2011 Pro Wrestling Thread

And they end up either disappearing, or losing in the opening match, although Sheffield, I guess, was never kicked out. He just got hurt.

 

Original Nexus: Daniel Bryan, Darren Young, Michael Tarver, Wade Barrett, David Otunga, Heath Slater, Justin Gabriel, Skip Sheffield.

Current: Otunga, Slater, Gabriel, Sheffield, CM Punk, Husky Harris, Mr. Perfect's kid.

So really, they've lost/kicked out three people (not counting Sheffield).

 

Miz-Morrison was a strong TV title match for two up-and-comers. I expect a lot more from these two in the future over the next few years. Everything after this was just boring, barring trying to figure out what they're going to do with the Nexus-Punk mess they've made.

 

Morrison's Starship Pain onto a table looked like a horrendous bump. Either that really hurt, or he sold it really well. It sure seems like they are booking Morrison like Jeff Hardy.

While I like a good bump as much as the next guy, I would actually prefer it if he cut back a bit on high risk. It makes me wince when I see what these guys put their bodies through.

Then again, when I talk to my wrestling buddies tomorrow, I'm sure the first thing one of us will say is, "damn, did you see Morrison crash through the table?"

 

I caught the beginning match (Miz-Morrison was fantastic) and the cage match, but I never really got into the main event because there was absolutely zero question as to who was going to end up winning. The only thing I was really waiting for was CM Punk and/or Nexus to interfere and cost Barrett the win.

Morrison/Miz, however, had me guessing. I didn't think they'd take it off Miz that quick, but I wondered about the possibilities giving the title to Morrison would create. In the end, I thought both guys came off looking great.

 

I don't have a problem with Orton as the No. 1 contender, but they really need him to job to Miz at the Rumble.
Cleanly. Decisively. Without Alex Riley's interference, or some gimmicky ending.
Portraying Miz as a vulnerable champ is fine. Every match he's in, you wonder if they're going to take the belt off him -- which is a good thing, because it creates some genuine uncertainty about the outcome. But Miz really needs a decisive PPV victory over an A-Lister (Orton, Cena, Edge ... that established group) to go to the next level as a champion. Until he gets that, there's still some level of flukiness to his reign.

 

I think the first reign for him is supposed to be that. He won by a fluke, he had some help and luck fall he way, he stretched his 15 minutes as best he could, but ultimately he loses and gets his just desserts. That's appropriate for his first reign. It's the second and third reigns (if he gets them) where he should be a more mature, less fluky champion.

 

I get that. And whenever he does lose the belt, it might be one of the loudest pops the WWE has heard in quite some time. He's playing some great heel cards right now. I just think he needs that one signature victory over an A-Lister to keep from going down the path of Jack Swagger or Kofi Kingston.

Plus, he's got that feud with Cena marinating in the fridge where he can show his maturity. When they had their throwaway feud in 2008, that was Miz being young and stupid and challenging the top dog when he wasn't ready. Now, when the time comes and one or the other is champion, he can show what he's learned in the last few years and be on a more even footing.
Getting a decisive win over Orton isn't necessary for that feud, but it would give him some more credibility.

 

That Cena revisit won't happen for some time, I'd imagine. Cena just restarted stuff with Nexus, and there's almost no way the Miz will still be champ when that feud ends.

Ideal situation: Cena loses to Miz during his second reign at next year or the year after's Wrestlemania. That cements Miz as a legit champion and moves him once and for all into the upper crust of WWE.

 

Cena losing? At Mania?

Yeah right.

 

Cena would be willing to job. The question is whether Vince, et al, are willing to let him job.

 

Something no one on here is talking about is all the wrestling that was on raw. There was damn close to an hour of bell to bell time, with, really, only 1 in the ring talking segment. The show flowed and was really a great episode of raw.