2008 Running Pro Wrestling Thread

Wait a sec ... Vince is "ordering" a big guy to drop weight?

 

I know the U.S. dollar has dropped in value, but when they're considering the peso instead, this country is really going to hell in a handbasket.

How long until the U.S. gains third-world status?

 

Currently laughing my ass completely off...nice work

 

Speaking of the Hitman, here's a random thought: Bret Hart could have a decent match with almost anybody. I bought the RAW 15th anniversary DVD set a while back, put one in this morning and watched him make Sean Waltman look fantastic.

So, my questions for those who seem to know what they're talking about it are these:
— Who are some current guys that you would've liked to see go against Bret Hart in his prime? The thought of Hart/Angle would park my ass in front of the TV...
— How well would his character and style fit in today?

 

Old-school AWA (from about 1988) on ESPN Classic right now. Ricky Morton-Wahoo McDaniel vs. a couple of the Sheik's paid assassins.

 

1. It depends on what you're looking for. From a strict "good match" perspective, C.M. Punk seems like the obvious choice. From a good story perspective, probably Cena, especially if he resurrected the moralist/Canadian zealot character from his last months in the WWF. Hart-Edge would be pretty good too.

For what it's worth, and maybe this is an indictment of the development of wrestling, there really aren't any big names that Hart hasn't already wrestled, at least in WWE.

2. He could probably more or less be himself, with a little evolving. I'd hope he wouldn't turn into what Ric Flair was at the end (hey, I love Flair as much as the next guy, but going from 18-time stylin' and profilin' world champion to Triple H's acolyte/repressed lover to weepy old guy, that's no way to go).

 

Bret Hart vs. Samoa Joe

 

I think Bret Hart vs. Randy Orton would be an interesting match.

 

Hart vs. Shawn Michaels. It might be the first time I ever buy a PPV to see what happens.

 

Didn’t Shawn Michaels rip Bret Hart’s abilities in his autobiography? I think he called Hart a limited wrestler, or something of the like. Shawn would obviously have an axe to grind, but I disagree. Hart was very good. I enjoyed his matches with Owen.

But in today’s high-flying, risk-taking style of wrestling, I’m not sure Hart's move-for-move, ground-and-pound works anymore. Angle does it well, but he also mixes in a “shoot” submission style that is more current.

Only purists (like many of us on this board) would appreciate Hart’s wrestling today. Otherwise, if he’s not diving outside the ring on three opponents or doing something to make fans say “That was awesome,” I think many people would yawn.

 

I figure Bret Hart would like one more go at Bill Goldberg, but that's not the point of this topic.

How about Bret vs. A.J. Styles?

 

I know Flair diminished Hart's abilities in his autobio. Of course, he was writing a WWE-backed book in a time when they and Hart hadn't buried the hatchet yet, so how much of that is Flair and how much of that is prodding or outright editing, I don't know. But he calls Hart average and not able to pull up bad workers to a good match, which he says HBK can do (he also levelled that charge against Dusty)