Thoughts on Adamle as GM, Cena-Batista, SummerSlam Line Up
. I'm willing to give the Mike Adamle storyline a little time to play out, but there's no question that the announcement at the end of Raw that the embattled play-by-play man was taking over GM duties on the brand was a colossal dud. Some might argue that WWE WANTED fans to be upset with the decision, as they clearly chose Adamle because of the controversy he brings with him. But the reaction the announcement received was not the vehement, impassioned "booing" that WWE might have hoped for. Rather it was a mixture of eye-rolling, dead silence, and the kind of boos that communicate disappointment, not heat.
. The bombshell was especially poorly timed to coincide with what should have been a blockbuster announcement of the booking of one of the few first time "dream matches" left in WWE - John Cena vs. Batista. Cena was right when he said that the match could headline WrestleMania - and I expected it would. But I don't have a problem with it being booked for what is traditionally the second biggest show of the year. Unfortunately, with only a few weeks to build it up and with no title at stake, their contest will probably a midcard attraction instead of the showcase match it should be. Again, it was too bad that they decided to make the Adamle announcement at the same time as they announced the match, because fans were sitting on their hands for what should have been an epic moment.
. It was bittersweet seeing William Regal return to Raw. On one hand, I'm glad he's back, and instantly adds another layer of depth to WWE's heel roster. On the other hand, with Adamle getting Regal's old GM job, and Regal doing a relatively short, clean, job in the midcard to C.M. Punk, it's apparent that he will not be returning to the mega-push that he was receiving before he was suspended for 60 days for a wellness policy violation. While it may be frustrating for some fans to see Regal "get the shaft," the reality is that we don't know what WWE officials know about Regal's health and dependability. We can only hope that Regal stays on the straight and narrow and eventually returns to the top of the cards. He's certainly not getting any younger.
. With Adamle becoming GM, Michael Cole being put on the DL, Ross revisiting the Raw announce team, and Todd Grisham making a special appearance, it appears we may be in for yet another shift involving WWE announcers. I'd like to see WWE give the Cole-Raw experiment a little more time to play out. After more than ten years with the company, Cole deserves at least that much. I'm happy to get Adamle away from an announce table, although I'm not sure if the trade off of having him as Raw's GM is worth it. I'm also all for getting Grisham into the mix, as I've long thought he was one of WWE's more capable D-string announcers, and certainly worlds better than Adamle. Of course, Joey Styles is still on the payroll, but bringing him back to ECW would require Vince McMahon to eat some crow.
. SummerSlam is shaping up to be just an OK show, driven not by its world title matches, but two non-title grudge matches: Edge vs. Taker in Hell in a Cell, and Batista vs. Cena. The Smackdown title match between Triple H and Khali had many of us thinking, “There has to be some kind of swerve between now and the PPV, because this can’t possibly be the Smackdown main event.” But, alas, it is. I guess with Edge busy with Taker, there is something of a shortage of challengers for Triple H, but I would have much rather seen Big Show get a shot at the title, or even somebody like MVP or Mr. Kennedy get elevated into the slot. On the Raw side, it looks like we’re in for either a Triple Threat match for the world heavyweight title involving Punk, Kane and JBL or a Fatal Four Way with Chris Jericho added. Either combination should allow Punk to get a much-needed clean win in a big match.
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Comments (29)
I for one like the Adamle move. They can play the incompetent boss move role him.
Triple H vs. Khali will at least bring in buys from India. I hate the idea of this match but WWE is global company and while this will turn alot of people off, it is likely good for business overall.
Batista vs Cena at Summerslam is a complete waste. This was one of their only chances to go to Wrestlemania with two mega stars in a first time ever match and they are wasting it on a show that already has the Undertaker/Edge blowoff. If they want Cena/Batista in the same ring, they could have had Adamle stick them together for the tag belts at Summerslam, ended it with dissention, and started the slow build to Wrestlemania-maybe have them lose to cheap to DiBiase and Rhodes at Summerslam and then cost each other in World Heavyweight title matches between now and then.
"Ugh...really? That's it" were my exact words when the "shocking announcement was made. I had my fingers crossed it wasn't Shane. I think he works best as someone in the role of ownership. I was hoping for Stephanie or for Bischoff to return. Instead, we get Adamle. What does this guy have on Vince that gets him this gig? Time will tell how this works, but the reaction the crowd gave last night (or lack thereof) was exactly mine. I remember looking at the crowd filing out as the show ended prior to the announcement & my first thought was "How can they leave when they've been building up to the unveiling of the new GM all evening ?" Maybe they knew something I didn't & were smart enough to beat the traffic.
i am kinda hoping for a swerve with the batista/cena match ... if they really wanted to get heat on adamle, have him throw out the match. probably because of the adamle announcement of being GM, the cena/batista match get very little to no reaction as well. they could have adamle say the match didn't get the response he wanted, so he is changing his mind ... stick those two in a match together against the tag champs and let them win and have them as the disgruntled tag champs for a bit ... this will give them more of a run without the title in the mix and without beating the hell out of each other until the royal rumble or something. it would also give punk a few months to really establish himself as champ or someone like jericho to take over.
i know, i know ... hair-brained. but what isn't these days?
Just my thoughts:
- Personally, I think the Adamle as GM angle is gold! I heard the announcement and literally laughed out loud. The way Batista and Cena sold it in the ring was perfect. The look of disgust and despair in their faces was priceless. The way Adamle wanted Cena to get closer to him, as if to say, “Hey I’m the new boss, love me” was great. It really made sense of a lot of what was happening; Cole getting beat on, getting testy with Ross, etc. I’m really looking forward to seeing Adamle butcher the roster and make everyone that made fun of him pay for it. The fact that his first match made is Batista vs. Cena at Summerslam means that he may be all for pandering to the fans and then asking why they still don’t like him. Go Adamle!
- I’m assuming Cole being pulled off for a bit has more to do with him needing a little time off to get his personal affairs in order since he lost most of his home in the hurricane. I think he’s been doing a good job on Raw, but the SD! team has really been shining. I had a feeling that Foley would really step his game up with Ross next to him.
- I love Regal. More guys would be well served to watch the way he works. I know his match with Punk was in the mid-card, but it was really the best pure match of the night and he helped Punk have one of his best matches of his reign. He really showed that he can put on a great match in a losing effort He made Punk look strong, and took nothing away from himself. I can only hope he’s got his personal issues back under control as he is one of my favorite workers
- Jericho was pure money last night. I’d love to see him and Punk go one on one as I think he could really pull a great match out of Punk. I’m still waiting for the whole Cade, London, HBK, Jericho picture to be completed so that London and Cade can get elevated to the next level.
- I guess Rey Mysterio is really on the outs with WWE management. It’s been weeks since he’s done anything on Raw. I find it funny though, how he is one of the centerpieces of their SummerSlam marketing campaign. It’s basically, “we know you can sell tickets and merchandise, but we’re too petty to pay you on the level of the other guys.”
- I’m digging the exposure that Beth is getting right now. She’s really a multi-dimensional Diva and it’s nice to see one of the less conventional women get some air-time. Her as Domme to Santino is pretty amusing television, and I’m sure it makes some folks uncomfortable, but in a good way.
That’s it for now.
All I have to say is this quote from another board sums up w/ GM Adamle is awesome:
"It occurs to me that his first act of revenge must be to fire Jerry Lawler and replace him with Larry Csonka."
When the new GM was announced, I thought it was great. As were the reactions of Cena and Batista, and they way Adamle reacted to them in the ring.
Finally, something different when it comes to a GM.
So far, so good.
Then Adamle started to speak, and the balloon start leaking.
It was deflated by the end of the 10 seconds of mic time Adamle had.
It would have been better if he announced something else, or gave a small speech or something.
But I wonder if the angle will play out that he's just a puppet for someone else.
Just...seriously??? How many older guys in the industry are there thjat could fill this role? But NOOOOO, Adamle benefits from the Mark Henry principle: "well, we're paying him big money, so let's give him a big role." What other company in the world can you completely suck at your first job and get a better one because of it?
Either Mike Adamle is the greatest heel of all time with incredible patience, or this is the worst decision they could have made. There is no middle ground. And wrestling isn't really known for it's patience.
The Adamle move was awesome. He's funny as hell when stuff is written for him. I imagine Adamle wont be improvising too much in his new role.
MVP should have gotten the shot at HHH. MVP has really regressed ever since they took the strap off of him. And now I hear that Big Show is next in line for HHH. MVP is a much better character and can put on a much better match with HHH. I hope he gets something good soon.
I saw it coming when he was @ the announce table after Cole his ass beat. I thought it was awesome and really has a lot of potential. Adamle seems almost natural in his doucheyness.
And I for one would never conceive Batista/Cena as a dream match as they both bore me to tears.
Cena/Batista isn't a dream match as far as in ring work or even promos but they are the two biggest stars in the WWE and have never faced each other.
Maybe not a dream "match", more of a dream "sports entertainment event"
But then again, I am a huge fan JBL and am rooting for him to get the title shot at Summerslam so my taste is questionable.
Am I the only one into DiBiase and Rhodes by the way? I think they are great together.
If you look at both Cena and Batista's reaction I think it's fair to say that WWE was going for a confused 'what the hell?' reaction, and they got it.
Shame about Regal. I guess Jericho seems to have taken his spot as the heel on the rise though.
I miss the funny long haired Jericho as much as the next guy but this new role as a crazy bad guy really works for him. As far as getting to and staying at the top of the card is concerned, Jericho's new role is a much better fit in my non-expert opinion.
It is a shame about Regal. I have been a fan of his since his WCW days when he was with HHH and then Bobby Eaton. Not sure if he can get back to the skyrocket towards the main event he lost, but if he can stay healthy he can still play a big role considering is in ring and ability and as a talker. Going to miss him and "Umanga" being on the same show though...
Wait ... which photo was credited to WWE.com?
The one that I later removed.
It wasn't so much a confused what-the-hell reaction as much as "They built this up all night for THAT!?".
It's great that everybody is so willing to give Adamle a chance, but the casual fan, rather than knowing the entire Adamle backstory (available only on the internets) barely even knows who the guy is. Worse than a confused reaction, it was a who cares reaction. And I get the feeling the fans are going to have a hard time warming up to him; He's not charismatic, he's not even a performer, and the fans have no understanding of his character, because no one watches ECW. And so WWE got a fart of a swerve that leaves everyone (in the arena at least) disappointed.
It's great everyone can be so optimistic, but WWE's track record does not speak highly of them in terms of compelling GM characters/storylines. Rather than being "awesome", the Adamle move seems more of the same from WWE. To quote a post on another site: "With WWE, you just get the vibe they're trying to piss on you".
After thinking about it all day, maybe Adamle is a good pick for GM. For one thing, it's a fresh idea. I never would've thought if picking him for the job. The idea of having a GM that knows little about wrestling is interesting in the sense that there are untold screw-ups just waiting for him. I disagree with Shockmaster in that "the Adamle move seems more of the same from WWE." In fact, it's quite the opposite in that if there were a poll conducted on who you would want for GM, Adamle would have received the least amount of votes.
anything that gets Adamle off ECW Commentary is an awesome move. By putting him in the GM role, they can edit him more, since he can do most of his work backstage, where they can do multiple takes.
Regal bustin out the tiger suplex was my markout moment of the night.... I thought punk was dead. Regal is our king.
That's the point Cisco, it's a swerve for the sake of a swerve, which is all WWE's got nowadays. No one they have elevated recently would win ANY sort of fan poll, except maybe among WWE viewers who actually enjoy the crap they're dishing out and 10 year old kids who don't know any better. Their top babyface gets booed everywhere he goes, and it's not because they're looking for a mixed reaction, no matter what WWE apologists would have you believe.
Just because you haven't thought of something before doesn't make it fresh. Sure, it would be "fresh" if someone spit in the hamburger you got from McDonalds, but you probably wouldn't want to go back and get another.
I WANTED TO TYPE SO MUCH ABOUT THIS DEBACLE OF A MONDAY NIGHT....BUT IT TOOK TOO LONG FOR THIS BLOG TO COME UP!
I'M DONE VENTING NOW....AND I'M JUST ACCEPTING THE FACT THAT THE WWE WENT FROM "YEA, THEY'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH!" TO "AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH CRAP!" IN A MATTER OF A MONTH
All I have to say is..... I WANT A LONG REGAL, PUNK FEUD!
That match was fantastic. I want to see an Ironman match.
I know I'm dreaming.... but a boy can dream can't he?
The Regal-CM Punk match was excellent, but technically, James, Regal did a Half Nelson Suplex, replays showed he had the second hand around the waist. That being said, I did love seeing that move, as it is a rarity, and one of my favorite moves in the video games (I used to use it on the N64 games all the time).
On an unrelated note, I always got the Tiger and Dragon Suplex's confused. Is the Tiger Suplex the full nelson one and the Dragon Suplex the one when the guys arms are behind his back in a double chicken wing type thing; or vice versa?
tiger = double chicken wing
dragon = full nelson
WWE IS GOING TO DIE!!!
Wow, what's with the WWEISRIGHT heel turn? Oh wait, that's right! Anyone can use any name on here, so nevermind.
As for Adamle, I am surprised that no one on here has made the connection between Mike Adamle's subpar performance to his Smackdown! counterpart VICKIE GUERRERO and her subpar performances when she started her role as GM! Nowadays, she captures the most genuine heel heat from the live crowds, and she feels like a real talent now. If Mike Adamle can do half as well in the exact same role, then RAW is on the right path.
If not, then they can remove him from power to progress the McMahon "alive or dead" storyline, not to be confused with Kane's "alive or dead" storyline which may or may not be one in the same.
In regards to William Regal, I was disappointed that he did not return as General Manager at first, but then I read his autobiography this week ("a bona fide page-turner," as Jim Ross might say) so for his sake, I am glad he is strictly a wrestler right now. I hope he can be a serious player through the end of the year.
-Mr. Sarcasm ... Sarcasm
LOL, it was actually me...wweisright they posted the heelish comment.
It was more a facetious dig at the people that claim that this Adamle appointment somehow represents that WWE is now taking a terrible direction.
He will probably get some awesome heat.
Hehe, ironic that *I* would overlook a facetious dig. Oh well, I guess the "Mr. Sarcasm" moniker is self-proclaimed, and not hard earned.
Now that John Cena and Batista are occupied with each other for SummerSlam, I wonder if a triple threat amongst CM Punk vs. JBL vs. Kane will be announced this week, or whether Mike Adamle has another surprise in store for us in the form of Randy Orton!
Truthfully, it was a random thought I had, and looking at the card objectively, I would think that the triple threat is the best way to go right now, instead of springboarding a Punk/Orton match, but since WWE rarely goes along with my ideas for the best ways to go, I figured it would be at least worth throwing out there.
I see Punk vs Jericho vs JBL vs Kane in a 4 way at Summerslam, with Punk sneaking out the win. At first I didn't agree with Seth saying that Punk should hold the belt until Mania, but now I see it happening. There's a reason they didn't built him up before he won it, and they could have given it to Batista if they really wanted to. I see Punk coming out on top, finally proving he's a legit main eventer, then turning heel. Since they probably won't do Cena vs Batista at Mania now, I see Cena vs Punk.
Reason I stick Jericho in there is because I think they'll save the HBK blow off match for a lesser PPV where it needs the selling point. I don't think they will want to end this feud on the same PPV where it can be overshadowed by Taker's return. Same reason they are going with HHH/Khali and not giving Jeff the title win at Summerslam - even though I think he's really close to getting it.