2012 Pro Wrestling Thread

Just read something on one of the wrestling sites that said having Ryback "scare off" Punk was just a tease for fans, and it gives us something to think about for the future.

Also, that segment apparently wasn't shown in the arena.

 

Wondered about that considering we heard no reaction at all when it happened. I figured it either wasn't shown in the arena or people just didn't care about Ryback. Fortunately for the E, it was the former.

 

I thought the lack of reaction was bad until I read that story.

 

Seems to me to have been a waste. Who cares about a "tease" for the future? How many fans are going to remember that two months from now?

It was the sort of thing where the arena fans would have popped huge for. Then they could have ridden the wave, with Punk giving Ryback a title shot on Raw, only to get counted out or DQed. That could have continued the tease until a future PPV.

 

SPOILER ALERT: If you watch Smackdown and don't read recaps, don't read this post. You've been warned.












Big Show is facing Sheamus for the title at HIAC.

 

And for those wondering when Beth and Natalya had a feud, they haven't.

Their match this week on Smackdown is the first -- and possibly last -- time they'll face each other.

EDIT: Never mind on the Internet title.

http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/2012/0926/556646/beth-phoenix/

 

I read they're also doing a four-team No. 1 contender's tournament for the tag team belts.
I know we've seen plenty of fits and starts with the tag division the past few years, and this is likely the latest, but I really like what they're doing with it. There's a couple of "natural" tag teams like the Usos and Prime Time Players, but they're also doing a decent job pairing up singles guys with nothing to do at the moment (Bryan-Kane, Kofi-Truth, Sandow-Rhodes, Mysterio-Sin Cara).
Seems like they've finally figured out they can keep those guys in the spotlight, double up on TV time and build or pad their resume all at once. Bryan-Kane are such a good act at the top, too, that it sucks people in and carries the other teams along for the ride. I hope they really stick with this for a while before the inevitable break-ups.

 

Sandow and Rhodes as part of a Punk-Heyman stable, perhaps?
Punk seems to like channelling an old-school vibe. They could do a Four Horseman riff with Punk in the Flair role as Alpha Dog, Sandow and Rhodes as the Tully Blanchard/Arn Anderson tag team, then juggle Ziggler (or Swagger) and Lesnar as the attack dogs/enforcers/mid-card champion contenders.
Lesnar is obviously much bigger than that role, but given his limited appearances you need another guy to fill in. Played right, it could even launch Ziggler into the stratosphere with an angle we've seen a hundred times.

Have Ziggler in the enforcer role. He does his job as second fiddle to Punk, and does it well. He runs interference for Punk a couple of times and helps him keep the title. The "no respect" theme with Punk keeps going, and Ziggler's actions only advance it (or Ziggler screws up and costs Punk a couple matches).
Finally, around January, Punk says he doesn't need Ziggler anymore. A returning Brock Lesnar comes out and destroys Ziggler and takes over as the group's attack dog.
Ziggler disappears for a while to "mend his injuries" before returning to cash in the MITB briefcase and get his vengeance against Punk, thus finally becoming WWE champion and realizing his potential.

 

That sounds perfect, except for Ziggler cashing in on Punk.

Since he holds the Smackdown briefcase, he can only cash in on the WHC.

 

Just caught up with RAW on PVR, great stuff between Punk and Foley and I loved Punk's old-school heel heat when he was out with Cena, calling Albany a "dump" and telling the stupid fans to shut up.

 

I think if they go the Four Horsemen route, it should be after Lesnar finishes up. He wouldn't be believable in any role other than leader, and everyone would just wait for him to go after Punk. Plus after taking out Triple H, I can't imagine he'd show up in a regular role in a stable, unless he shocks us all and signs a full-dates contract with WWE, giving up on UFC entirely. As it is, he wouldn't be around enough to get Punk or anyone else over in a stable, and they're going to use those precious few dates on Cena, Rock, Triple H, maybe Shawn Michaels, maybe Sheamus and maybe Punk if he goes back to being a face between now and WM.

As for KY's point about the MITB briefcase only being good for Sheamus's title, they can handwave that away using a number of methods. They could have Vickie intimidate AJ into allowing Ziggler's briefcase to be used on her show's title. If he joins the Heyman Guys, Heyman could negotiate its use on Raw's title, either as a plot point to start mistrust between Punk and Heyman and/or Ziggler.

One scenario popped into my head and I kinda like it: The Heyman Guys develop with Punk leading a stable of the Rhodes Scholars and Ziggler. Punk gets a high-profile match against Cena or Rock at WM in which he defends it successfully, a hard-fought match that ends with both showing respect (Rock works a bit better for this, I think). Next night, they celebrate, then Ziggler attacks Punk from behind with the briefcase. Rhodes Scholars joins in for the 3-on-1 beatdown. Heyman looks shocked at first ... then the look dissolves into a smile. As Cole goes crazy at the announce table, Heyman motions to the back, possibly to bring in someone else to continue the beatdown. Instead, it's a referee. Ziggler hands him the briefcase, bell rings, Ziggler picks off a beaten Punk for an easy win and they celebrate with their new champion and new leader. Then a repackaged Swagger or a high-upside kid from NXT (Big E. Langston?) becomes the new fourth guy.

 

I like that idea, too, but it reeks of what they did with Evolution some years ago when Orton beat Trips in a match and Trips, Flair and Batista turned on Orton the next night on Raw.

Granted that's been a long while ago, but it's still fresh to me. Maybe it won't be to others.