DMJ

With rumours of a possible War Games match down the line, I'd actually be willing to see him come back and be involved in that one match. It's more spotlight than just having him in a Rumble, but its not so demanding that he's going to be exposed as unable to compete. Plus, I think the only part of Sting that fans really want to see is the "mysterious" part, the guy that stands in the rafters for a few weeks, the guy that starts out by not saying anything but eventually joins the side of good with a gesture as small as handing the babyface a baseball bat. The Shield, Bryan, and Sting vs. The Authority (HHH, Kane, Lesnar, Orton, and whoever else) sounds like a big time match to me. Will it be a great match? Personally, for all the flak that WWE gets for its watered down, "no blood" Elimination Chamber and HIAC matches, I think they've also booked a few good ones and believe that, with this cast of characters, a War Games match could be executed well even with Sting in there.

I'd be more impressed with Rusev if he used some more impressive power moves. Nothing he did to Sin Cara last night looked like something we haven't seen Cesaro do before and more smoothly (does that make sense?). Maybe his PPV match will reveal more of his "game," but I'm heavily doubting the notion that he's going to be put in the ring with Cena in a major feud in 2014. He seems like a guy who even his backstage supporters will lose interest in quickly.

Just saw this entire PPV for the first time via the Network and really enjoyed this opener. As others have said, it's basically the Morton/Eaton show, which ain't a bad thing and the crowd obviously eats it up. What struck me about the show overall was that the first four matches are tag bouts and three of them (this one, Steiners/Nasty Boys, and Doom/Flair & Double A) are really entertaining and different enough to keep the audience engaged (both the live crowd and I'd expect modern viewers).

Pretty funny feud brewing between Kevin Nash and Roddy Piper over some comments Piper made about Nash in his podcast... I'm not sure I even understand the full story, but was curious what people here thought...if anything.

I wrote about this on another (much lamer) board, but Warrior was definitely the "quintessential" wrestler of the late 80s/early 90s, especially to kids. On mainstream, network shows like "Married...With Children" or "Tiny Toons" or "Family Matters," whenever there was a "wrestler" character, they typically were massive muscular dudes who acted like maniacs and wore tassles and face paint. Granted, the Road Warriors had this same look, but my point is, the Warrior was an archetype of what a professional wrestler looked like and acted like - way more than Hogan, Piper, Flair, etc.

Obviously it may be "too soon," but boy did Daniel Bryan have a year in 2013. Here's what I'm referring to, chronologically: * The tag team run with Kane * Good-to-great singles TV matches against Ziggler and members of the Shield * Early summer series with Orton * July 22nd's gauntlet against Swagger, Cesaro, and Ryback * SummerSlam against Cena * August's gauntlet against the Shield * End of the year matches with the Wyatt Family Personally, I think the Orton/Bryan matches that happened on PPV after SummerSlam will be remembered better in time, it's just that, at the time, the fact that Bryan wasn't going to be winning hurt my enthusiasm/enjoyment when I watched them. Still, in terms of WWE, I don't think anyone had a 2013 even close to that if you look at consistency and "show stealing." One could argue Cesaro, but I think it'd be tough. What do people think of HBK's 96?

I know I'm late to the party and just got the Network last night on my Roku. It is working great. Here's my question: I downloaded the WWE app on my iPad and get the "Live" Network - in fact, it automatically goes there when I click on the App. But how do I get to the video vault and get off the live feed? Answer me here or PM me if you know what I can do/click to get to the Search on the vault with an iPad.

I don't see the issue with a Kane/Bryan program. Is it red hot? No...but I don't think anyone, WWE included, are expecting it to be and Bryan won't "take the hit" if the PPV numbers aren't great. The next "PPV" (and remember, those don't really exist anymore in the Network age) is being sold with Evolution vs. Shield from what I can tell. It reminds me of Bret Hart's feud with the Patriot in the fall of 97'. Nobody ordered Ground Zero or Badd Blood for their matches - those shows were sold pretty much entirely on the HBK/Taker feud (*especially* Badd Blood 97'). If you ask me, the right gimmick would add something to the match and I like the idea of Brie getting involved. Plus, at least with Bryan/Kane there is a real deep back story, which other feuds that've been put in this "second fiddle" position rarely have. Plus, a dominant win over Kane is still a dominant win over a monster, even if he's done it 5 times before on TV...kinda like how Cena hitting the AA on Mark Henry and Big Show is never going to *not* help him look strong, even if fans should no longer be shocked by it whatsoever.

I might go with pretty much every Orton/Cena match. I'm not saying their matches are horrendous or that they weren't "Match of the Night" winners and, for a time, they probably were "Match of the Month" winners...but none of them were MOTY to me and I think both guys have had better matches with different opponents.

I don't see confessionals even being done. Who on the main roster/staff was even around during Warrior's run that is going to be able to tell a really heartfelt, positive story about him as a person? I don't see the point in Linda or Vince eulogizing him and I don't think the 'E is going to bring out non-TV personalities like Pat Patterson, Bruno Lauer, Steve "Skinner" Kiern, or the Brooklyn Brawler just to talk about how popular he was. Hogan and Lawler are the only two I could see giving "confessionals," but I see them being less emotional and more just about how popular was (a.k. a - nothing that hasn't been said before or needs to be said again). I do expect some face paint and tassles tonight and, hopefully, Rob Van Dam wearing some custom airbrushed gear with his own face and Warrior's on the kneepads and the words "Means Much More Than This" on the back under the image of a huge joint.

I don't know if any one will agree (or if I really have any evidence to support this thought), but I think part of it stems from the late 20s/mid30s crowd who seem to be the target audience for a lot of sport talk shows, sports websites (deadspin, grantland), and even the less hip social networks (I'm on facebook and this is a source of ridicule to my students, who are younger and waaay more into Instagram and Twitter and a half dozen other apps that I don't even know about). I turned 30 in February. I don't remember WrestleManias 1-6 aside from renting them from a video store when I was 7. I ordered WrestleMania 7 & 8, SummerSlam 91', Survivor Series 90' and 91', and Royal Rumble 91' and 92'. I remained a fan of WWE and WCW for years ownward. I was really NOT around for the peak of Hulkamania, so, to me, while Hulk was obviously the top dog, my memories of early WWE really begin with Warrior's title reign, his feud with Randy Savage, his return at WrestleMania 8 and main event spot at SummerSlam 91'. It continued at WrestleMania 12, where his return was the second biggest story of the night. In 98', he showed up in WCW and it was must see TV to fans my age. So, while older fans don't see Warrior as an equal to Hogan or Andre or Savage or Flair, to people my age, Hogan, Savage, and Warrior were almost on equal footing. Andre was someone you watched on video, not live TV. Roddy Piper and Ric Flair were stars, but Warrior had face paint and muscles and crazy promos. He was a superhero...and if you're between the ages of 8 and 10, that is going to connect with you way more than the psychology of Jake Roberts or "no frills" intensity of Arn Anderson. Warrior may have only been a top guy for a few years, but they were key years for "the Millenials"/"Generation Y" who were too young to really know Rock n' Wrestling, but old enough to know Hulk Hogan's patriotism was a huge factor in the US's victory in the Gulf War. Throw in how much this generation loves irony and kitsch and it's no surprise Warrior is still a mainstream figure.

The day after Mania, the art teacher at my school (I'm also a teacher) mentioned that he thought Bryan was a modern day Backlund and I'm not sure he's watched a single Bryan match in his life. I think he made the comparison based entirely on look and what I've told him about Bryan - that he's basically the top babyface based on wrestling merit alone and not because he's roided up or an anti-hero or "cool" in the Rock/Flair sense. I definitely see Cena/Bryan and Lesnar/Bryan as major matches...but I think one could argue that we'll see HHH/Bryan on PPV again in 2014 first and possibly another triple threat or some sort of 4-way too.

That is a really good point I hadn't read anywhere, John. I know the build for this match wasn't everyone's cup of tea, but in hindsight, it really was underwhelming and, most surprisingly maybe, not promoted AT ALL like it could've/should've been considering that it was most likely the last match of the Undertaker's career. For example, Flair's retirement at WM24 made a ton of sense and was basically 100% guaranteed going into the event. The match was basically a formality (and one I enjoyed thoroughly) as it really was promoted as the last time you'll ever see Ric Flair wrestle. Had they promoted Taker's last match in a similar fashion, you would have had a HUGE selling point for the casual/Attitude Era fans and it really is surprising that they decided to keep it a secret. Kudos to them, though, because I honestly don't think I've ever been so shocked as a fan and I've been watching WWE & WCW for 20+ years.

In order, but not ranked... Steamboat vs. Savage - WM3 Rick Rude vs. Ultimate Warrior - WM5 Hogan vs. Savage - WM5 Hogan vs. Warrior - WM6 Savage vs. Warrior - WM7 Nasty Boys vs. Hart Foundation - WM7 Piper vs. Hart - WM8 Savage vs. Flair - WM8 Hart vs. Hart - WM10 HBK vs. Ramon - WM10 Hart vs. Austin - WM13 Edge & Christian vs. Dudleys vs. Hardys - WM16 The Rock vs. Hogan - WM18 Benoit vs. HHH vs. HBK - WM20 Edge vs. Foley - WM22 James vs. Stratus - WM22 McMahon vs. HBK - WM22 Flair vs. HBK - WM23 Undertaker vs. Edge - WM23 Undertaker vs. Michaels - WM24

I'm heading to Columbus (OH) to watch the show with friends, as per tradition. While my buddy has the Network, I believe the plan is that we'll be ordering the show via Time Warner to ensure that everything is a go. Personally, I have not bought the Network yet because I expect a lot of the kinks to be worked out following Mania. If even 10% of the subscribers have issues, it is going to be a big story and bad word of mouth is not a good thing when I believe there are still LOADS and LOADS of wrestling fans (like myself) who feel like the best time to buy a 6-month subscription will be the summer, when many people typically have more free time. Plus, by then, the MLBTV should be running relatively smoothly, giving me even more confidence that the Network is going to get that needed support. Sunday should be a VERY interesting night, in ring and out, but we're not risking a bad stream when there will be 8-10 fans coming together from around the state for the sole purpose of enjoying the show together and imbibing in some of Earth's other greatest achievements.

If you're a fan of comedy, James Adomian does an absolutely HILARIOUS, SPOT ON Jesse Ventura imitation. He was on an episode of the podcast Comedy Bang Bang with Jon Daly (Kroll Show) and I was basically crying for 60 straight minutes. Adomian comes on as Ventura and stays in character the whole time (as per usual for the show) and while the majority of his jokes are about Ventura living "off the grid," there is one joke about Butch Reed that is worth listening to the whole thing for. The imitation is just supernaturally good. Highly, highly, highly recommended.

This made me think how cool it would be if the WWE Network could "retcon/blue screen replace" the Jason Hervey/Paul E. Dangerously feud from WCW with Ziggler as Hervey. I'm thinking Weezer "Buddy Holly" video style. Also, that thought was really OT, so, to get things back on track, I've got Sheamus winning the battle royal. Who you got?

I don't recall it being THAT bad...but, personally, I think it's more like one of those things where they know they have it, they just don't think its necessary. And, while I totally see Brie/Steph being a great catfight, I also think it'd be overkill at this point. The comparison isn't super apt, but it reminds me of Flair/Hogan in 92'. They knew that was a PPV worthy storyline. They made money with it at MSG and would've made even more if the feud had been extended into WM9...but things happened and they never could maximize their profits with it. The same could be said for Cena/Taker if it isn't at Mania next year (which, I think is a keyless, combinationless LOCK). I think Punk/HBK and Jeff Hardy/HBK were "gimmes" that never got "given." The stars just didn't allign, but they were obviously dream matches in terms of the WWE folklore around these characters at different times in their careers. So, yeah, Brie Bella vs. Stephanie McMahon sounds really natural. Brie & Daniel vs. Cena & Nikki sounds really natural. Brie Bella getting stalked by Bray Wyatt during the Bryan/Wyatt feud sounded really natural. And while maybe there is some truth in Brie not getting that kind of screentime because she's a poor actress/worker, I really think it has more to do with Creative thinking things through and realizing that it just isn't necessary (and could actually be detrimental to Bryan's popularity) when this feud already has so much heat.

Yeah. The Sheamus/Christian feud is a great example of terrible booking. Let's take two guys and have them show their stuff in a trio of good matches...but let's not give the audience any reason at all to care who wins or offer any explanation to why they keep getting booked against eachother. Had this been over the affection of a Diva, or a future title shot, or to prove to an Authority that they should be getting some opportunity at Mania, or because one screwed the other one out of a title, then you'd have had something that *might* have even been worthy of a Mania showcase...but they didn't bother to do ANY of those things. The Titus/Darren Young program had better build.

Not really adding much to the convo here, but on a recent episode of his podcast, Stone Cold namechecked Shane Douglas as someone he felt was a "bad ass" babyface worker. (I think this was the Zeb Colter episode, but I may be wrong) It may not be everyone's opinion, but I put a fair amount of stock in Austin's opinions based on how long his career went, how successful it was, and how many different people he worked with throughout his career.

I think Ric Flair had all the greatest heel qualities one could have. Cowardly at times, but also impossible to outsmart. Vince McMahon in the Attitude Era had this too. I like dominant heels too, but personaly, I kinda like the heel template set forth by Flair (but probably others before him) that Edge and Jericho nicked. Beatable, but so darn crafty that they could believably topple any goody two shoes. To me, its that believability that is even more important than whether or not their character is justified. I'm not sure Flair was ever justified in his screwing over top babyfaces (I guess his motivation was to stay champ), but it was so much more fun to root against him when you knew that, on any day, someone like Rick Steiner or Brian Pillman would have his number. This is where the current product has gone wrong, in my eyes - nobody believes Alberto Del Rio, even if cheats, can beat John Cena.

^ Wow, really interesting points brought up. I'm not sure where I'd lean in this debate. To me, ranking Triple H is always a little difficult because I was never a huge fan of his work and I think I've seen a ton of it as a WWE fan dating back to the early 90s. As the blue blood, he was good-not-great, but definitely had a spark and I thought the feud with Curt Hennig in the mid-90s could've been awesome. In early DX, his personality came through a lot more and he definitely showed he had charisma - but, to me, even as leader of DX V.2, his mic work came off as below Shawn or his Clique buddies Hall & Nash. Better than Waltman, though. His in-ring work is hard to gauge because he's never been a flashy worker (like HBK) or a great technician (like Benoit or Hart), but does maybe sneak into the top 10 list in terms of brawling. His work might even be the epitome of "Attitude Era main event style," even moreso than Austin or The Rock. Since 2002, Triple H has continued to deliver great matches on occasion and good matches mostly, with some major stinkers (vs. Kozlov). Its also hard to ignore certain booking decisions he's been involved in over the years, but I try to keep that out of my mind when I want to rate his work objectively. For the past 5-6 years, we haven't seen him mix it up with anyone but the biggest stars - namely Taker, Lesnar, Cena, Orton, Big Show & Jericho, and, well, that's about it, save 1-2 matches thrown in against Sheamus, Punk, and the Legacy (memba dem?). Orton, on the other hand, has really faced everyone worth facing on the roster for the past decade, from midcarders like Kofi Kingston and The Miz to main eventers like Cena, Punk, Mysterio, Del Rio, and Big Show to aging vets like Kane and Christian to top prospects like the Shield and Antonio Cesaro. In all of these pairings, Orton has been fairly consistent, but like Triple H before him, overexposure and indifferent audiences make him someone that is not necessarily easy to appreciate in 2014. So - who is better? I'm gonna go with Triple H...by a nose...but I think the next 2 years WILL change things as Orton is still young enough that, unless he gets seriously injured, he will likely have really great programs in the future against a variety of talents that Triple H will likely never face (The Shield, Cesaro, Bray Wyatt, etc.).

Gotta love any list where this guy is credited as a World Champion. http://www.guresmania.net/pics/godfather/13.jpg

I'm watching Savage & Hogan vs. Avalanche & The Butcher (that's Ed Leslie, not Abdullah) from an episode of WCW Main Event from March 95'. Two random thoughts - Why is this the episode's OPENING bout? and Hogan seems so out of place in the studio setting, especially way its filmed, which really makes it seem like half the size of a high school gym. Hogan may not have been at peak popularity in 95', but he still just seems like too big a star to make sense wrestling for just a couple hundred people.