Pro Wrestling Discussion

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by The Deadman

Enzo Amore is now WWE's most disliked wrestler backstage

Took the place of Austin Aries

What did AA do? I mean, I'm not super surprised that he might not have been liked backstage, but I'm curious if we have an idea what he was doing.

Apparently Enzo is pursuing a music career on the side too. I wonder if he's shooting for that as a fall-back option. Dude has to know there's a definite ceiling for him, with his height and limited wrestling ability. He's probably got a shot at tag gold and the cruiserweight title if he sticks with the 'E, maybe a brief US title run, but nothing past that. Plus he's already pissing off the locker room a lot, so he might even be aware he could always be shown the door.

[GoldMutant]

Originally Posted by dl316bh

What did AA do? I mean, I'm not super surprised that he might not have been liked backstage, but I'm curious if we have an idea what he was doing.

I don't know if wrestlinginc is a valuable source, but this is what I dug up:

http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/...tin-aries-wwe/

While I don't fully agree with his attitude, I do agree with Austin on limiting the cruiserweights. Austin is arguably one of the best wrestlers today, his feud with Neville was decent. However, it's a pain that they can't expand the division.

The only time so far, to my knowledge that is, with a cruiserwight getting into somewhere else is Jack Gallagher at the Royal Rumble this year. (I don't follow NXT, so if there's anything there, let me know) I'd personally like if a team of two could challenge the tag belts, like putting Gran Metalik with Kalisto for example. It could possibly lead to greater opportunities to expand the brand. With the appearances of Titus O'Neil and for a bit, Sasha Banks, it may drive more buys of the Network instead of the same few wrestlers used on 205 Live.

Alas, it's not to be currently.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by GoldMutant

I don't know if wrestlinginc is a valuable source, but this is what I dug up:

http://www.wrestlinginc.com/wi/news/...tin-aries-wwe/

There have been rumors of Austin Aries being a bit difficult backstage for years in other companies, so it's not terribly surprising to me. Still, it's a shame, because the guy was a good worker and had a ton of charisma. I really liked his stint on color and he really had some witty comments. I still think they ought to have pulled the trigger on him winning the Cruiserweight title at Wrestlemania, especially since the scene has been weak since he left up until they decided to position Akira Tozawa as the next in line. But what's done is done, I guess. Maybe they knew better than I did, given Aries was looking to get out anyway.

The only time so far, to my knowledge that is, with a cruiserwight getting into somewhere else is Jack Gallagher at the Royal Rumble this year. (I don't follow NXT, so if there's anything there, let me know) I'd personally like if a team of two could challenge the tag belts, like putting Gran Metalik with Kalisto for example. It could possibly lead to greater opportunities to expand the brand. With the appearances of Titus O'Neil and for a bit, Sasha Banks, it may drive more buys of the Network instead of the same few wrestlers used on 205 Live.

The tag belts thing could work. Otherwise, it's not terribly surprising they're held out of other divisions, just because that's been the way of things as far back as WCW. Their cruiserweights were kept separate as well, aside from huge battle royals. The only other belt the cruisers ever really challenged for there is the TV title. Anytime the poor guys got tossed with bigger dudes, you got stuff like Kevin Nash tossing Rey Mysterio into a trailer like a lawn dart.

[BubblyShell22]

That's sad about Austin Aries as I felt he was always a good worker and had a good heel character, but if you can't get along with the guys, that's a problem. Same goes for Enzo and that's also a shame considering the guy has a good character and I loved his work with Cass. But I also think people aren't going to respond to him like they did when he was in a tag team because of how limited he is with what he can do.

Personally, I think they should bring the TV title to WWE to give more people a shot at something. I also agree that having the cruiserweights strictly on RAW is stupid though I do get why they do it because of having three hours to work with instead of just two.

[The Deadman]

They brought all the Cruiserweights to Raw and don't even give them enough time and barely use any of them.

[ZariusTwo]

Don Callis (formerly WWF's Jackal and ECW's Cyrus) was on Austin's podcast lately and told a funny story about Kurgan and how he got his Oddity dancing gimmick. Vince caught him dancing at a post-Wrestlemania party. Don had begged Kurgan not to get up and dance because Vince reckons if you're comfortable doing something silly in front of him, you can do something silly of front of millions of people

[BubblyShell22]

That reminds me of how Cena got his rapping gimmick. He was with some other WWE superstars and they were rapping together and the creative team heard him and decided to use that for his gimmick. I used to love the Oddities as silly as they were.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by BubblyShell22

Same goes for Enzo and that's also a shame considering the guy has a good character and I loved his work with Cass. But I also think people aren't going to respond to him like they did when he was in a tag team because of how limited he is with what he can do.

I think those two are going to end up reuniting or let go. Enzo is bad in the ring but has the mouth and wit of a superstar. Cass is alright in the ring and great off hot tags but can't talk worth a damn. It's been the same problem they've had since NXT, it hasn't improved and it's probably going to sink the both of them. Some teams just shouldn't be split for practical reasons and their uses. In the case of these two, they cover each others weaknesses. It's sort of like trying to make one of the Road Warriors a singles star.

Personally, I think they should bring the TV title to WWE to give more people a shot at something.

The reason I think they ought to bring one back is more practical. It gives something to defend every week, giving a title match to your shows, is low to mid tier enough that anyone can go for it and look credible and also allows a title you can have defended and won/lost on free TV, given how rare it is for any top tier titles to end up that way. It's basically bringing the US title open challenge that ran each week as the specific gimmick for a title belt.

[TheCanadiandrome]

Originally Posted by The Deadman

They brought all the Cruiserweights to Raw and don't even give them enough time and barely use any of them.

yeah should've had it across both RAW and SD Live. further proof that the whole Brand Extension bs hasnt worked this time around like it did last time. not enough roster and not enough focus goin where it should or is needed

Originally Posted by BubblyShell22

Personally, I think they should bring the TV title to WWE to give more people a shot at something.

too many damn titles as it is with the brand extension bullshiat. it would easily get lost in the shuffle like the CW Title.

[The Deadman]

Originally Posted by TheCanadiandrome

yeah should've had it across both RAW and SD Live. further proof that the whole Brand Extension bs hasnt worked this time around like it did last time. not enough roster and not enough focus goin where it should or is needed



too many damn titles as it is with the brand extension bullshiat. it would easily get lost in the shuffle like the CW Title.

There's 4 titles each on both brands, like there was during the original brand extension, the only difference being the wild card belt in the Cruiserweight title is on Raw instead of Smackdown.

[BubblyShell22]

I agree about Enzo and Cass and I always hate it when tag teams are split up so abruptly. I get that they want the stars to try to go and do singles stuff, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by BubblyShell22

I agree about Enzo and Cass and I always hate it when tag teams are split up so abruptly. I get that they want the stars to try to go and do singles stuff, but sometimes it just doesn't work out.

Yeah, there are a fair number of occasions it just doesn't work out. But the Rockers split and HBK became one of the top singles competitors of all time so I guess Vince thinks it can happen again anytime, with anyone, when not every team can run solo.

By the way, I joked earlier about making a Road Warrior a singles star, but WCW actually toyed with that a bit. They tried it with Hawk for a cup of coffee in their last WCW run. It went as well as you're thinking.

further proof that the whole Brand Extension bs hasnt worked this time around like it did last time. not enough roster and not enough focus goin where it should or is needed

There's plenty of roster. It's possibly the biggest they've had in a long time. It's part of why they did the extension, especially with all the new indie guys coming through. Even with the roster this size you still have guys disappearing for weeks because there's not a lot to do with them or not enough time. No one's seen Dolph Ziggler for about a month, for instance (not that such is a huge loss, being honest). It's only going to get bigger.

[tmntfannumerouno]

Originally Posted by dl316bh

Yeah, there are a fair number of occasions it just doesn't work out. But the Rockers split and HBK became one of the top singles competitors of all time so I guess Vince thinks it can happen again anytime, with anyone, when not every team can run solo.

By the way, I joked earlier about making a Road Warrior a singles star, but WCW actually toyed with that a bit. They tried it with Hawk for a cup of coffee in their last WCW run. It went as well as you're thinking.


There's plenty of roster. It's possibly the biggest they've had in a long time. It's part of why they did the extension, especially with all the new indie guys coming through. Even with the roster this size you still have guys disappearing for weeks because there's not a lot to do with them or not enough time. No one's seen Dolph Ziggler for about a month, for instance (not that such is a huge loss, being honest). It's only going to get bigger.

Don't forget about Animal's run in WCW around 2001.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by tmntfannumerouno

Don't forget about Animal's run in WCW around 2001.

Wow, I completely spaced that. I'd heard about it, but the last year of WCW was such a mess everything just kind of blurs together and I think it got lost in the muck in my mind. It's not surprising, though, as I think Hawk was still deep in his addictions and problems around that time.

[The Deadman]

So I did a little research based on what Kevin Sullivan said about beating Goldberg on Nitro before he repackaged the character, and according to Cagematch...Goldberg and Dean Malenko went to a 60 minute draw at a house show in 1998. If that's even the slightest bit true, that's pretty impressive, even by Goldberg standards.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by The Deadman

So I did a little research based on what Kevin Sullivan said about beating Goldberg on Nitro before he repackaged the character, and according to Cagematch...Goldberg and Dean Malenko went to a 60 minute draw at a house show in 1998. If that's even the slightest bit true, that's pretty impressive, even by Goldberg standards.

That's a little hard to believe. Goldberg wasn't a long match guy, even in his peak. But if anyone could make it happen, it's Dean Malenko. Dude was a wizard of wrestling.

[GoldMutant]

Originally Posted by dl316bh

There's plenty of roster. It's possibly the biggest they've had in a long time. It's part of why they did the extension, especially with all the new indie guys coming through. Even with the roster this size you still have guys disappearing for weeks because there's not a lot to do with them or not enough time. No one's seen Dolph Ziggler for about a month, for instance (not that such is a huge loss, being honest). It's only going to get bigger.

It's also becoming a pain depending on which show you're watching. For Raw, the only women we get to see are Sasha Banks, Bayley, Alexa Bliss, and Nia Jax. I know that due to Bayley's injury, we got to see Alicia Fox, Mickie James, Emma, and Dana Brooke, but we should see them more often. The first three especially; nothing against Dana, but she still needs a lot of work despite having a strong build.

On Smackdown though, the midcard is severely lacking as is the tag team division. Apparently, Luke Harper and Sin Cara have joined up at house shows as have Erick Rowan and another guy (I think it was Aiden English). We do get Breezango entertaining us with the Ascension, but with Primo's injury, the Colons are gone too.

It'd really help that if there's a supposed shake-up, we get some of these going to NXT in hopes they can do better things. Dolph Ziggler, Dana, and maybe a few others could be worth a trade over for built up names like Asuka and Bobby Roode. It could hopefully give some of the main roster names a rejuvenation, as it did with Tyson Kidd before his injury by Samoa Joe.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by GoldMutant

The first three especially; nothing against Dana, but she still needs a lot of work despite having a strong build.

Dana had no business being called up when she did. She came as part of a package with Emma, but Emma went down to injury almost immediately, leaving her to switch to Charlotte. Now she's solo and it's clear she never had the time in developmental she needed to really thrive. I'd send her back down for a bit to reinvent herself, much like Emma did.

On Smackdown though, the midcard is severely lacking as is the tag team division. Apparently, Luke Harper and Sin Cara have joined up at house shows as have Erick Rowan and another guy (I think it was Aiden English). We do get Breezango entertaining us with the Ascension, but with Primo's injury, the Colons are gone too.

I think the Fashion Police angle is going to end up with Rowan and Harper reunited sans Bray. There's nothing else going on with them and the tag division needs them. Plus, who else really fits in with the goofy supernatural turn the Fashion Files segments take on sometimes? Harper proved he can be compelling in singles, but it's not the time since most of the card is booked solid.

It'd really help that if there's a supposed shake-up, we get some of these going to NXT in hopes they can do better things. Dolph Ziggler, Dana, and maybe a few others could be worth a trade over for built up names like Asuka and Bobby Roode. It could hopefully give some of the main roster names a rejuvenation, as it did with Tyson Kidd before his injury by Samoa Joe.

Well, Asuka and Bobby Roode are probably on their way up to the main roster soon. Asukas definitely dropping the NXT womens title in Brooklyn and I don't think Roode will be far behind.

[The Deadman]

Originally Posted by dl316bh

That's a little hard to believe. Goldberg wasn't a long match guy, even in his peak. But if anyone could make it happen, it's Dean Malenko. Dude was a wizard of wrestling.

If it is true, that's 60 minutes of no selling Dean Malenko's offense. Goldberg was pretty ****** at selling.

[jbeeman85]

The only place I have found so far with any listing of Goldberg and Malenko going to a time limit draw has a bunch of results that are total jokes:
http://www.ddtdigest.com/updates/h0000057.htm