2016 Pro Wrestling Thread

Only live shows I've been to were for an organization called "Bad 2 the Bone Wrestling."

They came to the county fair just about every summer where I live, and I always watched the shows. Got to meet Koko B. Ware and Chris Hero because of that. Tracy Smothers also spent time there as did a guy who went by the name Manslaughter, one of my best friend's cousins who Vince McMahon had interest in back in 1998/1999. The guy wore a mask and came to the ring carrying a chainsaw. I forget what his entrance music was, but I think it was the music from Psycho.

At one of the shows I went to, I remember sitting with my friend and his mom. After his match, Manslaughter was sitting in the rafters in the gym they were in. I turned around and waved at him, and him -- being the heel he was -- flipped me the bird. I got to meet him after the show and he laughed and said 'You know why I did that, don't you?'

That was also the night two guys who claimed to be from WCW were going around to all these small independent companies and doing an "invasion" type angle. I don't know if anyone remembers hearing about those, but it was the most bizarre thing I think I've ever seen.

 

Observer from Jan. 18:

- New Japan announced they were stripping the IC title from Nakamura, instead of having him wrestle and lose to Kenny Omega (as he agreed to).

- The plan for Mania was Cena vs. Taker, so there currently isn’t an opponent for the latter. It might still be in play if Cena heals freakishly, like he has in the past.

- Gallows and Anderson are planned to debut on NXT in March. Also, Nakamura already speaks English.

- TNA’s latest PPV was only reviewed by 16 Observer readers; WWE PPVs get responses in the hundreds, and even New Japan shows get 100+. Of the 16 responding, 14 said thumbs down.

- There is a long retrospective on Sting, since he was named to the WWE Hall of Fame. New-ish details: TNA initially signed him to a one-year deal in 2006, subsidized by the Spike deal, for $500k a year. It got extended each year until 2014, which finally opened him up for a WWE deal. He was also known for not offering much to creative, and 1989 was the last time he refused to do a job, for Terry Funk. Also, even though he was clearly past his prime and not booked well, Night of Champions with him vs. Rollins did much better than expected, so he was still clearly over.

- Punk’s debut UFC fight is planned for July 9.

- It’s believed that Davey Richards has agreed verbally on a WWE deal. His TNA contract expires April 30. Eddie Edwards’ contract also expires on April 30, and it’s unknown if he’s leaving.

- Bad Luck Fale and Rocky Romero have both re-signed with New Japan. Tama Tonga is still a free agent.

- James Storm was offered less than $100k per year by WWE, and his TNA deal is allegedly for 250 percent more than WWE’s offer.

 

For all the questions about the Rumble, here's one. What's going to be Kofi's heroic move to save himself from elimination?

By my memory, he's
- Walked on his hands to the ring steps
- Jumped onto Rusev's shoulders, thrown onto the outer wall and leapt onto the steps
- Jumped onto Tensai's shoulders, dumped onto the broadcast table and used JBL's chair to bounce his way back to the ring.

 

He tightrope walked along the barrier once, and then leaped from there to the ring. That might have been the Rusev thing you're talking about.

 

Not sure, but at some point, they should have just all three members in by themselves. Then they goof around for a minute, and then one of them tries to eliminate another one.

 

That was the Rusev thing.

I don't know what they've got planned for him this year, but they have to do something to keep it going.

 

Here's the thing with turning Daniel Bryan. If they did it right, it could be amazing.
Let's say we go with the booking of DB winning the Rumble. To me, this creates the opportunity for an incredible moment either the next night or the following week (Or, hell, maybe at Fast Lane) where Daniel Bryan comes out and pals around with HHH and says he's ready to be the corporate champion and he's ready to be what's best for business.
Then, the next show, he comes out in a suit and tie ... and he's completely shaven. No beard, crew cut.
He would get so much heat. It would be nuclear.
Then, fast forward to his inevitable turn back to a face. You start it casually. Maybe he forgets to shave here and there. Maybe he grows a little goatee. Maybe he just lets the hair grow out. HHH and company tell him he's got to go back to being corporate, he resists it. You slowburn the turn, take him off TV with a storyline injury and then he returns gloriously as the goat everyone loved and missed.
This shit writes itself man.

 

Exactly. It could be such a good move. Let him spend now until Rollins gets back the Authority's company man. He loses the belt to Reigns at 'Mania. Goes a few months and can't get it back, so they start to question him and say maybe he really was never an A+ player. Leads to his little rebellions. When Rollins gets back, he returns to the Authority, they force Bryan to "do what's best for business" and help Rollins win the title instead of winning it himself. He takes time off, maybe does a couple of phone interviews, telling Stephanie he's got a new mindset and he can't wait to come back and show them how much better he'll be for the company, and how he'll definitely do what's right when it comes to Rollins. They decide to make Rollins' rematch defense of the title a triple threat with Bryan, thinking he'll help Rollins keep his belt. Instead, Bryan either walks out with the title himself or costs him the match. Sets up a great Rollins-Bryan feud, with or without the belt.

 

The only drawback is that, when Rollins comes back, he's going to 100 percent be a full-fledged face.
There's not a fan in the crowd that will boo that man.

 

A storyline injury? A STORYLINE INJURY?

 

This sounds great. The only problem is, the last two times they've tried to keep him heel (the birth of the Yes chant, the Wyatt run) the crowd kept cheering for him. They'd have to do some other stuff, like change his entrance music, maybe have him use his real name, otherwise the fans may cheer him anyways.

I've often thought thst a Cena heel turn could work like how you described, where he wears suits each week and acts like an arrogant ass.

 

He's so damn good as a heel, though. I'm sure they'll bring him back as a face, too, but he's the best heel they have when he's healthy.