JRH

So, thoughts on the Cena/Styles match? I've only seen highlights, but I've heard varying opinions on how they were using the finishers of their opponents, some calling it just finisher spam, others seeing it as a callback to what they learned from their rivals.

So AJ Styles is retiring next year: https://bleacherreport.com/articles/25253051-aj-styles-announces-hell-retire-wwe-2026-my-body-can-no-longer-move If they want to give him a retirement tour angle, lets hope they learned from the mistakes they made with Cena.

One Man Gang dark match from 1998

With Demolition's legends contract, they're probably a lock too.

While we know why she's going in, looking strictly at her WWE career from an on-screen product perspective, she did play a decent heel manager for HHH.

Well, looks like we can ressurrect this thread, since it's been reported Paramount is considering buying WBD, which could affect AEW.

50 Years of Funk:

They're trying to make WWE like boxing or UFC where only the big shots have enough money to attend, but by doing this, they're also pricing out the kids (who are the next generation of fans) and families. I pointed out on the AEW board that AEW needs to counteract this by not just courting the 18-49 crowd, but also try to attract kids and families as well.

They've uploaded some episodes of Hulk Hogan's Rock N Wrestling (not exactly a good show mind you, but it is interesting to hear Brad Garrett as Hogan and James Avery as JYD).

Can someone move this thread to the Microscope section (it might get more attention there)?

He was able to get "Can You Dig That,,,SUCKA!" over as a huge catchphrase at least.

Kelly Osbourne is not happy with what Becky Lynch said on RAW: I dont really see the problem here, she didnt say anything negative about Ozzy, just Birmingham.

More proof that just because someone has good mic skills, doesnt mean they're a good commentator (see also Randy Savage, Mick Foley, and Nick Bockwinkle).

WWE has severed ties with Knoxx Pro: https://www.pwinsider.com/article.php?id=199715

While AEW does a good job marketing to the 18-49 crowd, they could also work well with marketing to a younger audience too (especially with WWE pricing out of the range of casuals and families). Wrestling always does well with kids, and there are plenty of AEW stars who have kid appeal (Orange Cassidy, Darby Allin, Bandito, Hologram, Mark Briscoe, Willow Nightingale, even Luchasaurus once they finally turn him back face), so maybe they could have some merchandise aimed at kids (no matter how much they claimed they were marketing to older teens or adults, both WWF and WCW had merch for kids during the NWO/Attitude era). I'm not saying to go full on PG, just appeal to even more fans.

With WWE beginning to price themselves too high for the average fan to keep up, I can see them losing a good chunk of their younger fan base (maybe AEW should find some way to market to that crowd somehow).

TIL that WCW got in hot water with the British Royal Family over a Steven Regal promo:

Who was the youngest person to work a match? I dont mean jokey stuff like Matt Hardy's baby son pinning a guy or Nicholas winning the tag belts with Braun, I mean an actual match that's treated at least somewhat more seriously.

The complete Wrestlefest 88 has been uploaded: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wOlPBv96JVM

Hogan was able to have good to great matches against guys who werent that great of workers like Studd, Bundy, Warrior (though the Rick Rude feud a year earlier helped Warrior when it came to having "real" matches), heck, I'll even throw in the Goldberg match (though a lot of that was spectacle).

Is DDP a backstage agent? From what I've heard he's just a yoga instructor and helps in-need people (his legacy when all is said and done will basically be known as the man who saved Jake Roberts's life).

In one of Hogan's final interviews, he actually put over Toni Storm: https://sports.yahoo.com/article/hulk-hogan-really-likes-toni-003620291.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAFuF-xaFByedFK1kXY-DKOZKL1yE8m5MixnqR22-jD1ENdocu17o1exCFFP-BNGeRiEV5Zi-tNFewskB5Fu0qYIDGtGMabGNWiuZz8ygDycaf_haufGuNg8Es_sKAivyTSm1t0TYhnx41lr_uDSrcZFJmfFrAWoN9u22EIJsx3AI

Well, a lot of fans got into wrestling because of the nWo (or other factors), so they had no experience of Hogan as a babyface, and it was something new. This was also why Hogan got a lot of pops in WWE, especially from younger fans who, again, had never seen him in his heyday. Nostalgia also played a role as well of course.

Yeah, most fans of "legitimate" sports look down on pro wrestling, and vice versa.

Heck, if you have a Cricket phone account (no, I'm not shilling for the company, just stating facts), you get HBO MAX free with your membership (ironic, since Cricket is one of WWE's sponsors).