2008 Running Pro Wrestling Thread

If you ever need a reminder...

 

Unavailable for comment.

 

Some will say this got things kick-started:

 

It was May 2000 in Birmingham, and my WCW World Heavyweight Champion was Mr. Courtney Cox ... Damn you, Russo.

In all seriousness, Claws is right. Let's count 'em up ...

WWE Championship
Intercontinental Championship
World Tag Team Championships
WWE Women's Championship
ECW Championship
World Heavyweight Championship
United States Championship
WWE Tag Team Championships
Also coming, the Diva's Championship

That's nine championships. That's way too many. I don't know if I'd go with Bischoff's "one show, one champion" mantra, but I would trim some out. I'd cut it to two championships per show: One is the main championship, the other is either a midcard individual title, a world tag-team title or a women's title. There. Three shows, six championships. That should be plenty.

RAW: WWE Championship, Women's Championship
ECW: ECW Championship, World Tag Team Championship
SmackDown!: World Heavyweight Championship, United Intercontinental Championship

No cross-overs.

And for Christ's sake, get rid of that fucking spinner belt.

Now, for PPVs ...
January: Royal Rumble
March: WrestleMania
May: King of the Ring
July: Summer Slam
September: Unforgiven
November: Survivor Series

 

I love the idea of eight PPVs, but needless to say McMahon'$ not going to have any of that. Time off AND miss four paydays on PPV? Uh, not happening, at least not while he's around. You get the sense that things aren't going to change until he's gone, which isn't to say that whoever succeeds him (Shane? Steph? Trips?) will make things better.

Word is Michaels is guaranteed not to cross to Smackdown, which probably guarantees that HBK/HHH/Cena/Orton aren't going anywhere. Michaels attends early Wednesday church services in SA, and doesn't want to deal with traveling on Tuesday night. For those who care: Cena's delivering the FU to Mickie James in real life. Apparently, MJ got tired of Kenny Dykstra.

 

I don't care at all, but does this also mean that WWE is tired of Kenny Dykstra? Where has he been? When is Ron Killings supposed to debut? Will Chris Harris ever appear on WWE TV?

 

Yeah, but the promo they cut after this where Nash was talking like the footage was the Zapruder film was hilarious. "Down, and to the right." I was rolling. Wish I could find that promo.

 

I'm actually surprised Nash didn't injure a quad on the fall. Nash and Hall, two absolute wastes of space in the pro wrestling world past, present, future.

 

My ideas:

1. One world champion. Only he can go on different shows, and STICK TO IT. No crossovers. He can alternate PPV cycles on Raw for their contenders, then switch to Smackdown for the next PPV. If there's a good feud, make it a couple of months on one show, then the other, with sporadic ECW appearances against their top contender. It used to be that the world champ would never wrestle on a show. Now it happens each and every week. While I don't want to go back to the 70s and 80s and see one appearance a year on TV, I would think that having the champ get in the ring on TV once a month, while making one or two promo appearances, would work. Give the champ a week off as well.

2. That leaves a void for the show that doesn't have the world champ. Here is where you build up the secondary belts and the tag team division. When the world champ isn't on the show, you're main eventer is the IC (Raw) or U.S. (Smackdown) champ or ECW champ. (Kind of like the territory days, in a way). No reason why Batista or Michaels, or Cena, or either Hardy can't be the IC or U.S. champ. Just because they want to contend for the world/WWE title doesn't mean that they shouldn't go after the secondary belt.

3. Bring back real tag teams. Please. And keep them together more than 4-5 months. Put them one one show, while the women are on another.

4. Bring back managers for the guys who can't do a good promo. It'll help enhance their heat.

 

AJC with a story on Lex Luger's medical problems ...

http://www.ajc.com/services/content/metro/cobb/stories/2008/06/17/lex_luger_shepherd_center.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=13&imw=Y

 

Luger would have definitely been on my dead wrestler pool list, but this updated story really makes it seem like Luger is making the best of his situation and is truly a changed person. Good for him.

 

2008 Mr. Kennedy ... Kennedy = 2003 Rob Van Dam.

Hit the glass ceiling. BAM! Hit the glass ceiling. BAM!