C.S.

Face Doink was never going to be as good, but I think it could've still been decent if Matt Bourne had continued playing the role. It was so fucking obvious to me, even as a kid, that someone else had taken over.

Took some time to think about this, and while it's a fair point, I really think you're giving way too much credit to both WWE (NXT) and Aries. - WWE, even the beloved NXT chapter of it, is never that subtle. They usually beat you over the head with stuff like this. - I think what it really comes down to is that Aries is not a very good performer (outside the ring, at least in a face role).

Double turn?

I didn't catch that, but holy shit, that's hilarious. Like I said, I think he's onto something with his weird, goofy-ass facials. What that "something" is, I don't know yet, but it's certainly memorable.

Not since the literal day he arrived, where he was booked as a plucky babyface underdog against the monster heel Baron Corbin. Maybe after that, I could see HHH and the others recognizing that Aries was not convincing in that role.

I will lose my shit if Aries somehow beats Nakamura. I haven't been keeping up on the weekly NXT shows, but have they turned the worst babyface of all time and the man with the most punchable face in all of professional wrestling, Austin Aries, heel yet? I assume so, based on the Nak feud, but maybe not, as Nak vs. Zayn was babyface vs. babyface. Then again, Zayn was on his way out in that scenario.

They've also posted it to YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TgbxaQcheQ

Looks like that lame "Hatch" crap was for Bill Goldberg being a pre-order bonus in WWE 2K17. *Yawn*

Yeah, the "Match of the Year" or whatever type hype is way overblown, but I thought it was a fun match that made me want to see more of these guys - nothing more, nothing less.

Okay, I watched the full match... I was critical of the gif but kept an open-mind while watching the actual match. There are things I could nitpick, sure. (Some of the contact felt too "light," there was a bit of overselling at times, etc. I won't criticize Ospreay's weird-ass facials though. I think he's onto something there!) Overall though, it was a really cool match that made me interested in seeing more of Ospreay and Ricochet, so mission accomplished IMO!

How are people getting access to the full match? Is there an easy (legal) way to see it?

Fair enough, and I may have been a bit harsh, but you have to admit that small sequence is buried among the rest of whatever the hell is going on in that gif. I'd honestly need to see the entire match to give an accurate assessment. I was probably no better than Vader by sounding off about one tiny clip. Edit: I watched the match and developed a more favorable opinion after seeing the whole thing. http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/34521-gymnastics-in-pro-wrestlingthe-ricochet-ospreayvader-drama/page-3&do=findComment&comment=5755314

I haven't seen the match, but that gif is some seriously horrendous dogshit. WTF are they even doing? All I see is a bunch of flipping with no intention of even landing a move or doing anything that would affect the other wrestler in any way. Sorry, but it's bullshit and not for me. The big joke with one of the bad guys in the most recent Adam Sandler movie on Netflix, The Do-Over, is a tall guy who does insane flips. But even he landed a few shots, contrary to whatever the fuck is happening in that embarrassing abortion of a clip we saw in the gif. Edit: With that said, amazing response from Ricochet (even if I don't entirely agree with his convenient version of the "evolution" of wrestling): https://twitter.com/KingRicochet/status/736876715633303552 Edit: I watched the match and developed a more favorable opinion after seeing the whole thing. http://prowrestlingonly.com/index.php?/topic/34521-gymnastics-in-pro-wrestlingthe-ricochet-ospreayvader-drama/page-3&do=findComment&comment=5755314

Not only would I love for Jericho to win, my prediction is that he will win. All of this "Kevin Owens is the favorite" stuff reads like a false leak to me, as we've seen several times before for MITB.

I can't believe WWE hasn't given Cesaro his own action movie yet.

Don't get me wrong, guys - Flair deserves zero sympathy and absolutely should pay up - but Cary Silkin tweeting about it and planning a public confrontation is a total bush league move. It's, yes, pathetic. That's not how professional businessmen handle financial situations. But bush league carnies do.

Pathetic tweet from Cary Silkin: https://twitter.com/rohcary/status/735500312396615680 Is it right that Flair stiffed him? No, of course not. But what did Cary expect? He knowingly did business with an alcoholic who has chronic financial issues. This really makes ROH look super bush league, and it wouldn't surprise me if Cary loses his job over it. I almost think he should. What an idiot.

I came here to post the same thing. I've never believed it. Didn't it originate in the infamous DVDVR "sleaze" thread? Hardly the most credible source. Not sure how ridiculous/dubious it is, but the Montreal Screwjob being a work?

You won't even get that this time, because they're going back to the well with a recycled, half-baked, old-ass idea that won't be nearly as good the second time around.

The brand split was atrocious last time. Wow, people really have short memories. Yeah, it was cool the first year or two, but then it was a waste of time that meant nothing and devalued every title. Hoping this doesn't happen, or if it does, there's one World Champion, one Women's Champion, and one set of Tag Team Champions. The Intercontinental and pointless U.S. Titles can be split.

I don't see it ever happening. They're homophobic liabilities. This is a company that fired Seth's girlfriend for shit she posted years earlier (not saying it wasn't deserved, because it still was - fuck her!), so I'd expect a publicly traded, corporate-minded company to stay far, far away from these indy hillbillies who wouldn't move the needle one iota anyway. Because they sell merchandises and they're super over with the crowd - and as babyfaces to boot, which isn't the easiest thing in the world to pull off (see Cena and Reigns). I consider those perfect reasons to push an act.

Rollins came out to massive face reactions but quickly reverted back to his bitch heel character.

How awkward was it when Shane was talking about Stephanie and especially Triple H on the Mick Foley podcast...wow.

It was better with Heenan. He was able to hype it on all the shows (commentary on the weekend shows, hosting Prime Time, etc.) and he was considered a legendary manager in the WWF. He gave Flair credibility to non-NWA fans and kids (which were probably most of the fans watching the show). The dirty little secret that '80s NWA rasslin' fans don't want to admit to themselves is that JJ Dillon has no charisma and would not have been a good fit for an on-screen role in the bombastic and over-the-top WWF of that era.

Adam Rose released (apparently at his own request): http://www.wwe.com/article/adam-rose-released