t just put people in title matches to get them over every time. It’s the only booking technique creative have up their sleeve anymore. The result is Henry and Swagger both being in the Chamber match and only one could be a dominant wrestlers that gets teamed up on and then attacks the competitors post match. Which means Swagger had to win or look like he isn’t a serious top level talent but just a filler jobber. This resulted in Creative handcuffing themselves and being forced to make Swagger win and a day later he gets pulled over with a DUI and possession of weed. Is he a 17-year-old high school drop out? Grow up, already! He had 5 months to drink and smoke weed, he can’t just act normal for a few weeks and get the push of his career?

I’ve always been a huge supporter of Jack Swagger but what a blunder. There are plenty of guys on the roster who could have used Zeb Colter and Swaggers mega push and they would been better in the role than Swagger but those guys probably won’t even be booked at Wrestlemania. How about Kassius Ohno (Chris Hero)? Hell, he has a better look for the role than Swagger! I’d have Zeb disown Swagger after he loses to a Mexican at Wrestlemania and then have a debuting Ohno beat Swagger down on behalf of Zeb the RAW following Mania. Then just move on with the character and storyline as planned. Swagger can go back to his rightful position of bumbling buffoon that gets sat on by the Hip Hop Hippo’s (Brodus Clay and Tensai).

In my opinion WWE shouldn’t just blame Swagger but also creative for not having the confidence in themselves to build Swaggers’ character. Instead they have opted to take short cuts and shove him down our throats trying to force us into believing he is a credible main eventer. No different than Del Rio and Ryback. So far Ryback has lost every big match since being turned into a Main Eventer and is now seemingly about to turn heel. Makes sense, he’s over huge and is a real risk at taking the top face role off of Cena, better turn him into a cowardly heel before that happens!

Meanwhile, Creative are using every cheap tactic in the book to get Del Rio over but he just feels like a corny Looney Toons version of Eddie Guerrero. Like always with semi-main eventers in WWE, everything being done to get them over is to generate short-term heat. People like to see Big Show tortured but once Del Rio moves on to his next feud, how does playing pranks on Big Show further his character? No different than Sheamus, he has no character either! Once they lose the title what is their character? There is a reason that everyone on the roster that drops the WWE/World title just end up right back where they were before their title push. It’s because the title is the character not the wrestler. If you want to know the hierarchy of the WWE it’s John Cena > WWE Title> World Title> Guy feuding with Cena > New guy being built up to hold one of the titles. Obviously the part timers are in a league of their own and I’m sure people will argue that Punk is in there somewhere but is he? He held the title for over a year and his feud with Cena has been done to death. Where is he going to end up once his little stint with The Rock and Cena ends after ‘Mania? He doesn’t really even have a character anymore, he could go back to the Straight Edge gimmick but for the last year his character has been the WWE Champion that doesn’t get proper billing or respect. Without the title that character doesn’t exist and there aren’t many top faces for him to feud with, which means he drops back down into upper mid card hell.

WE THE PEOPLE are sick of panic booking and the over reliance on part time talent to generate interest in the product. Use the talent on the roster to their full potential and quit playing with them for a few months and replacing them with a shiny new toy. Even mid carders need some type of character to keep them relevant, why do you think Santino has had such staying power? He’s a joke character but being a joke stands apart from being generic. That’s it for The Dazzler this week. Have a safe weekend and try to avoid cops if you are piss drunk and harboring a bag of drugs!

Feel free to voice your opinions on Twitter @DougGarbark or through email douggarbark@live.com.