2021 Pro Wrestling Thread

Hate it for Miz, for reasons that have been stated previously on this thread. I like the guy. He's not a ring technician by any means, but he is a workhorse who waited way too long for a second world championship run that ended way too soon. Even as a chickenshit heel he deserved better than to be booked as someone who was literally running from the fight and knew he would get destroyed. I'd have liked them to at least drag out the Lashley feud until Fastlane, or build a three-way angle for him, Lashley and McIntyre for Wrestlemania.

Good for Lashley, though. He's another guy who has worked his way through some horrendous angles recently and come out clean on the other side. He might also be the first wrestler who used the full nelson as his finisher to actually win a world championship with it.

One thing I do worry about is whether the WWE is building its world champions to be too strong. Lesnar was an unstoppable force. McIntyre was quickly reaching the same level. Now they're building Lashley the same way. It kills some of the fun when you don't think their PPV opponent for that month has absolutely no chance of going over.

 

I just don't see where they build the title match from here with Lashley. Do they go with him and McIntyre, the obvious choice? Making Lashley the heel now seems a weird choice, but I can't see them turning Drew heel either. Do they do a triple threat and toss Miz in there? Could be clever way to get the belt back on him, but with what they've done with him, I don't see Miz being back in the title picture right away. Do we see Lesnar come back to face Lashley? I hope they don't go there, because I don't see Lesnar coming back to do the job.

 

And what of Sheamus? Did last night's match resolve the dangling plot thread between he and McIntyre, or is there more to come?
Assuming they don't pivot back to Miz vs. Bad Bunny (who I still have no idea who the hell he is or what he sings), could there be a fatal four-way with Miz, Sheamus, McIntyre and Lashley? Perhaps a ladder match with the four of them? Three heavyweight bruisers and the chicken heel trying to avoid the carnage they create would be a fun dynamic to play around with.

 

OK, wrestling trivia time coming from a couple interesting factoids that I just found out.

In Ric Flair's rookie year (A few matches in Dec. 1972 through 1973), he wrestled a future WWE Hall of Famer for his 30th career match (losing by DQ in Omaha), and defeated another future WWE Hall of Famer at a TV taping during that HOFer's eighth career match. Who were these two future WWE Hall of Famers?

 

Tonight on AEW: Shaquille O'Neal and Tully Blanchard will be in action.

Because wrestling in 2021.

 

Because they've never had celebrities and old-timers show up in matches before tonight?

 

Nah. I don't have an issue with it. It's just funny to me that those are the two.

 

SHAQ WITH THE TABLE BUMP! That match was a lot better than it had any business being.

 

With J.J.Dillon in Tully’s corner.

2021.

 

So, since it’s been 24+ hours, Flair’s 30th career match came against one Khosrow Vaziri, known to us all as the Iron Sheik.

The future HOFer that Flair defeated at a 1973 AWA TV taping in that guy’s eighth career match was none other than Roddy Piper. Imagine watching that and having no clue that they would be two of the biggest stars in the business not even ten years later.

 

Hmm ... the former Big Show says AEW will be introducing a Hall of Fame-worthy talent Sunday.

Mark Henry has said he will be returning to wrestling in the coming months, and he and the Big Paul are BFFs. But would "Hall of Fame-worthy" preclude those who ARE Hall of Famers?

Christian? Or go with the easy answer and say Punk?

 

Meanwhile, we've got Adam Pearce heeling on NXT by having the Raw ref screw over Dakota Kai. Hopefully, this leads to Kai/Gonzalez getting their comeuppance on Raw or at the next PPV, and leave Shayna and Nia to go at it (yuck).