by Mark Coale
Odessa Steps Magazine/OnlineOnslaught.com

“I don't want you, But I hate to lose you,
You've got me in between the devil and the deep blue sea.”
                     -- Cab Calloway and His Orchestra

You’re asking, which is which. Is Bischoff the Devil or is Russo? What about Stephanie McMahon? Or Vince himself? Does it really matter? It’s all the same to me.

Sure, it was nice to be surprised for once on a Monday night. No one knew Easy E would be showing up on RAW, as its “new General Manager.” But you know what? They don’t tell you when you’re going to have a heart attack either, and this was almost as bad.

The best word to describe what I felt was crestfallen. I had just gotten my hopes up, with Vince expelling Russo only days after bringing him in, apparently because Copernicus was out of touch with WWE storylines. Well, I guess he wasn’t THAT out of touch, if he suggested bringing in Bischoff. Vince just didn’t want anyone to know about the SHOCKING SWERVE to come.

As for Stephanie McMahon’s return to television, we knew she would return at some point, like a bad rash (or something worse, given her strumpet character). So, I’m not horribly angry at her return, just disappointed. It’s better than Dusty, after all.

What about Russo’s arrival in Nashville, so ironic since he hates the South? Well, in the first week, things weren’t that bad. Personally, I have absolutely no faith that the company will continue to build around the “X” division, which is the one thing that could bring viewers back week after week.

What’s a wrestling fan to do? Give up? I can’t blame anyone who feels that way, especially if you’ve invested time and effort into being a fan of the business. I certainly began pulling away from North American wrestling weeks ago. And now, I don’t even know if getting to watch Chris Benoit or Eddy Guerrero or Kurt Angle or Jerry Lynn is enough to sit through Bischoff, Stephanie, Vince and whatever horrible new characters Vince Russo will create in Nashville.

Well, here’s my suggestion. The cost of a WWE PPV will get you plenty of imported wrestling from one of the many tape traders out there. Or, take that money, get DirecTV and watch CMLL on Saturday afternoons. You could always trade for old tapes. No matter how bad the booking was back in the day, you can’t erase the quality wrestling to be found in 1989 WCW, 1983-6 Mid-South or 1983-85 World Class.

For those of us who prefer wrestling the “sport” over wrestling the “spectacle,” we may have just lost a big battle. But, the war isn’t over. It’s just time to hunker down and look for alternatives. But if you’re one of the people who just want to throw up your hands and say, “Enough is enough,” good luck and god speed.

E-MAIL MARK 
BROWSE THE 2/3 FALLS ARCHIVE

Mark Coale has the same kind of acidic foreboding in his stomach about this that he used to get when taking comp exams in grad school. I hope the results turn out better this time.

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