Oh, Baby!

Photo courtesy: WWE.com

By Kevin Hunsperger

Last week I wrote about Kharma's meltdown in the ring on Monday Night Raw and how I felt like it was an epic fail on the WWE's part.  Despite hearing lots of rumors about the reasons why, Kharma herself confirmed it on the Memorial Day edition of Raw.  She is in fact with child, and it is apparently a high risk pregnancy, so Kharma will be off TV for the next year.

I hope the WWE doesn't "future endeavour" her.  In the few short weeks Kharma had an onscreen role with the company, she changed the Divas division.  I know that's a somewhat bold statement, but she seriously re-energized my interest in that division.  I think it was the prospect of her getting into the ring and wrestling the likes of Beth Phoenix, Natalya, and Gail Kim (again).

Her character was headed in the direction of being a monster.  She instilled fear in the other Divas and tore through them.  There was a huge intimidation factor there.  I just hope this announcement and her time away doesn't kill any of the momentum she had.  Clearly now, when she returns she'll be a face.  Again, I'm not sure how I feel about that either, as I mentioned in last week's post, I think the WWE is missing that "monster heel" type character right now, and Kharma was great for that role.

Should the WWE have stayed away from the real life story here and just had Kharma laid out in the back and written off TV for a year?  That could have been done, and I'm not sure why they didn't go that route.
How will the fans react when she returns?  I've already read on some message boards that she'll never be back, that she's done.  I certainly hope that is not the case.  I look forward to seeing some in ring action for Kharma.  I think she's got "it" and will go even further in the business than she already has.

My other question, Brie and Nikki Bella are a part of the "anti-bullying" B A Star campaign the WWE is promoting.  Yet, weren't their actions on Raw rather bullyish?  (I think I just made up a word, but you know what I mean)  And I realize this is wrestling, but why have two spokespeople for this campaign out there doing the exact opposite of what they're preaching in the PSA's?

A few other tidbits from Raw:

While I don't like the whole blowing over of why the Raw GM signed Alex Riley back to the WWE, I like the push he seems to be experiencing right now.  However, I will remain loyal to the Miz.

Good to see Evan Bourne get a win, but is it going to amount to anything down the road?

I figured Dolph Ziggler would beat Kofi Kingston, that seems to be the formula in all non-title affairs.

I like, no love, the fact that Jerry Lawler and Michael Cole are not bickering during each segment on Raw. It's nice to hear them actually call a match, though I do miss Jim Ross.

The heel R Truth is growing on me and is more entertaining than the "What's Up?" dancing version of him.

Glad to see Zack Ryder getting a little love on Raw again.  Though we want to see him in the ring!

That's it for now.  Please subscribe here.  "Like" us on Facebook.  Follow us on Twitter, and subscribe to the YouTube channel.  My latest Broski of the Week submission is up.  Woo, woo, woo! You know it!

Stop Bullying Me

Photo from WWE.com

By Chad Smart

If you’ve watched WWE or TNA programming over the last few weeks, you’ve probably seen each company has a new anti-bullying campaign.  WWE’s campaign is called, Be A STAR (Show Tolerance and Respect), while TNA’s is called, Eliminate the Hate. While it’s admirable both companies have created these bully awareness campaigns, I can’t help but shake my head in and sigh whenever I see the commercials.

TNA's Eliminate the Hate

I’ll save you readers from wasting time responding taking me to task for writing what about I’m to say by admitting I can be heartless and cruel, and maybe I don’t understand the severity of today’s bullying. All I know is when I was growing up; I was picked on and teased along with thousands of other kids across the country. Bullying is a part of life. Does it suck? Should people be kinder to everyone? Sure. But that does change the fact no matter what you do or say, the insecure bigger kid is always going to try and make himself/herself feel better by picking on a smaller weaker target. The problem I have with these campaigns is they are part of a growing problem in society where instead of teaching kids to stand up for themselves or do anything to make them stronger and build character, society keeps wrapping a giant security blanket around them to insulate them from the harsh realities of life. I could go on, but this is a wrestling blog and I should tie this more to wrestling and less to my societal views of a growing dystopia.

"Piggy" James

So bringing this back to wrestling, what is my problem with these anti-bullying campaigns, you ask? Am I the only one who finds it odd that organizations whose primary form of viewer entertainment revolve around people fighting are trying to get their fans to be nicer to one another. Wasn’t it just like year when LayCool were making fun of “Piggy” James for being fat? Weren’t Goldust, Chuck and Billy and Orlando Jordan seen as weirdoes and freaks for their alleged non-heterosexual personalities? Haven’t the majority of non-American wrestlers (or American wrestlers portraying other nationalities) seen as evil and a threat to the American way of life?  Even without the standard bullying mindset as a catalyst for a feud, which is more prevalent in a wrestling storyline, guys wanting to see who the better wrestler is or guys who hate each other wanting to decimate their opponent? 

If wrestling is built around violence and personal attacks is it not a bit hypocritical for WWE and TNA to sell their anti-bullying messages 30 seconds before promoting a match up where people are fighting for no other reason than because they don’t like each other?  Sure they can talk about how the wrestlers don’t really hate each other and it’s just entertainment and blah blah blah. But that would be like at the end of a Cheech and Chong movie having Cheech and Chong talk to the audience about not doing drugs. They’re sending mixed signals to the audience. And yes, I realized I just dated myself by referencing a duo that hasn’t been relevant since Ronald Regan’s first term in office. Guess I should have went with Harold and Kumar. Hopefully you get the point.

Maybe it’s just me. I have an odd way of looking at things sometimes.

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