Smack2k

Anyone else having issues with the photos loading? I am pretty psyched to read this as well

You taking all challengers?

As bad as Current WWE is....even their writers wouldnt setup what just happened at the end of the Super Bowl....

If they did this, that crowd could get REALLY heated at the other stars when Main Events come around.. HHH could be booed and Reigns booed out of the building if he wins...

How'd this turn out? What happened at halftime?

Funny, as I would pronouce Aikawa the right way immediately, but heaing Saito said in the AWA sooo many times keeps it wrong for me as PSY-E-TOE Damn you Larry Nelson...

The backstage one was the Hey, Big Daddy Cool, Diesel "Honk Honk"....

To me, his name is memorable, not something you forget.. I will always love and remember when he first came in as Dolph, and would pop up in interviews or other places with, "Hi, I'm Dolph Ziggler.." Dumb question, but someone he chose the name, is it because its bascially a close variation of Dirk Diggler (Boogie Nights)?

That's awesome, Johnny! My three-year old watched tonight's Smackdown! with me (poor kid). During the casket match he kept pointing at Kane and saying "He's big like you, Daddy." I'm nowhere near as big as Kane lol. My son's almost three, and one thing I've learned is how keeping your arms at your side and slightly raised is the best way to take a big splash with minimal damage. I used to wonder when I would see guys take splashes like that "how does just putting your arms like that do anything?", well now I know. You guys are lucky...my son just turned 4....and, as in most instances...the conversation goes like this: "Daddy, are you watching wrestilng again?" "Yeah buddy wanna come watch it with me?" "No, I dont" "Why?" "I think its stupid..." My head then drops in sorrow realizing that talking about it so much around the house and him hearing my wife say "can you stop talking about that, I dont care..." has gotten to him...there is much work to be done..

Vince is THE Shareholder, the is true, but thinking he just does as he wants and is unassailable in control I dont think is true at all...What he doesnt own cost him over 300 millions dollars in one day a few months ago.....so I am sure he listens to the major investors / the board especially and what they want and then does things "his way" to try and get them there...no matter how much of an ego or control he wants to have, 300 million gone in a day stops you from just saying "fuck it, I am doing what I want ,no matter what"

Not consistent with his character? He was a heel in WCW that NEVER ran in on his own and attacked a babyface, just stood on the ramp or in the ring with the typical angry heel look of "Oh I am gonna get you for that, but not now!)....what a crock of shit excuse that was.. Didnt he do a run in 98 and Powerbomb Hogan? I dont recall him being with anyone as Bret was on the opposing side. He ran in and powerbombed Sting at Stampede '98 so Savage could win and he then attacked Hogan the next night vs Savage Both were as a face though and both guys were already beat up…as a heel (like 02 WWE Nash was) he never ran in to face someone heads up and waiting for him so that was a bullshit "I got served by Rock so I will try to cover so the guys still think I am big time" excuse

That was one of the most interesting things to me as I rewatched the '96-'98 TV week to week. It took a long time for Austin to become AUSTIN. The compressed narrative always makes it sound like he dropped the 3:16 line on Jake and a few months later, he was bigger than Hogan. But honestly, did he ever feel like a bigger star than Bret before Bret left? This and the other post about Austin are great examples of What NEEDS done…it takes a while for a guy to hit it off with everyone…Austin was main eventing PPV in May 97 when the WWF was tanking at record levels…over time that changed. Today, Austin would have been put aside, especially after his neck injury in 97 and they would have moved on, never giving him the main event again…can you imagine how different the landscape would be today? So I think, why do they have that past and not do the same today? They don't have the opportunity..WHy? They are public Stock Holders (Major Holders with Money) don't give a fuck about "building a guy" up over time to make him big..they want results and a guaranteed return now or tomorrow at the latest…because of that, I don't think the WWE will ever be able to allow someone to slowly grow anymore…and that puts a lot of hopes and wishes by us out the windows.. Telling stock holders "we have faith that this guy, with 12 months of build and working with him, will make us lots of money" doesn't work…their reply is the same as Henry Hill's from Goodfellas - "Fuck You, Pay Me" That is why, to me, they don't take long term chances anymore. With Cena in 2003, they had other major stars still on top (guys from the attitude era that had name value and allowed them to groom him. Those guys are all gone now and I think they are terrified to take a chance as stockholders might run…and losing the 300 millions in a day or so last year only makes that fear worse...

No one else found this funny? Come on…well played Johnny, well played!

Also, how much time are they gonna give that match with like 4 or 5 matches being bigger and booked as more important.. 10 min tops so they can say "see, they were on the show and didnt steal it...we (WWE ) were right"

I always thought is was Saito - PSY - E - TOE Thanks for the clarification

I keep reading and seeing that his numbers are lower than others when put on top (Fall of 2013...) on lots of articles... If his buyrates are good AND the fans love him, what the hell is WWE doing? No business could be that dumb to have a guy get good buyrates AND have crowds loving him and NOT do anything about it. I thought the main reason they dont go back is not drawing as good as others... For instance, for the Fall 2013 title chase with Orton: Night of Champions 2013 - 196,000 Battleground 2013 - 114,000 I am not an authority on how buyrates work or what they mean, just looking at numbers here... IF he does draw $$ on PPV and crowds love him, then WWE is just stupid. If he doesnt draw $$ on PPV BUT crowds adore him, what is going on? Back to my original question...is it just "Cool" to love him like it became "cool" to boo Cena and just something people are doing now? All this love everywhere he goes should translate to bigger PPV's / Network buys going forward...or am I missing something?

If Bryan's buyrates are lower (which I see they are)...why is getting such HUGE pops everywhere he goes? Is it just becoming a "thing to do" and people are jumping on the band wagon or are most Bryan fans not getting the PPV's?? If so, why? Anyone with stats or an idea here as I am very interested...

Make sure it cuts off half way through and leave dead air afterward.....really give it that REAL RAYMOND effect... By the way Parv, this was cool as shit. I personally loved the history part of this, but I am a big history guy....MUCH better than "Lars has a nerve hold...still there...lets go, and.....wow, nerve hold..didnt see that one coming!!" Also, was he Lars here or Larry Heinimi (sp?). He went by both in some parts, the AWA for sure he was Lars, left and came back as Larry and stayed Larry the rest of the time there... You mentioned Mephisto....if anyone hasnt listened, find his shoots (Mephisto's) from 57talk.com and check them out, they are fascinating, including Mephisto leaving California and not going back as he was wanted for assaulting Don Owen...GREAT stories Finally....that guy that comes in with the "White Vest" is wearing a Wifebeater, not a vest!! I laughed good at that one...I may start calling them White Vests from now on... Takes guts to try these things and put them out there for all to comment on, I commend you for that and hope for more.

Tentative Mania card I found online several places: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar Sting vs. Triple H John Cena vs. Rusev Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan Where the FUCK is Ambrose... If Bryan ends up with Ziggler, do you do Sheamus vs. Dean? Dean wins to get some steam and maybe go forward toward a heel turn if its not done before Mania…. It REALLY pisses me off they have ALL This talent right now and are finding ways to fuck it up...

So, the idea for this is "They won't push us so let's STEAL THE SHOW!"? That's maybe the worst idea for those guys yet. People aren't annoyed that these guys aren't allowed to have good matches, they have good matches all the time. WWE are confusing their crowd for a ROH crowd watching Spanky vs. Jamie Noble. Is anything going to be on the line? Even a number one contender match would work as a way for the match to actually mean something. I think if they aren't going to push him to the main level, at least putting him in a great match with time that steals the show is the next best alternative. Not the main level, WITH time….not gonna happen!!! Bryan and Dolph having an amazing, 20 or more minute match that steals the show doesn't sound like something WWE is gonna do if they are hell bent on him being below mid card... I keep seeing Bryan booked like Benoit was post title reign in late 2004 and into 2005….with no MITB match at Mania, he may get that match with Ziggler "to shut those fans up" but they won't get what is needed to ensure WWE's goals of where they want to push guys stays in tact…the way they work, I can't see it being any different... They did a 180 last year after Feb and put things right, I am really hoping they do it here…

Thinking about this at work today...with all the talk of Bryan getting such huge pops, Cena still around, and Reigns obviously a choice by the WWE to be THE GUY, Dean Ambrose is gonna get lost in the shuffle behind those 3 on top as a babyface. Before its too late, turn him heel...have him help Seth cash in MITB and win the title....they have their Shield past. They feuded but Dean couldnt get over and then couldnt get by Wyatt, so if you cant beat em, join em (for now). He tried for so long to get to the top, but got screwed along the way, so he's joining in to get there quicker... Keeps him elevated and in storylines instead of becoming "well, we have our main stuff, what do we do with Dean.." followed by "Remember when Dean Ambrose was gonna be a star? What happened?" Anyone else?

I completely disagree with this. Bryan should be the top act at least until SummerSlam. He is cleared to wrestle, so the neck is fine and there is no way in hell that Roman would be hurt by waiting another year. He's simply not ready. They've already gone through with it. Back peddling on reigns now will make everything ten times worse. Bryan can still be slotted into the main event for summer slam and we know the audience will buy it. Reigns doesn't have that luxury. You dont need to back peddal...keep Reigns in the main event, not just as THE GUY, put Bryan over Brock at Mania (place will go nuts) but keep Reigns right there as well..After Mania and no Brock you have three TOP babyfaces now to go with in Reigns / Bryan / Cena (of course). You can ride the Bryan wave till it subsides or he does get hurt again, while also continuing to build Reigns up more and more so he really ready for that spot by then....that way your project with Reigns is still good and doesnt look bad, and things can continue forward.

This stat from Place To Be's 100 Facts about the Royal Rumble is the most telling stat for the watering down of titles and their importance: 63% of the 2014 field were former or current WWE Heavyweight, World Heavyweight, Intercontinental, United States Champions, King of the Ring, or Money in the Bank holders. Another 10% of the 2014 field (Rusev, Rollins, and Harper), went on to win the IC/US/MITB briefcase later in the year.

Interesting. Yes, his character was never selling his opponent's insults and laughing in their faces and being a smug bitch about it, making his opponent look bad. It was a trait his good buddy Triple H also had. As a matter of interest, did he get to use all six of his moves? I remember Nash tweeting Rock after his WM 29 injury and wishing him to get better. He does like to have friends in high places. And I know I am being a complete mark for this non-event, but whom did the wrestlers side with? Was that reported? Funny that in 2002, when Rock isnt an A list star yet that Nash says one thing....queue 10 years later when he is and the "Hope you get better buddy" tweets come rolling in....