2008 Running Pro Wrestling Thread

I thought the same thing as another poster did about a page back, that it will be Rhodes. The thing is, who really cares? The tag titles are a joke anymore, and who's really gonna give a crap about what this does to Bob Holly?

 

Unavailable for comment.

 

Unless you know a good medium ...

 

I think the Cryme Time-Rhodes/Holly "match" was the lowest point I've ever seen the tag team division. From classics like the Hart Foundation v. British Bulldogs to this? Vince should hang his head.

He'll definitely be doing so after this: Matthew Randazzo V's book "Ring of Hell" is officially out today and from what I've heard, it's perhaps one of the most damning indictments of the industry. With Benoit's death reaching its one-year anniversary next week, you'd have to think the heat on McMahon will turn up ever so briefly.

 

Has it already been a year since McMahon's limo "exploded" in the parking lot after Raw? I'm looking at pictures of the 2007 "Draft" and there are a few shots of him just before the "explosive" end to the show.

 

Hard to believe, but it is. Remember how last year's "draft" was supposed to change things? Trips/Cena at NOC is a sign of how little it has.

I would go as far as say this Monday will be a very pivotal moment for the WWE. They're dangerously close (if they haven't reached it already) to looking a lot like WCW, circa 1998-2000. Million Dollar Giveaways and bikini contests (love me some Eve Torres) aren't enough to escape the fact that the product has become stale, predictable and uninteresting. McMahon needs to truly shake the structure of the company and take things in a very drastic direction.

Actual quality wrestling would be a start.....

 

What would you suggest he does?

 

How about making Raw a big-time show with top stars only; Smackdown with mid-carders and lower-level main eventers and make ECW a minor-league destination.

Titles: WWE World Title (merge the two main ones pronto); Smackdown Title (replaces IC belt); TV title (this is the former ECW title); and one Tag Team Title (have current teams merge it).

To Raw: Edge, Batista, MVP, CM Punk, Big Show, Morrison, Matt Hardy. (WWE World title and tag titles only defended on Raw -- with guy(s) who earn a shot from Smackdown or ECW making a cameo appearance to fight for it once a month or two months).

To Smackdown: HBK, Carlito, Jeff Hardy, ALL DIVAS, Kane, Kennedy, Burchill, Kofi Kingston, Miz, Shelton Benjamin, Elijah Burke. (Smackdown title to be defended here).

To ECW: All talent at the Florida development territory, cruiserweights, older, underused talents (to get younger guys over). TV title (replacing ECW title, defended here).

 

Not sure I like the idea of phasing out the IC belt, Claws. It's one of the true links to the past, and still has a purpose as a way to elevate mid-carders to the next level.
One thing they definitely need to do is break up the Triple H/Cena/Orton (before he got hurt) circle jerk they've been doing with the WWe title. Get Jericho into the mix, which they seem to be doing, and see if younger guys like Kennedy and Punk can handle a strong push. Maybe even give a motivated Big Show a dominant run like he had when ECW first started up.
Kennedy is probably the hottest young talent they have, he's over, and has seemingly been ready for the next step for a while. It seems like he's been spinning his wheels for the last year.

 

You must forget how bad WCW was in its last days.

I will agree that WWE has to shake things up drastically, but they still put out entertaining shows for the most part and have quality matches on their monthly PPVs.

If anything is hurting this company right now, it's complacency. Another Batista vs. Edge PPV match? Been there, done that. And this Million Dollar giveaway is boring as fuck too.

 

IC title means as much right now as the tag titles IMO. Giving each show one title and then just ONE tag team title and only defended on Raw would give the titles some prestige.

Another thing I'd do in WWE is to have 8 PPVs max in a year and each show's performers get a one-month offseason.

 

I didn't quite mind the period in time when the WWE/WWF Champion was free to roam to either RAW or Smackdown whenever he chose to and was able to compete on either show.