2014 Pro Wrestling Thread

Slater Gator. Smart Athletic Friends (the Kofi-Big E team, if it ever makes it to prime time). Presumably the Ascension soon.

 

I honestly didn't realize Slater Gator was a thing. I just thought it was Slater's new nickname or something.

And you can't really count the other two just yet, especially the Ascension.

 

Kofi/Big E are teaming, they're just not on Raw. But they're still a tag team.

Can Miz and Mizdow be a team if Mizdow can only ape Miz's actions?

 

I'm really thinking that they're building The Ascenion up into a feud with the Dusties.

I get the feeling that The Ascension/Hideo NXT feud is going to end up in a loser leave NXT match, since The Ascension is basically telling Hideo to leave or keep getting pummeled.

 

Observer from Nov. 3:

- After Hell in a Cell, the potential booking for the Road to Wrestlemania is probably unchanged. Meaning, they’re aiming for Reigns vs. Lesnar at Mania. While Ambrose is getting over, internally, it’s being noted that it’s less than Daniel Bryan last year, who forced himself into the main event in a way. Reigns is expected back around December at the earliest, but even if he has to miss the Rumble – the most dire of the injury recovery projections – he’s expected to be the guy who dethrones Lesnar at Mania.

Lesnar is still not expected back until the Rumble. Right now, he’s the #1 heel when he’s around, with Rollins as #1 when Lesnar isn’t on a show. The pecking order for faces is Cena, Orton, Reigns and Ambrose.

- Daniel Bryan made an appearance backstage at a WWE show last week, and it was said that his right arm was noticeably smaller than his left. It’s still believed that he’s going to need Tommy John surgery, although the WWE hasn’t confirmed or publicized this at all.

- The decision to have Ambrose vs. Rollins in the main event of Hell in the Cell means that, amazingly, it was the first time two guys under 30 were in a PPV main event since November 1994. The last time, it was Undertaker vs. Yokozuna in a casket match at Survivor Series.

- Billy Jack Haynes has filed a class action lawsuit against the WWE that’s similar to ones that NFL players have filed against that league for concussions. However, it’s noted that Haynes doesn’t have a great reputation in the business – he once claimed that David Benoit was actually Vince McMahon’s son – and as a result, he might not get many other wrestlers to sign up.

Haynes also probably has a poor personal claim, since he only worked in the 1980s for the WWE, well before there was any info on CTE and the longterm effects of concussion. Also, unlike the NFL suit, there isn’t much evidence the WWE knew the risk and covered it up. There was a period of time after Benoit’s murder-suicide that they denied concussion damage, but they reversed that stance fairly quick as compared to the NFL.

- The Elimination Chamber PPV is being moved from February to June. It’ll be replaced by a PPV called Fast Lane, which is undescribed as of now. Also, Rumble has been changed from 40 to 30 participants.

- Alberto Del Rio has signed to do a Kayfabe Commentaries shoot, but he still hasn’t taken any U.S. bookings. It’s believed that he and the WWE are trying to negotiate a separation agreement now, as opposed to going to court over his non-compete. He did do an interview with Fighting Spirit Magazine and said that money is way down for lower card guys; someone who did a match on Superstars and Raw, and two promos, only got $500 for his troubles. (Meltzer says it’s probably one of the Usos.) Cody Barbierri, the employee that Del Rio slapped, has left the WWE and started his own social media consulting business.

- Although Jim Ross has said he hasn’t negotiated with Jarrett on announcing a Global Force Wrestling / New Japan show, Meltzer points out that this is more sleight of hand than anything. Barry Bloom, Ross’ agent, has been speaking with Jarrett. New Japan has also expressed interest in having an English language crew for an exported TV product, but those talks are just exploratory.

- Nothing new on the TV contract situation with TNA. Spike officials were in Japan during some of the tapings there, but it’s unknown if a deal was made or even discussed. Talent has been told that there will be an announcement at or after Bound for Glory, which is in two weeks.

- It’s believed that Kurt Angle got a new deal from TNA, but the terms and what not are completely unknown.

- The Randy Savage DVD has participation from Lanny “The Genius” Poffo (his brother) and Savage’s mother. Lex Luger is also interviewed about Elizabeth and her death, and Triple H is interviewed too.

Interesting revelation from the DVD: Missy Hyatt was actually the first choice to play Savage’s valet, but Savage asked if Elizabeth (his then wife) could do it instead. Also, amazingly, Lanny claims that Savage did have sex with Stephanie McMahon in 1993, and Dusty Rhodes also brings it up but doesn’t confirm or deny it. Obviously, since WWE is producing the DVD, they could have chosen to cut the remarks, but Stephanie doesn’t appear in the DVD to confirm or deny it, so it could just be them leaving a juicy “what if?” in to try and sell DVDs.

- Christian is doing a guest shot on Edge’s show Haven on Nov. 28. He plays the best friend of Edge, which will surely be a stretch.

- Cesaro was critical of Cena and Orton in an interview a couple days before the PPV, allegedly saying, “I mean, I’m sick of seeing John Cena against Randy Orton for the 500th time.” He then lost in two falls at the PPV, and got jobbed out on the post-PPV Raw.

- Undertaker was in Orlando this past week, working with some of the developmental talent. It’s believed the company really wants to keep him involved with this, with the added benefit that Michelle McCool could also be involved with the women wrestlers.

- The WWE signed Sunny Dhinsa, who was the 2011, 2012 and 2013 Canadian national freestyle wrestling champion in the 264-pound weight class. It’s seen as surprising because it’ll require him to give up amateur wrestling training essentially, and he was seen as having good chances to medal in 2016 and 2020.

Other signees: Zahra Schreiber, a heavily tattooed brunette and model from Michigan. Dustin Mueller, a 6’6” bodybuilder from Chicago. Gionna Daddio, a blonde Hooters’ waitress and model. And Josh Woods, who wrestled at the University of Central Florida and placed four times in four years at NCAA championships.

- Orton is starring in a sequel to Steve Austin’s The Condemned. He’ll be out of action for several weeks to film it, but there isn’t a date set for it yet.

- Michael Cole and JBL have signed up to do a podcast for EpicTimes, on the Digital News Network. It will not be wrestling-related.

- CM Punk merchandise is back on the WWE website.

 

The lovely Miss Daddio. You know, for posterity's sake.

 

I was kind of expecting more from a Hooters' waitress... Definitely a six right there.

 

Pretty much your stereotypical Florida Hooters waitress ... young blond and relatively non-descript. Though RS would, and I certainly would.

 

Since my Ask Gehrig didn't work, I'm going to try something new. I'm going to pick a random wrestler and state which year was his best.

I'll start off with Shawn Michaels.

Easily 1996. I loved his World Title reign. Throughout 1996, he had such a wide variety of matches and opponents. Even the matches that may not be considered as being good (Iron Man Match), it was still a really big match, unique in the way that such a match was never shown on WWE TV before and one of Michaels' biggest moments in his career. The dude somehow got a great match out of Sycho Sid. The Owen Hart match is pretty great, despite the fact that it doesn't get talked about much. The WWE MOTY is either Bret/Austin or Michaels/Diesel with the latter being another case where Michaels helped someone have a rare great match. For random, filler type programs, the Michaels/Mankind match delivered a great match that still gets talked about today.

1996 was a pretty rough year for the year due to so many stars leaving and Bret taking some well deserved time off. Michaels, along with Austin, helped carry the company throughout the year.

 

Shawn Michaels is an easy one. Let's see you take on Steve Lombardi

 

Oh yeah, me too, I was just expecting her to be different in certain areas. Also, Noelle Foley did confirm on this week's Cheap Heat that she is training to be a wrestler. She is also a clear 6: http://instagram.com/noellefoley - She is very, very tall. In most photos, she looks at or near Mick's height, and he's 6'2". Could be an interesting dynamic for the Divas division if she can actually wrestle, since AJ Lee is 5'2".

 

It'd either be in '91 when he beat Big Bully Busick, or '97, when he won a battle royal at MSG and got to face HBK for the title.