2008 Running Pro Wrestling Thread

[SlickWillie71]

So there's an IC title tournament? Think Kofi Kingston and CM Punk will be there in the finals for it, thus setting up their "tag team champs" for an eventual split?

I think Kofi and CM Punk could have some incredible matches. I'm convinced that with the way CM Punk won his match, he'll likely go on to face Regal for the IC Title. It only seems appropriate with the way CM Punk eliminated Regal in short fashion at the Survivor Series.

Even though he's a former WC now, Punk would be perfect for the IC title. 10-15 yrs ago, he'd have that strap on him at this point because he's a solid, young(er) worker. Maybe he could bring back some legitimacy to the belt.

Slightly off-topic, but when do you guys think the IC lost its luster? Having Road Dogg with it in '99 sure as heck didn't help...

I think you just answered your own question.

 

[KevinmH9]

So there's an IC title tournament? Think Kofi Kingston and CM Punk will be there in the finals for it, thus setting up their "tag team champs" for an eventual split?

I think Kofi and CM Punk could have some incredible matches. I'm convinced that with the way CM Punk won his match, he'll likely go on to face Regal for the IC Title. It only seems appropriate with the way CM Punk eliminated Regal in short fashion at the Survivor Series.

Even though he's a former WC now, Punk would be perfect for the IC title. 10-15 yrs ago, he'd have that strap on him at this point because he's a solid, young(er) worker. Maybe he could bring back some legitimacy to the belt.

Slightly off-topic, but when do you guys think the IC lost its luster? Having Road Dogg with it in '99 sure as heck didn't help...

heck, the IC Title disappeared in the early 2000's during the time when the WCW/ECW invasion was going on. It's lost a lot of its luster, for sure.

 

[Tommy_Dreamer]

I say bring back the TV title.

 

[zebracoy]

The thing that I tried to research all day, but found to no avail, was that I vaguely remember Rhodes going on either WCW (Se7en?) or TNA (Black Reign?) and completely trashing WWE for making him do that Goldust character so often and for so long.

Yet, it seems, we're going on year 13 of him reprising it, so he must have a soft spot for it somewhere.

At this point in time, I certainly do. Used to creep me out in the mid-90s, but now I find him entertaining - and there's nothing wrong with that.

 

[NDub]

The thing that I tried to research all day, but found to no avail, was that I vaguely remember Rhodes going on either WCW (Se7en?) or TNA (Black Reign?) and completely trashing WWE for making him do that Goldust character so often and for so long.

Yet, it seems, we're going on year 13 of him reprising it, so he must have a soft spot for it somewhere.

At this point in time, I certainly do. Used to creep me out in the mid-90s, but now I find him entertaining - and there's nothing wrong with that.

I remember him going to WCW and being kind of this rogue, outcast type of character known as Dustin Runnels, I believe. And I do remember him being pissed about the Goldust stuff. Rhodes was cut, quit, whatever on the dawn of the Attitude Era, right?

Also, I lost track of wrestling from about 2000 til late last year. And I really only picked it up because Raw was in HD and Orton is forking awesome. But why in the heck are there two world championships? I don't like it.

 

[Gutter]

Slightly off-topic, but when do you guys think the IC lost its luster? Having Road Dogg with it in '99 sure as heck didn't help...

I'll see your Road Dogg and raise you Chyna.

 

[Claws for Concern]

The Golddust character has gone through many changes -- I remember that Dustin even "burned" his Golddust outfit, too -- but I think his best moments with it came when he tagged with Booker T a few years back and they did those odd, yet amusing, skits.

 

[KevinmH9]

Slightly off-topic, but when do you guys think the IC lost its luster? Having Road Dogg with it in '99 sure as heck didn't help...

I'll see your Road Dogg and raise you Chyna.

Everything against Chyna, giving her, mind you any woman, the IC Title ultimately killed that belt.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

Slightly off-topic, but when do you guys think the IC lost its luster? Having Road Dogg with it in '99 sure as heck didn't help...

I'll see your Road Dogg and raise you Chyna.

Everything against Chyna, giving her, mind you any woman, the IC Title ultimately killed that belt.

It was around 1999-2000 that the belt became cheapened. There used to never be more than 3 or 4 title changes in a calendar year, maybe 5 in an odd year. 1997 had seven title changes, but that was in part due to Owen dropping Stone Cold on his head. By 1999, there were nine title changes (including Edge winning it in a house show in his home town and dropping it the next night) and 2000 had a change nearly every month.

Having titles switch hands every month tends to cheapen the belt. That, and having the Godfather as IC champ wasn't exactly the second coming of Pat Patterson. (Godfather was going to defend the belt against Owen the night he died).

Also, not having the IC belt as the No. 2 belt in the company also hurts. It's now No. 4A, behind World, WWE and ECW heavyweight titles and tied with the U.S. title.

 

[KevinmH9]

Slightly off-topic, but when do you guys think the IC lost its luster? Having Road Dogg with it in '99 sure as heck didn't help...

I'll see your Road Dogg and raise you Chyna.

Everything against Chyna, giving her, mind you any woman, the IC Title ultimately killed that belt.

It was around 1999-2000 that the belt became cheapened. There used to never be more than 3 or 4 title changes in a calendar year, maybe 5 in an odd year. 1997 had seven title changes, but that was in part due to Owen dropping Stone Cold on his head. By 1999, there were nine title changes (including Edge winning it in a house show in his home town and dropping it the next night) and 2000 had a change nearly every month.

Having titles switch hands every month tends to cheapen the belt. That, and having the Godfather as IC champ wasn't exactly the second coming of Pat Patterson. (Godfather was going to defend the belt against Owen the night he died).

Also, not having the IC belt as the No. 2 belt in the company also hurts. It's now No. 4A, behind World, WWE and ECW heavyweight titles and tied with the U.S. title.

Ranking it the No. 4A belt kind of sucks cause you got the U.S. Title, World Heavyweight Title and ECW Title were all adopted by WWE pretty recently. The World Heavyweight Title is just a redesign of the old NWA/WCW Title, the ECW Championship is just a joke and the U.S. Title was adopted from WCW.

 

[NDub]

I think there are too many belts, including the WWE and World Heavyweight belts. One has to go.Why have two ? They are basically the same thing.

Also, the US title? Who cares. Who even has that around his/her waist? Also, the Divas belt could go too and nobody would even notice. We all know they suck. What's the chance that division is completely eliminated?

 

[bostonbred]

I think there are too many belts, including the WWE and World Heavyweight belts. One has to go.Why have two ? They are basically the same thing.

Also, the US title? Who cares. Who even has that around his/her waist? Also, the Divas belt could go too and nobody would even notice. We all know they suck. What's the chance that division is completely eliminated?

You have to remember that Raw and SD are seperate shows and each has a championship. How else could the company possibly do it? Have the champion fued against a guy on each show? Lame. It'd become confusing otherwise.

The brand seperation (although the lines have been blurred in recent months) has been a tremendous, lucrative idea that has worked out well for the company. They can make more $ from running 2 house shows on a given day, they can make PPVs more important by having two big title matches, they can keep fans interested by seperating stars for a long while, they can build up up-and-comers who would never have had the time to shine otherwise. It serves many purposes, although it hasn't always been executed well (single brand PPV was a terrible idea, but it was fixed after a few WCW-esque programs)

heck, you can even argue that ECW has been a success after a very rough beginning, as it has helped polish a number of current stars and will help Jack Swagger become a big name player.