2014 Pro Wrestling Thread

This spot got me to stand up out of my chair: http://youtu.be/Wy-bQaNdyX4?t=12m27s

 

And just think, Ambrose was the guy who tried to start the feud with Foley about not being hardcore.

 

How foolish is it that "I wonder how kayfabe they'll keep Total Divas with this Bella feud" has crossed my mind?

I think the Network is behind because of rights and stuff with USA. Hopefully that'll change when the new deal kicks in but I don't remember reading anything about it.

 

I believe you're correct. And given how much USA / NBC is paying for the TV contract, I doubt it'll ever be "next day" available on the network. I could see the waiting period shrunk from 30 days to something like 5 to 7 days instead though. For similar reasons, I believe USA keeps Raw replays to a minimum, if at all, because it forces people to watch on Monday night. (Although with DVRs and YouTube now in the equation, this is less effective.)

 

Would love to hear what Heyman and RVD thought of that Ambrose/Rollins match last night.

 

Here are some of my fantasy booking thoughts:

Building toward Night of Champions ...

So, was Ambrose going through the blocks a way to write him out for a bit to shoot his movie? Is he shooting it this soon? I'd let him do it and get it out of the way, even if it means missing Night of Champions.

Let Seth have a mini-feud with someone else. Who? A returning Batista. Play up the sucess of his film, and pray to god people will pop for him for a change. Then I'd have Batista futhrer turn on the Authority. He left them after two losses to the Shield, now he's back to beat their asses. Have Batista bail Reigns out of another Authority beat down by Orton/Rollins, have a couple of Batista/Reigns vs. Orton/Rollins matches.

Night of Champions card
Reigns vs. Orton 2
Batista vs. Rollins
Lesnar vs. Cena in a world title rematch

With Lesnar asserting his dominance over the supposed greatest world champion in WWE history, Lesnar says he's not coming back until a real challenger steps up. I say Reigns, who knocked off Orton again, come out and challenge Lesnar. Yes, this early. Triple H agrees with a smirk on his face, saying, "Sure, because once Lesnar beats the shit out of you, I don't have to deal with you."

Meanwhile, Ambrose comes back on Raw the night after NoC. He continues chasing Rollins with the blow off match taking place at Hell in a Cell. In the cell. I truly believe Ambrose vs. Rollins could do a great cell match. The potential is there.

Also, let Batista and Orton feud in the fall in a minor program to keep them busy through the slow part of the year. Maybe Wyatt can target Batista. Wyatt does his schtick about needing to destroy heroes, and Batista is a big hero now because of Guardians. Something like that. Maybe Orton should use a slow fall to take time off. He's had plenty of exposure at the top for the past year. And at this point, I don't care what Cena does.

Hell in a Cell card
Lesnar vs. Reigns for the world title
Ambrose vs. Rollins in the cell
Batista vs. Orton

Here's the thing about Lesnar/Reigns: have Lesnar beat Reigns cleanly, but not brutalize him like was done with Cena. This is not to bury Reigns, but to build him up. Reigns losing here, but putting up a good fight, lets himself see that he's not ready, not yet. From the night after Hell in a Cell on forward, he does not lose clean in a match. Seriously, a seven-month run to set him up as a monster face. The end result is that he qualifies for the Rumble, wins the Rumble, challenges Lesnar at WrestleMania. This is Reigns' quest: to keep growing and evolving by mowing down the roster until he can knock off Lesnar.

At least this makes sense in my mind. I have no idea if it would work.

 

Man, I think it would be a huge mistake to do Lesnar/Cena next month.

 

To me, it's the only thing that makes sense though, unless you're just not going to have a title match. I think Reigns is being earmarked for the Mania spot, which makes sense to me - He still needs a bit more time to work with the top guys. And heck, that gives them a couple months to evaluate and build and also to pivot if something weird happens. Maybe Reigns gets hurt and they want to elevate Ambrose instead because he's way more over than anyone anticipated. Maybe DB heals quicker than expected from his second surgery. Maybe they make a shocking signing of Punk. Maybe Cena and Reigns get hurt, and you have to do some weird schmoz finish.

 

I hope Reigns moves into a program with Rollins. It could be great, and could be a real good measuring stick as to where Reigns is in his development. Would he generated the same heat working with Rollins that Ambrose did? If not, maybe its time to rethink WM31.

Trips announced Cena/Lesnar 2 (3 I guess) on Twitter/Network tonight. Seems premature to me and seems really weak to do it on a random Tuesday when Cena wasn't on RAW.

 

Would not be surprised if something happens that prevents the rematch from happening. It may be wishful thinking on my part, but it just doesn't feel right. The only way it makes sense is if Cena loses via submission.

 

Not surprised. And if Cena isn't being written off TV it's the logical move. Damn, wish I had waited to go home in the fall so I could see NoC. I got a Raw without DB, but it was at least the Warrior tribute and the reformation of Evolution.

 

If you haven't seen the Journey to Summerslam special on The Shield yet, be sure to check it out. Hard not to believe all three will be major stars over the next decade after viewing that.