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QOTD #38: Best Promos



Today’s Question: What’s the best promo you ever saw?

If you want to skip yesterday’s discussion and start right away, scroll to the end or hit “Comments”. Otherwise please stick around to talk about your own personal bizarro world.


I should have known that fantasy booking would draw out the comments en masse, and it did. What match finish would YOU change if you had the power to do so? Of course, this would theoretically set off a chain of events that would change the potential direction of entire companies at times, but that’s part of the fun.

PrimeTimeTen: In the 174th match between Dolph Ziggler and Kofi Kingston, I would have had it end in a double-disqualification.

Here we go.

Thebraziliankid: Cena vs Brock at ER 2012. My finish would be like this, Cena hits the AA on the steps and goes for the cover, 1...2..NO! Brock kicks out, that was Cena's last straw of strenght. Brock does that evil smirk, picks him up F-5 put his foot on Cena's chest, 1...2.. Brock takes the foot off, grabs him again does another F-5 and locks the kimura, the referee stops the match when he sees that Cena is out. That would make Brock a even bigger monster than 92 Vader and would still make Cena strong for Surviving that punishment. Brock only became a monster once more because he conquered the streak.

We are off to the races with one of the most heavily debated finishes in recent years (as Brock Lesnar matches are wont to do), starting with his arrival. Cena was right off of losing to The Rock at Wrestlemania, and a fresh Brock Lesnar was waiting in the wings. Brock, armed with a WORLD of credibility after backing up his legitimacy by becoming UFC champion comes back, and sets the stage by bloodying Cena’s nose during the closest thing to a “shoot brawl” you’ll see. Then Cena wins. What the hell? By following your story, Lesnar continues to look like the unbeatable machine we all believe him to be, and Cena’s story of “worst year EVER~!” doesn’t change. I like this.

 Brian MacLeod: The first one that pops to mind is the main event of WrestleMania 2000. The Rock clearly should've won there instead of at Backlash. Because Rock won the next month, I suppose it didn't really "damage" anything long term, but I always liked the "face walks out of WrestleMania champion" tradition and it was kind of a bummer to see that broken...

Brian, the only reason I’m going to disagree with you here, is because Wrestlemania 2000 was the last time Wrestlemania didn’t feel like WRESTLEMANIA. It was built like another PPV. It wasn’t in a major stadium, it wasn’t shot any differently, and aside from the 98-hour pre-game show, there wasn’t anything to truly differentiate it from the other shows of the year. They were still another year away from remembering exactly what it was that made Wrestlemania, Wrestlemania. So with that in mind, I don’t hate the decision of Triple H going over; and in fact stacking the deck even further against The Rock just made the crowd even more rabid to see him take home the gold the following month.

LScisco: Luger over Yokozuna at SummerSlam '93 for the title. I think that match would've made Luger's WWF career.

Who needs the gold when you’ve got this:



DJ Sprite: Matt Hardy vs Edge summerslam 2005. Maybe not the fact that edge won, but stopping the match via blood loss? Hardy was one of the hottest acts in wwe and that's the finish in the grudge match? Have Lita-ferance cost Matt the match, leading to the cage match the next month.

Not a bad choice, and it truly doesn’t change much in the grand scheme... except maybe keeping Matt Hardy hot a little longer. He lost so much steam from not being able to come back and avenge himself for having lost his job AND his girl to the guy with the movie-star good looks who was anointed the future. Of course, it’s Vince McMahon we’re talking about. I figure when he gave Matt Hardy the finish to the match, he told him “LIFE SUCKS ... THEN YOU DIE!”

 YankeesHoganTripleHFan: Hogan vs Warrior at WM VI. Don't get me wrong it was totally the right booking decision, but I was 11, a Hogan fan, (obviously) and to this day it's the only match that actually made me feel sick to my stomach...I just never thought Hogan would lose

My advice: Avoid all of 2002 through SummerSlam. By King of the Ring you might be in need of CPR.

Ryan Yoder: Maybe Orton vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania 21. I really liked the Legend Killer gimmick, but I think at the time, Orton was going to have to get surgery after Wrestlemania, so him winning and then having to be out would probably have killed his momentum.

This probably denies us the Shawn Michaels series. You might have to face a lifetime ban from the blog for that stunt.

Stranger in the Alps: John Cena vs. The Miz at Mania 27. First, because it was Wrestlemania and it deserved a better match. Second, sending the fans home on a heel victory at Mania just feels wrong. The ending of the show needs to be the babyface celebrating in victory..........even if it means CenaWinsLOL

What revisionist history forgets, is that the net was FULLY on board with The Miz. For god knows what reason, people saw star power in the guy and were fine with him running with the belt. It wasn’t until he failed to show *anything* new after dropping the belt that he was finally regurgitated. In retrospect, yes, he should have been sent packing sooner, and Wrestlemania would have been a fine time to stop.

VintageECW: No doubt, Taz v Sabu from Barely Legal. I would've had Sabu pin Taz a hundred percent of the time. And I would have murdered whoever came up with that double turn, dumbest move ever.

Great choice. Sabu had the cult following to end all cult followings, and in his first PPV foray, he should have absolutely been built as one of the biggest stars in the company. For hardcore fans, Sabu had been tormented by the bully Taz, and after 18-months, it was time to stand his ground. Instead, he taps like a bitch. Granted, to the toughest guy in the company, but still. Then AFTER losing, he enlists the help of Bill Alphonzo? Why not call on his assistance BEFORE having all your joints ripped apart by a killing machine? They got too cute here, probably feeling the pressure to do something special. They missed.

Johnny Polo: Shawn vs. Bulldog at One Night Only. Looking back, I'm surprised Shawn didn't also go over Owen in their title vs title match on Raw to become IC champion. And then as both IC and Euro champ, he could beat Bret at Survivor Series to hold all three belts by beating all three Harts. Surly Shawn and HHH ran this idea by Vince.

This is one of those spots where it seems more clear that Bret’s departure was premeditated. There was no reason for them to take the European belt off of Bulldog, especially when the title was virtually meaningless. It didn’t add anything to Shawn Michaels’ overall heat, and considering Bulldog dedicated the match (non-kayfabe) to his sister Tracy who would soon lose a battle with cancer, it was a pretty lousy thing to do. All it did was get a belt off a prospective Hart ally who might jump ship a month later if anything “screwy” might occur.

Daniel Lewis: I would have kept the WWF title on Chris Jericho in 2000. Have Rock and HHH wrestle at Backlash in a grudge match, and have Jericho defend against Benoit. Then move Jericho into a feud with either Rock or HHH. Jericho at that time was the 2nd most over man on the active roster.

I’m torn. Triple H still had unfinished business with The Rock; but the chance to run with a surprise champion who DID get the job done could have been a lot of fun. I don’t think Rock’s heat would have suffered in the long run, so this is one bizarro world scenario I’d love to see play out.

Glen4321: Kurt Angle vs HHH Unforgiven 2000 would be the one match ending I'd change Instead of Steph low blowing Angle while still seeming like she cares about Angle (a terrible end to a very hot feud), Steph should have came in the ring, low blowed HHH and then made out intensely with Angle. Then the feud could have concluded at the next PPV in a much better blow off match (hopefully with much blood). Also, if HHH and Steph were broken up on TV this early on, maybe they would have broken up in real life if they weren't together so much. Changing the ending to this match could have prevented HHH's reign of terror from 2002-2005 on Raw.

Now Glen is a man who is into the spirit of the column. We have it all here! A swerve finish! Live gratuitous tongue wrestling! Real life divorce implications! I think we’re overstating the importance of a single match just a little here, but having Angle steal Triple H’s girl would have been the right ending here. In a world where nothing ever turns sour for Lord Hunter, a man with the might of a thousand penises, it would have been great to see him get his comeuppance and lose the girl here. Angle would have had killer momentum going into No Mercy where he’d take the title, and logically he’d drop the belt back to Triple H at Mania in this scenario. Austin still likely turns heel, and sets his eyes on H. I like everything about this.

ts14: Raven going over Jarrett in TNA. The crowd was nuclear for it, it should have happened. I know Raven as a champion would have probably been a disaster but they should have gone with it for a little while.

A forgotten classic from the weekly PPV era. I fully disagree Raven would have been a disaster as champion. Fans were eating up everything he was involved in for months afterwards. This was a bitter disappointment, and moving the belt to AJ Styles weeks later was the inferior move. Raven should have been able to take the belt and run with it. He could have just as easily have carried it into the impending feud with the New Church, done business with Shane Douglas, lost his hair, had his comeuppance, and then ... in the Internet wet dream ... have CM Punk turn on him and recycle their ongoing feud in ROH and MLW. I hope someone who can influence Jeff Jarrett is currently building a DeLorean.

Starscreamlive: Sting winning clean at Starrcade '97. Would have brought closure to that storyline once and for all instead of the debacle it turned into. The nWo could have still hung around afterward, but it's mission would have changed from destroying WCW to just being a stable of four or five core members.

It’s mind boggling how obvious this decision was in 1997. We don’t need retrospect for this. We need Hulk Hogan to do the right thing. And there lies your root cause.

davidbonzaisaldanamontgomery: Easily Booker going over HHH at WMXIX. Not only does it erase the inane "HHH goes racist for five weeks then wins at Mania" angle, but Booker was on the cusp of legit stardom; only HBK was more over on RAW at the time. Instead, back down the card went Booker and it took him three years to get back to the main event scene.

This was heavily debated on the blog today. As we may recall, this was during the “Triple H can’t put over Booker because he needs his heat for Nash ... and he can’t put over Nash because he needs his heat for Goldberg ... and he can’t put over Goldberg, because Goldberg needs more heat ...” era. I like changing the result, I just cringe at the idea of Booker T eating the “Miz” treatment of wrestling in the 3rd match of the card against World Title challengers Bubba Dudley and Jeff Hardy until it comes time to drop the belt to the first “real” main eventer he faces.

BobSacamento: Orton over Triple H at WrestleMania 25. Fuck that shit. Orton was hot as you could be and that loss really did him no favors. Beat Hunter, punt that son of a birch and then move to feud with MVP and then Batista until Triple H returns for Vengeance....and loses again.

You’ve laid out a very well thought out scenario that I would never want to watch in a million years.

ARRRRGH THE BARBARIAN: Del Rio's cash-in on Punk has to be up there. I don't think that did anyone any favors.

Now we’re talking! If we manage to avoid Alberto Del Rio, which for the record I try VERY hard to do, Punk’s title reign now extends to roughly 17 months on top of the promotion which is something that will likely never be topped again. Granted, neither will the 400+ days, but I’m just trying to pile it on at this point.

David: Barrett beating Orton at Survivor Series for the title. He only had 1 real ppv win over those 6 months (making cena join the nexus). Fine they lost at summerslam. However, barrett never got his big title win. He got screwed by cena for the title at the ppv before. He lost to orton that night and the next night on raw after the nexus kicked orton's butt before the match (then the miz cash-in). Next month, he lost a chair's match to cena. Ever since then, he has looked like a chump except as bad news barrett. Who knows where barrett would be if he actually beat orton that night?

He might be as revered as former champion Jack Swagger. In all seriousness, winning that match is not going to overcome the lack of personality he showed up until he became Bad News Barrett.

Devin Harris: The Flair-Hogan double-turn at Uncensored 99. This was supposed to be Flair finally beating Hogan for the title as a babyface and then WCW cheats us, the fans, out of it by doing a double-turn. Of course, the fans cheered it anyway

Devin, let’s recap. Hogan comes back, and steals Goldberg’s title away with the Finger Poke of Doom. Reunites the nWo. Has Flair driven out to the desert, where he is beaten and left for dead. Steals Flair’s son David away with sex (like THAT would ever work on a 19-year old). Flair retaliates by smacking Hogan with a tire iron. And HE’S the bad guy? I’m with you. NO TURN.

Darren X: Thats easy: DDP & David Arquette vs. Jeff Jarrett & Eric Bischoff. More than any one match, killed the business as we know it, and put it in the hands of Vince McMahon.

I really hate to burst your bubble, but WCW was long gone by this point. Still, I am happy to live in a world where David Arquette is NOT a former champion.

Adam Wright: Wrestlemania 4 main event, Dibiase Vs Savage. Have Andre move to attack Elizabeth which distracts Savage allowing Dibiase to roll him up. After the match you can have Andre, Virgil & Dibiase beat on Savage until Elizabeth goes for Hogan for the save to still get the megapowers. Except now you have Dibiase as a hell champ, the first heel champ in 4 years. Suddenly there's a lot of faces who can get a quick run on top as challenger, whilst Megapowers fight Virgil/Andre. You can still have the Megapowers Vs MegaBucks match at Summerslam, and at Wrestlemania 5 you have Savage over Andre & Hogan over Dibiase.

The only heart-breaking part of this is that Savage never gets his proper due until about Wrestlemania 8 in your world. I’m absolutely ok with seeing DiBiase get the run he deserves with all the hard work he put behind his Million Dollar Man character, it’s just unfortunate that Macho winds up on the back seat again.

greaterpower99: Nexus over Team WWE at Summerslam. After taking the beating from Barrett and Young in the final stage of the match, Cena manages a flurry and tags Bryan. Bryan steps in, and flattens him with a roundhouse kick. All three men then finish him off.  The Nexus angle was more or less killed off as any sort of serious threat by Supercena, putting them over in that scenario (or something like it) would have given them monster heel heat and kept it going for much longer.

This isn’t just fine fantasy booking, this is EXACTLY how it should have played out. I rarely get excited for pay-per-views any more, but I had a good friend over for this one and we were pretty stoked for what we figured was either a changing of the guard, or a sure-fire Cena heel turn. Then CENAWINSLOL. I am okay with changing this finish of this match to do one of a thousand different things, as long as it leads to the Nexus getting the big win.

Thank you for the quality discussion points today, good stuff from everyone who contributed in the thread – even you Vince Jordan.

Back at it again tomorrow folks, as we kick off my last week of doing the QOTD feature. (For those of you who’ve been waiting for this moment – you can rejoice!) I current work nights, which allows me the free time to do this every single day because no one’s awake at the god awful hours I put this together. However, mirroring my wife’s schedule is gonna make it impossible to run a daily piece.

We’ll address this more next weekend when I wrap this up, but in the meantime, have a great Monday with whatever you’ve got planned.

Comments

  1. Austin 3:16 says I just whipped your ass!

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  2. Ric Flair's final nitro promo. The emotion in that promo. That alone was better than anything said in the entire invasion.

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  3. Flair saying he's never worn blue jeans or a ten gallon hat but they call him a natural born cowboy anytime hes in Texas and then taking his shoes off so the camera could read label because he wanted what ever dude he just beat up to know how expensive the shoes he got stomped with were.

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  4. Booker T didn't have to face BuhBuh Ray and Jeff Hardy after winning at Wrestlemania 19. Just have Jericho win a re-match with Shawn at Backlash to become #1 contender. Jericho can face Booker at Insurrextion and/or Bad Blood. HHH vs. Nash can be all "grudge matches" and did not need the title. Shawn can face Flair, like in real life. Booker can hold the title clear til the Elimination Chamber match at SummerSlam '03. Either have HHH win that (to set up the Goldberg program afterward) or just have Goldberg win the Chamber and set up HHH for a chase (with Evolution forming).

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  5. In recent years, non-CM Punk division, The Rock's 2011 return when it was announced he was the WM27 host was pretty fucking spectacular. Heyman's "you're all wannabes" on the post-WM Raw this year was amazing, too.

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  6. I can't decide between a plethora of Ric Flair promos.

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  7. Not breaking any ground here, but CM Punk's Pipebomb was something special.

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  8. CruelConnectionNumber2July 28, 2014 at 10:14 AM

    Jake the Snake at Tuesday in Texas '91 teaches everyone how to be a sick, demented heel. I believe he cuts two of them to bookend his matches with Savage.

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  9. One of my personal favorites is Roddy Piper's promo right before his match with The Mountie at Royal Rumble 92: "Mountie is livin' in a dream world...and it's all wet."

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  10. And the most amazing thing about Punk that summer was that it arguably wasn't even the best promo he did in the buildup to that show. The Raw before MITB with Vince trying to get him to sign the contract....Punk, Vince and Cena put on a masters course on PPV shilling with that promo. "Say goodbye to the WWE title, say goodbye to John Cena....and say goodbye to CM Punk." Amazing stuff.

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  11. Punk's first MITB promo on Raw is a high standard, but Dusty's Hard Times and Crazy Flair with the neckbrace and the bat are equally worthy.
    And then of course there is Sid.

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  12. "The Genesis Of McGillicuddy" will never be replicated.

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  13. "For the Hogans! And the Pipers! And the Macho Mans! And the Sids! Now it's Ric Flair! And Y'ALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLLL... pay homage... to the mannnnn. WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!"

    Flair pretty much became the owner of the WWF right there.

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  14. "I need to beat you, Rock. I need to beat you more than anything you could imagine." -SCSA

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  15. It has to be Jumpin' Jeff Farmer's promo against Motley Cruz!
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MISUHTo2NDs

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  16. Terry Funk could do one hell of a heel promo.

    I think it was Bash at the Beach 94 (or clash 28) when Arn turns on Dustin to help Funk and Buck house Buck win a match. Back in the locker room the heels are celebrating and Okerlund does this interview and Funk gets down on his knees and cuts this insane promo about kicking little kids out of his way to get back to dressing room and before he kicked one of them the kid apparently looked funk in the eye and said "Why, why did you hurt Dustin Rhodes so bad. He's a great wrestling entertainer?" And funk like a maniac just screams "I KNOW...AND HIS DADDY WAS TOO"

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  17. My favorite 5 promo guys
    1. C'mon...
    2.punk
    3.pre Jesus hbk
    4.funk
    5.Vince/Foley/rock/Austin (yeah I cheated)

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  18. Shawn. Montreal.

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  19. "Do I have everybody's attention now?"

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  20. That's a tough one, because the sit-down segment was so goofy, it wasn't in front of a live crowd....and it still was absolutely brilliant from all three guys (JR as moderator included).

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  21. On a more specific note, that's probably my pick for best opening line of a promo ever.

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  22. For historical purposes- and the fact that it was really, really good other than repeatedly saying "organization" instead of "order"- I'm surprised no one's mentioned Hogan's Bash at the Beach promo.

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  23. CM Punk against Cena when he called Cena the New York Yankees. Dusty's Hard Times. Numerous Rock promos in his prime.

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  24. There are plenty of Rock promos that are bigger, better, or more important, but this one is my personal favorite: "God Spake To Billy" in 1999.
    http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xdbiaz_the-rock-says-1-god-spoke-to-billy_sport

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  25. Although some might disagree, I hate to see your run come to an end. I love the format you have for this. Ask the question, then discuss it the next day. It was fun while it lasted. Thanks.

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  26. Cane Dewey. One of the all-time greatest promos from one of the all-time promo guys.

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  27. Crikey Mate Down Under AussieJuly 28, 2014 at 10:29 AM

    Heyman revving up the One Night Only crowds in 05 and especially in 06, "we are better than Monday night raw, we are better than Friday night smackdown, this is the rebirth of E-C-W!!"

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  28. Cut that music! Cut the damn music NOW!! How dare you, Rock. How dare you disrespect me, Rock! I AM THE UNDISPUTED CHAMPION - I AM THE MAN YOU WILL BE FACING THIS SUNDAY AT THE ROYAL RUMBLE AND YOU HAVE NOT EVEN MENTIONED MY NAME ONE TIME! On top of that, everybody's talking about facing you at WrestleMania as if it's some kind of a foregone conclusion that you're gonna beat me this Sunday - as if I'm some kind of a fluke champion, or a transitional champion, but they can all go to hell if they thing that! And all of YOU all can go to hell if you think that! But most importantly, Rock, YOU can go to hell, too. Because there's something a lot more painful than any beating you can get, Rock, and that is the truth - because the truth hurts!" Pause for "Rock E" chant. "The truth hurts, Rock, and the truth is you had the chance to become the Undisputed champ last month at Ven gea nce, but YOU FAILED! YOU were beaten by ME! And you wanna talk about facing the Undertaker or Steve Austin at WrestleMania - you can face anybody you want at WrestleMania, but it won't be for this Championship! ["Ass hole!"] Because this championship is not yours, Rock - this championship is MINE - it's MINE - IT'S ALL MINE - IT'S ALL MIIIINE - and the truth is...Chris Jericho is the most overlooked champion in WWF history! But you know what else is the truth, Rock? At WrestleMania, I will STILL be the Champion - because this is MY championship - this is my championship, dammit, and this is my show, and this is MY...

    "NO!!! NO NO NO NO NO!! THIS IS NOT A JOKE! I AM NOT A JOKE! I AM SERIOUS! AND YOU WILL NOT LOOK PAST ME, YOU STUPID SON OF A (BITCH)!"

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  29. My 5 least favorite promo people
    1.hhh
    2.nwo hogan (good concept but 15 minutes too long)
    3.Johnny B Badd
    4.Shane Douglas ECW franchise promos
    5. Justin credible

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  30. And bummer you're not going to be doing this anymore. You picked good topics.

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  31. Same here. Any Flair promo from '83-'89 tops just about all other promos from anyone else.

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  32. Those last few sentences send a chill up my spine even in text.

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  33. This one right here:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MISUHTo2NDs

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  34. Oh, excellent call. Heyman's promo at One Night Stand '06 was just spectacular. I even love when he stops himself and backs up a bit, because he wanted to make sure he remembered to say he'd be the "BIG, SWINGING SCHLONG OF EXTREME."

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  35. "Did I - Did I - WOOOO! - Did I - happen - to hear - Vince McMahon - say - he - was goin' - to hold - W - CW - in the palms - of his hands? Is that what he said? Does that mean that YOU are gonna hold Jack Brisco, Dory Funk, Harley Race, the Road Warriors, Sting, Luger, the Steiners, Bagwell, Ric Flair, Steamboat, does that mean you're gonna hold us all in the palm of your hand? To coin a phrase, I don't think so! You know, at twelve o'clock today, someone very special to me said 'do not go onto that show tonight knowin' it's the last time you'll ever be on TNT or TBS' - knowing it's the last time, she said to me 'don't go out there and cry - don't go out there and say your sorry' because I'm not - I've been fourteen times the world champion - in my eyes, one of the greatest, you got it! The greatest wrestling organisation in the world - WCW! WE...I'm talkin' about the Stinger, the Lugers, the Steiners, the Road Warriors - I'm talkin' about my best friend, Arn Anderson and the IV Horsemen - we have been on a par, and we have been equal to any wrestling organisation in the world - as a matter of fact, we have run neck and neck with you, Vince McMahon, for years - for YEARS - and just for trivia, Vince McMahon, do you know that in 1981 when you were trying to become an announcer, your dad was on the board of directors and voted for ME to be the world champion - WOOOO! (off the ropes) How 'bout that? And ever since that day, I have been (jacket's off) a limousine ridin', jet flyin', kiss stealin', wheelin' dealin', son of a gun, that along with the whole WCW dammit all, have kissed the girls worldwide! And made 'em cry. (Sign: McMAHON IS SATAN) 'cause ya see, we were every bit the force we were WCW - we lived, we breathed, we sweat, we paid the price to be the best - never been about the boys - it's always been WWF vs. WCW in the office - the boys that have gone out there, night in and night out, doing everything they could to be the very best at what they chose to do in their life - those boys are here toinght - we are. We're not going anywhere, you can't hold us in your hand and predict our life! We're WCW! We've bled and we've sweat - when was the last time you wrestled for an hour, cut yourself five times - bled for forty-five minutes - when - were - you - there - you weren't! You weren't! You were never in the dressing room, on the road forty days and forty nights, bleedin', sweatin', goin' to the next town, you weren't there, you can't hold people's lives in your hands. We're the greatest wrestling company of all time - I'm gonna say it again - (beach ball: VINCE SUCKS) you can't control us or our future, and in closing, let me say this - in all my years in this sport, my greatest opponent with this company has been Sting - so tonight, if we're going out, if we're going out on a high note, Stinger, the Nature Boy wants you right here, because - that's right - that's right - ya hear it, Sting? Sting, my greatest opponent - Sting, your last chance - your last chance to be... ["Sting!"] Sting! Sting Sting Sting Sting Sting - Sting! (white board: WWF SUX) To be - the man, you've gotta beat the man, and Sting...I'M - THE - MAN - WOOOOO!"

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  36. Terry Funks "Florida Cracker" promo is a favorite of mine

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  37. What about that one promo where hhh says he the best in this business and then lists all the guys he's beaten and then buries his most recent opponent who can only agree with hhh? I forgot what raw that was on though

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  38. I'm sure there are better, but the only thing popping into my mind other than all of Flair's promos from NWA is Dusty's "Hard Times" promo. Dusty connected with so many people in that promo, especially in the South, where all the textile mills were closing down and so many people were out of work or worried that they would soon be out of work. If you were a working man from the South in the '80s and weren't a Dusty Rhodes fan at that point, after hearing that promo, you were instantly a fan of "The Dream".

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  39. On another note: my favorite hilariously awful promo would be Dr. Death at the first Clash. It's right after the first match, about 10 minutes in if you have the Network (or any other video of it, of course). My favorite part is when this murderous tough guy ends it by smiling and sincerely saying, "OK, take care, bye bye!" without a hint of sarcasm or irony. Just spectacular.

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  40. Crikey Mate Down Under AussieJuly 28, 2014 at 10:34 AM

    Cracks me up everytime, "now back to where we were..."

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  41. I still remember watching (scramblevision listening, whatever) that promo live when the show aired. Still the ultimate surreal feeling to this day.

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  42. Dusty cut a promo in late '86 about being fed up with Ole's crap. Can't find it online but I got it at the house. Don't think I'll have time to upload til the weekend.

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  43. - Savage after the match at Wrestlemania 8
    - Savage before facing Jake at SNME
    - The Rock "Tick tock" to Kurt Angle
    - The Rock before Armageddon 2000 where he mimicked all the other guys
    - Flair's return in 98

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  44. I always loved when he would start listing everyone by name.

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  45. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KasnTlFiTmE

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  46. Can't forget the rebirth of ECW from the invasion.

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  47. What made it goofy?

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  48. This was the first promo that popped into my head, as well. I started watching wrestling in '91 (WWF only...didn't get into WCW till '92) and thought that promo was just the bee's knees.


    Because of the timeline of my fandom, I'm sure he cut "better" promos in Crockett, but this one'll always be my favorite.


    "I'm gonna tell y'all, with a tear in my eye, this...is the greatest moment in my life!"

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  49. Cena's battle rap to everyone he was facing in a six-man match was pretty great in the same vein as Rock's Armageddon promo. Shawn, Big Show, Angle...don't remember who all else. Masters and Carlito, maybe? One of the last great moments for jersey-wearing, freestyling Cena before he became LOLCENAWINS.
    Rock's "tick tock" promo. My god, I haven't thought about that one in years.

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  50. I like how Vince comes out when he mentions XFL, that's the breaking point

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  51. Backlunds promo at Survivor Series after winning the title, because for one brief moment in his speech, he sounds completely lucid then snaps back into crazy old man and it's creepy awesome.

    "And I'll take on anybody...anybody at all, ladies and gentlemen, in your generation, 'cause I'm fighting for something that's more important than anything in this world, is put morality back into your lives; and now your children have somebody that they can emulate after, and try to catch up to, cause I feel like God!!!"

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  52. How about the Nash/Waltman vs. Flair/Piper promos in 97? Flair and Piper talking about how the young upstarts should be grateful for them "paving the road", then Nash and Waltman saying when they finally made it, there was nothing but potholes due to the oldtimers ruining the business. Great stuff

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  53. Oh, snap. I just remembered my favorite one ever. We were just talking about this here a few weeks ago, too. It has no real historical significance, but it's Angle's pre-Elimination Chamber promo at New Year's Revolution '06:

    Todd Grisham: "Ladies and Gentlemen, my guest at this time Kurt Angle. [Kurt Angle kommt zusammen mit Daivari ins Bild] Kurt, later tonight you'll be participating in your first ever Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Title, what's going through your head right now?"

    Kurt Angle: "Well before I get into that, first of all I'd like to say that I hope the U.S. loses the war in Iraq. And ah, while I'm at it, I think the greatest country in the world is France, what do you think? And you know, truth to be told, I'm not a very big fan of [deutet mit einer Hand Anführungszeichen an] the black people. And if I would go back in time, the one person in history I'd like to make tap out would have to be Jesus."

    Todd Grisham: "Kurt, what do you... what are you talking about?"

    Kurt Angle: "The point is, I can say anything I want to these idiots and they'll still cheer for me. Sure, when I first come out, they'll chant 'you suck', but after a couple of seconds I got them in the palm of my hands. They give me a standing ovation every time. And why is that? It's like a dog knows when a storm's coming in. Everyone, all these fans know that I am the greatest wrestler in the world. I'm better than Cena. I beat Shawn Michaels and Kane at WrestleMania. And Chris Masters and Carlito aren't even in my league. Now, I won my very first title here in Albany and tonight, I'm gonna do it again. Yeah!"

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  54. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2KX7iuxyjHc



    Frustrated ain't even the god damned word for it!

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  55. I've had more world titles than you've had pieces of ass!

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  56. I remember when he was doing that in a face to face promo with Cena when JC first got on raw in 05 and Kurt still got the face pops

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  57. I wasn't following along before WM27...people really liked The Miz? That is very disappointing.

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  58. Him mentioning Bagwell is hilarious

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  59. His US champ promo where he walks from the back to the ring was fantastic.

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  60. Also, his correcting Todd Pettingill like he was an out-of-line student. Last time I watched that interview, I for a brief moment considered the possibility of Backlund amassing a group of followers, creating a proto-RTC meets proto-NWO meets proto-Wyatt Family. I'm only half-kidding with this suggestion. He really came off as a zealous cult leader.

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  61. Dusty's promos with Cody last year were strong.

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  62. YankeesHoganTripleHFanJuly 28, 2014 at 10:47 AM

    Don't know if its the best but certainly worth mentioning...."They loved you. They believed in you. And dammit The Rock believed in YOU! So you talked about headlining, you talked about main eventing Wrestlemania, after Wrestlemania, after Wrestlemania. Well how about you main event one more Wrestlemania WITH THE ROCK!

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  63. I so wish he'd held his shit together and stayed in WWE, because even though he was a natural from day one, in 2006 he was stepping into a special place as a character. He was starting to fold everything he'd done- the goofy chickenshit stuff, the badass wrestling machine persona, etc- into a character that, as he said himself, just totally held a crowd in the palm of his hand. Angle/Cena, another round of Angle/Shawn, Angle/Taker at a Mania...so much awesome we could've had.

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  64. "What we have right now...is a MAN...who will walk around town tonight...CLAIMING TO BE the Real World Champion!" Ric was always at his best when either gloating over a victory or in the aftermath of a horrible defeat.
    Also, Ric's promo at Survivor Series after costing Hogan the WWF title is one of the greatest under-the-radar promos in his career. I can't do justice to it here, but Flair gloats over Hulkamania's downfall, all the crying Hulksters, how Undertaker is giong to bury the WWF title leaving only the Real World Championship, and in the end throws it back into Jack Tunney's face for distorting his belt. For a second, Flair truly felt like the "outsider" he should have been portrayed as, instead teaming with guys like the Warlord and appearing on the Barber Shop.

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  65. +1. Any of those Flair promos from that little studio then are better than anyone else.

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  66. He was doing some really good stuff in 2010. His heel promos weren't far off Punk, and his ringwork was credible enough.

    I don't think he should've main evented Mania, but at the time it didn't bother me. It would've been so much better if they could've gotten Rock to do the Cena match that year with Miz v. Morrison for the WWE title 3-4 matches down the card.

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  67. I need to get out of this thread, so many awesome promos I'm ashamed of myself for forgetting. This one unequivocally belongs on any short list of best promos.

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  68. "While you were out in Hollywood making movies, Thunderlips, _I_ was winning World Titles."

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  69. Is that Kurt Angle promo a shoot?

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  70. We can retire QOTD for awhile. You did a good job.

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  71. Except there wasn't a guest referee

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  72. I liked it around that time when Angle said if he could make anyone in history tap out it would be Jesus... and people would still cheer him.

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  73. He is on the short list for worst promo guy of all time.

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  74. Roddy Piper vs Bret Hart Wrestlemania 8 Promo. Bret :"Could have had you" Piper: "No, you wouldn't have" Classic.

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  75. "Tears running down his cheek, piss running down his leg..." Dear Lord what an awesome verbal shit smacking. In 15 years he NEVER recovered.

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  76. Tazz sucks. Let his career die with TNA. He's absolutely brutal.

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  77. I have two promos.


    Flair after winning the 92 rumble and Paul Heyman at Raw after this year's mania.

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  78. A lot of people say Russo has been part of two companies that have died, but what about Mike Tenay? I'd stay away from that dude ...

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  79. In person?

    The Steve Austin/Kurt Angle small cowboy hat had everybody in the arena laughing.

    The Rock's promo at WrestleMania XIX.

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  80. Flair has had some many great ones I don't even know where to begin.

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  81. Flair at Survivor Series 1991. "Immortal?"

    Hogan at WrestleMania 4. The fault line breaks off and Trump Plaza falls into the ocean, and then Hogan saves the Trump family.

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  82. The post-match at WM8 promo is great too. "Unlike a lotta people....in the greatest sport of 'em all.....WE DON'T CRY OVER SPILLED MILK!!!"

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  83. You forgot the Hulkacrap part...

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  84. Virgil's Gimmick TableJuly 28, 2014 at 11:18 AM

    Cactus Jack's "professional wrestling will never be respected" promo from ECW. It gives me chills every time. It's like watching a man who had realized his entire life has been for nothing and crumbling before your eyes. God Foley was amazing in his prime

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  85. Which one?

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  86. Nice, I went with Flair at Survivor Series '91 too. "Because...the Undertaker...picked him up....in the tombstone...and BOOOOOOOM!!!!!!!!!!"

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  87. Flair's promo about Ricky Morton's fans weàring training bras.

    Flair's promo about how he has a watch and Nikita doesn't

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  88. actually that is the greatest promo ever.

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  89. (that was the joke)

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  90. Below someone mentioned Hogan at Bash 96' and I don't think anything else even comes close to it.

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  91. God his ECW work was perfect. The one where he's in his "childhood bedroom" talking about his Uncle is chilling

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  92. Dusty's "Hard Times" promo is a cliche of an answer but it's fantastic. It sets a stage, tells a story and makes Dusty into a working class hero even if maybe he was as much of a millionaire as Flair in reality. I like to recite it in full Big Dust voice to get a rise out of my co workers.

    Also, as annoying as Chael can be "Anderson Silva, you absolutely suck" is a nuclear promo. If wrestlers cut promos like that instead of all the nonsense about legacies and respect the stories would get over.

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  93. Oh, without question. This one is so bad it's almost uncomfortable to watch in spite of the hilarity.

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  94. Wait...there was more than one?

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  95. CruelConnectionNumber2July 28, 2014 at 11:22 AM

    "Grow even larger." The company has never made a dollar.

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  96. I think with Bad Influence they opted not to offer them a new deal

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  97. Chael would be a solid mid-card heel if he learned to be a pro wrestler

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  98. Angle must have been a lot of trouble to deal with because his 02 to 06 run makes me wonder why they never made another serious play for him.

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  99. Jake at Wrestlemania 6 and 8 of course.

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  100. Crikey Mate Down Under AussieJuly 28, 2014 at 11:24 AM

    Yeah, I hope no one tries to follow this run of QOTD

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  101. Both Jake Roberts and Savage at This Tuesday in Texas. Just perfect.

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  102. now Wrestlezone is reporting Dave Lagana has contacted ROH for work...BUT EVERYTHING IS FINE, right?

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  103. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonJuly 28, 2014 at 11:26 AM

    That's not true. They've made a dollar...
    ...they just lost $10 in the process.

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  104. Virgil's Gimmick TableJuly 28, 2014 at 11:27 AM

    That's why I'm pissed that they stopped uploading Hardcore TV on the network right before it got to his heel run.

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  105. I don't understand the idea that Vince doesn't want these guys b/c they're too TNA, yet 20 years ago when he had actual competition, he brought guys back from WCW who had already defected WWF. It isn't apples to apples, but does the majority of WWE fans even know who Samoa Joe is? Probably not, so why not give it a shot. You can never have too much talent who actually has talent.

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  106. I agree about the ratings. TNA's ratings compared to most Spike and generic cable shows were pretty good. I get it that that hasn't changed much in recent years, but it hasn't really digressed too much either.

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  107. I wouldn't bother speculating on what Undertaker might do or might not do. He's a tough guy to figure out.

    Besides, we might have already seen Taker's last match.

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  108. Uncrusimatic_Buck_NastyJuly 28, 2014 at 11:36 AM

    wasn't he AAA, and that's how he got hooked up with wcw?

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  109. What's the point of any of this? WWE's product sucks right now. Do you really want those some guys having the reigns over ANOTHER company?

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  110. But didn't AJ not renew because it was for less money?


    "Fire" is definitely the wrong word, but he was lowballed on the renewal, I believe.

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  111. There's no way they go on with Fox. A legitimate sports property would not give space to a wrestling show. Maybe in 1999 or 2000, but no chance in 2014. Especially a channel that airs many UFC shows.

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  112. I don't think it's a bad thing for this company to succeed. It probably won't happen, and I get that, but having a legit alternative to WWE — whether you like WWE or not — is a good thing for business. We saw that in the late 1990s. I'd never wish for the company to go out of business because of the people behind the scenes who will lose their jobs. That sucks.

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  113. Either way, he was still part of both of these companies.

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  114. CruelConnectionNumber2July 28, 2014 at 12:25 PM

    YANO is winning this whole thing, suckers.

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  115. But if all the money they used to rent building, pay wrestlers, etc came from Spike, then with what money can they do that?

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  116. Side effect of Japanese wrestling not holdong a stigma like American wrestling does

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  117. I thought he was hired by WCW to do the commentary on the AAA ppv.

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  118. Yeah, maybe not fired, but he was definitely low-balled and took his talents elsewhere.

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  119. Then that would mean that they DIDN'T GO OUT OF BUSINESS. THEY FOUND AN INVESTOR!!!


    Because, if they went out of business, according to your logic, every company that ever had a capital investor was never really in business to begin with.


    But keep up with the revisionist history. I'm sure if you say it enough times, it'll prove to be right.


    What is so hard to grasp?

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  120. There's a difference between not rooting for them, and delighting in their failure.


    I personally don't care for WWE. Does that mean I'm thrilled that the network is making them bleed money? No. Why would I be? At some point in the past 30 years, they put on something that I actually liked watching, so what does it buy me to want them to go away?

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  121. That's true, I doubt it has the carnie background as in USA/UK. I remember reading it was reported alongside other sports in newspapers, although perhaps not anymore.

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  122. Thanks! I'll definitely take a look at this.

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  123. Yes, after that carry job he did with Styles, this guy is ready for the big push!

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  124. Yep- they asked for a paycut from $350K to $200K, according to wrestlinginc.com who sourced it from someone else that I can't recall

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  125. Now on Spike: Tommy Dreamer's Excellently Colossal Wrassling

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  126. Oprah NoodlemantraJuly 28, 2014 at 2:57 PM

    Where's Jeff Katz when you need him?

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  127. Oprah NoodlemantraJuly 28, 2014 at 2:58 PM

    I'm sure they can steal or borrow one somehow...

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  128. Oprah NoodlemantraJuly 28, 2014 at 2:59 PM

    You'd think somewhere there would be a "Blackball List"...

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  129. Oh it's got it's own black history with the Yakuza running the show.

    It's just always been ok for an upperclass salary man to love wrestling. It's also why they keep things legitemate. They want to be a respected preformance art/sport. Not lowest common denominator trash (so no katie Vicks hiding in the closet)

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