HHH taking over from Vince on RAW Options

[Hollinger.]

I think they definitely stuck the landing tonight. I didn't see that happening.

[Mad Dog]

I think you have to ask yourself one question about on-air Authority figure HHH and then you'll know if it will work or not.

A heel/face punks out Authority figure HHH on the opening of Raw. Think Austin with the beer truck. How does HHH respond:

1. He shows up with a neck brace next week to sell what happened to him.

2. He misses a few weeks of television to sell the attack, maybe does a vintage where he talks about it.

3. He comes out on the next episode of Raw, pummels them mercilessly then kick, WHAM, PEDIGREE.

4. Before that episode of Raw, KICK, WHAM, PEDIGREE.

5. This scenario would never happen because no one would dare mess with HHH because he's such a bad ass.

6. This scenario would never happen because HHH would outsmart them before they attacked him.

7. HHH fights them off and Pedigrees them.

8. HHH shows up next week, a little battered but okay and puts the face/heel in a match that is intentionally stacked against them.

If you answered with roughly 5 of those answers, it won't work.

The problem I see here is that if HHH is a face, you'll have a heel like Punk. HHH will get behind every face and stack the deck in their favor and the face will ultimately fail. Rinse, repeat until HHH has to come out of retirement and ultimately beat the heel. Similar way in reverse to the face. I have no faith that this won't happen. I can see everyone under him looking impotent until HHH saves the day. I have roughly a decade of television to back that theory up.

[jdw]

I think you have to ask yourself one question about on-air Authority figure HHH and then you'll know if it will work or not.

A heel/face punks out Authority figure HHH on the opening of Raw. Think Austin with the beer truck. How does HHH respond:

1. He shows up with a neck brace next week to sell what happened to him.

2. He misses a few weeks of television to sell the attack, maybe does a vintage where he talks about it.

Anyone see Trip doing this:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pgbQYAdtYUc

Then two weeks later, rather than the pedigree, stooges this far:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ucc3n6d3SA

It's not just that Vince was willing to let Stone Cold kick the shit out of him in the hospital, or that he was willing to piss his own pants... it's _how_ Vince sells for all that. Look at Vince in that second one "crying" though all of Austin's build up to put over how scared he is. Even if Trip were willing to piss in his pants, does anyone think Trip is going to be able to pull off the acting to sell the whole thing?

That's always been Trip's weakness as a character: his acting sucks. He'll hit his lines, the might be okay lines... but his deliver lacks the wrestling fake "believablity" factor that connects with fans to sell stuff like Stone Cold, Rock, Foley and Mr. McMahon at their best. Trip's comedy, yelling and anger have always seemed forced.

So even if he's not hitting the Pedigee, he's just not going to be able to pull of the full ranges of the role.

John