anarchistxx

Maybe, but I still think the moment is lost. WWE has an impeccable track record in the last decade of stumbling across something that is hot, and ruining it rather than following it to a logical conclusion.

The problem is, it doesn't make me hate Randy Orton, it makes me hate the WWE booking team. Does anyone have any faith in this, especially since HHH is involved? Once he is through with Bryan, the momentum will be lost and the moment won't be the same.

I've only see Daniel Bryan vs John Cena, which was truly a wonderful match. Innovative, unpredictable, the crowd was molten, there were twists and turns. Bryan's condition must be astonishing, considering he can sprint around athletically after wrestling a difficult match for thirty minutes. The ending? Even though we all knew it was coming, it didn't make it any easier to take. They threw away an incredible moment, a huge payoff for the fans. Couldn't they have just done it on Raw the next night? They would have got all the buzz with it happening on live television, without spoiling what was a really emotional and heartening ending to SS. They are going to justify it by saying the plan is for Daniel Bryan to win the title again eventually, but after a few months feuding with Triple-H we'll soon see where his heat has gone. They wasted the one chance for me. Typical for WWE though, they never capitalise on these possibly defining moments like they should. Maybe HHH just wants a Wrestlemania match with Bryan so he can steal the show for once. Full of praise for the match though, easily the best I have seen this year.

HHH goes heel and screws Bryan out of the title. They then have a program going into the fall/winter where Trips takes away all of Bryan's momentum, and then the big DB Wrestlemania 30 push that was the logical ending is dropped and HHH instead has the marquee match on the show. Too cynical?

Mysterio was always one of the worst for me. His kick flurries he started to do in the last few years look very weak, possibly just because of his size. I don't think he should be looking to compete on strikes, he already had a good range of unique offence. Low Ki remains a personal favourite, unsurprising since he was stiffing the fuck out of everyone. Samoa Joe too always looked violent with his kicks and forearms in early ROH. 90s AJPW is obviously a hotbed for good (e.g. stiff) strikes. As an isolated incident the punches Steve Austin hit on Kurt Angle when he was leaning bloody against the apron at Summerslam 2001 are amongst the most brutal I've seen. I loved super vicious/slightly deranged heel Austin.

Late 90s nostalgia would involve wrestling, so maybe that is what they are aiming towards. My friends have many a misty eyed conversation about Steve Austin and Mankind, whilst assuring us they don't watch modern wrestling, of course. "Didn't The Rock come back recently?".

If I was ITV I'd be looking to develop my own sports channel. They already have good coverage with cycling, motorsport, and a reasonable amount of football (one Champions League game per round, some Europa League and highlights to various things such as the Bundesliga). They must also have a ton of archive footage they can recycle. The new World of Sport would fit nicely into that environment. I really don't see the point of a one off show. It isn't as if all the old stars will be there, and people will be watching to get nostalgic and weepy eyed. The roster is completely new and completely unknown to almost the entire viewership. Nobody is going to care about a one night show with random wrestlers, it needs to be a run of shows to get anyone invested.

How does the guy who served the noodles that night rate Kane as a worker?

Does Dave write snowflakes on his serviette for each course?

Are those Smackdown spoilers for real? RVD jobbing clean in the opener? Del Rio/Christian in the main event, the exact same match they are running at Summerslam? I'd suspect it was a dark match, but if that is so than the main event if Kane v 3MB in a handicap match... Unless they are planning to run Alberto del Rio v Christian v RVD v Randy Orton at Summerslam, which would be kind of cool.

People tend to naively believe everything is clean when it usually isn't. Look at all the people blindly defending Usain Bolt - if all his fastest competitors are on performance enhancing drugs than it is reasonable to suspect he is as well. But people are in complete denial, even reacting with anger when you suggest it. Why? Because he is some smiling, friendly looking world superstar that kids look up to? If Powell, Armstrong and others avoided detection for so long than Bolt can, especially with the amounts of money involved.

Nope, I'm the same. Having both Chris Benoit's finishers is pretty distasteful, not to mention the fact that it's a move that: a. Is probably dangerous to long term health b. Doesn't even look that good There are far more spectacular, impactful, painful looking flying moves you can do than the diving headbutt.

Well fuck, you could argue that about anyone.

Dragon Gate in 2010 or something. Pretty fun, although I enjoyed the road trip and the night out after more than the actual show it has to be said.

I haven't seen any of the numbers, and didn't watch from 2006-2010 when Orton seemed to be on top. Wasn't that a down time for the company generally? Orton always seems over with the crowd, though that isn't always an indication of being a draw.

"I am the devils favorite demon. Nobody does Satan's work better that I do." Truly woeful stuff.

I'm going to go out on a limb and say The Wyatt Family is terrible. This promo is so embarrassing, thank fuck nobody else was in the room when it came on. Just another one to add to the list of dreadful pseudo-supernatural Kane feuds as well.

It would help if they only had one belt, and practiced longer title reigns. Switching belts all the time is not exciting anymore, it simply devalues the belts. And because they do it so often, especially with this briefcase rubbish, it has become predictable, and surely the whole point of doing regular title switches it to keep things unpredictable? People like to tune it to a longer story, with a credible champion who can establish himself. It does look like they are going that way with the WWE Championship, with only three champions in about two years, but the other belt still gets passed around like a bag of sweets at a kids party. Most people think they should toss that belt anyway, it effectively means nothing and just results in meaningless, unmemorable title reigns. I would argue that Randy Orton fits the criteria, as he is very over still with casual fans and kids. If we're including part timers Brock Lesnar is there, and RVD is certainly credible providing he is booked right. So that is six guys, who could easily rotate the belt for a while. The point is you should have compelling feuds on the undercard that elevate guys, there should be a natural build that goes beyond this lazy pattern of debut-massive push-massive depush and cycles round and round, usually with a title reign at some vague stage in between often courtesy of Money In The Bank. The title doesn't make the wrestler, the wrestler has to make himself to be considered for the title. I can't remember the last debutant(s) to be introduced in an interesting way. Don't argue The Wyatt Family either - the vignettes were alright, but when it came down to it they just did random, meaningless attacks and corny poses, stuff we saw with The Shield only months earlier. What happened to proper feuds, storylines, character development? WWE haven't made a proper new star in years now, arguable since the Cena/Orton/Batista triumvirate emerged. CM Punk almost made himself, but you can just about give them credit. Daniel Bryan? Not a superstar yet, we'll see if he can maintain his overness. Well Jericho has: - A better look, or at least had when he came in with the long hair. Christian always looked a bit weird and out of proportion - Jericho is a much, much better promo, and had the advantage of coming up with a bunch of catchphrases the fans love - Jericho was a better in ring worker for my money - Jericho debuted like a star, whereas Christian hung around the midcard for years - Jericho just has 'it', that intangible quality that sets him apart as a star. I'm not sure Christian does.

Celebrity Wrestling Part II? You'd think if ITV are going to give this any kind of a decent spot they will need a big name or two. I have full confidence that it will be a complete and at times hilarious failure, but hopefully they prove me wrong.

Is this April 1st? Strangest news in a long time. I wonder which UK feds are involved? And which talent are they going to use? It could be really fun. Wonder if it will air on ITV itself? Seems something they would throw on ITV4. This country has easily enough people and enough interest to sustain a weekly television show - just look how well TNA draws over here, both in ratings and attendance. If somebody got their act together and resources were pooled, it could be pretty lucrative.

He was the semi-ace of a minor television show that had no real major stars on it, and was essentially used as a pseudo development facility. That does not make him one of the best babyfaces in the history of the company, or a guy able to become a major star and carry the main championship for the biggest wrestling federation in the world.

When has he ever got a pop comparable to Steve Austin in his peak, or The Rock in 2000, or Hogan in the 80s, or even CM Punk at MITB11 or Dolph Ziggler when he cashed in this year? Matt D is arguing this is one of the greatest babyfaces in this history of the company. No fucking way. Point me to an incredible pop he has ever got? Sure he was getting good reactions week on week, but so was somebody like Rikishi and nobody is calling him an amazing babyface. I'm not saying he can't connect with an audience, just not on the level of the truly top guys. He belongs as an upper mid card enhancement talent - over, good in the ring, but without the star power or personality to really break through as a superstar. Point me to an amazing promo this guy has done? Or a massive, defining match that didn't involve loads of others guys and a ton of props? How much merchandise does he shift? Not much from what I can ascertain. He doesn't have the devoted fanbase of a CM Punk certainly. WWEs own management reportedly hate his look as well. Not that that really matters, but my argument was that he is indistinguishable; a champion should have a distinct style and look, and Christian doesn't. He doesn't even have a personality to speak of, other than being a normal guy and a bit of a smart arse or whatever. He can't carry a company. Has there even been any proof of him as a draw? We aren't talking about his in ring performances. Being a great babyface is so much more than that. We are talking about whether he is championship material, which like it or not is far more than putting on really good TV matches every week. That kind of feeds into my argument about the spot he should be in. He is perfect working towards the upper mid card, putting on entertaining matches, getting consistently solid reactions, not really hurt by winning or losing due to his longevity. I just don't think there is any star potential there at all. The 2005 program with Cena was as close as he got. When did this guy become so loved online? People were ambivalent at best towards him for years.

There has been a slight stylistic change in the ring - only slight though, as the matches are worked more or less the same just without any of the blood or excessive violence that got wheeled out before. Otherwise the presentation is more or less the same, there is still just one major company who controls everything, their show formats are the same, most of the same workers are on screen. Compare that to the changes between 1998 and 2002, which are gargantuan by comparison. Changes of styles, changes of presentation, aesthetics, two massive companies biting the dust, complete shakeup of rosters. If you watch, say, Wrestlemania 13 and Wrestlemania 17 back to back they are unbelievably different. Wrestlemania 25 and 29? Indistinguishable. For a business that was so innovative in the 90s, with such forward momentum, it has become unbelievable stale and bereft of fresh ideas. Just the same things recycled over. It is a formula that works, but the idea that US wrestling has changed significantly in the last five years is not one I can get behind.

What ridiculous hyperbole. He is a solid hand, nothing more. His pops have never been on the level of the truly top babyfaces in history of the company. Steve Austin, Hulk Hogan, The Rock - you are truly trying to argue that Christian belongs in the category with those guys? Even in terms of in ring work he isn't close to a Rey Mysterio, Eddie Guerrero, Bret Hart or Chris Benoit as great in ring babyfaces. Rubbish - look is important whether we like it or not. Not necessarily being good looking, or being well built, or being in amazing shape - but having a recognizable look and a distinct style that sets you apart. That is what separates Christian from a CM Punk or a Chris Jericho. You can get over a bad look by having huge amounts of charisma or a unique connection with the crowd, but I'd argue Christian doesn't have that either. He's simply a solid all round worker who is good on the mic, good in the ring, very versatile etc. He just doesn't have that intangible star quality that sets some people apart. Which is why I don't consider him championship material; he is in good company though, as I don't consider Alberto Del Rio, The Miz or Jack Swagger to be championship material either, yet they have all had the belt. Even the likes of Sheamus and Dolph Ziggler are borderline. It is silly to think that look doesn't matter when we are talking about the main face of a multinational multi-billion-dollar corporation.

Weird how time passes. When Shawn Michaels came back in 2002 he hadn't wrestled in four and a half years - it seemed like forever to me at the time. Yet four and a half years ago from now Randy Orton and Triple-H were having that terribly anticlimatic match at Wrestlemania 25, which seems like yesterday by comparison. Not sure what point I'm making here, probably that time starts to merge into one when you got older. Big gaps become small. Another point is that between 1998 and 2002 wrestling changed significantly, so maybe it seems longer. By comparison, wrestling has hardly changed at all between 2006 and 2013, which is why it seems to have flown by. At the time did the gap between 1998 and 2002 seem big for long term fans? Or was it how the gap between 2009 and 2013 is to me today?