MikeCampbell

The WWE didn't start up Deep south until 2005.

Knox was actually the first person that I thought of. But I didn't think a WWE developmental deal and being in DSW would make them enough money to have a house. Plus I didn't think he was with the 'E in 2004, since they started up DSW in 2005.

I'm not positive on their last few PPVs, but Lockdown (at least last I knew) was doing very well. Plus the last couple house shows in NY state (one in NYC and one in upstate) both drew pretty well.

Not really a 'stand in' but I recall hearing once that a tape of a Terry Funk promo got lost somehow, so Dick Slater cut the promo doing a perfect impression of Funk, and they aired the audio over some old footage and nobody knew the difference.

They're seemingly projected to this year. I don't think they have yet. But their house shows and outside Orlando PPVs usually draw well.

Excellent post, Loss. I fully agree (much as my first post started with me saying that I agreed with Bix' point).

No, it really doesn't. And the fact that you had nothing else to say about anything in my post other than that, says enough.

Before you go generalizing everyone who can separate Benoit the person from Benoit the wrestler (no offense to you, RE, if you see them intertwined so be it, you do have a good point), as being heartless fanboys. You might want to stop and check the flip side of the coin. Of all the people who get so outraged and offended, how many of them are only doing so because it makes them feel like they're good people for it, or because it's what society dictates. I'm sure tons of people only even care because it was Chris Benoit instead of some random person. Hell, if it was Sid Eudy there'd probably be tons of dipshits saying "LOL Sid really was Sycho!" Jeff Hardy's house burns down, taking his dog's life, and destroying everything he owns and people make Meth Lab comments. Where was all the public outcry when MCW started the Shame Shamrock Cup, a tournament in honor of an indy wrestler who used to smack his girlfriend around and was shot and killed by police officers during a domestic dispute. When ROH announced they'd be running the tournament in 2004 the reaction was "ROH! ROH! ROH!" Again, what happened that weekend was no doubt a tragedy. Chris Benoit's actions left a black eye both on his legacy and the face of the profession that he loved. And I don't doubt that some people are legit outraged and offended by what happened. I know of many people who can't bring themselves to watch his matches. I know a guy who tried to, but once he saw Benoit start choking someone he had to turn it off. But just because others, like me, can draw a clear distinction between Chris Benoit the great wrestler, and fondly watch his matches, and Chris Benoit the human being, doesn't make myself and those like me any less human beings or make us ignorant.

I'd like to have seen Flair/Shawn go on last, but I can see why Edge/UT got that honor. The WWE Title had headlined the last couple of WM shows, so the World Title was due for a headline. Plus, it was a nice way to reward Edge for doing such a good job both in the ring and with his character by letting him (especially with his well documented WWF fandom as a child) headline a WrestleMania.

Bix, I don't disagree with your original point in the least. It's very fucked up to hear people cheer the mere mention of his name, especially while riding Cena's ass all night. I'd chalk it up to people just wanting to be different for the hell of it. And the Benoit defenders are quite annoying. The WWE's attempt to erase him has almost him a victim of sorts. However (and no, I'm not trolling I'm being dead serious here), is it really that hard to separate Benoit the wrestler from Benoit the person? I accepted it a long time ago: What Chris Benoit did is a tragedy and is both unforgivable and unforgettable. I doubt any wrestling fans can ever think of Benoit without remembering what did that weekend. That said, it doesn't, nor should it (IMO) change that fact that he was amongst the best wrestlers in the world and spent a good number of years putting on matches that a good number of us enjoyed.

Flair vs. Michaels from last night is probably my current MOTY.

Shinjiro Ohtani is the only of the New Japan rookies who seemed to get a decent push early on, and show he had the talent to back it up.

I haven't any of his pre-WCW work to judge myself, but what about Scotty The Body/Scotty Flamingo/Raven? He said in his shoot that he was only in wrestling school for about a month when Larry Sharpe told him he had everything down and just needed to work in front of a crowd.

I'll echo the love for the Jericho/Hardy title change. But so far that's about it from what I've seen. A lot of people were going nuts for the Doi/Yoshino vs. Shingo/Hulk GHC Jr. Tag Title match from Dragon Gate, but I wasn't that nuts about it.

How well did No Mercy do last year? I know there was a big buzz for it, with Cena's injury and the possible return of Jericho.

Well with him getting his second suspension for wellness violation, now we'll have an answer in twenty years. I'm wondering if Hardy's drug issues will make their way into his portion of the DVD at all?

Yeah, Kennedy is. So far it's Carlito, Shelton, Kennedy, MVP, and Jericho. Someone on another forum mentioned how the suspension made JR's 'bright future' comments make more sense. I saw the match, but for the life of me cannot remember any comments. What did Ross say?

Some people (read: Scott Keith) have pimped a Spivey/Luger match for the WCW U.S. Title from, I believe a Clash of Champions in '91. I've never seen it, but that's about the only thing that comes to mind, other than the Waylon Mercy stuff . . . y'know what I mean?

He's been in a few good tag matches in NOAH. I haven't seen anything notable from him in singles. Folks have said his 10/04 GHC Match with Kobashi was good, but I haven't seen it. - w/ Akiyama vs. Morshima/Rikio 9/23/02 (GHC Tag Titles) - w/ Akiyama vs. Kobashi/Shiga 10/9/02 (GHC Tag Titles) - w/ Akiyama vs. Honda/Sugiura 3/1/03 - w/ Akiyama/Izumida vs. Morishima/Rikio/Ikeda 3/16/03 - w/ Akiyama vs. Kobashi/Honda 6/6/03 (GHC Tag Titles) - w/ Inoue vs. Misawa/Ogawa 9/10/04 (GHC Tag Titles)

Age of the Fall are heels right? What would Bill Watts have done in '84 if he found out his heels were being inspirational to fans. And not in the 'inspiring them to go to shows and try to charge the ring and kill them' kind of way?

If Eric is real, I'm wondering why ROH went this route to help him out. They could have just donated a bunch of shit and gotten a tax write off from it.

I seem to recall a blurb in the WON from not too long after the Bix/Gabe verbal exchange on WOL, mentioning that ROH wanted to book him, but that TNA has nixed it.

Maybe it's just me being overly cynical, but considering ROH's recent run of bad luck, there is maybe a 2% chance this is actually legit.

Hold the phone. Sapolsky is doing a rape angle, but he's worried that the guys swearing in their promos will drive away families and kids.