Wrestling...thats right, Wrestling!

[Hammy]

I seem to have a great memory of James Bond Dean Malenko having a great PPV match over it with Scotty 2 Hotty, finishing with a sweet DDT off the top, or something of the sort, Scotty definately got drilled....

Backlash 2000!

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=CJa1qK1-Bdc

1.10 beautiful finish!

Nice work dude!  I'm shocked in the midst of the Attitude Era Kung Fu Naki didn't rangle that hardcore belt more than once...

[Izzy]

There is one thing we all agree on - ending the brand extension

...i hazard a guess that if we went to next week RAW with a a survey we would find the exact same thing

...so why does it continue???

Once i believed it was to reduce the wrestlers workload - but they are doing house shows almost every day....

Scrap ECW and Smackdown and go for Raw twice a week

...so many duplicate titles is just nuts...

[Hammy]

Combination of things, most people point to Vince giving up on it would be him admitting it didn't work - HE was wrong, he's not very good at doing that.

And you also have the issue, unless they are prepared to bite the bullet and sack LOADS of guys, from all ends of the roster, things would be so overcrowded it would be crazy.  Although half the point of the split has vanished anyway.  Like brand only PPVs, meaning guys could get on a PPV card when normally they wouldn't.  By nixing brand only PPVs that aspect is out the window.

Thing is, and I continue to say this, there are a load of guys who are competent, over, legends and such but there time has been and gone, they have peaked, there continued presence takes up valuable roster space younger guys could be taking.  The veterens on the roster main eventing should be Edge, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, John Cena yet they are still treated like young guns because the likes of Michaels, Triple H, Kane, Mysterio, Undertaker, Big Show etc. take up the top spots when they are past their peak.  Take HBK, he's my fave wrestler and the dude can still go in the ring and cut a hell of a promo, but at the same time I'd like to see him retire in the next few years, before he starts going into Flair territory, with the mounting injuries and receding hair line, things aren't going to be looking good for too much longer.  Triple H yeah, stick around, your still good, but don't dominate the whole landscape, Jeff Hardy might be a fuck up but fans wanted him to win, beating him clean 2 PPVs in a row, pffft! Sack Kane! Mysterio with Bourne actually has me liking Rey again, still with guys like Bourne in their prime and Rey a shell of his former self, he need not stay around for ever.  'Taker...well yeah he's still very good actually.  Big Show...fire!

Really though they WILL NOT fire any of these guys, and in a way rightly so.  They have been loyal to the company and sell a shitload of merchandise, but long term they just slow things down.  Are we getting decent debuts and new stars?  Yeah, but it seems so stilted.  Look at Vladimir Kozlov how long has he been wrestling on Smackdown for?  He's pretty much the #1 Contender now, yet he hasn't managed to get on to a PPV.  What about Jack Swagger?  With his talent he should be on PPVs from the off, I mean ECWs ratings are hardly a sign he's going to be endeared to the masses.  Young Guns like Priceless and the Colon brothers are very talented, all have heaps of charisma, they should be on most PPVs, are they?  No!  Look at Miz N' Morrison extremely talented, they were main eventers the other year, then ditched to a midcard tag team and now they are being built up again, but is it all so they can be fed to D-X on monday?

There's no doubt we need veterans and established names but the company needs to cut the flab, the guys who are past their best and those who will never make it....Snitsky?  Bam Neely?

I'd LOVE TNA to give WWE a run for their money, to get real rich and in a WCWesque manner nab a lot of talent and in a way, re-invent that talent.

Put Mysterio in an X-Division setting, have Big Show join MEM, work some bollocks storyline between Kane and Abyss.  Sign Cliff "Cash" Compton too dammit! (That's a whole different story though....)

[Evolution]

I found this picture on another website. Looks like Jerry Lawler can't be bothered with WWE's pay-per-views either!

[Olorin]

lol At first I though he was on the prowl for porn!

I watched that some of that cybersunday thing the other night, Old Stone Cold looks in great shape! 

If he was to wrestle at Wrestlemania it might not be a complete farce, he looks fit enough to give a good performance. I would like to see him and Jericho getting a storyline going.

[pilferk]

So...is ANYONE watching the new Hogan wrestling reality show on CMT? Sorta like "Tuff Enuff" with celebs?

So far....it's not horrible.  It's not great, either....but it's not nearly as bad as I thought it would be.

[BlowUpYourVideo]

The WWE are splashing out on their PPV theme songs as of late. Motorhead, Metallica and now AC/DC? Could we hear GNR at Armageddon??

[Olorin]

They had AC/DC before:

Summerslam 98 - Highway To Hell -   http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkerskBQMyo&feature=related

[Izzy]

WWE has the talent and the money

...but before too long its not going to have the fans

I've lost track of how many people I know who used to love WWE and have now given up

The show is BORING

..and yet all the building blocks are there

Vince needs to leave..but sadly Shane's ideas are 10x worse....

[Gnrfan]

Combination of things, most people point to Vince giving up on it would be him admitting it didn't work - HE was wrong, he's not very good at doing that.

Yeah he's just not gonna do that.

And you also have the issue, unless they are prepared to bite the bullet and sack LOADS of guys, from all ends of the roster, things would be so overcrowded it would be crazy.  Although half the point of the split has vanished anyway.  Like brand only PPVs, meaning guys could get on a PPV card when normally they wouldn't.  By nixing brand only PPVs that aspect is out the window.

I mean there are loads of guys in that "Sackable" category. probally too many to know where to start. We all know that Vince is a fan of big guys and thats why alot of the guys most fans want sacked are kept on.

The whole Brand Exclusive PPV thing has potential for me. I know the rating were crap in the past but with 14 PPV's a year they could at least use two PPVs for exclusive PPVs. Lets Say No Mercy could be RAW & ECW and Judgement Day could be SD & ECW. It gets guys on PPV and doesn't hurt them too bad.

Thing is, and I continue to say this, there are a load of guys who are competent, over, legends and such but there time has been and gone, they have peaked, there continued presence takes up valuable roster space younger guys could be taking.  The veterens on the roster main eventing should be Edge, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, John Cena yet they are still treated like young guns because the likes of Michaels, Triple H, Kane, Mysterio, Undertaker, Big Show etc. take up the top spots when they are past their peak.  Take HBK, he's my fave wrestler and the dude can still go in the ring and cut a hell of a promo, but at the same time I'd like to see him retire in the next few years, before he starts going into Flair territory, with the mounting injuries and receding hair line, things aren't going to be looking good for too much longer.  Triple H yeah, stick around, your still good, but don't dominate the whole landscape, Jeff Hardy might be a fuck up but fans wanted him to win, beating him clean 2 PPVs in a row, pffft! Sack Kane! Mysterio with Bourne actually has me liking Rey again, still with guys like Bourne in their prime and Rey a shell of his former self, he need not stay around for ever.  'Taker...well yeah he's still very good actually.  Big Show...fire!

To me i wouldn't want to see Kane, Henry, Taker, Big Show & even HBK fired... i think they can be used better in different circumstances. I've never understood the fact that wrestlers seem to hit a level and then refuse to go back lower as they get older. I wouldn't mind seeing a heel big man stable.... with Big Show, Kane & Henry. It smeans only one would wrestle a week and its brilliant fodder for guys like HHH & Taker over a sustained period of time.

I mean i'd love to see HBK having a cracking feud with Shelton Benjamin or Swagger or Morrision or MVP for the US or IC title. In other sports people go past their prime and either get transfered to a lesser team or lose to guys they wouldn't in their prime. Why can't that happen in WWE? Why do the titles that got them their fame become beneath them? Not only would it be great feuds it would give titles more prestige.

Like Hammy Says when Rey is with Bourne it reminds us of how good Rey can be. Stick them in a Tag Team let them cut loose for a year. It helps Rey get back in the fans good books and pushes Bourne too. Same with guys like Big Show... he is great when used right why can't he go in a tag team with a youngster and promote both of them in a positive way.

We could have some classic feuds and even better some classic splits. When was the last time we had a HBK/Jannety situation or a Evolution turning on Orton type split. They tend to use the draft to split teams up now, which is fine but some big names have come out of tag team splits. Its a proven momentum push. Personally i like what they have done with Kendrick but a split feud with him and London would have been brilliant..... plus give him a little extra heel edge.

Guys like HHH are still at peak for me. this current reign has been a long time coming and that doesn't bother me too much. But as i look at SD especially HHH is head and shoulders above the rest of the roster and i think its right that he's champion but they need better feuds between people like Jeff Hardy who have potential to be champion. We all know that one feud can put guys on the map. If HHH was to get injured then i think Hardy would get the belt and then probally feud with Taker... until Edge comes back.

Really though they WILL NOT fire any of these guys, and in a way rightly so.  They have been loyal to the company and sell a shitload of merchandise, but long term they just slow things down.  Are we getting decent debuts and new stars?  Yeah, but it seems so stilted.  Look at Vladimir Kozlov how long has he been wrestling on Smackdown for?  He's pretty much the #1 Contender now, yet he hasn't managed to get on to a PPV.  What about Jack Swagger?  With his talent he should be on PPVs from the off, I mean ECWs ratings are hardly a sign he's going to be endeared to the masses.  Young Guns like Priceless and the Colon brothers are very talented, all have heaps of charisma, they should be on most PPVs, are they?  No!  Look at Miz N' Morrison extremely talented, they were main eventers the other year, then ditched to a midcard tag team and now they are being built up again, but is it all so they can be fed to D-X on monday?

I've been ranting for ages how young talent doesn't get a chance. Then they gave belts to Punk, Carlito, Rhodes & Dibaise. So that appeased me. But now boring Batista is champion again. so we'll see where we go.

The Koslov situation is interesting coz i dont think he'll be champion and i think wwe has to do a better job of selling that he could be before he goes into a massive feud with HHH.

Hammy is right though about Miz and Morrision getting fed to D-X... why? they are former tag champions. They are no pushover... well they shouldn't be.

There's no doubt we need veterans and established names but the company needs to cut the flab, the guys who are past their best and those who will never make it....Snitsky?  Bam Neely?

I'd LOVE TNA to give WWE a run for their money, to get real rich and in a WCWesque manner nab a lot of talent and in a way, re-invent that talent.

Snitsky, Palumbo, Neely and there are a few more too. Established names get people in seats and viewers but if you have talent around them its wwe's job to get them established. There is no point saying people like Jeff Hardy isn't big enough for the title.... he's been in wwe long enough.

I'd like TNA to get bigger but they won't with their product IMO. They have talent, they have some names but IMO its put together all too messy. To have Sting as your champion doesn't say much for the likes of Christian & AJ Styles. I mean thats a little like Flair being wwe champion. I guess the MEM thing is designed to be like the nWo but to me thats a problem in itself because its been seen before. What made me watch TNA a few years ago was the originality of the X-Divison,  something that has disapeared from TNA all together IMO.

You can say WWE is unoriginal, but they created it so its theirs to be unoriginal with.

[Hammy]

Just started watching this weeks Impact! and it's good to know the new stage set-up is here to stay.

From the off you see that, AJ's vid on the big Tron and they look way more professional, it's the little things like that which can make ALL the difference.

[D]

TNA has by far surpassed WWE and right now it isn't even close if you think about it.

The angle they got going now reminds me of the NWO stuff. Just must see TV and I am very compelled by it all. Hopefully they won't screw it up.

WWE, what feuds really do they have going?

Its like two guys come out and start talking and then wrestle.

there isn't really any heat anymore.

I remember when Kane and Jericho started a feud cause Jericho accidentally spilled coffee on Kane........... just stupid shit.

the Jericho/HBK thing, is really the only true angle I can think of right now, of course I could be forgetting some stuff but WWE truly truly sucks.

TNA though, exciting wrestling and they are now getting some awesome must see TV angles working.

Mick Foley is already paying dividends with his awesome humor

his and Jeff Jarrett's taking a kurt and wipe your angle is fucking hysterical!

[Mr Cowbell ?]

Two quick things, Shouldnt Dreamer have 15 reigns, I thought he was an original ECW Champion?


CMT Hogan's Celebrity Wrestling is a HUGE JOKE, Hogan goes to whoever he doesn't like and says, YOU ARE A JABRONI GET OUT OF MY RING.

His friend Dennis Rodman got a "sore" arm and couldnt wrestle so Frank Stallone wrestled his ass off, and Hogan told Rodman he better toughen up and told Stallone Great job stepping up.

Fast Forward 10 seconds "Stallone you are a jabroni, get our of my ring"  Bad show with very low rating I think its best ratings so far in the US was a .3

[Izzy]

I remember when Kane and Jericho started a feud cause Jericho accidentally spilled coffee on Kane........... just stupid shit.

I loved that feud

..and it started because Kane was jealous of Jericho's ''good looks'', the coffee was just a catalyst

...and there was something cool about Kane not even flinching when ''boiling'' water was splashed on him

Their last man standing match featured the best chokeslam I've ever seen - the kind of move that lets you know certain people didnt like each other behind the scenes!

I didnt think Jericho would ever get up - let alone at a 10 count...

And who can forget the ending with Kane crushed under the set - but then the gloved hand rises up from the debris - classic!

..ah man, WWE was all going wrong in 2001/2002 (and it was apparent at the time) - but it still had so many great moments

I remember a superb feud between Triple H and Kurt Angle fighting over Stephanie. Angle had broken Triple H's ribs with his sledgehammer on RAW and proceeded to destroy him at the PPV...

with Triple H unable to continue he calls for Stephanie to help him or finally side with Angle - a torn Stephanie then hits a low blow on Angle and helps a crippled Triple H set up the pedigree for the win

It was a great feud - but more importantly it was a touching story

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vFiIKDT81tE - the way it used to be done

...as great as TNA is, nothing has or will top WWE 1998-2002.

[Evolution]

Two quick things, Shouldnt Dreamer have 15 reigns, I thought he was an original ECW Champion?

Nah, it's just for the duration of his WWE run.

[Mr Cowbell ?]

OK.  I will admit I missed a few years in there around 2002-2004ish, and I am shocked to see JBL hardcore champion so much, just something you forget.

[Izzy]

OK.  I will admit I missed a few years in there around 2002-2004ish, and I am shocked to see JBL hardcore champion so much, just something you forget.

Perhaps its my hard drinking ways, University, an appaling memory or a combination of the three

...but mid 2002 through 2006 are just a big haze

My only recollection of Brock Lesner is his disasterous match against Goldberg at WM

...Vince must have been spitting blood.

Ya just wish you could go....back....and watch first time. Hell, dvd's and youtube will find many matches for u - but its not the same as that first time when you had no idea who won, who ran in, who turned heel....

[Mr Cowbell ?]

OK.  I will admit I missed a few years in there around 2002-2004ish, and I am shocked to see JBL hardcore champion so much, just something you forget.

Perhaps its my hard drinking ways, University, an appaling memory or a combination of the three

...but mid 2002 through 2006 are just a big haze

My only recollection of Brock Lesner is his disasterous match against Goldberg at WM

...Vince must have been spitting blood.

Ya just wish you could go....back....and watch first time. Hell, dvd's and youtube will find many matches for u - but its not the same as that first time when you had no idea who won, who ran in, who turned heel....

That's my most well known memory of him. 2004 and on I would turn in every now and then. Kind of really got back into WWE after WM came back to Detroit in 2007, my home state, then really got back into it, That match with Goldber and Brock was a DISASTER, it was so bad, it was hard to watch, Fans booing them both, and both the strong men letting a cribbled stone cold stun then as a send off.


Maybe its just me but I know Goldberg was trying some MMA awhile back, it would be nice to see these two in a UFC cage to really settle the fued.

[Izzy]

THAT 'mania match

...most disasterous match in WWE history? (not inc Owen's death of course)

It was damn near the main event too - imagine the effect that had on people watching for the first time....

[AxlsMainMan]

I think WrestleMania XX was the last truly great WrestleMania though.