Grimmas

You know Matt that is an excellent point. In anything that people train you to do you know how to get from A to Z by the way you're trained. Your brain is wired to do it that way. A lot of times it takes someone new to shake it up and get you outside your comfort zone to get from A to Z differently. You know it works one way, and you keep going back to that way. It's a real shame, because that is my biggest complaint about the WWE since 2001. I hate that aspect and it makes everything else worse. That and the secret camera, which they don't do as much at least.

Old rules, yes, not anymore.

Any Vince Russo raw, especially one with incest and/or miscarriages. I could never come up with anything as dumb as incest or miscarriages in wrestling.

So, nothing should be a surprise anymore because they might lose money? Yet, wrestling has done fine for the past hundred years by having surprises. It's one of the best parts of watching, especially in the internet age, where true surprises are harder to come by. There is merit to what you're saying, don't get me wrong, but does that mean we should never have surprise returns again because it might affect the bottom line? This kind of thinking is exactly why the WWE has become such a bland, sterile, corporate, and completely unwatchable product. They're leaving money on the table now by being that way. EDIT: Just saw your edit. Yeah, I probably went overboard in my wording. But the lack of surprises, the lack of fun, has just really weighed the product down. Everything is pre-planned, pre-packaged, homogenized, bland. Glad you saw my edit. There is room for surprises, but Daniel Bryan's return in this situation is not it. You hype the shit out of this one, because it is a big deal.

Yep. If it was so "FUCKING DUMB," Grimmas, how come it worked so flawlessly for Cena? How much money did it make compared to a scenario where it was announced in advance that Cena would make his return? Sure, it was acclaimed for being a surprise, but it did not generate a single new ppv buy. Therefore, it was dumb. EDIT: You can do it from time to time, but proclaiming the WWE is doing something "Fucking dumb" as you put it, because they announced Bryan would make his return to the ring after a year long almost career ending injury is insane.

I would think, Bryan wins Rumble defeats monster Brock. Rusev keeps winning and gets title at SummerSlam as evil foreign monster. Finally at Mania 32 Reigns defeats Rusev to win the title end the foreign menace and become the top star. That's a pretty easy year of booking on top, if they are not being silly.

Has wrestling really gotten so far away from its true purpose that fans have no idea what they are talking about anymore. Wrestling is about making money, not just about making a smart ass fan at home happy. You announce Bryan is making his return at the Rumble to start his quest to regain the title he never lost, from the beast who has destroyed everybody. That is how you make money. Not by surprising them and hope that they buy the next show, because they don't want to miss future surprises. Making Bryan a surprise participant in the Rumble is FUCKING DUMB! The only scenario you would do that is if he wasn't cleared medical until a few days before the show.

Mania headlined with Cena-Lawler that year would had been AWESOME!

I just watched this for Where the Big Boys Play and I LOVED it. Abby's grin when he was on his way to face Sting was terrific. Sure you had the ridiculous Pillman trying to save Sting, however, his saving Sting was attacking Abby who was his opponent, so I had no issue with that. I would had gone 3.5 stars if the camera caught the bodyslam, but otherwise I enjoyed this one. Really the height of the Lethal Lottery.

To be fair though, from what I remember 1993 wasn't a great year for WCW. I know, but nothing good to say with Vader, Flair, the Blonds, Windham, Steamboat on the cards.....? To be fair, there's a lot of times when wrestling looks worse or better at the time than looking at it some time later Not to mention Scorpio! 93 was the first year I saw WCW and seeing Scorpio and Vader were a real eye opener for a life long WWF fan.

I'm glad you liked it Johnny! I am so proud of my German Mount Rushmore joke, but it's getting no love.

Steal away. I can't imagine I care about too many other years. I was 19 at that one, so just about to leave high school

http://placetobenation.com/pro-wrestling-super-show-holiday-party/ Host: Steven Graham Guests: Tim Livingston, Will (Good Will Wrestling, Wrestling with the Past) & Parv (Where the Big Boys Play, Titans of Wrestling) It’s the holiday party! After a rough start, we have some epic discussions. Match of the year, black Survivor Series match, dream matches, different ethnic Mount Rushmores, Christmas wishes and much much more. A fun, all over the place, episode!

Since Will is slacking, I will tackle WM2000 which was a shit show, so lots of changes. WRESTLEMANIA 2000 Dean Malenko vs Taka Michinoku (Light Heavyweight Title) Tazz vs Big Bossman Hardcore Battle Royal (Throw in all these guys you don't want stinking up the card) Kurt Angle vs Chris Jericho (European Title) Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit (IC Title) T & A vs Steve Blackman & Al Snow Edge & Christian vs Dudley Boyz vs Hardy Boyz (Ladder Match) Too Cool & Rikishi & Kane & Mick Foley vs Eddie Guerrero & Perry Saturn & X-Pac & Road Dogg & Big Show The Rock vs Triple H (WWE Title) -- First, dump the McMahon bullshit and give the main event people wanted. Already better show. -- Split up the three way IC/Euro Titles matches and make two singles. Use exact same storyline. -- Dean & Taka would had been an awesome hot opener -- Taz gets his revenge for No Way Out. -- Finally, try to redo that hot ten man tag from Raw with slightly different people.

This is THE question to me. People have been using it in whichever way it furthers the case of the guy they want to further the case for. I don't know how to look at this. There are guys I see shitty later in their career and I think of it negatively, while there are others who have a short peak which I think of as strong. This shouldn't be a case by case basis, but luckily I have a year to figure it out.

I've always wanted to watch GAEA, but this is the first time. I love six person tags and this was a heck of a lot of fun. I loved the ending stretch with the tables and the heels? dominating, but not being able to put them away and finally being caught in a submission. A really fun match, *** 1/2.

Thanks. Did you finish your version?

Chad talked about re-booking the show, so I thought I would follow suit. Part of the problem was too many matches, so I say drop it down to 24. Then add a title match! That is 8 matches on the show, more than enough. You should even do the Battle Bowl winner gets a shot at the World Champion at SuperBrawl II. 1. Lethal Lottery: Scott Steiner & Mr. Hughes defeat Rick Steiner & Z-Man 2. Lethal Lottery: Dustin Rhodes & Jushin Liger defeat Richard Morton & Bobby Eaton 3. Lethal Lottery: Ron Simmons & Thomas Rich defeat El Gigante & Larry Zbyszko 4. Lethal Lottery: Rick Rude & Steve Austin defeat Tracy Smothers & Terrance Taylor 5. Lethal Lottery: Arn Anderson & Big Van Vader defeat Cactus Jack & PN News 6. Lethal Lottery: Sting & Abdullah the Butcher defeat Brian Pillman & Steve Armstrong 7. WCW World Champion Lex Luger defeats Ricky Steamboat 8. Battle Bowl won by Sting! I think this would be a pretty entertaining, all around better card. Too much dead weight on the original. For the World Title match, around the horn Luger was defending against Rick Steiner. That doesn't seem like a World Title match, so I say do a Lethal Lottery with the top 10 and pull out Steamboat's name to contend here. If you don't like that switch Rick Steiner and Steamboat everywhere above. Here PN News plays the Buddy Lee Parker role.You get good matches up and down the card, plus a title match and a clear direction for SuperBrawl II.

That's wonderful, but please stop trolling. No, really. Not trolling. Just legitimately don't take my pro wrestling reporting seriously enough to be concerned if a reporter does commentary for a wrestling show. I'm honestly shocked that this upsets anyone. I'm not upset. However, if the top tv reporter and critic started working for fox, what would you think? Would you want to read what they had to say about any other network then?

I realize this is a small thing, but I'm wondering if theatres up here in Canada play much into those numbers. Business for PPVs in movie theatres up here is down so much that after SummerSlam, they didn't do the next few shows, until Survivor Series, which they did do. Otherwise, it has to be a case of people interested in the show, but have no access to the Network/limited internet/bandwidth, etc. as others mentioned. Canada would have to figure a bit into the domestic numbers, if but for a small percentage. Since the Network launched I have not been to the theater to see a ppv, but damn is that a fun experience. Well it's really fun if you are near kids and not near douche bags who are constantly talking about rumours that I have never heard before and that are truly incorrect.

I am going to jump all over Will's rebooking and do my WM13, before he posts his. WRESTLEMANIA XIII Pre Show: New Blackjacks vs Headbangers vs Godwinns (#1 Contendes Match) Furnas & LaFon vs Owen Hart & Davey Boy (Tag Titles) Mankind vs Vader Flash Funk vs The Sultan Triple H vs Goldust The Undertaker vs Sycho Sid (World Title) Rocky Maivia vs Rockabilly (IC Title) Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (I Quit) Legion of Doom & Ahmed Johnson vs The Nation of Domination (Street Fight) Mankind vs The Undertaker (World Title) -- This was difficult to think about how you get the rest of the card (ie non I Quit and Street Fight matches) to be good, so I went with the WrestleMania X format of a mini tournament. Vader and Mankind square off and winner faces the Champion to end the show. Those two were teased to have a tough contest at Mania, so why not. You move Taker-Sid to mid-show and keep it short and then end with the Mankind-Taker match. It all makes sense, and since there was no real Rumble winner, you can name three top contenders and have a mini-type tournament. -- Furnas & LaFon had been chasing Owen & Bulldog for a few months now and never got a blow off. Let them go and have a good match here. -- Rockabilly was with Honky Tonk Man, greatest IC Champ, natural story. It couldn't be worse. -- Flash Funk was somewhat pushed, let me have a big win here over Fatu in which could be a fun little sprint. -- Pre Show is the same with Furnas & LaFon removed for the main card.

Thanks for having me on, this was a lot of fun to record. I feel like I didn't get enough of a Spider-Man defense in there though.

Have't seen it, but I doubt anyone can out dick Michael landsberg.

Besides the Lethal Lottery, which I will get into on WTBBP, there is my favourite show ever in Survivor Series 89. I did a whole podcast on it for P2BN, so if you want the 90 minute version it is there. For the short version, super fun show, great commentary, fun matches, everybody at prime of characters and well booked (minus the Hogan match.)

I really think Rusev-Cena US Title with Rusev getting a decisive win is a great way to go. Keep Rusev as US Champ and have him start claiming its the most important title leading to him getting a WWE Title match at SummerSlam.