Brodus Clay's "Funkasaurus" Debut: Superstar or Superfail?

One of the most unexpected and most talked about stories of the week is the re-debut of Brodus Clay as a dancing, fun loving, "Funkasaurus."  For weeks there has been build up and hype for Clay who was being pushed as getting angrier and angrier every week that John Laurinaitis held off his debut.  There was even rumor that Clay would be the guy to come out in the Royal Rumble this year and clear the ring, making a huge impact.  When Clay finally debuted this past Monday, he was the exact opposite of everything that was expected.

As soon as the name "Funkasaurus" was announced and the music hit (which was the same music used by Ernest "The Cat" Miller in WWE for anyone that didn't catch that) it was clear that this new character was going to get some strong reactions.  In Run DMC-esque gear, smiling, dancing, it was an all new Brodus Clay.  My first thought was....."Wow, they have totally ruined this monster and given him a corny goofy character."  But after talking to some of our other writers and seeing the reaction its garnered, maybe a crazy over the top gimmick is a change that WWE needs.  As one of my fellow writers put it: "What else was he going to be?  Another Mark Henry?"

He's "funky," he's got dancers, he's got some Dusty Rhodes like lingo, but he's still a big man that can move in the ring.  Should Clay have been a monster that destroyed everyone?  Or is this crazy Funkasaurus gimmick going to make him a hugely popular star?  It's really to early to tell, but it seems WWE is happy with all the reactions it has brought so far.  What are your opinions on the new and funky Brodus Clay?

Chris Jericho Returns to WWE...and Says Nothing

Well the big "1-2-12" promos had sparked some interest the past few weeks, but most everyone was predicting either the return of Chris Jericho or The Undertaker.  If you saw RAW, you know that the promos were for the return of Chris Jericho.  As the final promo played with the little girl and the little boy, I was trying to figure out what it could all mean and what the significance of the girl was....but little did I know that the promos with the kids were only the BEGINNING of the night's confusion.

As the final promo ended, the screen started to shake and the lights went out, which definitely felt like The Undertaker was on his way out.  The crowd started a "Y2J" chant, and sure enough there was Jericho in his trademark pose while wearing an LED lit jacket.  The place went crazy and it looked like the over the top good guy Jericho was back.  He got in the ring smiling, and seemed to be ecstatic to be in front of the WWE Universe again.  The celebration continued, as Jericho got out of the ring and made the rounds high fiving fans.  Jericho got back in the ring, grabbed the mic, but then decided to work the crowd even more and keep the celebration going.  I think it was about 5 minutes into this when I started to feel like Jericho might be overdoing it, and he needed to go ahead and say whatever he was going to say....but that didn't happen.

When Jericho finally did grab the mic and ALMOST started to talk.......he dropped the mic in the ring, and for a second i expected a complete heel turn on the crowd as if he suckered them all in.  But then, Jericho started smiling and celebrating all over, and things just got more and more odd.  Jericho then proceeded to hop out of the ring, slap some more hands, and then he left.  The crowd didn't know what to think, but some boos could be heard and there was a definite vibe that there was more to this story.  We were expecting a "I'm back and I'm entering the Royal Rumble" type of promo, but it was almost like Jericho was making a mockery of wrestling returns. 

As odd as all of this was, I can at least say it was different.  The idea of Jericho returning didn't really interest me all that much since it doesn't feel like he's been gone all that long.  The way things were handled at least got people talking because it was so odd and different, but it will be interesting to see where it goes from here.  I have a feeling it was Jericho himself that came up with this, since he's talked in the past about reinventing himself and keeping things interesting.  One thing is for sure, Chris Jericho is back even though we don't know why or where he stands.  What did you think of Chris Jericho's return?  Was it stupid?  Or did it make you wonder where this story is going?