GWE 2026 Reaction Thread

[ohtani's jacket]

10 minutes ago, NotJayTabb said:

As a Welshman who still hears about how the All Blacks cheated against us to win in 1978, the feeling is mutual 

I do regret not giving WoS a deeper dive on this GWE. I've got 5 guys on my list, but I could probably have watched a bit more. Jon Cortez was one of my last cuts because I didn't feel I had enough of a grip on him yet.

Andy Haden went to congratulate a Welshman and tripped. 

[El-P]

29 minutes ago, ohtani's jacket said:

I thought Rob was British.

He actually is ! And throughsilver too ! And how do I know this ? I'm still "friends" with them on RYM (which Rob hasn't logged in since 2011). Hell, I believe I discovered RYM from SC. 

[ohtani's jacket]

I wonder whatever happened to Rob. This was his baby after all. 

[SirSam]

3 hours ago, NotJayTabb said:

Pleasantly surprised Adam Cole has dropped this early, had visions of him cracking the top 200. Apparently a lovely fella, but my word that Cole/Ciampa/Gargano era of NXT was absolute death to the point they had to totally rebrand to wash the stink away (this probably isn't Adam Cole's fault, but it's my thesis and I'm sticking to it)

Lots of people started to turn the corner on Adam Cole through the NXT COVID shows where he was stuck in statis character-wise and then the dreadful Brochacho/Devil storyline exposed some very bad creative instincts.

He has always been someone who seems to be a 7-8/10 at everything with no truly standout aspects to his skillset. I've always thought he was a bit of a blank slate character wise too so bookers feel like they can push their pet projects onto him knowing the crowd will still go along with the catch phrases.

If this poll had taken place in 2019/20 though, he would have been a real threat for much higher.

[El-P]

1 hour ago, ohtani's jacket said:

I wonder whatever happened to Rob. This was his baby after all. 

People move on. Which is good too. 

[ohtani's jacket]

I missed a page. Chicky Starr, Itsuki Yamazaki and Gino Hernandez are a heck of a trio. Yamazaki deserved better, but don't they all. 

[HowtobeaMark]

2 hours ago, ohtani's jacket said:

I'm pretty selective about the Mark Rocco I like, but even as a non-fan I find his slide a bit troubling. If a guy like Rocco can't do well, it doesn't bode well for other Euro workers. That said, his 2006 rating was overinflated by Smarkschoice being started by Brits, IRC. A lot of the Brit-adjacent forums at the time were championing Rocco as a British workrate god.  

Unless I have forgotten someone we are likely left with these World of Sport guys

Jim Breaks

Steve Grey

Johnny Saint

And if you want to count them Fit Finlay, Davey Boy Smith, William Regal and Dynamite Kid

[ohtani's jacket]

24 minutes ago, HowtobeaMark said:

Unless I have forgotten someone we are likely left with these World of Sport guys

Jim Breaks

Steve Grey

Johnny Saint

And if you want to count them Fit Finlay, Davey Boy Smith, William Regal and Dynamite Kid

I'm surprised Grey has made it this far, though I guess those three were inextricably linked. WoS is my favorite era of Finlay's career. Some part of me regards him as a WoS guy. The other three not so much. Dynamite could have been one of the great WoS workers. He was on the right trajectory before he left. 

[ohheylook]

OJ scooped me by one spot for the high vote on Cortez

[highflyflow]

5 hours ago, El-P said:

 

So many people triggered by Adam Cole, it's kinda crazy...

 

I don’t think they’re triggered, I just think they think he’s a bad wrestler 

[NotJayTabb]

Davey Boy is my first top 50 vote to drop. He's really taken a hit since the last ballot.

[ohheylook]

Momoe number 1 vote…

[club]

Shocked that I was the high vote on Sano.

[Hollinger.]

Also have to take into account that in 2006 everyone's ballots were still largely defined by individual tape collections. By 2016 there was so much more footage easily available. In 2026 you can now literally access anything that exists on tape either instantly for free or at most in a day or two with a cheap ISO from Lynch or Lorefice. 

[El-P]

Imagine reading the names Lorefice and KAORU on a pro-wrestling forum on the same day in 2026. Too much past thrown at me at once.

I can't think of anyone who annoyed the hell out of me more the last few years than old Nanae Takahashi being a fucking annoyance in Stardom with her stupid PA-SHION shit. Typical overrated egoistical "old-school" worker who got a fake-ass rep from being the last remains of the Zenjo brand.

I've seen Emi Sakura like in the late 90's on some IWA Japan tape. Then I saw her again in AEW sometime in the 2020's. What a life.

[Control21]

10 minutes ago, Hollinger. said:

Also have to take into account that in 2006 everyone's ballots were still largely defined by individual tape collections. By 2016 there was so much more footage easily available. In 2026 you can now literally access anything that exists on tape either instantly for free or at most in a day or two with a cheap ISO from Lynch or Lorefice. 

Hell, I even buy stuff from Tabe!

[El-P]

People buying bootleg wrestling stuff in 2026. I'm actually amazed. It would take two lives to even watch what's out there for free. Not to mention the never-ending flux of new stuff. 

Fun fact, a few months ago I threw away 90% of the tapes I bought from Lorefice, Lynch and Zach Arnold (here's a name from the past for ya) because everything is basically available. The 10% or so I kept is me going "yeah, maybe I'll just put it on Youtube one day if I get the time and courage". Newsflash : it probably will never happen.

 

[Control21]

3 minutes ago, El-P said:

People buying bootleg wrestling stuff in 2026. I'm actually amazed. It would take two lives to even watch what's out there for free. Not to mention the never-ending flux of new stuff. 

Fun fact, a few months ago I threw away 90% of the tapes I bought from Lorefice, Lynch and Zach Arnold (here's a name from the past for ya) because everything is basically available. The 10% or so I kept is me going "yeah, maybe I'll just put it on Youtube one day if I get the time and courage". Newsflash : it probably will never happen.

 

In my case, there's certain stuff that is still hard to find (like certain UWFi shows), and some people like Lorefice or Tabe make it possible to fill those gaps because no one has bothered to upload it. It's also nice to have stuff in high quality. For example, some of the UWF shows on the internet (like the August 1990 show) have very shitty quality, and the UWF DVDs released in Japan are much cleaner.

[Hollinger.]

It's also now something that costs $3 and will get to you in a day or two instead of $30 and a week or two. 

[El-P]

2 minutes ago, Hollinger. said:

It's also now something that costs $3 and will get to you in a day or two instead of $30 and a week or two. 

Oh wow I see. Back then try 4 weeks for me or so. Overseas, you know... (plus yeah, shipping)

Kids these day have no idea how easy they have it. And then they'll vote for Shane McMahon. The indignity.

[Hollinger.]

Yeah, all of the old head huge collectors starting to sell digital files changed the game. Still lots of random shit out there that no one has bothered to upload anywhere. 

[Grimmas]

Nanae Takahashi dropping so slow sucks. She went out having some of the best stuff of her career, and greatest matches at least. I guess I'll need to injection passion into the voters for 2036.

[Boss Rock]

Jimmy Rave improving by 1. Gary Albright slowly inching his way upwards. And no way it happens, but imagine Taue finishing 26th for another decade.

I was a fan of Gargano years ago and think he can still be really good, but am also glad he's already dropped. That era of NXT has not held up great. Gives me hope Rollins will not finish top 100 (top 200 very likely though).

[Matt D]

I am pretty well resolved with whatever happens at this point, but I would like Edge to drop soon.

[El-P]

Schadenfreude intensifies 😅