2014 Pro Wrestling Thread

I mostly enjoyed Raw. There wasn't anything amazing about it, but I thought they've done a better job of steering into the smark skid than I expected them to.

They're doing a good job of spreading things around right now, laying some groundwork for longer-term feuds, so that we don't get the same guys beating up on each other week after week after week.

Daniel Bryan is getting plenty of screen time. The Wyatt/Shield feud is perfectly paced and fantastic. Dean Ambrose's face when Mark Henry was coming down was wonderful.

 

Of all the crappy ways they have screwed up hot storylines in the past several years, it's been amazing how much they have done right with The Shield. I can't really nitpick much at all. They even changed the leader of the group without burying the former leader. Eventually, they will have to split, but the slowburn has been incredible.

The face off with The Wyatts last night was almost perfect, too. That is how you build anticipation for a match.

 

The Wyatts/Shield angle is the best thing going right now and it's not even close. There is so much potential there. Wyatt is the most fascinating character they've had in a long time and all three guys from the Shield should one day be big stars.

 

I want to see every move in WWE countered into a Sister Abigail.

 

Everything seems pointed toward a Wyatt win at EC and Shield fracturing either at or shortly after the show, but I'd like to see this go to WM with some sort of gimmick match (Hell in a Cell would have been ideal, but it's still pegged to a PPV in October, so that's out).

Hold the Shield breakup to MITB, when Reigns wins the briefcase and, despite Ambrose's protests, schedules a match for the title instead of doing the traditional swoop-in-on-a-downed-champion-and-cash-in method. Then Ambrose (and maybe Rollins, though he really seems suited to be a face) cost Reigns the title match, and that sets the Reigns-Ambrose feud rolling.

 

I can see the Wyatt-Shield feud continuing into Wrestlemania in some form or fashion. Either another six-man tag with some sort of stipulation (most likely) or two matches where they pair off. Maybe Bray-Ambrose for the U.S. Title, and Rollins/Reigns vs. Harper/Rowan in a tag match.
An ideal situation would be a six-man elimination match for the U.S. Title at WM. There's a lot of different ways you could go with it. You could cap a long Wyatt-Shield feud, kickstart the Shield breakup if that's how they want to go (either by having Reigns win the title or somehow costing Ambrose the title, or even having Rollins win it and the other two turn on the guy who's been the peacemaker), or give the title to Wyatt and have him actually defend the damn thing once in a while to use it as a springboard to the next level.

 

The sad thing is, I still think the Shield has a lot of steam left as a group. They could probably go another year as a heel team, and then have a babyface run before breaking up. But the E doesn't usually keep groups like that together too long.

 

If rumors are to be believed, the Shield isn't really breaking up. One of them, most likely Reigns, is leaving and dirtsheets have said his replacement will be Mason Ryan.

Best part of Raw, aside from the Lita announcement, was the stare down between the Wyatts and the Shield. Other than that, it was a pretty damn boring show.

 

I don't know if I want a minor belt on Bray Wyatt. Doesn't seem to fit the persona.

 

Very true, especially given what the belt has become. A solid feud with him, Ambrose and their respective factions with the U.S. belt as a piece could give it back some gravitas. But I do agree that it could drag Wyatt down. He seems like he could be poised for a big summer. Maybe a MITB win, or a championship feud heading toward Summerfest?

 

Rick is right. That's the thing about Wyatt ... does a character like that care about championships? He's just this weird force trying to dole out his philosophical and societal whatever by beating them into the people he deems worthy of beings shown his truth. Why would he give two shits about the US title? I could see the world title as a goal because he would see it as a platform for spouting his crazy shit to the masses. The US is going to be retired soon. It's rarely defended anymore, the belt hasn't seen a re-design since it was re-introduced a decade ago (even the ECW title got a facelift, even if it was an ugly belt), and even JBL is being fed lines to remind us that it's rarely defended. What happened to the kayfabe rule that titles must be defended every 30 days? (A big exception being Punk in December 2012, because you don't kill a run like that just because dude had his knee scoped. Sheeet, I've had my knee scoped, no bigee.) They really couldn't be bothered to have Ambrose do one lousy defense per month and tape it for Main Event? Doesn't have to be PPV every month.

 

This week’s Observer / Internet gossip stuff…

- One of the satellite feeds for Raw, before it officially went on the air, had Cole and Lawler cracking wise, maybe, about Punk being gone. For about 30 seconds, the crowd is chanting “CM-Punk, CM-Punk,” which makes Cole laugh and say into the mic, “Go-away, go-away.” The chants dies after about 15 seconds, Lawler laughs and says, “Well, that ended quickly.” It’s being billed on the various dirt sheets as them shitting on Punk, although from my reading of it, Cole’s remarks could also be seen as a rejection of the crowd in general. The clip is on various torrent and wrestling sites.

- Speaking of Punk, he’s definitely gone; it’s not an angle. Punk was the #2 merchandise guy behind Cena, so Vince wants him back in the fold, and he’s going to try to negotiate with him, even though HHH is now head of talent relations. (It apparently goes Cena, big gap, Punk, big gap, Sin Cara and Ultimat Warrior and Daniel Bryan, depending on the month.) While most do think it’s a build-up thing with Punk that made him leave, he also specifically mentioned that he’s not interested in a match with HHH at Mania, which is seen as a slap at HHH.

Right now, the company is planning as if he won’t be available. He’s being removed from an apparel and merchandising deal. Reaction among wrestlers to him leaving is mixed, in contrast to fan perspective; a lot of people were tired of his negativity and also worried about all the pain he was inflicting on himself with his work style.

- The WWE finalized a contract with Sky; they’re staying with them in the UK through 2019. The new contract triples their existing rates. The UK is their second-biggest market, even surpassing Canada and Mexico.

- After scouting him for about a week, WWE either didn’t want to sign Kenta Kobayashi, or he wasn’t interested in signing with them, depending on what side you believe more. The WWE-side said that they already have a bunch of smaller guys in development, which didn’t leave much room for the 5’8” Kenta.

- Toby Keith did almost buy TNA, with the idea of Jeff Jarrett also chipping in money and being the booker, but the talks fell apart because Dixie Carter’s dad insisted that she be kept on and still have some creative control. Keith didn’t want to buy the company with those conditions, and as a result, he and Jarrett believe it would just be easier to start from scratch. If and when it launches, it would be late 2014, after TNA’s current contract would expire.

- Speaking of TNA… As of his first few TV appearances and tapings, MVP still didn’t sign his contract, but TNA put him on TV anyway. It’s not like the WCW vs. WWF days, where they would have to worry about him showing up on Raw, but WWE has been open to him returning as a midcard guy.

The UK tour with TNA allegedly went really well, primarily because 1) the audience is always more receptive than a US crowd and 2) there were no carpet-bagging WWE/F stars like Hogan, RVD, Hardy, etc., so the locker room morale was a lot better. Angle isn’t seen as much of an interloper as those guys.

- The Jim Ross Podcast debuts on Feb. 19, with Steve Austin as the first guest. Eric Bischoff is also going to do a weekly radio talk show, although it’s unclear if it’ll be wrestling focused. Total Divas debuts its second season, 10 episodes, on March 16.

- In a house show, Cena got poked in the eye by Orton. It swelled up so bad that he was barely able to finish the match. This is why he wasn’t shown on Raw. Naomi also suffered a bruised orbital bone and/or eye socket, and it’s unknown how much TV and ring time she’ll miss.

- Despite the negative reaction so far to Batista, Punk, Bryan, etc., there are no plans to change the Wrestlemania card, beyond slotting in Bryan for Punk vs. HHH. Rock has confirmed he won’t be available for 2014, but he has at least left the door open for an appearance or more at Mania 2015.

- Angle is still seen as a definite to be leaving TNA when his contract expires. Even if he can’t get cleared by the WWE, he’s somehow still on good terms with Jarrett, even though Karen Angle is now his wife.

- Sting to the WWE is still seen as “super close,” with the merchandising and when he debuts being the sticking point. It’s not clear if he’ll be seen at this Mania, or next year’s.

- Hall of Fame, Paul Bearer is scheduled for this year, unless they can get Mr. T onboard as the third major star instead.

- The WWE isn’t booked for Extreme Rules in Seattle on May 4, contrary to some published reports.