House of Hardcore VII - Total Non-Stop Hardcore??

HOH has announced the details for their next show:



House of Hardcore VII will be held at the 2300 Arena(f/k/a The ECW Arena) in Philly on Saturday 11/15.



The card is heavily loaded with TNA talent; some under contract, some who have been working pay-per-appearance dates while the new TV contract situation is being sorted, and some who are in limbo like Aries and the Wolves with deals that are supposedly expiring prior to a new TV debut for 2015. It also happens to feature several former TNA acts as well.



The current card looks like this:



The Hardys vs. The Young Bucks (a/k/a GenMe to the TNA crowd)



Old School Extreme Rules:

Ethan Carter III vs. Tommy Dreamer



Austin Aries Open Challenge



The Wolves vs. Killer Elite Squad (Davey Boy Smith Jr. a/k/a Harry Smith & Lance Archer f/k/a Lance Hoyt)



Christian York vs. Brian Myers (f/k/a Curt Hawkins)



Eddie Kingston vs. Jigsaw(a/k/a Rubix to the TNA crowd)



Velvet Sky has also been announced for the event.



I would also expect to see Abyss added to this show, and strongly suspect Bully Ray as well. Either of those could be candidates to answer A-Double's open challenge.



The card is very strong on paper and should produce a fun show. Both tag matches should be phenomenal, and with another strong match or two added, and a good opponent for Aries, this may end up being a more must see show for TNA fans than BFG.

Calgary Region, Third Round: (22) Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens vs. (26) Outsiders

This is a third round match in the Calgary Region. It's a standard tag team match held in the Calgary Saddledome.











22. Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens



Vs.







27. Outsiders



Vote for who you feel is the better team. The poll will be open for FOUR days starting approximately twenty four hours after this thread is posted. Use the time to argue and defend your choices. In the case of a tie, the team with more written votes will win. Only one vote per user.



Remember that this is a non-spam section and posts that do not meet our spam requirements will not count.

Calgary Region, Third Round: (3) Hart Foundation vs. (19) Beer Money

This is a third round match in the Calgary Region. It's a standard tag team match held in the Calgary Saddledome.











3. Hart Foundation



Vs.







19. Beer Money



Vote for who you feel is the better team. The poll will be open for FOUR days starting approximately twenty four hours after this thread is posted. Use the time to argue and defend your choices. In the case of a tie, the team with more written votes will win. Only one vote per user.



Remember that this is a non-spam section and posts that do not meet our spam requirements will not count.

Parts Unknown Region, Third Round: (7) Midnight Express vs. (10) Brisco Brothers

This is a third round match in the Parts Unknown Region. It's a standard tag team match held.....uh......somewhere.











7. Midnight Express



Vs.







10. Brisco Brothers



Vote for who you feel is the better team. The poll will be open for FOUR days starting approximately twenty four hours after this thread is posted. Use the time to argue and defend your choices. In the case of a tie, the team with more written votes will win. Only one vote per user.



Remember that this is a non-spam section and posts that do not meet our spam requirements will not count.

Parts Unknown Region, Third Round: (2) Demolition vs. (15) Hardy Boys

This is a third round match in the Parts Unknown Region. It's a standard tag team match held.....uh......somewhere.











2. Demolition



Vs.







15. Hardy Boys



Vote for who you feel is the better team. The poll will be open for FOUR days starting approximately twenty four hours after this thread is posted. Use the time to argue and defend your choices. In the case of a tie, the team with more written votes will win. Only one vote per user.



Remember that this is a non-spam section and posts that do not meet our spam requirements will not count.

Dudleyville Region, Third Round: (5) Steiner Brothers vs. (12) Edge and Christian

This is a third round match in the Dudleyville Region. It's a standard tag team match held in the Dudleyville Stadium.











5. Steiner Brothers



Vs.







12. Edge and Christian



Vote for who you feel is the better team. The poll will be open for FOUR days starting approximately twenty four hours after this thread is posted. Use the time to argue and defend your choices. In the case of a tie, the team with more written votes will win. Only one vote per user.



Remember that this is a non-spam section and posts that do not meet our spam requirements will not count.

Dudleyville Region, Third Round: (4) Dudley Boys vs. (13) Fabulous Freebirds

This is a third round match in the Dudleyville Region. It's a standard tag team match held in the Dudleyville Stadium.











4. Dudley Boys



Vs.







13. Fabulous Freebirds



Vote for who you feel is the better team. The poll will be open for FOUR days starting approximately twenty four hours after this thread is posted. Use the time to argue and defend your choices. In the case of a tie, the team with more written votes will win. Only one vote per user.



Remember that this is a non-spam section and posts that do not meet our spam requirements will not count.

Chicago Region, Third Round: (8) British Bulldogs vs. (9) Brain Busters

This is a third round match in the Chicago Region. It's a standard tag team match held in the Rosemont Horizon.











8. British Bulldogs



Vs.







9. Brain Busters



Vote for who you feel is the better team. The poll will be open for FOUR days starting approximately twenty four hours after this thread is posted. Use the time to argue and defend your choices. In the case of a tie, the team with more written votes will win. Only one vote per user.



Remember that this is a non-spam section and posts that do not meet our spam requirements will not count.

The Double Turn?

I was watching the Bret Hart biography thing:Wrestling With Shadows and he talked in depth about the Double Turn during his match with Stone Cold back in like 1996(pardon my lack of information as I wasn't watching WWF back then so). So I started thinking and I'm like when was the last time that happened? What was the most successful double turn? It would probably be the Bret/Austin one being as it established the biggest star of the Attitude Era and helped start it(didn't it cause Bret to want to change his character being as he was a heel being booed for having morals).



So my 2 questions:



What are some examples of double turns in the 21st century?



And



What is the most successful/impactful double turn in wrestling history?

Signs Of A Heel Turn For Mark Henry?

After the match, Mark Henry attacked Bo Dallas during a backstage interview. Maybe I'm jumping the gun, but I have the feeling we're in the early stages of Henry turning heel for a few reasons.



For starters, Henry attacked Bo Dallas from behind, without giving Bo a chance to defend himself, and the attack itself was malicious, with a more serious Mark Henry shouting his "That's what I do" catchphrase. And think about Bo Dallas for a second. We're not talking about some hulking brute like Rusev. Bo's a smaller guy, so you could say Henry was being a bully during his sneak attack. There's a chance Henry was on the edge after the disappointing loss to Rusev, and Bo was the one person to push him over the edge.



If Henry's on the road to a heel turn, then it'll be a refreshing change. Henry's been stale as a face for a while now, and earlier this year, Henry was just floating around (the time frame during all the Lesnar beatdowns) with no real purpose.



Next week it's Big Show VS Rusev, and I can picture a scenario, where Henry costs Show the match out of jealously via some form of interference to complete the turn, or Henry attacks Show after the match.



I don't expect another Hall Of Pain run. I'm not saying Henry doesn't have what it takes on the mic or in the ring to pull it off, but Henry's known to be on the injury prone list, and his age is a factor, so I can't picture WWE putting too much effort into a heel Mark Henry, if the turn happens. Maybe a featured feud with Big Show, but that's about it.

Any Med/Nursing Students Among Us?

Is there anyone on the forums who is either interested in, currently involved in, or has already graduated from the medical field, more specifically a school of nursing? I ask because as of today, I've began taking steps towards this field. My ultimate goal is to become a RN and then continue onward towards becoming a CRNA. I am definitely able and willing to put forth the time and effort for this but I would like to pick the brain of anyone that is involved.



I am a sophomore currently and technically still a Sports Management major. My initial aspiration was to work for a Major League Baseball team as part of a baseball operations staff, but my dream has been quickly dissipating because of the risk; I don't want to be stuck with my degree if I can't land the job that I want (statistically speaking, I won't land the job I want).

How Loud Will His Return Be?

So I am looking forward to the eventual Daniel Bryan return. I think if done at the right time it will be one of the biggest pops, and loudest returns we've seen for a full time wrestler in a longtime. So it's a simple poll, how big of a pop do you think Daniel Bryan will get when he finally returns? My money is on a massive reaction filled with a sold out audience doing yes chants. Including me marking out in front of my TV at home.

Top Star Turning Babyface?

According to F4WOnline.com, WWE plans to turn Randy Orton babyface sometime within the next 3 to 4 months. The little snippet of information doesn't provide any reason as to why, only that it looks like it'll be happening in time for WrestleMania season.



Personally, I'm not sure anything short a complete character overhaul can help Randy Orton at this point. He's been around for such a long time as a top tier talent so consistently that there's just not much at all about the guy that's fresh. IF this turns out to be accurate, it'll obviously lead to speculation as to whether or not Orton will be going up against Brock Lesnar for the title, if Lesnar is still champ at the time.



As to the reason behind it, from my perspective, it's looking as though the storyline could be that Orton sees Seth Rollins as being The Authority's new golden boy. For the past several weeks, Orton has been reduced to fighting Rollins' battles for him, putting out fires that he's started. The Authority is protecting Rollins the way they once protected Orton. Orton gets tired of it, tells Trips & Steph to shove it, leading to some sort of feud between Orton & The Authority, etc.

2000-01 WWE MVP

The tail end of the attitude era and a time that most people consider to be the best time in WWE history with a mix of established guys (Rock, Trips, Taker) and new guys (Angle, Jericho, Benoit, Guerrero, Edge&Christian, Dudley's, Hardys. This is also the year that saw Austin miss alot of time after getting the neck surgery he should have had back in 97. Austin would miss the first 7-8 months of this year and return around Survivor Series time to get revenge on those who were involved in his hit and run. With Austin out of the picture, it really was a two man show at the top between Rock and Trips. Not only that, but they had an amazing series of matches that began at WrestleMania 2000 and would go on for the next few ppvs culminating in their epic iron man match. This was probably the best that each guy was at as they were producing gold at every turn. While Trips got the upper hand feud wise, no doubt it was Rock carrying the feud. He would regain the title down the road and have his longest title reign of his career before dropping the title to Angle and doing what he did best which is make get his opponents over. Rock would finish the year strong by regaining the title and setting up his rematch against Austin at Mania X7 which was one of the best title matches in Mania history.



For me Rock is the obvious choice here although Trips had himself a solid year which was MVP worthy but when Rock is killing it the way he did it just wasn't enough.

The Crowd "Hijacking" Raw Last Night.

So I was watching Raw, and I'm really bad at telling what the crowd chants but this crowd last night seemed to chant anything they wanted. There was what like 4 CM Punk chants throughout the night.



The worst part though was during the second divas match. The handicap Brie v Cameron and the other diva(I can't remember at this point). The crowd started chanting JBL, then when the announcers explained that away the crowd chanted Jer-ry. Which I guess I can see as the announcers scrambled to explain that a few weeks back Jerry got involved in the Brie/Nikki feud. So what does the crowd do, chant Michael Cole.



Now maybe it's just me, and I'm not arguing they shouldn't be aloud to chant what they want, but this was clearly just a chant to insult the divas. Which personally, bothered me. I ignore the random CM Punk chants during AJ matches and I can ignore it during Bryan segments or when Stephanie eggs it on. But this was just too much.



The crowd clearly could care less about the match and the WWE is backed into a corner now having 2 divas feuds and trying to promote Total Divas. Granted, the divas didn't prove they deserved the attention when Brie screwed up a roll up. O.o



But back to my point; is it rude of the audience to hijack the show? Or is it perfectly fine.



On the one end, they completely disrespected the divas in the ring, and regardless of whether they deserved the boos or not it had to hurt the divas.



But to the opposite effect, Vince obviously knows how the audience felt. Plus it's completely the audiences right to do what they want.





I know I already said it, but I thought it was too far. It's like the audience came in expecting to do it during a divas match, being as no other match had this happen.

The True Impact of a Daniel Bryan Return

Something on Raw tonight really caught my attention tonight. The Chicago crowd is usually very hot and very lively in comparison to other crowds but it seemed like for a lot of the time tonight, they were essentially non-existent if you exclude the obligatory CM Punk chants at the top of the show. Simply watching the main event was a drag for me watching it on my TV screen because the crowd was so dead.



BUT during the Brie Bella and Nicki Bella segment when Brie started to mimic some of the Daniel Bryan moves, notably the Yes! chant, the arena was wild with reaction.



So my point is, that we all know Daniel Bryan will be back soon whether or not it is late this year or during the Rumble next is still up in the air, but I think now more than ever given the state of the company and it's shortage of faces, this return is the key factor for the company.



When Bryan comes back, he will be very over no doubt which leads me to wonder:



How much are YOU personally looking forward to a Daniel Bryan return?



How far will Daniel Bryan be pushed when he returns?



Will the crowd stimulate another reaction-based push or will WWE suppress him to some extent and leave him out of the Main Event picture for WM? These are fair questions that I am not too sure about.

What I think is the WWE's biggest issue today

I was recently listening to talk is jericho, and a few shows back he had the hardy boyz as guests for two shows. Good listen if you haven't heard it yet.



Anyways, they hit on something that has always been my biggest gripe with WWE's current product. They discuss how back in WWE's hay day through the late 90's and early 200's every person on the card got attention from creative as far as they all had a gimmick, and all had a storyline and were getting over. Now they put all their focus on the main event and don't give the rest of the card the attention it deserves. Those weren't the exact words but pretty close, as i'm paraphrasing. This is something I have complained about for awhile now. WWE puts so much effort in making the top storylines feel big, and get over that the lower parts of the card suffer. They make the point of saying that back when Rock and Austin were on top Vince didn't have to worry as much about the top of the card getting over and was able to work more of the other stuff, and today they seem to have tunnel vision and focus solely on the top angle(s). I totally agree it hurts your overall product, including the mid card titles. If wwe took more time making mid card, and lower card wrestlers, and titles get over. Then it would make the stuff up top look even bigger! I agree with the saying that a team is only as strong as its weakest player. Thats great if the top of the card that covers 10 - 15% of a show is great but if the other 85% comes across as unimportant then it takes away from the whole show.



I will admit lately WWE does seem to be putting more attention on getting the rest of the card over, but I think they could even more. If i watch a low/ mid card feud and say wow this is awesome these guys are great! Then I'll watch the top feud and think that its amazing! This is what i think is the biggest issue with the current product. What do you guys think?

9/29 Raw LD: The show that Tom Brady isn't on.

This is my first Monday night off in 27 years. 6 weeks; same thing..



Let's LD motherfuckers.



Oh, yeah. It's in Chicago too and CM Punk and occupy Raw and other s hit. Yeah, that too.

Too Many Main Event Stars Not Enough Titles

I got this idea from a couple of things on two different threads I was reading earlier. Someone mentioned that there is one hell of a bottleneck at the top of the roster, and it's a problem for wrestler's to get through it.



At the same time there is only one title left now the WWE Title, for them to feud over. And since fans don't like to see the title changing hands all the time, which it shouldn't, even if these wrestlers do break through, what would they be breaking through for.



When we had the two titles it opened up much more possibilities for wrestlers to get a hold of the brass ring, so to speak. Now we're stuck with these guys, going on in what seems to be neverending feuds, losing momentum, and not really getting anywhere. Reigns is a perfect example of that. He's been poking around the main event scene for months now, and got nowhere. Why, because there is always someone more important in the pecking order.



And just think about it. In the next few months Reigns should be back, so will Danial Bryan. You have Ambrose up there, he's this year's Daniel Bryan. John Cena, and if the rumours are true, a new face in Cesaro. Oh and don't forget Sting.



The heels are represented by Brock Lesnar, a part timer are best. Randy Orton, stale as Cena is right now. Kane who should have hung up the boots already. Bray Wyatt, is he still around, Rollins and the King of Kings HHH.



That makes a total of 12 wrestlers and only one can hold the belt at a time, and hopefully longer than a couple of weeks. When you have this many people, you can't have someone holding it for months on end. If you do what the hell does everyone else do, well other than wrestle of course.



So my question is this. Did they make a mistake unifying the two titles? Or should they have made the World Championship Title a stepping stone to the WWE Title? Although I would have changed the name of it, cause it seems rather stupid to have two world champions.



Or should they take the IC or US titles and make them stepping stones to the top belt? In other words the person holding the IC title is the number one contender to the WWE Title?



I know I asked more than one question, but maybe it would give the wrestlers in line for these titles and creative, something to work for and work with.



Or is the idea just a stupid one altogether?

Bray Wyatt: "Destroy the Scorpion"

Bray Wyatt just tweeted this message:



"it exists in us all



we are the ants



destroy the scorpion



Be Heard"



Is it just more of his usual cryptic mumbo jumbo? Or is he hinting at his next feud? If so, what comes to mind in when you hear the word "scorpion" in professional wrestling?



Hhm.....

Week of 9/22/2014 - 9/28/2014

Monday



Smackdown got a 1.86, down slightly from last week.



Monday Night Raw

Date: September 22, 2014

Location: FedEx Forum, Memphis, Tennessee

Commentators: Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, John Bradshaw Layfield



We're past Night of Champions and heading towards Hell in a Cell in about five weeks. The main story is Seth Rollins breaking up Cena's very close near fall on Brock Lesnar to end the show. The key is it makes Cena believe he can beat Lesnar, likely setting up another match inside the Cell. If they let them go nuts, that could be a classic. Let's get to it.



We open with a recap of the main event and Lesnar laying out Cena to end the show.



Here's the returning Dean Ambrose to start things off. “I'M NOT DEAD!” Dean says he's had to replay the incident over and over again and he can appreciate being attacked two on one. We look at Kane and Rollins giving him a curb stomp onto some cinder blocks. The Authority going to such lengths to get rid of him makes him feel special. Tonight he's the authority and he isn't leaving until he gets his hands on Seth Rollins because he never gets tired of hitting Seth Rollins in the face.



Dean gets a chair and sits in the middle of the ring but here's Cena to interrupt. Ambrose says he doesn't like Cena standing in the ring with him right now and Cena doesn't want Ambrose having a reason to not like him. Cena says he has a reason to be angry because Seth Rollins stopped him from beating Brock Lesnar last night. He wants Rollins tonight and says no one is going to stop him, implying he'll fight Ambrose to get to Seth. Dean says not to get in his way but Cena gets ready to fight. Ambrose takes his jacket off but here's the full Authority to interrupt.



HHH says Rollins won't be fighting tonight but Cena and Ambrose will. Cena and Ambrose aren't interested in listening and charge at the Authority. Rollins bails with Ambrose and Cena giving chase. We cut to the back with Rollins running away from Ambrose and Cena before stealing a car to escape. Dean and John look at each other but nothing happens.



After a break, the Authority has a meeting and makes Kane vs. Ambrose and Cena vs. Orton. Kane isn't pleased but agrees to the chance for revenge. Orton doesn't like having to put out Rollins' fires. WWE announced Orton vs. Ambrose before the show so I guess they already changed it.



Intercontinental Title: Miz vs. Dolph Ziggler



Miz is defending after winning the title last night and Mizdow has a small replica title in a nice touch. No R-Ziggler in Dolph's corner either. We actually get big match intros. Feeling out process to start with Dolph grabbing a headlock but getting Miz scores with a shoulder. A knee to the ribs puts Ziggler down and we hit the chinlock. The Figure Four is countered, sending Miz shoulder first into the post. Not that it matters much though as Ziggler gets caught with a neckbreaker onto the apron and we take a break.



Back with Miz hitting the corner clothesline but he gets dropkicked out of the air when trying the top rope ax handle. The Fameasser is countered but Dolph hits the running DDT to put both guys down. Back up and Miz blocks the superkick before slapping on the Figure Four. Ziggler eventually gets to the ropes and rolls to the floor where he clotheslines Miz and Mizdow.



Back in and Miz hits a quick Skull Crushing Finale for a very close two. Ziggler gets the same off the Fameasser but Miz blocks the Zig Zag. A superkick knocks Mizdow off the apron but Miz rolls Dolph up and grabs the trunks. Dolph rolls through though and grabs a rollup (and trunks) of his own to get the title back at 12:56.



We recap Reigns being taken off the card and Ambrose coming in to fight Rollins.



Jack Swagger vs. Bo Dallas



Swagger takes him into the corner to start but Dallas takes him across the ring for a knee to the ribs. A clothesline drops Jack and some knee drops to the head get two. We hit the chinlock for a bit before Jack runs him over and hits a Vader Bomb. Dallas goes back to the ribs and gets two off a neckbreaker. Not that it matters as a quick Patriot Lock makes Bo tap at 3:18.



Zeb makes fun of Bo's catchphrase post match.



We get a quick tribute to Howard Stern Show personality Eric the Actor who died over the weekend.



Summer Rae vs. Natalya



This is your Total Divas match of the week with Summer calling Natalya jealous to start. We get a clip from the three month old issue that started this problem where Natalya pulled Summer out of a car. Rae takes her down for a figure four full nelson followed by a front chancery. Natalya comes back by slamming Summer's face into the mat and one of the worst looking discus lariats I've ever seen. Summer was falling down before any contact and it looked awful. Rosa Mendes and Layla get in a fight on the floor as the Sharpshooter makes Summer tap at 2:20.



Dean Ambrose vs. Kane



Ambrose hammers away in the corner to start and takes Kane down with right hands. A middle rope elbow to the jaw gets one but Dean has to fight out of a chokeslam attempt. Dean sends him out to the floor and nails a suicide dive but Kane takes him down with a big boot and sends Ambrose into the steps. Back in and Kane works on an armbar before uppercutting Dean out of the air for two.



It's back to the armbar which Kane is barely cranking on. They get up with Dean nailing a DDT followed by the Rebound Clothesline. A missile dropkick gets two on Kane but he pops back up and grabs Dean by the throat for the chokeslam. Ambrose quickly counters into Dirty Deeds but Rollins runs out for the DQ at 5:30.



Dean fights off Rollins but Kane plants him with a chokeslam. Rollins goes back to get some more but Dean has a chair and tells him to come on. Seth backs down of course.



After a break, Ambrose is locked in a room by security and the Authority. Stephanie: “Have we ever thrown someone out that didn't come back?” I love logical lines like that.



We get the video on Reigns' surgery and the repeated announcement that he'll be out for months.



Sheamus/Usos vs. Goldust/Stardust/Cesaro



Jey and Goldust start things off with a quick feeling out before it's off to Jimmy for a big backdrop. Off to Stardust who sends Jimmy into the corner but has to duck a superkick. The Dusts bail to the floor for a breather and it's off to Sheamus to hammer on Cesaro. They trade heavy forearms before tagging in Goldust and Jey with the Uso getting two off a splash. Back to Stardust for some forearms to Jey's back before they trade armbars. Goldust comes back in as Stardust trips him up as we take a break.



Back with Jey fighting out of Stardust's dragon sleeper before getting up a boot in the corner. The hot tag brings in Sheamus to clean house with the rolling fireman's carry and ten forearms to the chest. Stardust escapes a powerslam but tags in Cesaro who pulls Sheamus out to the floor in a big crash. Back in and a middle rope ax handle gets two on Sheamus and Cesaro puts on something like a reverse Crippler Crossface. Goldust comes in again for a chinlock and knee drop before tagging back to his brother.



Sheamus fights out of a front facelock before blocking a top rope cross body with an ax handle to put both guys down. The double tag brings in Jey and Goldust with the Uso cleaning house. Jimmy makes a quick tag and hits a Whisper in the Wind to both champions. Everything breaks down and the Superfly Splash hits Goldust's knees. The Final Cut looks to finish Jimmy but Sheamus makes a last second save. Cesaro and Sheamus go outside and Jey hits the Superfly Splash on Goldust for the pin at 15:42.



Rollins comes up to Orton and doesn't like the putting out fires line from earlier. Seth agrees to be in his corner later tonight.



Here's the Next Generation thing they've been talking about. As is almost always the case, it's for the new video game. This is set to Bawitaba by Kid Rock of all sings.



Mark Henry comes out to address the fans after his loss to Rusev last night. He says he's heartbroken and can't believe he let everyone down. This brings out Rusev and Lana for some Russian gloating. Lana tells everyone to shut up and makes fun of the Memphis crowd. She offers Henry another match with Rusev tonight and Henry says bring it on.



Rusev vs. Mark Henry



This is joined in progress with Rusev hammering away and taking Henry down for a side choke. We look at Henry getting his back injured last night as the hold keeps going. Mark fights up so Rusev dropkicks him down and puts the hold on again. Henry finally stays up and slams Rusev down but hurts his back again. They head outside with Rusev being sent into the steps after trying to drive Henry in again. Back in and Henry tries a very slow Vader Bomb but gets pulled down, sending him ribs first into the mat. The Accolade makes Henry pass out at 7:30.



Adam Rose/The Bunny vs. Heath Slater/Titus O'Neil



It had to happen eventually. Titus runs over Rose to start and hits an over the shoulder backbreaker. Off to Slater for a side kick and a chinlock as the Bunny plays cheerleader on the apron. Rose kicks Slater away but Titus breaks up the hot tag attempt. The Bunny ducks a right hand from O'Neil and Adam finally makes the hot tag. The Bunny comes in with a bunch of kicks and a few tail wags before low bridging Titus to the floor. A big spinning kick to the face drops Slater and a seated senton off the apron takes out Titus. The Party Foul is enough for the pin on Slater at 3:10.



Here's Nikki Bella to address Brie's interview last night where Brie said she didn't want Nikki to become Divas Champion. She immediately calls out Brie for a chat and trash is already being talked. Nikki says Brie should be called Nikki's Trashy Sister and wants to be the only Bella. Brie won't do it so Nikki brings up the obvious question: why hasn't Brie taken her husband's name? Nikki calls Bryan a troll so Brie tries a YES Lock, sending Nikki running to the floor.



AJ Lee vs. Nikki Bella



Paige is on commentary. AJ cranks on the arm to start before taking the non-champion down with a headscissors. A pair of neckbreakers get two on Nikki and they head out to the floor. Nikki sends AJ into Paige and the Brit is ticked off. Back in and Nikki gets two before putting on a swinging sleeper. There's a cross armbreaker on AJ but she powers out, only to get caught in an Alabama Slam for two. Back up and Nikki misses a charge into the corner, allowing AJ to put on the Black Widow for the submission at 5:10.



A large black box is brought to ringside.



Randy Orton vs. John Cena



Randy takes him down with a headlock to starts but Cena quickly shakes him off, only to get pounded down in the corner. Now it's John firing off right hands, followed by a bulldog for two. We take a break and come back with Cena being sent to the floor and into the announcers' table. The Elevated DDT is countered with a backdrop over the top and Cena has a breather. Back in and they collide but it's Orton up first and taking Cena into the corner.



Orton puts on a sleeper for a bit until Cena escapes with the ProtoBomb. Randy escapes an STF attempt and takes Cena's head off with a clothesline. He loads up a superplex but opts for a top rope Elevated DDT for a very close two instead. Cena pops back to his feet and grabs the STF, drawing in Kane and Rollins for the DQ at 15:15.



Post match the Authority loads up the Curb Stomp on the blocks under the box, but it's Ambrose because....well what else was it going to be? Dean destroys everything in sight and Rollins runs off, leaving Ambrose and Cena to clean house to end the show.



Results

Dolph Ziggler b. Miz – Rollup with a handful of trunks

Jack Swagger b. Bo Dallas – Patriot Lock

Natalya b. Summer Rae – Sharpshooter

Dean Ambrose b. Kane via DQ when Seth Rollins interfered

Sheamus/Usos b. Cesaro/Goldust/Stardust – Superfly Splash to Goldust

Rusev b. Mark Henry via referee stoppage

AJ Lee b. Nikki Bella – Black Widow

John Cena b. Randy Orton via DQ when Seth Rollins and Kane interfered



Tuesday



Raw got a 2.69, down from last week.



Wednesday



Impact Wrestling

Date: September 24, 2014

Location: Manhattan Center, New York City, New York

Commentators: Mike Tenay, Tazz



We're wrapping up the summer in New York and three shows left before Bound For Glory. The interesting thing for tonight is a tournament for a future title shot which may or may not be at the biggest show of the year. Granted at this point it looks like that's Lockdown anymore as Bound For Glory is shaping up as another One Night Only level show. Let's get to it.



We open with a video on Roode vs. Lashley from last week where Bobby almost won the title.



JB explains the tournament concept: five qualifying matches with the winners facing each other in a five way later tonight. The winner can challenge for any match they choose and the matches are surprises. This would fit better if they all hadn't been announced on TNA's website. MVP, Magnus, Austin Aries, Abyss and Robbie E. will all have qualifying matches.



Video on MVP.



Gold Rush Tournament Qualifying Match: MVP vs. Low Ki



Low Ki gets a video as well, talking about wanting to push the roster over the years. Feeling out process to start with MVP shoving Low Ki into the corner. He rams Ki into the buckle but gets kicked hard in the chest to send MVP across the ring. A slam out of the corner gets two for MVP but Ki fires off some chops and kicks to the chest. MVP opens up his vest and says hit me harder so Ki snaps off one of the hardest chops I've ever seen. MVP comes back with a knee to the ribs and a kick to the face to send Low Ki out to the floor. We actually get a plancha to take Low Ki before going to a break.



Back with MVP still in control with a facebuster and the Ballin Elbow. Low Ki gets back up and is thrown into the air, only to land in a standing position on MVP's shoulders and jump forward to dropkick MVP in the back. Awesome looking move. A kick to the head gets two on MVP before Ki sends him outside for a big springboard dive. Back in and Ki tries a cartwheel kick but MVP takes out his leg. The Drive By is enough to send MVP to the finals at 13:05.



The BroMans argue over whose girlfriend is hotter. They agree to disagree but Robbie brags about being in the tournament and then being on Amazing Race with Brooke starting this Sunday. He plans on switching between both girls but Jesse points out that cameras will be everywhere. Like the one filming them right now. They point out said camera and Robbie runs. This was actually kind of funny.



Quick tribute to Eric the Actor from the Howard Stern Show, a big wrestling fan who passed away over the weekend.



Video on the Tag Team Title series. The Wolves will pick the final stipulation next week.



Robbie E. comes out for his match and says he's a huge star all around the world.



Gold Rush Tournament Qualifying Match: Robbie E. vs. Tajiri



The fans chant WELCOME BACK to Tajiri, suggesting that this was taped out of order with other shows. A big kick sends Robbie out to the floor but he sends Tajiri's ribs into the apron. Back in and we hit the chinlock for a bit before Tajiri pops up with his namesake handspring elbow for two. There's the Tarantula but the Buzzsaw Kick misses. Robbie gets two off an implant DDT but the referee gets bumped, allowing Tajiri to blow the mist and hit the Buzzsaw to advance at 3:40.



Spud insists there are no problems with he and Ethan Carter III and takes a call from him. The funny bit here: he shows the phone and it says “EC3 – BEST FRIEND”. After a break he's still on the phone and tries to stand up to Ethan but gets talked down. Much like Robbie, he runs when he sees a camera on him.



Gold Rush Tournament Qualifying Match: Austin Aries vs. Knux



The fans are entirely behind Aries who tries a test of strength for some reason. Aries rolls away so Knux does a handstand, only to have Aries spin around. Taz changes the story again by saying Rebel and Knux are dating, even though I thought they were brother and sister before. Knux gets taken down by a wristlock so he nips up to a huge response. Knux takes a bow so Aries tries a brainbuster to stop the fun. The big guy shoves him off so Aries dropkicks the knee out and takes over in the corner.



Aries knocks him to the floor but Knux blocks the suicide dive with a big boot. Back in and Aries fires off more kicks to the leg to send Knux outside again. The suicide dive connects, but it's with the Freak and Craazy Steve instead of Knux. Back in again with Knux getting two off a huge side slam. The Sky High is countered with a hurricanrana and Aries nails the corner dropkick. Knux is too big for the brainbuster so Austin hits some discus forearms and another corner dropkick before getting the big man up for the brainbuster and the pin at 7:04.



Video on Roode vs. Lashley from last week.



Gold Rush Tournament Qualifying Match: Mr. Anderson vs. Magnus



Magnus jumps him to start and slams him face first into the mat for some early two counts. We hit the chinlock for a bit before a clothesline gets two on Anderson. Back up and a double clothesline puts both guys down before Anderson wins a slugout. Magnus grabs a belly to back suplex into a slam for a close two. He loads it up again but Anderson reverses into the Mic Check for the pin at 6:50.



Quick video on set of the Knockouts calendar shoot.



Video on Team 3D going into the Hall of Fame.



We recap the tournament so far.



Video on Gail Kim vs. Havok for next week. This is designed to make Havok look like a monster.



Gold Rush Tournament Qualifying Match: Abyss vs. Samuel Shaw



The fans chant “Dexter Morgan” at Shaw. Abyss knocks him down and grabs a chokeslam but Shaw kicks him in the ribs to escape. Instead Abyss grabs him by the throat again and shoves him out to the floor in a big crash. Shaw fights back on the floor and rams Abyss into the steps.



He goes after Abyss' arm in what is called a smart move by ramming it into various objects. This idea works in theory, but it would make more sense to go after the arm Abyss uses for his big moves. To be fair though, Shaw is a bit out there. Shockingly enough, Abyss makes a comeback using moves with his strong arm, including a chokeslam to put Shaw on the floor. Shaw grabs a chair and blasts Abyss in the head, which Hebner somehow doesn't see. Back in and the Black Hole Slam ends Shaw at 6:35.



Gold Rush Tournament Finals: Austin Aries vs. Abyss vs. Tajiri vs. MVP vs. Mr. Anderson



Winner gets a shot at any title at anytime and it's one fall to a finish. MVP stays in the ring while everyone else brawls on the floor but Abyss will have none of that. Instead MVP bails to the corner so Abyss can beat up Anderson to start. It's off to Tajiri who wins a kickoff with Anderson before missing a charge into the corner. Anderson misses a charge of his own and hits the post, giving Tajiri a rollup for two. Aries comes in and grabs on Tajiri's head but Taijri scores with the handspring elbow for two.



Back with Aries countering the Tarantula but getting kneed in the back to block the suicide dive. Anderson comes in for the rolling fireman's carry for two but it's off to Abyss. Aries escapes the chokeslam and slaps MVP for a tag. MVP doesn't want to come in so Aries catapults him in over the top but MVP tags out to Tajiri.



Abyss brings in Anderson who is quickly caught in the Tarantula. Mr. slams Tajiri down off the top but MVP tags himself in. Anderson looks right at him before MVP hits the Drive By for two as Aries makes the save. Everything breaks down and MVP loads up the Drive By on Aries, only to get rolled up for the pin at 15:12.



Results

MVP b. Low Ki – Drive By

Tajiri b. Robbie E. – Buzzsaw Kick

Austin Aries b. Knux – Brainbuster

Mr. Anderson b. Magnus – Mic Check

Abyss b. Samuel Shaw – Black Hole Slam

Austin Aries b. Abyss, Mr. Anderson, MVP and Tajiri – Rollup to MVP



Thursday



NXT

Date: September 25, 2014

Location: Full Sail University, Winter Park, Florida

Commentators: Jason Albert, Renee Young, Rich Brennan



The seeds are being planted for the big showdown of Neville vs. Zayn but they seem to be doing a very slow build. Tonight we get one of the roadblocks out of the way as Tyson Kidd is getting his FINAL title shot at Adrian Neville. Their first two matches have been solid so this one should be entertaining well. We're also getting the Lucha Dragons defending against the Ascension. Let's get to it.



Opening sequence.



Mojo Rawley vs. Bull Dempsey



The brawl starts in the aisle before Mojo hammers him into the ring for the opening bell. Dempsey runs him over and a top rope headbutt ends Mojo in 46 seconds.



Video on Baron Corbin, talking about being a different breed while getting on a motorcycle. Cool stuff.



Tyler Breeze comes to the ring as Mojo is leaving so Breeze beats him up too.



Tyler Breeze vs. Justin Gabriel



Justin gets stomped down in the corner to start but goes after Tyler's knee. He slams Breeze face first into the mat for two but stops for a dance. A kick to the chest gets two but he has to bail out of the 450. Instead a STO and springboard splash get two for Justin but he misses the 450, allowing Breeze to finish him with the Beauty Shot at 3:58.



Natalya asks Regal for one more shot for Kidd. Regal grants it but this is his LAST shot. I believe this was already advertised.



Alexa Bliss vs. Bayley



Bayley takes her into the corner to start but gets caught in a sunset flip for two. Bliss flips her down and Bayley is so impressed that she high fives Alexa. Bayley cranks on an armbar but Bliss tries to roll out, only to have Bayley roll with her in a nice counter. Back up and Bliss misses a standing moonsault before walking into the Belly to Bayley for the pin at 3:21.



Post match Bayley calls out Charlotte and says she hasn't been able to sleep since Takeover. Her mom was there to watch her lose. Bayley asks for one more match and the fans are WAY into the idea. Charlotte says Bayley earned her respect, but the second verse would be the same as the first. The rematch is on for next week.



Enzo, Cass and Carmella come to the Performance Center. Apparently she lied about being Enzo's sister to get in the building which is ok with Enzo. She wants to get in the ring but Enzo says she has to get in shape first and start acting like a Diva. Carmella steps off camera while Enzo gets on the treadmill and clarifies that he and Carmella aren't a couple. She comes back on camera in a sports bra and shorts, showing off quite the physique. Cass: “HOW YOU DOIN?” Enzo falls off the treadmill and might have hurt himself.



Marcus Louis vs. Enzo Amore



Louis is doing the Kurt Angle wig with wrestling headgear to hide being bald. Enzo talks about Louis eating pie and having a side effect. They list off possible types of pies and call Louis SAWFT. Louis hammers away to start and knocks Enzo to the apron, but Amore rips off the wig. Marcus is terrified and gets rolled up at 2:37.



Kidd says he'll get his own title shot and says he has all the power in the title match.



Tag Team Titles: Lucha Dragons vs. Ascension



Ascension is challenging. Konnor runs over Cara to start but Kalisto springboards in to take Konnor down. Off to Viktor who hammers Kalisto in the corner but gives up a tag to Cara. Sin headscissors Viktor down and powerbombs Kalisto into a moonsault for two. Back to Konnor for a hard headlock on Kalisto before throwing him around for two more. Viktor comes in and cranks on a chinlock as we take a break.



Back with Konnor launching Kalisto across the ring before putting on a chinlock. An over the shoulder backbreaker/middle rope elbow combo gets two on Kalisto and it's back to the reverse chinlock. Konnor runs him over for two and puts on a bodyscissors to keep Kalisto in trouble. Back to Viktor for a hard uppercut but Kalisto slips over the back to escape a slam and there's the hot tag to Cara. Ascension actually cleans house but here's Hideo Itami for a distraction. Kalisto pops back up for the Salida Del Sol and the pin on Viktor at 10:23.



Results

Bull Dempsey b. Mojo Rawley – Top rope headbutt

Tyler Breeze b. Justin Gabriel – Beauty Shot

Bayley b. Alexa Bliss – Belly to Bayley

Enzo Amore b. Marcus Louis – Rollup

Lucha Dragons b. Ascension – Salida Del Sol to Viktor



Friday



Smackdown

Date: September 26, 2014

Location: Verizon Arena, Little Rock, Arkansas

Commentators: Tom Phillips, Michael Cole, John Bradshaw Layfield



Things are in a state of flux right now with Roman Reigns out of the picture for the time being, leaving Dean Ambrose to take his spot. Dean has already been dealing with Cena, which puts him in about as big a spot as you could ask for. Ambrose still needs to rack up some wins though so hopefully that starts tonight. Let's get to it.



Opening sequence.



We open with a recap of the events from Raw with Ambrose, Cena and the Authority.



Dean Ambrose vs. Miz



This is due to Ambrose attacking Miz on MizTV on Main Event. Miz bails to the floor to start before getting caught in a headlock and rollup for two. Ambrose sends him outside again but chases after him this time, eventually taking him down in the ring and hammering away. Miz begs him not in the face so Dean rakes at the Moneymaker. A bad looking Reality Check gets two for Miz and he stomps away as the fans are all behind Dean.



Ambrose comes right back with a dropkick to send Miz to the floor, followed by a big plancha. Mizdow offers a distraction though and Miz takes over as we take a break. Back with Dean blocking the corner clothesline with a forearm to the face. Cole actually gives us an explanation for how Dean got out of the room on Raw: “He went out the back door.”



Dean sends him to the floor and hits a suicide dive before a tornado DDT gets two. A missile dropkick is countered into the Figure Four but Dean is right by the ropes. The Rebound Clothesline drops Miz but here are Rollins and Kane for a distraction. Thankfully Dean is too smart for that and hits Dirty Deeds for the pin at 10:13.



The Authority comes in for the beatdown but Ambrose fights both of them off and runs off with the briefcase.



Stardust and Goldust are all insane and say the Gemini Usos can't have the Tag Team Titles. The rematch is tonight.



Battle Royal



Cesaro, Heath Slater, Diego, Titus O'Neil, Fernando, Bo Dallas, Zack Ryder, Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, Sin Cara, Damien Mizdow, Justin Gabriel, Jack Swagger, Big E.



The winner gets an Intercontinental Title shot later tonight. Fernando is quickly tossed out and Bo dumps Cara. Cesaro tosses Diego but the new Nation can't eliminate Dallas. Instead Kofi low bridges Gabriel out before Cesaro dumps Woods. Big E. has the power battle with Cesaro and is lifted up in a very impressive gorilla press. Titus breaks it up for no apparent reason so Cesaro lifts him up, only to have Big E. return the save. Cesaro is tired of all this and just muscles Big E. out.



We take a break and come back with no eliminations during the break. Titus and Ryder fight on the ropes and Zack gets tossed. Swagger eliminates Titus a few seconds later, leaving us with Cesaro, Slater, Swagger, Dallas, Mizdow and Kingston. Swagger throws Heath out and everyone surrounds Mizdow. The big beatdown is on and Mizdow is quickly out.



Kofi gets thrown over the top but skins the cat to pull Dallas to the apron with him. A kick to the head is enough to eliminate Bo as Swagger hits the Vader Bomb on Cesaro. Kofi tries to come back in with a hurricanrana but Jack catches him and drops Kofi into the opposite corner. Another Vader Bomb is blocked by Cesaro to send Swagger to the apron. Kofi hits a springboard shot to Jack's head but has to save himself from Cesaro. Swagger gets back in but Cesaro throws Kofi at Swagger to eliminate both guys for the win at 11:25.



Network talk.



The Usos have everything ready to get their titles back.



Tag Team Titles: Usos vs. Goldust/Stardust



The Dusts are defending in a rematch from Night of Champions. We get some big match intros and start with Jey and Stardust. A rollup gets a quick two for Jey and he slams Stardust down before sending him outside. Goldust is sent outside as well, setting up the double dive from the Usos as we take a break. Back with what looks like a hot tag to Jey who backdrops Goldust for two. Jey is sent into the buckle and out to the floor so Stardust can get in a few cheap shots of his own. Stardust: “WHERE'S THE KING???” Back in with Goldust dropping an elbow and cranking on the arm.



Jey loses his shirt and gets beaten on even more until he nails a forearm to drop Stardust. Goldust gets backdropped to the floor but he charges back in to a Samoan drop. The hot tag brings in Jimmy to clean house with a t-bone suplex to Stardust. The superkick misses though and Stardust sends him to the floor. Goldust tries a dive but the Usos catch him and toss him into the barricade. Stardust dives backwards onto both of them and all four are down. Back in and the Usos nail a Doomsday Device of all things on Stardust. Jimmy hits the Superfly Splash but Goldust comes in with the title belt for the DQ at 10:13.



We recap Ambrose stealing the briefcase.



Rollins is ticked off but Kane says the briefcase doesn't matter because it's all about the contract. Seth gets that but says if the briefcase isn't returned, the cinder blocks will look like child's play.



Layla/Summer Rae vs. Natalya/Rosa Mendes



Summer runs from Natalya to start so it's quickly off to Layla. They trade rollups and Layla has to kick away from the Sharpshooter. Off to Summer who gets suplexed down and kneed in the corner but Layla makes a blind tag. She nails one kick and immediately tags back out to Summer. The villains ask Natalya if she's going to cry as Rosa tries to play cheerleader on the apron.



Layla hooks a figure four neck lock and bends back over the ropes before hitting a dropkick to the side of the head. Summer comes back in for a bodyscissors and slams Natalya head first into the mat. Natalya kicks Summer away and makes the tag to Rosa (Cole: “Latina Heat!”) for a bad dropkick on Layla for two. Everything breaks down and Natalya kicks Summer to the floor, allowing Layla to roll Rosa up for the pin at 4:16.



We look at Main Event where Mark Henry wasn't going to apologize to America again because he thinks they don't appreciate him. Big Show came out and promises to knock Rusev out on Smackdown.



Big Show says he and Henry are brothers from another mother so he'll knock Rusev out in Henry's honor tonight.



We get the video on Reigns in the hospital and hear from the doctor on his prognosis.



Intercontinental Title: Dolph Ziggler vs. Cesaro



Dolph is defending. Feeling out process to start with Ziggler taking him up against the ropes. Cesaro actually tries a monkey flip but Dolph lands on his feet and hiptosses him down. After a quick trip to the floor, Cesaro cranks on a chinlock and drops the champion with a belly to back suplex.



Ziggler gets caught in an abdominal stretch to stay on his ribs before a middle rope elbow gets two for Cesaro. Off to a modified cobra clutch on Dolph but he jawbreaks his way to freedom. A nice dropkick puts Cesaro down but he counters the Fameasser into a powerbomb, only to have Dolph climb over the shoulder into a rollup for the pin at 6:22. Cesaro clearly had the rope at two so there's likely going to be a rematch.



The announcers point out the rope grab and Cesaro yells at the referee.



WWE2K15 stuff.



Lana and Rusev say their usual.



Rusev vs. Big Show



Show goes right at him to start and nails a running clothesline in the corner. There's a loud chop and another clothesline but Rusev blocks the whisper chop. Big Show comes back with a sunset flip for two and knocks Rusev out to the floor. We take a break and come back with Big Show hitting a few loud chops in the corner but getting his leg taken out.



Rusev goes after the leg with some elbows before cranking on it on the mat. Show fights up with a side slam for two but misses the Knockout Punch. The jumping superkick drops Big Show for two and it's off to a side choke. Back up and the giant hits some clotheslines followed by the chokeslam but Lana grabs his foot before the Knockout Punch. The distraction lets Rusev hit him with the Russian flag for the DQ at 9:52.



Big Show knocks him out and Lana is stunned to end the show.



Results

Dean Ambrose b. Miz – Dirty Deeds

Cesaro won a battle royal last eliminating Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger

Usos b. Goldust/Stardust via DQ when Goldust hit Jimmy with a title belt

Layla/Summer Rae b. Rosa Mendes/Natalya – Rollup to Mendes

Dolph Ziggler b. Cesaro – Rollup

Big Show b. Rusev via DQ when Rusev hit him with the Russian flag



Saturday



Nothing.



Sunday



Nothing.



Quick Results



Monday Night Raw

Dolph Ziggler b. Miz – Rollup with a handful of trunks

Jack Swagger b. Bo Dallas – Patriot Lock

Natalya b. Summer Rae – Sharpshooter

Dean Ambrose b. Kane via DQ when Seth Rollins interfered

Sheamus/Usos b. Cesaro/Goldust/Stardust – Superfly Splash to Goldust

Rusev b. Mark Henry via referee stoppage

AJ Lee b. Nikki Bella – Black Widow

John Cena b. Randy Orton via DQ when Seth Rollins and Kane interfered



Impact Wrestling

MVP b. Low Ki – Drive By

Tajiri b. Robbie E. – Buzzsaw Kick

Austin Aries b. Knux – Brainbuster

Mr. Anderson b. Magnus – Mic Check

Abyss b. Samuel Shaw – Black Hole Slam

Austin Aries b. Abyss, Mr. Anderson, MVP and Tajiri – Rollup to MVP



NXT

Bull Dempsey b. Mojo Rawley – Top rope headbutt

Tyler Breeze b. Justin Gabriel – Beauty Shot

Bayley b. Alexa Bliss – Belly to Bayley

Enzo Amore b. Marcus Louis – Rollup

Lucha Dragons b. Ascension – Salida Del Sol to Viktor



Smackdown

Dean Ambrose b. Miz – Dirty Deeds

Cesaro won a battle royal last eliminating Kofi Kingston and Jack Swagger

Usos b. Goldust/Stardust via DQ when Goldust hit Jimmy with a title belt

Layla/Summer Rae b. Rosa Mendes/Natalya – Rollup to Mendes

Dolph Ziggler b. Cesaro – Rollup

Big Show b. Rusev via DQ when Rusev hit him with the Russian flag

This Road to Wrestlemania is Going to be a Wild Ride!

So, I've just recently been catching up on some of the stories and rumors on the main site and I've gotta say I have never been as excited as I am right now to see how the Road to Wrestlemania will play out. There seem to be an unlimited amount of options as to what WWE can do right now as it just seems that all the stars are aligning at the right time.



Firstly, WWE has the most complete roster they have had in years... Undoubtedly we will see Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose, The Wyatts, the Usos, and most likely Cesaro, Y2J, Ziggler, and a few others being heavily involved in Wrestlemania.



Secondly, (and what this whole thread is basically about) WWE has a whole handful of TOP level talent that can be brought in just in time for Mania season. Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns are scheduled to be back in time for the RR and you can bet those returns are going to blow the roof off of wherever they occur. The Undertaker says he's probably not finished yet; Boom, another huge return. Than of course we have the Sting saga but if WWE can lock him up before Mania than we will witness one of the biggest moments in wrestling history within the next 4-5 months. The Rock and Stone Cold are always strong possibilities to make an appearance and those are always good moments. Lastly, we come to a wild card, but somebody who can make a MASSIVE impact if WWE decides to pull the trigger... Kurt Angle. Kurt Angle says he wants to start wrestling in January (just in time for RR) and have one more year long... Personally I believe Angle is coming back. So just think about it, we could possibly (though not very likely) see the returns of DB, RR, UT, and Kurt Angle and have Sting finally appear in the WWE within the next 4 months.



Just imagine the card (and the orgasms).



So what do you guys think about this? Should WWE just go all out for Wrestlemania 31? Or should Mania be focused on the full-timers?

2014 MLB Playoffs: predictions

One game playoffs

As at Royals

San Francisco at Pirates



NLDS

Cardinals vs Dodgers

Pirates vs Nats



ALDS

As vs Angels

Orioles vs Tigers



NLCS

Dodgers vs Nats



ALCS

Orioles vs Angels



World Series

Nats vs Angels



Royals: Their squad is solid, but it lacks experience. If they do get past the As, I just don't think they're deep enough to make a run.

Athletics: I like the rotation enough to give them a shot. Don't feel the same about their offense.

Tigers: Like the rotation, hate the bullpen. Offense may or may not show up. If it does, they have a chance to make a run.

Orioles: I love the Orioles' squad, the only thing I believe can hold them back is the lack of experience in their rotation. Won't be surprised if they make it to the WS though.

Angels: Only weakness is the rotation for me. They could do scary things but they could always run into a hotter team.



Pirates: Pesky and well-rounded, however not dominating. They're the kind of team to get hot and make a run.

Giants: Professional team and experienced. They can always make a run, but I'm not convinced they will this year.

Cardinals: If I know anything about my Cardinals, it's to never count them out in October. The regular season means nothing to them when the playoffs begin (remember 06). But even with that being said, they've played some bad baseball lately. They've got to turn things around. They handled the Dodgers well last year though.

Dodgers: Studs. They very well may win it all if they're clicking on all cylinders.

Nats: Not much to dislike here. Very complete club.

Reasons to think Kurt Angle is going back to TNA.

Reasons to believe Kurt won't be with WWE from the interview done recently posted on the main page of Wrestlezone.



-Saying he can't even wrestle til January. Not cause of a no compete but cause of a knee rehabilitation.



-Saying that he talked to Vince and learned Triple H runs the show now. Could be referring to the one and only time he talked to Vince behind Triple H's back and it backfired.



-Saying that it's a publicly traded company now and WWE can't take as many chances (in relation to his knee rehab and basic age related injuries.)



-Working a year with 40 dates. What's that include? House shows? Raws and Smackdowns? Even without house shows, if it's WWE then it'd have to per appearance, like dropping promos and beatdowns on Raw. Hopefully. But it gives me that impact wrestling feel.



-And finally, the press conference. I don't see WWE doing press conferences for anything except Wrestlemania and things like the Performance Center opening. A press conference for a one year run? I don't know about that one.



I hope I'm wrong, but signs seem to be pointing to TNA. Like he's building publicity for himself maybe going to WWE just to shine some light on TNA with him being the face of their new TV deal in January.



God I hope I'm wrong and he goes to WWE. There's like nobody I wanna see him go against in TNA. I'd even prefer that WWE style for Kurt.

2014 MLB Playoffs LD

The magic is back. Ready for these one game playoffs and then onward to the Division Series!

An Awesome 180

Whenever I form a certain opinion about a wrestler, that opinion rarely changes. I remember my height of John Cena hate was when he won the 2008 Royal Rumble. Later that year, I started to look back at his matches and realized that he is a very good wrestler who can have great matches with a variety of opponents.



This brings me to The Miz. I used to never think much of him. To many, he seemed undeserving of the opportunities he received which includes main eventing Wrestlemania. Most saw him as an afterthought due to the battle of verbal wits between Cena and Rock. Now that I look back, I have done an 180. Why wasn't Miz deserving of that spot?



We complain that guys are pushed too fast into the main event scene before they are ready which could be the case in a guy like Ryback. Miz started off as an annoying little nuisance in 2006 who JBL ragged on constantly when he was a commentator on Smackdown. From there, he went on to a pretty entertaining tag team with Morrison. He rose up through the ranks and became U.S. Champion, won Money In The Bank, and cashed in Orton to become champion. Miz was a guy that they took their time with and sprinkled in big opportunities here and there (feuding with Cena in 2009) and won the big one. I can't have too many complaints with that because we rarely see it happen anymore.



Another gripe is that his offense is terrible. I used to think that same exact thing but why does he need a great offense as a heel? Guys like Flair did the little things whether it was putting feet on the ropes or a thumb to the eye and they played to the crowd. It's all about making the audience invested in the comeback of the babyface. Sometimes simplicity is the best option.



Currently, Miz is one of the best heels in the WWE and I love his Hollywood gimmick. He appears to be a good company guy and never shys away from doing promotional appearances. I don't know why they did the title switch so soon but that's par for the course these days. He may not get back to where he was 3 years ago but what he has done in the past is more than I, and most, thought he ever would do.

Round 2 Results/Round 3 Matchups

Round 2 Results



Chicago



Dudleyville



(4) Dudley Boys b. (29) Doom 24-3

(13) Fabulous Freebirds b. (20) Minnesota Wrecking Crew 16-3



(5) Steiner Brothers b. (37) APA 17-2



Parts Unknown



(2) Demolition b. (31) Miracle Violence Connection 17-8



(10) Brisco Brothers b. (23) Sting and Lex Luger 17-5

(7) Midnight Express b. (26) Fabulous Kangaroos 16-2



Calgary



(19) Beer Money Inc. b. (14) Rockers 20-7



(22) Nick Bockwinkel and Ray Stevens b. (11) Harlem Heat 9-8



Round 3 Matchups



Chicago



Dudleyville



(4) Dudley Boys vs. (13) Fabulous Freebirds



Parts Unknown



(7) Midnight Express vs. (10) Brisco Brothers



Calgary

The Perfect "Undertaker" Storyline?

After seeing some Undertaker photos today of him out in public acting normal and out of character it gave me an idea.



Never has the WWE allowed Undertaker to really be him self on camera, closest thing was the "American Badass" gimmick, and still that was just a limited gimmick.



So I get to the "perfect Undertaker storyline". What if he comes back WWE builds up an episode of Raw "Undertaker Returns", but for his first promo back he comes out as himself wearing regular clothes and says the Undertaker is DONE, the character is dead and isn't coming back. So what we end up getting is Mark Calaway. Not a heel, not a face, just him self, content with never being the Undertaker character again. Crowd is in shock to say the least, and the IWC is on fire talking about WWE/Raw & the Undertaker.



So we get a match built up over the course of a month plus, we get something like Undertaker against Cena at Survivor Series, yeah the dream match everyone wants, but its Mark Calaway vs Cena, all the while Cena begs him to come back as Undertaker which is the backbone to this match happening, the match gets built up as the headline for Survivor Series.



Next we go into the Rumble where Mark Calaway is close to winning the Rumble (but remember hes only wrestling on a limited schedule > like Lesnar/RVD/Y2J/Batista did). But Mark is close to winning the Rumble, when the lights go out and Sting makes his first appearance knocking Mark Calaway out of the Rumble.



This leads to Sting begging Mark Calaway to come back as Undertaker for one last match, his dream match, and everyone else's dream match Sting vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania 31. After weeks of buildup Mark Calaway finally agrees for one last Undertaker match.



This IMO allows Undertaker to be out of character which is a plus for all the ways "Mark Calaway" could be used within WWE media/content. And we get a longer buildup than the usual post NO WAY OUT Undertaker return promo. This also allows Undertaker to go out of character after Wrestlemania for any role he wants within WWE.

Next Diva's Title Contender

So this feud with Paige and AJ should be coming to an end soon. After Paige gets her rematch at Hell in a Cell not sure how much further they can go from there. So my question is who do you guys believe will be next in line for the Diva's Title?



I think a great storyline was building around WrestleMania time with Tamina Snunk and AJ. I know Tamina is out of action at the moment but I expect she should be making a return very soon. After AJ defeats Paige at Hell in a Cell i think it would be a perfect opportunity and storyline for Tamina and AJ. Other than fighting for the title, the 2 have a legit storyline how Tamina was in Aj's shadow for so long helping her hold on to her longest Diva's title reign...etc



what do you guys think? do you agree with Tamina of have another legit contender in mind?

TNA in 2015: What will it be like?

For the sake of argument let's just maintain that Dixie Carter is correct in saying that TNA will be around next year. Judging by the news, we will see at least some, possibly all, of the following changes:



- Smaller roster with few well known stars

- New announce team

- New taping venue, possibly in the NYC market

- Different television network (Velocity, WGN)



I'm curious what others think TNA will be like after the changes. I think it's safe to say that anybody who won a title at the last few tapings will be staying with the company. Everybody else is either on the chopping block or will have to take less money to stay with the company. It will be interesting to see if TNA tries to win over casual viewers with stunts or racy storylines, or if they just put out a solid, traditional wrestling show. I think it will be generally back to basics, but I could be wrong. It's going to be interesting.

Anybody interested in Fantasy Hockey?

We have two spots to fill before the draft tonight (7:00 pm central time). If you're interested then send me your e-mail & I'll send you the invite.

Which WWE superstar should have a WWE PPV named after them?

At the beginning of the infamous attitude era D Generation-X had their own WWF/E pay per-view named after them with Shawn Michaels headlining the event as the WWF/E champion. A year later the Rock was WWF/E champion having a PPV dubbed after him titled Rock Bottom. Now if the WWE brought back that concept in today's WWE who would have a WWE PPV named after them? I can see John Cena of course having his own WWE PPV entitled "Attitude Adjustment". He of course would be the headliner or be the authority figure of the night or something else different.



Or even current WWE champion Brock Lesner could have something named after him like "BrockBuster" or "Here comes the Pain"? Randy Orton: "Snake Pit"? He was the Authorities main man last year.



What do you think? Which WWE superstar should have a WWE PPV named after them?

What boxer's stint in the WWE was the greatest?

We all saw at the very first Wrestlemania boxing icon Muhammad Ali as the special guess ref for the main event that night in New York City. And ever since then we've seen various pro boxers come in to the WWE for a quick stint in the pro wrestling/sports entertainment business. Like WWE Hall of Famer Iron Mike Tyson making waves during the beginning of the attitude era with Stone Cold Steve Austin & D Generation-X. And toughman boxer Butterbean knocking out Bart Gunn at Wrestlemania 15.



Evander Holyfield went a few rounds against Matt Hardy on a special WWE showing on NBC. And how can we forget Floyd "Money" Mayweather. The guy who co-headlined Wrestlemania 24 against the Big Show. There were many boxers who made appearances in wrestling over the years, like in the 70's where Muhammad Ali confronted the late Gorilla Monsoon in the middle of a wrestling ring.



But in your opinion though. What boxer's stint in the WWE was the greatest?

I gotta go with the current WWE Hall of Famer Mike Tyson's stint. And he came back too.

Coolest and Dumbest WWE names.

Most wrestlers don't use their real names and go for something that sounds catchier and more awesome. Before Steve Austin (which isn't even his real name) adopted the Stone Cold monicker, apparently one of the considered names for his new gimmick was something like 'Chilly McFreeze'. As Mick Foley has said, he could've had the same persona but never would've taken off with some a stupid name.



Right now, it seems like WWE prefers real sounding names...Dean Ambrose isn't the performers real name, but it sounds like a name someone could have in real life while having a cool ring to it.



So what are some of the cooler sounding names in WWE right now? And what ones do you think sound stupid...or at least come across as bland or don't fit the character.



My favorites include



-Titus O'Neil

-Heath Slater

- Curtis Axel (odd that these three are among the jobber squad)

- The Great Khali (one of the only gimmicky names I like)



I think the first 3 names sound incredibly badass without trying too hard to sound badass. The Great Khali is just impressive sounding.



My least favorites are



- The Big Show- Admittedly it's less obnoxious than 'Big Nasty', but this sounds too much like a gimmick. This name feels like it belongs to someone who gets gets pushed to a single main event before jobbing the rest of his days out. "The Giant" is also a gimmick name, but it sounds less corny and temporary.



- Adam Rose- To be fair, it's not a bad name, but it's a name that won't go very far. Even if people had a stronger reaction to the character, can you ever imagine a wrestling event headlined by a name like Adam Rose?



- Jack Swagger- This is a good name on its own, but I feel like it belongs to Adam Rose. I feel like someone with the name 'Swagger' should be fun loving and cool.

If You could ask Vince McManhon 1 one question.....

Hello everyone. I have an interesting and simple question that just came to my mind randomly one night, and I want to know.



If you had ONE question to ask Vincent Kennedy McMahon regarding the WWE product, what would it be?



For me, I would ask Vince McMahon how come the WWE Title never had a Black/African American Champion. Now the World Heavyweight Championship which was passed down from WCW had a Black/African American Champion, but never did the WWE Championship or now the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.



And the Rock don't count. He and WWE claim him more of his samoan heritage than him being partially African American.



But that would be an interesting question I would ask Vince and would want to hear him answer.



So I am just curious to know; If you had one question to ask Vince McMahon then what would it be?

Is the Rusev/Big Show match from Smackdown more about Rusev or Big Show?

Have no idea if this thread's been made or not. I looked back for a spell... didn't see anything.



Anyway, apparently Big Show knocked out Rusev on Smackdown. Mind you, the impression was Rusev to be pushed to the moon and be fed to Cena at Wrestlemania. Does this change things? Do you take Rusev seriously now or does this make him into potential comedy jobber status before Wrestlemania?



Also, what's with Show getting booked to have a clean win over an undefeated opponent? Does this mean he's next for Brock Lesnar?



What are your thoughts? Is this match more about Rusev and the WWE not having faith in him anymore or about Big Show and finding credibility where there isn't any in order for him to legit threaten Brock Lesnar's title reign?

Google Trends To View Popularity

So I got bored and started playing with Google Trends, first I typed in MLB, then NFL, then NBA, then NHL, then WWE and WWE actually held up better than MLB, NHL and at times of the year the other two, which I thought was cool.



Then I decided to compare the indie WWE kings(queen) CM Punk, Daniel Bryan and AJ Lee. Which Punk is far and away the most googled. His spikes are quite interesting though: his first MitB cash in, when he shaved his head, the time around the pipebomb, and of course February of this year. The shocking part, Daniel Bryan never ranks higher than Punk. Even at WrestleMania this year, CM Punk is still googled more than Daniel Bryan.

The link: http://ift.tt/1t6J6uS



Now for the Shield members. Roman Reigns is far and away the winner since the Shield break up, Ambrose and Reigns fight for it before the breakup, but since it's been all Reigns every month. Whether that's WWE's booking or just fan interest, either way. Reigns is more looked up.

Link: http://ift.tt/1rubeLM

(If you were wondering why I didn't look up the shield itself, there's a tv show named it too, figured it'd distort the results)



2004 was the starting of the Cena/Orton/Batista era in my eyes. So let's look there too. Cena hit his most googled April 2012, basically after he lost to the Rock and Lesnar returned to fight him. Orton hit his biggest surge when he won the belt at Night Of Champions 2010. Yet when you look, he only beat Cena in searches for 1 month since 2004. And that of course was when Orton became the youngest world champion. Dave Batista beats out Cena around 2005 on the road to wrestlemania and then again fall of 2008. But aside from that it's Cena straight through. But I guess you can argue that the faces always get looked up more right?

Link: http://ift.tt/1rubeLO



Who's the biggest face of the last 10 years? Obviously I have to include John Cena. Daniel Bryan/CM Punk can't even come close in direct comparison. Shawn Michaels does worse than Punk and Triple H does surprisingly well. So I left Triple H on the list. Then the Undertaker holds up really well(better than everyone else so far but Cena). Sting doesn't even come close but that's to be expected being as he's on TNA.

Link: http://ift.tt/1rubc6L



My point on that, Cena is undoubtedly the biggest star in the company. I figure I'll stop by watching the trends of all the wrestling companies. June 2007 was when the WWE was most searched...wondering why? That was the month the Chris Benoit event took place. Interesting enough, 2005 features the lowest search numbers for WWE. But anyway, I put WWE against, TNA, ROH, ECW and John Cena.

Link:http://ift.tt/1rubeLS



Anyway, I know it's not news but John Cena is just head and shoulders above everybody

Should the Wyatt Family turn face?

In a recent thread attempting to bring up why Bray Wyatt has been left off of television, Navi brought up a very good point. There's kind of a Batman issue going on in WWE today... not enough interesting faces, too many interesting heels. Bray Wyatt may simply have been left off of recent cards because there was nobody to feud with.



Which makes me wonder... what if we turned the Wyatt Family face?



Now, I know this sounds a bit absurd, but hear me out. We wouldn't have to water down his gimmick whatsoever, simply change who they focus their tactics on. Sounds stupid, but it worked in turning The Shield face in record time. Plus, Bray Wyatt already talks about having the whole world in his hands, and he already gets one hell of a reaction, how far of a stretch would it be to have the family turn face if the gimmick is already about leading people and getting people behind him?



This would help clear up a couple of problems that Navi brought up in this thread... it would free Harper and Rowan up to take on the now heel(?) Gold Star for the Tag Team titles. It'd give Bray Wyatt a lot more to work with in terms of opponents. Hell, people were talking about the potential Ziggler/Wyatt feud, you could go ahead and slip Miz in there as the opponent instead, it'd work more or less the same way.



It may be a bit dicey, but I think turning the Wyatts face could work if done right.

Does WWE have too much talent?

Another thread got me thinking of WcW during its prime, where it seemed like they had too much talent at its disposal which made it impossible to strike the right balance. You'd have the more entertaining personalities like Hogan, Piper, Randy Savage, Warrior, etc carry the bulk of the promos and storylines...and then you'd have the great wrestlers like Ray Mysterio, Jericho, Benoit. Juvetud, etc having more matches without any stories. People complain about WcW for...everything...but I do feel a lot of the problem was that there was no way to provide a proper balance...



One of the things I liked about the WWF at the time was that it seemed to utilize its roster more effectively. It often felt like anyone who got any TV time would be part of some sort of feud. Even steady midcarders like X-Pac, Val Venis or the Godfather were often put in programs that involved some sort of storyline.



Right now, WWE seems to have too many people without direction. It's coasting off feuds that have been going on for months. Nothing seems to be going on for the Wyatts. The Uso's and Sheamus seemed to occasionally vanish despite holding championships, Cesaro aimlessly jobbed until he was put in a half-assed program with Sheamus (which had already happened not too long ago involving the SAME belt) and there is this odd blending of certain feuds.



Is John Cena going to give up his pursuit of Lesnar for Rollins? Even though Rollins is feuding with Ambrose? Wasn't the Big Show supposed to feud with Bray? But was that forgotten in favor of a Rusev feud? Is Nikki feuding with Brie or Paige/AJ?



You'd think with all of these wrestlers getting injured, there'd be more time to give to these wrestlers whom people are interested in so they can have compelling feuds...although I guess you have to make room for 'Slater Gater Vs Adam Rose and a bunny' storyline where you get the exact same match on a weekly basis...I hope this means Vince doesn't think a bunny has more potential than Bray...



You can argue that these people could all be used effectively and WWE is just botching the storylines, but it seems to me that there just isn't enough time on every show to properly use everyone. There are too many guys right now who deserve bigger spots. Am I the only one who thinks this? Or could the problem be solved with better time management? Or is the face-heel ratio the problem?

Stone Cold won almost everytime over The Rock and Undertaker - only one clean win.

All of you saying Undertaker and The Rock were bigger stars and longevity and hating on Austin Stone Cold.



Undertaker was never that good compare to Stone cold Steve Austin, he was an old man that had his streak. :p Nothing more if you compare to stone cold.

Stone cold was a better wrestler then both Undertaker and The Rock, and had better matches.



Stone cold steve austin owned Undertaker and The Rock like little girls, many many times. :disappointed: .



All of you hating on Austin and saying The Rock broke all records, and that Undertaker has his streak which is bigger.

Yes so what? Austin won everytime he fought Undertaker and The Rock !!?? (Rock only got 1 clean win)



Austin is goat, Because Stone Cold Steve austin won over Undertaker and Rock everytime, so put both Undertaker&The Rock against austin - and only one clean win and that was WM 19.



Doesn't that say something that they never won, barely once? :p Against the GOAT Austin.



Also Austin is goat because even that he beat his wife bloody, he could still got cheered, even if noy many knew it in that time.



That's how big austin is. Stone Cold Steve Austin was a much better wrestler and a star then Undertaker and The Rock.

steve austin stone cold>>>undertaker and the rock.



So all of you hating Stone Cold, you guys suck, all of you!!!!



Stone Cold never lost to Undertaker clean anytime. Undertaker was a bitch against Austin.





January 20, 1997 - RAW: The Undertaker defeated Steve Austin by Disqualification.



May 11, 1997 - Cold Day in Hell: The Undertaker defeated Steve Austin to retain the WWF title when Brian Pillman distracted Austin!



May 23, 1999 - Over the Edge: The Undertaker defeated Stone Cold Steve Austin to win the WWF Heavyweight title! (Shane McMahon made a fast 3 count)



Smackdown, 2001: The Undertaker defeated Steve Austin by Disqualification. (Kurt Angle Interference)



April 21, 2002 - Backlash: The Undertaker defeated Stone Cold to become the #1 Contender to Hulk Hogan's Undisputed Title.( Austin lost despite having his foot on the rope when he was pinned.)



July 29, 1996 - RAW: Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker by COUNT OUT.



December 13, 1998 - Rock Bottom: Stone Cold Steve Austin defeating The Undertaker in a Buried Alive match.(kane helped)



August 30,1998 - Summerslam : Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker to retain the WWF title.(clean win)



May 31, 1999 - RAW: Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker (WWF Champion) by Disqualification.



June 28, 1999 - RAW: Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker to recapture the WWF Heavyweight title. .(clean win)



July 25, 1999 - Fully Loaded: Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker in a First Blood match to retain the WWF title.(X-pac Interfered)



May 20, 2001  Judgment Day: Steve Austin defeated The Undertaker in a No Holds Barred match to retain the WWF title. .(Triple H helped)



August 2, 1999  RAW: Main Event: Steve Austin vs The Undertaker ended in a NO CONTEST



So overall the Undertaker has 7 wins(one clean win) over Austin and Austin has 7 wins(2 clean wins) over Un

New Eric Bischoff RF Shoot

I think I want to see this one

Brock Lesnar VS Hideo Itami: Should it happen?

Hideo Itami is an international sensation. If WWE sees Itami as a cornerstone star, why halt his push? A match with Brock Lesnar would put him on the map early.



It wouldn't have to be a title match. The purpose would be to present Itami as a competitor that could defeat any opponent on any given day. Taking a leap early on makes sense for some wrestlers, especially those with Itami's resume.



Do you think WWE should use one of their few Lesnar matches on Itami?

ROH Ring Announcer Bobby Cruise Meets with TNA Officials

This from TNA Insider:

Quote:

Ring of Honor ring announcer Bobby Cruise has reportedly met with TNA officials for a possible position with the company according to WrestlingInc.com. Cruise is said to have met with TNA during the New York City tapings and spoke with talent and TNA office members. He was said to have spoken with head writer Dave Lagana and executive vice president John Gaburick. Sources say Cruise’s frustration comes from Ring of Honor using Scarlett Bordeaux as a ring announcer more frequently.

--



Seems TNA are doing a bit of overhaul to the product, between this interview and the Matthew hiring, which is said to have the potential for an on-air announcers role in 2015.



Coupled with the reports about "top contracts" not being renewed due to costs, you really have to wonder if the same applies to both Tenay and Taz?

Why the Attitude Era was special and why "WWE sucks now"

This may not be your typical "Attitude Era was awesome because ..." and "WWE sucks now because ..." thread. In fact, it's pretty much the opposite.



I've been looking back at full episodes of WWE from that beloved Attitude Era right around that boom period in 1998, 1999 and 2000. That's when WWE had some of their highest PPV buys on average. Some of those PPV buy numbers have yet to be replicated or come close even today. Strangely enough WrestleMania is one of the few PPVs that has seen higher buys in the last 3-4 years than they ever saw before. But that is an anomaly as virtually every other PPV especially SummerSlam has seen consistent reduction in PPV buys since 1998.



Ok, so why was the Attitude Era so great?



- It was in that perfect, never able to be replicated again period, where people still weren't 100% sure if Pro Wrestling was real and since crazy stuff was going on in WWE (and WCW) people were interested. Sure, Vince came out and admitted it was scripted but the booming popularity was already there and wasn't going away just yet.



- WWE had serious competition in WCW. WCW did something on national TV probably never before seen on TV before ... have a group take over a TV Show - AKA the NWO took over WCW with 3 of the biggest names in the industry.



- WWE countered with corrupt factions such as The Corporation, Nation of Domination and DX.



- WWE also has pretty much the first ever employee fighting ruthlessly against their employer doing crazy stuff to their boss that a lot of us wished we could do or we just enjoyed seeing happen - AKA Stone Cold vs Vince McMahon.



- What the Attitude Era had were things that had never been done before any significant scale. WWE also had a Hardcore division which was brutal as hell but damn if it wasn't something that caught your attention.



- And some might say the Attitude Era was so great because there was blood, sex and swearing.





But, how did the Attitude Era actually suck?



- People who grew up in that era and loved it tend to only remember the best parts and don't remember a lot of the stupid stuff that we get so mad at WWE for doing today that they did back in the Attitude Era too!



- Illogical booking! That's probably the biggest one. Go back and look at a go-home Raw or a PPV. They are NOT all well-built. Be honest and you will agree they aren't all golden. Look at a go-home Raw and you'll see maybe only 3 or 4 matches for the upcoming PPV addressed in any way. Look at a PPV card and you'll see only ONE title being defended (probably the WWE title) and you'll see a bunch of 'personal feud' matches that have no title implications or any other significant implications but they are on a PPV that got huge buys. Why? Well in that era's time it was because the WWF title picture was captivating enough with Stone Cold, Rock, Taker, Kane, Mankind, McMahon etc. all involved that people I guess weren't as critical of the rest of the card because they loved the main event so much.



- Useless "comedy" matches. Look at any Oddities or Head Bangers segment. It's a big joke just like you might say Santino Marella was or Fandango or Adam Rose is now but they had silly characters back then too!



- Title holders left off the card. Go-home Raws and PPVs where every title holder doesn't really have a feud or anything going for them. Yet these folks should all having SOMETHING going for them but not always. Happens today too but people complain about it more.



- Super short segments or matches. Yes, the Attitude Era also had matches that were "squashes" of well-known guys or beat downs shortly after a match started. People complain today because not enough matches have 'finishes' but in the Attitude Era there was more chaos and less actual GOOD wrestling. Most of wrestling back then was just killing time until a big run-in angle. Maybe WWE needs more of that today but you have to admit WWE does give a lot more quality matches in all their programming now than they did before.





So why does "WWE suck" so much now?



- Illogical booking

- Useless "comedy" matches/segments

- Title holders left off card/without a feud

- Short segments or matches



See what I did there?



WWE isn't actually much worse today than it was in the beloved Attitude Era unless you only loved the Attitude Era because it had blood, sex and swearing. If you loved it because of that then, yes, it 'sucks' today because that aspect of it is not coming back.



What happened in the Attitude Era was truly unique. It really can't be replicated.



TV was different back then. Less channels and Internet was so sophisticated like today that made it easy to find spoilers and watch PPVs or shows any other way than they provided it. YouTube, believe it or not, was not around during the Attitude Era.



And yes, WCW was a legit threat and competition breeds innovation and demands quality.



Today, there are thousands of TV channels, millions of Internet sites and YouTube shows and Netflix and all sorts of other programming that simply doesn't give WWE the same possibility for ratings and buys that they once had.



Once the cat was let out of the bag by Vince, WCW was over, WWE went more PG, a bunch of fans slowly started to be done with pro wrestling. WWE (and WCW) did their big angles and now if they tried them again people would just go 'Lame! Been done before!" Those are the fans you can't get back. They loved the Attitude Era and anything done now is either not gritty enough or has been done before.



What I'm trying to say is. The Attitude Era was a rare and special time of Pro Wrestling that I cannot see ever being replicated again. It was a case of the right place at the right time with the right cast of characters and the right competition. That chuck of "pro wrestling" fans that left around 2003 and on aren't coming back because they may have loved the Attitude Era for R-rated reasons and they are now fans of Walking Dead, Sons of Anarchy or Game of Thrones. Obviously, they can't be interested in WWE anymore because it can't be like those shows.



What WWE has to do is realize that to get new fans they need to start young again and find out what the youngsters want while trying to still give hardcore, diehard fans what they want. When you think of it that way, you realize why John Cena is on top of the card all the time and there is Hornswoggle and a Bunny running around from time to time and then sometimes you'll see a hard-hitting match like The Shield vs Wyatt Family for the hardcore fans.



WWE still has to find a better balance though. Their ratings and PPV buys are lower than they could be. They won't get back up to 400,000 PPV buys (except WM) and won't get back up to 10 Million viewers but they should still aim for 200,000 buys on reg. PPVs and 300,000 buys on the big ones and 4 million viewers for Raw.



My questions to you are:



Do you agree with my assessment of the Attitude Era vs Toady's WWE?



and



Understanding that WWE isn't going back to TV-14 stuff anytime soon and they do have to cater to the kids while still pleasing the diehard hardcore fans, what are 3-5 simple steps they can take to do that?