Official Pro-Wrestling Thread (WWE, TNA, ROH etc.)

[duffer]

Pretty solid episode of RAW last night, glad to see Jericho vs HBK ladder match announced for No Mercy, definitely the match everyone wanted to see, should be very good indeed. Though the prospect of the winner going on to face JBL or Batista is hardly thrilling.

Looks like the writing is well and truly on the wall for Paul Burchill, can't go much lower than jobbing to Jamie Noble on live TV, reckon he's as good as done now.

Yeah poor Burchill, shame because he had a lot of hype surrounding him joining the WWE.

 

[sledger]

Thought the Matt Sydal involvment in the Kane backstage promo was really poor today tbh, not really his fault, but to have him come up and look like a total weed and deliver a really goody goody "yeah...well....rey is gonna beat your ass", just looked crap, should have just saved him till the ME, his involvment was probably the most interesting part of the match, as I agree that the match wasn't very good.

 

[duffer]

A midget trying to intimidate a monster about how another midget was going to beat his ass was doomed from the start.

On the flipside; easily Charlie's finest moment tonight and Santino is getting better by the week.

 

[masterblaster]

WWE on a roll at the moment with both Raw and Smackdown. No Mercy already looks like a must buy show.

 

[duffer]

Watching that awesome cage match again and it just re-inforces that they need to get rid of the door in these cage matches. Being able to just walk out or stagger through the door isn't exactly a satisfactory end to a match where for mine the drawcard is seeing them trapped together in a cage untill one man destroys the other in a way where he won't be getting up. That said great match.

Really loved Jericho's conversation with Adamle afterwards too. He can do anything and play any role. Apart from Edge there's no-one as versatile as Jericho.

 

[Barney Rubble]

RAW was good last night, enjoying it these days. Punk vs Jericho in a Cage Match could have been a big draw on PPV if that was the way they were going feud-wise, but I think they made the right call putting it on RAW. Good match, hurt by the lack of time available but they still told a good story.

Rey vs Kane was always going to be fairly horrible, but thankfully they didn't put the regular match on PPV, and we should get some sort of No-DQ rematch at No Mercy which could be good. Interested in the involvement of Bourne here, could get him some good screen time on RAW - but yes, his interruption of Kane's promo was ridiculous.

Charlie Haas continues to be comedy gold, as does Santino - I loved the interactions between Santino, Beth, and half the RAW main event scene. Although I do hope that the huge pop that erupted from a Batista/Beth staredown doesn't give them any more ideas about making Beth the new Chyna.

As for the No Mercy main event, well...I'll take JBL vs Batista being on PPV if it means we get HBK vs Jericho in a Ladder Match. The only thing that could possibly stop this from being the Match of the Year is if HBK's injuries and general physical condition don't allow him to bump like he used to be able to. These two guys are already elevating this feud to "all-time great" status, and this match could put the icing on the cake. Fantastic booking.

 

[sledger]

The Associated Press is reporting that World Wrestling Entertainment has signed Japanese wrestler Naofumi Yamamoto to a multi-year developmental contract. The story is getting a lot of press overseas. That's huge that the AP picked up a story like this.

Good news indeed, pleasing to see the WWE further branching out and attempting to appeal to further audiences.

 

[sledger]

Oh dear...this weeks RAW did a rating of 2.6, that's pretty damn poor, didn't get as high as a 3.0 for either hour apparently, such a shame as well, as Smackdown! and RAW have both been of a much higher quality recently.

 

[duffer]

Cowboys-Eagles was on at the same time, RAW had no chance of competing.

 

[sledger]

Mick Foley debuted in TNA last night, looks like he's being put forward for a match against Kurt Angle, which as far as I recall has never happened, would have the potential to be really good imo, would defo be interested in watching.


Smackdown tapings last night as well, looks like Kozlov is being pushed into the ME with HHH/Jeff, so guess that will now be made a triple threat. Also what's the deal with the great Khali at the moment? Are they trying to turn him face? As he's been booked in a match against Kozlov for next week, obviously they are just doing this to increase the credibility of Kozlov...but still....

 

[masterblaster]

Mick Foley debuted in TNA last night, looks like he's being put forward for a match against Kurt Angle, which as far as I recall has never happened, would have the potential to be really good imo, would defo be interested in watching.


Smackdown tapings last night as well, looks like Kozlov is being pushed into the ME with HHH/Jeff, so guess that will now be made a triple threat. Also what's the deal with the great Khali at the moment? Are they trying to turn him face? As he's been booked in a match against Kozlov for next week, obviously they are just doing this to increase the credibility of Kozlov...but still....

Beat me to it sledger. Foley vs Angle at Bound For Glory? I'm definitely interested as a TNA fan. This match has never happened on WWE and is a definite first. Can't wait to watch Impact this week.

But I feel it could've been just as effective had it been Jeff Jarrett vs Kurt Angle with Mick Foley as a Special Referee or Enforcer or something like that. As far as I know a Jarrett vs Angle match has never been done and perhaps that would've made better sense booking wise.

But this is TNA and they always jump the gun on marquee match ups whenever they sign somebody new. Luckily it's an Angle vs Foley match in a TNA ring which I never, ever thought I'd see. I'm definitely interested to see where this goes from here.

 

[sledger]

Just a thought, suddenly struck me how stupid and unfair on MVP pushing Kozlov straight to the ME is. MVP has worked well this year and looked like he was getting somewhere, and granted his time will probably come sometime soon....but since Summerslam he should have pushed on to a feud with HHH, instead he's been overlooked in favour of Hardy and a relative newcomer to the big shows....hope his run of jobs is short lived.

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Look, honestly, do you have to specifically mention that you're a TNA fan in every one of your posts. We all know by now.

 

[masterblaster]

Look, honestly, do you have to specifically mention that you're a TNA fan in every one of your posts. We all know by now.

Didn't even realise I was doing it. Wasn't doing it intentionally anyway. Out of all the things in life that can annoy or worry you, you pick out my replies on a wrestling thread as part of a cricket forum.

Whatever...

 

[dontcloseyoureyes]

Because something's online I can't be annoyed by it? Strange logic. If you said it every time we discussed wrestling in real life I think it would annoy me as well.

 

[Majin]

Smackdown tapings last night as well, looks like Kozlov is being pushed into the ME with HHH/Jeff, so guess that will now be made a triple threat. Also what's the deal with the great Khali at the moment? Are they trying to turn him face? As he's been booked in a match against Kozlov for next week, obviously they are just doing this to increase the credibility of Kozlov...but still....

I hope they do turn him face tbh. Him being a serius business heel doesn't work 'cause he can't talk on the mic or really back it up in the ring. But I think you could do a lot of stuff with a comedic face Khali. At least, it'd be a lot more entertaining than his current gimmick is. For some reason I have a mental image of Khali doing the DX crotch chop at HHH and it kills me. Obv would never happen but you get the idea.

 

[duffer]

I hope they do turn him face tbh. Him being a serius business heel doesn't work 'cause he can't talk on the mic or really back it up in the ring. But I think you could do a lot of stuff with a comedic face Khali. At least, it'd be a lot more entertaining than his current gimmick is. For some reason I have a mental image of Khali doing the DX crotch chop at HHH and it kills me. Obv would never happen but you get the idea.

After witnessing the hilarity of Khali shouting down the phone I'd love to see them try and make him a comedy face. Has the potential to be very very over.

 

[duffer]

Just a thought, suddenly struck me how stupid and unfair on MVP pushing Kozlov straight to the ME is. MVP has worked well this year and looked like he was getting somewhere, and granted his time will probably come sometime soon....but since Summerslam he should have pushed on to a feud with HHH, instead he's been overlooked in favour of Hardy and a relative newcomer to the big shows....hope his run of jobs is short lived.

He really must've pissed someone off big time to be getting it like this. A smart ass wise crack at a tester shouldn't be met with the types of drubbings he's been getting.

Really looking forward to seeing RonRon go over Shelton for the US title. Could be an excellent feud.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Intriguing that TNA are pushing Angle vs Foley instead of Angle vs Jarrett...Angle vs Foley has never happened before IIRC as has been said, and it'll be an interesting one. Although I doubt Foley can work too well these days, Angle can carry anyone to a decent match so I'm sure it'll be something worth seeing. With the RAW rating tanking on Monday, TNA really need to step up their game - this is a big opportunity for them.

Having said that, I think introducing Foley on the face side of this whole "Old Guard vs Young Guns" feud that TNA are pushing is a huge mistake. It makes no kayfabe sense, for one thing - Jeff Jarrett sticking up for the guys who've made their name in TNA and built the company up from nothing by introducing a guy who's been virtually everywhere else in the world apart from TNA - and heel Foley would, I think, be a much bigger draw in the long run. The wrestling world has seen enough of him as a face, for now.

 

[sledger]

TBH I think it depends on how TNA have/will book the entire thing. As a heel in WWE Foley was never particularly credible imo, mainly down to the fact that he always lost I suppose, but as a Face he always got everyone behind him, everybody genuinely wanted Foley to win, and were always saddened when he lost (i.e. the HIAC vs HHH) because he seems to be a guy that fans really care about. Were TNA to book him as a Heel in a similar way to the WWE mould it would turn out badly imo. That said if they packaged him as a heel in the Cactus Jack of the original ECW mould then it could have been a spectacular sucess (i.e. if Foley were capable of taking the crazy bumps he once was him vs Abyss would have the potential to be a hell of a match).

Can't see Foley being used as a really credible character by TNA, as where he is great, he certainly is not technically brilliant which is the basis for which TNA has built it's image, so it will be interesting to see how he is used, imagine he is only on a 1yr deal at most, if that tbh...