Raven: The Nest Finally Lands in the WWF
At Unforgiven, a new character debuted in the World Wrestling Federation. During Jerry Lawler's strap match against Tazz, former Extreme Championship Wrestling heavyweight champion Raven ran into the ring. The man once known to WWF fans as Johnny Polo drove Jerry Lawler's head into the mat following a DDT. As the pro-ECW crowd cheered Raven's entrance
into the WWF, Tazz pinned Lawler.
Scott Levy's return to the WWF has been in the making for over a year. During the summer of 1999, Levy was an employee of World Championship Wrestling. During a team meeting with all of the wrestlers, Eric Bischoff said that if anyone wanted to leave the company, they could walk out the door. Scott took Bischoff up on his offer. Raven received his release from Bischoff. However, it was a conditional release. Raven could sign with any (incert comment here) wrestling promotion, except the WWF, until his current WCW contract expired. Levy agreed, and was back in ECW. Although he won the ECW Tag Team championship during his first night back with the company, most fans
speculated that at the end of the summer of the year 2000, Raven would sign a contract to wrestle for Vince McMahon.
In August of 2000, the WWF and Raven came to terms on a contract agreement. The internet newsboards became plastered with facts about Raven's WWF debut. Raven will enter the WWF at SummerSlam or the next night on RAW. Raven will align himself with (fill in the blank). Raven will cost The Rock the title. As usual, most of these rumors were incorrect.
The WWF waited to present the debut of Raven. They did a tremendous job. The WWF had Raven debut in front of ECW's hometown of Philadelphia (what a cheap shot). To some in attendance, the appearance of Raven in Tazz's match was a surprise. Most rumors had Raven helping Kane win the WWF title during the Fatal Four Way contest. Historically, when most wrestlers enter the WWF they do not get thrown into the main WWF storyline. Vince likes his wrestlers to start at the bottom (or middle) and work their way up the card. While most people are impatient and want immediate gratification, Vince slowly works his wrestlers into the top spots. It is a formula that has worked for Vince McMahon since he started to run the WWF. By starting from the bottom, it is more gratifying
to the fans when their favorite wrestlers finally break through to the main event match. It also keeps the wrestlers fresh. If a wrestler starts at the
top of the card when he enters the company, there is only one way to go. That direction is down. Instead
of building up steam, they start out their campaign on fire, and then the fire dies before their contract is even up for renewal.
The WWF started Raven's tenure with the company as a friend of Tazz. The big question now is why is he by Tazz's side, and what direction the character of Raven should take from here. The pairing of Tazz and Raven is very interesting, and questionable. The basis of the character of Tazz is that he is a bad xxxxx, take no prisoners, loner. Tazz doesn't have a partner. He doesn't need anyone to watch his back. His opponents are the men who need the protection. Why would Tazz ever align himself with a partner? While Raven always seemed to have followers, Tazz isn't the typical Raven groupie. Tazz is a leader, not a sidekick. Raven's followers have mostly been cast as goofballs or misfits. Tazz fits into neither category.
Storyline purposes suggest that Tazz and Raven have joined forces because Tazz is sick of the stroke that Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler have with the company. He feels that Ross and Lawler are keeping him down. Since he has alienated himself from everybody in the WWF, he went back to his roots. He called up one of his former ECW co-workers to help him out. Raven was more then happy to help. Raven's first task was to help to take out Lawler. Raven accomplished this feat twice; at the Unforgiven pay per view and on Monday Night RAW. Also during RAW, he DDTed ECW alumni Buh-Buh Ray Dudley. This action will probably start a tag team war between the Dudleys and the team of Raven/Tazz. This feud could be a stepping stone to Raven and Tazz's first WWF World championship- the WWF World Tag Team titles. Besides the Raven/Tazz tag team, what direction will the WWF take the Raven character?
The Raven character always had followers. Whether it's a flock or a nest, Raven attracts people. The WWF shouldn't give Raven followers. Steve Richards has the David Koresch role in the RTC angle. Raven should form a group. This group would give the internet/hardcore fans an angle that they have been yearning for. Since the WWF is packed with former ECW wrestlers, Raven should try to create an uprising among former ECW wrestlers. These wrestlers will wage war against the WWF. Who is the biggest detractor of ECW wrestling in the WWF? Jerry Lawler. The King could get a group together to confront these former extreme superstars. Who should be the wrestlers that form Raven's group? The group should consist of Raven, Tazz, Perry Saturn, and the Dudley Boyz. Since Raven usually had a lady by his side, he could enlist Lita (Miss Congeniality in ECW) as his main squeeze. Raven and Tazz have the potential to be main event stars in the WWF. Perry Saturn has been stuck in mid-card limbo. He has the workrate to be a top wrestler in the industry, but he can't get for some reason. An inclusion into this group would give Saturn the heat that he is thriving. By adding the Dudleys to the group, the ECW alumnus squad is anchored by the one of the top tag teams in the business. The Dudleys would become monster heels. Since the fans started to cheer the Dudleys, their characters have lost their killer edge. They are becoming a hardcore version of the Bushwackers. Instead of licking people's faces as their gimmick, the Dudleys put people through tables. They need to become evil again. Their entrance into
Raven's group would give them their killer instinct back.
Former ECW stars vs. WWF wrestlers would probably be very entertaining. Will the WWF go down this path? Probably not, but with the WWF's marketing machine and Vince's booking, Raven is sure to be a big success, no matter what path to success he takes. Quote the Raven, nevermore.
Home ECW/WCW
Home WWF
