Official WWE/TNA Wrestling Thread

Hey! How'd you manage a free elbow pad? That's not fair!

 

Oh I didnt get if for free...lol. The package was 30 bones.

 

Yo, is it true that at the time, The Rock was the only person (out of the top stars) willing to job to Chris Jericho?

 

Yes 100% correct. Go and watch Jericho/Rock matches in 2001/2002, then watch matches with Jericho against Austin and Triple H and you tell me the difference. The Rock busted his *** to get Jericho over, he let Jericho get tons of offense in and laid down for him numerous times on PPVs.

When Jericho fought Ausitn and Triple H they buried his offense, beat the crap out of him and either won or lost by DQ. Wrestle Mania 18 is the biggest example as the build up for the Triple H/Jericho match focused on Triple H and Stephanie McMahon getting a divorce and her becoming Jericho's manager and making him carry her dog and clean up after it (and yes I'm 100% serious).

Jericho's title run was looked at as a failure because Austin or Triple H wouldn't give Jericho anything.

 

do jericho and the rock get along pretty well in real life? do you know? i was just wondering becuz of the hall of fame induction....

 

I'm not sure about now (although I can't see why they wouldn't be) but I know they were very good friends when they were both wrestling, hence why Rock went out of his way to make Jericho look like a million bucks.

 

Things to remember guys, Jericho was a HIGHLY touted free agent when he signed with the WWE. In fact, he signed with them like 8 months prior to leaving WCW. the whole gimmick of "Countdown to the Millenium" was based around him.

WCW tried to steal his thunder by dubbing one of their guys the millenium man but it failed miserably (much like everything else they did).

Anyhow, Jericho's first promo with the WWE came with him interupting The Rock. It was a classic bit where both hit it righton the head and had tremendous chemistry. The Rock, above evrything else knows how to entertain and what works and what doesn't. He realized right away that he can make money with Jericho. The best way to do that? Have an even fued over the course of a long time so that interest peaked throughout.

In essence, The Rock welcomed someone new into the fold, whereas HHH and Austin felt threatoned. Even to this day I have been told that HHH doesn't think Jericho belongs in the upper echelon of the WWE.

Austin eventually caved for the greater good and HHH will play ball if enough pressure is put on him. I have never seen a guy cave more to internet bashing than HHH. It is uncanny.

 

WCW named Sid the millenium man which is funny in so many ways.

But yes you're 100% correct with Jericho's debut and The Rock being a big part of it, it was one of the greatest debuts in wrestling history.

Unfortunately as soon as Jericho debuted he got stuck in feuds with Ken Shamrock and Chyna and actually lost to Chyna at the Survivor Series for the IC title (you could guess who was behind that one).

I disagree with you on Austin, Austin never caved to anyone after he returned from his neck injury as he became paranoid about losing his spot since he saw The Rock becoming as popular if not more than Austin and Triple H basically gained the most when Austin was out. From 2000 to 2002 when Austin finally retired he was difficult to work with and only jobbed to The Rock (mainly as a favor since he owned Rock), Triple H because he was promised the title if he did, and Angle because of 9/11 PR reasons. Remember Austin refused to put Rikishi over when it was found out he ran over Austin, Austin also told everyone that he refused to work with Hogan but once The Rock was decided to fight Hogan, Austin went nuts and almost boycatted WM18 and of course the famous walk out on RAW when he was supposed to lose to Brock Lesnar (by the way it was The Rock that jobbed to Lesnar and made him a star).

Triple H has been much better at losing and putting people over but he was extremely selfish once he came back from his quad injury, he should have put Booker T over at WM19 (it would have made Booker a huge star) and there were many times when he should have put Jericho, Benoit, Angle and even RVD over and he wouldn't. He wouldn't even let his friend Kevin Nash beat him, only HBK did and he was retired at that part.

 

I'm actually surprised Triple H jobbed to Jeff Hardy, to tell the truth.

 

Yeah it was surprising but good business. Plus if you think now that Triple H is the champ and is going to lay down to Hardy (assuming he never failed a drug test) then you have another thing coming.

 

People think that a wrestler refusing to put over another is always a bad thing. Austin was right to refuse putting Rikishi over. First off, Rikishi was one of the biggest faces in the company and turning him heel was stupid.

Second off, Rikishi turned out to be a big pile of poo who would have never sustained anything at the main event wrestler. He was a gimmick, a white hot flame that burned out quickly. Plus, he was/is a drug addict and a horrible working partner in the ring. The guy used to refuse to wash his wrestling tights so when he shoved his *** in people's face, it would smell worse.

Quite Frankly, I am surprised more wrestlers didn't shoot on him and break a bone or two.

Austin DID put people over after her came back, but only when it mattered for the most part. I think having him lose during the JR battle was stupid and probably warranted him leaving again.

I think I would have liked to see him work with Hogan, but not now. Plus, Hogan is the biggest prima donna ever and was exposed BADLY for what he is by HBK when HBK was forced to job to him (even though Hogan has replacement hips, bad knees and a horrific back, not to mention he is in his 50's while HBK still brings it seemingly every night).

I don't know man, Austin's track record towards the end seems kind of bad (especially all of the private stuff that has come out about him) but I think he was better than you give him credit for when working with people and helping give them a rub.

HHH has put over people but it is very transparent and calculating in how he does it. It typically happens when the internet has been clamoring for it forever and the backlash starts to hit him in the form of fans booing and/or refusing to buy the terrible merchandise he pawns on them. Once that happens, HHH knows he has to throw the dogs a bone and drop one.


He is very smart and very aware of when and how to do it. It is just too bad that he can't bring it in the ring as well as he used to due o his injuries. He used to be a joy to watch and was someone Bret Hart used to tell everyone to keep an eye on. He was that technical and that well in tune with what worked and didn't.

 

See, I think he would have, as long as it meant the belt came back to him relatively shortly thereafter. Before he is done, he will have Ric Flair's record in his rear view mirror, and if he can use Jeff Hardy as a stepping stone to do so and as an example of someone else he put over, than so be it.

 

Austin had alot of bad feelings torwards the company torwards the end of his run....I think alot of that bleed over into his matches.

 

Austin has gotten progressively selfish through the years, which is surprising, because his place in history is secured. At this point though, he needs to stay away for a while and only come back as a "special attraction." HHH has the best gimmick ever. He's the champ. Period. Even when he's not the champ, he's the champ. That's the gimmick that I want, if I ever get into wrestling. I think both these men are a little paranoid, and jealous. The Rock has moved away from wrestling to Hollywood for good, while neither Austin nor HHH could make that move.

Hogan just needs to stay away. From everything. He needs to get his personal life stabilized, and he's been exposed these last few years as a fraud. He should have had the last run after the Rock match (WM 18) and called it good - the SummerSlam from a few years ago was nice, but pointless. I didn't think HBK exposed him - I think he just carried him to a watchable match.

 

While I agree it was dumb to turn Rikishi, at the time the only heels in the company were Triple H, Angle and Benoit, so I can see the WWE trying to build a new heel, and Rikishi DID have a lot of heel heat at first until of course his 1 and only PPV match against Austin that saw Austin basically beat the crap out of him for 10 minutes. Once that happened Rikishi never recovered, even after getting wins over The Rock.

I do disagree with you about Austin putting guys over, once Austin came back in October 2000 to when he retired at WM19 in 2003 he lost a total of 6 PPV matches (I didn't count the match he didn't win in the 6 man Hell in the Cell at Armaggedon '00, but I did include the elimination match at Survivor Series '01 that he got pinned in). The guys he lost to were Triple H, The Rock, Kurt Angle, Team WWE, and Jericho 2 times. He could have easily put over Booker T. or Benoit, and could have helped Jericho out more than he did. Yes he lost to Jericho 2 times but both times Jericho came out of the match worse than when he entered.

And I agree that sometimes it's not the smart thing to do to put a guy over however if Austin just put over Booker T. during the beginning of the Invasion angle, or Benoit before his neck injury or Jericho anytime without making him look like a chump he would have made those guys into huge stars and made the WWE even more money.

 

I did it for the Rock....I hit him for the Samoan people,,,,worst story line..ever...

 

And just think they had just under 1 year to figure everything out and decide who did it and why.

 

Oh there has been worse, but that one was pretty bad. Especially if you re-watch it and look at Rikishi's face who looks downright confused as to what he is saying. He was a terrible heel.

The hummer driving angle in WCW was horrible and unresolved and probably worse tan this storyline. Also, the White Castle of Fear angle they did in WCW was eyeroll worthy. Or the Dungeon of Doom with Kevin Sullivan as the Taskmaster was an abomination as well.

 

Of course the best storyline of all time, IMO, was the corporation and the ministry angles and the kidnapping of Stephanie by her own dad...that whole era was great. The Attitude era is by far to this day my favorite.

 

Loved the Ministry of Darkness

btw whatever happened to Gangrel?

 

It's too bad that Gangrel wasn't around in the 80's as his gimmick could have made him some big big money with all of the cartoon gimmicks back then.

Although I do think if the WWF/E tried harder he could have been a solid mid card heel for a few years.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yYd3JcyGrDs&feature=related

 

I think it's time the WWE retires the 'Spinner' World Title, not only is it ugly as hell but it looks stupid on everyone even Cena. They should bring back the old 'Eagle' title from the early 90's.

 

Jeff Hardy to Smackdown..... Hardy Boyz reunion?

 

And now CM Punk to Raw. Samphin called that one.

 

Saw it on the front page before CM Punk. Even Hardy's wikipedia is updated.

 

Okay!

 

Spoiler

Maybe

 

Spoiler

Raw's got the next pick. Let's see who they take.

 

No problem.