The Ultimate WWE Thread

[Disco]

Chris Sabin has been booked for the best of the Super Juniors. Gonna be a cracking tournment to stimulate my jap graps boner.

Hiromu please.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Watching it now.

Rollins/Miz was brilliant.

Edit: Bliss :(

[Shindig]

OSWReview 71 is up. They're right on Daniel Bryan selling his head bumps.

Don't. Do. That. :uhoh:

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What are they doing with these fucking Styles/Nakamura matches.

Probably the best one but a second non-ending? Just fuck off. It's clear that they feel that Nakamura needs to win but at the same time, they don't want to let him win.

That chair retaliation though could have ended so much worse.

[Disco]

If we're being generous and ignoring the GRR match then they've got one more shot at putting on a good show. No idea why it needs to be this difficult though, how do you fuck up Styles / Nakamura this badly?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Reigns with one of his shitty spears :sick:

I feel it would have been good had they let Joe win it when he caught Reigns and put him in a Clutch, it looked so damn good.

Actually started out as a good match but faded hard, especially when they had Reigns come back into it/Joe kept taking it to the ground.

Overall pretty damn shit bar the Miz/Rollins match.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Apparently the crowd openly shit on the main event. Shame they're still keeping up with that, but by all accounts it's worth turning off after the Miz/Rollins match.

Crowds shit on most Reigns matches now.

You constantly get 'this is boring chants' as well as random other chants (especially Rusev Day) and some times they even start playing with a beach ball.

No idea how he's always the main event even when there is no title up for grabs (fuck you Vince).

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

993332160428937219

Joe unofficial winner anyway.

I did like the ref running to the other side so he couldn't see the tap.

[Disco]

Crowds shit on most Reigns matches now.

You constantly get 'this is boring chants' as well as random other chants (especially Rusev Day) and some times they even start playing with a beach ball.

No idea how he's always the main event even when there is no title up for grabs (fuck you Vince).

Because otherwise the end of your show would have either been Big Ass beating up an injured man or two guys dick punching themselves unconscious.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

At least the two guys dick punching themselves unconscious were doing it for a title.

[igor_balis]

OSWReview 71 is up. They're right on Daniel Bryan selling his head bumps.

Don't. Do. That. :uhoh:

ugh, you got my hopes up until i saw it was a fucking maffew episode.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Reigns, Zayn and Finn plus Sasha, Ember and Ruby tonight in qualifying matches for MITB.

They had better fucking not put Reigns in the match over either of those.

Apparently there will be 3 MITB matches this year (Men, Womens, Tag) and I'm assuming each brand will put 3 wrestlers in each.

I'm struggling to think of more than 3 tag teams on RAW though. Authors of Pain, Heath/Rhyno and The Revival. Probably wont bother with any qualifying matches for those.

I'd rather the third is for an NXT title shot or 205 Live title tbh.

[igor_balis]

ugh I hate the way they kill all their gimmicks by doing them a million times too many

MitB as a one-off match at WM, great, as its own pay per view, bad, having 3 fucking briefcases like honestly eat my ass wwe

[igor_balis]

i mean the MitB concept itself feels a bit played out by this point anyway

[Disco]

I was about to post the same thing, they can't do anything in moderation. If every fucker has a briefcase then none of them will matter.

[Browning]

Supposedly Don Cena is shagging Carmella now, which is amazing if true. Would explain why she won clean against Charlotte for a start.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'm assuming he's invested in some excellent ear plugs.

Also, completely agree about the MITB thing.

[Browning]

The only thing I want to see them do with a MITB at this point is have the holder get injured and vanish from TV until we forget about it. Which granted would have been a lot more effective if they did it with say the 3rd or 4th one than it would be now, but at least it's something we haven't seen before.

I almost wish they hadn't set the precedent with Rollins that cashing in mid-match adds you to the match. It would be kind of interesting if for example you could cash in during an Elimination Chamber, pin the champion and fuck off, leaving 6 guys to fight for nothing.

But yea, the concept is very much played out now. It's not shocking anymore.

[igor_balis]

say they're getting rid of it, but have one last mitb match at a wrestlemania but without the year long deadline. give it to whoever, but just slowly have them stop carrying it around/mentioning it until it seems like the wwe are basically pretending it never existed and whitewashed from history. even let the person leave the company. then when they cash in like 4 years later it would be a genuine surprise. i'd like that.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Give it to Kane. He'll come back weighing 500 pounds with the same singlet (which is now close to breaking) and he'd be the current President.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They could even give him his 20th gimmick to really sell the surprise too.

[Queenslander]

Hiromu please.

Have you seen his new finisher?

[Gray Fox]

The last cash in that got me was Rollins at WM.

Unfortunately you can kind of see them coming now, which surely ruins the point of it.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'm so glad they gave Ember the win as I thought they'd give it to Sasha Botch.

I'd fucking love to see her do an Eclipse from the top of a ladder.

[wullie]

If they're only doing two big ladder matches to cover men and women on both brands I hope they'll do a cruiserweight one too, they're made for that kind of match. Mustafa Ali doing a 1280 splash, book it boys.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Good way to get some fans to like Jinder for a moment.

[Queenslander]

Disco Fair to say Cody Rhodes is currently the form heel of North America wrestlers?

[phonics]

@Disco (https://www.thethirdhalf.co.uk/member.php?u=57) Fair to say Cody Rhodes is currently the form heel of North America wrestlers?

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BlBjELxc--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/j5jpbjzk7sro0vjpwnaw.jpg

Has to be one of the funniest bits of all time.

[Queenslander]

https://i.kinja-img.com/gawker-media/image/upload/s--BlBjELxc--/c_scale,f_auto,fl_progressive,q_80,w_800/j5jpbjzk7sro0vjpwnaw.jpg

Has to be one of the funniest bits of all time.

What is that from?

[phonics]

What is that from?

He does local indie wrestling in Appalachia under the name 'The Progressive Liberal'. Deadspin did an article on him: https://deadspin.com/no-one-is-pissing-off-local-wrestling-crowds-like-the-1796437497

(https://deadspin.com/no-one-is-pissing-off-local-wrestling-crowds-like-the-1796437497)

“I want to exchange your bullets for bullet points. Bullet points of knowledge.”


He even called Donald Trump a “con man.” The crowd exploded in jeers. “Shut up,” someone yelled.


Strange, indeed. But then, the muscular man’s shirt read, “Not My President.”


Meet the wrestler who goes by the name “Progressive Liberal” Dan Richards, the most hated character in Kentucky’s Appalachian Mountain Wrestling (AMW) program, a small professional wrestling circuit.

[Disco]

Disco Fair to say Cody Rhodes is currently the form heel of North America wrestlers?

Maybe The Miz, Cody is in the more interesting story but that might only be until they do Miz / Bryan. He's comitted too, his Twitter is a fun read.

[Disco]

Best of the Super Juniors full line up.

Block A

https://i.imgur.com/GWLI1lv.png
https://i.imgur.com/gn4Esoo.png

Tiger Mask, ACH , Flip Gordon, Will Ospreay
Yo, Taiji Ishimori, Yoshinobu Kanemaru, Bushi


Block B

https://i.imgur.com/d1hoI9i.png
https://i.imgur.com/m6gMT6c.png

Kushida, Ryusuke Taguchi, Chris Sabin, Dragon Lee
Sho, Marty Scurll, Desperado, Hiromu Takahashi

[Shindig]

It's impossible to make Chris Sabin look anything other than a tramp.

[wullie]

Marty Scurll's easily done the best out of all the people who've been on Take Me Out.

[Shindig]

Supposedly Don Cena is shagging Carmella now, which is amazing if true. Would explain why she won clean against Charlotte for a start.

Now ... did he start nobbing her before she split up with Cass?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Now ... did he start nobbing her before she split up with Cass?

Apparently she split with Cass for the same reasons Nikki ended it with Cena.

[Queenslander]

He does local indie wrestling in Appalachia under the name 'The Progressive Liberal'. Deadspin did an article on him: https://deadspin.com/no-one-is-pissing-off-local-wrestling-crowds-like-the-1796437497

(https://deadspin.com/no-one-is-pissing-off-local-wrestling-crowds-like-the-1796437497)

That is a perfect indie gimmick. :D

[Queenslander]

Maybe The Miz, Cody is in the more interesting story but that might only be until they do Miz / Bryan. He's comitted too, his Twitter is a fun read.

The Miz has to be the best homegrown WWE bloke in the last 10 or so years?

[wullie]

Miz wrestled before WWE for the same company Cena started with, for pure homegrown it's got the be THE BIG DOG.

[phonics]

Miz wrestled before WWE for the same company Cena started with, for pure homegrown it's got the be THE BIG DOG.

Tim Westwoods wrestling nowadays?

[wullie]

You should hear the sound effect when he drops the powerbomb.

[Queenslander]

Miz wrestled before WWE for the same company Cena started with, for pure homegrown it's got the be THE BIG DOG.

I was going for pure home grown unfortunetly. Big dog...

[Disco]

Miz and Cena both wrestled for WWE developmental territories in the days before NXT was its own thing. That would technically make Lesnar homegrown too as that's where he started.

Charlotte probably counts, Strowman too?

[Queenslander]

OVW counts as home grown I reckon.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Orton has to be up there.

[wullie]

With Miz and Cena UPW was a company WWE used at some point, but they were there for a year or two independently before signing with WWE so they were more scouted than anything. Kurt Angle is probably the best all-time, although I'm probably forgetting some obvious alternatives.

[Browning]

Snooki is definitely top 5.

[wullie]

Shout out to Mark Henry, proper lifer.

[Disco]

Undertaker would be the ultimate example but it did say last 10 years which would probably have to Reigns.

[Queenslander]

Yeah I was keen on discussing 10 years since the WWE has had more success with outside talent in recent times.

[Browning]

Plus Taker wrestled before WWF.

[wullie]

For the last 10 years the main ones would be Reigns, Wyatt, Strowman, Charlotte and then you've got Big E and Alexa Bliss as the other success stories, probably a few others.

[Ian]

6 weeks 'til MITB. So that's Bork topping Punk's record having wrestled about a percentage of the matches. Hero.

Bit surprised they're putting Rusev in the mens ladder match. Not unhappy, just surprised.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They need to give him another PPV match to lose.

[Browning]

Supposedly Brock isn't even scheduled for MITB, so he's going to piss all over Punk's (non) record.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

What is Punk's record?

Edit: NVM, I know.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://i.imgur.com/dap5X0M.jpg

That's actually a disgrace.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Braun to win MITB and cash in on Brock walking down the street :yn:

It would still give Lesnar the record (441 I believe) but you'd get a full time champion who isn't Roman and it would be a nice throwback to the Hardcore championship days.

[phonics]

141 vs 10 :D I knew the fans were pissed for a reason but that is jokes.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I actually think he'll turn up this coming Monday or the week after. They'll then make the match between him and Roman for MITB.

They'll also get Rusev to win the contract and he'll cash in on Roman who retains his newly won belt to fuck over another Rusev Day PPV.

[Browning]

He absolutely won’t. He isn’t due back til the build up to summerslam.

[wullie]

I hope he fucks off soon.

[Browning]

Also:

1) The Universal Title is not the WWE Title and
2) Punk isn't the longest reigning WWE Champion

So fuck it. It's a non-story made up to give the Brock haters more to seethe over.

[Ian]

Nobody's beating Sammartino's reign so reigns with any belt are comparable given how much they've pissed about with the lineage anyway.


I hope he fucks off soon.

This is all I'm really bothered about. I wouldn't care about the lengthy reign if he was trying because he's the fucking business on the rare occasions he gives a toss / is made to give a toss. He's just such a waste.

[wullie]

His title win over Cena was amazing, but because it was so well received they must have decided that his every match will just be that again and again. I want Roman Reigns as an entitled shithead champion so much more.

[Ian]

Even his part in the Mania 31 main event, much as it was built to look like another Cena squash, Brock sold the increasing frustration and Reigns' comeback, etc. beautifully. There are guys who care a thousand times more than Lesnar does and have a fraction of his ability / potential.

[igor_balis]

The main thing that infographic does is remind me how punk's big wwe title run was midcard as FUCK. Stating the obvious I know but they dropped the ball on Punk real bad. I mean, hindsight makes me think he's a bit of a twat but who isn't. Saw a bloke in Rugby wearing THAT best in the world shirt yesterday, however many years later, and it's not the first time I've seen one in the wild. Shows how hot that damn angle was. Fuck me it was 7 years ago wasn't it. Time is weird.

[Ian]

Punk's opponents weren't that midcard at the time though, at least not in terms of booking though they probably felt it. There was just a proper lack of quality. Whether that's the talent or the booking or both is obviously a different issue.

[igor_balis]

Eh, I guess. Kofi, R-Truth, Kane is a pretty grotty run of challengers, but at least it's not Bob Holly. His matches rarely even closed PPVS did they? in terms of prestige and placement on the show, Punk's WWE title was like the 1980s IC title.

[Browning]

I hope Brock stays forever and keep destroying everyone with nothing but suplexes and F5s. The seethe is genuinely the best part of WWE these days.

[Queenslander]

If I had the book at WWE for a year the first thing Id do would be writing Reigns off TV for 6 months to be repackaged. Then Id send him to the WWE affiliates like Evolve, ICW etc as an uber Suzuki type heel. Let him recruit a couple of wrestlers as human shields.

On his return I have them as a sheild 2.0 but Id barely have him wrestle letting his lackies do the work untill they worked their way up the card. His singles return would be a PPV match for either main event singles title.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just make him a heel, done.

He gets damn good heel heat as it is.

[Queenslander]

Vince wont though?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

No, he's Vince's boy. He wants him to replace Cena as THE MAN.

Apparently though, Backlash might have opened his eyes a bit.

993529142267146241

I doubt it though as they've started Roman in a feud with Jinder who is probably more hated than Roman. Although I'm sure I heard cheers when Jinder stopped Roman from winning his match on RAW.

[Queenslander]

Yeah I reckon Jinder would get over with the crowd as a babyface ironically.

[Shindig]

Just make him a heel, done.

He gets damn good heel heat as it is.

He won't get that heat as a heel.

[Ian]

He won't but he should still be turned. Big, sneering, bullying twat. He barely needs changing. They let the Reign of Terror happen once, I don't see why they wouldn't let Roman have a pop. :moop:

[Shindig]

He just needs a fucking arc. Take him down several pegs and build him up. He's not really had that. Hell, they could continue the Brock feud under the guise that Brock landed that stupid contract by holding Vince hostage. Make Roman a little unhinged or whatever. He's the guy but Brock got thrown money to stay.

[Queenslander]

He just needs a fucking arc. Take him down several pegs and build him up. He's not really had that. Hell, they could continue the Brock feud under the guise that Brock landed that stupid contract by holding Vince hostage. Make Roman a little unhinged or whatever. He's the guy but Brock got thrown money to stay.

Beter way to discribe my gibrish!

[wullie]

They seem to want to position him as the guy going against the odds and facing the corporate choice in Lesnar like when they struck gold with Daniel Bryan, but it's impossible to buy when the giant handsome wrestler with the famous wrestling family is in every main event and gets title shots all the time with minimal effort. I'd rather have him be the indulged corporate choice going against someone more sympathetic like Rollins, or ideally a returning D'Lo.

[Ian]

Rollins is getting better and better at the moment. He's looking more confident and his face character isn't quite so much a blank slate.

[Browning]

Rollins’s matches are allegedly being put together by Tyson Kidd. Makes me sad that a guy with that much knowledge and talent was completely wasted until he got hurt.

[igor_balis]

Alvarez and Meltzer have both made the point on several occasions that D-Bry getting over so bad was a bit of a shitter in a way because it means they're going to keep going to the well with the shit "let's get this face over... by losing! he can be the underdog!" gimmick, despite the fact, obviously, it worked because Daniel Bryan is Daniel Bryan. But obvz they can't accept that people often get over despite their booking rather than because of it.

So yeah, it's a shit story arc at the best of times, let alone with fucking Roman.

[Browning]

Bryan got over because it was legitimate. He had all the talent in the world but WWE didn't give a shit and buried him. You can't fake that and use it with someone like Roman, no matter how hard you try.

[Disco]

He's a heel being presented as a face, and a completely unrelateable one at that. It's an approach that's doomed to fail forever.

[Shindig]

You get some good by-products out of it, though. He's always into the last dregs of the Rumble so the guy who dumps him out (like Shinsuke this year) gets over in a heartbeat. He does have serious mic problems, mind. He works hard but they can't write him and neither can he. I bet he's boring behind the curtain, too.

[Ian]

Rollins’s matches are allegedly being put together by Tyson Kidd. Makes me sad that a guy with that much knowledge and talent was completely wasted until he got hurt.

Is he one of their agents now? That's pretty cool.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

You get some good by-products out of it, though. He's always into the last dregs of the Rumble so the guy who dumps him out (like Shinsuke this year) gets over in a heartbeat. He does have serious mic problems, mind. He works hard but they can't write him and neither can he. I bet he's boring behind the curtain, too.

I've been watching those WWE Ride Along things which are pretty decent. Everyone (thus far) has come across really well bar Roman (and to a lesser extent Dean, surprisingly). He might be one of the blandest men ever.

Oh and Braun is an even bigger hero as he has an app to map where he takes a shit because why not.

[Shindig]

They've not got anything to risk by knocking him down the card for a bit. They can experiment with his character (or lack thereof) because the brass have such high hopes for him. If he can't be interesting, maybe bank on him being bland and make something out of that. Most importantly, get him off TV. People are fatiqued by him being main event material and being booked like a predictable superman.

[Browning]

Supposedly Big Cass is in the dog house for beating up that midget too much. :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ha.

Apparently he was meant to stop after the big boot. He had asked the creative guys and Vince if he could go further but they told him no.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

The main event in 205 this week was a cracker.

Murphy and Ali are seriously talented.

[Queenslander]

They've not got anything to risk by knocking him down the card for a bit. They can experiment with his character (or lack thereof) because the brass have such high hopes for him. If he can't be interesting, maybe bank on him being bland and make something out of that. Most importantly, get him off TV. People are fatiqued by him being main event material and being booked like a predictable superman.

Getting him off TV has to be an option short term. They have such a big roster let someone else have a go in his spot for how ever long.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Also, Dozer from heavy machinery freaks me out a bit. He's way too small and round with a strange face.

Ian probably loves the squat fucker.

Edit: College pictures of him are even worse:

766391015850795009

His neck is wider than his head :\

[Disco]

Otis is amazing.

[Pleb]

When are they going to shove Bork Lesnar-Bobman Lashley as a main event package?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Otis is amazing.

I just can't deal with his body shape and mental eyes.

[Queenslander]

Since Im a spastic and cant posts gifs off.my phone heres Hiromu's latest finisher. Disco

https://m.imgur.com/r/squaredcircle/W4BLY0o

[Ian]

When are they going to shove Bork Lesnar-Bobman Lashley as a main event package?
They've done a great job of immediately making him looking like A.N.Other member of the roster but you'd think that's happening eventually.


Ian probably loves the squat fucker.
Eh?

[wullie]

When Lashley was around first time they gave him some kind of 'soft spoken, hard hitting' tagline which is only half of what you want from a legit fighter. All the good work he did after he left and they've basically just presented him in the exact same way but this time with a headband.

[Disco]

I just can't deal with his body shape and mental eyes.

He does a cool spinny thing and is generally great, you leave him alone.

[Disco]

He's going to be inside that fucking bear after all isn't he.

https://i.imgur.com/YbdU9Kl.png

[Ian]

Watched the latest Table for 3. Angle really can't even talk properly in normal conversation.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They really shouldn't keep letting him do the occasional match.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Got to In Your House: Mind games the other night. Most of the PPV was poor but Mankind/HBK was brilliant. Never seen it before and I get why they felt it was their best match.

Proper precursor to Attitude era too, hardly ever see a normal match that is so brutal.

[Ian]

Did you spot the worked botch, 'How?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Mankind getting his neck tangled in the ropes? Throwback to how his ear got ripped off. I loved that he stuck the mandible claw in on Michaels.

[Ian]

Not that, there's a bit where I'm sure it's in the corner and they work a botch so that Michaels can berate him. A sort of faked variant on the bit with Vader.

[Queenslander]

All In sold out 10k seats in an hour!

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

AJ/Nakamura booked for MITB for another shit show.

Also, rumours are that Rousey will have a match at MITB. I'd imagine it will be against Mickie James and they'll confirm it in RAW.

[wullie]

She's palling round with Natalya at the moment, I reckon a tag match where Natalya SHOCKINGLY turns on her at the end.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They can't break the BEST FRIENDS thing yet.

[Disco]

Rousey / Jax

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I think they'll go Mickie James in singles, tag match against James/Bliss, Natty (she turns on her to give Rousey her first loss) and after the feud is settled she'll go after Nia.

[Browning]

No, Nia is confirmed.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Jesus.

So much for her not getting a title opportunity quickly.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

“The Irresistible Force revealed she wants to put her title on the line against Rousey at WWE Money in the Bank, much to the surprise of The Baddest Woman on the Planet. Never one to back down from either a challenge or an opportunity, a bewildered Rousey agreed to the match.”

:cab:

The background also makes no sense.

[Shindig]

Charlotte ruptured her tit implant but kept working because she's retarded carnie folk.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

She was going to do more on the European tour but Carmella kicked some teeth out of her so flew back to her home for some dental work.

[Shindig]

That's the terrifying level of priorities I expect from WWE medical staff.

[Ian]

Does a woman not being written off TV for knackering a breast constitute some sort of weird, backward progress for WWE? I mean not long ago how good a pair of boobs would look strapped into some spandex was 95% of their female hiring policy.

[Browning]

It still is. The Iiconics (hate that spelling) had to go get implants before they were allowed on the proper shows.

[wullie]

Alexa Bliss had a few weeks of not wrestling for the same reason. Let's not forget The Rock having to wrestle in a t-shirt after breast reduction surgery too.

[Shindig]

Jinder's going to wind up the same way with his 'off cycle' nips.

[Ian]

It still is. The Iiconics (hate that spelling) had to go get implants before they were allowed on the proper shows.

Ugh, really? WOMEN'S REVOLUTION, though, so it's all fine.

[Browning]

"It’s interesting that WWE has announced Shinsuke Nakamura vs. WWE Champion AJ Styles for this week’s SmackDown as the match was also announced for the Money In the Bank pay-per-view this week. No word yet on if Tuesday’s match will be for the title."

- - -

Fuck off already. Whoever is booking Smackdown needs to be future endeavoured.

[wullie]

https://i.imgur.com/GpO4A1w.jpg

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I've never understood why so many women in the WWE/Wrestling business get implants (other than PUPPIEEES obvs), surely it's more dangerous?

[Ian]

Rollins in having-the-best-match-on-RAW shocker. Not that it's a strong field.

Also lol at Reigns vs. Jinder being a feud. It's as much a waste of everybody's time as Zayn vs. Lashley in terms of inevitable outcomes.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That's Roman 'Hard done by the Company' Reigns to you.

I was half expecting him to turn up in the main event and Kurt makes it a fourway.

I am excited about the whole Lashley sisters thing next week though, that could be a cracker of a promo.

[Ian]

The Reigns booking is so ludicrous if he's meant to be a face it almost makes me feel like Triple H might not have just been spinning when he said faces and heels aren't so much of a thing any more. Almost.

[wullie]

When Graves talked about how the odds are stacked against Roman, he mentioned Wrestlemania and the Saudi Rumble, two events where he walked into main event title shots and lost them without any cheating. If this is setup for Reigns eventually being the golden boy twat it's fantastic.

[Ian]

I've always said if Reigns goes heel it should be as a sneering bully. If they add some one-eyed delusion in there then I'm in even more.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lana's Russian accent is absolutely horrifying.

How have they not gotten someone to work with her on it? If they have then that person needs to be fired and they need to hire someone else.

[Disco]

Because they don't care and it doesn't matter.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Then why even bother with it?

Just call her the Ravishing Russian but with her normal accent. That would be much better.

[Gray Fox]

The only time Vince cared about Lana was during the Rusev/Ziggler thing. Then they enraged Vince when she broke kayfabe by posting pictures on Instagram(I think of their wedding). She was then torn down in a backstage segment by The Rock.

Vince couldn't give 2 shits about her if we're honest. If you've got a woman that looks like that on the books, you'd have her on the card. They do definitely need to Kofi that accent out of her though.

[wullie]

I think she's phasing the accent out, it was a lot stronger when she started. If she's going back with Rusev they probably can't have her as a face with a dirty foreigner accent, plus she's on Total Divas as herself she they probably just can't be arsed.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just finished Smackdown and that was easily the best Nakamura/Styles match thus far (it wasn't amazing or anything but it wasn't up against much).

Also, regarding The New Day:

I've heard rumours that Big E is in for a big singles push so I'd imagine he's 'chosen'. I can't imagine that the push will lead to him winning the MITB but will look good enough and set him up against Jeff Hardy perhaps.

[Queenslander]

Cody having an NWA run is going to be special.

[Mike]

Kid at work went to see WWE in Liverpool last night. AJ Styles gave him his shirt. Told him if it’s a Medium to give it a wash and get it to me 😉

Another kid in work is the cousin of Trent Seven (I think) I jokingly said months ago when I found out to get me a free tshirt.
She game to me yesterday and said “Trent said to tell you it’s sorted”

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Nice of 205 to get some UK guys involved.

I quite liked the look of Flash Morgan Webster. I hope he does well in the UK tournament.

[wullie]

I think they're trying to snap them all up to sabotage that ITV thing that nobody will end up watching anyway.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Seems that way.

WWE have already taken El Ligero away from them.

They've also announced Dave Mastiff for the UK tournament and he looks incredible:

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8hnqDs7XlkQ/maxresdefault.jpg

One of his nicknames is The Bastard too so he's amazing.

[Disco]

El Ligero is excellent, although Martin Kirby is the one I'd like to see get a chance, one of the best wrestlers in the country.

He might have to rename some of his moves though.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

They've announced 8 so far:

El Ligero
Dave Mastiff
Joe Coffey
Zack Gibson
Jack Gallagher
Amir Jordan
Kenny Williams
Joseph Conners.

Conners and Williams were on 205 and you'd have to imagine that Flash Morgan and James Drake will be added to the tournament as they also debuted on 205. So that leaves a further 6 to be added.

[Baz]

Kenny is the bollocks.

[Ian]

Mastiff was on the World of Sport special, wasn't he?

[Lewis]

He was. Massive respect for a fat lad like that working it.

[Disco]

https://i.imgur.com/8LIeLCw.png

Get it booked.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LeO9ZoSUVBY

Amazing.

Just go to 7:07 :drool:

[Pleb]

Dave Mustache if booked right (lol as if) should tear the 205/UK division apart.

[Shindig]

Just finished Smackdown and that was easily the best Nakamura/Styles match thus far (it wasn't amazing or anything but it wasn't up against much).

Also, regarding The New Day:

I've heard rumours that Big E is in for a big singles push so I'd imagine he's 'chosen'. I can't imagine that the push will lead to him winning the MITB but will look good enough and set him up against Jeff Hardy perhaps.

Easy solve: Sub in Rusev. The New Rusev Day.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Dave Mustache if booked right (lol as if) should tear the 205/UK division apart.
I'm guessing you mean Mastiff and I highly doubt he'd be able to get to 205 unless he starved himself. He'd fight with NXT if he got proper matches.

[Pleb]

The logical step is for him is to win the UK Championship and go on a fucking rampage.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I can't see them taking it off the Bruiserweight just yet. Not unless they're going to develop his rivalry with Roderick Strong into one with Adam Cole (baybay) so he can challenge for the North American title.

[Queenslander]

Impact has been a lot better recently especially since Don Callis was giving the book. Top of the card feels like PWG atm.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Just got to the start of the fake Razor/Diesel storyline which I had never really seen before (no idea why they thought it was a good idea).

I do really like JR's heel turn speech though.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jLy1NtcCfA

Clearly a lot of truth in there and I think he cuts it damn well.

[Shindig]

"Say what you feel, Jim. None of it'll matter when Fazer Famon comes down the ramp."

[Ian]

Just got to the start of the fake Razor/Diesel storyline which I had never really seen before (no idea why they thought it was a good idea).

I do really like JR's heel turn speech though.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3jLy1NtcCfA

Clearly a lot of truth in there and I think he cuts it damn well.

if you've not seen Cornette talking about training the fakes before give it a listen. His bit about Diesel is amusing.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I wrote down every move he (Nash) made and I got to six and that's including the hair flip

:D

[Disco]

Wrestling is weird.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/44195987

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I'm still hoping someone gets Salvador Cabanas roped in.

Bullet Header finisher :drool:

[Browning]

That might be the best poster ever produced.

[Ian]

I'll forgive wrestling anything for a week off the back of that poster.

Come at me, Raw.

[Pleb]

FOX may of got RAW/Smackdown back on their network :|

[Weaver]

Smackdown has been picked up by FOX in the USA from September 2019 (when their current contract expires), and it’s sounding like it’s going to be going back to Friday Night Smackdown and it might well be a three hour show... Nothing confirmed just yet but it’s sounding that way.

[Pleb]

Apparently NBC are keeping RAW for triple to what FOX paid for Smackdown :cab:

[Ian]

Three hour Smackdown? Fine. Fine. Okay. I can forgive it for a week because it's not actually happening yet.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Oh goody.

There's so little that's actually good about Smackdown right now although they've got a much more talented roster than RAW.

Hopefully that means more of people like Miz and now more of shit like the Top 10 bollocks which was only there to start the Jinder/Orton/Roode rivalry which failed miserably.

[Browning]

They'd have to re-do the draft seeing as RAW got 3 picks for every 2 SD got. That or SD just gets to nick some guys.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It would be in September next year so they could let SD take a few more in that years SHAKE UP or just cancel it and do a re-draft.

[wullie]

What happened to that German goalkeeper who moved into wrestling?

[Queenslander]

Macho Man Jay Leathal is currently the best thing in wrestling.

[Ian]

What happened to that German goalkeeper who moved into wrestling?

Wiki tells me he teamed with Sheamus and Cesaro on a live event in Munich to beat the Shining Stars and Bo Dallas. That's the last update it has but that's hard to top to be fair.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Jinder Mahal, the greatest face in the WWE right now.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Also, I said I was looking forward to the Zayn/Lashley sisters segment...

That was fucking car crash shit, it was so badly written that Sami couldn't even save it.

Just send Bobby back where he came from, I heard he was good there. In the WWE he looks awful, makes too many mistakes, still fairly crap on the mic and the WWE team just don't know how to use him.

[Browning]

Macho Man Jay Leathal is currently the best thing in wrestling.

Did you not see the Grant Holt poster?

[wullie]

It's a good thing they got that huge Fox cheque before that Lashley segment.

[Browning]

I was reading the RAW results this morning and 3 times I failed to get to the end just reading it. What a load of shite.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

998743797776306177

B Team \0/.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Look at his smile, isn't it pretty?

:lol:

I love Braun so much.

RAW was absolute shit this week bar him, The B team celebration and Stephanie during the contract bullshit.

[Ian]

I read the results. Didn't Steph just make the actual talent look like twats as she always does?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Yeah, she was just MIND GAMING them.

It worked though because neither of the two wrestlers are actually good on the mic.

[SvN]

So it seems that in some weird twist, PPVs are now below Raw and Smackdown in the importance hierarchy?! Then what's the point?

We've had some dire PPVs the last few months, so that looks to become the norm from now on. I can see myself giving up entirely this year. I haven't watched Raw or Smackdown in months and the only PPVs I've watched live in 2018 are the two Rumbles and Mania.

[Shindig]

I now want Goldberg to spear someone into an office chair. It's the only spot I want in life.

[Ian]

SvN The whole thing is bizarre but basically TV ads seem to be their bread and butter. I think they spend the time advertising their PPVs because they want Network subs rather than because they consider them an important storytelling function as they used to. And basically none of it is driven by actually improving the product.


Yeah, she was just MIND GAMING them.

It worked though because neither of the two wrestlers are actually good on the mic.

On the flipside it doesn't work because she only gets her comeuppance once a year and it barely lasts and this is what she does the rest of the time. You don't fix an issue with mic skills by having her belittle the ones who are meant to matter. There isn't a problem in WWE where Steph is the solution.

Edit: Shinners, just watch / rewatch all the Terry Tate: Office Linebacker adverts.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

So it seems that in some weird twist, PPVs are now below Raw and Smackdown in the importance hierarchy?! Then what's the point?

We've had some dire PPVs the last few months, so that looks to become the norm from now on. I can see myself giving up entirely this year. I haven't watched Raw or Smackdown in months and the only PPVs I've watched live in 2018 are the two Rumbles and Mania.

Just watch NXT and NXT: Takeover events.

They've had two 5* matches in (Gargano/Andrade Almas at Takeover Philadelphia and Gargano/Ciampa at New Orleans) their two events this year and they've had two more (Aleister Black/Adam Cole and the Ladder match) in the events which could were rated 5* by some.

It's run by Triple H and he's brilliant at the gig.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

SvN The whole thing is bizarre but basically TV ads seem to be their bread and butter. I think they spend the time advertising their PPVs because they want Network subs rather than because they consider them an important storytelling function as they used to. And basically none of it is driven by actually improving the product.



On the flipside it doesn't work because she only gets her comeuppance once a year and it barely lasts and this is what she does the rest of the time. You don't fix an issue with mic skills by having her belittle the ones who are meant to matter. There isn't a problem in WWE where Steph is the solution.

Edit: Shinners, just watch / rewatch all the Terry Tate: Office Linebacker adverts.

Well they need Paul Heyman/A Heyman type to get with Ronda like they've done with Brock. Until then we get this and it actually worked this time.

[Browning]

I still don't give a shit about NXT. That's not to say it's awful, but none of it makes me care.

The Ronda match at Mania was better than anything on the Takeover, purely because I was invested in it.

[Ian]

I'm with Browning on that. Not on NXT per se but on investment mattering. It's at least part of the reason I don't wet my pants as forcefully about NJPW as much as Meltzer/ Queenslander do. I can objectively see that they're good matches but if I don't care about either dude then why make the effort? It's why I coasted through my WWE PPV Network trawl but am not out of the 80s with my WCW viewing yet.

It's also why I stick with WWE I guess. I don't watch any of it live so sifting the crap is still easier than starting from scratch with another company and having to watch all of it while I figure out what's what.


Well they need Paul Heyman/A Heyman type to get with Ronda like they've done with Brock. Until then we get this and it actually worked this time.

You can't give everybody who's crap on promos a Heyman. Just bin the scripts and let them work the storylines they're given their own way and the talent will sort itself out. WWE is obsessed with authority figures being central because Vince accidentally created Mr McMahon then Austin thrived off it. And since then the ego has done the rest.

[Disco]

Speaking of pant wetting....

First two episodes of BOSJ are up with English commentary although it'll have to go some to beat Tiger Mask wearing a suit (complete with furry chops) in the press conference.

[Queenslander]

Did you not see the Grant Holt poster?

Nah I didnt was that during being the elite?

[Queenslander]

I'm with Browning on that. Not on NXT per se but on investment mattering. It's at least part of the reason I don't wet my pants as forcefully about NJPW as much as Meltzer/ Queenslander do. I can objectively see that they're good matches but if I don't care about either dude then why make the effort? It's why I coasted through my WWE PPV Network trawl but am not out of the 80s with my WCW viewing yet.

It's also why I stick with WWE I guess. I don't watch any of it live so sifting the crap is still easier than starting from scratch with another company and having to watch all of it while I figure out what's what.



You can't give everybody who's crap on promos a Heyman. Just bin the scripts and let them work the storylines they're given their own way and the talent will sort itself out. WWE is obsessed with authority figures being central because Vince accidentally created Mr McMahon then Austin thrived off it. And since then the ego has done the rest.

The stories are there to be fair they are just more rivalry based because it is treated as a sport not as sports entertainment.

[Disco]

Their top guy has stolen his move-set from Shrek though, so it cuts both ways.

https://i.imgur.com/PCjjadc.jpg

[Queenslander]

Also, I said I was looking forward to the Zayn/Lashley sisters segment...

That was fucking car crash shit, it was so badly written that Sami couldn't even save it.

Just send Bobby back where he came from, I heard he was good there. In the WWE he looks awful, makes too many mistakes, still fairly crap on the mic and the WWE team just don't know how to use him.

To be fair to Lashley he was booked as a Lesnar type in TNA with a bigger moveset and his fueds were around titles not WWE scripted nonsense. He also was able to have imput into his promos so comparing him to what WWE are doing to him is unfair.

[Queenslander]

Their top guy has stolen his move-set from Shrek though, so it cuts both ways.

https://i.imgur.com/pKUW7VU.png

Jesus! :D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

To be fair to Lashley he was booked as a Lesnar type in TNA with a bigger moveset and his fueds were around titles not WWE scripted nonsense. He also was able to have imput into his promos so comparing him to what WWE are doing to him is unfair.

I'm saying he looks awful because the WWE don't know how to use him.

I didn't watch his TNA run but I've heard about it and it just makes it so evident that the WWE (Vince) don't know what to do with him. When they brought him back they thought he'd just be a plug and play guy.

[Queenslander]

I'm saying he looks awful because the WWE don't know how to use him.

I didn't watch his TNA run but I've heard about it and it just makes it so evident that the WWE (Vince) don't know what to do with him. When they brought him back they thought he'd just be a plug and play guy.

My mistake misread.

[Queenslander]

Chris Jericho in NJPW gets me giddy.

https://youtu.be/JZvLQtC9j-U

Japs graps boner into overdrive!

[Ian]

The stories are there to be fair they are just more rivalry based because it is treated as a sport not as sports entertainment.

Oh I know, as I say my "issue" is just that I personally am not invested because I don't watch any of it. I've read about the background to some of the recent big matches and the long-term booking seems meticulous.

[Queenslander]

Same with Mahow derp I misread sorry because Im at my most illiterate in the morning.

[Queenslander]

Can you all gush over Jericho's promo on Naito please???

[wullie]

Owen Hart died today in 1999. How the hell has it been nineteen years already?

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I don't get why they've picked Last Man Standing considering the last match between them ended in a draw because neither could get up before the 10 count.

I was thinking they'd go I Quit.

[phonics]

https://i.imgur.com/6V7rTNN.png

lol

[Browning]

Paige has to take his first answer and give us a pillow fight.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Make it happen.

[Disco]

Can you all gush over Jericho's promo on Naito please???

Filmed in portrait, like a true heel.

[Queenslander]

:D

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Lars Sullivan intends to dominate NXT the way Man City has dominated the Premier League

What a strange quote from Mauro.

[Ian]

Has JBL murdered him and nicked his skin?

THIS IS JUST LIKE NOTTS VS KENT MAGGLE

Fuck off, cunt. Farooq was the only thing holding your shit together.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Ron Simmons could hold anyone's shit together.

Ron Simmons :cool:

Speaking of which, I'm very close to the formation of the Nation of Domination and more importantly, the death of gay thrift shop gladiator Farooq.

[Queenslander]

The Nation of Domination is very underated.

:cool:

[Queenslander]

Joe Hendry has signed with Impact.

[Disco]

With an amazing intro video too, I may actually have to download it next week.

[Queenslander]

Impact is on the way up.

[Queenslander]

Jericho may have a little run with Impact.

[Browning]

I doubt that very much. NJPW is one thing, but direct (even if pathetic) competition to WWE? Never.

[Queenslander]

Time will tell i guess.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That Nia Jax/Ronda segment :sick:

[Queenslander]

With an amazing intro video too, I may actually have to download it next week.

Followed up with a nice cameo on Being the Elite

[phonics]

In this weeks Steve Austin podcast he refers to a promoter/wrestler (Bruiser Brody?) getting stabbed to death in the shower and he's like 'i don't know if it was about who won or lost or whatever'. I don't think anyone's murdering anyone over having to be a jobber Steve.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

A food fight on RAW and a dance off on Smackdown? What is going on?

The worst PPV is being promoted so fucking badly.

[Browning]

Sounds typical of the modern product.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

if it was Attitude era the dance off would be in lingerie. We've come so far.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Murphy/Alexander was such a brilliant match. Easily the best I've seen from 205 since I got back into wrestling.

Just hand Triple H the keys to everything. The stuff he's doing on the two 'lesser' shows is better than 95% of the main shows.

[SvN]

Because he can afford to. You've got to cater to the casual viewer a lot more with the likes of Raw and Smackdown.

[Ian]

Alright, Vince.

[Disco]

Good lord Scott Steiner is still/back on Impact and he looks terrible, like 'will he expire mid-match' terrible.

[Limoutsonik]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X9mmmROgOXo

I am just going to leave this here....And yes there are more with Ric Flair,Macho Man,SCSA and others....

[Queenslander]

You bastards!


http://i65.tinypic.com/11vsmtk.jpg

[Queenslander]

Great card.

IWGP HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (2 OUT OF 3 FALLS/NO TIME LIMIT)
Kazuchika Okada (c) vs. Kenny Omega

IWGP INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP
Tetsuya Naito (c) vs. Chris Jericho

IWGP TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP
EVIL and SANADA (c) vs. The Young Bucks

NEVER OPENWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Hirooki Goto (c) vs. Michael Elgin vs. Taichi

Rey Mysterio vs. TBA

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

I've been watching a lot of UpUpDownDown this weekend after stumbling on a video.

I like Austin/Xavier Woods so much more now, he's a don. As is Tyler Breeze.

[Queenslander]

If only Vince let the fellas have more control over their promos.

[Disco]

:cool:

https://i.imgur.com/IPHESJO.png

He even managed to break the trophy too.

[Queenslander]

They showed at the end Naito breaking it.

[Disco]

I only saw him trying to stick the bit back on while covered in streamers. The final was a really good match, I can see Ishimori getting a title shot soon and I don't reckon we're a long way away from either him or Hiromu taking the title from Ospreay allowing him to move up to heavyweight.

[Queenslander]

Yeah that is the safest bet.

[Ian]

Jezza as the "Constable" of Raw.

Sure, whatever.

[wullie]

Worst part is he came in and got a decision completely right while Kurt Angle stood there sweating and yelling at clouds. Boo, the one man paying attention!

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

That was one of the worst RAW's I've ever seen.

Christ it was bad.

The whole Natalya/Ronda/Nia thing was absolutely laughable. From a shit faked injury to Nia flopping from heel to face on a weekly basis and Ronda struggling with everything.

Boatman breaking a flimsy WWE ladder, the Teddy Long special and the aftermath of the Balor/Owens match were the only good things.

[Ian]

Behave yourself, it wasn't even close to being the worst Raw this year.

[Browning]

I really think I'm done with wrestling completely at this point, unless there's a big indy show near me. I do love going live and watching Ospreay, but other than that, I just don't care anymore. MITB is soon and I literally couldn't care less.

[wullie]

It's like they had 5 PPVs in about three weeks and then the buildup to this one has lasted two months, they're really padding it out. Saying that, it's good to see that Sanity, Authors of Pain and No Way Jose have started their main roster tenures on absolute fire.

[Queenslander]

I really think I'm done with wrestling completely at this point, unless there's a big indy show near me. I do love going live and watching Ospreay, but other than that, I just don't care anymore. MITB is soon and I literally couldn't care less.

You should join the darkside and watch Ospraey's transition to heavyweight.

[Queenslander]

Ishimori is returning to Impact as Bone Solider representing Bullet Club. Disco

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

Behave yourself, it wasn't even close to being the worst Raw this year.

Bullshit, it was a fucking cesspit of bullshit.

This run to the MITB has been woeful.

[Sir Andy Mahowry]

It's like they had 5 PPVs in about three weeks and then the buildup to this one has lasted two months, they're really padding it out. Saying that, it's good to see that Sanity, Authors of Pain and No Way Jose have started their main roster tenures on absolute fire.

I was thinking they'd do the same to Andrade Almas but at least he's had a few matches after weeks of no show.

[Browning]

Let's not forget they once opened RAW with 6 guys sat on ladders just having a debate.