Pro Wrestling Thread

[Jamesman42]

I can get behind all of that. I do want Gunther to break the record, and then I would be totally good with the long reigns going away for a while.

Maybe they can use the injuries to say they have to relinquish one set of titles. Smackdown has very little with belts because of Roman, so it could give SD some juice. Raw is longer though, and has some great tag teams.

I think getting time with The Miz was a test run for them to push LA Knight to the top or at least much higher than where he is at.

[ozzy554]

Terry Funk has passed away at the age of 79.

One of the best to ever do it.

[cramx3]

Terry Funk has passed away at the age of 79.

One of the best to ever do it.

RIP, a wrestlling legend that never truly got to the level he deserved.  I was/am a big Mick FOley fan and how much Mick talked and respected him made me feel the same way.

In other news, Hulk Hogan was on the Joe Rogan podcast.  I listened to most of it today, pretty good, but maybe not much new if you follow him (I don't).

[ozzy554]

I think he got as big as he wanted to be. Was NWA world champion before the national expansion and then spent the rest of his career moving place to place as to not overstay his welcome. Whether it be WWE,AWA,WCW,ECW,AJPW,NJPW,ROH,FMW,PWG or random shows on the independents he was always somewhere.



Also every hogan interview always has at least something new because he's always making shit up. One of the biggest liars in wrestling history brother.

[cramx3]

Also every hogan interview always has at least something new because he's always making shit up. One of the biggest liars in wrestling history brother.

I can't say I've followed him much in the last 15 years.  But I got the feeling that a lot of what he was talking about might be bs just by the way he was telling the stories.  Maybe not total BS, but fluff and likely from bad memory of getting hit in the head. 

[Jamesman42]

RIP Bray Wyatt. Crazy.

[axeman90210]

RIP Bray Wyatt. Crazy.

So fucking sad. He was so young and talented, and with a family. About to start one of my favorite matches from the first Wyatt Family run.

[Lethean]

This just feels so wrong.  I read that Bray was recovering from a health issue maybe a few weeks ago and was looking forward to him being back maybe soon.

RIP Bray.  This feels kind of devastating and I'm just a fan.  I'm so sorry for his family and his friends.

[Jamesman42]

I read that there was a September return planned. What a gut punch.

[axeman90210]

Yeah, he had been out for months and at first they were saying it was creative differences, and then it came out that it was a health issue tied to covid, and then just in the last week or so they were saying he was finally close to being cleared to return.

[jingle.boy]

This looks interesting.  Can't wait until it comes to streaming.  I always was a big fan of Kerry Von Erich.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KVsaoveTbw

[Anguyen92]

Yeah, the trailer does look like the story of the Von Erich family is going to be portrayed well.  I just wonder how they will go about the moments when things went really south for that family.

[hefdaddy42]

Can't say I was ever a real fan of any of them, but I remember when all this was going down.  Should be interesting subject matter for a film.

[jingle.boy]

Can't say I was ever a real fan of any of them, but I remember when all this was going down.  Should be interesting subject matter for a film.

The Last of the Von Erichs Dark Side of the Ring episode about them was heartbreaking.  What a snake-bitten family.

[Anguyen92]

Apparently Chavo Guerrero will play The Sheik in this film and was the wrestling consultant throughout the filming to ensure accuracy of the wrestling action and history I presume.

[Lethean]

I only heard about them long after the fact.  I watched a couple youtube clips where the commentary referred to Kerry as the modern day warrior, and decided that I liked him just from that alone.   But his story, and the whole family's is pretty tragic.

[Cool Chris]

I only remember Kerry as The Texas Tornado, and learned about their family history much later. That being said, I've seen a few documentaries about them, including that 'Dark Side of the Ring' one, and if that's the one I am thinking of, I don't know if any dramatization could be 1/10th as powerful as that video was.

[jjrock88]

I know it was considered a dive, but the Sportatorium seemed like such a cool place to watch wrestling

[KevShmev]

Looks like it is clobberin' time in WWE again. CM Punk has returned after an absence of nearly a decade.  This might actually get me to tune in again.

[Jamesman42]

I thoroughly enjoyed the PLE last night. Randy coming back on the cash-in was glorious.

[Indiscipline]

Looks like it is clobberin' time in WWE again. CM Punk has returned after an absence of nearly a decade.  This might actually get me to tune in again.

Me too. MP back on DT, CM Punk back in WWE, I feel a decade younger.

[Lethean]

I'm kinda indifferent about CM Punk.  I would have preferred to keep Edge rather than re-sign CM Punk.

[twosuitsluke]

You know what, I haven't watched Monday Night Raw in over 20 years, but this buzz has done it's job, I may actually watch it!

[Jamesman42]

You know what, I haven't watched Monday Night Raw in over 20 years, but this buzz has done it's job, I may actually watch it!

I was here last year, went 20+ years without watching. It's very fun right now!

[KevShmev]

Say what you want about CM Punk, but his ability to captivate an audience, whether they love him or hate him, is up there with the best of the best all-time when it comes to the wrestling industry.

[masterthes]

I thoroughly enjoyed the PLE last night. Randy coming back on the cash-in was glorious.

thought that was a great moment as well, but Priest could have still capitalized. Even if Orton was running his fastest, he wouldn't have been able to break up the pin

[Indiscipline]

Say what you want about CM Punk, but his ability to captivate an audience, whether they love him or hate him, is up there with the best of the best all-time when it comes to the wrestling industry.

I vehemently agree. He's also a huge draw both as face and heel and - like Bret and Lawler before him - he's the only one who can guarantee a perpetual sellout in a specific city, no matter what.

[soupytwist]

Punk's AEW run was pretty bad, even taking aside the backstage issues.  His in-ring work was rusty, with two injuries killing any momentum he was getting,  it wasn't all bad his promo work was still mostly great (his stuff with MJF was some of the best in recent times).

Anyone see the Hangman Page vs Swerve Strickland match at the recent AEW PvP?  That was a stone cold classic.

[T-ski]

I haven’t been into wrestling for about 25 years or so but occasionally peek in to see what’s going on, but it seems to me the idea of CM Punk > the actuality of CM Punk.

[jingle.boy]

I haven’t been into wrestling for about 25 years or so but occasionally peek in to see what’s going on, but it seems to me the idea of CM Punk > the actuality of CM Punk.

Just like Dream Theater!   

[Indiscipline]

Punk's AEW run was pretty bad, even taking aside the backstage issues.  His in-ring work was rusty, with two injuries killing any momentum he was getting,  it wasn't all bad his promo work was still mostly great (his stuff with MJF was some of the best in recent times).

Anyone see the Hangman Page vs Swerve Strickland match at the recent AEW PvP?  That was a stone cold classic.

In my opinion, backstage amenities aside,  AEW made the mistake (or maybe just needed) to use Punk as a regular schedule wrestler, always on. He was too old and rusty for that, and he's the kind of character you can easily tire of when seen constantly. Let's hope HHH understands CM Punk should be used strictly as "attraction wrestler", bulding long stories only via mic and letting him fight only on the big events. What if it was the plan all along? To use AEW to shed rust and get the ball rolling, then forcing the inexperienced fanboy owner's hand for a termination, and come back home to finally fullfill the dream of headlining a WrestleMania?

[KevShmev]

I haven’t been into wrestling for about 25 years or so but occasionally peek in to see what’s going on, but it seems to me the idea of CM Punk > the actuality of CM Punk.

I can see thinking that if you are really seeing him for the first time now, but I got back into watching a bit in 2009 (thanks to Randy Orton), and Punk's run from 2009 through his exit in early 2014 was awesome.  He was more often than not involved in the best angle/storyline.  When it comes to the best talkers in the history of the business, there are the obvious ones like Austin, Flair, Hogan, Piper and Rock, but Punk is right there with all of them.

[KevShmev]

As if we needed more proof that Ric Flair is a shitbag of a human being:

https://www.sescoops.com/news/ric-flair-heat-aew-promo-legends-react

Long story short:

He invited any woman from ages 18 to 28 back to his hotel, and said no husbands or boyfriends allowed. Flair is 74.

He got all defensive and played the victim asking, "Why can't people leave me alone?" when he received criticism for being a creepy old man.

And then legends like Chris Jericho and Steve Austin had his back.

The entire wrestling industry really is just loaded with shitbags.

[hefdaddy42]

Why is he a creep for wanting to be with women 18-28?  That seems perfectly logical to me.

He didn't invite minors, after all.  Nothing illegal or negative about it.

I don't have a problem with it.    *shrugs*

[Lethean]

I think stuff like that is probably just better left in the past.  Presumably he was just being in character anyway as he's done several interviews mentioning his current wife, etc.  But that kind of thing is kind of icky, in character or genuine.