2016 Pro Wrestling Thread

Until the late 90s, titles didn't change hands that often, so there wasn't really that much of an opportunity to pile up a number of title reigns.

Yoko's career, and life, unfortunately were cut short because of his weight issues. But he was an effective heel who had a gimmick that could pull off the role of champion. Rikishi was a bit of a comedy act, and also was a little overlooked during an era when there was a lot of depth at the top. Umaga served as more of a monster heel to be beaten, rather than a champion.

The Wild Samoans also were very effective as a tag team, but as singles, served as monster heels individually to be beaten. They did have individual title matches against Backlund, but they weren't going to win the belt because when people thought of champions, they didn't think of "savages" who couldn't talk and ate raw fish out of the ocean (a gimmick which would make quite a few people cringe if it happened today).

 

I would contend that they are not over and haven't been for about two years

 

From a Facebook thread: If you could pick one wrestler, current or all-time, to have your back in a legitimate bar brawl, who would you pick and why?

 

First one that comes to mind: King Tonga/Haku/Meng. Every wrestler I've heard talk about him say he's the most legitimate badass in the business.

 

What he said.

Second would be Harley Race (who also has said Tonga is the toughest). Race once supposedly was in a bar with Ken McElroy, who was that famous town bully in Missouri who eventually was shot and killed right in the middle of town in front of a crowd, and nobody was ever found guilty of his killing. Apparently, as Race tells the story, McElroy was trying to bully some elderly patrons out of their Social Security checks, which pissed Race off and he went over and knocked him off the bar stool. McElroy did nothing back.

Third would be Andre the Giant. Super strength, and likely, he'd buy me and the rest of the bar drinks all night long.

 

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrock. Lesnar.

 

Come to think of it, Andre, in his prime, vs. Brock would have been a helluva matchup.

 

Andre breaks the scale on the bar fight question. He's clearly No. 1.
I've also heard that Haku was one tough SOB, and a nice guy to boot. He'd kick ass AND watch your back.
Lesnar is another good one. You know he could clear a room.
Maybe Benoit? I hear that guy's a killer.

 

Shawn Michaels has become a thing during the Eastern Conference finals in the NHL playoffs.

The Penguins' third line, the HBK line (Hagelin/Bonino/Kessel), has been fantastic during the postseason, including tonight's 4-2 victory to take a 2-1 series lead on Tampa Bay. The better this line gets, the more this line scores, the more GIFs you see of HBK and DX on Twitter during the action.

So the Penguins invited HBK to Game 5 on Sunday night in Pittsburgh well before Game 3 began Wednesday. Michaels on Twitter said he might have an answer tomorrow. As both a Penguins fan and a wrestling fan, I'm liking this juxtaposition.

 

Raw takeaways
Three gimmick changes later and I still don't give two shits about Primo and Epico. The Shining Stars' finisher is The Shining Star. Creativity like this makes me want to experience liver failure.

And holy shit did we see actual local jobbers? When was the last time that happened?

The more dresses down Rene is, the hotter she looks.

Dean Ambrose can't chew with his mouth closed.

"I got a lot of cash. I'm a multimillionaire. But $15,000 is a lot of cash and I want it back." ....What? That makes no sense.

I don't know what was worse: the gimmicks areound the cage or the spooooooky music and lights. Ugh. And I'm so sold on this after the lame street fight.

I tuened it off after that. I've never turned off wrestling, and I've been watching non-stop since 1996.

I'll have to muster the energy to finish another time.

 

re: The local jobbers, the best part of the match was that one had the last name Kennedy. So at one point, Cole actually said, "It's a rough night for Mr. Kennedy!" When we were talking the other week about Wade Barrett and wasted potential, somehow I had forgotten to bring him up. (FWIW, he is available for WWE to sign as a free agent, but for dubious reasons. TNA cut him after he had a match that was so bad they immediately gave him a drug test, which he failed, and TNA isn't exactly known for being sticklers on the drug issue.)

 

Remember when he was going to be Vince's bastard son?