Diverting from the Script: Wrestling with Originality

Little can shock the wrestling world anymore.

So secretive was their arrival, that when Scott Hall and Kevin Nash joined WCW in 1996, most thought it to be a legitimate WWF invasion. When Hogan was revealed as the third member, it almost caused a riot.

Wrestling fans today are well in tune with rumors and gossip, but every now and again, something still has the ability to surprise even the most seasoned of viewers.

The sight of John Cena falling through that table to lose the WWE title was one result few, if any, had been predicting.

In a few seconds, logic, Internet rumors, bold predictions, financial wagers, all disappeared simply because a swerve occurred and Sheamus was given a push.

The legendary encounter of Shawn Michaels versus the Undertaker was expected to be good, but few expected it to be that good. Arguably one of the greatest matches in wrestling history occurred when many warned against putting two fan favorites against each other.

The storybook career of Shawn would come to an end a year later in one of the best matches of the year. Few predicted it would end with a second defeat, and yet, in going out in true Shawn style, it created a moment of history.

Much has been written about the problems of PG and Attitude. Blood, chair shots, cleavage, divas, tag teams, and title reigns are all hot topics and yet producing good wrestling is surprisingly simple.

Wrestling fans love something new. Stone Cold revolutionized wrestling because he did something that no-one else did. It defined an era. Nostalgia about years gone by are common because we want originality. Those that jeer John Cena do so because they feel he is a poor imitator of franchises gone before.

Wrestling is coming to a crossroads. The Attitude Era wrestlers are retiring and in their place at present is very little. The big push of wrestlers needs to begin.

This is obviously personal choice but wrestling becomes exciting when you can believe that a wrestler might just make it. Christian and Matt Hardy are now resigned to jobber status. It's hard to be excited by their matches anymore.

Can wrestling still spring a surprise, a little touch of unexpected magic? Maybe the reappearance of Bryan Danielson might just prove to be it. Someone not conforming to the superhero or superman roles, not simply a rehashed character but someone unpredictable.

Maybe just maybe, we are watching the first chapter of a storybook WWE career?

[Picture courtesy of http://assets.sbnation.com]