Official WWE/TNA Wrestling Thread

Because people already paid for WM, by bringing him back at RAW you give the fans a surprise return to spike the ratings for that week and next few weeks. It also gives the fans some unpredictability and a reason to watch until the very end.

The WWE almost never has superstars debut or make returns at PPVs.

 

Consider the source. You can't really believe what Bret has to say about HBK. Considering that Bret had total creative control over his character and refused to drop the belt to HBK, it is hard for me to buy into what Bret has to say about HBK. Did Michaels have control? Absolutely. Does he have influence and pull voer what he is able to do? Sure. But he has earned it, as did Flair and Bret Hart.

My point was, Flair booked himself into a bunch of championships and made sure he was at the top of the card when he had control of the book. Michaels, at best, was able to get pretty much anything he wanted, but his power fell way short of Flair's in his heyday.

I don't see how anyone can feel bad for Dustin, the guy has one fo the most recognizable characters in wrestling history. In fact, his clips are played almost daily on Howard Stern's show (admittedly as a goof, but still). Besides, back when he debuted with his old man at a Royal Rumble when he was 19, he was pushed as a Rhodes, and for a long time in WCW. He had the falling out with his dad and didn't want to be associated with the Rhodes name. He has had more success than Cody and I promise you he has banged hotter chicks. Life is good for Dustin.

Actually, having Batista come back at Wrestlemania would have done more to spike Raw Ratings than what eh did on Monday. Having him come back in the last two minutes of a show, unannounced won't help/hurt ratings this week at all. The true test will be next week, but even then, it is skewed because the Draft is next week which has been hyped and always pulls a big number.

 

this was his wife for a while, anyone that has this as a wife, its hard for me to feel sorry for

 

i get what you are saying about Flair booking and the power that entailed, and i am not disagreeing...

but there is no reason for Bret to lie about whether HBK was on the booking committee, he would be called on it instantly. way too many people could verify that. not saying everything he says in the book is gospel by any means, but it would be dumb for him to lie about that when countless others could call BS on it instantly. and he had nothing to gain by doing so.

also according to Bret, he only had creative control for the last 30 days of his contract, and it was at Vince's behest. Vince allowed these terms because Bret was doing Vince a favor by not making Vince live up to the financial terms of the contract they had signed, or holding out and taking Vince to court at a time when Vince was very close to going under.

 

Its pretty well known that Shawn Michaels ran things in the WWF from 1995 to 1998 backstage and had tons of influence in the bookings. Shawn Michaels made sure that his friends (Nash, Hall, Kid, Triple H) got the pushes and the people Michaels didn't like (Bret, Owen, Luger, Shane Douglas) got depushed. It's not shocking that Nash and Hall had their best matches when they fought against each other or against Michaels, when they fought everyone else they didn't care or try very hard.

Your comments about Flair make it seem like he was undeserving of the top spot and just pushed himself just to push himself (see Triple H circa 2001 to the present). Flair was WCW's top draw and main heel. He was making all kinds of money for the company while making huge stars out of Sting and Luger in the process.

The difference between Flair as booker and Michaels as a shadow booker was that Flair actually made tons of money for the company, while when Michaels was running things the WWF almost went under (whether it was Michaels fault or not, bottom line was Michaels was the top star during that time period). As great of a performer HBK is and was, he was nowhere near the draw Ric Flair was and that's why Flair had all of those title wins and was a top draw always because fans paid money to see Flair lose.

On the Batista thing, the WWE almost never has surprise debuts or returns on PPVs simply because fans already pay money to see the event, so they save the special appearances for TV so it will get fans talking and them to turn on the TV to see what will happen next. The only time I can remember the WWE ever having surprise appearances was WM8 with the Warrior and Royal Rumble with Cena. Everything else happens on TV, unless it's a non Big 4 PPV and they hype someone's return to try to get a buyrate boost ala Stone Cold's return on Backlash 2000 for example.

 

Anyone watching Raw?

How is random selections a Draft?

Shouldn't it be called a Lottery?

 

What crappy picks. Triple H going to RAW (wow that's a shocker), Jericho going to Smackdown (yup Triple H is trying to bury him I guess).

 

They really need to add a World Title to the Hardy vs Hardy feud.

 

Why? It would push both guys up the ladder and could turn them into legit superstars. The E is too busy trying to get Randy Orton to draw money for them when it hasn't worked for the last 5 years.

 

I didn't watch last night, but apparently the crowd starting chanting "nananana, hey hey hey, goodbye," when HHH did the stretcher job. Probably not what you are supposed to hear when argubaly your number one face (probably number two behind Cena), goes out.

Whoops.

Expect a HHH heel turn soon if this report is accurate.

 

Unfortunately.

The Hardys are putting on the best feud since Jericho vs HBK.

 

It just has so much potential too and they're pissing it away. Much like the Matt Hardy/Edge feud. Which reminds me, if they do an Edge/Christian feud they better do that right because it could turn Christian into a big star they really need right now.

 

other than the comedy aspect of Santino, there isnt much on WWE television that is holding my interest.

and why, if you are going to shake up the title picture, do you have three title changes at a mostly unwatched ppv and not Wrestlemania?

then turn around and have your IC champ totally punked out by Big Show in a non title match the following week?

titles are virtually meaningless these days. which makes it all the more funny that HHH seems to insist on winning more than Flair's 16 world titles.

as much as i dislike HBK, the fact he ash won 4 and HHH 13 is ridiculous.

there, done rambling now.

 

The titles were jokes ever since there was a WWE World Title and a Heavyweight Title. Which one is more meaningful? Of course then there was not having the IC title defended at WM in 7 years or so before this year. The Tag titles aren't defended on the biggest show of the year for a Diva Battle Royal. There's so many things wrong with the WWE since 2002ish that it's not even funny. Remember back in the day when guys would refuse to drop titles because it meant something to them? Imagine if a guy refused nowadays? They'd be laughed at, hell guys aren't even allowed to travel with the belts anymore, the WWE collects them after each show.

 

i actually thought that was what the 6 man tag was all about; Hunter refusing to lose straight up to Orton. i was very surprised to see it has HHH taking the fall.

 

Agreed. I'm thinking about getting TiVo just so I can watch ROH on Friday nights.

The titles changed hands?

You answered your own question. The belts are meaningless, therefore it doesn't matter if the IC Champ loses to Show.

As far as HHH is concerned, I don't think his goal is so much as to beat Flair (which will happen within the next year, probably as a headliner at WM XXVI or XXVII), but more so that he can selfishly set the standard high and above so that no one else can come close to catching him.

Part of that is the Crash-TV Era, he has benefited more than anyone else, but part of that is his personal obsession with rewriting the record books. The sad thing is that at the end of the day Trips is just as likely to be disregarded by the casual fan when compared to his peers - If I'm making a Top 5 or maybe even a Top 10 list I'm not so sure he makes it on either one of them.

 

all three singles titles changed hands at last sundays ppv.

Orton beat HHH in the 6 man tag with the stipulation that if any member of his team won, Orton got the title.

Edge won the title in a last man standing match with Cena, with Big Show's help.

and Christian beat Jack Swagger for the ECW title.

 

CM Punk's skills on the mic are growing on me.

 

Well, just get things flowing again: Bobby Lashley and Nathan Jones (not the who plays for the 'Phins) are apparently joined TNA.

 

Jones, the Aussie?

 

The very same.

 

I thought neither of those guys liked the wrestling lifestyle so they left?

 

I thought it was money related w Bobby.

 

Well... for Lashley, he was apparently released for reasons beyond his control, whick kind of ticked me off. He was the last person to hold the ECW Championship when it was actually pushed as a title equal to the top Belts.

 

He was Pauls boy and when Paul got canned he followed soon after I think.

 

I like lashley. They should bring him back. The other one can stay in tna haha

 

Yeah. He even had a good gimmick going for him. The Uncrowned Champion. It was gold.

 

thought Lashley was pursuing MMA now...

 

He was until he realized he sucked at it and could get hurt.

 

Actually, he's still doing MMA, and has a current record of 2-0. His next fight is in a couple of days.

 

Well, I'm glad the WWE is letting the Hardy vs Hardy feud die.

 

he won and is 3-0. Although I read his second fight wasn't that good.

 

Yeh I saw that..and apparently he hurts people..he doesnt get hurt..lol.

 

That is to be expected.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hHwIqD3bRPk"]YouTube - Bobby Lashley vs Mike Cook Full High Quality[/ame]

looks like he'll be fighting bob sapp on june 27th. i might actually watch that.

 

So, one of the main events for Extreme Rules is Jeff Hardy vs Edge: Ladder Match.

 

So they wont even call it an ECW PPV anymore,,,lol.....The Hardy Edge match on Smackdown actually kept my attention.

 

Edge and Hardy are two of the few entertainers on Smackdown that can keep my interest.

And yeah. It's no longer One Night Stand.

Quite frankly, I wish they rehired Frank Kazarian and Paul London. They would have been perfect for this kind of PPV.

 

Correct me if im wrong, but didn't lashley leave cause he was pissed at the WWE for firing his girlfriend?