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

[honestbharani]

Finlay is great... but what is wrong with having a strong midcard? It seems everytime I am hearing something about the WWE everyone talks about their favourite guys going on to ME levels.. But a strong mid card always helps!!! Some of the greatest in the WWF/E mainly made their name in the midcard... It is time WWE started bringing back some of the itnerest and prestige to titles such as IC and US...

 

[Barney Rubble]

Just caught the ending to tonight's RAW, thankfully it looks like it should bring some heat back to the Orton-Triple H angle. Looking forward to this one again now.

Nine matches set for WM, be surprised if we get any more now - from here on in it'll pretty much depend on match quality, as there's a few angles and matches which really could go either way.

 

[Xuhaib]

Finlay is great... but what is wrong with having a strong midcard? It seems everytime I am hearing something about the WWE everyone talks about their favourite guys going on to ME levels.. But a strong mid card always helps!!! Some of the greatest in the WWF/E mainly made their name in the midcard... It is time WWE started bringing back some of the itnerest and prestige to titles such as IC and US...

Yep an IC title match was always one of the highlightes in older PPV's not the case anymore.

 

[masterblaster]

Just caught the ending to tonight's RAW, thankfully it looks like it should bring some heat back to the Orton-Triple H angle. Looking forward to this one again now.

Nine matches set for WM, be surprised if we get any more now - from here on in it'll pretty much depend on match quality, as there's a few angles and matches which really could go either way.

Raw was pretty solid on the promo side of things this week. The Jericho/Flair showdown was absolutely incredible. Such a shame that arguably the biggest heel in all of WWE along with Randy Orton does not have a meaningful match at Wrestlemania.

Why do I have this feeling that this is being setup for the return of one Dave Batista to fight for the legends and Rourke? This very idea just makes me feel bad. Chris Jericho deserved a match up with Steve Austin, the story deserved a match up with Steve Austin.

I enjoyed the promo between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker as well. Undertaker is really dull in this gimmick but it's good to see him getting some mic time lately. His best promo's still by far were when he was in his biker gimmick. Shawn did a great job here even with a tacky premise for a promo. This match should be the match of the night.

The final promo was pretty strong and added that extra bit of edge in the rivalry. This whole storyline is seriously something Vince Russo would book and I've had trouble getting involved with this. I think Triple H is going to find it very hard to get a face reaction from the Wrestlemania crowd. Sure he will get a lot of cheers, but Randy Orton should get the biggest reaction of the night.

Randy Orton is popular as ever and quite honestly has never been better. People were cheering when he planted Stephanie McMahon with that DDT and when he hit Triple H with a sledgehammer. The whole McMahon family and Triple H have always been the biggest heels in the company. How do you expect people to side with Triple H in this match at Wrestlemania?

 

[Barney Rubble]

The final promo was pretty strong and added that extra bit of edge in the rivalry. This whole storyline is seriously something Vince Russo would book and I've had trouble getting involved with this. I think Triple H is going to find it very hard to get a face reaction from the Wrestlemania crowd. Sure he will get a lot of cheers, but Randy Orton should get the biggest reaction of the night.

Randy Orton is popular as ever and quite honestly has never been better. People were cheering when he planted Stephanie McMahon with that DDT and when he hit Triple H with a sledgehammer. The whole McMahon family and Triple H have always been the biggest heels in the company. How do you expect people to side with Triple H in this match at Wrestlemania?

This would be an ideal opportunity to pull a WrestleMania XIII-style 'double turn', if you think about it. However, if they turn Orton face then they kind of have to turn Rhodes and DiBiase face too, and I don't think that'll happen. However, I do think Orton's popularity will be into the stratosphere after WM, whatever happens.

 

[Athlai]

Raw was pretty solid on the promo side of things this week. The Jericho/Flair showdown was absolutely incredible. Such a shame that arguably the biggest heel in all of WWE along with Randy Orton does not have a meaningful match at Wrestlemania.

Why do I have this feeling that this is being setup for the return of one Dave Batista to fight for the legends and Rourke? This very idea just makes me feel bad. Chris Jericho deserved a match up with Steve Austin, the story deserved a match up with Steve Austin.

I enjoyed the promo between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker as well. Undertaker is really dull in this gimmick but it's good to see him getting some mic time lately. His best promo's still by far were when he was in his biker gimmick. Shawn did a great job here even with a tacky premise for a promo. This match should be the match of the night.

The final promo was pretty strong and added that extra bit of edge in the rivalry. This whole storyline is seriously something Vince Russo would book and I've had trouble getting involved with this. I think Triple H is going to find it very hard to get a face reaction from the Wrestlemania crowd. Sure he will get a lot of cheers, but Randy Orton should get the biggest reaction of the night.

Randy Orton is popular as ever and quite honestly has never been better. People were cheering when he planted Stephanie McMahon with that DDT and when he hit Triple H with a sledgehammer. The whole McMahon family and Triple H have always been the biggest heels in the company. How do you expect people to side with Triple H in this match at Wrestlemania?

Well I'd disagree about Shane McMahon being a heel, tends to be massively over. Mostly for THAT jump.

God that was awesome.

 

[GIMH]

This would be an ideal opportunity to pull a WrestleMania XIII-style 'double turn', if you think about it. However, if they turn Orton face then they kind of have to turn Rhodes and DiBiase face too, and I don't think that'll happen. However, I do think Orton's popularity will be into the stratosphere after WM, whatever happens.

How would they go about that, do you think?

I don't necessarily agree that Rhodes & Dibiase would have to turn face too. A face turn could quite conceivably involve him not being involved with them.

Nonetheless to me he seems a natural heel, much like Triple H in the early 00s

 

[masterblaster]

A very interesting quote from a recent Vince McMahon interview:

"My concern with TNA is not in terms of competition. My concern with TNA is that they are TV-14, and we are PG. They have to change with the times. I think some of the things they do on television are reprehensible, but it is a TV-14 rating. That's the only bone I have to pick with them. Their TV ratings are a fraction of ours."

"What we try to do in situations like that is use things that you can't find around the house. You will never see us use a baseball bat. You don't find folding metal chairs around the house. We are very selective. You can go up to the line. It's storytelling; that's how our business thrives. If you have well-defined characters and put them in the right story line against other characters, people care about their welfare."

Very well said by Vince. I hate what TNA have become. From being the show to watch for pure in ring action, they now contain some of the most cringe worthy segments ever to be seen on television. Plus the amount of swearing that they use is just terrible. WWE thankfully have realised that you can have a powerful and compelling product without the constant need to swear or to use cheap shock tactics.

 

[GIMH]

Have only ever watched TNA a couple of times; one was the other week. I'd rather sit in the dark than watch it tbh, just doesn't interest me.

 

[honestbharani]

Raw was pretty solid on the promo side of things this week. The Jericho/Flair showdown was absolutely incredible. Such a shame that arguably the biggest heel in all of WWE along with Randy Orton does not have a meaningful match at Wrestlemania.

Why do I have this feeling that this is being setup for the return of one Dave Batista to fight for the legends and Rourke? This very idea just makes me feel bad. Chris Jericho deserved a match up with Steve Austin, the story deserved a match up with Steve Austin.

I enjoyed the promo between Shawn Michaels and The Undertaker as well. Undertaker is really dull in this gimmick but it's good to see him getting some mic time lately. His best promo's still by far were when he was in his biker gimmick. Shawn did a great job here even with a tacky premise for a promo. This match should be the match of the night.

The final promo was pretty strong and added that extra bit of edge in the rivalry. This whole storyline is seriously something Vince Russo would book and I've had trouble getting involved with this. I think Triple H is going to find it very hard to get a face reaction from the Wrestlemania crowd. Sure he will get a lot of cheers, but Randy Orton should get the biggest reaction of the night.

Randy Orton is popular as ever and quite honestly has never been better. People were cheering when he planted Stephanie McMahon with that DDT and when he hit Triple H with a sledgehammer. The whole McMahon family and Triple H have always been the biggest heels in the company. How do you expect people to side with Triple H in this match at Wrestlemania?

That would be too difficult though.. As you said, both H and Orton are natural heels... But I guess they can always bring back Batista to even up the odds against The Legacy...


I actually think a team of Batista and another face would be the best bet right now for Batista coming back from injury... Maybe Christian... I dont know how it would all play out but it would be a good way for Batista to ease himself back into contention and also have some legit semi-main event level feud for the tag team gold... Throwing the tag team gold in the mix of a stable war is the best way to get some of the interest back to that division, I feel..


Heck, even a HBK/Batista would be awesome..


And a great way to test out the potential of both Rhodes and Debiase...

 

[Barney Rubble]

How would they go about that, do you think?

I don't necessarily agree that Rhodes & Dibiase would have to turn face too. A face turn could quite conceivably involve him not being involved with them.

Nonetheless to me he seems a natural heel, much like Triple H in the early 00s

Well, it wouldn't be a direct heel-face transition for Orton. I would say it would have to involve him getting screwed out of winning the title somehow, in traditional Triple H fashion. It's pretty evident that Orton is going to win the title at Mania and send his popularity sky-high, but the trouble is that they've so recently had him kicking the McMahons in the head that it would seem nonsensical to have him stop acting like a badass.

I think the only way they could do it would be to turn the entire McMahon family, including Triple H, back to being heels, all in one fell swoop, and then continue with Legacy vs the McMahons with the roles reverse. This is all extremely unlikely, however, and I don't think it would work that well.

I think one thing I would like to see is instead of a straight-up one-on-one rematch at Backlash, a match with the title not even involved - a Six-Man Tag Team Match featuring Triple H, Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon versus Legacy, with Legacy obviously winning. This would elongate the feud somewhat, and give us a bit of a break from Triple H vs Orton on its own, which we've seen a number of times.

 

[GIMH]

Well, it wouldn't be a direct heel-face transition for Orton. I would say it would have to involve him getting screwed out of winning the title somehow, in traditional Triple H fashion. It's pretty evident that Orton is going to win the title at Mania and send his popularity sky-high, but the trouble is that they've so recently had him kicking the McMahons in the head that it would seem nonsensical to have him stop acting like a badass.

I think the only way they could do it would be to turn the entire McMahon family, including Triple H, back to being heels, all in one fell swoop, and then continue with Legacy vs the McMahons with the roles reverse. This is all extremely unlikely, however, and I don't think it would work that well.

I think one thing I would like to see is instead of a straight-up one-on-one rematch at Backlash, a match with the title not even involved - a Six-Man Tag Team Match featuring Triple H, Vince McMahon and Shane McMahon versus Legacy, with Legacy obviously winning. This would elongate the feud somewhat, and give us a bit of a break from Triple H vs Orton on its own, which we've seen a number of times.

Hmm, nice ideas in theory - I hate it when Vince & Steph are faces, Shane I can live with as I think he has the right persona for either.

Gotta say though, from a personal PPV I am not a fan of 6-man tags and the like main-eventing PPVs. The all-time low for mine was when The Rock pinned Vince for the title at KOTR in 2000. Why Triple H couldn't just drop the title in a 1-on-1 without Rock needing help that year is beyond me, you'd think being the first heel to walk out of WM the champ would have been enough

Anyway, I digress, and agree that something different is a decent idea, but I wouldn't personally pay for a PPV where a 6-man tag is the top draw (and I think we'll have to pay for Backlash in the UK, IIRC)

 

[Xuhaib]

Hmm, nice ideas in theory - I hate it when Vince & Steph are faces, Shane I can live with as I think he has the right persona for either.

Gotta say though, from a personal PPV I am not a fan of 6-man tags and the like main-eventing PPVs. The all-time low for mine was when The Rock pinned Vince for the title at KOTR in 2000. Why Triple H couldn't just drop the title in a 1-on-1 without Rock needing help that year is beyond me, you'd think being the first heel to walk out of WM the champ would have been enough

Anyway, I digress, and agree that something different is a decent idea, but I wouldn't personally pay for a PPV where a 6-man tag is the top draw (and I think we'll have to pay for Backlash in the UK, IIRC)

Coz Hunter is one selfish bitch.

My scenario would be during the match legacy turns on Orton and screws him out of the title. We get a new Mcmahon-Hamsley type of group with HHH and Legacy + Mcmahons. After Mania HHH says Orton will not get the title shot again since he always loses to him. Orton beats Legacy in a handicap match at Backlash to win the title shot and then challenges hhh in a HITC where he finally gets his win over Hunter.

 

[Barney Rubble]

Coz Hunter is one selfish bitch.

My scenario would be during the match legacy turns on Orton and screws him out of the title. We get a new Mcmahon-Hamsley type of group with HHH and Legacy + Mcmahons. After Mania HHH says Orton will not get the title shot again since he always loses to him. Orton beats Legacy in a handicap match at Backlash to win the title shot and then challenges hhh in a HITC where he finally gets his win over Hunter.

That's much better than my scenario.

I think either way it's extremely unlikely, though. I think Legacy will just go on to be an extremely popular heel stable. The sky's the limit for those three, especially if they add DH Smith to the stable as has been suggested.

Right now I'd put money on either DiBiase or Rhodes vs Orton at WM26.

 

[masterblaster]

Gail Kim returned to WWE on Smackdown yesterday. Her return really was a bit of an anti climax. The commentators no sold the return and the crowd seemed pretty lifeless as well. I hope Gail Kim can get over with the WWE fans because she's one of the most talented female wrestlers going around.

 

[honestbharani]

Wasn't she amongst those trained by Shawn Michaels ? Along with Spanky and a few others?

 

[masterblaster]

Wasn't she amongst those trained by Shawn Michaels ? Along with Spanky and a few others?

Gail's from Toronto so I don't think she was trained by Shawn Michaels. But Brian Kendrick, Paul London, Bryan Danielson and Lance Cade were definitely part of a group that were trained by Shawn Michaels.

 

[honestbharani]

distinctly remember reading on some wrestling site that she was amongst the group that was trained by Shawn in that TWA or whatever it was....



BTW how good is the build up to Taker/HBK... Some of HBK's best semi-heel, ****y, arrogant work since the Hogan match... He is at his absolute peak best in this persona... Just a shame he can't be a full fledged ****y arrogant heel.. Him and Jericho will make quite the team..

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, HBK has been superb. It's almsot a shame he'll lose

 

[GIMH]

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