sek69

I turned on the pre show during the tag match, and I hadn't seen Apollo Crews for so long it took me a few minutes to figure out who that was standing on the apron.

Well they did a spot on Smackdown where Becky was put through a table successfully, but I could see Alexa just bouncing off anything they try to put her through.

They finished the 2011 uploads so the entire run of Raw is up except for the Raw Bowl episode that apparently ran afoul of the copyright gods for some reason.

Seems people are being just a tad hyperbolic over Sting. No, he's not the best candidate but he's far from the worst. Definitely not a guy to act like the sky is falling over.

It's so weird that backdrop of all things is a deal breaker for a lot of people when that's been a spot in wrestling since the beginning of time.

I wonder if there's anything to be said about people who were fans as kids who get kind of peer-pressured out of being fans. If you were unlucky enough to come of age in a time period where it was uncool to watch, there was a definite stigma attached to watching that dumb rasslin stuff.

Nearly everyone I know who used to be a fan and isn't now stopped watching because their favorites left. My wife was a big fan during the Attitude Era but once Rock left/was just part time her interest dropped dramatically. She'll still go with me if I go to a show but it's more her taking one for the team rather than any interest on her part. Most of the people I was friends with growing up stopped watching the WWF after the Hogan/Savage/Warrior era ended too. People get attached to the guys who first got them interested and if/when they leave, it's just the crazies like us who keep watching. I think it's probably part of why current WWE tries so hard to make the company the main draw rather than the wrestlers. Among other reasons, in theory it would stop people from drifting away when their favorite left.

I was watching Survivor Series with a friend who's a longtime fan but not a real inside/smart/whatever you want to call it type fan. When Roman hit the crucifix powerbomb for 2 he wondered aloud why would you do a move like that if it's not going to pin someone. So I wouldn't say it would ruin the business, but it does seem to create diminishing returns in terms of what guys can do do try to get a match over with the crowd. Plus, I'd say the garbage wrestling fad of the 90s did more actual harm than pandering to the "this is awesome" chanters today.

It's starting to become hilarious how irrationally angry some people are getting over crowd chants these days. I mean, yeah sometimes they can get a little eye rolling, but folks are acting like these chants are destroying the business.

On the other hand, Rusev is amazing on Twitter.

Not to mention at least at one point the company directive was for guys to work their gimmicks on Twitter. Now if you do that you get salty old timers admonishing you.

Imagine Corporate Backstage Agent Bubba reacting to ECW Bubba telling girls at ringside their moms taught them how to suck dick.

I don't doubt Paul talked to them, he probably knocked on every door possible to try to get funding, but I doubt it went as far up the chain of command as he claimed it did.

One thing that struck me about that ECW doc, well two actually. Bubba was spot on saying ECW was the Napster of wrestling. They changed the business then went away. Also it was something to see everyone on the panel still having such passion for ECW. I can't imagine anyone currently in the business having the same feelings for any company today.

Yeah I love watching the post show Raw bits from 1998 and I know they did a load for 1999 as well but did they do any other years? I cant recall them doing any Smackdown related segments. I bought the Raw DVd that had similar bits like Hogan posing with Cena & Batista but what I always found odd with this is why they didnt show the match that took place before the posedown which I believe was Hogan/Batista/Cena vs HBK/HHH/JBL. I watched the Ric Flair retirement Raw and they had the post-show portion which had Taker and then Vince himself coming out to pay their respects.

Seems fitting that Goldberg's return match would also mark the return of what I used to call the WCW Effect of people not liking shows because they didn't like the main event.

As silly as it is to keep Joe in NXT, if it gets Nak on the main roster ASAP so be it.

Also, Ember Moon is probably where this is headed, isn't it? Hold off til Mania weekend and have her hit the O-Face in a massive spot. Based on TV, Ember is going to help Liv kill the Australian girls first.

Nak and his army of violinists need to be on every show from now on.

She is bumping like crazy. I wouldn't mind her getting a coaching gig or a role being an in-ring Finlay style coach for the NXT girls.

Mickie looks good for someone who was run over by a train,

Paul Ellering: leading monsters to win vanity tag team tournaments since 1986.

Whoever designs the ring gear for NXT sure does like those high-ass vampire looking collars for the big events.

It doesn't even make sense from a storyline/kayfabe standpoint to do Brock-Shane. If you go with the idea that he just wants to mess up his sister's show, why go after the guy who's only around once every few months and hardly ever interacts with any of the regular members of the roster? If his goal is to ruin Raw, he should take a lead pipe to Owens' knee or flatten Roman's tires.

Sid was pretty much custom made for the time period he was in. Tall, built, charismatic, with a hint of "this guy might be legit crazy". Sure, he sucked in the ring, but that didn't matter for much of his time in the business.