Wrestling...thats right, Wrestling!

[BlowUpYourVideo]

I think Kennedy should be a heel again. I know it won't happen right now, what with him coming back from injury, but somewhere down the line I think it should happen.

He just seems.....cheesy as a face...

[Gnrfan]

I like Edge's work ethic and imagination, but he's the sort of wrestler who should be competing for the IC belt. 

Not trying to put the point down, but if Edge is only worthy of the IC belt.... Then who would you say should be in the World title hunt?

I think Edge has it all, and he has worked his way up from nothing in WWE... and i like that. I like the fact he's been Tag Champ, IC Champ etc

And he is willing to job to less established stars for the story. To me the greatest 5 champs are Bret, Austin, Hogan, Flair and The Rock but i would say Edge is definatly top 10 IMO and is definatly one of the greatest Heels ever.

[Izzy]

My suggestion:

Have Trips lead a new incarnation of the NWO...or, rather, something like it, as a heel forming a stable to "take over" the WWE, lock, stock and barrell. With the McMahon's actually acting as the foil/faces, protecting their company from his "hostile takeover".

It could be very interesting if played out right....they'd just have to be creative with it (I know, asking a lot from WWE creative), and they'd have to actually incorporate an acknowledgement of some of WWE's current troubles, creatively, too.  I'm not sure Vince could let his ego do that, or that they're that self-aware.

We think alike

An NWO return is fast becoming the only way out

Wrestling works on the basis no one remembers anything that happened more than 5 years ago - and its been a good 5 years since the last trace of the NWO was eradicated...

Have a angle where by Vince screws over Triple H because he's ''no longer in keeping with the brand'' - have him take over

They could sweep away all the rubbish without the humilation of actually coming out and saying they have no idea what they are doing

Cena and Batista - the ''nu'' generation can side with Vince and we can have Vince's good '90's wrestling vs Vince's awful post 90's wrestling

[Hammy]

Wrestling works on the basis no one remembers anything that happened more than 5 years ago

Thats always annoyed me, especially considering the stock footage WWE has.  They could reference older stuff in feuds so much more, and in many ways it could add extra depth.

It can get irritating with the recycling of storylines, the basis is less on people remembering and more on the audience changing...

....since wrestling is for kids and they have grown up and moved on and there are enough NEW viewers to warrant the rehashing.

The biggest problem for long term fans like we all our with any of todays products is we have seen it all before, there are only so many times you can see something recycled before its bound to get old.

The more I watch of WCW it reminds me of how you can have a quality show without multiple backstage segments and in-ring promos to start the show.  The program also has a more, "real" feel to it.

Take a Nitro I was watching today.  During an 8-Man Tag the commentators get word there is trouble in the back.  A camera man gets sent to the back, the match continues.  When the camera gets there they cut back to there, nWo has got into the control room, they are giving the production crew hassle, they acknowledge the camera's presence, security shows up and throws them out, now the way the segment was presented it worked.  It wasn't...

Segment 1: Match.  Match Finish.

Segment 2: Backstage Invasion.

It happened mid match heck you missed most of it, they didn't beat up the production crew, security turned up and got rid as you would expect.  They didn't pretend the camera wasn't there.  It just worked.  But WCW is acknowledging the "Real world".  Start of the show, clips of Shaq with Hogan and then Muhammed Ali, and questioning what they will think of what Hogan's done.  Then talking about the absence of Sting, Giant, Savage from last weeks Nitro saying they were wrestling in Japan.

[Izzy]

I wonder if WCW was amazing - or if with modern eyes it seems that way

Attitude matches seem to be atleast as dreadful as today - and yet i know which one I'd prefer

...it still surprises me when a match ends cleanly - that just didnt happen in the past...

[Izzy]

For the younger fans here that dont remember when wrestling was good and/or popular

10 years ago this month WWE programming achieved its highest ever rating with a staggering 9.1 for Raw

...this weeks Raw got a 3.3

...bravo Vince, your new direction has soooo paid off, plunging profits and a third of the audience, you sure know what you're doing

[slash666]

Dude, ratings are down for EVERY show wrestling related or not. More people go out now than just sit in on a night, it's common sense.

[A Private Eye]

For the younger fans here that dont remember when wrestling was good and/or popular

10 years ago this month WWE programming achieved its highest ever rating with a staggering 9.1 for Raw

...this weeks Raw got a 3.3

...bravo Vince, your new direction has soooo paid off, plunging profits and a third of the audience, you sure know what you're doing

Out of interest what were the main storylines at the time? I would know off the top of my head (just) for anything from Feb 2000-2002 but mid 99 was just slightly before I really got into it.



To anybody who's got it or played it I was wondering about buying Legends of Wrestlemania the other day at HMV, it was only 20 quid. Worth a buy or not?

[Hammy]

May 1999 you say....First thing that comes to mind is Owen Hart died at Over The Edge.

One storyline on the card that I was really into Billy Gunn vs Roadogg, The Outlaws had split and were feuding.  Next month at King of the Ring he became King Mr. Ass, and it seems I'm the only one who actually enjoyed that 

You had the short lived Union stable (Don't ask).  The Ministry who feuded with The Corporation and then Shane Mcmahon went over to the darkside and merged the groups and they became the Corporate Ministry and they had some higher power, at the time Vince had been a babyface and had asked for Austin's help after Steph was kidnapped, but then the higher power was revealed to be Vince (which was a let down), although his maniac face and the "It was me Austin, it was me all along" bit was classic.  We had the late Test romancing Steph and Shane was happy so he fought Test at Summerslam in a classic Street Fight.  Speaking of Summerslam, it was the end of Billy Gunn's singles push as he lost to....The Rock, shame!

Erm, Val Venis was being pursued by Nicole Bass a sex change bodybuilder.

Oh and back on the Vince and Shane being bastards front.  Steph and Linda not being happy put Austin in charge and he put his position on the line at King of the Ring in a handicap Ladder Match with Vince and Shane and after someone in the back kept raising the briefcase, The Mcmahons eventually won.

Hardcore matches were in full flow featuring Al Snow, Big Bossman and Bob Holly.

The Tag Division was huge, Hardyz, Edge and Christian, Acolytes, Hollys, Too Cool, Droz and Albert, Mideon and Viscera, The Dudley Boyz, Mean Street Posse, Headbangers etc.

[BlowUpYourVideo]

Can't forget the debut of Chris Jericho which led to the WWE never.... eeeeeeeveeeerrrr being the same etc. etc.



I've got a few videos (yes, as in VHS ) of 1999 PPVs and I like those Hardcore matches which end up outside. The last match I remember which ended up outside was Jeff Hardy VS. Umaga, where Jeff hit a Swanton onto some kind of soft landing pad. Bleh.

[AtariLegend]

You had the short lived Union stable (Don't ask).  The Ministry who feuded with The Corporation and then Shane Mcmahon went over to the darkside and merged the groups and they became the Corporate Ministry and they had some higher power, at the time Vince had been a babyface and had asked for Austin's help after Steph was kidnapped, but then the higher power was revealed to be Vince (which was a let down), although his maniac face and the "It was me Austin, it was me all along" bit was classic. 

For those who can't remember:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6XdcJjP5JE

[AtariLegend]

Can't forget the debut of Chris Jericho which led to the WWE never.... eeeeeeeveeeerrrr being the same etc. etc.

That was August '99, "SummerSlam".

An unfairly underrated PPV.

[Hammy]

Can't forget the debut of Chris Jericho which led to the WWE never.... eeeeeeeveeeerrrr being the same etc. etc.

That was August '99, "SummerSlam".

An unfairly underrated PPV.

Yeah he came to save the WWF, ha!

He actually debuted on RAW  in the middle of a promo by The Rock right?  It was at Summerslam he interacted with Roadogg I think...

I've got a few videos (yes, as in VHS ) of 1999 PPVs and I like those Hardcore matches which end up outside. The last match I remember which ended up outside was Jeff Hardy VS. Umaga, where Jeff hit a Swanton onto some kind of soft landing pad. Bleh.

Personal fave would be Al Snow vs Bob Holly at St Valentine's Day Massacre, ending up in the river outside 

[Izzy]

Dude, ratings are down for EVERY show wrestling related or not. More people go out now than just sit in on a night, it's common sense.

 

Got a few studies to hand? Bit of evidence?

Surely you do - otherwise you wouldnt make such daft statements, right?

[Izzy]

You had the short lived Union stable (Don't ask).  The Ministry who feuded with The Corporation and then Shane Mcmahon went over to the darkside and merged the groups and they became the Corporate Ministry and they had some higher power, at the time Vince had been a babyface and had asked for Austin's help after Steph was kidnapped, but then the higher power was revealed to be Vince (which was a let down), although his maniac face and the "It was me Austin, it was me all along" bit was classic. 

For those who can't remember:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6XdcJjP5JE

amazing moment in wrestling history

The crowd were superb - though i remember them being superb year after year after year

...its only now you wonder if there is even a crowd in attendance...

[Evolution]

"It was me Austin, it was me all along" bit was classic.

How about J.R's legendary call right after? "Aww, sonofabitch!"

You all bought it! Even my immediate family bought it!

[Hammy]

"It was me Austin, it was me all along" bit was classic.

How about J.R's legendary call right after? "Aww, sonofabitch!"

You all bought it! Even my immediate family bought it!

Even Billy Gunn bought it!





I just imagined that line didn't I? 

[Evolution]

You did.

Anyone remember the classic Dog Collar Match between Gunn and Road Dogg?

[Hammy]

Anyone remember the classic Dog Collar Match between Gunn and Road Dogg?

For some weird reason I don't, all I do remember is you mentioning this to me last time we were having a Billy Gunn rules conversation.

I'll come across it went I finish with Nitro and move onto RAW, so I'd estimate about....2-3 years 

[pilferk]

You had the short lived Union stable (Don't ask).  The Ministry who feuded with The Corporation and then Shane Mcmahon went over to the darkside and merged the groups and they became the Corporate Ministry and they had some higher power, at the time Vince had been a babyface and had asked for Austin's help after Steph was kidnapped, but then the higher power was revealed to be Vince (which was a let down), although his maniac face and the "It was me Austin, it was me all along" bit was classic. 

For those who can't remember:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6XdcJjP5JE

amazing moment in wrestling history

The crowd were superb - though i remember them being superb year after year after year

...its only now you wonder if there is even a crowd in attendance...

Rates right up there with this one:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H76DwHgOwpA