In the last 24 hours, World Wrestling Entertainment has made some boneheaded moves that may ultimately backfire for one reason or another.

*---On Monday, it was reported here and elsewhere that the company decided to eliminate comic strips from the new WWE Kids magazine, the debut issue of which was shown on Raw as being read by Jerry Lawler. Comics veteran Paul Kupperberg, who was a writer and editor at DC Comics during the 70's & 80's, was let go as senior editor of the magazine. Kupperberg was quoted as saying that "WWE thinks kids don't buy comics".

Say WHAT?

Look, I know we're in an age where even grade schoolers are getting cell phones and I-pods, and video games are a favorite hobby among kids. I live near a comics store, and there are youngsters under the age of 10 who still buy comics. I don't know who's in charge of market research for WWE, but they are way, way, way off base. This is the audience WWE wants to reach, but by taking away a likely selling point, they are shooting themselves right in the corporate foot. The strips would've been the first ones to grace the pages of a WWE(F) magazine since "Scoop Sullivan" 10 years ago, written by then-head writer Vince Russo. I don't think the research department even bothered to talk to people in the company who are comics fans, people like Raw head writer Brian Gewirtz, Rey Mysterio, Edge, & Gregory Helms.

The bottom line? WWE Kids doesn't get past a year. If it does, it's a miracle.

*--Two years ago, MNM was the dominant tag team on Smackdown. 3-time tag team champions. Joey Mercury, however, was having personal issues off-camera, which resulted in his being "fired" from Smackdown after MNM dropped the tag straps to Brian Kendrick & Paul London at Judgment Day. Mercury was let go, seemingly for good, a year later. Breaking up the team actually worked to the benefit of its surviving members, Melina Perez (2 women's titles) and Johnny Nitro, now known as John Morrison (ECW title, current WWE tag titlist with Mike Mizanin). However, another successful heel combo is being cut up, but for a different reason.

Like MNM, Deuce 'N' Domino dominated OVW before getting called up a year ago, and around this time last year, they beat London & Kendrick in Italy to win the tag titles. Lately, they've been on a lengthy losing streak, so what's a tag team to do? They change valets.

Smackdown is woefully short on female babyfaces, has been for a while. Torrie Wilson is on the DL, and has been advised to retire. Eve Torres is not ready to wrestle. That leaves Michelle McCool all by herself on the face side. That prompts the creative team to split Cherry from Deuce 'N' Domino to amend the balance on the women's side. Reportedly, an angle was being done on WWE.com that has the greasers replacing Cherry with the charismatically challenged Maryse Ouellette. Sounds to me like the retro gimmick is also being discarded, because I can't see Maryse in poodle skirts and bobby sox. We'll soon see about that, but this may be a move the creative team soon regrets.

*--As we'll see later on, the latest step in the McMahonization of ECW is to replace its voice. Joey Styles is being reassigned to another part of WWE, and veteran sportscaster Mike Adamle, who'd only been hired 3 months ago, moves from Raw to ECW to replace Styles at the desk. This is clearly a Vince McMahon decision. Adamle hadn't been seen too much on Raw, and was out of place as a backstage reporter. Adamle has play-by-play experience ("American Gladiators") and has also been a color analyst (NFL on NBC in the late 70's & early 80's). McMahon wants to recoup his investment in Adamle, I get that, but is he willing to sacrifice his investment in ECW to do so?

What I see happening is something similar to what WCW used to do. Current TNA play-by-play man Mike Tenay was brought in initially to call cruiserweight matches on Nitro, working alongside Tony Schiavone and Bobby Heenan or Larry Zybyszko. When they have a ECW match on PPV, they'd be well served to use Styles in this spot, since Adamle would at this stage be a work in progress. It's been a long time since Adamle was in a broadcast booth. Tonight, he's going to have some rust, and that may affect his working with Tazz, although the former ECW champion can actually relate. After transitioning to broadcasting full-time 6 years ago, Tazz became regarded as the best color analyst in WWE, surpassing Jerry Lawler virtually in no time flat. Tazz formed a strong, solid team with Michael Cole on Smackdown, and then with Styles on ECW. He can help Adamle transition back to being a play-by-play man, get him used to calling wrestling, which is entirely different from football and "Gladiators". Styles will still be around, in case Adamle falls flat on his face.

There is a draft coming up, but probably not until the summer. People jumped to conclusions because of the 3-hour show on 4/21. What I see possibly happening is, if McMahon does want to shake things up, Tazz moves back to Smackdown, replacing Jon Coachman, who then moves to ECW to work with Adamle, who'd have something in common with him. It may hasten ECW's demise, sure, pending another contract renewal with Sci-Fi, but as long as Vince is calling the shots, caring not about consequences, we just have to live with it.