Pro Wrasslin' Thread: I don't know what I just saw

[TVC15]

Glad I’m not the only one that found it weird.

[Stro]

at Taker's first meeting with Vince thinking he was going to get a Shower Boy gimmick, then worrying for weeks he was going to be the Egg Man


1. Forgot how good Austin was at getting stories and anecdotes out of guests
2. These are all fresh because Taker's never really done anything like this and has been so protective of the gimmick for 30 fucking years

[bork]

Raw opens with Rollins out to tell the roster and crowd how the show sucks.  Brilliant.  Great way to keep people watching- bet the crowd is happy. 

[bork]

Everybody just walking out and leaving Rollins behind. 

WHAT IS THIS?    If this isn't a heel turn, it's not making any sense.

[Stro]

Didn't the year START with the McMahons coming out and saying the show sucked and blaming it all on Corbin?

[bork]

This whole segment is like I'M A HEEL no wait I'm not YES I AM no i'm not YES I AM

KO with a stunner on Seth to end 12 minutes of garbage.

[bork]

Didn't the year START with the McMahons coming out and saying the show sucked and blaming it all on Corbin?

But this time it's Seth instead and blaming it on everyone! 

 

[Stro]

I'm actually genuinely surprised Vince is okay with putting out an interview with Taker talking about all this shit, from getting into the psychology of his gimmick, to how long he's been working in pain, how hard it is for him to get into shape for matches, how many times he thought he was done, how many times he's WANTED to be done, how hyper aware he is of becoming a parody of himself and shitting the bed, but he can't stop.


Austin has become such a good hearted softy over the years, all that shit he talks about how great of a time he had in the business is in retrospect as when he was running hot he was a miserable intense fuck running himself into the ground.

[bork]

Now that Seth segment makes sense- the Rusev cuck-revenge segment got massive cheers from the audience!

Time for an Agents Of Pee squash.

[bork]

"King, when was the last time you saw that kind of destruction from a tag team?"

"Last night, when NXT destroyed Raw."

It's funny because Raw won the tag match. 

[bork]

They remembered that Matt Hardy works there! 

[bork]

Buddy Murphy knocks Matt out cold.  Is this leading to some broken stuff?

[bork]

Good to see fresh, young talent like Rey Mysterio winning the US championship.

[bork]

AOP comes out and attacks Owens.  Match is stopped.  Rollins acts like they're going to attack him, then they just leave and he continues the beat down on Owens.

[remy]

Good to see fresh, young talent like Rey Mysterio winning the US championship.

Vince really knows how to get these young up and comers over

[bork]

https://twitter.com/WWEAsuka/status/1199218621664415745

[bork]

https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2019/11/25/20983007/wwe-raw-seth-rollins-bad-leader-kevin-owens-stunner

That was the best opening segment on Raw in a long time

https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/2019/11/25/20983286/wwe-raw-good-episode

That was a really good episode of Raw!

Did we watch the same show here?  It was a snoozefest.

[Trent Dole]

I kind of get the feeling that cageside seats likes basically anything.

[nachobro]

thank god for football. watching that instead of raw really has improved my outlook of wrestling overall lol

[Tripon]

https://twitter.com/AEWDUB/status/1199353640823279617

Why is Kenny Omega defending the AAA championship on AEW dark? 

[nachobro]

10 Guy already relegated to commentary

[team filler]

https://twitter.com/adampacitti/status/1199224564959584256

[bork]

https://twitter.com/adampacitti/status/1199224564959584256

[Stro]

The 4 month Rey/Brock angle ends with Brock destroying Rey and Eddie's son and Rey winning the US title the next night?

[Stro]

[Stro]

[Stro]

Thunder 1/31/01

Kidman vs Helms
Scott Steiner promo that also features Kronik, Totally Buffed, Rick Steiner, and Jeff Jarrett
THE ELITE celebrate the previous segment
Lash Leroux vs Ron Harris
Palumbo and O'Haire promo
Ric Flair encourages Mike Sanders
Bam Bam Bigelow vs Norman Smiley with post match Glacier promo
Jeff Jarrett promo
Jeff Jarrett vs Rick Steiner
Kwee Wee vs Scotty O
Mamalukes vs Palumbo and O'Haire featuring a Stasiak and Jindrak challenge after the match (Stasiak was wearing an oversized anime button up)
Konnan vs Reno with Mike Sanders promo afterwards
Totally Buff vs Kronik
Jeff Jarrett reads a letter DDP sent from jail



This might be the single dullest wrestling show I've ever seen. This was taped after a Nitro that featured Totally Buff vs Nash, Rick Steiner vs Shane Douglas, and DDP getting arrested after a book signing where Air Paris claimed he got assaulted (AJ Styles also made his national TV debut in this segment), and also featured the returns of both Dusty and Dustin Rhodes, either of whom where on Thunder and Dusty wasn't even mentioned. Maybe they taped Thunder first idk.

Point being, I literally was falling asleep watching this, even just having it on was making me nod off. It's only an hour and twenty minutes and feels like a lifetime. This is probably why I turned into an alcoholic trying to watch this trash.

[nachobro]

I'm glad Thunder exists as a lesson that wrestling can always get worse

[TVC15]

How could a show with a post-match Glacier promo be dull?

[TVC15]

Bad WCW is the best

[Stro]

I'm glad Thunder exists as a lesson that wrestling can always get worse

It's not even that it's like....bad angles and booking (although there is some of that, it is WCW and wrestling in general after all), it just that Thunder especially is so fucking BORING. There's zero energy, the crowd is always completely dead because they just saw a bleh Nitro with the same small roster, anyone bigger than a cruiserweight is completely disheveled and blown up if they appeared on Nitro and then have to do something on Thunder.

What it seems like in 2001 is that they'd come up with the idea for the card they want for the PPV and then book the same angle for each match every week until the PPV. Another pretty significant problem they had going on was they willingly took the top faces off of TV as part of Ric Flair/Scott Steiner's angle with the intention of bringing them all back when new ownership took over and rebooted again (which they did announce on TV that WCW had been sold, but the deal obviously never got finalized), but in the meantime they weren't doing shit to elevate any guys up to that level to fill the gap so the roster is very imbalanced.

Booker, Sting, Goldberg are all off TV. Sid as well, obviously. DDP had recently returned but wasn't in the title scene anymore. Kevin Nash is the top face. The Cat is the commissioner and so I guess he's kind of like the 2nd face. And....Hugh Morrus is the 3rd? I guess? Rick Steiner is there and they're booking him as super tough guy who will go over all of Flair's guys, but he'll turn heel soon anyway and no one gives a shit about him, he's wrestling with a fucking shirt under his singlet and is blown up walking to the ring. All he does is stiff the fuck out of everyone and refuse to sell. The heel group is Steiner, Buff, Lex, Jarrett, ROAD WARRIOR ANIMAL (who also just stiffs the fuck out of everyone and refuses to sell), and Flair (who hasn't wrestled in 6-7 months and is strictly a promo guy right now).

But then there's the Natural Born Thrillers, another 8 guy heel group.

And Team Canada, another mid card heel stable. Even in the diminished state WCW was in where nearly all the main event faces were out, they still wouldn't elevate any of the mid card guys. And at this stage the only options are: Cat, Hugh Morrus, Kidman, Rey Jr.

[TVC15]

Scott Steiner was the only one keeping things afloat

[Stro]

Scott Steiner had a dead foot and could barely move in the ring

[Stro]

In a world where the sale went through and WCW wasn't dropped from Turner networks, I'd say there's a good chance it basically became what TNA became.

I believe RVD, Kid Kash, and Steve Corino were pretty much locks from ECW. They had already been working with guys like Chris Daniels and AJ Styles, Chris Harris and James Storm were used frequently as extras/security guys for much of 2000 and 2001, Harris had been working on the weekend shows for most of 2000, Storm also worked the weekend shows in 2000. Sonny Siaki was from the Power Plant and worked on Saturday Night. One of the Naturals was also doing a lot of extra work and weekend shows as well, so they had the Tennessee indie scene guys connection, they had the super indie guys connection, so I think it is fair to think that guys like Red, Low Ki, Abyss, Daniel Bryan, Spanky, Joey Samoey and all those other early TNA/ROH guys that WWE had no interest in at the time likely would have been WCW guys in 2001-2003.

Most of the big names (Nash, Goldberg, Flair, Steiner, Luger, Sting) all had their contracts running out in 2002-2003 and there likely wouldn't have been money left to re-sign them, plus they were already old and busted anyway, so you likely would have had a core WCW that was basically the 2002-2003 TNA roster + RVD + Rey + Kidman + Lance Storm + Thrillers + Chavo + Hurricane and maybe they could have picked up Eddie Guerrero.

[Pissy F Benny]

The smark hero Eric Bischoff era 

[Stro]

Reality Check:

Jeff Jarrett vs Mike Sanders for the WCW Championship

[bork]

“Vince is done with Humberto Carrillo for the time being. He’s giving him the ‘Cedric Alexander.’ Like you’re still gonna see him on TV. I’m sure he’s gonna win here and there, but like it’s exactly like Cedric Alexander. He got a few weeks, Vince thought he wasn’t getting over, so he’s just — he’s done.”

[nachobro]

humberto noooo

[Stro]

Hey hey ay ay hey hey hey hey ay

[Trent Dole]

Dancing Fools greatest tag team of all time!

[nachobro]

"dale gas" is ironic in hindsight if true

[nachobro]

it's fine though, i'm still pretty excited about wwe's next up and coming hispanic wrestler

alberto del rio
sin cara
alberto del rio
sin cara
kalisto
alberto del rio
andrade
humberto carillo
angel garza

[Stro]

I can't believe you left Rey Mysterio off that list 7 times

[nachobro]

[Stro]

Oh if you wanted a Nitro update:

The show starts with Flair already rambling in the ring, clearly having been out there for 10 minutes before air time, then Kevin Nash comes out and strips him to his underwear and threatens to break his neck for 10 minutes as Cat books Scott Steiner in 3 matches for the night. The first match is against 4 cruiserweights, which he wins. The next match is against DDP, which ends with DDP being attacked in the crowd by Jarrett and Kanyon. The final match is Kevin Nash and a mystery partner, who turns out to be Rick Steiner, who fresh off of winning the US Championship earlier in the show waits until Nash powerbombs and pins Scott to turn on him, causing Scott to immediately no sell the jackknife and celebrate as DDP runs to the ring with a chair AND WE'RE OUT OF TIME.

Mind you, Steiner was already having his foot/nerve whatever problem where he had his whole foot tapped inside AND outside of his boot because otherwise it would just dangle, he was also 300 pounds of steroids, so of course book him to do TRIPLE duty. And wouldn't you know it, he also had a match on Thunder right after


There was a pretty cool Team Canada vs Palumbo/O'Haire match although it completely destroyed whatever was left of Mike Awesome's aura/gimmick because both guys were bigger and more athletic than him.

[Tripon]

https://twitter.com/XElcubanoloco/status/1199330115081187330

Got to admit, I didn't expect him cornette fans being mad that Omega called Cornette a Carny.

[bork]

Mauro is not calling NXT this week.

I don't think what Corey Graves said was anything remotely offensive at all and was just criticism, but at the same time you would think that he of all people would know about Mauro's mental health and might not do something like that. 

Apparently he issued a half-assed apology on a podcast but didn't even name names. I wonder if WWE is pissed?

[nachobro]

Chances that Graves replaces Mauro tonight?

It'll probably be Tom Philips or another play by play guy, but I could see them doing that.

[Pissy F Benny]

I hope this shit leads to Mauro quitting for good, I never thought I’d type this but I’d genuinely rather hear Joey styles on commentary than him.

[Stro]

https://twitter.com/XElcubanoloco/status/1199330115081187330

Got to admit, I didn't expect him cornette fans being mad that Omega called Cornette a Carny.

This doesn't surprise me at all. Actual Cornette fans in 2019 are bizarre people. Of course they'd get offended at that, just like Cornette gets mad about everything while simultaneously bitching about how everyone gets upset and offended too easily these days. Classic ok boomer behavior, wouldn't expect any different from his fanbase.

[TVC15]

I don’t really like Mauro so I see this bullying as worthwhile.

[nachobro]

i like mauro even if he's a bit much at times, and i actually kinda agree with that graves tweet. but if any critique is gonna make the dude shut down his entire life for weeks at a time, i dunno what can be done about that other than just not looking at social media.

[TVC15]

I feel for him, I think we share some traits in this emotional regard, but the difference between Mauro and me is that I‘m not dumb enough to think a notoriously mean industry is going to suck in its gut to make me feel welcome. I’d also never be dumb enough to force a baker that hates me to bake me a gay wedding cake. It’s just a stupid idea, and you’re asking for it.

[Stro]

I think skipping out on Survivor Series is understandable to avoid any confrontation with Graves, but to not work NXT where there's no Graves, no Vince, and it's his home territory where everyone loves him seems like an overreaction.

[bork]

i like mauro even if he's a bit much at times, and i actually kinda agree with that graves tweet. but if any critique is gonna make the dude shut down his entire life for weeks at a time, i dunno what can be done about that other than just not looking at social media.

Apparently this is all due to his bipolar disorder and he can tell when it's going to kind of flare up and bother him- this past week was one of those times and he had reached out to people about it, saying that he could still work regardless, but then the Graves thing just set him off.  It's supposedly not that he has an issue with all criticism or anything like that, but with people he works with or knows personally saying stuff like that.

I feel for him, I think we share some traits in this emotional regard, but the difference between Mauro and me is that I‘m not dumb enough to think a notoriously mean industry is going to suck in its gut to make me feel welcome. I’d also never be dumb enough to force a baker that hates me to bake me a gay wedding cake. It’s just a stupid idea, and you’re asking for it.

Isn't this the second time this has happened to him?  The first was when known bully and asshole JBL was harassing him, so to defuse everything, they moved Mauro to NXT and after JBL left, he didn't want to go back to Smackdown since he was happy where he was.

I saw an article that basically summed things up as "Mauro doesn't need WWE, WWE needs Mauro" (in terms of the job situation).  So maybe he will just call it quits, but the guy genuinely seems to love doing NXT commentary and it really shows, so I like him as an announcer.

[Stro]

There was another time after he came back from the JBL thing where he missed some time, can't remember if it was a conflict or just going dark for a while.

[Human Snorenado]

I like Mauro, but at like a 7 and he usually tries to ratchet shit up to 11. The pop culture references should be used more sparingly in general by ALL double double e commentary teams, but you can't really single him out for that shit BECAUSE THEY ALL DO IT, BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT VINCE WANTS. Mauro is just more obnoxious about it.

I feel for the dude but at the same time... I don't really think the "WWE needs Mauro" thing really applies anymore. NXT would be fine with bland ass Tom Phillips or Vic on commentary. The major difference is that whoever is calling matches isn't going to have Vince in your ear but HHH instead, and absence of Vince generally equals better commentary from what I can tell. The best matches Michael Cole has called in a decade were the Mae Young classic matches where he could just go out there and fucking work and not have to get catchphrases in, shill stupid angles, and sell mobile phones and chicken fingers. The WWE commentary problem is largely structural and Vince related.

[Stro]

I don't know how Vince can even stomach doing his job. He's been doing this shit since the early 1970s, never taking any time off, always at TV, always producing, always working at home. How could he possibly have any passion or creativity left?

[Human Snorenado]

I don't know how Vince can even stomach doing his job. He's been doing this shit since the early 1970s, never taking any time off, always at TV, always producing, always working at home. How could he possibly have any passion or creativity left?

It's the only way he can get an erection, same as Paul Ryan and strangling hobos

[Stro]

Think of how many hours of wrestling Vince McMahon has watched in his life time. No wonder he's the way he is.