2012 Pro Wrestling Thread

There's a character for an American that goes to Japan and turns into a world-class shitkicker. Lord Tensai isn't it.

He wasn't even on the show this week, after pinning CM Punk last week and helping Laurinaitis beat up Cena two weeks ago (nice sell job on the arm, btw). The rules of the Cena-Ace match would keep him out of it, when it was heavily implied he'd be part of a handicap no-DQ match against him. Now, is he even going to be on the show? One week hiccup or are they already giving up on him?

Also everything points to Big Show, no longer a superstar, helping Laurinaitis, getting his job back and turning heel in the process. Which means they'll scrap it at the last second and have Lesnar interfere. What would really be funny is if Big Show turned on Cena, helped Laurinaitis win and get his job back ... only for Laurinaitis to announce on Raw that he's still fired.

 

The dude can't even hold onto the claw when he applies it. Either they instruct the jobbers to stop shaking their heads or they just have him quit doing it, because it ain't working. And his stupid hand movements make him look like a 10-year-old who's trying to prove to his friends he knows karate. I'm halfway waiting for him to do the hand movements then do the "Crane" move from Karate Kid while he's standing in the corner. The whole thing is just stupid. Just like the other monsters they unveiled . . . Khali, Henry, etc . . . he'll be jobbing in a month. The he's off to Smackdown waiting for a resurgence that makes no sense, like Henry and Big Show.

 

I think they're trying for the claw slam, but it's just a sloppy claw combined with a sloppy slam. The mist doesn't impress anyone in 2012, plus it makes it hard to hold on. It'd be nice if they could retool him as a Gaijin shitkicker in the vein of Vader/Stan Hansen/Bruiser Brody. He doesn't have the charisma of those guys, but people respect guys who hit the hell out of you.

 

Either that, or Show comes out to help Cena, somehow.

 

God, that would really undercut Cena, needing outside help to be John Laurinaitis.

Another run-in possibility would be an FCW call-up (Dean Ambrose being the most likely candidate).

Speaking of FCW, NXT is moving to Florida to be taped weekly at Full Sail University. Apparently WWE is trying to train TV techs and the like as well as wrestlers. I guess it'll be sort of a finishing school for FCW grads before they move up to the main roster. Being in front of a consistent crowd in a small arena should help; NXT has actually put on some pretty good television (er, internet viewing) in the last few months, but a bunch of random guys as the opening act for Smackdown makes it tough to get any reactions.

Between Ambrose (if he isn't called straight up), Seth Rollins (Tyler Black), Kassius Ohno (Chris Hero), Bray Wyatt (Husky Harris) and Richie Steamboat, there's a lot of talent percolating down there. Here's to hoping they do get saddled with an esoteric gimmick like Damien Sandow's.

 

Or they could bring back Kevin Nash! Again! Brilliant!

 

Tensai and Lesnar help Lauranitis, Show and Triple H come out to help Cena and we all get a boring six-man tag match at the next PPV for control of Raw.

 

Now that sounds like the WWE of recent vintage

Confession: I haven't watched Raw in like three or four weeks. This thread is normally plenty good enough for me, since if something interesting happens, I can just forward to that spot on the DVR, with this as a guide.

 

I'm about two weeks behind on my DVR, but I'll get caught up eventually I'm sure. I do find it interesting how many people boo Cena out the building, but still buy tickets to see him. Quite the dichotomy.
Also, I'm actually a subscriber to Figure Four Online and need to renew my subscription. Meltzer and Bryan Alvarez not only do a good job covering the wrestlig biz, but MMA as well.

 

Not knowing where the E is taking a story should be a good thing. But the whole John Cena vs. Johnny Ace seems like it's a train wreck in the making, and we're the rubberneckers.

This is the level of WCW main events, circa 2000. Your top guy doesn't wrestle for weeks on end, battling it out with the head corporate lackey in yet another rehash of Austin vs. McMahon, and some of the most compelling wrestlers and best potential for story lines (Punk and Bryan) is buried in the midcard. Add on another feud in which your other top draw only works a handful of dates, plus his opponent is a guy who wrestles three times a year (Lesnar and Triple H).

I just don't understand what the hell the E is doing right now.

 

Neither does Todd Martin, who writes the Raw Review for Figure Four Online. Here's a link to his report, where he basically says that for the good of the company, they need to overthrow Vince.

http://www.f4wonline.com/more/more-top-stories/3-news/25629-why-i-didnt-like-raw-very-much-by-todd-martin

 

I've skipped a few shows recently, or just flipped away and back, because there's compelling TV on (NBA, NHL playoffs) and because Raw's just not keeping my interest.

Which is a very bad thing, compared to 13, 14 years ago. Back then, I didn't want to miss a minute, because I'd figure I'd miss something great. Now, it's so predictable, I nearly find myself falling asleep.