goc

Is there an actual territory left for dkookypunk43 assuming we use the territories listed for everyone else? Or do we make one up and give him 1st & 2nd pick of the draft (since there is no one to save) and then 1st choice in the draft order after that

Well what is the Toronto roster anyway? There are 17 people signed up but only 16 rosters listed.

I am disappointed you did not mention just how awful Apolo's superkick (and Shamrock's selling of it) was in the run in that led to the title change. I watched that about 10 times over and over when I went through this period of TNA. I think I only made it about 2 or 3 more weeks. It is perhaps my most vivid memory of watching those PPVs.

WWA was pretty much dead by that point also wasn't it?

Well we need the territory unless someone (Dylan?) is going to suddenly decide to book All Japan or New Japan.

Eh you get to keep Randy Savage and can dump the rest of the roster.

I thought El Boricua already made it clear he wanted to book WWC.

Just though I would share this. http://www.gofundme.com/TommyRogers

This was on my TV because I was checking to make sure it was the same match on youtube. So I went ahead and watched it. El Dandy vs. L.A. Par-K (2004 Match of the Year) (ENESMA 10/29/04) First fall is classic lucha title match style technical wrestling. Dandy has clearly lost a step here but he's still pretty good. Dandy wins with a submission after maybe about 5 minutes of the first fall. Things pick up quick in the second fall and Park hits a dive on Dandy but Park himself probably got the worst of that with the way he hit the rail. Lucha is more fun without guard rails. Park gets a submission victory to end the 2nd fall in very quick fashion and they seemed to really just want to get the first 2 falls out of the way. The third fall really just feels like a bunch of trading big moves and laying around for the most part. I mean the guys hit their moves nice and Park isn't afraid to take some nasty bumps but in between all that these guys look really out of breath. Park in particular looks totally gassed. Then things get stupid as we get some run ins and Park and Dandy are about to both dive out on the guys who interfered but Park instead rolls Dandy up and pins him. 2004 match of the year seems like high praise for something I wouldn't rank above "good."

I don't know if I really agree with this. I think there have been so many pointless good matches for the sake of good matches on WWE TV that it's watered down the PPVs. Either that or they don't have enough guys on the roster who know how to step it up for the PPVs and make them feel more important than a good Raw match. Also, WWE runs very few 20+ minute matches even on PPV and I don't really see that as an issue. There's no rule that says a match needs to go 20+ to be good.

I could see liking The Man Scout gimmick in another setting. This was just weird because Striker didn't do anything to work with the schtick as he was too busy trying to pass himself off as still a serious wrestler and picking out the one guy in the crowd who heckled him.

Doom was a huge revelation to me when I watched the Butch Reed comp I have. I could see putting Doom on a top 25 tag team list, even as short as their run was. I couldn't see Ron Simmons on a top 100 wrestlers list though.

That was never something they wanted to do anyway, USA dragged them into it.

On paper that's not a bad idea, although it also relies on Hogan, Nash etc. actually selling via facial expressions that this new dude who just showed up is a threat.

That sounds like a highly scientific number.

I think people are going too far with the "WWE is going to be great when HHH takes over because he's going to book it like NXT" idea. NXT has the benefit of having only one audience. There is no need to worry about a "casual" audience, TV ratings or sponsors. They know the audience for NXT is hardcore fans who post on internet message boards. It's much easier to tailor a show to that one audience than having to book Raw and juggle a whole bunch of divergent interests.

EDIT

What am I doing in this thread? I don't know either. But I saw this card when I was...looking at stuff and I thought "hmm I might enjoy that. Or I might hate it and decide to continue spending the majority of my time watching old territory stuff. But I will watch it and decide." So here we are: Wrestlecon Supershow March 28th, 2015 San Jose, CA ACH vs. John Hennigan Before this match they do that stupid "show highlights of the show before the first match so we show you all the best high spots before the first bell even rings" thing. I am familiar with the name ACH but that is all. I am going to be rating him on a "would I hire this guy in my TEW game" scale. They clown around for the first few minutes but it was ok they didn't let it run too long and ACH just has a really goofy charisma that makes this stuff work. Once they start to really have a match ACH is kind of fun being a dick and trolling the crowd like faking out Hennigan on a dive and then slapping him on the back after he ducks down and just giving this shit eating grin to the crowd. Morrison even responds properly by punching him in the face. I kind of even like this commentary team of Excalibur and I don't know. I do not like this "Stone Cold" ACH thing where he just suddenly turned into Steve Austin, does he do that all the time? Morrison wins with Starship Pain. Other than that Stone Cold ACH bit, I actively liked this match. ACH passes the TEW scale and I await his decision. Jake Manning vs. Matt Striker I expect to hate this. Jake Manning is doing his Man Scout gimmick and the crowd chants "Where's our cookies" at him. Matt has some of the worst gear I've ever seen what the hell. There was a preshow but this match was not on it. How is that possible? Whoa Striker goes for some surprise roll up off the bat that was kinda cool. Oh great Striker stops wrestling to grab a mic and calls out some fan to get in the ring? Matt apparently got his panties ruffled over a fan telling him to go back to commentary. Manning calls for a time out to sit in the corner and read the Scout Handbook. He's been doing this gimmick for years...how is that possible? Striker wants to talk some more but the mic doesn't work so I guess they have to wrestle now and oh it's just a kick wham Pedigree. This was short so it avoided being terrible. Jake Manning fails the TEW scale though. Brian Kendrick vs. Cedric Alexander I didn't like this. This was too much big move trading, 2.9, dueling crowd chant bullshit for me. And then the finish is Kendrick winning with a roll up after being powerslammed. Cedric also fails the TEW scale. At least it was short. Aero Star vs. Andrew Everett vs. Jack Evans Jack Evans has been around forever and I honestly don't think I've ever seen one Jack Evans match. I am interested in doing so. I think I am familiar with the Aero Star name, definitely not Andrew Everett though. Aero Star has a cool outfit. This is everything I don't like about triple threats with super contrived and choreographed spots galore. Andrew Everett is like the king of wasted motion here as he is adding all kinds of unnecessary flips to everything, just go be a gymnast dude. This is a terrible setup for doing dives but they do them anyway. Evans does a backflip instead of hitting the ropes and somehow still completes it smoothly despite clearly slipping on the bounce. He's either really lucky or really good. Good god Jack Evans loves to do flips. He at least makes them feel more organic and turns them into actual offense more than Everett. These guys try to get way too fancy and fuck up a lot of shit in this match. Even Aero Star who I was digging makes himself look like a complete fool by trying to go from one corner to the other by walking the 2nd rope and instead getting hung up and falling. My disappointment builds at every kickout. This is not awesome you tools. Aero Star wins with a top rope Canadian Destroyer. That felt way more dangerous than what was warranted for a throwaway triple threat. Not sure if even Aero Star passed the TEW scale. Andrew Everett is a definite no. Abyss, Brian Myers, Chris Hero, Drew Gulak, James Storm & Tommaso Ciampa vs. Big Ryck, Colt Cabana, Matt Sydal, The Dudley Boyz & Tommy Dreamer (Bubba Ray Dudley & D-Von Dudley) What a mixed bag of guys I either don't know, don't like, kinda like and then a few I really like. 12 people seems like too many though. I'm getting tired now though and don't expect to make it through what is most likely gonna be a long match so I'll edit in this match and the next 2 tomorrow. AR Fox, Jushin Thunder Liger & Ricochet vs. Roderick Strong & The Addiction (Christopher Daniels & Kazarian) No Disqualification: Rob Van Dam & Sabu vs. The Hardys (Jeff Hardy & Matt Hardy)

Yea this I can definitely get more on board with. I just think there is a wide gulf between "they could have done more with La Parka" and "La Parka could have been a top guy in WCW"

New Jack pitched the idea to WWE to have him be the guy who stabbed Cena when they did that "Cena was stabbed in a nightclub" thing so he could go film The Marine. New Jack in a WWE style hardcore match would have been..interesting. Having New Jack on the list of former Cena PPV opponents along with Sabu would also be fun. Oh, he's not a top 100 wrestler of all time. Or 200. But he's certainly one of the most interesting wrestling characters ever.

That first video feels so much like a U.S. territory, right down to them using the exact same song for that video that USA Championship was using for it's intro in 1988.

Does anyone want to book All Japan? That would be a more interesting way to decide who is and isn't going on tours.

The criticism about Cena and his finisher spamming is fair now but it's not something he has been doing his entire career. Looking at the matches that JVK has gone back to watch, it's understandable that you would have that criticism of him in his biggest matches against other guys seen at his level such as the Punk & Lesnar matches. But it's the smaller stuff from 2006 & 2007 that established his finishers are game enders for years prior. To get a fuller picture of Cena you have to throw in something like Cena vs. Umaga from NYR 07 or Khali from ONS 07 where Cena goes against people built as unstoppable monsters but still go down to the FU/AA or even tap out to the STF.

What is this?? Is that Vader subbing for Butch Reed or something?