Mr Wrestling X

^ Ahh, but had they done it earlier (mid 1990's?) when Liger was being put matches with Muta and Hashimoto, it may have worked a lot better. The downside though, is that Liger was arguably the biggest Junior-Heavyweight draw during that time.

Without a shadow of a doubt, had Liger chosen to bulk up and modify his in-ring style, he would probably have been IWGP Heavyweight Champion. Even as a Junior, Liger's had some thrilling "catchweight" bouts against the likes of Keiji Mutoh and Shinya Hashimoto. He has such strong crossover appeal.

He pissed off Akira Maeda, something good! (although Maeda was an incredibly abrasive bastard in his own right, see the match with Andre)

Yeah, I thought about mentioning Misawa/Kawada. Most of that hinges on the fact that Misawa was Baba's favourite. Then of course, when Baba dies, Misawa leads a mass-walkout and starts up a rival promotion, whereas Kawada stayed, professing that it was "Baba's wishes". So yeah, it all seems to be on Kawada's side. Both were so well matched together, that even with no personal issues, they would still have had stunning matches.

Discuss? For me personally, I don't feel championships with weight limits belong in wrestling. Sure, from a kayfabe perspective, wrestling is supposed to be competitive, subject to it's own unique set of rules and classifications of wrestlers. This idea is particularly apparent in Puro, where weight divisions are still very much alive and well (although NJPW could potentially phase out the heavyweight and junior heavyweight titles as the top belts, in favour of an "openweight" world title - given the similar popularity of both weight divisions these days). WWE eliminated their cruiserweight division in 2008, prior to this, they eliminated the weight limits on their world titles, when Rey Mysterio won the World Heavyweight Championship. Of course, this hasn't warranted any adjustment, as the title is still referred to as the "World Heavyweight Championship" when a heavyweight holds it (curiously enough, when Mysterio and Bryan were champions, they were referred to as "the world champion"). Of course, they can't just outright rename the title the "World Championship", because this sounds more impressive than the "WWE Championship" - which is generally seen by all involved as the superior world title (yes, it's treated AS A WORLD TITLE, despite not having the word "world" featured in it!) - confusing or what eh? I would be fine with there being weight divisions for secondary titles, since it would enforce the idea that wrestlers want to face opponents who are similar in stature and style, before venturing into the unpredictability found in the world title. Although this concept would be pointless in American pro-wrestling, as per the idea of "competitiveness" which I mentioned earlier (modern American wrestling, is pretty much drama by design, where titles only mean as much as the person holding them).

Loss has requested that any willing PWO users start blogging, in an effort to make this a "calling card" for the forum. With that in mind, I've decided to write about the current WWE product, focusing on things like storyline direction, career progression/relegation of wrestlers, and any interesting happenings that might require further analysis. So, without further ado, let the blogging begin!

WWE recently announced that Ryback will receive a title shot (that was originally scheduled for the TLC PPV) on the January 7th episode of Raw. Whether this goes ahead or not, is irrelevant, because there can be only one outcome - CM Punk remains WWE Champion and goes into Royal Rumble to face The Rock. So where does leave Ryback, arguably WWE's breakout star of 2012? Well, there is still The Shield to consider, the group of NXT outsiders that have made a point of laying waste to Ryback in recent months. Their purpose is still undetermined, sure, their initial motive was said to be "anger at the likes of Ryback receiving opportunities at stardom before them", but then there is also the potential association with Punk/Heyman and even Brad Maddox to consider. It was Maddox who initially attacked Ryback, allowing Punk to retain the WWE Championship, stating that he wished to "make a name for himself" and velhemently denied any association with CM Punk and Paul Heyman. This mirrors The Shield's attitude when questioned about a potential association with CM Punk and Paul Heyman. It could be a red herring, it could be an aborted story arc, but WWE needs to book some pay off. Lets assume that the match with CM Punk doesn't go ahead. The Shield run out and attack Ryback before the match even gets started, Brad Maddox then runs out in a referee shirt and KO's the designated official. Maddox will then urge Punk to climb the ladder and bring down the belt as The Shield are keeping Ryback busy. Once Punk does this, Maddox mockingly ends a match that never even started. At this point, the game will be up, Punk and Heyman will reveal their association with both Maddox and The Shield, with Punk and Heyman revealing that they used their collective influence to ensure that The Shield and Brad Maddox had continued access to WWE. In effect, Punk and Heyman gave them opportunities to make a name for themselves, in exchange for assistance with the Ryback problem. The pay off in this scenario would be a match between CM Punk and Ryback at Wrestlemania, which could be done regardless of whether Punk loses or retains the WWE title when he meets The Rock at Royal Rumble. If WWE are serious about making Ryback a big player, then I can think of no bigger rub than him meeting CM Punk at Wrestlemania for the WWE title (bonus if Ryback goes over). This raises questions about whether the inevitable rematch between The Rock and John Cena should be for the title. I personally don't think it does, after all, it won't be about the title, rather the title will be providing them a reason to have a rematch (should Cena or Rock win the RR or EC to be match against one another at WM), which isn't really the point. I am by no means a big fan of Ryback. However, I am enthusiastic that WWE have taken steps to make a new star, such a big player from near the start. As a prime example, NJPW showed in 2012, that such actions can have hugely positive outcomes, with their booking of Kazuchika Okada. The returning rookie, upset NJPW ace, Hiroshi Tanahashi, to win the IWGP Heavyweight Championship, and then went on to win the G1 Climax tournament, succeeding the great Masahiro Chono, as the youngest wrestler ever to win the tournament. Such occurrences are unthinkable in American professional wrestling, indeed, not since Brock Lesnar's rookie conquering of WWE in 2002/03, have we seen any rookie or new wrestler be booked so strong, so early. Can the building of Ryback as a premier attraction in the star-strapped WWE continue?

I created one the other day, it focuses on the current WWE product, storylines, talent, and whatever interesting subject matter pops up. The first entry looks at Ryback, and asks where he's going now that the wheels for Rock/Punk at Royal Rumble are set in motion.

Edit: Accidental double post.

I always get the impression that people didn't think that Goldberg had any long term appeal, not like somebody such as Hulk Hogan or Sting. For that reason, they were lukewarm when it came to marketing him. Of course, it's not hard to imagine that Hogan, Nash and Flair, were all "worried" about their spots in the company when Goldberg started to take off.

Proponents of Hitler call him a revolutionary. Proponents of Nash call him a wrestler.

I'm reminded of this Here's the part that really makes me laugh: "He was red-hot, but I was red-hot too. I was probably the most over I ever was. They were chanting 'Goldberg Sucks' in buildings. They started pumping the Goldberg chant through the PA system. Hogan and the higher-ups were like, 'You gotta beat him.' I read in a book [The Death of WCW, by R.D. Reynolds and Bryan Alvarez] that I masterminded this thing. So let me get this straight: I beat Goldberg, then a week later, I go to the Georgia Dome and lay down for Hogan. What did that do for me? I got nothing out of it."

Just had this image of Joey Styles frantically moderating Nash's interview for a general audience.

Clean without Kozlov using his finisher on a random Smackdown, wasn't it? One of the more surprising jobs that I can ever recall. Yup, I think Kozlov caught Taker when he was going for "Old School" and hit a body slam or something like that, for the three count.

JD 06 is a really great show. Even Taker v. Khali was surprisingly solid. In retrospect, it's hard to believe that Taker put Khali - of ALL people - over that hard. I know Undertaker has always been one who has been willing to help build talent by doing the job, but in Khali's case, this kind of domination just showed how badly WWE were invested in him at the time, even if they could tell right away, that he was going to be more Giant Gonzales than Andre the Giant. I seem to recall Taker also putting Vladimir Kozlov over big, back when WWE was trying to push him.

Big Egg Wrestling Universe So many near-flawless matches. I discovered the awesomeness that is BEWU, at the behest of Power Slam magazine. They did a feature a while back about what they considered the best cards of all time, and BEWU was ranked number one, if I'm remembering right. I'd love to see male Puro try and capture the essence of this type of event (and many others of the same ilk) when they do the cross-promotion shows. The January 4th NJPW shows have declined somewhat, in the last couple of years. Don't get me wrong, the headline matches are still awe-inspiring, but the presentation and "all out" feel just doesn't seem to be there. Same with WWE and Wrestlemania really. Two, from the top of my head, that I also highly rate - WWF (E) Wrestlemania 17 2001 NOAH - Destiny 2005

It kind of defies logic too, since one would assume that Bret would go for the Sharpshooter in that situation - especially if his opponent isn't resisting that positioning.

Lot's of the Divas are very favourable towards Fit Finlay. It really seems like he was fighting for the division. I'm sure it's by no conincidence that the division went down the drain, following his departure from the company.

The Christian vs. Chris Jericho Oct 22 2009 match was pretty awesome. If I remember right, they were billing it as a "Wrestlemania XX rematch".

I've seen worse, Hornswoggle's is pretty lousy. I wish Christian didn't use the Spear though, I know he does it as a tribute to Edge, but there is just no decent impact behind it (even Edge's version was hit or miss), unlike what you get when a big man worker does it.

As a thread has spun up about him, Christian is another one I consider to be highly underrated.

He's out with injury. He had shoulder surgery too, so he'll probably be out until the spring at the earliest.

The "2 WWE Champions" thing was messy. Personally, I don't recognise either Mysterio's or Cena's reigns, since Punk was WWE Champion and he was never stripped of the title belt. WWE really screwed that up. The other "title" was meaningless, a half-assed attempt at trying to give one guy something of a rub (it was reported in places that Mysterio was unhappy at a couple of points in 2011, I wonder how he felt about getting a one hour WWE title reign?), whilst giving CM Punk a storyline reason to come back - "But I'm the champ, how dare he claim that he is!" That didn't actually come across all that well in hindsight, since nobody believed that Punk was actually gone for good. The icing on the cake was getting the fake title on Cena, which as others have point out, made Cena look like a complete asshole. Even though it's a bit sucky, I would have booked it like this. - Vince McMahon, infuriated, officially strips Punk of the WWE Championship and a tournament to crown the next WWE Champion is slated. They could debut a new belt, which shouldn't be a problem, since in storyline, the spinner actually belongs to John Cena. - Both Mysterio and Cena make it to the finals of the tournament, with Cena going over to become the new WWE Champion. - Punk returns with the spinner belt and faces off with Cena in the ring. - Punk announces the following week that Triple H, at the behest of the WWE board of directors, came begging to his door and pleaded him to sign a new contract. Punk gives his reasons for signing the new contract and officially voices his dispute of Cena as the champion. - Vince is relieved of his duties, as per before. Triple H's first task as COO is to announce a match at Summerslam, between Cena and CM Punk for the WWE Championship, commenting that whilst it's not entirely fair that CM Punk was stripped off the WWE Championship, it was good for business, given the uncertainty created when Punk left (this was further hint at disdain between the two men). Punk says that he'll win the WWE Championship that should never have been taken from him, and he then proceeds to dump or destroy the spinner belt, noting that it's a symbol of Cena being the golden boy and that he won't stand for it. - At Summerslam, Triple H inadvertanly (at least it seems this way at the time) counts to 3 as Cena pins Punk (who has his foot/hand on the ropes). Punk and Triple H have a shoving match, followed by Cena pulling Triple H back and out of the ring. A masked man (doesn't have to be Nash) runs into the ring with a sledgehammer and proceeds to deck CM Punk, Cena tries to make the save but gets nailed too. Alberto Del Rio then runs in, cashes in his MITB contract, and pins Cena to become the new WWE Champion. As all this goes on, Triple H just stands there, apparently bewildered at what's taking place. From here you could continue as normal, or go a number of different paths that result in Triple H turning heel and leading to a match against CM Punk, or remaining face and confronting the masked man (who doesn't have to be Kevin Nash!) who has been trying to force Trips out (at the behest of Vince perhaps?). Punk finally wins the WWE Championship from Del Rio (or Cena, depending on how things go) at Survivor Series, and the rest goes ahead as it already did.

Hmm, that's difficult. By WWECW, I assume you are referring to the "phased out" version of "ECW" that WWE began to roll out in late 07, and not the brief dabble into the territory of the original ECW? WWECW had the superior athletes, that's for sure. There was nobody on the roster that was out of shape, working through an injury, or wrestling "under the influence". The original ECW on the other hand, were not always particularly discriminating about who they hired (Eric Kulas), or what condition their workers wrestled in. Sandman was regularly intoxicated, Sabu almost always suffered injuries in his more daring matches and would rarely (if never) take any extended period of time off to rehab. ECW didn't pose safety restrictions on their workers, piledrivers were a part of many wrestlers' arsenals and unprotected chairshots to the head were commonplace (I have no idea how Masato Tanaka's head is in one piece, let alone the fact he hasn't had to retire due to post-concussion trauma). What made the original ECW was it's fanbase, the edginess and worked-shoot nature of the product, just as reality TV was really taking off, and the variety of talent. Everyone in WWE wrestles with a common style in mind, this was no different in WWECW, whereas the original ECW had wrestling styles from all over the world. The crowds at WWECW events were bland, often disinterested and there for the fact it was "WWE" and not ECW. The original ECW was the superior promotion when it came to creating and developing characters. Some of that you can put down to Paul Heyman and his niche for seeking out personalities that had a "spark" that he could build upon. Raven and Taz are two good examples of this, having had the best brought out of them in ECW and not getting much further past mediocrity in WWE (hell, Raven's WCW run wasn't THAT eventful either). As for matches, you have to consider that a decent amount of WWECW's talent were developmental wrestlers, who regardless of talent, were still getting used to the WWE way of wrestling. Matches were strictly choreographed and were a lot slicker and smoother than what can be said for the original ECW. But, the original ECW had the unpredictability factor, the incredibly passionate audiences, the wrestlers that were free from restraints (in case they showed the main eventers up) and a greater variety in matches. WWECW had all the goods to be a decent promotion/brand, but ECW was so much more entertaining.

Nobody does, nor was I expecting anybody to do so. I just thought I'd throw it out there, since it's a rumour that I have come across from time to time. I've heard something like this too, although in at least one version I heard that Orton was to be the champion going in to Wrestlemania 22. One of the former booking team (I believe it was Dave Lagana) had said that they were pushing for Angle to defeat Cena for the WWE Championship in autumn/winter 05, with the idea that Angle would go into Wrestlemania as champion and defend against Cena, Triple H or Undertaker. This plans all went out the window when Batista went out due to the injury, and the WHC was vacated. Yes, some have interpreted Stephanie McMahon's comments on the death of Eddy Guerrero, as proof that he was going to go over Batista and win the WHC. I don't buy this scenario, because they were ridiculously high on Batista at the time, and he would have probably gone to Wrestlemania as champion, had he not gone out with injury. Presumably, Orton would then win the Royal Rumble and go on to face Batista for the title at Wrestlemania. Of course, none of that factors in Edge's MITB shot, which had to be claimed before (or at) Wrestlemania 22. So you have to imagine that Edge would take one of the titles at New Year's Revolution (or Royal Rumble?) and the former champion would regain it before Wrestlemania 22.