Professional wrestling thread

Assumably this would be to put Punk over as the new face of ECW (Lashley was never intended to be here; apparently Bob Sapp was almost signed to Lashley's spot, but it fell through). If it works out like that, it's okay. But will ECW even be an entity by Wrestlemania? I'm starting to have serious doubts.

Hogan-Big Show: This is supposed to be this generation's Hogan-Andre, but c'mon, we've seen plenty of Hogan-Big Show/The Giant in the last 10 years. Maybe they can do a rematch of the monster truck challenge on top of Cobo Arena, since they're trying to recapture Detroit Rock City vibes.

Batista-Undertaker: Unless Batista plans on turning heel, I don't see the appeal of that match (I don't want Batista getting to break the WM streak and I don't want Taker as champion at this point in his career).

Vince-Foley: I appreciate Vince's ability to bleed and get his ass kicked for the sake of the product, but Foley is so deteriorated as a worker and so insufferably bad as a character in the last year that I don't really care whether he gets revenge on Vince for firing him (or -- heaven help us -- for some laundry list of worked shoot charges). I've seen Austin-Vince, Hogan-Vince, HBK-Vince, HHH-Vince, Rock-Vince, Shane-Vince, hell, Stephanie-Vince. The only person I want to see get his hands on Vince now is Bret Hart, and that ain't happening.

Cena-Orton/HHH -- Orton would have been a great challenger for Cena before he started smoking pot in the open. His character needs to be rehabilitated, and while having him with Edge against DX is a start, he doesn't have that glimmer of main eventer that he did when they gave him the title two years ago (holy shit, has it really been two years?). They tried with the Hogan match, but you're never going to get anything out of wrestling Hogan. Cena-HHH needs another year before people want to see that, since that was HHH's last heel feud. Cena-HBK wouldn't be a bad match in that they haven't worked a lot against each other.

There's still four months to go, but that is one shitty lineup for the biggest sports entertainment spectacle of the year.

 

How immensely cool would it be to see Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon?

I'd totally plunk down $40 for that!

 

That would be soooooo worth it. Just too bad it'll never happen.

 

In a steel cage ... with Stone Cold holding the key to the cage ... yeah, I'd plunk down hard-earned cash to see that (even though there's no chance in hell of it ever coming off) :|

 

The writer ad illustrates WWE's problem.

If someone with TV experience was, you know, good at their job, they wouldn't be writing for WWE.

They need people who are good writers with knowledge and an appreciation for their product writing the shows--not some guy who was on the script staff for "Yes, Dear."

 

They're also fairly inconsistent about wanting people with experience of the product. Before they weeded those types out (assumably because people familiar with WWE would probably try to exise HHH/Cena/McMahons from TV in short order).

McMahon's always going to want some sense of television writing on his shows, because he honestly thinks the backstage skits should have the impact and finish of a TV show. Never mind that with rare exceptions like The Rock or Steve Austin, most wrestlers are at BEST B-grade actors.

But you know what, I don't have shit for TV experience other than being an end user, but I'm going to apply anyway. They'll fire me the moment I write out a Samoa Joe-CM Punk 60-minute Iron Man match for the Wrestlemania main, but fuck it, if I can't beat the mob, maybe I can nudge it in a more rational direction (i.e. away from sanitized ECW, The Miz and anything involving the word "ass" that isn't preceded by the words "roody poo candy".

 

I find no shame in saying I would jump all over that if I had TV-writing experience.

But I agree with Mystery Meat. My idea of what the business should be doesn't exactly mesh with the McMahons.

I'd probably fit in better at pre-Russo TNA.

 

I'd apply regardless of the lack of prerequisites, if I hadn't gotten a reader letter from McMahon after a column I'd once written following Curt Hennig's death.

 

Well, the one good thing about that potential WrestleMania card is that HHH FINALLY gets to main event at the biggest show of the year. I can't remember the last time he got to wres ... oh wait ... he's been in the 'Mania main event the last FIVE WrestleManias (vs. Jericho in 2002; vs. Booker T in 2003; vs. Benoit and Michaels in 2004; vs. Batista in 2005; vs. Cena in 2006 ....... and now Cena again in 2007? :-\). I guess he wants six, eh?

 

Do you have the column link available? the letter he sent on a link?

 

I stand by my statement that it isn't totally Triple H's fault. Although I know he does tend to dominate TV time and the title picture, there really aren't a lot of other big name alternative main eventers that will generate PPV buys.

Part of it is Triple H's fault for driving off some guys by monopolizing the top spot. But part of it is also the WWE's fault for failure to build new stars to replace the Jerichos, Christians, Rocks, Austins, etc.

Time to ditch the brand split. That's the only way they'll fill the card back out again with feuds we haven't seen 40 times.

 

As for the WM23 stuff, I think a few things I'd want to see are:

Foley vs. Terry Funk
RVD vs. Jeff Hardy
CM Punk vs. Chris Benoit
Ric Flair vs. Dusty Rhodes

What we will get:

Vinny Mac vs. his arse