2011 Pro Wrestling Thread

Yeah. The positive thinker in me is believing that the WWE is biding their time with Bryan, doing the goofy comedy stuff with the Divas in order to make him pay his dues and all that WWE crap. Then eventually, they'll give him that huge push where he's a top guy.

And the negative thinker in me thinks that this will be the best that Bryan will be, because the WWE wants to teach fans not to love any wrestler who wasn't directly created by them, until, that is, the fans push it so much that the WWE gets dragged kicking and screaming into pushing the guy (i.e., Guerrero, Benoit, Punk, et al).

 

Speaking of the Undertaker, Mark Calloway accepted my friend request on Facebook last night. Not sure if it's the real Mark Calloway, but it sure as hell seems like it.

I know he's past his prime, but I'm a still a huge mark for Taker.

That shack they've been using the last couple of weeks looks pretty similar to the one the WWE used in one of Taker's first photo shoots in the 90s. Doubt it's the same one, though.

 

Why would they keep a wooden shack around for 20 years?

 

...because they can?

 

I said it looks pretty similar to the one they used back then. Not that it is.

 

Another reason why Bleacher Report blows:

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/610803-albert-pujols-peyton-manning-nfl-labor-talks-and-wednesdays-top-sports-news/entry/47872-dwayne-johnson-can-dwayne-johnson-save-wrestlemania-xxvii

"Right now the WWE is counting on The Rock to be the hook that will sell this Wrestlemania. The card they have planned looks less than stellar on paper. The main matches on the show will be Miz-Cena for the WWE Title, Edge-Alberto Del Rio for the Heavyweight Title, Triple H-Undertaker in a career vs streak match."

Not saying that can't happen, but I don't think anything other than Edge-Del Rio has been finalized, no? The above would mean Cena wins Chamber (likely, but not guaranteed) and H comes back in time to set up a quick feud with Taker (not sure going out like that is ideal, but I could see why Trips would like to become more involved in the booking/storyline/development side of things).

Bleacher Report: 90 percent speculation and lists, 10 percent blatant plagiarism, 0 percent news broken.

100 percent a pain in journalists' collective asses.

 

Yeah, I'm not too keen on a Undertaker/HHH streak vs. career, especially when we had one of those matches last year. Even if Michaels ends up being the guest ref.

 

But couldn't you just see Michaels superkicking HHH into retirement with him? I can see how they might pull it off, but damn they have a great buzz right now and I just know they're going to screw it up somehow.

 

Met Chris Jericho today at a book signing in Boston. Dude is pretty cool, seemed genuinely interested in talking to the fans. Also picked up his new book today and just from the first few pages, I can tell I'm going to love it.

Which brings me to my next question... As a lifelong WWE fan, which books would you guys recommend I read (That I haven't already). I haven't read the HBK book or the Bret Hart book so those are two right there. I haven't read the Foley books (Well, I read the first one but that was ions ago) and I'm pretty interested in catching up. Suggestions?

 

That's exactly what I see, as something where Michaels tries to superkick Taker, only he ducks and HHH gets the kick instead. Kinda like when Bret Hart beat Taker with Michaels as the ref in 1997.

 

They only have a month-plus to build up any feud at this point. How long's it been since Taker and Trips have been in a feud? I can't remember them ever facing each other for an extended period of time.

 

In order of how good a read they were:

• Chris Jericho's first book, "Around the World in Spandex"
• Mick Foley, "ManKind: Have A Nice Day" - The benchmark
• Tom "Dynamite Kid" Billington, "Pure Dymamite"
• Martha Hart, "Broken Hearts: The Life and Death of Owen Hart" - Only book to ever make me cry
• Bret Hart, "Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling"
• Eddy Guerrero, "Cheating Death, Stealing Life..."
• Harley Race, "King of the Ring" - Only drawback was it was too short. Gotta have more road stories
• Terry Funk, "More Than Just Hardcore" - Get the feeling this could have been better, too
• Ric Flair, "To Be the Man" - Love the behind-the-scenes look at WCW
• Roddy Piper, "In the Pit With Roddy" - Not a bad read.
• Dave Meltzer, "Tributes" and "Tributes II" - Can't wait for "Tributes III" Bios on deaths in wrestling
• Steve Williams, "'Cause Stone Cold Said So" - Not a bad read, but could have been better
• Jerry Lawler, "It's Good To Be King...Sometimes" - A very funny book with great history on Tennessee territory
• Bobby Heenan, "Wrestling's Bad Boy Tells All" - Another funny read
• Freddie Blassie, "Listen, You Pencil Neck Geeks" - Great history of Los Angeles territory

Meh
• Mick Foley, "Foley is Good" - Not bad, but he gets kinda political toward the end
• Kurt Angle, "It's True, It's True" - Would be a great read today, but came out too early

Disappointing
• Arn Anderson, "A Look Behind the Curtain" - Very disappointed. He stayed in character
• John Capouya, "Gorgeous George: The Outrageous Bad-Boy Wrestler..." Didn't want to pick it back up
• Steve Williams, "From Dr. Death to Dr. Life" - Disappointing
• Dave Bautista, "Batista Unleashed" - It's not a bad read, just not "up there"
• Mick Foley, "Hardcore Diaries" - Wasn't what I expected
• Joanie Lauer, "Chyna: If They Only Knew" - Nothing memorable

Stay Away From
• Hulk Hogan's first book - chock full of lies and embellishments
• James Guttman, "World Wrestling Insanity..." - Ugh. I have a copy if anyone wants to buy it
• National Wrestling Alliance: The Untold Story of the Monopoly that Strangled Pro Wrestling - Unless you're a hardcore NWA fan, this book isn't for you. A dry read with a lot of history.
• Lou Albano, "Complete Idiot's Guide To Pro Wrestling" - A Waste of Time. (See "Insanity" above)
• Bobby Heenan, "Chair SHots and Other Obstacles" - Big disappointment

These are off the top of my head (I'm at the office and can't see my library)
BTW, if anyone has an English version of Lou Thesz's "Hooker," I would love to have a copy.