2026 Ideas

[Matt D]

2 minutes ago, El-P said:

Agreed. And he was also really good in the first UWF, and the way he used to mix the burgeoning shoot-style stuff with straight pro-wrestling spot really foreshadows the bizarre mix of later years in UWF-I or Battlearts. Tiger Mask had issues for sure (yeah, he was sloppy, yes, he did not like to sell a lot although that's how you made yourself a star like Inoki), but there's something about him that goes beyond the gimmick. 

As far as Brody goes, there's something about what you project. And Brodie projected a dangerous aura. And yes, the fact he did not like to sell much and no-sold after taking bumps absolutely contributed to that aura. All of which made him a star. Maybe that's the "genius" of Brody. (I don't love his stuff, but I always had a soft spot for him)

It’s genius used for evil.

[El-P]

Just now, Matt D said:

It’s genius used for evil.

It's genius used for getting yourself over and draw crowds and be a big star.  

[Matt D]

2 minutes ago, El-P said:

It's genius used for getting yourself over and draw crowds and be a big star.  

I have marks against Michaels for “evil use of genius” too.

[elliott]

Hahahahaha!

[El-P]

7 minutes ago, Matt D said:

I have marks against Michaels for “evil use of genius” too.

I know. Did not make more sense to me then !  (EDIT : I KNOW what you mean, I just don't agree with it)

[Microstatistics]

Wow, a lot of excitement for a project that's nearly five years away.

Just to add to previous points made here, I thought 2016 was very informative and definitely more good than bad but the elitist and smug attitudes of some posters did sour the experience slightly. 

Please, none of that "How can you rank this wrestler in your Top 10, they wouldn't make a Top 200 for me" or "You are objectively wrong if you don't see this wrestler's greatness"

I feel if people engage in civil discussions and respectfully consider the viewpoints of others while simultaneously define their own criteria(s) for ranking and trust their gut on who they feel is great, 2026 will be an even bigger success. 

 

 

[Grimmas]

24 minutes ago, Microstatistics said:

Wow, a lot of excitement for a project that's nearly five years away.

Just to add to previous points made here, I thought 2016 was very informative and definitely more good than bad but the elitist and smug attitudes of some posters did sour the experience slightly. 

Please, none of that "How can you rank this wrestler in your Top 10, they wouldn't make a Top 200 for me" or "You are objectively wrong if you don't see this wrestler's greatness"

I feel if people engage in civil discussions and respectfully consider the viewpoints of others while simultaneously define their own criteria(s) for ranking and trust their gut on who they feel is great, 2026 will be an even bigger success. 

 

 

Well said.

[Clayton Jones]

I feel like this is a how it started VS how it's going (3 years from now) meme waiting to happen, but I'm psyched based on the general temperature of the room prelaunch. I agree that some awesome stuff came out of some really frustrating conversations last time (Loss' title run by title run breakdown for Flair comes to mind) so if a generally more positive and inclusive version of that is attainable then it should be a great ride.

[MoS]

I would like to question the wisdom that Brody was this huge money-drawing star. We all know he thought his unprofessionalism made him a bigger draw, but is there any proof of this? Is there proof that he, for instance, drew more money than other gaijins like the Funks, Hansen, Andre, Hogan, etc? I also seem to remember that a lot of dying territories brought him in, hoping his "aura" would lead to them turning around their business and drawing money, but, at least in World Class, that never happened, and he left the territory in worse shape than when he first came in. His smartest move might very well have been to befriend the only historian and custodian of chronicles in wrestling of that time, and therefore get a rep of being this legendary big-draw outlaw, even though actual figures show he doesn't really deserve that rep. 

[Loss]

1 hour ago, Clayton Jones said:

I feel like this is a how it started VS how it's going (3 years from now) meme waiting to happen, but I'm psyched based on the general temperature of the room prelaunch. I agree that some awesome stuff came out of some really frustrating conversations last time (Loss' title run by title run breakdown for Flair comes to mind) so if a generally more positive and inclusive version of that is attainable then it should be a great ride.

As a general approach, I will do what's fun and I will avoid what isn't. I'm glad we are bumping the existing threads. My goal is to not repeat myself. I don't know that I have the contentious battles in me anymore. Still love talking about wrestling but I don't like arguing about it at this stage.

[El-P]

The same. I'm too old for the arguing. I'm not too old yet for the sharing of what I love.

[Loss]

You quote reply to everyone and argue with them constantly, though.

[MoS]

2 hours ago, Clayton Jones said:

I agree that some awesome stuff came out of some really frustrating conversations last time (Loss' title run by title run breakdown for Flair comes to mind) 

I don't remember this breakdown and I feel so stupid for missing something as good as this. Can a kind soul link this to me? I love Loss breakdowns 

[El-P]

7 minutes ago, Loss said:

You quote reply to everyone and argue with them constantly, though.

No I don't.

I mean, I'm not gonna argue endlessly like I did in the past to "defend" my picks and tastes, I don't feel I have to anymore. If someone gets something, anything, out of whatever I put the focus on, good for that person. I'm glad I was able to share the love. I also don't think I'm able to express myself as well I'd want to sometimes in term of explaining why this or that. And I probably don't have the energy anymore either honestly, although I still get bursts of posting like a maniac (which is never a very good sign in term of what it says about my mental state at that time, really ) ! Like I said, I don't intend on doing any negative posting in the context of the next GWE. And I won't feel obligated to do anything really. It has to be fun, and that's about it.

[Clayton Jones]

28 minutes ago, MoS said:

I don't remember this breakdown and I feel so stupid for missing something as good as this. Can a kind soul link this to me? I love Loss breakdowns 

It starts on this page and is peppered through some really circular debates about which actor Flair's career closest resembles for a long while.

Also much less in-depth posts than that are still a huge help as I'm beginning my process. A classic luchador like La Fiera who I'm uneducated about to say the least and only has 1 page of discussion still gives me a great starting point and overview of his career without any one poster going to bat to anywhere near that degree. As I'm going back through more and more nominees I'm realizing how much great content got drowned out in a handful of shouting contests.

[Clayton Jones]

Ah it just linked the entire thread. I think it was page 4 or 5.

[MoS]

1 hour ago, Clayton Jones said:

Ah it just linked the entire thread. I think it was page 4 or 5.

Many thanks! Also, not to be too much of a nerd but...

 

1 hour ago, Clayton Jones said:

It starts on this page and is peppered through some really circular debates about which actor Flair's career closest resembles

 

The answer is clearly De Niro, right? GOAT peak work, the peak period lasted for a respectable while, embarrassing post-prime with a few decent performances sprinkled here and there 

[elliott]

I'm not sure which actor but if Ric Flair was a cheese hed be Parmigiano reggiano. 

[MoS]

He really should have done some iconic ad the way Macho did Slim Jim

[Loss]

If anyone gets something out of the recommendations, I'm happy for them. However, that's a hard thread for me to read at this point. I would never talk to Matt D like that at this stage, for example, and he knows that. God. There's sometimes not a big enough hole to crawl in.

[Cap]

I didn't participate in voting in 2016, but barring something crazy I will participate this time around. 

I've at least skimmed through most of this thread by this point and there are some interesting ideas and discussions already bubbling up.  One of my favorite things about the last run was all the interesting content and all the fantastic wrestling I learned about.  No doubt this will yield much of the same.

I don't want to get into the weeds, but I do want to echo Microstatistics. I think the best way to get the most out of this is to be conscious of how our own investments can quickly lead to not so civil conversation if we aren't careful. To a point that was made on page one of this thread (by Childs, I believe), I also think that is the best way to be inviting to all who are interested in participation and to bringing them into the conversation and not just the voting process. I talked about this some in the leadup to 2016, but being an involved community with a culture for a number of years that is having in depth conversation over a number of years.... while also being inviting to new folks is harder than it sounds and think it takes some effort. That just comes with the territory.

 

None of this is new. I don't mean to rehash tired tropes about the project. I am just excited to get into some of this discussion, see what there is to discover, and interact with some of yall I don't interact with over at the GME project board. 

 

Should be fun!

 

[AstroBoy]

I'm getting pretty excited for this to start up.  Although I still like to follow and read about it, my interest in watching wrestling has nosedived this past year to the point where I wondered if something would bring me back.  The prospect of being able to engage in a project like this again seems like the right thing.  It was really the 2016 project that spurred me on to seek out a lot more stuff that I otherwise would have, so I have high hopes about being more active and involved this time around.

I certainly do hope there is a lot less contention this time around.  I personally enjoyed mostly all the banter last time around, even some of the talk that ended up being divisive for some, so I hope that everything stays in perspective and we all just chat a lot about good wrestling and our philosophies to this.  

Plus I can finally get myself to finish that Portland set 

[elliott]

Which wrestlers that weren't nominated in 2016 are you most looking forward to nominating and promoting as a candidate?

[Shrike02]

42 minutes ago, elliott said:

Which wrestlers that weren't nominated in 2016 are you most looking forward to nominating and promoting as a candidate?

Has to be some of the French Catch luminaries.

[NotJayTabb]

I've been tinkering with my list throughout the past 5 years, just moving and adding guys based on what I've seen recently or changing opinions. My last draft had Tom Zenk 3 places higher than where I had him in 2016, so that's something. 

I already know that I'm getting into GWE mode when I was watching some ECW on the exercise bike the other day, and I started mulling over Kid Kash and if he's a potential 95-100 guy.