Brock Lesnar/WWE Contract Negotiation News
Right now the contract negotiations are still where they were two weeks ago when Lesnar walked out of RAW. Its still said that both Lesnar and McMahon are unwilling to budge from their current position.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Jealously Towards the Stars of NXT?
For the NXT: Takeover show, Kevin Owens was wrestling against CJ Parker and Bill DeMott was the agent for the match. DeMott told them that he did not like the match layout because there were too many moves and dives. Owens then reportedly complained to HHH about it and HHH told DeMott to let Owens do whatever he wanted. This led to a lot of jealousy because of the guys HHH is building NXT around are getting to wrestle the way they want and use the style that the office tells the others in NXT not to do.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
Major Concern Among TNA Talent About the Future of the Company?
Before the move to Destination America the TNA locker room was presented with the idea that things in the company would get better after the move but that is not the case. With no signs of any live events or PPV's to be scheduled anytime soon and cancelling the April TV tapings and moving them to May instead means the promotion would be dark for a few months with the talent not getting paid. Those who have been with TNA for a while have been seeing the top stars leave with no real growth being made by the company as some think that its time for TNA officials to talk with them about what is really going on and what the future holds for the company.
WWE Interested in a Lot of the Top Ring of Honor Talent
The WWE has expressed interest in the Briscoe Brothers as well as most of the top RoH talents and in some cases they may have to wait for contracts to expire before they can sign them to deals. It is also said that New Japan is interesting on booking top RoH talent for more dates.
Credit Dave Meltzer, Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The reason guys like Shawn Spears aren't allowed to do cool moves is because they suck.
ReplyDeleteI never undestand this "WWE style." I mean I get it what they are talking about - but how else was Kevin Owens supposed to beat CJ Parker?
ReplyDeleteThey cancelled the April tapings? I know the UK shows run out on 27/3, do they have something booked this month?
ReplyDeleteIf there really is jealousy amongst the NXT guys, I view that as a good thing in a way. Means that they are hungry and want to succeed. I'd rather be like that then be satisfied being in a three minute match every week that ends in a distraction roll up.
ReplyDeleteWWE would be idiots to sign the Briscoes in the wake of the DeMott issues. No need to fan the flames by having idiots like them working for the company. Not like they would move the needle in the slightest.
ReplyDeleteand it's not like it is anything new. Even when guys just got a finish and a time amount for the match, guys like Hogan had more latitude with what they did than the mid card guys. And certainly since matches have been layed out in detail a top guy has a ton more say in what he can or won't do than a lower level wrestler.
ReplyDeleteI really am starting to think HHH is the world's biggest internet smark but he hides it from his Father in Law in order to slowly gain power from him.
ReplyDeleteThe Brock negotiations are still circling the drain?
ReplyDeleteI'm not usually one to naysay like this, but it really does feel like there's a strong chance Lesnar might not even show for WrestleMania.
I also think it's good in a way. Plus, if the jealous wrestlers negotiate and they prove themselves in the ring. (And by prove themselves, I mean show proof that they can do moves safely to both themselves and the other wrestler.) Then this could be a stepping stone to having a lot more input into the match layout.
ReplyDeleteDixie: We know you guys are worried about TNA, but everything is fine! In fact, we went and rented some movies and video games for you guys to entertain yourselves backstage during the shows!
ReplyDeleteTalent: What did you get?
Dixie: Well, for movies we have Zombieland and Dawn of the Dead. For video games, looks like Left 4 Dead, Dead Rising and the zombie expansion for Call of Duty.
Here's hoping the WWE signs the Briscoes and then jobs them out for 12 straight weeks to Darren Young.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the deal with the Briscoes?
ReplyDeleteIts just Jay, Mark never said anything i'm aware of.
ReplyDelete"The Delaware Senate passed a bill yesterday that allows same sex couples to get married. If that makes you happy, then congratulations!!!!!!
ReplyDelete... try and teach my kids that there's nothing wrong with that and I'll fucking shoot you"
It'd be a crazy WrestleMania story for everyone to get to California and Brock never shows up as they go on the air.
ReplyDeleteI still think Mark Briscoe would be a great hillbilly comedy gimmick that Vince would love.
ReplyDeleteAnd you can feel the competitiveness on NXT every show, so its not surprising guys are jealous of Owens' spot. If it means they keep trying to one up each other every show, I hope they all stay jealous as fuck.
Vince loves hillbillies. If they are signed, they're gonna crush New Day first, then take the belts from K n C.
ReplyDeleteI don't think so. That would be breach of contract, which Brock has no desire to do, as that would probably mean no money.
ReplyDeleteMy thought is this. Brock knows exactly how much he is worth. Because I'm guessing Dana and whoever have said (In an unofficial way) that he would be paid X amount of dollars if he came back to UFC or Bellator or whatever.
Brock then goes to Vince and says. "They're offering me X dollars per appearance. Which means I'm worth X dollars per appearance. So if you want me to remain here, you have to pay me at least X dollars per appearance and not a penny less. I won't even consider a penny less, so don't try to negotiate.
Vince probably said, "I'm only paying you this much." And Brock said. "OK. I'll drop the belt at Mania and then I'm on my way. Nice working with you."
Oh... Yeah that's pretty dickish. Not that different than what Warrior said, however, and that didn't stop people from gushing over him when he returned.
ReplyDeleteGood, maybe this leads to people on the main roster speaking up more about not being allowed to wrestle.
ReplyDeleteAnd fuck Bill Demott.
Well if they're not teaching politics in NXT they're not teaching wrestling.
ReplyDeleteThe best of TNA on Destination countdown!
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine if he appeared and just laid down for Reigns? I mean, he appeared, right? He showed up. The guy that was supposed to go over went over. That's within his contract, I'm sure.
ReplyDeleteBrock isn't as big of a hothead as the sheets say. He most likely has a person to negotiate on his behalf.
ReplyDeleteNo it doesn't
ReplyDelete*shrug*
ReplyDeleteIt's funny; everytime I read about him, I can only see Bill DeMoot wearing his laughing man gear (or maybe it's General Rection; not sure they were that different). I guess other than that Tough Enough, that's really the only way I've seen him.
ReplyDeleteWhy would Brock breach his contract and turn down a massive payday?
ReplyDeleteWhat's it matter to him? He's leaving for UFC and just as much money (or more), anyway.
ReplyDeleteI doubt he wants the lawsuit that could come from it.
ReplyDeleteHe's not leaving for UFC if he's still under contract to WWE
ReplyDeleteI don't think he'll just get in the ring and lay down, because that would affect future moneys. Though I don't think Brock's going even attempt to put on a five star classic by any stretch of the imagination.
ReplyDeleteI never thought he was a hothead. Just that he didn't give many fucks.
ReplyDeleteWhich would cost him money, yeah.
ReplyDeleteFurnas & Lafon's entrance music is that shitty song they used for Raw in late '95.
ReplyDeleteHe could just make Reigns look bad and expose the hell out of him.
ReplyDeleteIn all probabilty, Brock saw his income affected by the Network and with the current state of the product, it's time to move on to something else. All talk about his disgruntlement is overstated and chances of him shooting at WrestleMania is zero.
ReplyDeleteI think he got a push on Smackdown after Tough Enough. Bullying Cruiserweights, fittingly enough.
ReplyDeleteHe's owed the date. He will get paid a ton of money to work the match. If he doesn't work the match, WWE will sue him and tie him for years . Dana White won't want to touch him if he's technically still under contract.
ReplyDeleteSo why is Brock going to no-show again?
That...on the other hand. wouldn't even take that much effort and is well in the realm of possibility.
ReplyDeleteNo, it's not
ReplyDeleteI'm actually curious how good of a trainer he was in general. He's managed to remain as a trainer in various forms in WWE for years.
ReplyDeleteWorst RAW intro ever.
ReplyDeleteIt was pretty lame. JR trying to talk him up as a badass in the 03 Rumble was definitely a laughing matter.
ReplyDelete'Briefly' got a push.
ReplyDeleteAll he would need to do is not take the lead in the match and walk Reigns through the thing. Do you think it likely that Brock is going to do what DBry did for him?
ReplyDeleteThat's true. Just seems like bad timing to have your main event champion in such contract negotiations right before WrestleMania. Kind of reminds me of Warrior holding up Vince for more money right before the Summerslam Main Event.
ReplyDeleteYay!
ReplyDeleteI JUST finished 1995 on the Network, I swear there was one week where the song had lyrics. Something lame like "I like it Raw"
ReplyDeleteBrock's not going to go out of his way to make Reigns look bad. All this speculation is just ludicrous. Brock wants to get paid. The end
ReplyDeleteSee this is the problem we are going to have when HHH takes over If you are his guy you are made but if you aren't..you are F'ed Bryan and Punk are good examples of guys who would not have got what they did if hunter was in charge. He has strong points and an eye for talent but that guy from 2002 is still in there.
ReplyDeleteYeh, I mean, it sucks and "shouldn't be this way," but if you're trying to get these people ready for a career in pro wrestling, part of it is getting them used to the reality that the people the boss really likes get to do things you're not allowed to. That's life, not just pro wrestling.
ReplyDeleteThe late summer/fall of 1995 is so odd with the intros and such. Guys having a battle royal on top of a building, lame songs, and them trying to present RAW as a sitcom with "On next week's episode..." and then showing clips of matches. I HATED that stuff and thank god it didn't last long.
ReplyDeleteI don't think Brock will fuck WWE. He'll probably want to go back there after a few UFC fights if he does leave.
ReplyDeleteSince the end of WCW/ECW, I'm used to that.
ReplyDeleteI liked the ring girls with the signs. That was a nice touch.
ReplyDeleteI think that fact that we're having all this speculation - even from reasonable people - shows just how ridiculous the whole situation is in the first place.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of NXT watched the Fatal 4way main event last night..holy crap. Re-watching it now.
ReplyDeleteThey went through like 4 on-screen graphics changes during the course of 1995. Started out the year with the "classic" graphics, then quickly switched to a steel theme with wacky letter placement for the "season premiere" in January. Then ANOTHER "season premiere" when Nitro started with Raw on the Roof, then the last Raw of December has those weird purple liquid nameplates they used until Raw is War.
ReplyDeleteAnd to think the clips in the intro were repurposed into the DX entrance video.
ReplyDeleteI totally agree. I'm not sure why people are so optimistic for him taking over. He's still the same guy and it looks like if your one of his guys, you get preferential treatment. I'm actually really surprised how badly it's going for Bryan because I always heard HHH liked him. I guess HBK really was his biggest supporter.
ReplyDeleteI'd have a LOT more faith in the future of the WWE if HBK was running the show instead of HHH. HBK seems to "get" wrestling better.
He doesn't have to go out of his way to make him look bad. Is he going to go out of his way to make him look great? That's my question. He'll put him over strong but he's not a high flying guy who takes bumps like DBry.
ReplyDeleteI don't think anyone in NXT is fucked. I just think certain guys HHH hand picked off the Indy scene are guys that he doesn't see the point in breaking down and rebuilding, which is fair given the tidal wave of nerdrage every time an Indy guy goes to NXT about "LOL LIKE THIS GUY NEEDS TO LEARN HOW TO WRESTLE."
ReplyDeleteAlso, Punk and HHH obviously never got along, but HHH put Bryan over like a motherfucker above and beyond anything he HAD to do, so let's not pretend HHH held Bryan down until he "couldn't" anymore because this WM proves that if they didn't want Bryan to main event last year and go over HHH in the opener, he wouldn't have.
I think it will get better with Hunter and he might right the ship into a company that will actually tell stories that have a beginning middle and end...but it won't be this utopia where the most talented most beloved guys go over. They will..if they are HHH guys
ReplyDeleteIt's not going to be perfect, but it should at least be better than what we have now. HHH's guys might be getting special treatment, but at least the end result is a product that makes fuckin' sense.
ReplyDeleteYou might be right about Bryan but the other explanation is that Hunter knew this could be his last Mania classic and he was in there with a guy who could give him a 5 star match
ReplyDeletelet's not forget another tweet of his
ReplyDeleteDamn there's a lot of fags out in New York today #WhatTheFuck
But HHH's guys are all experienced wrestlers who quite frankly don't need the training, especially not from Bill Fucking Demott
ReplyDeleteagreed
ReplyDeleteThe WWE has expressed interest in the Briscoe Brothers
ReplyDeletelol come on man
If that were the case, I don't think Hunter would be wrestling this year.
ReplyDeleteJust like every booker ever then?
ReplyDelete340lb fullback in college!
ReplyDeleteThis. There's ZERO chance the WWE touches the Briscoes after Jay's Twitter meltdown.
ReplyDeleteThat's a big stretch.
ReplyDeletepay day is a pay day ..but you have a chance to add to your legacy you take it
ReplyDeleteThe Warrior was an awful, awful human being in almost every way (apparently his family liked him well enough so I won't say 100%). The saddest part of him is that he went to his grave thinking that all these WWE people admitted he was right, when in actuality they all just were "apologizing" because all that shit was 25 years ago and it wasn't worth hanging onto grudges when the guy was going to be interacting with WWE for 2 weeks. He was delusional until the day he died.
ReplyDeleteValidation on ROH! I know a lot of people are down on it, but it's seriously good right now. Adam Cole is an incredible heel, RedDRagon are up there with the Young Bucks for best tag team in the world, and the undercard is really working right now. The Kingdom has even made me like Michael Bennett as a wrestler, which I didn't think would happen.
ReplyDeleteThe Briscoes are the Briscoes. I can't wait for Cole to come back and get his belt back from Jay. If Carey can forgive Jay, then I'm not as bothered by Jay's homophobia, but I do like him better paired with Marc because Marc is just such a lovable goof.
It's going to be interesting to see how ROH weathers advances by NXT. The greedy part of me wants everyone to stay in ROH. The part of me that wants people to earn more money understands they have to go to a bigger stage.
which one? This one:]
ReplyDeleteDamn there's a lot of fags out in New York today #WhatTheFuck
or this one:
"The Delaware Senate passed a bill yesterday that allows same sex couples to get married. If that makes you happy, then congratulations!!!!!!
... try and teach my kids that there's nothing wrong with that and I'll fucking shoot you"
Class act.
Fair point. We will have to wait and see I just get the feeling that Hunter is more stubborn. Vince can be won over like Punk did and Foley and some others. I have the opinion, and maybe he will prove me wrong that once his mind is set on a guy...that's it
ReplyDeleteHHH is more set for life than anyone in the company not named McMahon. If he needed the cash, he could just, you know, have it.
ReplyDeleteI don't think he believes his match with Sting will be an all-time classic, but I don't see him getting in the ring with his childhood icon's arch rival unless he truly believes that come hell or high water, he can get something fun and memorable out of him.
Well I'll disagree with you about the play day aspect but we will see.
ReplyDeleteOn Jericho's podcast he talked about how having him Superkick Bryan made no sense and the plan was for him to just disappear afterwards. He pushed for the in-ring segment for Bryan to make him tap. Shawn, and Jericho to, both get it more than most but I doubt either wants to be committed to wrestling.
ReplyDeleteOne lesson I learned the hard way last night: Putting on Community in the background while you attempt to do work does not end well. In fact, it mainly results in Community marathons.
ReplyDeleteI can say the word going around ROH back in the day was both HHH and HBK were big Bryan guys. I'm not sure what's happening with Bryan now, but maybe it is Vince saying, "No, Hunter...we're not pushing this guy."
ReplyDeleteI dunno...I don't have a lot of faith in HHH. He might surprise me, though, and I'd be happy to be wrong.
Oh God, pretty sure he was a commentator on Velocity for a while around this same time.
ReplyDeleteSo are we mad or happy with Triple H over this?
ReplyDeleteI'll find out as I continue to get caught up but did they screw up at this Fatal four way? the crowd wanted Breeze or Zayn and got Neville instead
ReplyDeleteI'm pissed. It's all Triple H's fault that TNA talent is fretting over the company's future.
ReplyDeleteThe finish gave Neville a heel edge and gave Zayn even more crowd sympathy and face heat. It worked fine.
ReplyDeleteI think HHH looks at his younger crop of talent in NXT, looks at a 34 year old Bryan and decides that's not a hill worth dying on. Cold and pragmatic? Maybe, but that's kind of how it has to be when you're dealing with business.
ReplyDeleteThat's an incredibly good point.
ReplyDeleteI need to listen to that. It sounds fascinating. Thank you.
ReplyDeleteI'm fine with him saying guys can do what they want...depending on who the people are that are not allowed to do those type of moves is the issue. Since we don't have names it's hard to say. If they are young green guys who need to learn other stuff than high spots that is one thing but if they are keeping a KENTA for example from doing crazy stuff but letting Owens and others...thats kind of BS to me
ReplyDeletecool
ReplyDeleteIsn't Itami one of HHH's guys, too? I think Itami is making an earnest effort to learn the American style.
ReplyDelete????????
ReplyDeleteHAAHAHAHAAHAHAHHA YEP!
I prefer to look at it like this: He put Bryan over huge and Bryan closed the show as champion.
ReplyDeleteI don't give a shit if Hunter did it out of good business sense, to fulfill a Make a Wish, to have a ***** match, or because he flipped a coin.
"DeMott told them that he did not like the match layout because there were too many moves and dives" There was one dive in this match
ReplyDeleteOk well then I take that back..I assumed it was his doing with really over burying Bryan as a B+ guy in that HHH way he has been known for in the past .
ReplyDeleteIt really sucks. Jay's such a good wrestler, but his outspokenness on his homophobia is...hard to square away. I'm glad he and Carey worked it out, though.
ReplyDeleteThe best battle royal ever.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TK6BxGcgy7s
No kidding. You can't act like HHH would have been the only guy ever in charge who'd push talent that he's high on over other choices. Just wait until his kids start wrestling and we get Erik Watts/David Flair levels of awfulness.
ReplyDeleteYour comment? More over than Sting! Stay tuned. I've got some thoughts on the Undertaker. And more thoughts on Sting. And more thoughts on Sting. And more thoughts on Sting. And more thoughts on Sting. And more thoughts on Sting.
ReplyDeleteThat's one too many. Dammit. Needs more pandering to the crowd and armbar'ing to the hard camera.
ReplyDeleteI'm behind on my NXT watching so I kind of picked his name out of a hat since all I know is he hasn't exactly set the world on fire like people thought he might
ReplyDeleteThe reason why is because at first he was struggling to mesh with the NXT guys but is now gradually adapting. It was the same problem as Sin Cara on the main roster but without all of the botching.
ReplyDeleteI think Demott and Dunn are feuding over who can piss us off more.you know it's bad when HHH is getting support.
ReplyDeleteKen Shamrock's voice-to-tough ratio is all off
ReplyDeleteSeems like Helmsley was a blueblood in appearance only by mid-97.
ReplyDelete"Slap me" What a great line
ReplyDeleteYes, ode to joy!
ReplyDeleteI actually would care kinda if he flipped a coin. But yeah the others are valid reasons.
ReplyDeleteShould have had Owens do a moonsault. No way DeMott could complain about that!
ReplyDeleteMaybe he meant too many dives over the course of the night.
ReplyDeleteI'd mark out if they have an AJPW style stiff-fest.
ReplyDeleteI'd care of the coin came up the wrong side. What if Triple H decides when to job in all his matches and just flips coins? Maybe in his case tails literally almost never fails.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of Sting, what did that bastard Undertaker ever accomplish? The crowd liking him beyond the streak? HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA like that would ever happen.
ReplyDeleteMaybe he was watching the Chelsea/Paris SG match! LOL #soccerhumour
ReplyDeleteWAYYYY better than that first theme he used.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking of his themes, remember that weird generic crap he used at Backlash 99?
SANTINO MOVE OVER THAN STING; THE BOOTYMAN MORE OVER THAN STING!
ReplyDeleteYup. It's why I was optimistic Seth's theme was just some odd placeholder.
ReplyDeletePutting him against Breeze was a good move in that regard and he starting to get the hang of it
ReplyDeleteI actually feel a little bad for him. Cult's recent comments seem to have gotten him a little hot under the collar.
ReplyDeleteThey've definitely fired him up but he hasn't backed down which makes it even better.
ReplyDeleteGod,I'm so glad those cunts got what they deserved.
ReplyDeleteIt's made for better theater than the usual droning. I hope it continues. Cult don't let me down!
ReplyDeletelol okay
ReplyDeleteThat was a good exchange. Worst was all, “okay yeah I’l ll do my thing and you continue to write 10,000 comments about old shows nobody cares about”. I was all “ooooh”.
ReplyDeleteHe has a right to his opinion. He just has to be aware that most people won't like his opinion (or the way he expresses it)
ReplyDeleteITS THE ASCENSION
ReplyDeleteI wouldnt put it past them. They did just publicly back a known homophobe and spousel abuser in floyd merryweather. I can never tell if their hearts are in the right place but theyre just really stupid, or if they just dont give a fuck.
ReplyDeleteWhat's the lunchtime shoot review?
ReplyDeleteI "ooohed" too! We had front row seats while two titans battled it out. And I want more!
ReplyDeleteMaybe thats why there is so much 50/50 booking. Wakka wakka!
ReplyDeleteI heard Bayless unearthed a super-rare RF Shoot Interview with Chris Hyatte where he details why he hated Scott Keith so much.
ReplyDeleteI don't want to spoil it for you but it turns out they're actually BROTHERS. TWIN BROTHERS!
And Hyatte was the evil one so they looked him up in an attic and fed him fish-heads. But then it was discovered that Dr. Hibbert made an error and SCOTT was the evil brother all along!
MIND...BLOWN.
Nice topical reference.
ReplyDeleteWe've got your lot this weekend. Big game :)
yeah it's going awful for Bryan, getting buried at Mania 30 like that and being one of the top 3 faces in the company and seemingly being the headliner for smackdown.
ReplyDeleteAlexis Texas
ReplyDeleteI was thinking on this question a few days ago, and I figured I'd pose it to the blog here: which two WrestleManias represent the biggest change in the WWE from year to year? In other words, what two WrestleManias could you watch back to back and say that the company had changed a lot, almost to the point of being unrecognizable or irreconcilable to the year previous?
ReplyDeleteThere are two possible choices in my opinion: the span between WrestleMania 13 and XIV, and the stretch between XXVI and XXVII. The change from the early WrestleManias to the Hulkamania years is a gradual one, as is the transition to the New Generation years (X, XI, XII). WrestleMania 13 was kind of a weird transitional year, as you could tell things were getting more edgy, but it was still trapped firmly in that New Generation-style presentation. But by the time WrestleMania XIV rolled around, it was a complete flip into the Attitude Era.
On the other hand, the span between XXVI and XXVII is more noticeable than you might first think. Between Phoenix and Atlanta, John Cena went from majority cheers to the 50/50-majority boo split that he's sat at ever since. The visual aesthetic of the show changed during this period and never really got altered all that much again. Shawn Michaels and Batista were pretty much gone, and by 2011 we were getting close to the era of CM Punk and, after him, Daniel Bryan.
9 years later and Shawn still never figured out how to work a laptop. Hell, it made him snap and kick STAN!
ReplyDeleteI picture it more like Solid and Liquid fighting on top of Rex.
ReplyDeleteOh, and Hyatte was annoying and unfunny.
Aye, massive. I think we pretty much knock
ReplyDeleteyou out of the CL contention if we beat you, and we HAVE to win. If we don’t
win all our home games we won’t stand a chance. Huge game. Chelsea/Southampton
right before it as well, gonna be quite a Sunday in the title/CL race.
They keep JBL employed.
ReplyDeleteI don't know, Cena's been getting the boos since 2005.
ReplyDeleteCena had the 50/0 split LOOOOOOOOOONG before 27. For WrestleMania, that started at 22.
ReplyDeleteI honestly feel Bryan is a Triple H guy.
ReplyDeleteI kinda liked him, but I was like 17-18 at the time? What ever happened to that dude?
ReplyDeleteThat's true, but I remember the crowd being vastly pro-Cena against Batista. It was really the last program that I can remember where he did so well with the crowd. Almost ever feud thereafter seemed to be a split crowd at best for him.
ReplyDeleteCurt Hawkins
ReplyDeleteThe last I remember was him getting trolled by a guy posing as Missy Hyatt writing an advice column for his blog.
ReplyDeleteWell yeah, that was an anomaly because Batista was so good at playing a douchebag, plus it's Phoenix. Chicago was chanting "Fuck You Cena!" at him, Detroit was firmly pro-HBK, Orlando didn't seem to care about him either way because they turned Cena into a choker for nearly a year after he returned from the injury, and he was booed at 25, too.
ReplyDeleteNow that I think on it, you're right: 22-24 were pretty much split. Strange how he was so popular for XXVI, though as tired as I am I may not even remember that well enough.
ReplyDeleteTo have been the top face for so long, Cena sure didn't keep the positive reaction for long, did he? Got the World Title at 21 and the backlash had already begun by 22.
ReplyDeleteI vaguely remember that.
ReplyDeleteI never liked Missy Hyatte much, but instantly became a fan when on an episode of Clash of the Champions she refered to Ric Flair as "the best wrestler in the history of ever."
Your timeline is way off on Cena.
ReplyDeleteWM 8-9
6 and 7. We went from Hulkamania being hot against his biggest challenge in the Warrior to his act being old and stale against Sgt. Slaughter.
ReplyDeleteI think you've got the right answer with 13 and 14.
ReplyDeleteWhen he went to Raw they neutered his personality and went out of his way to make him look like a chump compared to all of Raw's top guys. He went from the guy on Smackdown to a flukey paper champion who couldn't lace Kurt Angle, HBK, and HHH's boots.
ReplyDeleteShe's a bit politically conservative for my tastes, but she is a good follow on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteReally you could go as far back as Summerslam 2005 against Jericho where split reactions began.
ReplyDeleteEven when he was leader of the New Generation Shawn would pound on the keyboard like a monkey.
ReplyDelete22 was anything but split. That crowd HATED Cena, and the look on his face after he won the match made it seem like he just had his puppy drowned in front of him.
ReplyDelete"Major Concern Among TNA Talent About the Future of the Company?"
ReplyDeleteWhat else is new?
And he gave a really hostile, angry interview in that web-exclusive post-show.
ReplyDeleteShawn Michaels is about 80% less cool in the real world than in the dork world of wrestling.
ReplyDeleteI maintain that WrestleMania XI is the worst WrestleMania of all time. The match quality in the two main events might be superior to anything we saw at 2 or IX, but WrestleMania 2 and IX both have their charm and are more fun to sit through than XI. WrestleMania XI is the first WrestleMania that doesn't feel like WrestleMania.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure the Briscoes would get comedied to hell and it'll be something really lame like the Dupps or Trevor Rhodes.
ReplyDeleteLiterally the only thing salvaging interest in Lesnar-Reigns right now is the backstage contract talk, which had died down considerably from two weeks ago until today's update. If that gets resolved prior to 'Mania one way or another, that match is totally dead in my eyes.
ReplyDeleteYeah, it really was a mess. Say what you will about the previous shows but they were at least a company that knew what they were and either overloading with goofy gimmicks because it was the 80s and who gave a crap, or were at least trying to make due with what they had (IX and X). 11 is just a desperate grasp for attention and the roster had fallen so sharply. It's indistinguishable from an In Your House and was in an F'n Civic Center.
ReplyDeleteSeinfield's parents are easily the best written parents in sitcom history.
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, one look at Jays Twitter feed and WWE will pass on them.
ReplyDeleteDidn't he claim to be friends with Trish Stratus for ages? I think that turned out to be fake
ReplyDeletePersonal Top Five WrestleManias: WrestleMania III, VI, X-7, XIX, XXX
ReplyDeletePersonal Bottom Five WrestleManias: WrestleMania IV, XI, XV, XXVII and XXIX
(WrestleMania I gets a pass for historical reasons, and WrestleMania 2 gets a pass because it was the first one I'd ever rented, and it turned me into a lifelong fan).
This Mankind/Vader match is another condemnation of the shitty tag direction in late 96/97. The division is so dead they need two heels fighting for the tag titles.
ReplyDeleteDo you mean Jerry's parents specifically or all the parents on the show?
ReplyDeleteOn the show itself. It would be weird if Seinfeld's real parents were written characters.
ReplyDeleteThen again, weren't they kind of doing a good cop/bad cop thing with Bulldog and Owen at this time?
ReplyDeleteIs it any wonder HHH and Punk don't get on, when Punk comes across as 1998 HBK, minus the drugs, in stories with him and HHH?
ReplyDeleteNo I mean do you mean Jerry's TV parents only, or ALL the parents (of Jerry, of George, etc.) on the show
ReplyDeleteThe roster was so weak at that point that they had to overload the show with celebrities. The problem is, outside of LT, the celebrities were more annoying than anything, and it just gave the show a terrible stank about it.
ReplyDeleteLiverpool v Man U and Arsenal v Liverpool over the next couple of weeks too if I recall correctly. Huge games
ReplyDeleteAfter this marathon I'd put 2, 4, and 5 firmly in my bottom 5 lol
ReplyDeleteThat rings a bell, but I'm not sure. I only read his columns for a short while because I couldn't believe how completely delusional and not-self aware the guy was.
ReplyDeleteScotsman, on the other hand, he was a fun read. Plus he was nice enough to post a write-up I did about being fired from a job for (in part) reading Scotsmanality at work.
I meant his parents, but yeah, all the parents are great in Seinfeld. Even Elaine's dad brief apparences were great.
ReplyDeleteThe World Title storyline of Jay having not been beaten in 2 years or however long its been is the best championship angle in wrestling right now.
ReplyDeleteExcept Vince never pushed Punk or Foley as 'the guy' either.
ReplyDeleteAw yeah, here we go. I don't care how many times I've watched this match in the past month alone, it still gets me pumped up.
ReplyDeleteMeltzer said on one of his shows a while
ReplyDeleteback that if Bret had fought Michaels as planned, Bulldog would have fought
Austin. I’m not sure if they’d have gone for Mankind vs Vader in a singles
match in that case.
EVEN YOUR FANS HAVE CHANGED.
ReplyDeleteYeah, WrestleMania V is near my bottom ranking as well. 2 is no great shakes, but the boxing match is a fun trainwreck, the battle royal is pretty good, and then the two big tag matches (Bulldogs/Dream Team and Funks/JYD-Santana) are both excellent in their own special way. The cage match is inoffensive as well and Steamboat/Hercules is far from crap. There's nothing redeeming at all about IV or XI to me, and XV is just Russoific garbage.
ReplyDeleteBrisco Brothers have been rather terrible ever since 07, though I'm interested what NXT could do with them. After all, Seth Rollins was pretty awful on the Indy scene as well.
ReplyDeleteI can absolutely see them doing that as a 'are these guys team players?' initiation.
ReplyDeleteI just saw that NXT is doing some house show dates at the ECW Arena in May. I would absolutely LOVE it if they did some tv tapings there. The crowd would be tremendous and eat up the product.
ReplyDeleteUnpopular opinion alert: I don't like Seinfeld at all. Jerry is tolerable 50% of the time, but I couldn't stand George and Elaine at all, ditto for the other supporting characters. I liked Michael Richards a lot, but the only episode I even remember liking was the Soup Nazi.
ReplyDeleteIV has so many horrendous finishes. It's kind of astonishing.
ReplyDeleteI haven't gotten to XV yet, but judging from the match list it's just like the first few 80s Manias where it's utterly bloated, and because they were so hot at the time they just didn't really care because they already got their money, brother!
His promos in 97 were AWFUL. The ECW Raw has Lawler interviewing him and it's like Shamrock isn't even in on the joke. Then there's a promo he cuts before his match with Shawn Michaels. Ugh. RoboShamrock was much better when all he did was yell.
ReplyDeleteIs TNA even capable of making money at this point? It tapes weeks of TV every other month to air on one of the worst nights for TV (Friday) on a channel that half of American doesn't get. When they run at the Impact Zone they make no money from ticket sales.
ReplyDeleteTriple H is working hard to erase the anti-IWC backlash he got over the last ten years with NXT. The next thing you know he's going to rebuild the Omni for the next NXT TakeOver.
ReplyDeleteSting vs HHH is closing the show regardless.
ReplyDelete