2011 Pro Wrestling Thread

[Baron Scicluna]

I've never bought any PPVs. I, too, as a kid, used to love getting the videos out of the store. My parents hated wrestling, so it would be a real treat to convince my mom to let me rent a wrestling video. Usually, she'd relent for New Year's Eve (Since I had no friends in high school until junior year).

A couple of times, I also would try to watch a PPV through the blurry cable screen. I got to see the blurred vision of Ultimate Warrior beating Hogan that way. My parents weren't home that day, and, in a moment of weakness, I'd frantically tried calling the cable company to order the PPV, but they were closed. Good thing, because my parents would have killed me for not asking permission.

My freshman year at college, I got to see WM 8 the day after it was held. A friend of mine had his brother order it, tape it, and overnight mail it to him. A favorite college memory.

After I graduated, a fellow newspaper colleague ordered some PPVs. He'd tape it, and I'd throw a few bucks his way to watch the tape the next day. Mostly, I remember watching some ECW PPVs.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

And since everyone's giving their picks/analysis, here's mine:

Rey/Rhodes (Heh, Eagles fans: I think they want to push Rhodes, but I have a feeling Rey is too popular with the kiddies to have him lose here. Winner: Rey

Sheamus/Bryan: Count me as one of the people POed about Bryan's lack of a push. I'm thinking they're giving him the slow build so they can claim his success, rather than the ROH fans. Similar to Punk's career. Anyhoo, I'm going with Sheamus here, as part of his rebuilding.

Corre/Cast of thousands: I really wish they'd kept Barrett, et al as the Nexus and called Punk's group "The Corre" instead. Corre just seems too happy, instead of a sinister group of rebels. Anyhoo, I think Santino does the job here: Winner: Corre

Punk/Orton: Orton's beaten and punted every member of New Nexus, save one. I think Punk spends most of the match working over the knee injury, then Orton RKOs him out of nowhere to win. But when Orton tries to punt him again, Punk moves, and the Nexus guys come down and lay a beating on him. Winner: Orton.

LayCool/Ziggler vs. Trish/Morrison/slug: The slug earned $30K for speaking at Rutgers. Somehow, I doubt the WWE is paying her that much, or more, for her to be on the losing team. Winner: Trish/Morrison/slug.

Lawler/Cole: Lawler piledrives Cole. Stone Cold stuns Swagger. The End, until Cole shows up tomorrow night in a neckbrace and Lawler dumps coffee on him. Winner: The King

Del Rio/Edge: Del Rio wins here, just because there's really no benefit to keeping Edge as champion. Been there, done that. Winner: ADR

Cena/Miz: I said this on an earlier post. Riley interferes, Rock takes exception and beats on him. Miz gets distracted and gets FUed for the win. Then, as Cena celebrates, Rock comes back in the ring and Rockbottoms him. Crowd goes nuts. Winner: Cena

Undertaker/HHH: Hunter will try to pedigree Taker on a table, but Taker backdrops him through the Spanish announcer's table. Then Taker brings him back in, tombstones him once. Ref counts to 2, then gets pulled out of the ring by Michaels. Taker stares at Michaels. HHH hits him from behind. Pedigrees him and covers. Taker kicks out. HHH goes for second Pedigree, Taker reverses it. Michaels interferes, tries superkicking Taker, only hits HHH instead. Taker wins.

 

[schiezainc]

You know, I was thinking about the Taker-HHH match today. I really feel that the best way for Undertaker to go out would be one last match with Michaels at next year's Mania.

You have him beat HHH cleanly here and then sometime in November, have him start scouring for WM opponents for the big 20-0 try. You have Taker say he's retiring after that Mania bout and audition everyone in the WWE for the chance to take him on.

Taker doesn't like any of them and then challenges Michaels to come out of retirement for one last match. No stipulations, no clauses, nothing. Taker wins, he goes out 20-0. Taker loses, the streak is done and so is he.

Then you build the match to be even bigger and more dramatic than the final two since you know it's the last time you'll see either guy in the WWE ring again and Michaels gets over the hump, ending the streak and sending two Hall of Famers off in a way that will be talked about forever.

Or you just could have him lost to Wade Barrett. Whatever.

 

[Tommy_Dreamer]

As I have to work tomorrow (today), I won't be watching live but it is being recorded.

Please, for the love of all that is holy let Miz retain somehow!

And as I posted a while back on this thread, I can see HBK hitting HHH with SCM meant for Taker, thus ending DX and HHH's careers.

 

[ucacm]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that Jim Ross is supposed to call a few matches tonight...

 

[tripleoption34]

I'm surprised no one has mentioned that Jim Ross is supposed to call a few matches tonight...

I'd think it's a near lock JR will do the last three matches; he'll probably do the Cole-Lawler match if for no other reason the viewers will get a "Stone Cold! Stone Cold!" when Austin hits a stunner on either Cole and/or Swagger.

 

[HandsomeHarley]

I've never bought a PPV and likely never will. I've been poorer than poor for as long as I can remember, and paying that much for an event on TV instead of in person is just too much. I finally had to quit my Wrestling Observer subscription after many years because I just couldn't afford it.

I got to see WM X at a friend's house in Orlando, and he let me record it, so that was cool. I had a friend a few years ago that got all the PPVs and had parties, but we moved apart.

I hope to be able to watch in on free Internet, if anything so I can give my son the link and he can watch it because he's a much bigger fan than I am now.

As for predictions:
Rey/Rhodes: I hate Cody Rhodes almost as much as I hated his brother and old man. My son loves Rey-Rey, so I hope he wins. If they can't give DiBiase a good push, why the heck should they push Rhodes? Winner: reluctantly, Rhodes.

Sheamus/Bryan: Not a huge Bryan fan, but he is fun to watch. The only mama's boy-type I really liked was Steamboat. Don't care for Shemus at all, especially since he's attached at the hip to Trips, whom I loathe. Too soon for another title change here. Winner: The pasty white guy (wait, that's both of them) Shemus.

Corre/Oddities: OK, so I blatantly stole the "Oddities" tag, but what the heck do you call 'em? No way a bunch of misfits goes over on a badass heel team, led by Wade Barrett, whom I do like. Winner: Corre.

Punk/Orton: Love Orton, not so much Punk. Something about lip rings that make me wanna yank 'em out. I think the reason why Orton was left laying so much is to make Punk a legit threat, which he still isn't. Winner: Orton.

LayCool/Ziggler vs. Trish/Morrison/Snooki: Snooki may be a slug, but she's a hot slug, even with a disproportionate butt. And no males on this board would kick her out of bed. No other finish here than a chick-kick by Trish and 1-2-3 from Snooki.

Lawler/Cole: Anything but a sound, thorough beating to Cole will suck hardcore. I mean, Cole should sell the injuries here for several weeks, putting JR back in the booth. And for God's sake, they better destroy that stupid Cole-mine. Austin stunners to Swagger, possible JBL after a run-in. A slap to the face on Cole by JR, a King pulling-down-the-strap fist drop and piledriver (I would drop him at least three times). Winner: The fans.

Del Rio/Edge: This is probably my closest pick. They're pushing Del Riiiiiio to the moon, but they always promise a long Edge title reign until he invaribly gets hurt. A swerve wouldn't surprise me, with Del Riiiiio going over on Raw the next night. Winner: Del Riiiiiio.

Cena/Miz: Would love to see Cena-Rock last longer, but don't think it'll happen. As much as I hate to say it, I see the two joining forces, which would be campy as heck. But it is Cena. And Rock. My best guess is Rock's interference backfires, Cena wins the strap and gets laid out with a Rock bottom and elbow to end the show (which it should -- any major title match that doesn't go on last cheapens the belt). Winner: Cena the weina.

Undertaker/HHH: Anything but a Taker win will pish me off, but Trips has been doing that for years. I hope the son of a bench pulls a quad and has to retire. Another one I'm wavering on, only because Trips has so much pull. No way in heck I would end the streak -- not here, not ever. Winner: Taker.

 

[zebracoy]

All you folks saying you're going to buy this thing makes me hope that at least one of you will be around here to post a stream.

 

[KYSportsWriter]

All you folks saying you're going to buy this thing makes me hope that at least one of you will be around here to post a stream.

This. Unless I go somewhere to watch.

 

[Brad Guire]

WRESTLEMANIA!!!!

I've watched every year since 15 when Stone Cold beat The Corporate Champ. No reason to stop now.

 

[ucacm]

I can't believe it's been so long since CM Punk has held one of the top titles. SES was money, and he's been money in this feud with Orton. I hope he gets into a world title program after 'Mania.

 

[zebracoy]

Found two: The first is rather good.

http://www.vipstand.me/watch/21686/1/wwe:-wrestlemania-xxvii-%28atlanta,ga%29.html

http://blacksportsonline.com/home/2011/04/free-live-stream-wwe-wrestlemania-27-april-3rd-2011-7pm-eastern/

No virus/malware warnings from McAfee, either.