Special thanks to Shawn Cain for his help on this induction
Note from RD Reynolds: Before I hand things over to K-Cubed, I need to say a few words about today’s induction. As most of you know, prior to starting WrestleCrap.com, I worked the independent wrestling circuit in Indianapolis and the surrounding area. During that time, I worked with a lot of people, some famous (Mark Henry, Big Show, Batista), some not so famous (POOL STAR!). But the one thing I took away from being with these folks is that there are a lot of people who REALLY want to make it in this business. I think, in some ways, that’s why I started WrestleCrap.com. I see people who are doing everything they can to succeed, learning the craft, working out to insane degrees, getting matches under their belt…and I see these same people going to major promotions who have no idea what to do with them. Such is the case with Chris Harris. I worked with Chris on a handful of shows, and he was always a super nice guy and a hard worker. I was so happy to see him (and Abyss, who I worked with when he was Prince Justice and demanded that the fans not refer to him as a “Blueberry!”) get his chance in WCW and later TNA. After a pretty spectacular run in TNA (I’ll ignore the last couple of months there), he signed with WWE. I’ve not talked to Chris in years (and honestly, he may not even remember me), but I have to believe that was a lifelong dream, to finally work in the top wrestling company in the world, the one that he probably watched since he was a kid. And then…it all fell apart, thanks to a horrendous character that I don’t think even Ric Flair could have made work. As a reminder…I designed WrestleCrap to never (well, rarely at least) to mock the workers, but rather those who booked those workers into horrible angles and stupid characters. I can think of no better example than the one we present here today. Miss Kelly, the floor is yours. I think it’s apparent to anyone with a brain blessed with common sense that the WWE and TNA desperately need new up and coming talent to train and prep to take over for the old guys who have overstayed their welcome and even the not-so-old established guys who…well, just won’t go away. Let’s face it, if they keep doing Triple H Vs. Cena or Triple H Vs. Orton or Batista Vs. Pretty Much Anyone, then people are not going to watch your crappy show except to ridicule it, no matter how many “celebrity” guest hosts you bring in. The thing is, there are tons of young guys who could be pushed to one day take over the reigns, fresh blood to get fans interested in for the day that will inevitably come when no one is willing to continue to pay to see the same old, same old. Instead, both companies have seem to have made it their mission statement to bury any and all new talent. Such was the case with one Chris Harris. After a very short stay with WCW in late 2000 to early 2001 when the company was sold, Harris made a name from himself in Jeff Jarrett’s TNA promotion as James Storm’s tag team partner in “America’s Most Wanted”. Thankfully, John Walsh was not called in to feud with the duo. The team enjoyed great success until the decision was made to break them up and to feud them, wherein Harris developed into a smark-like whiner who constantly complained about the conditions of TNA and how they only cared about outside talent. Russo has struck again! Realizing he was constantly being jobbed to his former partner and all the old guys (notice a pattern here?), Harris decided to be released from his TNA contract and sign with the WWE, the REAL big time wrestling promotion. The promotion that every young wrestling fan dreams of joining one day when they grow up. It wouldn’t take long for his enthusiasm to be killed off. It took about three weeks, in fact.
Except there was no next week. That’s right, after his first 2 matches, Braden Walker (aka Chris Harris), WWECW’s “newest superstar”, was GONE from World Wrestling Entertainment. In his time in the WWE, Chris Harris has been given a pussy teenager name, challenged Armando via Knock Knock promo, beat him, talked to Matt Hardy in the hallway, beat James Curtis. The End. Curtis, it should be noted was also fired. Armando? Armando hung around long enough to lose to Colin Delaney until the WWE got tired of the both of them. With his release, there was no real way to remember Braden Walker outside of Matt Hardy walking down hallways and talking to random people. Knock Knock. Who’s there? The Unemployment Line, and here’s your first check. But don’t feel bad – after your expenses, it’s probably more than WWE was paying. |