Cap

Goldberg's legacy is also somewhat mixed. His time in the WWE was certainly not all roses. His actual in ring work is remembered in a variety of ways by fans. He was certainly a big star I am not saying he doesn't belong, but there isn't a clear narrative on him really. Heyman will be much better at articulating the WWE's narrative of Goldberg and spinning everything toward the positive than just about anyone else would. He is a talker, can work a crowd, and has clout with at least some segments of fans that might not think highly of Goldberg. Heyman is a safe pick.

Ronda was a great heel in the UFC not because she hated people, but because she was petty and petulant. She had an interview on Golic and Wingo the other day where she was being classic heel Ronda, pretending like she didn't understand a question she didn't want to answer and trying to bully her way out of it. That is when her awkwardness and general lack of charisma actually works to make her less likable. It is going to take time for them to find that pacing for her in the WWE and they obviously couldnt come out the gates with it, but that is their best bet if they want to harness who she is (or at least seems to be) into her character.

Yeah. His selling used to bother me, but it really grew on me, particularly when you view him on a feud, year, or even career level instead of maybe a match level. It isn't going to jump off the screen, but his opponents benefited greatly from it long term.

If only Rusev could grab the brass ring... get himself over... Vince would reward him.

Yeah i saw that.... It could actually help the cause of Joe here. I mean he gets a big win alongside one of the hottest returning stars in the companies history and sets himself up to challenge for the belt, especially if they wind up switching the top titles in terms of brands.

NONSENSE! Joe/Bryan v KO/Sami on a big stage would be so good. Also... i know this is the longest of long shots (it won't happen), but Regal coming out of retirement to help Bryan would make me happy. I don't know what type of shape he is in, but in my brain this would be incredible. This one is far more of a pipe dream than a reasonable speculation, but tis the season!

And it would be awesome!

Would it be wild and unlikely for Vince to do it? I thought of that briefly, but it seems fairly unlikely to me. I am just not sure Vince is going to get in the ring and if he does I am not sure he is going to do it for this group of guys. I could be wrong. It would certainly create buzz and make a lot of sense, but it would surprise me a good bit.

I have... Dragon v KENTA (GBH V) ****3/4 Dragon v Nigel (Unified) ***** Dragon v Nigel (Driven) ****1/2 The unified match is probably my favorite ROH match of all time and a real classic to me. So much emotion and energy. The build up was flawless in my mind and what they achieved that night (for better or worse) remains a stand-out ROH moment. I am actually working through the Dragon/Nigel feud (very slowly) again right now and I know there are a couple other matches between the two that people are very fond of. I also have a few other Dragon ROH matches rated particularly high Dragon vs Gibson (GBH IV) ****3/4 Dragon vs Strong (Vendetta) ****3/4 Dragon v Morishima (Rising Above) ****3/4 To me, Dragon v Gibson might be the most underappreciated match in that company. I re-watched it when I was watching a lot of 70s NWA title match stuff and I think that very much shaped how I read it as a competitive, back and forth title match. It holds up really well. Dragon's selling is good, but not elite to me. It rarely strikes me as a weakness, but he is no Ricky Morton either. He sort of tends to work a blend of that stoic, try to hide your injuries style and the screaming and sometimes over the top facial expressions. Sometimes that blend works better than others.

So if the Shane thing is legit (which it is looking like) and he is presumably out of mania, the Plan B speculation has been running through my head. My first thought was that Bryan would call upon his old partner Kane and that seems like a nice safe pick to me and I fear it will come to pass. My second thought was that the WWE feels more energized in their booking of this mania and I think it is playing out on the card, so maybe they don't play it safe. Perhaps they mix it up and having Bryan bring out Joe (who is apparently just waiting for creative) as his partner. With KO and Sami changing back to their real and/or indie names on the interwebs and Joe's history with both Sami and KO in the WWE universe, that could be a much more exciting alternative. I am not sure where Ambrose is on his recovering, but he is another one that ran through my dork brain. Of course they could morph it into a triple threat or just do a one on one with Sami or KO. Regardless, this one has me excited as to the possibilities.

While I don't want him to be hurt, the idea of a Bryan match against Sami and/or KO (or anyone really) that doesn't involve Shane is way more appealing to me.

I was sort of hoping Regal would be the one to induct Goldie

Yeah. I had that problem when I first joined up years back. It was tough to tell what people had gone over before and what might be interesting. That said, i do think that this was a timely question that could use a revisit in this case. As i said with my post (burried somewhere between AJ Styles and Volk Han), my take on him actually changed a bit recently, not a lot, but a lot. To me this is most interesting not as a direct comparison, but to think about what the WWE is getting right now. In my mind they have probably the most stacked roster in the history of wrestling and they are about to add an all-time great, 100% top shelf wrestler. I think you can think of this like adding someone who is Misawa/Kobashi/Kawada-esque.... or Flair/Funk-esque... or Santo/Casas/Dandy-Esque.... however you think of it all-time great. That is the real story to me and in turn the comparison actually made some sense. That may all seem a little off topic, but I honestly lost the plot with this thread a while back and couldn't be bothered to go back and regain it.

I think his run would definitely hold up better over time, but I remember in the moment that gravy train was in full force and I can imagine why they kept it on the tracks.

For the original question, I would say yes. Danielson is on the top tier (along with those AJPW guys and a number of others). Of course everything is about taste, but I have trouble really relating to anyone who doesn't think Danielson is at least in that conversation. To me, the fact that the question is even asked and doesn't seem like a joke is pretty indicative of just how good he really is. I have always been a mark for Dragon. He was one of the primary reasons I got back into wrestling when I did and has been my favorite active wrestlers from probably 2002 or 2003 to when he retired. Oddly, my opinion of him has actually grown over the last 4 years or so since I have gotten more involved in deep dive projects and taken another look at his work with a more critical eye. I thought he was one of the most consistent wrestlers ever before, but i always felt he lacked true classics. After going back I think his high end stuff holds up even better than I thought. I actually have a higher opinion of some of his title defenses as i did before. His title win over Gibson remains one of the most underrated matches in my mind. His big clash with Strong was much better upon close scrutiny than I thought it would be. I could go on... but blah blah blah. You get the point. I've always liked him, but to this point his work holds up really well and I personally think he is better on a match to match level than I did probably 3-5 years ago. As for the Styles comparison. It is far more interesting than it would have been when Dragon retired. Styles work also holds up pretty well (thought not quite as well to me) and he has obviously been one of the absolute best in the world since Dragon retired. In my mind, Dragon is the better wrestler and I don't really think twice about it, but I also think there are a hand full of wrestlers that are reasonably in the conversation for best modern wrestler and Styles is one of them, so I suppose it isn't a slam dunk.

Yeah! Do it! I am so pumped for mania weekend. My days of staying up to 3 are more or less behind me but I have a feeling once that show starts it isn't going to be hard. Yeah, we’ll be in the building anyway so what the hell. The card looks so fun. I’m so jacked right now that I am already losing sleep. Plus Mania itself figures to be pretty great to top it off. The entire weekend is bonkers. No matter what shows someone picks they are in for a treat. This is the best mania on paper probably ever and it still might ADD a Bryan return match, which is insane. The whole thing is going to a tornado of awesome.

Man... does anyone do emotional speeches better than Dragon? His farewell from ROH, his retirement, and now this one. I thought the segment with Zayn and Owens was lights out. I loved it. Dragon looked like he could jump back into being the best wrestler in the world over night in a pair of jeans. I am assuming this is going to ultimately lead to a Dragon/Shane vs Sami/KO match at mania, which on Bryan's name alone might become the biggest and most anticipated match on the card. That said, I am also not on the anti-KO/Zayn train. I think they have been booked poorly, but I think they generally elevate just about everything they are a part of. Even when the angle they are part of is stale I generally see them as pulling the most out of what they are given rather than the cause of it being pulled down. That is neither here nor there. Honestly though, this is probably the most stacked mania on paper ever and it is likely going to ADD a Daniel Bryan return match, which is nuts. I know it wont go last, but am I crazy to think this would automatically become the biggest, hottest match on the show? Styles/Nak is the only thing I think the crowd might be as hot for, but I think even that will come up short of the excitement for Bryan.

Wrong Thread - oops

Yeah! Do it! I am so pumped for mania weekend. My days of staying up to 3 are more or less behind me but I have a feeling once that show starts it isn't going to be hard.

I haven't been able to spare much time for wrestling recently and have been completely out of the loop on forums for a bit, but I am really happy I checked in real quick this morning and this thread caught my eye. You have created a bizzaro world where deep analysis and wacky takes coexist so effortlessly. fascinating.

I tweeted this out at some point, Coach bugs me because he seems really detached from the product. He really sounds like someone who hasn't watched wrestling for a long time, faking is way through it and unsure on what narratives he should be pushing or how. Its like having that one friend who only watched during the attitude era coming over and explaining RAW to you every week. I try not to get too hung up on these things, but he as fairly annoying right now. Maybe this will eventually change as he he gets more integrated.

I feel the exact opposite about those interviews. I am not trying to condone drug use, but cocaine driven nonsense promos from the 80s are like looking through a keyhole into another universe.

I saw a picture of that title case last night and it made me so happy. That is unreasonable and beautiful all at the same time.

This is pretty easily my second favorite match of the year so far. I loved this. its everything I want in my wrestling. Walter at his best as a mauling bear in there with someone he knows can take it. One of the most brutal lariats I have ever seen, that chop to the dome.... everything here is so believable. My favorite part is seeing Thatcher play underdog babyface. He is so good in the role here. His selling is excellent. I just really loved everything about it. ****3/4

Finally got to this. It was really fun. Kid was absolutely one of the best TV workers in the world. That dude was bumpin like crazy and throwing in his big looking offense. For his Part, Beverly looked really good as well. They got a lot out of their time. Thanks for the rec.