C.S.

(Backstage at the Hall of Fame.) Vince McMahon: So, PAL, Harlem Heat used to be The Ebony Experience? Stevie Ray: Suckas got to know! (The War Raiders walk into the frame.) Vince McMahon: (To the War Raiders) I've got it! You will now be known as The Viking Experience!

So, why change their name from something awesome and badass to something lame and corny?

The Viking Experience?! UGHHH!!!

So, is there really a dramatic difference between French French and Canadian French?

Bray is beyond redemption. Release him and let him become something else somewhere else. Very sad to hear about Notre Dame.

Just a friendly reminder...

I don't know about that. There is nothing logical about immediately jumping to, "Hey, we just signed one of the biggest stars in the history of wrestling, so let's risk making him extremely unhappy right off the bat by bringing in his ex-wife before even talking to him about it or seeing how he feels." There's no way Randy wasn't involved in those discussions, so I don't think it's a stretch that he's the one who lobbied to bring her in. I have no idea why Meltzer is being bitchy - I haven't read his tweets and avoid most of them - but the first episode was pretty decent. Maybe subsequent episodes go off the rails? I don't know. The Brody one seems highly talked about, both here and elsewhere, but I haven't seen it yet and won't until Amazon adds it.

She originally wanted to be on Smackdown because it was "Eddie's show."

Well, can't both be true? Randy made the recommendation and Zane did the actual hiring? I mean, it wasn't exactly unheard of in this company for people to lobby for their friends to come in.

I actually don't hate TNA. It's just that I've given them various chances over the years, always to end up disappointed or frustrated. Drew was always good, I agree. Lashley never was, no matter how he well he was carried in TNA or how poorly he's being booked now in WWE - never mind his first disastrous stint with WECW and Donald Trump. Besides, rumor has it that he's leaving again for MMA this summer. I genuinely, sincerely wish him all the best in that endeavor and hope he becomes the greatest ultimate fighter who ever lived. I hope Brock also decides to do the same, and they both become the GOATs of MMA now and forevermore. If Bray Wyatt decided to join them, I'd be delighted at that too. Even though you think I hate TNA, it's actually my insomnia channel on PlutoTV. https://pluto.tv/tv/impact-wrestling-channel I watch it, like it sometimes, dislike it sometimes, and none of it ever makes enough of an impression for me to become a regular viewer again. So, no, I don't hate TNA. I'm just indifferent to it at this point.

I watched the Macho Man episode last night (Brody hasn't been added to Amazon yet, even though it aired months ago, because it's technically Episode 3), and it wasn't bad at all. The only thing I didn't like were the super-cheesy re-enactments. Linda Hogan, of all people, came across as surprisingly level-headed and credible. Jake the Snake's talking head clips were either filmed decades ago or DDP Yoga truly is miraculous. I'm surprised there isn't more hate for Lex Luger in general just based on what happened with Elizabeth. I didn't know before now that Randy Savage actually got Liz her WCW gig, although it makes sense in retrospect. Even after divorce, he was looking out for her. What a good guy. (Yes, I realize he was too intense, possessive, and jealous of Liz during the marriage - but do you really blame him for not trusting the other boys? I don't.)

I don't doubt there are better matches out there. I think, for me, what made it so special was seeing that spectacle live, in person, and up close. There's something about tapes that just can't replicate that experience.

Damn, man, your post is all over the place... I have no idea why you're bringing up Johnny Gargano, Kenny Omega, and Daniel Bryan - none of whom I mentioned at any point in this conversation. Nor did I imply that Enzo and Cass were better than them. (They're better than Asuka and Kassius Ohno though! I'M KIDDING!) To be fair to Cass though, he and Bryan actually had a pretty fun match on Cass's last WWE PPV (he was fired, what, a day or two later?). Not saying it was a five-star classic, but I remember being surprised - and I don't think I was the only one. Yes, it's Daniel Bryan, who can walk on water with any opponent, but still. As for no one else wanting Enzo and Cass, there were rumors that Enzo (and I assume now Cass) were going to show up Double or Nothing. Take that with a grain of salt though. I have a feeling those were fake rumors planted to misdirect people from the surprise of their ROH debuts. Only time will tell, I guess. Enzo and Cass claim they're working on their own TV show, so they're clearly still not immune from spouting carny bullshit. I still think this is an interesting development for ROH. It's a genuine surprise, for one thing, and whether you like it or not, it certainly can't be accused of being "boring" like @SomethingSavage has said about the promotion on the whole as of late.

The Miz vs. Sylvain Grenier is a perfect example of pure sports-entertainment and everything I look for in a match. Real wrestlers who can tell a story where every move actually means something. Okay, you guys, I'm totally trolling. Dunno if that's even a real match. My REAL answer: ROH Supercard of Honor II Dragon Gate Match - CIMA, Shingo, and Susumu Yokosuka vs. Dragon Kid, Ryo Saito, and Masaaki Mochizuki If you want "movez," holy shit, these two teams put on a spectacle that makes Cirque du Soleil look tame! That insane BJ Whitmer-Jimmy Jacobs cage match was on the same show. Would that also qualify? I saw both live, but haven't seen either since. Quite possibly the best live show I've ever attended, mainly on the strength of those two matches.

Yet, the rest of this thread is filled with posts like: (And it is!) So, the diehard ROH fans "shitting on it" means what exactly? And from reading that article, it sounds like Enzo and Cass won't be exclusive to ROH anyway and plan on showing up everywhere that isn't WWE.

Good article here: https://www.si.com/wrestling/2019/04/12/wwe-enzo-big-cass-roh-return-nzo-cazxl-free-agentz Say what you want about Enzo and Cass - excuse me, nZo and CazXL (er...) - but they understand the business. It's not about "workrate." It's not about "movez." "In an era of five-star matches and work rate, Enzo and Cass are looking to make their own success in wrestling by following the number one rule in all of sports entertainment: be a draw." And they're right. What is everyone talking about after that ROH show? Enzo and Cass.

I'm sure they did, but so did Austin Aries, and I think he's a major geek. Looking like a main eventer in TNA and looking like a main eventer in WWE - for all of WWE's many faults - are still completely different. Generally, for every rare wrong turn - like a Jack Swagger or Great Khali - WWE mostly gets it right with who it pushes to the World Title picture. In before someone says "but Seth..." Okay, but people outside of this forum actually go nuts for the guy.

Actual footage of Banks and Bayley acting like the 3-year-olds this report indicates would be more highly sought after than Bret Hart vs. Tom McGee or Braun Strowman getting down on his knees and begging Kurt Angle for mercy.

That Sasha-Bayley report is so fucking ridiculous, so utterly absurd - laying on the floor like two toddlers and throwing a temper tantrum - that it can't possibly be true, can it?

Probably true, but Shayna is damn good, and Ronda is obviously incredible. I guess I just assumed Shafir and Duke picked up whatever magic dust the other two are sprinkling. There's still time. They are really early in their careers, and I'm willing to wager they'd look like beasts if they were protected in a 4-on-4 Horsewomen vs. Horsewomen Survivor Series match or something.

Except, The Boss and Hug Connection were colossal bores together. It's like they sapped the charisma out of each other. I love Bayley. I love Sasha Banks. But I didn't love them as a team. The IIconics are a much better act. Obviously, Sasha and Bayley mop the floor with them in the ring, but that's their only advantage as a team and only part of what WWE looks for. It's why Alexa Bliss has been so successful, and rightfully so, despite not being as technically proficient as the Four Horsewomen (WWE version, but I suppose the MMA version also applies here). Alexa and The IIconics are so much more polished as overall acts than Bayley and Sasha, even now. With all of that said, all of this could have been avoided if the belts were introduced at WM like they should've been and Sasha and Bayley had their coronation there, with The IIconics maybe winning at SummerSlam or Survivor Series (or wherever). I have no idea why the titles were introduced on a random PPV instead.

Except, I never said anything about AJ's TNA stint at all, so why are you putting words in my mouth? I actually agree with you about AJ, but my point was that he overcame the same shitty start-stop, flip-flop, face-heel booking, so that alone can't and shouldn't be an excuse. Anyway, I really shouldn't post late at night when I'm exhausted. My rant was way too over-the-top. I still stand by the basics of what I said, but I could have dialed down the volume a bit. Sorry, guys... (There's no blush emoji, so let's pretend that's it.)

BTW, it looks like Cole's history of abuse isn't limited to Pat McAfee. Former WWE NXT Announcer Alex Reyes (Alex Del Barrio) Recalls Michael Cole's "Ridiculous And Irrationally Nonsensical Temper" https://www.wrestlinginc.com/news/2019/04/former-wwe-nxt-announcer-on-getting-yelled-at-while-with-653041/

Well, yeah... You don't really think WWE believes any of its bullshit about how progressive it's being with the WWE Women's Evolution, do you? This is the same company that thought so little of women wrestlers that they discontinued the title (more than once), fired Alundra Blayze/Madusa while she was still champion, and let her walk out with the belt in her possession and throw it in another company's trash can. She was also made to feel like a piece of shit by the company for 20 years, even though Flair did the same exact thing with the NWA Title. But I guess it's okay because he's a man.