Vladimir Kozlov's campaign from global wrestling domination

ECW's #1 draft pick this year came late in the draft. The pick was Vladimir Kozlov. We have seen a lot of the Moscow mauler on SmackDown and sometimes on Raw, virtually dominating every opponent he has had. He has had many wins and a few choice losses, but he still remains intact as an impending threat to whomever he has to face. Now, he has entered the brand known as ECW and has proclaimed that he bids to take over this brand and continue his path of global domination. Was he always this megalomaniacal? Let's see, shall we?

Thanks to the power of Wikipedia, we have some insight on Vladimir. First off, his name is Oleg Prudius. Before getting into wrestling, he won numerous achievements in the arts of Sambo (he was the 2005 USA Open Heavyweight champ), grappling (he was the U.S. Kick-boxing association International Heavyweight grappling champion), and in football (he played American football for Ukraine's national team as well as for Santa Barbara City College). Other than that, Kozlov has appeared on the television show, The Wire, as well as the movie, The 25th Hour, directed by Spike Lee. However, his biggest moment was when he was introduced to Vince McMahon as a potential hire for the company. The person who set that up was Jerry Jarrett. Jerry Jarrett was not only a semi-current promoter, but he shared ownership duties of TNA with his son, Jeff Jarrett, until a falling out coerced him to leave. So, as a form of rebuttal, he took Prudius to the WWE. The WWE then proceeded to show him sporadically on television as he improved his wrestling craft, until he was brought to the Smackdown Brand in 2007. The rest is history.

Now, Kozlov's appearance on ECW as their newest and first pick didn't come as a surprise to many. This is due to the fact that he had been in some high-profile feuds while on Smackdown. To his merit, he had a triple threat match against Jeff Hardy and Triple H as a main event at Survivor Series. Due to the fact that Jeff was in an accident (kayfabe), Kozlov battled Triple H alone. I had hoped it would be a bit of a wrestling showdown, but I was wrong. It was a promising one-on-one matchup, but the fans found it to be a very flat matchup. This might have been due to the fact that they all expected Jeff Hardy to be in this match, so they booed due to the lack of Jeff Hardy. However, this might have been due to Kozlov's lack of pizazz, charisma, and appeal. I mean, he was a relative newcomer. His fighting HHH is no different than a standard Smackdown match. This proved to be a major setback for Kozlov and he would be forced into main-event cards that involved more than one person. It was a way to keep him in the loop while not exactly giving him a direct title shot or direct contendership. The WWE still had faith in him and his dominance while the fans have passed on him.

This is where the ECW portion of things fits in. You see, ECW is a brand where a failed star or formerly-pushed star can reinvigorate him or her self. Since this brand is in no way more important than Raw or Smackdown, it shouldn't be that much of a problem to anyone. This is also the case because, well, sadly, no one really watches this show, as the ratings have proven on a few occasions. So, why not have Kozlov continue his quest for domination? He won't be paired up with major stars that can very well defeat him soundly, carry him through a match, or be caught in a very sloppy match with him in it. This is perfect for him. Too bad for the others on this show, though.

I say that last part because, compared to the other ECW stars, Kozlov has received so much more. He's been given spots on Raw, Smackdown, and PPV main events near the end of the show. Has Christian or Jack Swagger been given that? No. They've at most gotten the opening match treatment. Now, the title picture on ECW has been restructured, and the inevitable will occur. There's a reason why Christian defeated Swagger for the ECW title, which is the reason why Christian will retain the belt at Judgment Day. Kozlov is next to win the title. In fact, at this rate, he'll be champion before the summer is through. Let's look at the track records for each and the inner workings here to get an idea.

Christian has returned to the WWE from a long stay in TNA. He's maintained his popularity and shown his veteran instincts that have secured him an ECW title run. He has won the titel by shady means, but a victory is a victory. However, we have all heard the stories from Vince McMahon about how he does not like Christian or his look. You would be hard-pressed to think that Christian was going to be a long-term champion. As for Jack Swagger, well, he was dominant for about 4 or so months. He lost his first match to Finlay, but that didn't slow him down. He lost the ECW title to Christian, but not before losing a big match on draft night to John Cena, which is almost destructive to anyone's credibility and push. I'm pretty sure at this point Swagger has just about bottomed out. Some say otherwise, but, in all reality, most stars that lose to Cena do bottom out.

As for Kozlov, well, he hasn't really lost too much momentum. In fact, for the momentum he loses, he gains it back in other matches. It's a pendulum with him. I think it's mostly due to the fact that the WWE remains faithful to him over the other two. They have faith in this gift from a promoter, than an established veteran and a trainee, successfully finishing up in the training facilities. Really shows who gets favoritism, doesn't it?

Kozlov claims he will dominate in ECW just as he has done everywhere else. Quite frankly, I can't say he won't. With minute competition, a very small fan base, a general malaise towards the brand, and some favoritism towards himself, how can he lose? He's been tearing through the competition as of late, and it's only a matter of time before he settles in on an established star like Evan Bourne or Finlay. He has the credentials to be a top star in the WWE as well as some wrestling knowledge to get by. Let's not overlook his toughness, either.

ECW had better be prepared for Kozlov's dominance and subsequent title run. The fans had better be, as well. In fact, so should the wrestlers. I say this because his dominance might put ECW on the map. Then again, it might not. The fans might take an interest in his power, then again, they might not. As for the wrestlers, they might give him a run for his money, then again, they might not. Why all this doubt? Well, if Kozlov couldn't dominate on Smackdown, what will dominating on ECW prove? ECW is a lesser show, by far, especially now that SD has more stars that can wrestle. If Kozlov will prove anything, it's that he's a star to fear, and a star on the rebound. Let's just hope a handful of careers aren't destroyed by him, physically, credibly, or charismatically. We don't need any more job losses because of a "hostile takeover". Right? (Man, that sucked).