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The Wrestling Discussion Thread

RedwoodOriginal said:
@shaz619 What did you think of Punk v Rollins? Surely, this can't be the only match these two have.
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As a huge Punk fan who severely debated all his critics the moment he left the WWE, I felt vindicated man, I felt vindicated. In what will go down as one of the biggest nights in WWE history, on a show which had John Cena, The Rock, Hulk Hogan and Roman Reigns; CM Punk was the headline act in a stadium show, lets just be real, he’s a much bigger star/name then Rollins and I felt vindicated after the match they had, Punk put on one of the best TV matches on RAW in years.

Am sorry to Rollins fans and I will give him some credit to in a minute, but this was the CM Punk show, you take everything off RAW, and you just had the main event segment, it justifies your Netflix subscription & ticket price. The match was smooth like butter, Bret was the best at making simple moves look so deadly and there was a great deal of creativity in Punk’s work such as that neck breaker from the top rope, Punk does things which you remember long after the match has happened and he can work well with pretty much everyone & to their strengths.

The build up had been great and these two really evoked the real life animosity, it was a thrilling fight. Punk had them throwing hands pretty much right away before they transitioned to the more visceral spots in the match, they kept the crowd hot throughout and worked every second, the match was pretty stiff to my eye or at least the action was presented that way.

This was one of Seth’s best ever TV matches, it just felt different and it didn’t feel like he was going through the spots, he wanted to punish Punk. And that really helped elevate his work as well; how about some of the more creative adjusrments to his usual sig moves ? those were great like the superplex spot and those eyes when he lost, those eyes man, that hatred right there is a shoot.

Punk’s helping these guys tell stories like never before and is having them work the most psychological matches of their lives. The finishing stretch was great, they peaked at the right time and didn’t overstay their welcome, I don’t know if Punk was genuinely banged up (probably) but his selling was excellent & that promo right after the match was 🔥.

Congrats to all Punk fans, you put him in the spot he has begged for years and these are your results, one of the biggest draws in wrestling and the best all round performer in the world; he once said he’s Taylor Swift for guys, and that is so true from my own POV 🤣

And I think they can certainly top this match, they are just getting started and I do want to see more but I fear they have bigger plans for Punk? how did you find the segment in general brother, but am just so happy right now and feel like a wrestling fan again.
 
Suleiman said:
This bloodline cow has now run dry. I’m like when will they finally disband at this point lol. Solo got beaten yet today it was like nothing happened. Are they clinging to it because outside of KO and Cody feud there’s nothing else interesting on smackdown? You lost the ula fala, let it go already 🤦🏼‍♂️

KO run is incredible rn. Justified heel. Hope he wins.
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There was an opportunity to do more with if The Rock got involved. But Rocky blew that on RAW. They still might be able to do Rock v Roman but Rocky has too many nakray. I don't understand why he can't make up his mind on whether he wants to do WrestleMania or not, or why he is holding the company's WrestleMania plans hostage? The Rock getting all this power ever since he became a member of the board has made him an even bigger and more insufferable douchebag. It's like no matter what is going on, every few months he has to come back and remind everyone that he still exists. And what's the damn point of him even being there if he isn't going to be an evil heel? WWE is going to do incredible business regardless of whether he is there or not. It's all about what's good storyline-wise. And this corporate babyface Rock is a bunch of bulls**t. I mean it's probably him being himself. But he is forgetting that this is the exact same persona that people turned on one year ago when he came back to hijack Cody's WrestleMania plans.

KO is doing some great work but that's the sad thing about it, that he probably won't win. They have done a good job to make him a credible heel despite him losing to Cody both times. But the way they have set up this feud, everything points to Cody beating Owens again.
 
shaz619 said:
As a huge Punk fan who severely debated all his critics the moment he left the WWE, I felt vindicated man, I felt vindicated. In what will go down as one of the biggest nights in WWE history, on a show which had John Cena, The Rock, Hulk Hogan and Roman Reigns; CM Punk was the headline act in a stadium show, lets just be real, he’s a much bigger star/name then Rollins and I felt vindicated after the match they had, Punk put on one of the best TV matches on RAW in years.

Am sorry to Rollins fans and I will give him some credit to in a minute, but this was the CM Punk show, you take everything off RAW, and you just had the main event segment, it justifies your Netflix subscription & ticket price. The match was smooth like butter, Bret was the best at making simple moves look so deadly and there was a great deal of creativity in Punk’s work such as that neck breaker from the top rope, Punk does things which you remember long after the match has happened and he can work well with pretty much everyone & to their strengths.

The build up had been great and these two really evoked the real life animosity, it was a thrilling fight. Punk had them throwing hands pretty much right away before they transitioned to the more visceral spots in the match, they kept the crowd hot throughout and worked every second, the match was pretty stiff to my eye or at least the action was presented that way.

This was one of Seth’s best ever TV matches, it just felt different and it didn’t feel like he was going through the spots, he wanted to punish Punk. And that really helped elevate his work as well; how about some of the more creative adjusrments to his usual sig moves ? those were great like the superplex spot and those eyes when he lost, those eyes man, that hatred right there is a shoot.

Punk’s helping these guys tell stories like never before and is having them work the most psychological matches of their lives. The finishing stretch was great, they peaked at the right time and didn’t overstay their welcome, I don’t know if Punk was genuinely banged up (probably) but his selling was excellent & that promo right after the match was 🔥.

Congrats to all Punk fans, you put him in the spot he has begged for years and these are your results, one of the biggest draws in wrestling and the best all round performer in the world; he once said he’s Taylor Swift for guys, and that is so true from my own POV 🤣

And I think they can certainly top this match, they are just getting started and I do want to see more but I fear they have bigger plans for Punk? how did you find the segment in general brother, but am just so happy right now and feel like a wrestling fan again.
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Lovely post man. You summed it up beautifully. Especially regarding the impact Punk had on the show and what it meant for him to be headlining the show.

Since you covered just about everything I'm gonna talk a bit about he story of the match, which I thought was brilliantly told. You had Rollins who is (in storyline) a former CM Punk fan, so obviously he knows everything about Punk and all of Punk's moves. But then you have Punk, who portrays himself as the big brother to Rollins (I'm above this guy), but he knows Rollins's playbook too. So I thought that was a really nice bit of subtle storytelling they did there. Punk may not like Rollins, but perhaps he has been watching Rollins from a far all these years and does have respect for what his former friend and protege has accomplished in the business. I enjoyed the finish too, which was quite similar to the finish from Punk's match with Mox.

Like alot of Punk's great matches it started off slow, but once they got into the swing of things and started telling the story, it got really freaking good. I do think this match was hurt by being on TV, rather than PPV. You give these guys 22-24 minutes and they would have blown the roof off the building. But this was still pretty excellent. They gave you just enough while leaving the door open for future matches. And yeah, I also felt like they were pretty stiff. Maybe it was intentional to get over the idea that both guys really hate each other.

I also loved Punk kicking out of two pedigrees. Whoever came up with that idea, bravo.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Lovely post man. You summed it up beautifully. Especially regarding the impact Punk had on the show and what it meant for him to be headlining the show.

Since you covered just about everything I'm gonna talk a bit about he story of the match, which I thought was brilliantly told. You had Rollins who is (in storyline) a former CM Punk fan, so obviously he knows everything about Punk and all of Punk's moves. But then you have Punk, who portrays himself as the big brother to Rollins (I'm above this guy), but he knows Rollins's playbook too. So I thought that was a really nice bit of subtle storytelling they did there. Punk may not like Rollins, but perhaps he has been watching Rollins from a far all these years and does have respect for what his former friend and protege has accomplished in the business. I enjoyed the finish too, which was quite similar to the finish from Punk's match with Mox.

Like alot of Punk's great matches it started off slow, but once they got into the swing of things and started telling the story, it got really freaking good. I do think this match was hurt by being on TV, rather than PPV. You give these guys 22-24 minutes and they would have blown the roof off the building. But this was still pretty excellent. They gave you just enough while leaving the door open for future matches. And yeah, I also felt like they were pretty stiff. Maybe it was intentional to get over the idea that both guys really hate each other.

I also loved Punk kicking out of two pedigrees. Whoever came up with that idea, bravo.
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The finish was an easter egg for guys like me & you lol I think the cherry on top, great post there on the story element / lil bro v big bro narrative; now that you mention it, I have to compare that to Bret v Owen ?! surely that had to have been the template for the match to some extent. I felt it was an unusually hot start for a Punk match, not crazy crazy but a lot more action if you rewatch the first 5 mins due to the animosity between the two imo it did build and build however but there was some needle at the start to I’d say. It’s funny we can talk about the match in this manner because inherently it goes back to the story you mentioned which they told in the ring, this is their version of Shawn Michaels Shakespearean Wrestling.

I completely take your point on the PPV side of it, but when you think about the spot they were in, RAW Netflix etc possible continuation of the feud etc they maximised their ability to have the best match possible within all the constraints on them, which is another reason why I enjoyed it so much; I didn’t have very high or low expectations for it but I feel they really delivered on the night, it’s like reading a book, the closing stretch needs to give you some pay off and it’s fine to leave some unanswered questions and they did they very well.

Haha I was surprised when Rollins hit him with those, there’s so much story within those pedigree’s, just think the money he would have made with H lol not really a gripe, but imagine Punk won with the pepsi plunge after those two moves lol I think he used that move a few times in AEW.

Another thing I noticed was Punk really felt the pace, beyond how injury prone he is or isn’t, carrying the increased muscle mass is going to test his endurance (maybe the impact of bumps as well) more when there is a wider gap between his matches. UFC took years of his career but many also overlook the AEW run, the hipsters there criticise him but he was there working every week and did all the big events; he didn’t hold back in any of those matches and I definitely feel they took their toll on his body. WWE on the other hand don’t need him every week, AEW certainly were not able to monetise it massively, though his impact there was undeniable, now they want to make use of him still regular on TV, but more careful on the physical side and selectively book his matches for major shows or live events as there is more upside for them that way, similarish to Lesnar who I was hoping to see on RAW; but guys like him & Austin wont just take a cheque to massage H’s ego.
 
shaz619 said:
The finish was an easter egg for guys like me & you lol I think the cherry on top, great post there on the story element / lil bro v big bro narrative; now that you mention it, I have to compare that to Bret v Owen ?! surely that had to have been the template for the match to some extent. I felt it was an unusually hot start for a Punk match, not crazy crazy but a lot more action if you rewatch the first 5 mins due to the animosity between the two imo it did build and build however but there was some needle at the start to I’d say. It’s funny we can talk about the match in this manner because inherently it goes back to the story you mentioned which they told in the ring, this is their version of Shawn Michaels Shakespearean Wrestling.

I completely take your point on the PPV side of it, but when you think about the spot they were in, RAW Netflix etc possible continuation of the feud etc they maximised their ability to have the best match possible within all the constraints on them, which is another reason why I enjoyed it so much; I didn’t have very high or low expectations for it but I feel they really delivered on the night, it’s like reading a book, the closing stretch needs to give you some pay off and it’s fine to leave some unanswered questions and they did they very well.

Haha I was surprised when Rollins hit him with those, there’s so much story within those pedigree’s, just think the money he would have made with H lol not really a gripe, but imagine Punk won with the pepsi plunge after those two moves lol I think he used that move a few times in AEW.

Another thing I noticed was Punk really felt the pace, beyond how injury prone he is or isn’t, carrying the increased muscle mass is going to test his endurance (maybe the impact of bumps as well) more when there is a wider gap between his matches. UFC took years of his career but many also overlook the AEW run, the hipsters there criticise him but he was there working every week and did all the big events; he didn’t hold back in any of those matches and I definitely feel they took their toll on his body. WWE on the other hand don’t need him every week, AEW certainly were not able to monetise it massively, though his impact there was undeniable, now they want to make use of him still regular on TV, but more careful on the physical side and selectively book his matches for major shows or live events as there is more upside for them that way, similarish to Lesnar who I was hoping to see on RAW; but guys like him & Austin wont just take a cheque to massage H’s ego.
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Yeah you're right there. It needed to be on this platform. Alot of new viewers were probably watching this show, and having this type of main-event is a good way to sell someone new on the product and showcase the serious side of wrestling. Good point about the parallels with Owen/Bret btw. I can definitely see it now that you mention it. Rollins is starting to become the modern-day version of his papa HHH, where he isn't exactly drawing money, but he is usually working with the guy who is drawing money. If only he didn't have this cringe gimmick, you could appreciate him a bit more.

Tbf to H, he did want to do that match at WrestleMania 30. But Punk was physically and mentally done with the company at that point. And then before it could have materialized they fired Punk on his wedding day. In hindsight, it all worked out for the best. Because when you think about it, without those chain of events, maybe you never even would have gotten Bryan's epic title win, Punk becoming even bigger and in-demand during his time away (how will I miss you, if you don't go away?), this legendary run he is on right now, or Punk finding out what a snake Colt Cabana is. :kp

Thing about Punk is that he adds even more value on promos because he is generational talent on the mic. Every promo he does just feels real and he always finds a way to make it true to life. I do feel though that it was a big gap between his last match and this one. And it did feel like he was a bit gassed at certain moments. But because his selling is so great, he was able to sell it as him getting beaten down, and it didn't affect the quality of the match. You also have to factor his age. No matter how great shape he is in physically, every person has limitations once they go past 40. And he is 46.
 
Penta will be a big star in WWE.

There are alot of luchadores in the business that can do flashy stuff. But I can't think of anyone else that is this charismatic. The look, the gimmick, the off-beat mannerisms; it all works.

And being on the biggest platform is exactly what he needs to go to the next level. WWE has a huge Latino demographic that are just clamoring for an interesting Latino wrestler they can get behind.

It's a huge get for WWE. They will make a fortune on just the masks alone.
 
I am not really that big of a fan of today’s product. But I love the fact that Netflix has all the classic WWE shows. WWE content moving to Netflix is like an early Eid present. So many amazing matches and shows to watch from the previous eras.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Penta will be a big star in WWE.

There are alot of luchadores in the business that can do flashy stuff. But I can't think of anyone else that is this charismatic. The look, the gimmick, the off-beat mannerisms; it all works.

And being on the biggest platform is exactly what he needs to go to the next level. WWE has a huge Latino demographic that are just clamoring for an interesting Latino wrestler they can get behind.

It's a huge get for WWE. They will make a fortune on just the masks alone.
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The first hour of RAW was brilliant, Punk got the show off to a flyer and along with Seth & Drew his two jealous ex’s, they really sold the Rumble pretty well; this year’s event could be the best in the post pandemic era, Cena, Reigns, Punk, Seth & Drew, the Bloodline stuff etc there are genuine rivalries to make the action a lot more meaningful and some big names to support the show.

Some idiots were nitpicking on some dumb stuff but Penta’s debut was sensational, it doesn’t matter that he was working for AEW previously because he didn’t work the NA style there, but I was surprised by how he seamlessly adjusted to the a completely new audience in his first match. WWE were also smart to keep him off the debut on Netflix, instead booking him in San Jose with the big latino diaspora going bonkers for him. Chad Gable was phenomenal with his technique & overall ring generalship, while Penta sold like his life depended on it. Sure he has worked for TNA & LU, but this is a new territory and he deserves credit for delivering under the spotlight with all the pressure on him. On paper you’d think any Lucha guy can come in and get over, it’s easier said then done when you look at the failures of Kalisto & Sin Cara among others, nobody has been able to replace Rey who is one off a kind, but Penta has genuine potential in that regard and came off as more off a star here then I’ve seen him anywhere else in the USA, one hell off a promo and excellent presentation.

Also, who is writing Gunther’s promo’s these days ? Samoa Joe ? :yk
 
The_KING said:
I am not really that big of a fan of today’s product. But I love the fact that Netflix has all the classic WWE shows. WWE content moving to Netflix is like an early Eid present. So many amazing matches and shows to watch from the previous eras.
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I’d say last week the main event was 🔥 and there some big appearances to. This week the first hour was a lot of fun. I usually watch the YT highlighrs but am forced to watch a bit more now due to Netflix, it’s a steal for us because we will get everything in the UK including Smackdown as well.
 
shaz619 said:
The first hour of RAW was brilliant, Punk got the show off to a flyer and along with Seth & Drew his two jealous ex’s, they really sold the Rumble pretty well; this year’s event could be the best in the post pandemic era, Cena, Reigns, Punk, Seth & Drew, the Bloodline stuff etc there are genuine rivalries to make the action a lot more meaningful and some big names to support the show.

Some idiots were nitpicking on some dumb stuff but Penta’s debut was sensational, it doesn’t matter that he was working for AEW previously because he didn’t work the NA style there, but I was surprised by how he seamlessly adjusted to the a completely new audience in his first match. WWE were also smart to keep him off the debut on Netflix, instead booking him in San Jose with the big latino diaspora going bonkers for him. Chad Gable was phenomenal with his technique & overall ring generalship, while Penta sold like his life depended on it. Sure he has worked for TNA & LU, but this is a new territory and he deserves credit for delivering under the spotlight with all the pressure on him. On paper you’d think any Lucha guy can come in and get over, it’s easier said then done when you look at the failures of Kalisto & Sin Cara among others, nobody has been able to replace Rey who is one off a kind, but Penta has genuine potential in that regard and came off as more off a star here then I’ve seen him anywhere else in the USA, one hell off a promo and excellent presentation.

Also, who is writing Gunther’s promo’s these days ? Samoa Joe ? :yk
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Notice how many potential matches they set up in this one segment? just to give themselves some breathing space incase Uncle Rocky decides at the last minute that he wants to do Mania. Punk v Seth, Punk v Seth v Drew, Drew v Roman. There was even a slight tease for Punk v Cena, though personally, I don't see that happening at WrestleMania. Gives them some good storylines going into the Rumble too, because I feel like that aspect has been largely missing from that match ever since Pat passed away.

I agree, it was brilliantly executed. They presented him like a big star, which was necessary because he is not someone who has been on a platform this big before. And booking him against Gable was perfect because Gable made him look like a million bucks. Though initially it felt a bit contrived that they basically did two commercial breaks between Gable making his entrance and getting to the ring, in the end, I am glad they did that because it meant that you weren't going to get as many breaks during the match. All in all, it was a wonderful debut match and a great showcase for who Penta is and what he offers. Great point about the Kallisto, Sin Cara. The Sin Cara debacle in particular is hard to forget considering the fanfare with which he was brought in. And in all actuality, Mistico probably was the biggest star in Mexico from the mid-2000s onwards. And while there are alot of wrestlers whose failure you can blame on WWE, he wasn't one of them. So credit to Penta for killing it on his debut. And hopefully it's a sign of things to come for him in WWE.

Gunther's promos have improved massively. I am actually surprised how many zingers he comes up with when he's in a face-to-face with someone. Remember the Goldberg line to Bret? 🤣

It's just a shame that his World title run has started to feel like an afterthought. Papa H simply doesn't know how to make stars. But I feel like Gunther is good enough to rise above the booking because he is just that damn good of an all-round performer. L.A. Knight may not be as lucky though. Because he never got to reach Gunther's heights before his wings were cut off.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Looks like Discount CM Punk is returning to the ring

https://twitter.com/x/status/1879024900590944273

https://twitter.com/x/status/1879161902372401621
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Not sure if this is a work or a shoot anymore. He may not be Heenan or Ventura, but Corey Graves is definitely one of the better wrestling commentators going around today. Compared to the mark in the lucha mask over on AEW, he actually does sound like the second coming of Jesse Ventura. Personally speaking, I can't say I'm too crazy about Joe Tessitore. But then again, I can understand the point about him and Wade Barrett being a good combo too, because they are and do play well off each other.

Maybe if they can blur the lines between reality and fiction, this could be interesting but I'm not sure if anyone is exactly clamoring to see Discount CM Punk get back into the ring. This ain't exactly Nigel McGuinness coming out of the commentary booth for one more match.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Notice how many potential matches they set up in this one segment? just to give themselves some breathing space incase Uncle Rocky decides at the last minute that he wants to do Mania. Punk v Seth, Punk v Seth v Drew, Drew v Roman. There was even a slight tease for Punk v Cena, though personally, I don't see that happening at WrestleMania. Gives them some good storylines going into the Rumble too, because I feel like that aspect has been largely missing from that match ever since Pat passed away.

I agree, it was brilliantly executed. They presented him like a big star, which was necessary because he is not someone who has been on a platform this big before. And booking him against Gable was perfect because Gable made him look like a million bucks. Though initially it felt a bit contrived that they basically did two commercial breaks between Gable making his entrance and getting to the ring, in the end, I am glad they did that because it meant that you weren't going to get as many breaks during the match. All in all, it was a wonderful debut match and a great showcase for who Penta is and what he offers. Great point about the Kallisto, Sin Cara. The Sin Cara debacle in particular is hard to forget considering the fanfare with which he was brought in. And in all actuality, Mistico probably was the biggest star in Mexico from the mid-2000s onwards. And while there are alot of wrestlers whose failure you can blame on WWE, he wasn't one of them. So credit to Penta for killing it on his debut. And hopefully it's a sign of things to come for him in WWE.

Gunther's promos have improved massively. I am actually surprised how many zingers he comes up with when he's in a face-to-face with someone. Remember the Goldberg line to Bret? 🤣

It's just a shame that his World title run has started to feel like an afterthought. Papa H simply doesn't know how to make stars. But I feel like Gunther is good enough to rise above the booking because he is just that damn good of an all-round performer. L.A. Knight may not be as lucky though. Because he never got to reach Gunther's heights before his wings were cut off.
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It will make for one epic Rumble that’s for sure! the bigger question is who should win ?

I watched the replay and they gave Gable the jobber entrance which was a bit harsh but he smacked them in the face with another epic match and his character work is outstanding, has he still not won a singles title ? they need to give him the Angle 2005-2006 push. Honestly, the whole segment was done extremely well and it’s even more impressive when he’s a Lucha Libre exponent and has a mask so a lot of folk may not know him, so they booked to his strengths, it surely has to be up there with the greatest modern debut’s ever on the main roster ? These days you can hardly bypass NXT and they gave him the respect his skill/potential deserves, I know it happened this week but it’s one of the best debut’s ever on RAW imo this century.

With Gunther it has to be the Europe effect, everyone here is a super smark 🤣🤣 You are right, I am highly critical of his booking to but whenever he is on my screen, he makes it work and I actually want go see him crush Jey Uso now. LA Knight is still so popular and I think we have just scratched the surface with his potential, but the hire ups don’t see him that way, namely H.
 
shaz619 said:
It will make for one epic Rumble that’s for sure! the bigger question is who should win ?

I watched the replay and they gave Gable the jobber entrance which was a bit harsh but he smacked them in the face with another epic match and his character work is outstanding, has he still not won a singles title ? they need to give him the Angle 2005-2006 push. Honestly, the whole segment was done extremely well and it’s even more impressive when he’s a Lucha Libre exponent and has a mask so a lot of folk may not know him, so they booked to his strengths, it surely has to be up there with the greatest modern debut’s ever on the main roster ? These days you can hardly bypass NXT and they gave him the respect his skill/potential deserves, I know it happened this week but it’s one of the best debut’s ever on RAW imo this century.

With Gunther it has to be the Europe effect, everyone here is a super smark 🤣🤣 You are right, I am highly critical of his booking to but whenever he is on my screen, he makes it work and I actually want go see him crush Jey Uso now. LA Knight is still so popular and I think we have just scratched the surface with his potential, but the hire ups don’t see him that way, namely H.
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For me, it has to be Punk. He is on a good, hot run right now. You don't know how long his whole time here will last. Pull the trigger and do something big.

Gable is the most underrated wrestler on the roster. He is always outstanding in the ring and doesn't just go there and show off his athleticism but tries to do it all in the service of the story. He is a fantastic heel. And I think he should atleast win the US Championship, because he could really make that belt mean something after Logan Paul and the poorly booked run of LA.

I just hope Gunther wrestles at the Royal Rumble too. Because SNME is a week before the Rumble. Not having the Word Heavyweight Championship defended at the Royal Rumble would be a major mistake that I hope they don't make.
 

Lineup for the January 20, 2025 episode of WWE Monday Night Raw​

  • WWE Women’s Intercontinental Champion Lyra Valkyria returns to Raw
  • Pure Fusion Collective vs. Damage CTRL’s Dakota Kay and IYO Sky
  • WWE Hall of Famer “JBL” John Bradshaw Layfield to appear
  • The New Day (Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods) in action
  • Seth Rollins vs. Drew McIntyre
  • Sami Zayn to appear
  • Jey Uso to appear
 
Also @shaz619 some good news.

According to Dirt Sheet Dave, besides Malakai; Miro, Ricky Starks and Rey Fenix are all expected to sign with WWE too once their deals expire. None of them will be used in AEW going forward.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Also @shaz619 some good news.

According to Dirt Sheet Dave, besides Malakai; Miro, Ricky Starks and Rey Fenix are all expected to sign with WWE too once their deals expire. None of them will be used in AEW going forward.
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Did Dave sound wounded when he gave the news lol Any word on when Starks contract is set to expire ? Last I checked he har a match scheduled in GCW
 
shaz619 said:
Did Dave sound wounded when he gave the news lol Any word on when Starks contract is set to expire ? Last I checked he har a match scheduled in GCW
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Haha I read about it, but apparently they are on a "list" of guys that won't be used going forward. Apparently, Starks even asked for his release but was denied it. Because Tony would much rather waste someone's career than use them on TV or let them go elsewhere. Can't believe some marks still think this jacka$$ is "for the boys."
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Tell em' brother! :faf

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What a promo man, you look at all the interviews done that day by Jackie and that one was on another level, and an example for all when it comes to maximising every second you get on TV.

And that Hogan line though 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 apparently was unscripted, probably made racist H a bit sad.

Have you noticed, some are finally waking up to notice what H has been doing:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1881432859283726749
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Haha I read about it, but apparently they are on a "list" of guys that won't be used going forward. Apparently, Starks even asked for his release but was denied it. Because Tony would much rather waste someone's career than use them on TV or let them go elsewhere. Can't believe some marks still think this jacka$$ is "for the boys."
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Starks should choke someone a little bit to fast track his release 👀

MJF doesn’t look like he wants to be there to, it’s sad because these guys are tied to long term contracts and no one could have predicted such a steep decline, all that money is nice but they would have question their decision more if they saw the future.

And screw Tony, he has ruined the indie scene in in the US and has never booked for the fans, but himself.

TNA just about managed to survive his clutches and we need an appreciation post for their re-branding and focus on their rich history, lets be real, TNA has been through many ups and downs, but their peak was on another level to AEW in my opinion. I love the return off the classic logo and overall presentation, they’ve been smart to align with WWE as well in the current US market, and you watch their shows and there’s a buzz, not quiet like the old days, but some off that passion has come back because for some moments they make you go ‘It was a bit like this when I was a kid.’ I’d love for AJ to wrestle there one last time and maybe a John Cena appearance would be pretty epic, can imagine the crowd going bonkers.
 
shaz619 said:
What a promo man, you look at all the interviews done that day by Jackie and that one was on another level, and an example for all when it comes to maximising every second you get on TV.

And that Hogan line though 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 apparently was unscripted, probably made racist H a bit sad.

Have you noticed, some are finally waking up to notice what H has been doing:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1881432859283726749
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That line took this promo from very good to epic. 🤣
And one thing you have to admit about Punk, he has always hated Hogan.

Nah, I'll bet H hates Hogan just as much as everyone else. Remember H had to put over 49 year old Hogan when he came back for that nostalgia run in '02. And that too a month or so after he won the belt from Jericho at WrestleMania.

As much fun as people make of Tony, H is as much of a shill (if not more) for the internet fans. Always trying to score brownie points with the marks. It's an old habit for him going back to the Curtain Call.
 
shaz619 said:
Starks should choke someone a little bit to fast track his release 👀

MJF doesn’t look like he wants to be there to, it’s sad because these guys are tied to long term contracts and no one could have predicted such a steep decline, all that money is nice but they would have question their decision more if they saw the future.

And screw Tony, he has ruined the indie scene in in the US and has never booked for the fans, but himself.

TNA just about managed to survive his clutches and we need an appreciation post for their re-branding and focus on their rich history, lets be real, TNA has been through many ups and downs, but their peak was on another level to AEW in my opinion. I love the return off the classic logo and overall presentation, they’ve been smart to align with WWE as well in the current US market, and you watch their shows and there’s a buzz, not quiet like the old days, but some off that passion has come back because for some moments they make you go ‘It was a bit like this when I was a kid.’ I’d love for AJ to wrestle there one last time and maybe a John Cena appearance would be pretty epic, can imagine the crowd going bonkers.
Click to expand...
Even that may not necessarily work. Remember, Andrade cleaned Sammy Guevara's clock in a bid to supposedly get fired, but they just sent him home. 🤣

MJF has not been involved in anything good for the longest time. Even with him I question how long he will hang around. My guess is atleast a couple of years. Thought I will say that I find the prospect of MJF v Jeff Jarrett intriguing. That could be a very interesting match.

Not just the indies, but he has killed Japanese wrestling too. Which is so ironic considering the modern NJPW style is a big part of what inspired AEW to come into existence in the first place. They drew like 20,000 people or so for their annual Tokyo Dome show this year. And I mean what else would you expect? AEW has poached all their top guys. The worst part about it is that they aren't exactly being used well in AEW either, with the exception of Ospreay. Jay White and Okada in particular are big losses for them and guys they spent years building. I guess even with Okada you could argue that he had done everything there was to do in Japan, but Jay White was perceived by many as the next top guy prior to his departure.
 
shaz619 said:
TNA just about managed to survive his clutches and we need an appreciation post for their re-branding and focus on their rich history, lets be real, TNA has been through many ups and downs, but their peak was on another level to AEW in my opinion. I love the return off the classic logo and overall presentation, they’ve been smart to align with WWE as well in the current US market, and you watch their shows and there’s a buzz, not quiet like the old days, but some off that passion has come back because for some moments they make you go ‘It was a bit like this when I was a kid.’ I’d love for AJ to wrestle there one last time and maybe a John Cena appearance would be pretty epic, can imagine the crowd going bonkers.
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Personally, I don't have the bandwith to watch TNA. But I have been hearing good things for quite some time now. They are working in a much smaller niche but its glad to see that they do have a dedicated fanbase. They are another company though that will be losing some of their key top stars pretty soon though. I was reading that both Jordynne Grace and Josh Alexander are WWE-bound. And Mike Bailey (who I very much enjoy watching) is likely going to end up in AEW relatively soon. Those are some big names that have had a big hand in TNA's recent success.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
That line took this promo from very good to epic. 🤣
And one thing you have to admit about Punk, he has always hated Hogan.

Nah, I'll bet H hates Hogan just as much as everyone else. Remember H had to put over 49 year old Hogan when he came back for that nostalgia run in '02. And that too a month or so after he won the belt from Jericho at WrestleMania.

As much fun as people make of Tony, H is as much of a shill (if not more) for the internet fans. Always trying to score brownie points with the marks. It's an old habit for him going back to the Curtain Call.
Click to expand...

That was divine justice H having to drop the belt to the bigger H, there was a lot more goodwill surrounding a Hogan and something came of it with his raised profile as he unthinkably tapped to Angle and Taker got some sweet revenge to. Hogan was fittingly the last WWF champion and the first WWE champion, I don’t know if it was all a coincidence and he’d have been champion regardless, but it turned out to be a nice little transition reign. Lmao yes he has been a big hater of his, probably hated him when he was a kid to, always said he loved Piper more lol

Yes his ego has no limit, H is just more politically driven but he has similar qualities, he has to make everything about himself, he thinks he is Vince. Truth is Rock has more power and Nock Khan is running the main business, remember that pointless promo he cut on SD after he got butt hurt about Rock’s influence.
 
shaz619 said:
That was divine justice H having to drop the belt to the bigger H, there was a lot more goodwill surrounding a Hogan and something came of it with his raised profile as he unthinkably tapped to Angle and Taker got some sweet revenge to. Hogan was fittingly the last WWF champion and the first WWE champion, I don’t know if it was all a coincidence and he’d have been champion regardless, but it turned out to be a nice little transition reign. Lmao yes he has been a big hater of his, probably hated him when he was a kid to, always said he loved Piper more lol

Yes his ego has no limit, H is just more politically driven but he has similar qualities, he has to make everything about himself, he thinks he is Vince. Truth is Rock has more power and Nock Khan is running the main business, remember that pointless promo he cut on SD after he got butt hurt about Rock’s influence.
Click to expand...
I hated that Hogan's weird title run in 2002. Even when Taker beat Hogan, he beat him with just a chokeslam (and Vince interference). and that Taker's shortish reign was probably his best title run? That triple threat with Angle and Rock, that star making ladder match with Jeff Hardy, it was fantastic.

Hiring and promoting Nick Khan was the last stroke of genius Vince made in his last days in WWE. Good things had become few and far between as Vince kept aging. I loved how he presented Cody after he returned at Mania (probably better than Trips). That Pat Mcafee vs Theory match at Mania was awesome. With Vince, it was sudden moments of his old brilliance and awfully booked story lines from 2016-2022. 2018 was notably pathetic.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Even that may not necessarily work. Remember, Andrade cleaned Sammy Guevara's clock in a bid to supposedly get fired, but they just sent him home. 🤣

MJF has not been involved in anything good for the longest time. Even with him I question how long he will hang around. My guess is atleast a couple of years. Thought I will say that I find the prospect of MJF v Jeff Jarrett intriguing. That could be a very interesting match.

Not just the indies, but he has killed Japanese wrestling too. Which is so ironic considering the modern NJPW style is a big part of what inspired AEW to come into existence in the first place. They drew like 20,000 people or so for their annual Tokyo Dome show this year. And I mean what else would you expect? AEW has poached all their top guys. The worst part about it is that they aren't exactly being used well in AEW either, with the exception of Ospreay. Jay White and Okada in particular are big losses for them and guys they spent years building. I guess even with Okada you could argue that he had done everything there was to do in Japan, but Jay White was perceived by many as the next top guy prior to his departure.
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Didn't MJF re-signed just last year? I'd put it all on MJF. He had the choice of leaving for WWE but he probably chose the money.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Even that may not necessarily work. Remember, Andrade cleaned Sammy Guevara's clock in a bid to supposedly get fired, but they just sent him home. 🤣

MJF has not been involved in anything good for the longest time. Even with him I question how long he will hang around. My guess is atleast a couple of years. Thought I will say that I find the prospect of MJF v Jeff Jarrett intriguing. That could be a very interesting match.

Not just the indies, but he has killed Japanese wrestling too. Which is so ironic considering the modern NJPW style is a big part of what inspired AEW to come into existence in the first place. They drew like 20,000 people or so for their annual Tokyo Dome show this year. And I mean what else would you expect? AEW has poached all their top guys. The worst part about it is that they aren't exactly being used well in AEW either, with the exception of Ospreay. Jay White and Okada in particular are big losses for them and guys they spent years building. I guess even with Okada you could argue that he had done everything there was to do in Japan, but Jay White was perceived by many as the next top guy prior to his departure.
Click to expand...
I like Jay White but man I think if he's given the choice again between being the top guy in Japan and relocating to US and making way more money and wrestle less stiffer matches, he'd probably choose the latter again.
AJ was the exception in that he returned from his stint in Japan an even bigger star and a totally rebuilt wrestler. Otherwise I think spending time in Japan only takes years out of your career wrestling those stiff matches.
 
Saw Edge vs Pac. Thought they'd try something different here but Edge's in ring generalship made for a great investing match. Despite having headlined Manias and winning multiple world championships, I think Edge is criminally underrated. His wrestling style is all about getting the audience invested in the match whether they like it or not. Think Edge was the true successor to HBK in terms of wrestling style deeply engulfed in story telling.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
I like Jay White but man I think if he's given the choice again between being the top guy in Japan and relocating to US and making way more money and wrestle less stiffer matches, he'd probably choose the latter again.
AJ was the exception in that he returned from his stint in Japan an even bigger star and a totally rebuilt wrestler. Otherwise I think spending time in Japan only takes years out of your career wrestling those stiff matches.
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No I get that going for greener pastures part. But personally, I think he kinda sucks. Hs matches are okay, and personality-wise he is a charisma vacuum. I don't understand what's so special about him? The best thing he has ever done is that match he and Juice had against FTR on Collision. Other than that, he has been absolute miss. And with him , I actually question how good he even would have been had he been booked right?

In NJPW he would have been a big fish in a small pond. In AEW he just another fish in a lake full of fishes. He doesn't stand-out in any way and nobody cares about him. What makes me chuckle though is that he apparently chose AEW over WWE.

Well that depends on the style you wrestle. He doesn't wrestle that much of a physical style, so he would have been okay.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
Didn't MJF re-signed just last year? I'd put it all on MJF. He had the choice of leaving for WWE but he probably chose the money.
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I can understand MJF resigning with AEW. He is a top guy who has alot of creative control over his own stuff and has managed to stand-out from the rest of the roster, a few programs notwithstanding. He is also very young and AEW provides him with a platform where he has significant carte blanche to do his own thing. In a sense, he is building his resume. So when he finally decides to go to WWE, he is brought in like Cody was brought in. Where nothing about his gimmick or presentation changes, and everyone knows who he is.

He has already built a great resume based off that program with Punk. But I think he can further enhance it by working with top talent like Edge, Christian, Swerve, and a few other names.
 
shaz619 said:
I thought this was a joke 🤣 has to be a rib but then Jim wouldn’t laugh like that lmao that art though. I am curious how Mox managed to have a bad match with Bryan Danielson lol It looks like South Koreans listen to the podcast 🤣
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Koreans sure hate him lmao. And I have to say, I really enjoy Brian Last's impression of him. 🤣 🤣
 
BunnyRabbit said:
I hated that Hogan's weird title run in 2002. Even when Taker beat Hogan, he beat him with just a chokeslam (and Vince interference). and that Taker's shortish reign was probably his best title run? That triple threat with Angle and Rock, that star making ladder match with Jeff Hardy, it was fantastic.

Hiring and promoting Nick Khan was the last stroke of genius Vince made in his last days in WWE. Good things had become few and far between as Vince kept aging. I loved how he presented Cody after he returned at Mania (probably better than Trips). That Pat Mcafee vs Theory match at Mania was awesome. With Vince, it was sudden moments of his old brilliance and awfully booked story lines from 2016-2022. 2018 was notably pathetic.
Click to expand...

It lead to better days and they had to cash in on the popularity of his face turn, historically it was right and didn’t overstay it’s welcome, and better that he got that piece of crap H to do the job. And Vince was a mad genius, he blew hot and cold but created moments which will live forever, everything H does is manufactured and he’s not remotely on Vince’s love, just cosplaying him like the lil b!tch he is and his most gulible fans would pop if he farted in the ring, the company is running itself pretty much, there’s nothing he is doing to make the business to new heights.
 
shaz619 said:
That was divine justice H having to drop the belt to the bigger H, there was a lot more goodwill surrounding a Hogan and something came of it with his raised profile as he unthinkably tapped to Angle and Taker got some sweet revenge to. Hogan was fittingly the last WWF champion and the first WWE champion, I don’t know if it was all a coincidence and he’d have been champion regardless, but it turned out to be a nice little transition reign. Lmao yes he has been a big hater of his, probably hated him when he was a kid to, always said he loved Piper more lol

Yes his ego has no limit, H is just more politically driven but he has similar qualities, he has to make everything about himself, he thinks he is Vince. Truth is Rock has more power and Nock Khan is running the main business, remember that pointless promo he cut on SD after he got butt hurt about Rock’s influence.
Click to expand...
Hogan was massively over when he came back to WWE. A large part of it may have been the fact that those fans were seeing him after a long time. But I didn't mind that little run he had after coming back. I think he won the tag titles with Edge too. And it had some memorable moments too like Brock just killing him and the match with Vince at Mania.

He's an egomaniac for sure, but I actually don't mind him that much. Fact is, the show has gotten miles better since he took the helm. He may do alot of stuff to shill for the marks and be accepted by them, but atleast he does it. It's still better than Vince who just made it a point to be a stubborn p*ick no matter what the fans wanted. H even made up with Punk and seems to be on atleast good professional terms with him, which I never thought would happen.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I can understand MJF resigning with AEW. He is a top guy who has alot of creative control over his own stuff and has managed to stand-out from the rest of the roster, a few programs notwithstanding. He is also very young and AEW provides him with a platform where he has significant carte blanche to do his own thing. In a sense, he is building his resume. So when he finally decides to go to WWE, he is brought in like Cody was brought in. Where nothing about his gimmick or presentation changes, and everyone knows who he is.

He has already built a great resume based off that program with Punk. But I think he can further enhance it by working with top talent like Edge, Christian, Swerve, and a few other names.
Click to expand...

I was reading yesterday that he reportedly is earning something like $15 million dollars per year, even knowing what AEW is now, how you can you say no to that kind of money lol However, I will have more questions if MJF takes that deal again because that would be essentially ending his career peak with AEW really, I don’t see WWE giving a better offer ? And Tony will throw stupid money at him again in 2026-2027.

On paper he got all you would want contractually as a wrestler; fewer dates, creative control and stupid money, it’s just that now, there are even fewer eyeballs on AEW and as a major draw, WWE will see him as a bit untested, what can MJF do in AEW to change that sentiment ? It’s difficult as a one man army. If MJF looks at this from a ceiling in WWE is higher POV then there’s a chance, but people knew who Cody & Punk are from a global audience and casuals i. the US, MJF is popular but not there ye, AJ was an exception to the rule and his work was hard to ignore though it took many years.

Am just thinking about this financially now because that’s the only thing which can stop an MJF move.

Who knows, maybe the AEW business will be a better place in a few years but am not so sure.
 
shaz619 said:
That was divine justice H having to drop the belt to the bigger H, there was a lot more goodwill surrounding a Hogan and something came of it with his raised profile as he unthinkably tapped to Angle and Taker got some sweet revenge to. Hogan was fittingly the last WWF champion and the first WWE champion, I don’t know if it was all a coincidence and he’d have been champion regardless, but it turned out to be a nice little transition reign. Lmao yes he has been a big hater of his, probably hated him when he was a kid to, always said he loved Piper more lol

Yes his ego has no limit, H is just more politically driven but he has similar qualities, he has to make everything about himself, he thinks he is Vince. Truth is Rock has more power and Nock Khan is running the main business, remember that pointless promo he cut on SD after he got butt hurt about Rock’s influence.
Click to expand...
In a way I think its good that H doesn't have complete power, because then you would have seen his worst instincts come to the surface. He is good at thinking about wrestling logically so I don't mind him as the booker. Meanwhile you have a savvy businessman like Nick Khan handling the big picture stuff. If Nick Khan thinks CM Punk needs to be brought in, he will be brought in. No matter what H's personal feelings are about the matter. And H will make it work. So I think its good that he is counterbalanced a bit in the current structure.
 
shaz619 said:
I was reading yesterday that he reportedly is earning something like $15 million dollars per year, even knowing what AEW is now, how you can you say no to that kind of money lol However, I will have more questions if MJF takes that deal again because that would be essentially ending his career peak with AEW really, I don’t see WWE giving a better offer ? And Tony will throw stupid money at him again in 2026-2027.

On paper he got all you would want contractually as a wrestler; fewer dates, creative control and stupid money, it’s just that now, there are even fewer eyeballs on AEW and as a major draw, WWE will see him as a bit untested, what can MJF do in AEW to change that sentiment ? It’s difficult as a one man army. If MJF looks at this from a ceiling in WWE is higher POV then there’s a chance, but people knew who Cody & Punk are from a global audience and casuals i. the US, MJF is popular but not there ye, AJ was an exception to the rule and his work was hard to ignore though it took many years.

Am just thinking about this financially now because that’s the only thing which can stop an MJF move.

Who knows, maybe the AEW business will be a better place in a few years but am not so sure.
Click to expand...
Yeah I agree, if he were to resign with AEW again then I would seriously question that career decision. That's when he will have to ask himself if he wants to be a big fish in a small pond, or a big fish in a vast ocean of opportunity? Yeah, Tony will throw stupid money at him but its not like WWE is going to offer him peanuts. If I were MJF it would be a no-brainer regarding where I should go. Especially when one company is hemorrhaging viewers on a weekly basis and doing shows in 2-3k capacity arenas now, while the other is seemingly reaching new heights every year.
 

Arsenal 'actively looking' to sign striker - Arteta​

Arsenal are "actively looking" to sign a striker in the January transfer window who is able to "make an impact", says manager Mikel Arteta.

Arsenal have been short of attacking options after losing Bukayo Saka to a long-term hamstring injury and striker Gabriel Jesus with an anterior cruciate ligament injury.

The Gunners are challenging for the Premier League title for the third season in a row but a number of injuries to key players and inconsistent results has seen them slip to six points behind Liverpool, who also have a game in hand.

Arsenal have also been knocked out of the FA Cup by Manchester United and are trailing Newcastle 2-0 after the first leg of the Carabao Cup semi-final. In both of those matches the Gunners missed a host of goalscoring opportunities.

"My opinion is clear that we lost two very very important players, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Jesus. So we lack goals, we lack people, we lack options in the frontline, it's clear," Arteta said.

"It is clear that in the period that we lost them, ideally we need some help. We were short already and now we are even shorter. The team still copes with that."

However, he said he would only do "what is right for the club" and is "actively looking" to "get the right player".

"Any player, no," he added. "[It has to be] someone that makes us better and has an impact in the team."

Arsenal have been linked with RB Leipzig striker Benjamin Sesko and also Wolves forward Matheus Cunha but Arteta, who did not comment on either player in his pre-match news conference said it's not a certainty that Arsenal will be able to complete a deal for a forward.

"It doesn't just depend on Arsenal, on Mikel or our will. It depends on the market and a lot of different factors." Arteta added.

Arsenal midfielder Declan Rice said after the win over north London rivals Tottenham that he would not be "surprised" if Arsenal do try to sign a striker in this window, but Arteta said his players haven't said to him that they feel like they need someone to come in.

"We have all been there, we all look at each other." Arteta said.

"We have very, very short numbers for many, many weeks and they recognise the situation, we all do."

However, the Arsenal boss did say that he does sometimes speak to his players about potential signings, especially if they have played together before, to get an insight into their characters.

"That's getting us away from the computer and what the data is saying and it is real," said the Spaniard.

"I have seen it, I sense it. A player can score a lot of goals, great. How does this player react when he hasn't scored for six or seven games?

"This is what I am interested in. Watch an interview with a player who hasn't scored for six games, and then what kind of goals does he score?

"Against which teams in which context? Is it first half or second half? Is it only with his right foot, only headers, only in open spaces? Does he like the physical contact of this league?

"There are a lot of things. So when you have a player that has spent a lot of days with him, that is really valuable information to have."

Source: BBC
 

WWE SmackDown January 24, 2025 Confirmed Matches​

  • LA Knight vs. Tama Tonga
  • Motor City Machine Guns vs. Pretty Deadly
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I can understand MJF resigning with AEW. He is a top guy who has alot of creative control over his own stuff and has managed to stand-out from the rest of the roster, a few programs notwithstanding. He is also very young and AEW provides him with a platform where he has significant carte blanche to do his own thing. In a sense, he is building his resume. So when he finally decides to go to WWE, he is brought in like Cody was brought in. Where nothing about his gimmick or presentation changes, and everyone knows who he is.

He has already built a great resume based off that program with Punk. But I think he can further enhance it by working with top talent like Edge, Christian, Swerve, and a few other names
Click to expand...
Edge MJF feud could become the feud of the year if done right. Edge has that ability to get the crowd get engulfed in his program.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Yeah I agree, if he were to resign with AEW again then I would seriously question that career decision. That's when he will have to ask himself if he wants to be a big fish in a small pond, or a big fish in a vast ocean of opportunity? Yeah, Tony will throw stupid money at him but its not like WWE is going to offer him peanuts. If I were MJF it would be a no-brainer regarding where I should go. Especially when one company is hemorrhaging viewers on a weekly basis and doing shows in 2-3k capacity arenas now, while the other is seemingly reaching new heights every year.
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If that 15 mill is true or even something like 10 mill, it’s almost as much as the top two earners in WWE in terms of guaranteed pay. It’s insane really to think he’d be making as much as Reigns & Lesnar combined for his gurantee, although the WWE main eventer’s recieve huge bonuses for the merch, live gate and working top of the card to tip them over the edge and MJF wouldn’t be getting close to that for some time unless they establish him as a top guy. Essentially he needs a deal similar to what Cody got and make sure his character is protected.

CM Punk probably didn’t get the deal he’d want right away but must have received huge bonuses for some of the more high profile events and will be in a position to command more dollar when his multi year deal expires.
 
Jey continues to be a jobber… he’s what a gatekeeper is in MMA. Always in the main event picture but just ends up beefing up others’ records and used as stepping stone for up and coming talent.

Hope they do give him a world title but that ship has sailed… he was red hot months ago before they made him drop the IC to raw dog and put him into another bloodline story when the whole point was him going on a singles run.
 
Bhaijaan said:
Applies to most things bro.

Look at cricket’s situation now. It’s nothing compared to the 90s, 2000s
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Bhaijaan, where is this Sanatani Wrestler now? :inti

images
 
shaz619 said:
Shawn Michaels looked amazing out there, I don’t care, no one, and I mean no one, can hit the sweet chin music quiet like HBK; that was beautiful and a great segment in general.
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Wish these other wrestlers would respect the super kick and leave it out of their repertoire out of respect because most of them do such an awful job and overuse it.

No one delivers it like HBK. He makes it look special.
 
Suleiman said:
Wish these other wrestlers would respect the super kick and leave it out of their repertoire out of respect because most of them do such an awful job and overuse it.

No one delivers it like HBK. He makes it look special.
Click to expand...

For some time I had an issue with it, but then realised they were doing a pretty poor imitation of the early 90’s super kick which Shawn utilised. But then he evolved his finisher, the technique is simply beautiful, regardless off the opponent’s size and whether you were Rey or Sid, Shawn got right under your jaw and stretched his leg for maximum torque. And that’s the birth of the sweet chin music, I’ve never seen anyone hit that move. Shawn’s finisher is like a Mike Tyson upper cut, aimed every time at your jaw to knock you flush out, while the ‘super-kick’ by others is not really aimed well and the attack is usually inconsistent, they can’t really match Shawn’s timing either.
 
shaz619 said:
Shawn Michaels looked amazing out there, I don’t care, no one, and I mean no one, can hit the sweet chin music quiet like HBK; that was beautiful and a great segment in general.
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And he can still outwrestle a lot of active wrestlers. He just needs hair implants.
 
shaz619 said:
Shawn Michaels looked amazing out there, I don’t care, no one, and I mean no one, can hit the sweet chin music quiet like HBK; that was beautiful and a great segment in general.
Click to expand...

Agree with this assessment.

One of the best finishing moves in pro-wrestling history for me.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
And he can still outwrestle a lot of active wrestlers. He just needs hair implants.
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It’s just the age and ability to take bumps probably would be no good for his body, other then that if he were to lace em up one more time he would one million percent.
 
shaz619 said:
It’s just the age and ability to take bumps probably would be no good for his body, other then that if he were to lace em up one more time he would one million percent.
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One or two matches a year still wouldn't hurt his body that much. I'd think he'd be still agile enough to sell and even do moonsaults considering how much of a natural he was in the ring. AJ vs HBK and AJ vs Bryan would remain dream matches I guess.
 
BunnyRabbit said:
One or two matches a year still wouldn't hurt his body that much. I'd think he'd be still agile enough to sell and even do moonsaults considering how much of a natural he was in the ring. AJ vs HBK and AJ vs Bryan would remain dream matches I guess.
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That’s easy for us to say but he was pretty banged up after Saudi and it’s incredibly taxing at an older age to get ready for a match, even more when it’s once or twice a year; watch the last ride doc to see how tough it was for Taker and the other thing is, if you’re working only one or two matches a year, and stay out of ring shape for most of the time then your reflex’s and muscle memory take a massive beating and also the threshold to take bumps drops, injury risk goes up to; when Kurt Angle returned on the back of one of his best matches in years against Lashley in TNA, he was expecting to wrestle but Vince kept leading him on and made him GM, keeping Kurt inactive fast tracked his decline and when it was time to work, his body could not respond to the required intensity.

Shawn’s standards are extremely high, he’d only return if he felt he could perform as good as he did in his prime. He never wanted to return to the ring in the first place and after the bad press from the Saudi match, it reinforced his view (even though I thought he looked fantastic and was just let down by the others).

For what it’s worth, Shawn is capable of pulling it off but it’s not a cake walk physically/mentally and he is his own biggest critic, I’d be shocked to see him in the ring again and I think doing the NXT stuff is a much better way of having closure for him.

From my own POV, Shawn’s my all time favourite and I don’t feel like I need to see him again because he had the perfect fairy tale ending to a legendary career and achieved everything there was to achieve as a pro wrestler, like I didn’t even feel sad when he retired because he went out on top at his peak.
 
Not even WWE video games can get the sweet chin music right, it gets more and more trash each year! It peaked during the SvR series.
 
shaz619 said:
That’s easy for us to say but he was pretty banged up after Saudi and it’s incredibly taxing at an older age to get ready for a match, even more when it’s once or twice a year; watch the last ride doc to see how tough it was for Taker and the other thing is, if you’re working only one or two matches a year, and stay out of ring shape for most of the time then your reflex’s and muscle memory take a massive beating and also the threshold to take bumps drops, injury risk goes up to; when Kurt Angle returned on the back of one of his best matches in years against Lashley in TNA, he was expecting to wrestle but Vince kept leading him on and made him GM, keeping Kurt inactive fast tracked his decline and when it was time to work, his body could not respond to the required intensity.

Shawn’s standards are extremely high, he’d only return if he felt he could perform as good as he did in his prime. He never wanted to return to the ring in the first place and after the bad press from the Saudi match, it reinforced his view (even though I thought he looked fantastic and was just let down by the others).

For what it’s worth, Shawn is capable of pulling it off but it’s not a cake walk physically/mentally and he is his own biggest critic, I’d be shocked to see him in the ring again and I think doing the NXT stuff is a much better way of having closure for him.

From my own POV, Shawn’s my all time favourite and I don’t feel like I need to see him again because he had the perfect fairy tale ending to a legendary career and achieved everything there was to achieve as a pro wrestler, like I didn’t even feel sad when he retired because he went out on top at his peak.
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Agreed. He looked the best during that Crown Jewel match and he doesn't have to wrestle again. I was just making a point that if he wanted to, he could still outwrestle almost everyone there.
 
Most like HBK gonna be inducting him.

If not, Flair and Orton must be next in line.

I won’t mind if it’s Rock.

But my personal wish is that Stephanie gets to induct him. Pun aside, she’s been rock solid behind this man and truly his life changed after marrying her. For that beautiful relationship they have had and including an interesting often funny one in-ring, it makes for a good one.
 
Bhaijaan said:
Most like HBK gonna be inducting him.

If not, Flair and Orton must be next in line.

I won’t mind if it’s Rock.

But my personal wish is that Stephanie gets to induct him. Pun aside, she’s been rock solid behind this man and truly his life changed after marrying her. For that beautiful relationship they have had and including an interesting often funny one in-ring, it makes for a good one.
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They should let Bret Hart induct him in the same wing they have Bill Goldberg
 
Bhaijaan said:
Most like HBK gonna be inducting him.

If not, Flair and Orton must be next in line.

I won’t mind if it’s Rock.

But my personal wish is that Stephanie gets to induct him. Pun aside, she’s been rock solid behind this man and truly his life changed after marrying her. For that beautiful relationship they have had and including an interesting often funny one in-ring, it makes for a good one.
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It'll be HBK
 
Excited for the Royal Rumble this weekend. They have done a wonderful job of building up this match. The Cody-Owens Ladder match should be good too.

I think our boy CM is winning it this year.
 
Suleiman said:
Jey continues to be a jobber… he’s what a gatekeeper is in MMA. Always in the main event picture but just ends up beefing up others’ records and used as stepping stone for up and coming talent.

Hope they do give him a world title but that ship has sailed… he was red hot months ago before they made him drop the IC to raw dog and put him into another bloodline story when the whole point was him going on a singles run.
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I swear this guy is one of the worst workers that WWE has ever had at a main-event level in the modern era. Even Gunther couldn't get a good match out of him. He should stick to being the company mascot and getting the crowd to chant 'Yeet' because he is not good enough to be world champion. Heck, he is not even good enough to be IC Champion.
 
shaz619 said:
For some time I had an issue with it, but then realised they were doing a pretty poor imitation of the early 90’s super kick which Shawn utilised. But then he evolved his finisher, the technique is simply beautiful, regardless off the opponent’s size and whether you were Rey or Sid, Shawn got right under your jaw and stretched his leg for maximum torque. And that’s the birth of the sweet chin music, I’ve never seen anyone hit that move. Shawn’s finisher is like a Mike Tyson upper cut, aimed every time at your jaw to knock you flush out, while the ‘super-kick’ by others is not really aimed well and the attack is usually inconsistent, they can’t really match Shawn’s timing either.
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Suleiman said:
Wish these other wrestlers would respect the super kick and leave it out of their repertoire out of respect because most of them do such an awful job and overuse it.

No one delivers it like HBK. He makes it look special.
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Have you guys seen Chris Adams's superkick? He is the one who Michaels was inspired by to use the move. I think he probably had the best superkick. Michaels adapted it to the, then modern style and made it a bit flashier over the years. But its hard to top the original. And Adams did more of a standing superkick, rather than one with a build-up and getting the crowd involved.
 
Anyone thinks The Rock is gonna enter Royal Rumble? Have a suspicion he’s gonna enter as #30

Reckon Cena or Rock is winning the Rumble
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
I swear this guy is one of the worst workers that WWE has ever had at a main-event level in the modern era. Even Gunther couldn't get a good match out of him. He should stick to being the company mascot and getting the crowd to chant 'Yeet' because he is not good enough to be world champion. Heck, he is not even good enough to be IC Champion.
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Haha. 3 spears + 3 frog splashes = Jey Uso moveset

Hope they get Zila Fatu in WWE soon.

And am so glad they finally let Jacob get on the mic… no more of that I love you solo bs, now he talking real trash and killing it
 
also gotta say Punk either finally started bulking for real or AJ started packing him trenbologna sandwiches for lunch… in the best shape of his career rn.
 
Suleiman said:
Haha. 3 spears + 3 frog splashes = Jey Uso moveset

Hope they get Zila Fatu in WWE soon.

And am so glad they finally let Jacob get on the mic… no more of that I love you solo bs, now he talking real trash and killing it
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You forgot the 90 superkicks and that spit slap he copied from The Rock.

Jacob Fatu is such an awesome promo. His promo style perfectly matches his personality. They need to let him loose, possibly have him go after the US title or something.
 
Bhaijaan said:
Anyone thinks The Rock is gonna enter Royal Rumble? Have a suspicion he’s gonna enter as #30

Reckon Cena or Rock is winning the Rumble
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I don't think Rock is doing WrestleMania.

I see Cena winning the Elimination Chamber. He won't win the Rumble.
 
RedwoodOriginal said:
Have you guys seen Chris Adams's superkick? He is the one who Michaels was inspired by to use the move. I think he probably had the best superkick. Michaels adapted it to the, then modern style and made it a bit flashier over the years. But its hard to top the original. And Adams did more of a standing superkick, rather than one with a build-up and getting the crowd involved.
Click to expand...

As a pure super kick it may be the best, comparing it as a ‘kick’ to Shawn’s SCW; I personally see no comparison in terms of my own preference and as I said before I see the two moves in a different light. Shawn does that build up but also hits the finisher from a variety of positions, his general set-up, technique and psychology of the move is on another level for me, the SWC’s on Angle (WM 21 while unconscious), on Cena ( RAW london, that reversal of the FU & sell into a pin was just mastery), the one on Benjamin/Rey is well known and especially the one to win his first world title all live rent free in my head.
 
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