2008 Running Pro Wrestling Thread

They gave Ric Flair the Mid-Atlantic send-off that he deserves.

A money promo with he and Michaels, followed by allowing him to make Orton tap cleanly with the figure-four to end the show.

I'm looking forward to my trip to Orlando even more after tonight.

 

I guess there's no way to make Flair a heel and have it stick, since everyone loves him, but it would have been nice to see one last cocksucker heel run and a clean job to a rising babyface at WM to wrap his career up. Flair was popular, but he was rarely a good face. The essence of Ric Flair is a jet-flying, limousine-driving, kiss-stealing son of a gun, and that's a heel.

 

If anyone's interested, I'm pretty sure the X-Files rerun on Sci-Fi right now is the episode featuring RVD fighting Randall 'Tex' Cobb at the end.

 

Say they do it with someone like Cody Rhodes - regardless of his personal family history/legacy. Would it be too much to have Rhodes and Flair in a long-term feud, have Rhodes beat him and make him retire at WrestleMania, then have Rhodes slowly, but surely, arrogantly adopt Flair's persona? Seems like a good idea to me, but then again, I think they'd have to make sure they not only find the right guy, but someone that could be able to survive with it for a long while.

 

I agree that Flair's a better heel than babyface. But his babyface persona isn't that much of a change from his heel one. The thing is, I keep expecting Michaels to turn heel, at least temporarily, and that hasn't happened. Last night, I kept thinking he would superkick him, and yet it didn't happen.

Cody Rhodes wouldn't be the answer. Outside of being Dusty's son, nobody cares about him. Maybe a babyface Kennedy? The problem is though, is Flair is so old now that he really can't be seen as a major threat to a young star. It's like Flair is the underdog in every match because of his age.

 

I'd like to see the dirtiest player in the game beat Michaels and come out and steal the Money in the Bank briefcase, despite not being booked in the match. He could cash it in after the main event to win the World Title, then retire as champ on Raw to set up an open tournament.

That's way out in left field, but it would make for an interesting WrestleMania.

 

Ric Flair's biggest value at this point would be as a manager/mentor for a young talent. I thought they had something with the Kenny Dykstra angle last year, but just let that drop as if it never happened. I'd love to see him bring it all for a 25-30 minute classic with HBK on Sunday and lose cleanly, only to come back as a manager to someone who could be put into a feud with Michaels. He'd be perfect for someone like Shelton Benjamin, whose talent dictates main event, but has been held back because of his lack of mic skills and persona.

Is Mickie James still with WWE, or has the countdown to her TNA debut already begun?

 

If David Flair wasn't so mediocre, maybe him. Is Reid getting into pro wrestling? He'd be pretty good, I'd bet.

 

I've read that Flair will take a couple of months off and return to the WWE in an on-screen role. Hell, if he wasn't used as a manager they could use him to replace Coach as the color guy on Smackdown. I've always thought Flair could be good in that role. Coach sucks right now.

I think WWE could have something within the next year and a half. You'll have Cody Rhodes, Ted DiBiase Jr., and Flair's youngest son Reid - who's training in Florida right now. Reid still hasn't made his debut, but he's everything David Flair wasn't. I kind of hope they let Reid Flair carve his own niche when the time comes, but I guess he'll flow into a similar Flair character being the son of the Nature Boy.

 

Exactly what I was thinking, especially considering Ashley took Candice's spot in the WrestleMania match. Mickie is way better in every facet than Ashley.

 

Mickie James might be better off at TNA, where she would easily be in the front line of candidates immediately. She and Gail Kim could put up a nice feud.

 

I'm with you.

Sometimes the best angles are the ones you don't see coming.