Does anyone on here watch wrestling these days?

I've been reveling in nostalgia recently watching some of the WWE docs on netflix. A couple buddies and I pulled out the 64 this weekend and started playing Revenge and No Mercy as well. It was a lot of fun. We even discussed ordering the Royal Rumble next weekend just for the fun of it. So I recorded a replay of Raw and watched it Saturday night. 3 hour run time and maybe 30-40 minutes of it were actual in ring wrestling. The rest of it was scripted story lines.

But it seems like the ratings are still strong for these shows and the fans are actually more interested in what's happening outside of the ring than the actual quality of matches inside.


And how is TNA fairing against WWE? apparently well enough to still be around. But it's cast of characters seems to made up of Sting, aging stars past their primes, and WWE castaways.

1/21/2013 11:56:15 AM

Let's talk about why they're jobbing Dolph Ziggler to the face of the company. Cena doesn't need a rub, but they've booked Dolph into the grave all year (teaming with Swagger!?), and just as they're turning him around they give Cena a win. I worry that being the best bumper on earth has killed Dolph.

COME THE FUCK ON.

1/21/2013 11:59:01 AM

I saw that match and know that Ziggler is the Money in the Bank guy right now. but i don't know much more about it. But is he really one of the top, more popular guys? I just don't see the appeal for both him and Daniel Bryan

1/21/2013 12:02:44 PM

I AM A REAL AMERICAN, FIGHT FOR THE RIGHTS OF EVERY MAN

That song forever gives me chills when I hear it, lol

1/21/2013 12:42:02 PM

not a sport, move to entertainment

1/21/2013 12:43:53 PM

I wish Netflix had the individual wrestlemanias and not censored, processed compilations

1/21/2013 12:51:57 PM

^^

1/21/2013 12:58:38 PM

^but for serious

1/21/2013 1:13:17 PM

not the tna i was expecting

1/21/2013 1:17:02 PM

"OH MAH GAWD KING KANE HAS GOT THA URN!!!"

"PUPPIES JR, PUPPIES!"

1/21/2013 1:28:35 PM

I've tried to watch TNA every now and then, and I just can't get into it at all. Just seems like I'm watching WCW all over again. WWE production >>>>>>> TNA production

With that said, this is the best time of the year to watch WWE (other than the 3 hour Raws, they really drag). The Royal Rumble always has a special spot for me ever since I got the Sega Genesis game. The Rock/Punk matchup should be a good one.

1/21/2013 2:42:24 PM

I'm glad this thread is in sports talk.

1/21/2013 2:50:13 PM

Quote :

"The Rock/Punk matchup should be a good one."

i haven't kept up with pro wresting since the 80s. is that like the rock and roll express vs. the midnight express?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G2Z2OkpvpF0

1/21/2013 2:51:07 PM

^^yeah i'm really interested in the Royal Rumble this year because all of the titles are on the line.

Punk v. Rock - WWE Champ
Del Rio v. Big Show - World Heavyweight Champ
Team Hell No v. Rhodes Scholars - Tag Team Champ

and not to mention the actual RR tournament.

1/21/2013 2:53:15 PM

Skittles.

That is all.

1/21/2013 3:10:41 PM

Ziggler is the best athlete in the company, and sells like nobody's business. Crowds have been behind him for quite a while (check the reaction for his false finishes in his WHC match with Sheamus at No Way Out) but aside from giving him the briefcase, they've booked him as a weakling.

Daniel Bryan is far and away the best technical wrestler in the company. People love him because of his catchphrase, sure, but they also recognize his talent. His first real match in the company was an excellent TV match with Chris Jericho, and the pop when he returned from his non-storyline firing at Survivor Series was giant. His popularity has only grown from there.

The Punk/Rock match at RR should be better than the Rock/Cena match at WM last year. Rock has at least three months of shows to do, so he'll be in better ring shape, and Punk has a lot more talent at Cena, and can carry the match better than Cena could.

1/21/2013 3:11:59 PM

thanks! helps me make sense of who to watch for.

Is Cena still considered the "face" of WWE right now? Or is that slowly transitioning to someone else? CM Punk, even though he's heel?

1/21/2013 3:29:45 PM

Absolutely, hence Zigger getting the shaft.

WWE dropped the ball with a face CM Punk in the summer of 2011 with sorry booking (Triple H & ADR beating him & No Nash match). Cena is still so popular with the younger crowd that they can't turn him heel yet.

1/21/2013 4:01:22 PM

Yeah, Cena will be the face of WWE until he doesn't want to be any more, or at least until he's not selling 30,000 new color-coordinated t-shirts and hats every two months.

Cena is ultra-popular with kids and women, two demographics that don't get served all that well by a majority of guys on the roster. They've talked about and teased turning him heel for many years, but they're terrified his merchandise sales will dry up if they do.

Punk is definitely a top tier guy now, as shown by having the longest title reign since Hogan had it from '84-'88, but he's so far outside the "WWE image" that he'll probably never be the true #1 guy like Cena or Hogan.

The more I think about this match, the less I'm convinced that Rock wins at all, let alone clean. I'm probably wrong, but it's been creeping into my mind lately.

1/21/2013 5:25:15 PM

John Cena is already the best heel in the history of wrestling. He steals his friends' girlfriends and then slut-shames them, commits ridiculous acts of violence against his already-defeated opponents, and never loses. And when he does lose it doesn't even matter because he wasn't really into the match, like an SEC team in a bowl game.

1/21/2013 6:09:00 PM

Ziggler will have his day. I think he gets rewarded by cashing it in at WM.


As for the Rumble, my money is on Cena. Rock beats Punk, sets up Rock/Cena 2. That said, I was hoping for Cena/Taker with the streak on the line.

But we'll probably get Punk/Taker, HHH/Brock 2, and Rock/Cena 2 as the triple main event at WM.

1/21/2013 6:58:10 PM

is Undertaker currently feuding with anyone?

1/21/2013 7:05:43 PM

nah


he only wrestles once a year these days, at Mania.


and it's usually the match of the year, tbh

1/21/2013 7:13:04 PM

I'd take belt vs. streak at Mania. Just sayin'.

1/21/2013 10:53:30 PM

Quote :

"I've tried to watch TNA every now and then, and I just can't get into it at all."

Poor you. Bully Ray, Austin Aries, Bobby Roode, and the tag team of Christopher Daniels & Frankie Kazarian are worth admission price alone. Aces and Eights though is fucking stupid.

Bully Ray I think they should give the championship to. Don't think of him of Bubba Ray Dudley as once they broke up the Dudleys finally he got himself in shape and he's a great heel that can talk but not in the sense that you cheer him like he's a cool heel or anything.

[Edited on January 22, 2013 at 12:35 AM. Reason : /]

1/22/2013 12:24:04 AM

While the Undertaker matches the last few years have been awesome. I'm perfectly fine with him retiring. I just think there is such a thing as getting too old even for one match a year and if he wrestles it'd be a letdown.

I subscribe to Dave Meltzer's site and the current Wrestlemania plan (which can change) is Undertaker vs. C.M. Punk.

Quote :

"Let's talk about why they're jobbing Dolph Ziggler to the face of the company. Cena doesn't need a rub, but they've booked Dolph into the grave all year (teaming with Swagger!?), and just as they're turning him around they give Cena a win. I worry that being the best bumper on earth has killed Dolph. COME THE FUCK ON."

Ziggler loses too much, yes. I've heard a Wrestlemania plan for Ziggler involving his Money in the Bank briefcase and I think it'd just be horrible.

Quote :

"Punk is definitely a top tier guy now, as shown by having the longest title reign since Hogan had it from '84-'88, but he's so far outside the "WWE image" that he'll probably never be the true #1 guy like Cena or Hogan."

That's fine. He's their best talker and is excellent at being a heel.

[Edited on January 22, 2013 at 12:32 AM. Reason : /]

1/22/2013 12:27:37 AM

Quote :

"John Cena is already the best heel in the history of wrestling. He steals his friends' girlfriends and then slut-shames them"

I remember that Cena/Kane/Zack Ryder/Eve Torres skit from last year for how ludicrous it was.

1/22/2013 12:40:39 AM

I went to the TNA show in Raleigh a few months back (granted I didn't pay), and there are some serious talents there, but the booking is just horrendous.

Samoa Joe is an insanely good worker and is constantly wasted.

1/22/2013 2:10:13 AM

Do you smellllllllll, what the rock is cooking

1/22/2013 3:24:02 AM

I watched Raw last night and for the most part I really enjoyed it. 3 hours does drag on, but I was able to fast forward the recaps and speaking parts that I couldn't stand to listen to. Anytime Vickie Guerrero is on stage I have to move past it. I can't tolerate her and she's horrible to look at.

So i guess Flair is passing the torch of the Figure-Four Leglock to The Miz? That's all well and good if it seemed like The Miz knew how to do it. This is twice in two weeks he's had to restart it and looks like he can't remember what to do.

The Del Rio/Tensai match just felt wedged in and completely unnecessary. Maybe have it before all the Punk/Rock mic stuff. But putting it afterwards and before the Cena/RR preview just killed the momentum.

I dunno, i'm just getting back into it. It's a different time.

1/22/2013 8:24:27 AM

Quote :

"So i guess Flair is passing the torch of the Figure-Four Leglock to The Miz? That's all well and good if it seemed like The Miz knew how to do it. This is twice in two weeks he's had to restart it and looks like he can't remember what to do."

Color me skeptical but I don't think the crowd is going to buy the Miz as the next-generation Flair.

1/22/2013 8:53:48 AM

two big problems with WWE's booking:

1. face/heel turns that make no sense. Take ADR and Miz for example. Miz does 100% the same tired shit as he did as a heel, but b/c they pipe in cheers for him on SD and have him fight other heels, he's now a face? And ADR comes out as a face one week, hits SANTA with his car the next, then is getting the Goldberg on Thunder pop the next week on SD!? what the fuck?

2. 50/50 booking. They really need jobbers. When they have to push for a big rating every week and feel the need to have PPV main events on tv, no one can be protected.

1/22/2013 9:08:39 AM

Quote :

"They really need jobbers."

Santino
Zack Ryder
Brodus Clay
Tensai
JTG
Yoshi Tatsu
3MB

Probably some more I can't think of at the moment.

1/22/2013 9:21:48 AM

3 of those were involved in terrible squash matches last night. they don't cut it.

1/22/2013 9:34:39 AM

what you're saying is they need some Brooklyn Brawlers?

1/22/2013 9:59:25 AM

Quote :

"Anytime Vickie Guerrero is on stage I have to move past it. I can't tolerate her and she's horrible to look at."

I gotta say, if you're skipping Vickie's segments, you should go back and watch them. She's a great heel and has been for years.

If you were to rank individual heel reactions from the past few years, I'd say Vickie would have a long string of the loudest ones, outside of Cena in Chicago at MITB '11. There were times when she was doing her angle with Edge that she would come out IN A WHEELCHAIR and the booing would be so loud that you couldn't hear her, and she was screeching into an open mic.

1/22/2013 10:35:35 AM

I tried watching last year. It's at least better now than it was when I last watched in 2001, when it was just boring angles about the McMahon family. No one gives a shit about Linda and they only hated Vince because he did so well as Austin's evil boss.

I was the world's biggest Demolition fan.

1/22/2013 11:06:11 AM

there is just so much mic time for people that aren't even professional wrestlers. sure, they make great heels but it takes so much away from the real talent. It started in WCW when Bischoff wanted more face time, then the McMahons began being on screen every minute of every episode. and now it's this whole "GM calls the shots and don't mess with him/her" angle they've played since the Raw/Smackdown split (another terrible idea) years ago.

One thing I actually enjoyed about the WCW is they had a great cruiserweight division that brought some intense mid-card matches. And even though they didn't have dedicated storylines and feuds they were still the highlight of the night lots of times. Now that division barely exists or these guys are just used for squash jobs to get someone back on the microphone.

1/22/2013 11:37:05 AM

To be fair, there are very few guys on the WWE roster that deserve more mic time than they get.

That's not counting guys who don't have the position to get mic time yet (who knew Titus O'Neil was hilarious?), because we don't know who can bring it and who can't, but I don't need to hear Big Show talk. Ever.

1/22/2013 12:39:07 PM

^^ really don't see how you can say that re mic time

Vickie is GM in the cliched heel authority figure role, Booker T is the Smackdown GM.

Paul Heyman is an aid to Punk as manager but Punk is clearly the central focus and Heyman is just the cherry on top.

A.J. is nominally a wrestler but she's more managerial. If you've not watched in awhile I can see why you don't get her, but WWE think they can turn her into the next Miss Elizabeth (I hate her character now just because her psycho-ness sometimes is poorly acted, but she's small and cute and the fanbase like her).

other than them, the periodic Vince appearance, and the announcers, who talks too much that's not a wrestler?

[Edited on January 22, 2013 at 12:47 PM. Reason : .]

1/22/2013 12:45:38 PM

by the way, for those that didn't know, Vince and Linda McMahon are both graduates of ECU, and Vince is from Havelock (the most famous person ever from my hometown ) and Linda is from New Bern

[Edited on January 22, 2013 at 12:52 PM. Reason : .]

1/22/2013 12:48:48 PM

Paul E. was on screen for half the damn show last night. Anyone else I'd get sick of, but he's too damn good.

1/22/2013 12:51:59 PM

^^I'm not sure this is something to be proud of

1/22/2013 1:05:17 PM

^ it's Havelock, we've got white people that have lived there forever, black people that have lived there forever, Marines, and Marines' descendants

1/22/2013 2:05:03 PM

The more I think about it, I'd kinda like a Ziggler "boyhood dream" march to Mania


Sure, it turns him face, but he's been getting face pops for months anyways.


If we see him not cash it in randomly, but cash it in with a straight up challenge... then build up to it with him training, getting solid victories, and gaining fans along the way... its a formula that works. And he's a good enough wrestler and actor to pull it off.


Except Jose Lothario, tho.

1/22/2013 5:11:05 PM

I can't see him winning the Rumble when he has the briefcase, but they are sort of leaning on the "against the odds" thing, and if anyone can last the whole time, it's Ziggler.

I also wonder what happened at the PPV (can't remember which one) where they had him promise he'd cash in that night, only for him not to appear in the arena at all.

1/22/2013 5:53:31 PM

Do we need to take in consideration the fact that the rumble winner gets to choose which championship they want? What if the winner has ties to the heavyweight belt that would leave Ziggler wide open to the WWE belt at mania with the briefcase.

1/22/2013 11:28:49 PM

Ziggler has the blue briefcase, which is WHC only.

Cena cashed in the red WWE briefcase on Punk and lost.

[Edited on January 23, 2013 at 12:29 AM. Reason : 33]

1/23/2013 12:05:25 AM

Unless they do something dumb like have Ziggler win the Rumble, go into Wrestlemania for the WHC, lose due to DQ or something else dumb, then cash in.

1/23/2013 12:52:58 AM

Quote :

"Ziggler has the blue briefcase, which is WHC only."

ah! this, i had no idea.

1/23/2013 8:07:36 AM