Down for the Count: Please, Hassle the Hoff

Kari Williams, Alestle Reporter

by Kari Williams, Alestle Reporter

When WWE started having guest hosts on RAW, I thought that maybe some good could come of it. But after seeing the train wreck that happened with Jerry Springer and then David Hasselhoff’s atrocity Monday, I know that no good can come from guest hosts.

Sure, they jolt ratings on occasion, but, more often than not, they add no content to the show, other than ridiculous gimmick matches that make me want to watch TNA’s version of Monday Night Nitro. There are strong enough storylines going right now, being that they’re still fairly fresh off of Wrestlemania, that trying to incorporate the guest host into the storylines is ridiculous.

Most of these guests are outside the realm of sports entertainment (Yes, I realize that’s the point.), but attempting to involve them in angles or create mini-angles that lead to the host making the main event match is a waste of time, especially with RAW being live. The only relief when the guests are on the screen is the moment when Santino Marella waltzes in unannounced.

However, with the Hoff, Marella became a part of the spectacle as he refereed the catastrophe Hasselhoff called the Baywatch Babe Triple Threat Match.

From what little wrestling was involved in the match, the only diva that added any ounce of credibility was Gail Kim—and all she did was clothesline Jillian Hall out of the ring after Hall broke up a pin attempt.

Regardless of the matches The Hoff put together, his “Hoff” jokes got old about two minutes into his entrance, and the same goes for the announcers referencing the jokes throughout the night. Guest hosts add nothing to the show except for ratings, especially if they are only there for one night.

The only way I can see any type of logic with guest hosts is if one stays around for an extended length of time as part of an angle and develops a character within the show. But I don’t see that happening anytime soon.

For the time being, RAW has angles that are enticing enough to keep fans interested without bringing in a random celebrity every week for a ratings boost. I can’t imagine that Hasselhoff really gave WWE that much of a surge. He’s David Hasselhoff. What can he offer the WWE other than a used up catchphrase or tagline that causes eyes to roll and songs that nobody can remember the lyrics to?