Pro Wrestling Thread

[cramx3]

I just watched that too, very interesting about the contracts.  I don't know the laws or anything, but it does seem unfair to the wrestlers.  Plus add in the large amount of them who die early, you think they'd be treated better for putting their body's on the line for entertainment. 

[KevShmev]

Gotta give Oliver props for showing two of the funniest WWE moments ever in that montage: Steve Austin clocking Vince in the head with a bedpan, and The Rock burying Vince's face in Rikishi's ass.

[abydos]

Was hoping for a tombstone video too.

[Anguyen92]

So, I found this tweet of footage from the Hall of Fame ceremony where a crazed idiot ran into the ring and tackled Bret Hart with Natalya Neidhart nearby.  A lot of guys came to stop the man fast including New Day, Ronda's husband Travis Browne, who was a MMA fighter as well, Davey Boy Smith Jr., among many others.

https://twitter.com/AhYezzir/status/1114691725845508096

On another note, seeing Bret in that footage reminds me of the fact that it had been 9 years since he returned to the WWE to bury the hatchet with the company and Shawn Michaels and he looked old then. 

On an additional note, I am reminded that it has been nine years since HBK retired at WM26 with his match against the Undertaker.  People gave praise, and rightfully so, about their match at WM25, but I think their match WM26 may have been the better match for various reasons.  Everyone knows that their WM25 match was going to have the highest of expectations with HBK always delivering at WM and the Undertaker been having some good feuds and solid matches with Kurt Angle, Batista, Edge in recent years at the time where people are excited for big Undertaker matches again.  Thankfully, it delivered on those lofty expectations.  That stated, I didn't have too much expectations for the rematch, but with the way the story was building for their WM 26 match in terms of HBK's obsession to beat the Undertaker at Wrestlemania and they made it streak vs career with no DQ or countouts, that brought me back into being hype since it feels like there has to be a winner and no cop-out endings.  Plus, it was a solid match and they did some good callbacks from their WM25 match.  A match worthy to retire HBK's full-time wrestling career for good (I know he did the match in Saudi Arabia, I think, but aside from that, he's been good on the retirement for the most part).

Those Undertaker/HBK matches still feel recent.  How did we get so old?

[KevShmev]

I never saw their WM26 match, but their WM25 match was very good (great by today's standards), although I still laugh at those who try to say it was the greatest match ever.  Not even close.

As for the HoF thing last night, I saw it on Twitter, and was glad to see that clown got pounded after pulling that.  Of course, he will probably get a lawyer now and sue the WWE and say they used excessive force to subdue him.

[Destiny Of Chaos]

Takeover was incredible, as always.

Hall of Fame ceremony was crazy with that clown going after Bret.

16 matches scheduled for WM tonight. Counting those with whatever Elias is doing and whatever other surprises they may have ....and we're in for a long long night

[Cool Chris]

I never saw their WM26 match, but their WM25 match was very good (great by today's standards), although I still laugh at those who try to say it was the greatest match ever.  Not even close.

I didn't watch of follow WWE from around 2002 till a couple years ago. I still don't really follow it, other than for nostalgia's sake. So a few year back I watched that Taker/HBK WM25 match. Of course this wasn't in real time, and with all the build-up in my head from what I'd read/heard about it. It was a great match, but I also fail to see it being included in the "greatest match ever" category. I know in real time people were thinking that, it isn't necessarily all in hindsight. So maybe you had to be there. 

[KevShmev]

I never saw their WM26 match, but their WM25 match was very good (great by today's standards), although I still laugh at those who try to say it was the greatest match ever.  Not even close.

I didn't watch of follow WWE from around 2002 till a couple years ago. I still don't really follow it, other than for nostalgia's sake. So a few year back I watched that Taker/HBK WM25 match. Of course this wasn't in real time, and with all the build-up in my head from what I'd read/heard about it. It was a great match, but I also fail to see it being included in the "greatest match ever" category. I know in real time people were thinking that, it isn't necessarily all in hindsight. So maybe you had to be there.

They have overdone the matches where guys kick out of finishers left and right, and that one had like a dozen of them, but they told a good enough story to where the match was still really good despite the many kick-outs from finishers.  I haven't watched in years, but I thought that Punk/Bryan match from Over the Limit (2012, I think) was the best modern day match I have seen.

[BlobVanDam]

Kofi Kingston. DAMN. Could that whole thing have been any more perfect?

[Cool Chris]

I never saw their WM26 match, but their WM25 match was very good (great by today's standards), although I still laugh at those who try to say it was the greatest match ever.  Not even close.

I didn't watch of follow WWE from around 2002 till a couple years ago. I still don't really follow it, other than for nostalgia's sake. So a few year back I watched that Taker/HBK WM25 match. Of course this wasn't in real time, and with all the build-up in my head from what I'd read/heard about it. It was a great match, but I also fail to see it being included in the "greatest match ever" category. I know in real time people were thinking that, it isn't necessarily all in hindsight. So maybe you had to be there.

They have overdone the matches where guys kick out of finishers left and right, and that one had like a dozen of them, but they told a good enough story to where the match was still really good despite the many kick-outs from finishers.

I heard someone say any two competent wrestlers could pull off that match move for move, but only those two could have told the story and presented the in-ring psychology as well as they did. 

Meanwhile, as Kev and I discuss a match from 10 years ago, apparently another WM is going on right now.

[Anguyen92]

I will add that the follow-up match at WM26 has that as well where they kick out of finishers left and right and I think it didn't seem as annoying as the WM25 match and when you actually did see the actual finish to that match, I guarantee that you knew it was going to be over and that you know it was going to be lights out for HBK's active wrestling career.  He wasn't kicking out from that one.

With stated, I found those Undertaker/HHH matches two years in a row later to have those issues with kicking out of finishers much more annoying and that their best match was at WM X-7 where I felt like they played their roles in that match much better than they did at WM27 and WM28.

[Jaffa]

Kofi Kingston. DAMN. Could that whole thing have been any more perfect?

I really can't imagine how it could have been more perfect.

[kaos2900]

Did anyone else watch Double or Nothing? I couldn't watch it Saturday but ordered it last night and am super impressed and I still have to watch the last two matches. I'm a lapsed wrestling fan and AEW has me hooked!

[Destiny Of Chaos]

I've been following AEW very closely since they announced Double or Nothing. The show itself was amazing. Can't wait until they're on TNT every week.

[KevShmev]

I'll be curious to see if AEW does it more old school to appeal to the old fans who actually want to see wrestling, or if it will ultimately be just a cheaper version of WWE.  Having Jericho, Jim Ross and Moxley already will bring in viewers at the start, but they will need more than a little star power to make it work over the long haul.  If they could get CM Punk, that would be huge.

Given the pitiful state WWE is in right now (everything I read talks about how awful the product is now), fans are dying for something good right now.

[kaos2900]

I consider myself a lapsed wrestling fan and the wrestling product being provided by AEW in Double or Nothing (and All-In) blows almost everything the WWE has provided out of the water. Will the PPV action be the norm? Will the story lines be interesting enough to keep viewers? That remains to be seen, but so far I'm optimistic.

[kaos2900]

I will add that I was surprised by the $50 sticker price for the PPV. That was a bit hard to swallow but based on the reviews I jumped in. I think it should have cost half that considering they're trying to get long term fans.

[jjrock88]

I bought it and really enjoyed it.  It started off a little shaky for me with that battle royal in the pre-show.  Wasn't overly impressed with it and I can't say I understand why they would have Billy Gunn and Glacier be in the first official AEW match.

But once the main show started, it got progressively better and better.  The last three matches were awesome and the debut of Moxley was very cool.

The amount of blood in the Rhodes match had me a bit concerned but the ending was awesome.  The tag title match was excellent and Jericho-Omega was spectacular. 

I'm wondering why WWE mentioned AEW on air last night as it just led to AEW chants.  Not sure what the purpose of that was but overall I'm glad there is finally legit competition to WWE as hopefully this kicks them in the butt a bit and helps turn things around.  Clearly lack of competition has been a problem over the years.

[Anguyen92]

So.  Ric Flair has recovered from his heart surgery and posted this video.  He had some words to HBK about comments HBK apparently made on the 30 for 30 about Ric Flair.  Without understanding the context, it sounds like a Ric Flair promo. WOOO.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mNWZgAzR-MM

Here's part 1.  Jebus, this is more of a Ric Flair-sounding promo which sounds friken awesome!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XHqNMZdiqc0

[Cool Chris]

The most awesome thing about that would be if he was watching a video of himself cut a promo and paused it in order to cut a promo.

[KevShmev]

Maybe it's because I think Flair is a shitty person, but there is something pretty sad about a guy his age still acting like his character from decades ago.  Yeah, yeah, he became that character, but he's a caricature of his former self at this point.

[kaos2900]

Plus, he's just now getting pissed about HBK's comments which were in the 30:30 from a year or 2 ago? Maybe he's setting up a death match or something.

[axeman90210]

I really enjoyed the AEW PPV, will for sure get the next one and tune in when they start running weekly televised shows. WWE main roster is mostly dreck these days (Smackdown's not as bad as Raw usually), but NXT is still pretty fantastic.

[hefdaddy42]

I don't follow wrestling as closely as I used to, but my new favorite wrestler is easily Orange Cassidy.

[axeman90210]

The AEW PPV was my introduction to him, great gimmick.

[Phoenix87x]

Just watched Undertaker vs. Goldberg from the Saudi Arabia show. Yikes, what a mess

[jjrock88]

Just watched Undertaker vs. Goldberg from the Saudi Arabia show. Yikes, what a mess

That whole show was a waste of four hours.

[jingle.boy]

Just watched Undertaker vs. Goldberg from the Saudi Arabia show. Yikes, what a mess

I saw some promo for that, and assumed it was some historical match on WWE Network.  You're saying this was an actual match from June 2019??

Oh dear lord.  I think I'd rather watch Jenna Jameson fucking Peter North.

[Cool Chris]

Just watched Undertaker vs. Goldberg from the Saudi Arabia show. Yikes, what a mess

I saw some promo for that, and assumed it was some historical match on WWE Network.  You're saying this was an actual match from June 2019??.

 

[axeman90210]

Yeah, it was going to be a mess no matter what, but Goldberg concussing himself and then continuing on sure didn't help

[cramx3]

Just watched Undertaker vs. Goldberg from the Saudi Arabia show. Yikes, what a mess

I saw some promo for that, and assumed it was some historical match on WWE Network.  You're saying this was an actual match from June 2019??

Oh dear lord.  I think I'd rather watch Jenna Jameson fucking Peter North.

  haven't heard the name Peter North in a looong time

[jingle.boy]

Just watched Undertaker vs. Goldberg from the Saudi Arabia show. Yikes, what a mess

I saw some promo for that, and assumed it was some historical match on WWE Network.  You're saying this was an actual match from June 2019??

Oh dear lord.  I think I'd rather watch Jenna Jameson fucking Peter North.

  haven't heard the name Peter North in a looong time

Subliminal?

[cramx3]

  killin it

[ozzy554]

I thought the match looked good on paper. I mean Undertaker can still look decent if you keep it short and Goldberg couldn't really go over 5 minutes anyway. Then goldberg knocked himself out on the ring post. Not the first time he's done that, last time he did that in wcw it was much more horrifying.

[Phoenix87x]

That Tombstone looked pretty ugly as well