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Powell's Blog
The WWE Draft should be more than mixing and matching, new stars must be created, TNA in the UK
By Jason Powell Jun 16, 2008 - 03:25 PM


Monday, JUNE 16 - 3:25 P.M.

-The draft is one week away and I'm worried that WWE is going to make the mistake of thinking they can mix and match their current top wrestlers, create new feuds, and solve all their problems. As I mentioned in my podcast on Saturday, WWE desperately needs to create new stars. The only way I see this happening is if WWE picks the right mid-card performer and lets him score legitimate clean pins over some of the established top wrestlers.

My pick for a big push remains MVP. I have a bad feeling that WWE is going to push him as a babyface soon based on his recent squabbles with Edge. I think MVP will get over as a babyface and there is plenty of merchandising opportunities, but I'd like to see him stay heel and move to the Raw brand.

I know I've said in the past that I'd like to see MVP remain on Smackdown, but that's mostly out of fear that he'd never get the type of push he needs to become a major star on Raw. If I were calling the shots, I'd have MVP score a clean pinfall over Triple H and John Cena, assuming they both remain on Raw. If MVP stays on Smackdown, I'd have Undertaker put him over clean in the same way that he put over Brock Lesnar a few years ago.

I'm not talking about a cheap finish where the top star is distracted or someone interferes. No flukes. Nor would I have the top wrestler come back and beat MVP the next week or the next month on pay-per-view. None of the usual tricks that work against what should be the company's primary objective right now—creating a new star.

WWE has protected Hunter, Cena, and Undertaker to such an extent that they seem unbeatable. It took how many wrestlers for Edge to beat Taker at One Night Stand? The time has come to take advantage of how hard these wrestlers have been pushed by using them to elevate mid-card performers. Frankly, all three of those wrestlers have been pushed so hard that they can do a clean job or two or three and the fans will still see them as stars.

Whether it's MVP or another mid-card performer, this is the move that has to be made. The problem goes beyond creating fresh matchups for the top stars. It's all about creating new stars and presenting something fresh and exciting to viewers. The top guys aren't getting the job done. They still get big pops from the live crowds, but the television ratings suggest that viewers want something new and fresh. The question is whether WWE will have the nerve to take some real chances and give their viewers what they want?

-Two different readers wrote who attended Sunday's TNA show in Essex, England wrote to dispute correspondent Lawrence Kasmir's house show report regarding the quality of the show. It just goes to show that not everyone shares the same opinion, which is why I'm happy to run multiple house show reports when I get them. By the way, I did invite both readers to send reports.

One thing that stood out about Lawrence's report on the show is that it sounds like there was way too much Jeremy Borash and not enough wrestling. Obviously, I wasn't there to see the show with my own eyes, but I can see where the ring announcer working the crowd repeatedly would get old. That being said, I probably don't give Borash enough credit for his work on Impact. He doesn't make the Impact Hitlists, but I really enjoy his quirky character and I enjoy the comedy he adds to the broadcasts. He blows away all the backstage interviewers in WWE based on entertainment value.

-For those who have asked, my sister's wedding on Saturday was wonderful. She was a beautiful bride and a great time was had by all. I turned things over to the bridesmaid I walked with and let her lead me through everything, and I'm happy to say that I didn't screw up. We also got to see how the other half live by riding in a Hummer limo for a few hours before the reception. Very cool. My little niece was the star of night. She danced the night away until she finally fell asleep in her dad's arms long past her bedtime. It was a very memorable day and I am honored that my sister and her new husband asked me to be a part of their special day.


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Powell's Blog
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