Just One Look ... That’s All It Took

Dear WWE Creative,

So, we officially mere hours away from the Super Show Down (SSD), WWE’s next event in Saudi Arabia, and fans have mixed emotions. Yes, this pay-per-view (PPV) surrounds controversy, from the region of the world it is being held at, to the fact that WWE is touting that it’ll be as good, maybe even better, then Wrestlemania.

The build up for the matches that feature legends has been mediocre at best, WWE Creative. Tons of rumblings on social media, a few video montages here and there; however, many fans were wondering what the true hype was when we’ve seen HHH versus Randy Orton perhaps a hundred times, while Goldberg colliding against the Undertaker for the first time sounds like an intriguing match that audiences could sink their teeth into … about two decades ago.

Enter: the go-home shows for SSD, and a lot of things changed, for me at least.

The WWE Universe was reminded of just why these four men are legends in this business; reminded of just how incredible they are on the mic; reminded that even one simple promo can change the game (pun-intended); reminded of why we should be invested in these two matches, after all.

Let’s start with Hunter and Orton. These two have been friends over the years, as well as enemies. Their rivalry multiple times over has had audiences on the edge of their seats. Whether Orton played face and HHH was heel (or vice versa), the buildup to their matches, the promo work and segments, have always been top notch. While it was a nice walk through memory lanes these past weeks with the video montage presented to help build up their SSD bout, I felt like I had seen that video more than my own family at one point; plus, there ain’t nothing like the real thing, and their in-ring segment was one of the highlights of Monday Night RAW.

Credit: YouTube

Turning our attention to Goldberg versus The Undertaker, buildup has been weak at best. Sure, the pull of both these men meeting for the first time ever was nice, but they are also both well into their 50s, well past their prime, and a feeling of “too little, too late” overwhelmed fans. Add in the fact that neither had showed up to RAW or SmackDown to build up the program, and there was a massive “womp womp” feeling to the entire thing. The babbling from Bill Goldberg on social media was okay, but nothing to really get me to care about their SSD bout.

RAW would promote an appearance by The Deadman, and while it’s always great to see The Undertaker on WWE television, and his entrance still gives me that goose-bumpy feel, I felt his efforts on RAW was a let down. Thanks to the show not having that overrun feature anymore, his message (and promo) was cut off, and while using Goldberg’s line on him, “you’re next” was cheeky, I was still left feeling “meh” about these two men colliding. Goldberg being promoted on SmackDown LIVE the next night felt like a tit for a tat, so it was alright to see him come out, but the Undertaker showing up, and their stare down was everything. It reminded me of how in this day and age, talents sometimes need to pull out all the stops to build up a program or match, they needs weeks of storyline twists and turns; where all Goldberg and the Undertaker needed was no words between them, just a confrontation that left fans wondering what is next; to have the WWE Universe officially invested.

Credit: YouTube

Maybe I should applaud you guys, but I have a feeling the real applause goes to Taker, Goldberg, Triple H, and Randy Orton. They have built and sustained wrestling careers that have lasted decades, racked up multiple championships between them, broken sports entertainment records, and created a true legacy in that ring. Perhaps all these men needed was mere minutes to hype up there matches, opposed to weeks; either way, mission accomplished.

Signed,

 

Me.

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