Laz

Not a booking one, but the Benoit tragedy definitely killed interest for a lot of people for a good bit of time.

There's definitely still a market for it (CZW and IWS are still in business, and death match tourneys still take place) but it's not anywhere near what it used to be.

So, you don't like Seth and New Day?

Psychology-based offense. Doing a bombfest sprint of high impact stuff should be a treat to show either familiarity, endurance, or desperation and not the norm. This is true of most modern wrestling but it's only gotten worse since WWE switched to that style a few years ago. I remember a Noble/Kidman match where Noble worked over Kidman's arm just to weaken it enough to be able to prevent escape from the Tiger Driver. Why the hell does Cena not attack the leg before the STF? Why does it seem so rare for somebody to go after Ryback's legs to gain an advantage? Seconding the love for hype videos and character profiles. The blizzard that ruined the Raw plans back in March heading into WM31 forced them to have a sit down face to face interview between Brock and Roman and it instantly made the match feel more worthwhile.

I actually loved the Team Bischoff/Team Austin match from '03. HBK did a great job at being the valiant hero fighting a losing battle to me and it was the moment I actually became interested in his post-comeback work.

It's kinda pathetic that the best post-loss stuff with Goldberg might actually have been Russo forcing him to re-do the streak.

Lots of TNA qualifies.

It's a curse, really. He never should have broken that gypsy woman's wagon back in the War Between the States...

Parv hit the nail on the head up there. Not just in presentation of stars, but in how the products feel when viewed (which is a different discussion but related).

I think 2015 was worse, because they were stupid enough to do the same thing again.Big difference. They handled Reigns well enough in the WM build to where the fans were elated to see Reigns get destroyed by Brock. They screwed the pooch bad enough in 2014 to get the fans so riled up that a change in plans was 100% necessary. If we're strictly talking booking, I feel like something that actually killed a territory or promotion is going to win. 1/4/99 Nitro would be in the running but it was the lack of a proper follow up (Goldberg going house and doing what Sting couldn't by destroying the nWo for good) that makes it stand out as garbage. I'm going to pick XPW. Just all of it.

It absolutely does for me. I will take a garden variety MitB/TLC/etc. over most WWE cage matches these days.

I'm thoroughly surprised that more promotions haven't copied (stolen) Hybrid Wrestling's "Reservoir Dogs" style ladder match. Four men, four different colored ladders, and you could only use your ladder to climb and grab the title. It allowed some psychology to get worked into the otherwise spotfest as they started trying to destroy each other's ladders to prevent them from being of any use. My vote goes to cage but only on technicality. I've seen more great cage matches than I have truly great ladder matches, but I've seen more terrible cage matches than I have truly terrible ladder matches, too.

Don't sign anything Dixie Carter hands you. When (not "if") Jim Cornette rants about something you've done that's really not worth getting mad about just ignore him. If he's your boss then he won't be for long, and if you have no affiliation with him then it doesn't matter.

If one of them used to be your partner that turned on you, though, don't trust their offer of an alliance. As soon as your back is turned they'll suckerpunch you.

Oh, look at you, getting married in the ring...it really would be a shame to interrupt...

Do not go for a corner clothesline to Samoa Joe. If a hero comes out to clear the ring of you and your villainous friends then you should immediately jump him and not just stand around in shock.

If somebody throws a chair at you and you're facing RVD? Don't catch it. Only bad things happen. If you're in a battle royal and throw somebody known for their agility over the top? Make sure that their feet land on the floor. Don't turn your back.

For some reason I absolutely loved Test's second (maybe third?) theme, the one that was a straightforward riff that was kinda generic. I also never minded him much as a talent, it was just he was green as all hell and didn't have the charisma to back it up.

Raw started getting real shitty when the brand split happened. Two hours with the best in-ring talent on the other show and HHH every other segment gets reallllllllllly dull with the quickness.

"I'm out here in the cold in a tanktop to prove I'm not a bitch." These kids have futures.

Even though I like him more than most these days, Davey Richards with the ROH World title was garbage. 45-minute forced "epics," Richards doing away with all the fun dickhead tendencies in his matches, and the entire feud with Eddie that felt so horribly outdated in 2011/2012. Dan Severn? A big deal in wrestling ever, let alone 14 years after he was last on national TV?

The '02-'03 run that spawned the HHHate that is only recently subsiding. That was some next level horror and aided greatly in the decline in business.

I was hoping Puta Magnifico.

My favorite goofy douchebag Hero moment was from Death Before a Dishonor V Night One when he faced Nigel in a Pure Rules match. The lights go out at the start of the match for the Project 161 shit, and then they return and Hero whispers into the ring announcer's ear, leading to the declaration of "Chris Hero would like to inform the referee that when the lights were out Nigel McGuinness used all three of his rope breaks." It was such a slimy and minor thing that defined that era of his career.

Grumpy old man Hero is second only to goofy douchebag Hero to me. The "Young KO Kid" schtick completely soured me on him but since his NXT release he's been great.