|
|
Post by Admin on May 20, 2022 21:06:23 GMT
Konnan on: plans for Judgement Day vs RKBro? - YouTube
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 20, 2022 21:07:40 GMT
Piledriver #15 - Sasha Banks and Naomi walk out of WWE
Hello and welcome to the latest Piledriver Wrestling Newsletter.
It's been a week of big departures in the wrestling world - marked first by the bombshell news that broke late overnight on Monday, as WWE Women's Tag Team Champions Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of the company, leaving plans for the main event of that night's Raw and pay-per-view events beyond in tatters.
There can be no underestimating the magnitude of six-time world champion Banks, 30, real name Mercedes Varnado, and 13-year veteran Naomi, 34, real name Trinity Fau, falling out with WWE management to such a degree that they were willing to call it quits.
The main event was meant to be a six-pack challenge to determine the next contender for Bianca Belair's Raw Women's Championship and was set to feature Banks, Naomi, Becky Lynch, Nikki ASH, Doudrop and Asuka. But it was hastily rearranged to Lynch versus Asuka and Corey Graves noted on air that Banks and Naomi had "unprofessionally" left the building.
PWInsider reported Naomi was set to pin Banks, earning her a title shot versus Belair, which she would have lost. Sources claim Banks would have faced SmackDown Women's Champion Ronda Rousey, and also lost to her, with their tags titles on hiatus in the meantime.
Many fans here in the UK woke up on Tuesday morning in disbelief - both at the shocking news of the duo's exit and at some of the language used in an official statement released by WWE to Fightful. It's only right we address all of that this week.
We've included WWE's statement in full below for context, before Matty Paddock, who covers wrestling for the Daily Star and the Independent, looks in depth at all the fallout of two of the top female stars in the world today turning their backs on the promotion where they made their names.
Yesterday, there was more big news about another departure from WWE, albeit one said to be only temporary. Stephanie McMahon revealed on Twitter she was taking a leave of absence from her father Vince McMahon's company to focus on family.
WWE's chief brand officer said: "As of tomorrow, I am taking a leave of absence from the majority of my responsibilities at WWE. WWE is a lifelong legacy for me and I look forward to returning to the company that I love after taking this time to focus on my family."
The New York Post has reported her decision will allow her to "take some time after a trying past year". That's an obvious reference to the health of her husband, WWE great Triple H, real name Paul Levesque, who suffered a "cardiac event" last year after a bout of viral pneumonia, underwent life-saving heart surgery and was forced to retire from the ring.
It is thought Stephanie's leave of absence was her choice and the decision to step away from WWE was made some time ago. She and Triple H have three young daughters - if ever there was a time to put work on the backburner and concentrate on them and each other, it's surely now.
Take care
Neil
'Lack of respect' and 'creative differences' - Sasha Banks and Naomi walkout on WWE
"When Sasha Banks and Naomi arrived at the arena this afternoon [Monday, May 16], they were informed of their participation in the main event of tonight's Monday Night Raw.
"During the broadcast, they walked into WWE Head of Talent Relations John Laurinaitis’ office with their suitcases in hand, placed their tag team championship belts on his desk and walked out.
"They claimed they weren't respected enough as tag team champions. And even though they had eight hours to rehearse and construct their match, they claimed they were uncomfortable in the ring with two of their opponents - even though they’d had matches with those individuals in the past with no consequence.
"Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show, whose characters are expected to perform the requirements of their contract.
"We regret we were unable to deliver, as advertised, tonight's main event." WWE statement, released to Fightful.com
There's history to suggest that, while wholly unpleasant, the situation between Sasha Banks, Naomi and WWE is far from uncharted territory.
When financial issues meant WWE had to pull the plug on Bret Hart’s lucrative, long-term contract in 1997, the Hitman brokered a move to WCW. Hart was WWE Champion at the end of his tenure, and Vince McMahon was so concerned over Hart appearing on WCW television – despite assurances he wouldn't – that the champ was legitimately 'screwed' out of the title live on pay-per-view.
Sporting a black eye that Hart gave him as a thank you, McMahon addressed the matter on that week's Raw, insisting it was all Bret's fault and that "Bret screwed Bret". The Screwjob and its fallout was remarkable in that, back then, WWE so rarely pulled back the curtain and acknowledged what was on screen was anything other than legitimate, athletic competition all in the name of title gold and glory.
Similar shock followed in 2002, when McMahon fumed that the top star of the day, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin had "taken his ball and gone home" in having failed to appear on a live show amid frustrations about the company's creative direction [and the prospect of losing a King Of The Ring qualifying match to then-rookie Brock Lesnar]. Just as with Hart, the words were a pre-emptive shot designed to ensure that WWE could get across their side of the story first.
The merits of how right WWE were to take the title away from Bret, or scald Austin for his perceived insubordination are debates for another day and not for Piledriver to dissect, but the key factor is that no matter what their position, Vince McMahon always likes to strike first.
It seems the events of Monday are no different. Absolutely no doubt: time and history will eventually allow us to determine the rights and wrongs as to what has actually happened and what really led two extremely talented performers to leave Raw with their suitcases in tow.
What's perhaps most telling was WWE's statement: what it said and, perhaps most vitally, how it was said. Just as Bret was responsible for his own demise and just as Austin was sat at home in a sulk, here we were presented with the notion that Sasha Banks and Naomi were unprofessional and, without WWE having explicitly said so, breached 'requirements of their contract' by not doing as asked on Raw.
That, coupled with the fact the WWE release alleged the pair felt unease at working with some of their colleagues are strong enough stones to be thrown alone, but things really seemed to take a turn for the weird at the inclusion of the line: "Monday Night Raw is a scripted live TV show," and that the two had "hours to rehearse their match".
Yes, they're accurate enough statements, but for WWE to be so brazen about it is commercially, corporately out of step for a company who are seldom so reckless with their words, particularly for the entity that frequently uses 'card subject to change' as its get-out for situations far more out of their control than this one.
It does, however, stand out as WWE positioning themselves as slighted here, just as they did in 1997, 2002 and no doubt countless other times - as is perhaps the wont of a billion-dollar media enterprise. The question now must be asked: how much damage has the walk-out and the company statement that followed it done, and what remains of any relationship Banks, Naomi and the company once had?
To an extent, battle lines were drawn with Monday's press release - and perhaps more defined than they might have been before things were made public. The whispers, rumours and speculation that followed WWE's statement included a vicarious rebuttal of sorts from Banks and Naomi.
It was to the tune of 'they didn't feel unhappy at working with those slated to face them on Monday, it's the general WWE creative that has them in a fury, and enough is enough'. That too is a trope very heavily worn, if not at least a noble enough cause. Any real backlash towards Banks and Naomi is fuelled less by their decision to seemingly protest on a point of principle and more the fact that they did so by walking out on a show they were scheduled to feature on.
The long-term future is uncertain, it seems, but what's obvious even now is that things will never be quite the same. It's impossible to visualise a WWE where the current tag team champs - but perhaps Banks most pointedly - return to business as normal.
Things were never the same with Steve Austin, and Bret Hart never wrestled for WWE again. There are notable differences of course, not least that Banks is far younger than those two - but the parallels are plenty. Bret went on to continue and end his career with WCW and remains a household name despite no longer being directly at McMahon's whim. Austin, too, has enough stock that's rooted away from the wrestling business to ensure he'll be more than fine even if he never thinks about any aspect of it ever again.
It's easy to put Banks in a similar position. A Hollywood career seems inevitable for the woman who oozes star appeal and charisma. But to potentially sever ties with WWE - and we're speculating wildly for the sake of theory here - would seem rash.
Yet, perhaps more than any other athlete under WWE's umbrella, Sasha is one to bank on herself to succeed, and you'd be foolish to part with money on the contrary. Naomi, many fans feel, has been misused creatively for many years yet still boasts a wrestling CV that would stand up against many.
The current Women's Tag Team Champions may yet be back in WWE - stranger things have happened. But words cut deep, and one has to feel Monday's statement will hang in the air for a while yet.
While WWE would absolutely be worse off without Sasha Banks and Naomi, the show will always keep on rolling - the world's biggest wrestling company makes sure of it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 20, 2022 21:08:13 GMT
Jim Cornette on The Most Culturally Significant Wrestler - YouTube
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 20, 2022 21:08:45 GMT
Jim Cornette Plays Guess The Program - YouTube
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 20, 2022 21:09:15 GMT
Jim Cornette on The Richest Wrestlers Of All Time - YouTube
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 20, 2022 21:09:44 GMT
Bruce Prichard shoots on Jim Cornette vs Jerry Jarrett - YouTube
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 20, 2022 21:10:17 GMT
Jim Cornette on Hulk Hogan - YouTube
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 21, 2022 3:28:09 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 21, 2022 3:30:05 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 21, 2022 3:30:40 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 21, 2022 3:31:35 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 21, 2022 3:33:19 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 21, 2022 3:33:59 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 21, 2022 3:35:00 GMT
|
|
|
|
Post by Admin on May 21, 2022 3:36:07 GMT
|
|
