Rassling Ragbag 2016/05/03: It hurts when you’ve given them a name -OR- RIP Mitch the Plant (b. 18 April 2016, d. 02 May 2016)

It’s amazing how someone who hasn’t said a single word, who didn’t even do anything and who was only on TV for a fortnight, got such love from wrestling fans all over the world – by simply giving it a name. Read here the short story of Mitch the Plant, dear friend of Dean Ambrose, taken from us by Chris Jericho. Mitch is already dearly missed. Rest in peace, brave potted plant!

“Boy? Boy?! Kid? You know, I ain’t no newcomer. I ain’t nobody’s pet project. I’ve been doing this a long time, and I’m really good at it. I’ve been doing this a long time. I’ve wrestled everybody. Every name you can think of all over the world. I think I know what I’m doing.

Chris Jericho, a six time former World Champion got his head planted in the mat tonight, just like I said he would. Is there something crazy about that? Is there something funny about that? Something wacky, amusing about that to you?

You know, Chris Jericho says he’s the best in the world, best in the world at what he does. After tonight I’m not gonna start saying that about myself cause I’m already hearing that phrase being called about myself and I just frankly don’t care what you think about me. Whether you like me, you love me, you hate me, I don’t care. But when you talk to me, you just better know who you’re talking to.”

It’s my best friend

The inaugural plant of the “Ambrose Asylum”.

When I see a grown man with a potted plant, I will always think about Jean Reno in Léon. And the resemblance between those two characters, Léon and Dean Ambrose, is quite remarkable. They are both loners (Reigns is more like Tony from the movie to him, a guy who hands out assignments and Ambrose will do what is told him), they both care for a little girl (Mathilda in the movie, the little cousin in Ambrose’s case – I still think that Bray Wyatt referred to her before WWE cancelled this promising storyline for nonsensical beating), and they are both hitmen who don’t care about their own physical health.

Ambrose Plant & Jericho Plant – united in death.

And now the plant. It’s even a similar plant that Dean Ambrose got for his Ambrose Asylum show to the plant from Léon. When the Ambrose Asylum first aired on the RAW episode from 11 April 2016, Dean Ambrose came out with a different first plant. The segment with Chris Jericho’s Highlight Reel being cancelled for the Ambrose Asylum being introduced went on with Dean Ambrose accidentally knocked over Chris Jericho’s plant, and then the Ambrose Asylum plant number one followed when Dean Ambrose hit Dirty Deeds on Jericho. So, for the Ambrose Asylum from the RAW episode from London on 18 April 2016 Dean Ambrose needed another potted plant.

Always happy

Credit: temomi on Tumblr.

It didn’t have a name on that show. But it already got some attention when Dean Ambrose put the plant into Shane McMahon’s hands, so he could carry it to a safe place while the handbags inside the ring were taken place. Plants are usually associated with housewives who talk to their specific plants because they don’t have someone else to talk to. But when Dean Ambrose, a guy with a barbed wired past, carries around a potted plant, it’s already something special. But when he tells everyone to be careful around the plant, so something like last week won’t happen again, it also makes the plant special. It’s not just equipment or decor any more; it’s obviously something Dean Ambrose cares about. And wrestling fans who like him did care about this plant as well.

Another week later on RAW we got another Ambrose Asylum and this time Dean Ambrose’s guests were Natalya and Charlotte with Ric Flair. Natalya was out first and compared the setting with the plant to a dentist’s office but Dean Ambrose wasn’t offended. Eventually, he finally revealed that he named the plant Mitch. It was just a half mumbled information but certainly people got it. And even if people didn’t get it initially, there was Twitter or Tumblr or Facebook where they were able to get this information from.

Credit: Hedge Maze on Tumblr.

People asked for fanfiction, they drew pictures from Dean Ambrose with his plant – people, especially the younger fans, are usually fast with jumping on something fresh and new. For me, it was interesting because it added depth to the Dean Ambrose vs Chris Jericho feud. I need to say that I didn’t even watch Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar from WrestleMania 32 so far. The set-up was so promising and I expected much. I didn’t expect for Dean Ambrose to win; but I did expect him being allowed to bring Brock Lesnar to an edge with all the weapons he could ave possibly used. But what I read about the match, didn’t make me want to watch it. Counting the suplexes Dean Ambrose got from Brock Lesnar was disrespectful to Dean Ambrose. Not allowing both men to make this match a real street fight, was disrespectful to both men. In the end, Dean Ambrose wasn’t competition for Brock Lesnar; he was just something he played with, and he didn’t even enjoy much playing with it. This match was just an all around disappointment.

So, having the feud between Dean Ambrose and Chris Jericho now happening not just because they are debating over whose show should take place but also because of some sub story that includes both men’s plants, made me watch it again. I can’t remember any feud that circled around one man’s plant that actually got a name, is protected by his owner and was finally used to hurt the man, both physically and mentally. It definitely stands out; it’s different to all this jealousy crap we usually get. It’s personal (even if the plant might have been an artificial or always another one on different shows).

No questions

How universally loved Mitch the Plant already was, everyone was able to notice after Chris Jericho used Mitch as a weapon against Dean Ambrose. I didn’t hear or read about anyone wondering how Dean Ambrose was; everyone was just using the hashtag #RIPMitch and the newly initiated Twitter account @MitchThePlant was full of sad tweets about the passing of the very potted plant. There is still hope that Dean Ambrose will re-pot his friend. But I’m afraid, Mitch was literally buried by Vince McMahon because within just two weeks he was more over than Reigns will ever be. So, for the coming SmackDown we will get the Highlight Reel again, Dean Ambrose is nowhere to be seen for one or two weeks. And when he comes back, there will be no word about Mitch and WWE will act like he never existed at all. Because that’s what happens to people (or plants) who steal the show and the spotlight from a certain pampered boy.

RIP Mitch the Plant.

Mitch wasn’t with Dean when he defeated Chris Jericho at Payback. The watching experience was a bit different. Because Payback took place from Chicago, so because this specific audience is always a loud one, including CM Punk chants (still!) and no love for Reigns, WWE turned down the volume of the audience and almost everything that you were able to listen on TV, was the useless babbling from the commentary team. Initially I thought there was no atmosphere at all until I payed attention to what the audience looked like and it didn’t resemble at all to what I (didn’t) hear. I guess they didn’t want to make it that obvious that they turned down the volume for the Reigns match, so they turned down the volume for the entire show. How sweet, WWE, because we’re still not as dumb as you think we are.

Especially towards the end of the 18:28 minutes long match I enjoyed it and the best part of it was the variation of the Dirty Deeds. I’m slightly disappointed that Dean Ambrose didn’t use the Regal Stretch – that would have been a perfect fit against Chris Jericho. Maybe at Extreme Rules. But Dean Ambrose needed this win, and he got it.

Later on backstage, Dean Ambrose was a bit cocky about Chris Jericho. He had reason after all because after all the mocking he did beat the supposed Best in the world at what he does and he went a little philosophical about it. The next evening on RAW, Dean Ambrose met Stephanie McMahon who invited herself to the Ambrose Asylum. She suggested that Dean Ambrose could ask herself anything and was also looking forward to meeting Mitch. But Dean Ambrose wasn’t allowed to get all over himself. After he asked the wrong questions, his show was cancelled and replaced by the Highlight Reel. So, Dean Ambrose – like a good babyface character – accepted the demotion, took Mitch and went straight into the arms of his nemesis, Chris Jericho.

And after a little brawl, Chris Jericho took the plant and hit Dean Ambrose with it from behind. Now, both Dean Ambrose and Mitch, his plant, were laying broken on the ground. For the coming SmackDown Dean Ambrose is supposed to be in hospital. But this seriously can’t be the end. Finally, there is something different, a storyline around a basic potted plant who was made special by Dean Ambrose by naming him Mitch. You like to cut off storylines without reason, WWE. But don’t cut off this one. We want revenge for Mitch. And we want Dean Ambrose taking this revenge out on Chris Jericho once again.

I hope, you’re happy, Jericho!

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My choice of requiem for Mitch the Plant is the aria Fuggon l’aure in me di vita from act 1, scene 2 of the 1713 opera Silla by Georg Friedrich Händel.