WWE Raw
As the WWE creeps ever closer to the 1,000th episode of Raw, former general managers are serving in weekly leadership roles for the promotion's flagship show. On the July 9th edition of WWE Raw, the "anonymous Raw general manager" returned, complete with podium and laptop.
We got a hint early on that the identity of the anonymous Raw general manager might be revealed, thus solving one of the greatest mysteries in recent WWE history. However, Vince McMahon and the WWE creative team ruined the moment by implying that Hornswoggle had been the anonymous Raw general manager all along.
Hornswoggle
The segment on WWE Raw revealing Hornswoggle as the anonymous Raw general manager was an unmitigated disaster. Whenever Hornswoggle pops up, it looks like the WWE wrestlers do their best to let the vertically challenged superstar get the best of them, but it just isn't believable.
Let me be clear that in no way am I prejudiced against what we used to call (before the PC era) "midget" wrestlers. I remember many great matches with vertically challenged wrestlers in the 1980s. But Hornswoggle always getting the better of WWE wrestlers at best isn't believable and at worst is downright annoying.
Chavo Guerrero, Jr.
I could easily write several articles on the failed WWE gimmicks involving Hornswoggle. But the one that infuriated me the most was Hornswoggle defeating Chavo Guerrero, Jr. in a series of matches. I know the WWE was burying most of the WCW wrestlers, but the Hornswoggle gimmick was a career killer for an accomplished wrestler.
WWE Wrestling fans
Maybe I'm completely wrong about this but I don't know of any wrestling fans who actually like Hornswoggle. Maybe the kids like Hornswoggle. Of course, I also don't know anyone who thinks Bob Uecker should be in the WWE Hall of Fame, so maybe I just run in the wrong circles.
I've got to believe that Vince McMahon or Triple H must be Hornswoggle's biggest fan because if anyone else on the WWE creative team came up with these segments he or she would be fired. At least when Monday Night Football starts in September, I'll have something to watch when Hornswoggle shows up on Raw.
Patrick Michael lives in New Orleans and has always been a big fan of pro wrestling. Patrick's favorite wrestling promotion was Mid-South Wrestling back in the 1980s. Patrick's favorite wrestling angle of all-time was the NWO and his favorite wrestler was Roddy Piper. Follow Patrick Michael on Twitter at patmichael84.
Sources
July 9, 2012 edition of Raw broadcast on the USA Network
Personal knowledge of pro wrestling
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