I can't say that when the "Tough Enough" concept was announced that I was for it. I wasn't against the idea of taking WWF fans in and training them for nine weeks in a Big Brother/Survivor style environment competition leading to one male and one female getting WWF (development) contracts. I was against the idea of the WWF breaking kayfabe on its TV. It has nothing to do with old school values or any arguments you can creative about the 'sports entertainment' label. I just think that when you have a worked TV show, you shouldn't be telling everyone it's a work and then later expect people to believe what you air. Check my archives and you'll see I said the exact same things when Kevin Nash and Bill Goldberg (and later Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo) did those ridiculous "shoot" interviews.

Well the first series of the show is over and now we have two new prospective WWF superstars. Maven Huffman and Nidia Guenard were chosen as the shows winners in the final episode live from WWF New York three weeks ago. Given it's been three weeks since the show finished and I have time to catch up with everything and see Maven's first two pro matches, now should be a good time to give my thought on the "Tough Enough" programme itself, the future of the show and the futures of certain competitors on the show.

Now I have time to think about the show in some detail, I still don't like the idea of the show purely because the WWF exposes too much of its product. However, when I think it over, I don't think I'd mind it too much if it wasn't the World Wrestling Federation behind it (maybe if it was an independent show or something). There is a show we get here in the U.K. called "Louis Theroux's Weird Weekends" where the host/producer Louis Theroux explores various world sub cultures and on one show, he went backstage at WCW and an indy company called the AIWF (I think!). Anyway, while exposing certain aspects of the wrestling business, it was done in a very respectful manner (not that Tough Enough wasn't respectful) and it was done by an outsider to the wrestling industry. It's arguably the single best programme ever done on professional wrestling but it was done by someone who doesn't have to go back to his audience and portray that what happens on it's TV it's real. I must admit though that with the exception of The Sopranos, I personally thought it has been the best programme on TV over the past couple of months.

I think it's clear as day that the WWF and MTV were looking for people with personalities fit for TV ahead of athletic ability and that pissed me off because I know how hard it is for a wrestler to get a break in this business but at the same time, this was meant to be a television programme for all, not just for wrestling fans. For the first two or three weeks of the show, I spent much of my time screaming at the TV in frustration. Like I have said in a previous column, I hated the fact that each competitor on the show was very unprepared for what was ahead. I still think that with the exception of Josh and probably Maven, that the competitors didn't understand nor properly respect the wrestling business whether it was through bumps, storylines, travelling, injuries, TV or just the history of it. I don't care what anybody says, you can not learn something like the wrestling business without knowing the history of it. Two people on the show inparticular annoyed me until the day they left and those people were Darryl and Bobby Jo. Darryl has the athletic ability of a hippo and the face like Perry Saturn and how he was even picked for show still baffles me to this day. In my opinion, the show got better once he left. Bobby Jo was someone I just had zero respect for. She had no respect for the business and no respect for the sacrifices people have made to even give her the opportunity she was given. Two separate incidents, the first being her comments about using the WWF as a stepping stone to get into Playboy (especially since she ain't got much in the looks department) and the second being her admitting to TripleH that she wasn't a fan before getting into the show (how did she even hear about it then?) made me want to break her neck. Stuff like this on the show literally made me cringe.

I lost count of how many "this is my dream!" comments I heard on the show over the past couple of months and it makes me laugh because if it is really your dream to pursue a career in professional wrestling, don't you think it would make sense to research the history of wrestling, what actually happens on the road and get yourself into the best physical and mental conditioning of your life? I know that's what I would do if it was me anyway. I have somewhat mixed emotions about people quitting the show. By remembering it's a TV show, I can fully understand why having quit during training makes good TV and it did so for Tough Enough but on the other side of the coin, I felt angry because there was a lot of other people who sent in tapes and didn't make the final cut for one reason or another and they would have seized a great opportunity where other people, who clearly had no idea for what they were getting themselves into, didn't.

I also have to question the intelligence of all the competitors. When the winner of the show has to go into a locker room with about 100 wrestlers, with the majority of them not liking them purely because how they got their spot, it's not smart to be marking out like a mofo to certain wrestlers on the show. Stories have already come out about the ribs being played on Maven and hopefully he is taking them like he should. Believe this if you want to but the majority of famous people will look down on you if you mark out for them. By all means be respectful by shaking hands, telling someone that you respect them or you a big fan or whatever but don't act like a fool doing so because it will bite you in the arse later. I know a lot of people will disagree with this but this is an opinion column and this attitude has worked with me whenever I have met people who I have a lot of respect for.

What I did like about the show is that it did show that breaking into professional wrestling is hard. It did demand respect from the viewers and the competitors. The old saying is that "only the strong survive" and in my opinion, the last five people on the show (maybe Greg too) had the most respect for the business. The show made for great TV. Maven, Josh and Taylor came off as fun people so the audience liked them. I hated Bobby Jo and Darryl not as TV characters but for their attitudes towards wrestling but they also made for "heel characters" to the average viewer. I had no problem watching Chris (Harvard) but others didn't like him. Like any other good TV show, Tough Enough had characters you could relate to. Even as a "smart" fan, I was still kinda rooting for the people I thought would win from the first week of the show (Maven and Taylor). Josh had a lot of fans through out the show but it was only in the last two weeks that I took a liking to him. So much so infact that I was almost pulling for him to win it (although I knew his size would count against him). Al Snow came across like a star too and rightfully so. He dealt with each competitor near perfectly (I would have liked him to stretch Darryl for disrespecting him like Tazz would have though). Us in the know already are aware of Al Snow's in ring talents and I think the average fan will respect those talents and the person behind them a lot more now. Snow also came across fantastically as a coach and possibly more importantly, he came across as a cool guy. Tazz, who many people think acted like a bastard, could have been huge coming out of that show if he was a more regularly. Knowing the reputation Tazz has in the business as a person and as a trainer (having trained the likes of Roadkill, Chris Chetti and Danny Doring at the ECW House of Hardcore), I looked forward to seeing him train guys on the show because he trains his students the way I like to see them trained. Tazz is straight up with you. He might come off like a bastard but if you do what you are told and work hard, you don't have a problem. The only time on the whole show you saw Tazz get pissed was when the people disobeyed his commands and didn't work hard. Maybe it's an old school thing but I liked seeing people get ran into the ground mainly because in every sport I have trained in, that was the way I liked being taught. I remember the show where the competitors wrestled in the mud and Maven said something like "Let's get in there and see who has it". That's the way I personally like things to go.

As for the competitors, like I mentioned, from the first week, I thought Maven Huffman and Taylor Matheny would win the contracts. Like a lot of other people, I was shocked legit when Nidia won the contract. Actually, considering I had thought about it, I was probably more surprised than the average fan or even the average smart. Let's be serious for a second. The WWF wasn't going to have two white people win and with Maven looking somewhat like the natural men's winner and the WWF recently signing Jazz (from ECW) and Sharmell Sullivan (Paisley from WCW, who might just be the best looking woman I have ever seen in pro wrestling face to face!) as well as Taylor being not only better looking but looking like the better wrestler, you can see why I was surprised.

Despite any ability, Chris Nowinski (Harvard) just doesn't look like a pro wrestler to me and by the end of the show, he no longer and any mental or physical (in terms of working ability) over Josh Lomberger or Maven Huffman which seemed weird since he worked indy dates prior to the show's finale. It also didn't help that the average viewer watching the show didn't like him by the end because that initial pop from the WWF works wonders and he wouldn't have got it like Maven did.

To this day, I still don't see how Nidia got that contract. Granted, she did show she had heart during the show and is pretty athletic but in a business where looks mean more ability for women, it doesn't make sense. It's nothing personal with her, I just don't see anything in her. The only conclusion I can make with her is that she will become the newest WWF Barbie doll. The WWF has done wonders in the past making decent to not naturally attractive women (not that I'm saying Nidia isn't attractive) with new hairstyles, boob jobs, nose jobs, and any other surgeries you can think of so maybe they have something in mind for Nidia. I hope so because I honestly do wish her all the luck in the world but I just don't see a future for her in the WWF.

Obviously when you weigh a legit 135lbs and you are smaller than every single wrestler in the WWF, things aren't exactly going to go the way you will like regardless to the talent you have. Unfortunately, this is the situation for Josh because he was arguably the best wrestler of the bunch and definitely the best bump taker. Maybe at first it just didn't show it but by the end, the people could see the love Josh has for the business. Make no mistake about it, his size worked against him but I still think that Josh can become a pretty good wrestler but I don't ever see him being a big star. He has already kept his face in the news with interviews and Indy matches, which is definitely a good thing for him. I hope he gets as much work on the independents as he can so he can better himself. I hear he has a few dates with Combat Zone Wrestling as does fellow Tough Enough competitor Greg so maybe they can do an angle together or something. CZW has a lot of good independent workers so it always helps to be working with people better than yourself because it's the best way to learn the sport. Hopefully he will stay away from the downright idiotic gimmicks they got going there though!

Another reason why I was surprised Taylor didn't win the contract was because honestly impressed me a lot on the show in the ring. She is a good-looking girl (and we all know you can't have enough of those in pro wrestling) who is intense, very athletic and shows a lot of heart which always impresses people. You can't ask more from anyone other than their best efforts and Taylor gave it her all and impressed a lot of people. Infact, back when she was working with Lita on the show, in my opinion, she looked better than she did. Personally I think Lita is a bit over rated as a worker but she is the perfect example of how heart, determination, respect for the business and good athletic ability can get you somewhere. Taylor is the only finalist from Tough Enough not to have worked any independent dates yet and I think it's a tad disappointing since she said she intended on staying in the business. There aren't a whole lot of talented women in this business so I really hope she does continue in the wrestling business because she has what it takes to make it big. Just because the WWF never picked you now, that certainly doesn't mean that you can't make it their some day.

From the show, I thought Maven showed respect for the business from start to finish. I don't think he really knew what he was getting himself into but he did everything he was told, never bitched and was willing to learn and it paid off big time. He has a good look and is a natural athlete, which goes well with his natural charisma. He is also a good talker whether it's on the mic or conversation. He also presents himself very well and it's very impressive to the average person much like Dwayne Johnson does when he is out of character. I have to say that I loved how he thanked all the wrestlers who have paved the way for him in his awesome speech at WWF NY (would liked to have heard a few names in there though). I must have seen at least 100 wrestler's debut matches over the years and I have to say that despite only working about 4 mins last week on Smackdown, I thought Maven did a good job. He got in all the stuff we have watched him learn on Tough Enough (including the bump to the outside of the ring after the match) which was pretty cool and did about as much as you can expect from a rookie in his debut match in 4 minutes. What I don't really like is that the WWF will probably kill off the heat he has right now by sending him to HWA for more training and experience. The people like Maven now and if you keep him off TV for the next year, the people won't remember him when he returns. Vince McMahon has programmed his fans to have short-term memories you see!

Maven had to lose to Tazz though make no mistake about it but the people like him because the impression is that Maven is just another one of us marks so I say screw this "humbling experience" the WWF puts wrestlers through and use him. Right now he should be doing jobs but the deal should be that he should be losing matches because, as a rookie wrestler, he just doesn't know what the veterans do. In any business, how can person X know more than person Y when person Y has been in the business for ten more years? Use it as an angle. Instead of sending him down to HWA full-time, have him work dark matches on Raw and Smackdown tapings, have his HWA matches (or at least clips) air on the lower rated shows like Excess and Heat so the people can remember him. Even make him work Heat since the MTV audience is meant to know him as one of there own. Just don't have him do regular jobs on Metal because he will quickly become a jobber. Keep his appeal. Some people will think he doesn't deserve a push and you know what, they are right because he doesn't but the people like him and in a time when the fans are dying to see new stars, give them one! Fuck the humbling process because you own the business! I just hope the boys in the locker room aren't too harsh on Maven. Okay he got a lucky break but there is no need to hold it against him. Other guys have had similar experiences (one of them being a certain world champion!) and they turned out well. Just give him a shot. He'll either sink or swim anyway. I hope Maven doesn't take the ribs too personally. He has a ton of work ahead of him and the chances of him making it are slim but he has a shot. I hate to say it (and I damn sure don't agree with it) but he might need to start taking those vitamins if you know what I'm saying!

Tough Enough is the big success story of the year without question. I think it had to be after the XFL disaster and I think it's proved again that Vince McMahon should stick to wrestling where he is an expert. People have various problems with the show and they are all valid. A lot of people don't like the idea of two people coming in after a few months of training and getting a WWF contract because a lot of talented guys have taken years to get one and some talented wrestlers still don't have one. I personally don't mind this idea but then again, I'm not a pro wrestler so I can understand why they have that attitude. I think there is a problem with Tough Enough and Excess both airing because one of them smashes kayfabe into the floor while the other treats the fans like frickin' morons. You can't have both shows running in the current formats that they do.

I hear that Tough Enough 2 will be based in California so no doubt that means a lot of beach shots with a bunch of "attractive" people. I personally don't like the big house with hot tub and that other rubbish but that's MTV for you. You get it on the Real World and you'll get it here. Lucky enough for us Brits, Sky decided that the 30 minute format sucked so we got two shows together so we could have one hour of Tough Enough a week. After hearing similar complaints from American fans, the new series has to be in 60 minute format instead of 30 minutes. The addition of allowing independent wrestlers to try-out for the next series gives me mixed feelings. I was for it for the first show (hell I even suggested it to both Dave Meltzer on the old Eyada show and to the WWF) because I knew the WWF had to get a success story from it but it looks like Maven could be that story if treated right. Now I think that the indy workers could possibly bring down the next series because, being smart to the business, they will obviously try and work in character if it's to their benefit. After seeing this series, I can't blame them either. I hope they add a mental test to the try-outs so they can weed out all the jabroni's like Bobby Jo before the show starts and actually have 13 people who know what they are getting into before they start training and hopefully it would also weed out anyone who sent in a tape after watching the last series and thought "Hey, I can do that!".

I personally would like to see more wrestling on the show but I get the impression the average person watching it isn't looking for that but a compromise has to be made. The plan of now is to have Al Snow return as a trainer along side Bob Holly and Ivory. I love the idea of Snow again being the main man on the show but I'm not sold on Holly yet. He has some personality but I don't know if it would come off well on the show. I'd prefer to see Tazz in a full-time role on the show instead. I like Ivory being with Lance Storm right now because she is the most talented woman in the company by a country mile but she came off as someone who would be a good trainer for Tough Enough on last cameo on the last series. I would prefer to see her as a star in the WWF but at the same time, I think she can do an awesome job on Tough Enough so it's a toss up with that call.

At the end of the day, I wish Maven, Nidia, Josh, Chris, Taylor and Greg all the luck in the world in their attempts to make something of themselves in this business. They are gonna need all the luck they can get! As for the new series of Tough Enough, I got three words for it - Bring It On!


Peace out marks!

Rob

Rob
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