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The WWE is tossing everything but the office desks into building up the feud between champ John Cena and challenger Randy Orton. And it’s working well.

By involving Cena’s father in the feud, Orton comes across as dangerous and evil, rather than just as a cocky jerk, which often has been his usual persona. Orton is taking his heelishness up a notch by going along with a storyline portraying him as an utter bastard of Dennis Radar proportions.

As a result of a clearer good/evil feud, Cena-Orton has become the most intriguing storyline in WWE this year. Here’s hoping the company can keep it creative and entertaining for a few more PPVs to come. If done right, Cena-Orton could become WrestleMania-worthy, although I believe the title needs to change hands at least once before WrestleMania in order to legitimize Orton as actually title-worthy, to back up his pure heelish villainy.

In beginning to deal with the reality of the high mortality rate of its performers, according to PWTorch.com, WWE last week released a letter to all of its performers, past and present, to pay for, in full, any needed drug and/or alcohol recovery treatment. Perhaps now, Jake “the Snake” Roberts can have a chance to put his life back together again, considering the state he was in when last viewed by the public in the pro wrestling documentary, Beyond the Mat.

While some may criticize the company for offering a measure that is, in honesty, too little and too late for so many, at least it is a step in the right sort of direction, and not some cheesy apology gift like tickets to the Hannah Montana tour.

Here’s a transcript of the letter sent out by WWE:

Over the last ten years, an inordinate number of wrestlers have passed away. Some of those deaths may in part have been caused by drugs and alcohol.

In an effort to prevent such tragedies in the future, the WWE is willing to pay for drug and/or alcohol rehabilitation at a certified treatment chosen by WWE for any performer with a prior WWE booking contract who may need this service. The WWE will pay for this service in full.

There is no cost to you or your family. Help will be provided regardless of the circumstances of your departure from the WWF or the amount of time you performed for the WWE.

If you do not have a drug and/or alcohol problem, but know you know a former WWE performer who does, we are asking you to try to help them by encouraging them to take advantage of this opportunity.

Liz Difabio has been appointed as a representative in this matter. Liz has been with the company for over 24 years and has been directly involved with the majority of WWE performers who have received treatment for substance abuse. She understands emotions that individuals and family members go through in this process. Any conversation you have with Liz will remain confidential and will not be released to the public.

In many instances, an individual in need of help is in denial and will not want rehabilitation. There are professional intervention companies that will help persuade that person that they need treatment. Liz will be able to facilitate such interventions, should they be necessary. An intervention and treatment will be at the cost of WWE exclusively.

This service is being provided for performers with a prior WWE booking contract only. No family or friends. Please reach out to Liz if you think you might have a drug or alcohol problem or if you know someone who does. We all need to do anything we can to help prevent another tragedy.

Sincerely,

Vincent K. McMahon
Chairman, World Wrestling Entertainment

It simply didn’t rank up there with Sanford and Son’s Redd Fox grabbing his chest and yelling heavenward at his deceased with that he’s coming, the big one had arrived. Instead, it played like a bad parody of that.

I’m speaking, of course, about the Teddy Long-Kristal wedding that dominated last Friday’s WWE SmackDown. With all the real-life health problems, all the real-life deaths and all the real-life tragedies the WWE has suffered, they never seem to learn that fictionalized tragedies are not entertaining.

One would think, after last summer’s badly-botched, terribly-timed “death of Vince McMahon” storyline that too closely mirrored the real-life Benoit family tragedy, that it would be a bit longer before the WWE went the “fake death” route again.

Unfortunately, they seem to have gained no wisdom in this area at all, as Friday’s program verified. Every creative type responsible for Friday’s show should be given a set of dog tags to wear that read: WARNING! This WWE creative type may be allergic to entertainment. Keep away from shooting scripts!”