The Wrestling Discussion Thread

[shaz619]

The longer they take Jey to finally turn, the bigger face he'll become. The only problem is he's still untested as a singles guy. Solo doesn't do it for me. He's way too green and the audience doesn't really know him. He just burst on the scene last year.

Adam Cole as a face doesn't do it for me for some reason.

Jey already has headlined multiple PPV’s and came across as a star, more of a star then Drag Queen Seth and Clown Big E were as champion. There was something to build on. Solo is obviously raw yet, any experience now is so valuable working at the top of the card, this will pay dividends later

Nothing Cole is doing is working in AEW, but MJF can help bring out his best in this programme at least, am intrigued

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Jey already has headlined multiple PPV’s and came across as a star, more of a star then Drag Queen Seth and Clown Big E were as champion. There was something to build on. Solo is obviously raw yet, any experience now is so valuable working at the top of the card, this will pay dividends later

Nothing Cole is doing is working in AEW, but MJF can help bring out his best in this programme at least, am intrigued

Cole is one that has the it factor and can flourish in the top card. But AEW told the audience right from his debut that they didn't see him as a big deal (by having Bryan debuting 2 mins later)

 

[shaz619]

Cole is one that has the it factor and can flourish in the top card. But AEW told the audience right from his debut that they didn't see him as a big deal (by having Bryan debuting 2 mins later)

You know it’s a systematic problem, look at how Okada’s debut was treated

 

[BunnyRabbit]

You know it’s a systematic problem, look at how Okada’s debut was treated

That was intentional to make Okada look like just another guy.

 

[shaz619]

That was intentional to make Okada look like just another guy.

I genuinely believe they thought that would be a brilliant idea, these guys are not that clever they would pull of something intentional like that, it’s Disney land for the raslers

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I genuinely believe they thought that would be a brilliant idea, these guys are not that clever they would pull of something intentional like that, it’s Disney land for the raslers

Hmmm if they did think that, they are genuine idiots then.

 

[Suleiman]

Jey already has headlined multiple PPV’s and came across as a star, more of a star then Drag Queen Seth and Clown Big E were as champion. There was something to build on. Solo is obviously raw yet, any experience now is so valuable working at the top of the card, this will pay dividends later

Nothing Cole is doing is working in AEW, but MJF can help bring out his best in this programme at least, am intrigued

Seth has potential but at this point his gimmick is literally a clown with red nose and colored wig. It doesn’t suit him at all.

I know they’re going for this insane visionary type persona, but it doesn’t fit him at all.

A similar gimmick is Broken Matt Hardy but he actually pulled it off because while the main characteristic was that he was coming off as insane, there was more to it than just wearing wacky outfits and trying too hard in coming off crazy. Broken Matt Hardy was probably Matt’s best character work of his career.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Seth has potential but at this point his gimmick is literally a clown with red nose and colored wig. It doesn’t suit him at all.

I know they’re going for this insane visionary type persona, but it doesn’t fit him at all.

A similar gimmick is Broken Matt Hardy but he actually pulled it off because while the main characteristic was that he was coming off as insane, there was more to it than just wearing wacky outfits and trying too hard in coming off crazy. Broken Matt Hardy was probably Matt’s best character work of his career.

Seth is at his best when he is being manipulative. His face turn came without any event, he just suddenly turned face for no reason.

Broken Matt failed hard in AEW. Matt's in ring work has declined sharply in last 6-7 years. He is in AEW only due to his friendship with the higher ups and Jeff.

 

[Suleiman]

Seth is at his best when he is being manipulative. His face turn came without any event, he just suddenly turned face for no reason.

Broken Matt failed hard in AEW. Matt's in ring work has declined sharply in last 6-7 years. He is in AEW only due to his friendship with the higher ups and Jeff.

Seth can still and should still be heel. But the current character ain’t it.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Batista would have got a push despite Hunter. Vince in such a mark for a real good physique and even when he came in as Devon’s body guard, he had the IT factor, the fans knew he was something special, he was a major project who they worked on since signing him to OVW. Batista was old by WWE’s main event top guy standards, but that didn’t stop Vince from signing off on his run. Batista and AJ Styles were both around about the same age I think when they won their first world title, maybe DDP to.

It wouldn’t shock me that Hunter sabotaged Jericho’s push, what was it with Jericho rubbing his head with everyone on those days though he was crazy over, I think Vince believed in him, but someone like him was not going to benefit from the turbulent booking of the AE era, he probably should have thrived in the RA era, but by that point, with Austin and Rock gone, HHH running things, doesn’t surprise me that Jericho left the company.

All things considered they still gave Benoit a run, and even Vince couldn’t ignore the fans, he had to cash in. They rarely had him doing stupid sh!t which shows how admired and respected he was backstage. Looking back, Benoit could have benefited from a Lesnar esque push from our era today, it would also have helped hide some of his flaws.

He would have but to be fair to Hunter, he is the one who took control of that storyline and milked it for over a year. The writers wanted to do a pay-off immediately after the crowd started reacting to the teases of Batista potentially turning on H. And when you look at that entire storyline, it was perfectly executed from start to finish and made Batista a massive star.

Batista's age is probably a big factor in him not staying a top guy for as long. Because WrestleMania 21 was basically his coronation. And even till 2007, he was viewed as just a notch below Cena. But somewhere in between they went all in on Cena and he started getting disillusioned with the company and more interested in pursuing an acting career.

Jericho should have been on SmackDown. I think he would have been utilized better. RAW being the Triple H Show was basically the worst kept secret in WWE. And funny thing is that Heyman wanted him in 2002 when the brand split came into effect but had to compromise to keep Edge and Eddie, I think.

It was an okay run. Once he got done feuding with with Hunter and Shawn, there wasn't any feud that was particularly memorable. I think he feuded with Kane and then lost the belt to Orton. He got to beat H more than once which was something I guess.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION]

Anything good going on in wrestling these days? I just saw a clip of Bloodline segment on SD with Solo's swerve.

Seems like it will be Roman vs Jimmy at SS. And Jey vs Roman down the line. For some reason, it has started to increasingly look like Jey would be the one to put Roman down as the storyline started with Jey as well.

I am in US these days and finding it hard to keep up with wrestling here.

Yeah feels like it. At some point they should do Roman vs. AJ and Roman vs. Lashley too. I'd really like to see Roman vs. AJ again. Infact I think that is the match that should probably be on SummerSlam. They can do Roman vs. Jimmy at MITB. Since the tickets for that show are going to sell out anyway.

Hope you're enjoying yourself in the US.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Seth has potential but at this point his gimmick is literally a clown with red nose and colored wig. It doesn’t suit him at all.

I know they’re going for this insane visionary type persona, but it doesn’t fit him at all.

A similar gimmick is Broken Matt Hardy but he actually pulled it off because while the main characteristic was that he was coming off as insane, there was more to it than just wearing wacky outfits and trying too hard in coming off crazy. Broken Matt Hardy was probably Matt’s best character work of his career.

The funny thing is that he is actually good when he starts talking like a normal human being every now and then. Like on RAW last week or a couple of weeks ago. And then he goes back to being a literal clown. I don't get it. And I don't get why he himself is so enamored by it. It's just not good.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION]

Anything good going on in wrestling these days? I just saw a clip of Bloodline segment on SD with Solo's swerve.

Seems like it will be Roman vs Jimmy at SS. And Jey vs Roman down the line. For some reason, it has started to increasingly look like Jey would be the one to put Roman down as the storyline started with Jey as well.

I am in US these days and finding it hard to keep up with wrestling here.

Okada v Bryan at Forbidden Door should be off the charts. So I am really looking forward to that. They can book a few more dream matches if they are smart enough. Let's see what they do. Omega vs. Ospreay 2 should be good as well if they don't go over 20 minutes.

Besides, that we got the return of Punk on 17th. The debut of AEW Collision at the United Center. So exciting times ahead.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] the main-event of Collision is official. Punk & FTR v Samoa Joe, Jay White & Juice Robinson.

Which tells me that Punk's first feud back will be with Joe. And I'm guessing we'll get Punk v Jay White and Punk v Juice Robinson as well. Should be interesting. I'm not hugely enamored by Jay White having seen alot of his work in NJPW. And I don't why they completely buried Ricky Starks, one of their biggest rising stars after he just came out of a feud with Jericho where he won both matches.

Juice Robinson, on the other hand is a character. And I legit laughed out loud when he smacked Dax on the head with a roll of quarters on Dynamite last week. Nobody does that anymore lol. Let's see where this goes. The thought of an AEW show that makes sense and features logical storytelling is a bit hard for me to comprehend at this point.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Yeah feels like it. At some point they should do Roman vs. AJ and Roman vs. Lashley too. I'd really like to see Roman vs. AJ again. Infact I think that is the match that should probably be on SummerSlam. They can do Roman vs. Jimmy at MITB. Since the tickets for that show are going to sell out anyway.

Hope you're enjoying yourself in the US.

AJ and Lashley are the only two opponents left for Roman currently. Lashley is in much better position right now than he was back in 2018. AJ seems to be stuck in some stupid feud. OC is a silly and unnecessary faction, like it's doing nothing for anyone involved. AJ is already over. Gallows and Anderson will never be over and are well past their prime and Mia Yim is there for no reason and a misfit.

In US to take an exam, so more like stressed. But will be here for a few more months. Let's see if a Raw or SD tends to happen nearby.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Okada v Bryan at Forbidden Door should be off the charts. So I am really looking forward to that. They can book a few more dream matches if they are smart enough. Let's see what they do. Omega vs. Ospreay 2 should be good as well if they don't go over 20 minutes.

Besides, that we got the return of Punk on 17th. The debut of AEW Collision at the United Center. So exciting times ahead.

Yes Bryan vs Okada doesn't even need a storyline. Let's hope Bryan doesn't get injured before or during the match. Would like to see Ospreay vs Pac.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] the main-event of Collision is official. Punk & FTR v Samoa Joe, Jay White & Juice Robinson.

Which tells me that Punk's first feud back will be with Joe. And I'm guessing we'll get Punk v Jay White and Punk v Juice Robinson as well. Should be interesting. I'm not hugely enamored by Jay White having seen alot of his work in NJPW. And I don't why they completely buried Ricky Starks, one of their biggest rising stars after he just came out of a feud with Jericho where he won both matches.

Juice Robinson, on the other hand is a character. And I legit laughed out loud when he smacked Dax on the head with a roll of quarters on Dynamite last week. Nobody does that anymore lol. Let's see where this goes. The thought of an AEW show that makes sense and features logical storytelling is a bit hard for me to comprehend at this point.

Jay White is quite untrained when it comes to bringing the big match feel or creating a feud. He was on Impact last year and it didn't even feel like a big deal. AEW on the other hand have done nothing to build him up either. I do like his in ring work though.

Joe vs Punk would be extreme fun especially the promos. An unhinged Joe on mic can be savage. Seems like Punk is going for opponents he trusts. Would like a Punk vs Jeff feud too provided Jeff stays healthy.

Drew's been missing from WWE since Mania I recently noticed.

 

[shaz619]

He would have but to be fair to Hunter, he is the one who took control of that storyline and milked it for over a year. The writers wanted to do a pay-off immediately after the crowd started reacting to the teases of Batista potentially turning on H. And when you look at that entire storyline, it was perfectly executed from start to finish and made Batista a massive star.

Batista's age is probably a big factor in him not staying a top guy for as long. Because WrestleMania 21 was basically his coronation. And even till 2007, he was viewed as just a notch below Cena. But somewhere in between they went all in on Cena and he started getting disillusioned with the company and more interested in pursuing an acting career.

Jericho should have been on SmackDown. I think he would have been utilized better. RAW being the Triple H Show was basically the worst kept secret in WWE. And funny thing is that Heyman wanted him in 2002 when the brand split came into effect but had to compromise to keep Edge and Eddie, I think.

It was an okay run. Once he got done feuding with with Hunter and Shawn, there wasn't any feud that was particularly memorable. I think he feuded with Kane and then lost the belt to Orton. He got to beat H more than once which was something I guess.

In that feud he did his best to play his part because they were mates, he wasn’t going to give him the Booker T treatment. The angle was written well and Hunter had so much heat for his antics behind the scenes to, it all added to the build and excitement because in Batista, we might have found someone who may be able to go over that sack of *****

To be honest with you, no one was ever going to eclipse Cena as a long term project, heck Kurt Angle had to take a side step to the point where he left the company altogether. Batista was always going to be a top guy for as long as possible but what changed for him, was when the product turned PG, he was completely against it, towards the end of his run he was doing some of the best character work of his career imo do you remember that cage match between Batista and Jericho where Batista bladed during the match despite blood being banned at that point? Batista was fined something like 400k and he paid everyone else's fines to who were involved, that was a big turning point for him, he wanted out after that

Totally agree that Jericho should have been on Smackdown, if he was I don’t think he’d have left the company I think it was in 2005

 

[shaz619]

The funny thing is that he is actually good when he starts talking like a normal human being every now and then. Like on RAW last week or a couple of weeks ago. And then he goes back to being a literal clown. I don't get it. And I don't get why he himself is so enamored by it. It's just not good.

Come on man, his promos are so mediocre. Even when he is not doing the clown stuff, I can break down his ‘normal’ promo for you:

- Starts off talking about some generic point
- Says he will do all he can to achieve x or y
- Starts shouting and screaming his point in a fake attempt to show emotion, tricking everyone he is a promo artist

In recent times his work as the visionary was solid and the stuff he did with Riddle. For him to cut solid ‘normal’ promos he really needs heat in the feud and really strip everything back and have a think how he would react to certain situations in reality

 

[shaz619]

[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] the main-event of Collision is official. Punk & FTR v Samoa Joe, Jay White & Juice Robinson.

Which tells me that Punk's first feud back will be with Joe. And I'm guessing we'll get Punk v Jay White and Punk v Juice Robinson as well. Should be interesting. I'm not hugely enamored by Jay White having seen alot of his work in NJPW. And I don't why they completely buried Ricky Starks, one of their biggest rising stars after he just came out of a feud with Jericho where he won both matches.

Juice Robinson, on the other hand is a character. And I legit laughed out loud when he smacked Dax on the head with a roll of quarters on Dynamite last week. Nobody does that anymore lol. Let's see where this goes. The thought of an AEW show that makes sense and features logical storytelling is a bit hard for me to comprehend at this point.

Man what are they even doing with Starks and Wardlow? these two should have been major stars at least in the upper mid card by now

I like Punk vs Juice Robinson, that’s a great match to shake of any ring rust. Punk v Joe has history and I think Punk can work his magic with Jay White who is more in the mould of the sort of workers who’d Punk like to work with

 

[shaz619]

Seth has potential but at this point his gimmick is literally a clown with red nose and colored wig. It doesn’t suit him at all.

I know they’re going for this insane visionary type persona, but it doesn’t fit him at all.

A similar gimmick is Broken Matt Hardy but he actually pulled it off because while the main characteristic was that he was coming off as insane, there was more to it than just wearing wacky outfits and trying too hard in coming off crazy. Broken Matt Hardy was probably Matt’s best character work of his career.

They tried to make him play the Joker type persona and it’s horrible to do as a face especially. We all expected him to be an organic baby face but his work is a little better as a heel. Nothing Seth has done character wise, compares to Broken Matt Hardy

 

[shaz619]

Batista beating Hunter at WM 21 in one of the best main events of all time (imo) was special childhood memory [MENTION=136729]Suleiman[/MENTION] everything done in that match was perfect and really put over Batista as a machine, him standing tall as a bloody HHH crawled away like an injured dog who was giving Batista that look of utter shock you know the sort when you just got the danda or beaten from pillar to post / brutal KO then wake up like what happened? that was great, plus I loved that original Batista theme, WM21 what a PPV, one of the best manias ever

 

[Suleiman]

Batista beating Hunter at WM 21 in one of the best main events of all time (imo) was special childhood memory [MENTION=136729]Suleiman[/MENTION] everything done in that match was perfect and really put over Batista as a machine, him standing tall as a bloody HHH crawled away like an injured dog who was giving Batista that look of utter shock you know the sort when you just got the danda or beaten from pillar to post / brutal KO then wake up like what happened? that was great, plus I loved that original Batista theme, WM21 what a PPV, one of the best manias ever

I remember. I was a Legend Killer fan growing up, so seeing Batista turn on hhh and Batista bomb him through the table at the contract signing, couldn’t wait for hhh to get a long time coming phainty. that WM match was the best end for it.

On a seperate note, out of all wrestlers turned actors, Batista prob had the best career trajectory.

 

[shaz619]

I remember. I was a Legend Killer fan growing up, so seeing Batista turn on hhh and Batista bomb him through the table at the contract signing, couldn’t wait for hhh to get a long time coming phainty. that WM match was the best end for it.

On a seperate note, out of all wrestlers turned actors, Batista prob had the best career trajectory.

The iconic thumbs up and thumbs down, roof blew off

Batista has made an incredible transition to Hollywood really, his legacy as an actor is far superior than Dwayne or any other rasler turned actor. He continuously looks to challenge himself and in doing so, gets better, for a late bloomer in life, he’s a big inspiration for everyone. The guy came from nothing and it took some time for him get a break. There’s like this sort of cameo he did in Blade Runner 2049, I think the segment must have been no more than 10 min, and in that time, he achieved more than Dwayne has in Hollywood. And the thing is, I genuinely find him entertaining to watch, whether he is the combat muscle, a comedic character or something more serious, he’s great.

 

[Firebat]

The iconic thumbs up and thumbs down, roof blew off

Batista has made an incredible transition to Hollywood really, his legacy as an actor is far superior than Dwayne or any other rasler turned actor. He continuously looks to challenge himself and in doing so, gets better, for a late bloomer in life, he’s a big inspiration for everyone. The guy came from nothing and it took some time for him get a break. There’s like this sort of cameo he did in Blade Runner 2049, I think the segment must have been no more than 10 min, and in that time, he achieved more than Dwayne has in Hollywood. And the thing is, I genuinely find him entertaining to watch, whether he is the combat muscle, a comedic character or something more serious, he’s great.

He was fantastic in one of the Bond films too, Spectre IIRC.

 

[Suleiman]

The iconic thumbs up and thumbs down, roof blew off

Batista has made an incredible transition to Hollywood really, his legacy as an actor is far superior than Dwayne or any other rasler turned actor. He continuously looks to challenge himself and in doing so, gets better, for a late bloomer in life, he’s a big inspiration for everyone. The guy came from nothing and it took some time for him get a break. There’s like this sort of cameo he did in Blade Runner 2049, I think the segment must have been no more than 10 min, and in that time, he achieved more than Dwayne has in Hollywood. And the thing is, I genuinely find him entertaining to watch, whether he is the combat muscle, a comedic character or something more serious, he’s great.

Yes!! I still remember that Blade Runner scene, that was his first time with a big name film as well.

Compared to Dwayne who plays the same character in every movie. Even Cena has done decently well with that Suicide Squad movie and his own series. But Batista is a proper actor.

Heel or face, he always shined as well. His feud with Cena and Rey were top notch as well.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Doing an open challenge for the World title is so stupid. It completely goes against the idea of what the World title represents which is prestige and the fact that not every shmo in the locker-room can just come out and get a title shot. This idea only works for midcard titles but then again I guess the World Heavyweight Championship on RAW is a midcard belt.

 

[shaz619]

Doing an open challenge for the World title is so stupid. It completely goes against the idea of what the World title represents which is prestige and the fact that not every shmo in the locker-room can just come out and get a title shot. This idea only works for midcard titles but then again I guess the World Heavyweight Championship on RAW is a midcard belt.

That’s what it is and they’re not even trying to hide that fact, giving the belt to a joker like Seth should have reinforced that view. Ideally, if someone who was at the very least presented like a major player capable of beating the likes of Lesnar’s ilk, that would have been ideal. In many ways, the holder makes the title and given how Cody has been presented, he may have been a better option to elevate the championship. But there’s a bigger programme involving his prospects. Lesnar sitting at home on the sofa with the WHC >>> then Seth issuing open challenges on RAW.

Did you see the interaction between Cole and MJF? thought it was great, maybe not Cole’s best comeback because he was up against MJF, but his delivery is so good, he needs to be in more scenarios such as these to return to peak form. Are they having a PPV match? I’d be all for this feud, MJF can help Cole return to his best at least for a programme in the interim

 

[BunnyRabbit]

That’s what it is and they’re not even trying to hide that fact, giving the belt to a joker like Seth should have reinforced that view. Ideally, if someone who was at the very least presented like a major player capable of beating the likes of Lesnar’s ilk, that would have been ideal. In many ways, the holder makes the title and given how Cody has been presented, he may have been a better option to elevate the championship. But there’s a bigger programme involving his prospects. Lesnar sitting at home on the sofa with the WHC >>> then Seth issuing open challenges on RAW.

Did you see the interaction between Cole and MJF? thought it was great, maybe not Cole’s best comeback because he was up against MJF, but his delivery is so good, he needs to be in more scenarios such as these to return to peak form. Are they having a PPV match? I’d be all for this feud, MJF can help Cole return to his best at least for a programme in the interim

Think they're intentionally presenting as a lesser title to the Universal Championship. Roman is still the no.1 guy for WWE followed by Cody. Drew should be in the top 3 IMO but it seems like they have Seth at 3.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION] well seems like this thread is going to be the biggest thread once PP goes into hibernation come 15th.

 

[Suleiman]

Now that I’ve been catching up on wrestling slowly, gotta say there’s 3 guys who I hope who get a run in the immediate or long term future.

1) LA Knight
2) Rick Boogs
3) Matt Riddle

Rick Boogs is someone I knew way before he started on WWE. If anything, him coming to WWE got me to start following wrestling again.

Eric Bugenhagen is how I know him as, and I started watching his vids in like 2016-2017 as he was a big name in YouTube fitness. Just straight motivational vids, insane charisma just being himself. Go watch a vid of his from any year, and you’ll want to go hit the gym.

I wish like with many others WWE ruins by forcing them to be caricatures, that they just let Eric be himself. Right now they have him playing this over the top strongman.

Yes, highlight him being a powerhouse, but why make him so goofy lol

If he just plays himself as the character he will be over in no time. I guarantee it. Bro exhales charisma naturally

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Now that I’ve been catching up on wrestling slowly, gotta say there’s 3 guys who I hope who get a run in the immediate or long term future.

1) LA Knight
2) Rick Boogs
3) Matt Riddle

Rick Boogs is someone I knew way before he started on WWE. If anything, him coming to WWE got me to start following wrestling again.

Eric Bugenhagen is how I know him as, and I started watching his vids in like 2016-2017 as he was a big name in YouTube fitness. Just straight motivational vids, insane charisma just being himself. Go watch a vid of his from any year, and you’ll want to go hit the gym.

I wish like with many others WWE ruins by forcing them to be caricatures, that they just let Eric be himself. Right now they have him playing this over the top strongman.

Yes, highlight him being a powerhouse, but why make him so goofy lol

If he just plays himself as the character he will be over in no time. I guarantee it. Bro exhales charisma naturally

I don't know if Boogs is a good enough or matured enough wrestler capable of having great matches or not.

LA Knight - definitely.
Matt Riddle - a great worker but a run at the top seems unlikely.
Sami Zayn - please!!!

They need to stop using Balor as the guy who gives filler feuds for top guys.

 

[shaz619]

[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION] well seems like this thread is going to be the biggest thread once PP goes into hibernation come 15th.

And that’s without the archived thread, this thread was created more recently LOL

Well, end of an era, it’s been a blast! now it’s time to take the thread behind a barn like in old yeller [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION] [MENTION=141227]BunnyRabbit[/MENTION]

 

[shaz619]

Now that I’ve been catching up on wrestling slowly, gotta say there’s 3 guys who I hope who get a run in the immediate or long term future.

1) LA Knight
2) Rick Boogs
3) Matt Riddle

Rick Boogs is someone I knew way before he started on WWE. If anything, him coming to WWE got me to start following wrestling again.

Eric Bugenhagen is how I know him as, and I started watching his vids in like 2016-2017 as he was a big name in YouTube fitness. Just straight motivational vids, insane charisma just being himself. Go watch a vid of his from any year, and you’ll want to go hit the gym.

I wish like with many others WWE ruins by forcing them to be caricatures, that they just let Eric be himself. Right now they have him playing this over the top strongman.

Yes, highlight him being a powerhouse, but why make him so goofy lol

If he just plays himself as the character he will be over in no time. I guarantee it. Bro exhales charisma naturally

Good list, you can tell Boogs has some hidden potential but he is a bit too goofy right now with his presentation. Riddle and LA Knight are future world champion material

 

[BunnyRabbit]

And that’s without the archived thread, this thread was created more recently LOL

Well, end of an era, it’s been a blast! now it’s time to take the thread behind a barn like in old yeller [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION] [MENTION=141227]BunnyRabbit[/MENTION]

Why was that thread archived?

 

[shaz619]

Why was that thread archived?

As it was the thread too big for PP literally

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

That’s what it is and they’re not even trying to hide that fact, giving the belt to a joker like Seth should have reinforced that view. Ideally, if someone who was at the very least presented like a major player capable of beating the likes of Lesnar’s ilk, that would have been ideal. In many ways, the holder makes the title and given how Cody has been presented, he may have been a better option to elevate the championship. But there’s a bigger programme involving his prospects. Lesnar sitting at home on the sofa with the WHC >>> then Seth issuing open challenges on RAW.

Did you see the interaction between Cole and MJF? thought it was great, maybe not Cole’s best comeback because he was up against MJF, but his delivery is so good, he needs to be in more scenarios such as these to return to peak form. Are they having a PPV match? I’d be all for this feud, MJF can help Cole return to his best at least for a programme in the interim

Bro we live in the workrate era of wrestling. Where good matches more than anything else. Which I guess means that they are turning the WHC into the IC title.

Yeah I loved it. MJF burned him like charcoal but Cole had some really good lines too. He may not have come out on top in the promo duel but he definitely came out of this segment more over than he was going in which is practically a miracle considering he just came out of a feud with Jericho.

They are having a match on Dynamite this week. Which is supposed to be a non-title match. And honestly that is not a bad idea. You can easily get three quality matches out of this feud.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Man what are they even doing with Starks and Wardlow? these two should have been major stars at least in the upper mid card by now

I like Punk vs Juice Robinson, that’s a great match to shake of any ring rust. Punk v Joe has history and I think Punk can work his magic with Jay White who is more in the mould of the sort of workers who’d Punk like to work with

Collision is a great chance to rehabilitate them. Punk likes them both and that show (if Punk has creative control) might have some halfway logical booking. Because based on what I've heard and observed, Tony very easily gets influenced by the creative of his favorite guys. Which is why Jericho, MJF, Danielson and Moxley get so much leeway to do their own thing.

That said, it might just be too late for Wardlow in AEW. His booking has been dead in the water for so long that it might take something radical to change his trajectory in this company. Maybe a feud with Goldberg lol.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

[MENTION=46929]shaz619[/MENTION] [MENTION=147292]RedwoodOriginal[/MENTION] well seems like this thread is going to be the biggest thread once PP goes into hibernation come 15th.

What? What happened? I'm completely out of the loop

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Come on man, his promos are so mediocre. Even when he is not doing the clown stuff, I can break down his ‘normal’ promo for you:

- Starts off talking about some generic point
- Says he will do all he can to achieve x or y
- Starts shouting and screaming his point in a fake attempt to show emotion, tricking everyone he is a promo artist

In recent times his work as the visionary was solid and the stuff he did with Riddle. For him to cut solid ‘normal’ promos he really needs heat in the feud and really strip everything back and have a think how he would react to certain situations in reality

He's very generic but he still has the ability to come across like a normal person when he's not being a fake clown. The visionary stuff felt like an underdeveloped version of this same gimmick to me tbh. But the Riddle feud really was his best characterwork in recent times. Although I attribute that more to the story than Rollins' character.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

AJ and Lashley are the only two opponents left for Roman currently. Lashley is in much better position right now than he was back in 2018. AJ seems to be stuck in some stupid feud. OC is a silly and unnecessary faction, like it's doing nothing for anyone involved. AJ is already over. Gallows and Anderson will never be over and are well past their prime and Mia Yim is there for no reason and a misfit.

In US to take an exam, so more like stressed. But will be here for a few more months. Let's see if a Raw or SD tends to happen nearby.

That's nice man. Which state/city are you in?

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Yes Bryan vs Okada doesn't even need a storyline. Let's hope Bryan doesn't get injured before or during the match. Would like to see Ospreay vs Pac.

I can definitely see that match happening next year. When Ospreay's contact comes up in 2024 I'm almost entirely certain that he will end up in AEW.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

That’s what it is and they’re not even trying to hide that fact, giving the belt to a joker like Seth should have reinforced that view. Ideally, if someone who was at the very least presented like a major player capable of beating the likes of Lesnar’s ilk, that would have been ideal. In many ways, the holder makes the title and given how Cody has been presented, he may have been a better option to elevate the championship. But there’s a bigger programme involving his prospects. Lesnar sitting at home on the sofa with the WHC >>> then Seth issuing open challenges on RAW.

Did you see the interaction between Cole and MJF? thought it was great, maybe not Cole’s best comeback because he was up against MJF, but his delivery is so good, he needs to be in more scenarios such as these to return to peak form. Are they having a PPV match? I’d be all for this feud, MJF can help Cole return to his best at least for a programme in the interim

Great point. Seth comes off as such a fool because of this. What kind of World Champion goes around asking people to take the belt off him? Makes absolutely no sense.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

In that feud he did his best to play his part because they were mates, he wasn’t going to give him the Booker T treatment. The angle was written well and Hunter had so much heat for his antics behind the scenes to, it all added to the build and excitement because in Batista, we might have found someone who may be able to go over that sack of *****

To be honest with you, no one was ever going to eclipse Cena as a long term project, heck Kurt Angle had to take a side step to the point where he left the company altogether. Batista was always going to be a top guy for as long as possible but what changed for him, was when the product turned PG, he was completely against it, towards the end of his run he was doing some of the best character work of his career imo do you remember that cage match between Batista and Jericho where Batista bladed during the match despite blood being banned at that point? Batista was fined something like 400k and he paid everyone else's fines to who were involved, that was a big turning point for him, he wanted out after that

Totally agree that Jericho should have been on Smackdown, if he was I don’t think he’d have left the company I think it was in 2005

Good shout about Batista getting disillusioned with the PG era product. This is something I have heard him say numerous times in interviews.

I find his 2009-10 heel turn very underrated though. His heel work was so freaking great there. Especially in those feuds with Cena and Rey.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Now that I’ve been catching up on wrestling slowly, gotta say there’s 3 guys who I hope who get a run in the immediate or long term future.

1) LA Knight
2) Rick Boogs
3) Matt Riddle

Rick Boogs is someone I knew way before he started on WWE. If anything, him coming to WWE got me to start following wrestling again.

Eric Bugenhagen is how I know him as, and I started watching his vids in like 2016-2017 as he was a big name in YouTube fitness. Just straight motivational vids, insane charisma just being himself. Go watch a vid of his from any year, and you’ll want to go hit the gym.

I wish like with many others WWE ruins by forcing them to be caricatures, that they just let Eric be himself. Right now they have him playing this over the top strongman.

Yes, highlight him being a powerhouse, but why make him so goofy lol

If he just plays himself as the character he will be over in no time. I guarantee it. Bro exhales charisma naturally

Riddle is a clown. Few guys whose gimmicks I hate more than this guy. Personally speaking he is someone I never see as a top guy. He's a good wrestler but that's about it.

LA Knight is money.

For me. these three guys MUST become top guys in WWE. Would be such a waste if they don't:

1. LA Knight
2. Gunther
3. Damian Priest

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Think they're intentionally presenting as a lesser title to the Universal Championship. Roman is still the no.1 guy for WWE followed by Cody. Drew should be in the top 3 IMO but it seems like they have Seth at 3.

I think they are trying to have their cake and eat it too. Which can't exactly happen.

They are dancing around the idea of presenting this title as equivalent to Roman's belt. While at the same time saying, that this World title is different from the other one because unlike Roman's belt this is defended regularly. A really convoluted way of doing all this.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Jay White is quite untrained when it comes to bringing the big match feel or creating a feud. He was on Impact last year and it didn't even feel like a big deal. AEW on the other hand have done nothing to build him up either. I do like his in ring work though.

Joe vs Punk would be extreme fun especially the promos. An unhinged Joe on mic can be savage. Seems like Punk is going for opponents he trusts. Would like a Punk vs Jeff feud too provided Jeff stays healthy.

Drew's been missing from WWE since Mania I recently noticed.

He had some good promos in NJPW, but I haven't seen much of his character work to judge tbh. New Japan definitely does not give as much attention to promos. So we'll have to wait and see on that one. His in-ring work is good though. And what I like most about him is that despite being a smaller guy, he doesn't try the flippy stuff. He has wrestled some great main-event matches in New Japan.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

That's nice man. Which state/city are you in?

Arkansas/Little Rock currently.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Good shout about Batista getting disillusioned with the PG era product. This is something I have heard him say numerous times in interviews.

I find his 2009-10 heel turn very underrated though. His heel work was so freaking great there. Especially in those feuds with Cena and Rey.

Batista Taker feud was brilliant.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Collision is a great chance to rehabilitate them. Punk likes them both and that show (if Punk has creative control) might have some halfway logical booking. Because based on what I've heard and observed, Tony very easily gets influenced by the creative of his favorite guys. Which is why Jericho, MJF, Danielson and Moxley get so much leeway to do their own thing.

That said, it might just be too late for Wardlow in AEW. His booking has been dead in the water for so long that it might take something radical to change his trajectory in this company. Maybe a feud with Goldberg lol.

I said it after Wardlow MJF feud that whatever they do with Wardlow now will be a big bust unless they put him in the top title picture.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

He had some good promos in NJPW, but I haven't seen much of his character work to judge tbh. New Japan definitely does not give as much attention to promos. So we'll have to wait and see on that one. His in-ring work is good though. And what I like most about him is that despite being a smaller guy, he doesn't try the flippy stuff. He has wrestled some great main-event matches in New Japan.

Yes a great worker but not atm the big fish interms of either box office or entertainment. He was on Impact last year for months and didn't boost their ratings or anything.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

He's very generic but he still has the ability to come across like a normal person when he's not being a fake clown. The visionary stuff felt like an underdeveloped version of this same gimmick to me tbh. But the Riddle feud really was his best characterwork in recent times. Although I attribute that more to the story than Rollins' character.

Seth's feud with Roman and Edge were his best in recent times. The character work with Roman was especially great.

 

[Suleiman]

Riddle is a clown. Few guys whose gimmicks I hate more than this guy. Personally speaking he is someone I never see as a top guy. He's a good wrestler but that's about it.

LA Knight is money.

For me. these three guys MUST become top guys in WWE. Would be such a waste if they don't:

1. LA Knight
2. Gunther
3. Damian Priest

Riddle's current gimmick is garbage. Surfer stoner dude. He's yet another on the long list of talent being misused due to garbage gimmick. Rick Boogs is in the same boat.

Damian Priest is up there for me too. Has the same energy as Roman Reigns.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Riddle's current gimmick is garbage. Surfer stoner dude. He's yet another on the long list of talent being misused due to garbage gimmick. Rick Boogs is in the same boat.

Damian Priest is up there for me too. Has the same energy as Roman Reigns.

The problem with LA Knight and Priest is they are already 40+ and WWE don't like to invest in 40+ guys unless they are big names (AJ is the only exception in the last 10 years who got his break at 39). WWE waited way too long to get Eli Drake from TNA. The guy is a complete package.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Seth's feud with Roman and Edge were his best in recent times. The character work with Roman was especially great.

Yup. Those were good. The Edge matches were great too. Funny how Roman has never beaten Seth. That's something they could use to build a big future match between those two.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Batista Taker feud was brilliant.

Yup. That feud really elevated Batista too. They should have main-evented Mania though. That was not fair to Taker.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Arkansas/Little Rock currently.

Cool. Good luck for the exam and hope you enjoy yourself while you're there

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I said it after Wardlow MJF feud that whatever they do with Wardlow now will be a big bust unless they put him in the top title picture.

It was an easy 4 month climb to the main-event from there. But they wasted their time by putting him in the TNT hot potato belt division and putting him in preposterous squash matches with 15 security guards. The. booking of Wardlow may be Tony Khan's biggest booking crime. And that's really saying something

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Yes a great worker but not atm the big fish interms of either box office or entertainment. He was on Impact last year for months and didn't boost their ratings or anything.

AEW will give him the platform so lets see how he does.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Riddle's current gimmick is garbage. Surfer stoner dude. He's yet another on the long list of talent being misused due to garbage gimmick. Rick Boogs is in the same boat.

Damian Priest is up there for me too. Has the same energy as Roman Reigns.

Yup. I love big athetic guys in wrestling. And Priest has the size and atheleticism

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Yup. Those were good. The Edge matches were great too. Funny how Roman has never beaten Seth. That's something they could use to build a big future match between those two.

Trips will definitely do that.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Yup. That feud really elevated Batista too. They should have main-evented Mania though. That was not fair to Taker.

Cena-HBK and Taker-Batista were one of the best co mainevent lineups in Mania history.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Cool. Good luck for the exam and hope you enjoy yourself while you're there

Thanks bro. I hope so. The city is a very boring place though.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Cena-HBK and Taker-Batista were one of the best co mainevent lineups in Mania history.

Taker-Batista didn't main event though. From what I remember they were on the middle of the card somewhere.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Punk hasn't even officially debuted yet and the murmurs are already deafening. Seems like he is going to be leaning into the real life drama, which really intrigues me. Because as we all know, wrestling is at its absolute best when it blurs the line between reality and fiction. He already said that he has some things he wants to get off his chest on Dynamite. Now, it seems like a worked shoot interview he did with ESPN is also coming out in between. That some marks seem to think is another attempt to disparage their favorite wrestlers (mission accomplished).

Can't say I have been this excited for something in wrestling since the last time Punk came back. Saturday couldn't come any sooner.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

One good thing that AEW did this time is that they didn't dedicate their valuable TV time to building half-baked feuds between AEW guys and New Japan guys before Forbidden Door, like they did last time. When you are building a PPV of dream matches, you don't need to do that.

Besides the two big matches: Danielson v Okada and Ospreay v Omega, gotta say I am interested in MJF v Tanahashi and Punk v KENTA, if it happens.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

Punk hasn't even officially debuted yet and the murmurs are already deafening. Seems like he is going to be leaning into the real life drama, which really intrigues me. Because as we all know, wrestling is at its absolute best when it blurs the line between reality and fiction. He already said that he has some things he wants to get off his chest on Dynamite. Now, it seems like a worked shoot interview he did with ESPN is also coming out in between. That some marks seem to think is another attempt to disparage their favorite wrestlers (mission accomplished).

Can't say I have been this excited for something in wrestling since the last time Punk came back. Saturday couldn't come any sooner.

What if it's a swerve and the things he wanted to get off his chest are going against the crowd. That would be fun. But I think AEW's plan would be to do a third Punk vs MJF and they might wait till after it to turn Punk heel.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

One good thing that AEW did this time is that they didn't dedicate their valuable TV time to building half-baked feuds between AEW guys and New Japan guys before Forbidden Door, like they did last time. When you are building a PPV of dream matches, you don't need to do that.

Besides the two big matches: Danielson v Okada and Ospreay v Omega, gotta say I am interested in MJF v Tanahashi and Punk v KENTA, if it happens.

I saw the clip of that different guys coming in and beating others. It was great. Not as good as that Rock, Austin, Angle and others one from 2001. Eddie Kingston is in an even worse shape now. For a guy whose job is focused on in ring work and stuff, he should be doing better to take care of his body.

 

[shaz619]

Punk hasn't even officially debuted yet and the murmurs are already deafening. Seems like he is going to be leaning into the real life drama, which really intrigues me. Because as we all know, wrestling is at its absolute best when it blurs the line between reality and fiction. He already said that he has some things he wants to get off his chest on Dynamite. Now, it seems like a worked shoot interview he did with ESPN is also coming out in between. That some marks seem to think is another attempt to disparage their favorite wrestlers (mission accomplished).

Can't say I have been this excited for something in wrestling since the last time Punk came back. Saturday couldn't come any sooner.

Best bit is, all this time wrestling media have been dancing to his tunes and they didn’t know it. Punk knew this would happen eventually the moment he came back, he always said he’s going to make the most of his face run while it lasted.

I don’t know what to expect, but however good I think it will be, I think Punk will make it better than that

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

I saw the clip of that different guys coming in and beating others. It was great. Not as good as that Rock, Austin, Angle and others one from 2001. Eddie Kingston is in an even worse shape now. For a guy whose job is focused on in ring work and stuff, he should be doing better to take care of his body.

I dunno I think Eddie's look works from him. He's got a bit of Dusty in him. Where he is supposed to be an average guy from Yonkers, who could very likely beat the s**t out of you in a real fight. What I like about Eddie is that he's authentic. You believe every word coming out of his mouth and he really does come across as the guy he is presented to be. He is easily one of the best promos in the business, if given the opportunity to do something.

Unfortunately, his booking has arguably been the worst of any guy in AEW. Even Wardlow and FTR didn't get it this bad. Eddie was so freaking over before he got into the feud with Jericho. And now, he's not even on AEW TV. He signed up for the G1 which basically means that he'll be gone for a month. Another great talent completely wasted by Tony.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

Best bit is, all this time wrestling media have been dancing to his tunes and they didn’t know it. Punk knew this would happen eventually the moment he came back, he always said he’s going to make the most of his face run while it lasted.

I don’t know what to expect, but however good I think it will be, I think Punk will make it better than that

That's the most exciting part. That you don't know what he's going to do. Its so funny that he said something along those same lines in that one minute video on Dynamite too. But you just know its going to be freaking great.

 

[RedwoodOriginal]

What if it's a swerve and the things he wanted to get off his chest are going against the crowd. That would be fun. But I think AEW's plan would be to do a third Punk vs MJF and they might wait till after it to turn Punk heel.

That would be great. Punk can be the ultimate heat magnet if he wants to. And he's very smart,so I'm guessing he will know that the reaction around him will be polarizing. Let's see what happens.

 

[shaz619]

What? What happened? I'm completely out of the loop

Forums closing bro on the 1st apparently End of An Era

 

[shaz619]

That would be great. Punk can be the ultimate heat magnet if he wants to. And he's very smart,so I'm guessing he will know that the reaction around him will be polarizing. Let's see what happens.

I want him to literally get the chaku out on the horrible fans first and foremost, especially the elite chumchas

 

[shaz619]

One good thing that AEW did this time is that they didn't dedicate their valuable TV time to building half-baked feuds between AEW guys and New Japan guys before Forbidden Door, like they did last time. When you are building a PPV of dream matches, you don't need to do that.

Besides the two big matches: Danielson v Okada and Ospreay v Omega, gotta say I am interested in MJF v Tanahashi and Punk v KENTA, if it happens.

KENTA is not appealing for Punk if reports are true, and to be honest, not sure he is a good match up stylistically.

I think Okada, Tanahashi and Jay White are much better foils to Punk’s style

 

[shaz619]

Taker-Batista didn't main event though. From what I remember they were on the middle of the card somewhere.

That match shocked me, there was some criticism on Batista I think going into that match and he also had a chip on his shoulder for not main eventing, but the moment the bell rang, we got high octane action between two heavyweights.

I wasn’t going to complain, anytime HBK was in a main event, you expect fireworks. It was a tremendous match, it also inspired our hero (Y2J) to make a comeback going by the Wrestlemania Rewind special on the Network

 

[BunnyRabbit]

I dunno I think Eddie's look works from him. He's got a bit of Dusty in him. Where he is supposed to be an average guy from Yonkers, who could very likely beat the s**t out of you in a real fight. What I like about Eddie is that he's authentic. You believe every word coming out of his mouth and he really does come across as the guy he is presented to be. He is easily one of the best promos in the business, if given the opportunity to do something.

Unfortunately, his booking has arguably been the worst of any guy in AEW. Even Wardlow and FTR didn't get it this bad. Eddie was so freaking over before he got into the feud with Jericho. And now, he's not even on AEW TV. He signed up for the G1 which basically means that he'll be gone for a month. Another great talent completely wasted by Tony.

Even then getting in some sort of shape isn't bad. Walter was great in the ring before too. But now his slimmer look only adds to his presence. Eddie's body will benefit from that.

 

[BunnyRabbit]

KENTA is not appealing for Punk if reports are true, and to be honest, not sure he is a good match up stylistically.

I think Okada, Tanahashi and Jay White are much better foils to Punk’s style

Kenta is so overrated. I have never found him to be that good. Like he's not even amongst the top guys of NJPW. Him showing up on AEW last year was blown so out of proportion to be something ground breaking.
Naito could work well with Punk as well.

 

[shaz619]

Kenta is so overrated. I have never found him to be that good. Like he's not even amongst the top guys of NJPW. Him showing up on AEW last year was blown so out of proportion to be something ground breaking.
Naito could work well with Punk as well.

It’s one of those rare instances where injuries, age and poor booking has somewhat hurt the stature of KENTA, he has had to adapt his style to now due to the toll he has suffered due to some extremely physical matches. When I said I don’t think he’s a stylistic match for Punk, it’s due to him not being the right sort of opponent in this moment, there’s potential to work something out down the line and there’s every possibility it could be great, but I just feel they may not mesh well for a cold match.

KENTA is not over rated at all, for many years he was a top star in Japan, and arguably one of Noah’s biggest star as they looked to expand their global fanbase. He was quiet revered by the smark fans in the US, KENTA was trained by KENTA Kobashi, he was small and worked a very physical style, very similar to Bryan, technically he was sound, his striking was exceptional and his work was very gritty. I’d put his peak around those 4 or 5 years where he made appearances for ROH. His match with Bryan at Glory by honor was a dream match at the time and there was a lot of hype, they were both regarded as the best technical wrestlers in each respective continent and Bryan’s separated shoulder just three weeks earlier added to the build, KENTA was super feared due to his ferocious striking and there was legit concern for Bryan who had established himself as a great champion, it was one of those rare occasions where you believed they could have the foreign star coming in go over. For me this was one of the matches of the year and arguably Bryan’s best match, certainly his most important and iconic on the independent circuit, check it out on youtube

 

[shaz619]

For me personally, out of the current Japanese stars, only Okada, Nakamura and Tanahashi’s best compare to the peak of KENTA who had success in Asia and North America, which is rare. Unfortunately some of the fans who only saw his awful NXT run may not see this.

When you look at the last 20 years, I think Nakamura, KENTA and Morishima are the only names who have had credible sustained runs in the states. Man Bryan had amazing matches with everyone and their distinct styles come to think about it, ROH in their peak wasn’t limited to the same kind of matches between the same sort of styles on loop