The Rare Double Turn

Game 6 of the NBA Finals will be remembered for the type of poor officiating you'd see in Pro Wrestling, but also for the rare double turn. Steph Curry has been both a literal and figurative babyface while LeBron James has been the most trolled talent for years now. Yet, in one game, heel Curry emerged and face LeBron was born. Now, heel and face turns are fairly common, but two competitors changing roles in the same match is much more rare. 

The most famous double turn occurred on wrestling's biggest stage at WrestleMania 13. Bret "Hitman" Hart faced Stone Cold Steve Austin in a submission match. Hart entered the match a face but left a heel when he put Austin in a submission hold until Austin passed out from the pain and loss of blood and the match was called. Hart lost his cool and continued to attack Austin leading to fans flip-flopping their allegiance from Hart to Austin and recognizing the gutsy performance Austin put on. 

Curry lost his cool tonight while LeBron put on a clinic. 

Curry's turn occurred with 4:22 remaining in the game when Curry was slapped with his 6th foul of the game and he wasn't happy about it at all. 

Curry tossed his mouth piece into the stands, hitting a fan sitting court side, and earned himself a technical foul and an automatic ejection.

Supporting the heel turn was Ayesha Curry, Steph's wife. Ayesha ripped the refs and accused the NBA of being rigged in a now deleted tweet. 

While this was happening, LeBron turned face by putting up 41 points and aggressively rejecting a Curry shot. 

Get your popcorn ready for Game 7. 

Random Gems

Cleveland took the floor at Game 6 to The Undertaker's theme song. 

LeBron James wore an Undertaker shirt at practice before Game 5. 

"HBK" is Dominating the Stanley Cup Playoffs

The Pittsburgh Penguins are being lead by an HBK of sorts. No, “The Heartbreak Kid” (HBK) Shawn Michaels, although this HBK has his attention, but rather the line of left wing Carl Hagelin, center Nick Bonino, and right wing Phil Kessel. The HBK line has been around for 29 games and Kessel has 30 points, Bonino has 28, and Hagelin has 24 in that period. This has caught the attention of WWE Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels who tweeted about Game 2 of the Eastern Finals on May 16.

#GetHBKtoGame5 began to trend on Twitter as fans want Shawn Michaels to attend the next Penguins home game.

Michaels himself was invited by Brett Keisel of the Pittsburgh Steelers on Twitter.

An offer Michaels seems he may be accepting.

I'm sure Shawn Michaels has two words for the Penguins’ current opponent, the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Beyoncé Pulled a Wrestling "Work" with Lemonade

The confusion over what is real is the new normal in modern professional wrestling. Kayfabe, the scripted reality, is now blurrier than ever as wrestlers have become stars of reality TV shows like E!’s Total Divas or through their own Twitter accounts that tweet sometimes as the character and sometimes as the actor. Wrestling even has its own version of tabloids in the myriad of wrestling blogs that report on backstage news and rumors that are often referred to as “dirtsheets.” So with all of this accessibility and fans believing they know more about what is happening than what is just being presented in the ring writers have found an exploit in skewing reality to better work the audience.

Celebrity tabloids have been alleging that Jay-Z cheated on Beyonce after TMZ published security footage of Solange Knowles, Beyonce’s sister, physically attacking Jay-Z inside an elevator. Beyonce and Jay-Z made pleas for privacy and stayed together. Yet, like the wrestling fans who read every dirtsheet and think they know what is happening behind closed doors, Beyonce and Jay-Z followers analyzed every public interaction between the couple and speculated on the health of their relationship. Their marriage has been tabloid fodder but fell off of mainstream coverage. This remained true until the release of Lemonade.

Unlike a traditional album release, Lemonade premiered through an HBO film of the same name with eleven segments: Intuition, Denial, Anger, Apathy, Emptiness, Accountability, Reformation, Forgiveness, Resurrection, and Hope and Redemption. Within the segments lyrics making reference to Jay-Z infidelity grabbed people’s attention.

If it was a work then it worked. As an unintended consequence, speculation that Jay-Z cheated on Beyonce with fashion-designer Rachel Roy lead Roy to cancel appearances and make her social media accounts private. Rachael Ray got caught in the crossfire just by having a similar sounding name.

Arising speculation that this is all a work is that Beyonce is in control of the narrative. Whatever is put out there is from her own doing. She is the creative backstage doing all the booking. It doesn’t help that new broke that Jay-Z is setting to release his own album addressing the rumors and telling his side. The couple that was set on having people respect their privacy are now airing their dirty laundry to everyone to sell albums and tickets. We’ve already address that Beyonce’s tactics to sell tickets seem to borrow from wrestling. Fans are being worked into believing the fiction she’s created or at least are conveniently forgetting that Lemonade ends with Hope and Redemption.

Mark Henry said it best after a work in which he teased a retirement, gave a speech, and then attacked John Cena to begin a feud. “Y’all a bunch of puppets.”

The Live! Screwjob

So here is the rundown. Michael Strahan is leaving Live! with Kelly and Michael to join Good Morning America. This is great news for Michael Strahan but puts co-host Kelly Ripa in a bind. Moreover, Kelly Ripa got the news about the move almost at the same time as the news was being made public to everyone. Kelly Ripa was left in the dark and then no-showed the next four shows. In essence, a company shit the bed in being transparent and communicative between co-workers. This probably happens at one point or another in every office in America in some fashion or the other but it becomes more intriguing when the drama plays out in public.

One workplace that occurs in plain view and requires just as much communication as TV co-hosts is Pro Wrestling. In the same manner that Kelly and Michael rely and trust each other to entertain their fans and stay on script, wrestlers know how a match is supposed to end and keep any beef they may have in the locker room and not in front of the TV cameras. When things don’t go as planned and the outcome of the match is switched without informing the loser, they call it a “screwjob.”

The most famous screwjobs occurred in November 1997 during WWF’s Survivor Series. At the time WWF was in direct competition with rival promotion WCW for TV ratings and talent. Then-WWF World Heavyweight Champion Bret “Hitman” Hart signed a contract with WCW that was to begin once his WWF contract expired in December 1997. Hart presumably needed to lose the championship before leaving to another company and was booked in a title match against Shawn Michaels, whom Hart had beef with on and off-screen, at Survivor Series. Hart was not willing to drop the title to Michaels citing that he didn’t want to lose in his home country of Canada and so the scripted ending to the match was supposed to be a disqualification, which would allow Hart to retain the title and drop it at a later date. Without Hart’s knowledge the ending of the match was changed so that in a part of the match that had already been scripted and agreed upon by both competitors, the referee rang the bell as though Hart submitted at the order of WWF owner Vince McMahon. This gave Michaels the victory and the title and Hart erupted at ringside, destroying TV monitors and spitting on McMahon.

The fallout here is that fans who saw this all play out took sides. Opinions ranged from those who said Vince McMahon had to look out for his business and didn’t want a former star from his promotion appearing on a rival’s show with his promotion’s belt to those who feel that Hart should have been trusted to do the right thing after over a decade of loyal service to WWF.

The same conversation is happening with Kelly Ripa and Michael Strahan. Ripa is accused of having a “total meltdown” or hot takes that this situation was sexist. Strahan supporters find that he’s doing what is best for his own personal business and doesn’t owe his co-host anything.

Now Strahan leaving the show on May 13, four months earlier than what was announced after a few fill-in hosts carried on a few shows where Ripa’s absence was the elephant in the room.

This may be good for ratings. After the Montreal Screwjob WWF surged into its highest level of popularity as it became more unpredictable. It’s possible that ratings may increase for the daytime talk show as people want to find cracks in both hosts’ relationship on-screen.

So did ABC screw Kelly Ripa? Or did Kelly Ripa screw Kelly Ripa?

Getting Future Endeavored

If there’s something WWE has done well consistently in the last decade it has been their ability to brand specific terms and phrases. Fans are referred to as the WWE Universe, wrestlers are WWE Superstars, along with every catchphrase and chant. The weirdest phrase to have gotten over with wrestling fans comes from the boilerplate line that ends all WWE press releases about a wrestler no longer being a WWE Superstar.

“We wish [WWE Superstar] the best in all future endeavors.”

It's much nicer than getting a kayfabe Vince McMahon, "You're fired" and it’s now a verb. In wrestling forums you’ll see discussions and speculation about who will be next to be “future endeavored.” WWE has even sold t-shirts with this phrase. 

Getting “future endeavored” from WWE used to be a death knell for many wrestlers’ careers, it’s now a career choice many are actively seeking. Rey Mysterio Jr. is now performing for Lucha Underground post release and his name recognition is drawing the El Rey show more viewership. Alberto Del Rio also made Lucha Underground a landing spot and made himself a more attractive draw for WWE to bring him back.

Which brings us to Wade Barrett, Del Rio’s League of Nations former stablemate, rumored to have some Bad News and is looking to be released in search of future endeavors. Stuck in mid-card hell and knowing he was a great young talent having anchored a stable of up-and-comers in Nexus when he first started in WWE to winning last year’s King of the Ring, the future is bright for him.

I have no idea if he’s been Brogue Kicked on his way out to being “future endeavored.” If this is Wade Barrett going out on his back then I am confident he’ll be a bigger star that before.

Sometimes being “future endeavored” is the Brogue Kick that sets people undervalued in organizations into the next level.




 

 

 

That One Time in 2008 When The Presidential Candidates Appeared on WWE Television

One magical Monday evening in the spring of 2008, Presidential hopefuls Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama, and John McCain recorded messages to be aired on WWE's flagship show, Monday Night Raw. Each candidate threw out their best attempts to appeal to wrestling fans by borrowing their lingo and altering famous wrestling catchphrases. It's as cringe worthy as hearing your parents say "Netflix and Chill." So here are those promos ranked:

Barack Obama

Only three wrestling references and they bookend his actual campaign stance. Remember that this is the 2008 Obama who didn't have the need to be on every podcast, talk show, or web series. This is the hope and change Obama with all the right charisma to end with, "Do you smell what Barack is cooking?" 

Hillary Clinton

Hillary references King of the Ring and Last Man Standing to play on the fact that she was the only woman running. She sprinkles in some generic phrases like "opening bell" and "go to the mat" to get her point across but then reaches when she talks about dropping The People's Elbow if needed.

John McCain

This one is just sad and has the most total references. John McCain tries his hand at The Rock's "Finally..." intro, as though people were really excited for the return of McCain. Then McCain borrows Ric Flair's, "To be the man, you gotta beat the man." Not even halfway into his promo does he coin the term "McCainiacs" a la Hulkamaniacs. He goes off the deep end and says that he'll put The Undertaker to beat down Osama Bin Laden. Finally, he screws up The Rock's "Do you smell..." with "Can you smell..." and closes with Stone Cold Steve Austin's "That's The Bottom Line..."

 



The Donkeys of Justice

There are two people who are essentially on the same team. They're competing against each other for fans and the top prize with one is expected victor due to support from the establishment. They have the look and the characteristics that makes them seem like the right person for the role. The other looks disheveled and is a little bit different but has garnered some of the loudest support. Right now the quest for a spot on the ballot for the Democrats in November's Presidential election is like the quest for members of the former WWE faction The Shield to headline Wrestlemania.

It's almost certain that Roman Reigns will be headlining Wrestlemania in the same way that it is almost certain that Hillary Clinton will be on the ballot. Both have strong family ties to their position, Clinton serving as first lady and Reigns coming from the same wrestling lineage as Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. They have the look. They have the talent. But when it comes to the acceptance of the loudest voices on the internet, both are being rejected and seen as part of the establishment. Both are seen as having had their chance with Clinton having lost the bid in 2008 to Barack Obama and Reigns having headlined Wrestlemania last year and booked to lose as a way to appease the fans who booed his inevitable rise to the top. For the internet crowds they already had their shot and should move aside for their less conventional counterparts. 

The internet community is rallying behind Bernie Sanders the same way they're wrestling fan counterparts are rallying behind Dean Ambrose. Sanders and Ambrose represent the anti-establishment. They are easy to root for underdogs who represent a change from the status quo. They receive the same critiques about their appearance and notions that they may be a little crazy from their opposition. As the days advance it becomes more and more apparent that they are not going to be the ones on top. There are glimmers of hope like Sanders' margin of victory in Vermont or Ambrose getting a championship match in the last major card before Wrestlemania. There's enough hope to not give up on cheering. 

All the while some are clamoring for the unlikely situation of someone on the shelf to make a surprise run. Vice President Joe Biden elected not to run for president after dealing with the loss of his son. The third former member of The Shield is Seth Rollins, who left last year's Wrestlemania as the surprise champion and forfeited his title after suffering a torn MCL and ACL injury this past fall. Both are unavailable but it hasn't stopped the occasional pondering of what if. 

The cynical viewpoint of it all is that politics and wrestling feel like the outcomes are predetermined. Both people and wrestling fans want to feel like their voices matter but that donations and booking committees have created a disparity. The optimist view is that there is a democracy in play that allows people to cast a vote for candidates and for crowds to show the booking committees who they like through cheers and merchandise sales. 

The only thing to do is just keep watching. They may have to team up to defeat a mega heel in Donald Trump. 

Clean Finishes Are My Jam

The 2016 NBA Slam Dunk Contest provided one of the rarest forms of competition you will ever see, a clean match with a clean finish. 

So much of the narrative of competitions, in sports and sports entertainment, takes the typical face vs. heel dynamic. Two faces going up against each other with no animosity towards each other and obeying the rules is clean. A victor emerging without either sides turning heel and without outside factors or interference is the cleanest it will ever get. Throw in nearly flawless execution into the mix and it is possibly one of the rarest things you will ever see. Not even Kevin Hart commentary or the appearance of a Hoverboard could ruin it. 

Zach LaVine successfully defended his title his 2015 Slam Dunk Contest Championship against Aaron Gordon in Toronto on Saturday in a battle that took a double overtime to decide. LaVine received a perfect score of 200, edging out Gordon's 197. 


What determines a great match is its staying power. The All-Star Game is the main event the skills competitions are in support of. And rather than still talking about the Kobe send off or Paul George coming close to breaking the record for the most points scored in an All-Star Game, reports are still coming in about the dunks. 

One is the report that Zack LaVine had more left in the tank. 

Another is ESPN Sport Science dissecting the physics of the jams. 

This budding feud has made the Slam Dunk Contest a must see again and the 2017 contest can't come soon enough. Anything can happen between now and then. But this feud is dying for a payoff. If it's just as clean it will be transcendental. 

Donald Trump is the Master of Getting Cheap Heat

A man goes up to a microphone, says horrible things that pisses off a crowd of people, he smirks through it all, and even makes on the fly comments about the crowd's reaction almost egging more of it on. I've either described a Pro Wrestling bad guy, or heel, or a Presidential candidate. 

In Pro Wrestling, we have the understanding that these are all actors playing a part. Why is it not any different from politics? Politicians poll and search for what resonates with their supporters with the goal of netting more. There's nothing authentic about what they are saying. 

My favorite example of this has been Donald Trump.  He is no stranger to the world of Pro Wrestling having hosted and participated in a few Wrestlemania's and an inductee of the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame.

Wrestling is based upon the idea of a face versus a heel. One way to determine a heel is by what they say on the microphone. Heels usually go for a large common denominator like mock the local sports team to get a negative reaction, or heat. 

Trump has said some very reprehensible things like suggesting that Mexicans are rapists. And while we like to think that this is a universally deplorable thing to say aloud in mixed company, it's simply the act of getting cheap heat and continuing to grab the headlines. 

In wrestling, any reaction is better then no reaction and no reaction is a surefire way of getting kicked off the card. The only way to make someone like Donald Trump go away is to take away the power of their cheap heat by just not reacting.

Beyoncé Went Into Business For Herself

The phrase "going into business for yourself" in wrestling refers to making someone else look bad at the expense of your opponent. Coldplay was the headlining band and all promotion of the halftime show gave Coldplay top billing. While she was clearly in a three-member tag team during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show, people on social media would have you believe that you could love some but not all between Coldplay, Bruno Mars, and Beyoncé.

Super Bowl 50 was built around nostalgia - it's the granddaddy of them all. Commemorative beer cans and changing the NFL logo to gold all season were promos for this. The inclusion of Bruno Mars and Beyoncé supported that as they were both former Super Bowl halftime performers who could help appeal to a wider demographic. 

Beyoncé's performance didn't support this narrative. Her politically fueled performance highlighted some of the uglier parts of the past 50 years. It wasn't the love fest that was scripted.  

Almost immediately after her performance she announced her tour, overshadowing LiveNation's ad highlighting Coldplay's upcoming North America tour. 

She didn't put Coldplay over. Instead she's gone on to state in interviews that she'd turned down songs written by Coldplay's Chris Martin for not being to her liking. 

When the nostalgia story was heavy handed, Coldplay  sang most of the lyrics in their homage to Beyoncé's "Independent Women."

She needs to make nice and take Coldplay to Red Lobster. 

The Super Bowl is the NFL's WrestleMania

Super Bowl 50 just concluded with the Denver Broncos defeating the Carolina Panthers. It's the biggest game of the NFL season and this year the game was played at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. However, the previous April Levi's Stadium also hosted WWE's marquee event, WrestleMania. To provide an analogy, WrestleMania is simply the WWE's Super Bowl. Just like the Super Bowl, a ton of people go and a ton of people watch the broadcast. If you don't believe me, just check out how different Levi's Stadium is for both events.

SUPER BOWL 50

SUPER BOWL 50

WRESTLEMANIA 31

WRESTLEMANIA 31

WWE quotes that nearly 77,000 people attended last year's WrestleMania at Levi's Stadium and quotes it as a Levi's Stadium attendance record. Figures aren't available yet to determine if that record has been broken by the Super Bowl. Regardless, it's a silly record given that Levi's Stadium has only been in operation since 2014.

WrestleMania 32 is coming up in April 3 and will be held at the home of the Dallas Cowboys and former Super Bowl venue AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Everything is bigger in Texas and the size of AT&T Stadium has lead to WWE coining WrestleMania 32 as the biggest WrestleMania ever without having sold out yet or put any actual butts in a seat yet. They're hoping to shatter the previous WrestleMania attendance record of over 90,000 people set by WrestleMania 3 in 1987. 

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones seems to be excited by any coverage his AT&T Stadium can get and earlier this year hosted WWE CEO Vince McMahon and WWE Superstar (and McMahon's son-in-law) Triple H at a recent Cowboys game. 

TRIPLE H, JERRY JONES, AND VINCE MCMAHON

TRIPLE H, JERRY JONES, AND VINCE MCMAHON

The NFL season may be in the books but the run up to WrestleMania is just getting started.