Pro Wrestling Discussion

[ZariusTwo]

Russo's got himself in yet another bind after a twitter feud with a dirtsheet writer resulted in Russo's fanbase (yes, he has one) sending death threats to the writer's girlfriend, prompting Podcast One to axe Russo's show once they were notified

https://www.bleedingcool.com/2018/03...g-journalists/

[ZariusTwo]

Women's tag titles will apparently debut at Summerslam


https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCirc...ght_tag_belts/

[AT-Man]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

I wonder what they'll do with Bray since he fell into the lake of resurrection or whatever it was.

My guess is: nothing. Absolutely nothing new or interesting.

[dl316bh]

Nah, Bray's at least getting tweaked, assuming they don't just go with a full repackaging. The character's dead in the water at this point and I think even they realize that. They did it to themselves, too. The Wyatt Family could have been one of the biggest factions, with Bray one of the biggest stars, in WWE, but they kept screwing up with stupid ideas and killing the gimmick off. I could see them reverting him back to original Bray Wyatt rather than the weird edgelord version we've had the past two years and that could be enough to salvage him. But if they just go full character reboot using the Lake of Reincarnation as an out, who knows.

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

Women's tag titles will apparently debut at Summerslam

https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCirc...ght_tag_belts/

If true, the Iconic Duo is definitely main roster bound on the TV after 'Mania. They're a ready made womens tag team and haven't even been on NXT television in months anyway, so it doesn't hurt their roster depth. Ember Moon and Nikki Cross might make the jump with them (I suspect Moon is dropping the womens strap at Takeover and Nikki Cross is going whenever Sanity goes, which is probably soon).

It'll be interesting to see if it catches. Dedicated womens tag teams aren't really a "thing" the way they are for the men, at least not in NA wrestling. WWE tried back in the early nineties before Moolah f***ed that up. Iconic Duo aside, we're probably going to see a fair amount of ad-hoc womens tag teams for the early days of this. I don't know how they do this, though, if they're not starting with one set of womens tag straps and floating them. The roster depth's good enough for two singles titles - it is, they have enough women on both brands, it's just half of them can disappear for weeks at a time and end up forgotten about - but not two tag titles, not by a long shot.

[The Deadman]

WWE's Greatest Royal Rumble card is taking shape:
* IC Title Ladder Match: Seth Rollins vs. Finn Bálor vs. The Miz vs. Samoa Joe
* The Hardys vs. The Bar
* Triple H vs. John Cena
* The 50-Man Royal Rumble

[ssjup81]

I haven't watched Raw or anything yet, but have they announced who Braun's tagteam partner will be yet? Personally, I think it'd be pretty cool if it were Bray.

[The Deadman]

I think they're holding off on that until the day of the show.

[ZariusTwo]

Shane O'Mac is struggling with diverticulitis and has been hospitalized


https://www.cagesideseats.com/wwe/20...el-bryan-mania

[ZariusTwo]

WWE are teasing a surprise performance from a mystery superstar at 'Mania

http://www.mandatory.com/wrestlezone...match#/slide/1

[dl316bh]

So, we're a week and a half out from 'Mania and the card's pretty much solid. The only thing left that we know is happening that hasn't been confirmed on screen yet is Cena vs Undertaker, but geez, that's totally happening. Any predictions? Matches in particular you guys are looking forward to? Any you don't care about? The card is pretty stuffed, but there's a lot of potential for this one to be really freaking good.

The 'Dre: I love a battle royal, so it's nice there's one on the card every year. I couldn't tell you who's winning, though, because we don't know all the entrants. Maybe, like, a returning Samoa Joe or something. I think he's supposed to be cleared now anyway, but it was a little late to get him a program.

Womens Battle Royal: If they're smart - and, to their credit, they knew enough to do it for the Rumble - there's at least an hour between this and the 'Dre. This one's easier to predict. Bayley and Sasha are the only program going in and seem like they kind of got their beef rolled into it because there wasn't time for a singles. Either way, they're the last two. I figure Bayley takes it and Sasha goes nuclear on her the next night for a full heel turn. It's about time for it and it makes more sense than Bayley given the story they're telling, given Sasha's been a piss poor friend and hovering between passive aggressive and outright hostile since the Rumble.

Ali vs Alexander for the Cruiserweight title: Doesn't really matter where they go with it, since both would work great as the champ, but I'm hoping for and predicting Ali.

Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon vs Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens: Stipulations like this can suck sometimes, because they telegraph the result too much. Are Owens and Zayn really going to lose? Yeah right. But that also leaves Bryans comeback match a loss. Assuming Shane can go and is there and it isn't a handicap match - no one seems to know if the announced injuries are legit - he's eating the pin for sure.

Orton vs Roode vs Mahal vs Rusev for the US Championship: I feel like Mahal takes it. I mean, the hell does Orton need it for now that having it gave him the Grand Slam? Mahal at least has the "foreign heel with Americas title" thing WWE loves and, limited as he is, a midcard title's about as high as he should ever go anyway. Regardless, prior to Rusev being added, the only match I was less interested in was Reigns and Lesnar. Even now it's still near the bottom.

Usos vs New Day vs Bludgeon Brothers for the Smackdown Tag Titles: Bludgeon Brothers. They've been built since the fall and always seemed primed for it. Usos and New Day have literally been the focal point for an entire year of the Smackdown tag scene now anyway, so it's time.

The Bar vs Braun Strowman and Partner for Raw Tag Titles: Braun and his partner, who I assume will be Elias. I don't get how the hell we got to 'Mania without Strowman in a program to capture his first singles title at the event, but here we are. I don't think the guy walks away without a strap this year, at least, and geez, Sheamus has needed to rehab for months.

Alexa Bliss vs Nia Jax for the Raw Womens Title: This isn't going to be a great match, but it does have purpose, so it works. They've been building to it for a year now, roughly, so what the hell else do you do but pay it off? Thank god it managed to stay a singles match, too. Same for Smackdown. They'll be the first singles womens title match on Wrestlemania in eleven years. The Divas title was only ever even defended at 'Mania at XXX. Regardless, Nia rolls Bliss and if they're smart, it's a sub five minute squash with her looking dominant.

Asuka vs Charlotte for the Smackdown Womens Title: Asuka wins. The hell else do you do here? Not have freaking Kana as your womens champion? Break her streak this early? Either way, it'll be great. Carmellas probably cashing in, too, only to get got. As expected of Asuka-sama.

Undertaker vs John Cena: Gotta be honest, I expect this to be the worst match on the show and it's years too late. That may sound weird on a card with green as grass Ronda Rousey having her first match, but 'Taker looked like he could barely move last year and Roman practically had to wrestle himself at points. 'Taker hasn't looked like he has anything left since the end of his program with Brock a couple years back. I get that they don't want to let 'Taker go without at least doing this match, especially since pushing Sting off so long ended with it being impossible, but geez, let the man retire. Regardless, Undertaker wins, it's hopefully only ten or fifteen minutes so we can get out before 'Takers totally spent and with luck it doesn't look too bad.

The Miz vs Seth Rollins vs Finn Balor for the Intercontinental Title: Seth. At least, that's who I want to win. Dude got his ass in gear so far this year and leveled up. I want to see fired up Seth defending the IC title against Balor in a spring program and hopefully others.

Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle vs Triple H and Stephanie McMahon: Well, it'll be interesting to see if this is a train wreck or not. We don't know if Ronda can go and Steph's never been a super worker. I guess Kurt and Triple H might anchor it, which would be fine, but it depends on how much Kurt has left too. He's done fine in his other return matches, but was a minor element in them, so I guess we'll see if he still can anchor a match. I haven't seen what he was doing at the end of his Impact tenure and that was a couple years ago now anyway.

Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns for the Universal Title: Does anyone actually care about this match? Roman wins, the crowd boos, Vince McMahon gets upset backstage that crowds refuse his chosen one for a fourth year and we all just sigh heavily. At least the title will be on Raw every week.

AJ Styles vs Shinsuke Nakamura for the WWE Title: Match of the night for sure. Hell, it's even had the best build so far. Manipulative ass, mind games playing Nak's been the best. They should have started putting those two together to interact weeks earlier than they did. Nak wins to become the first (official) Japanese WWE champion.

Originally Posted by ZariusTwo

WWE are teasing a surprise performance from a mystery superstar at 'Mania

http://www.mandatory.com/wrestlezone...match#/slide/1

Huh. I wonder what that's all about. Surprise entries in the 'Dre now in addition to the Rumble? It would make the most sense. Or maybe the surprise is Brauns tag partner, in which case, yeah, they're definitely saving that reveal for the day of the show.

[ssjup81]

I thought that the Shane thing was legit. I thought they were saying Shane had diverticulitis or something like that and is currently being hospitalized. I couldn't see them making something like that up for a work. An injury angle, yeah, I could see them playing that, but not an actual illness or disease.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

I thought that the Shane thing was legit. I thought they were saying Shane had diverticulitis or something like that and is currently being hospitalized. I couldn't see them making something like that up for a work. An injury angle, yeah, I could see them playing that, but not an actual illness or disease.

Playing up sickness or injury to make the wrestler more sympathetic is a trick as old as time, so I wouldn't be shocked.

I'm pretty sure he's legitimately sick, though. He posted a thank you for well wishes on instagram complete with a picture of him and his family where he's clearly in a hospital, with a hospital wristband on, hooked up to a nearby IV stand. It's the hernia stuff, said in their press release to be from the kayfabe attack from Owens and Zayn, that's the question mark no one seems a hundred percent sure about, especially since they just announced the tag match on Tuesday anyway. If he really does have a hernia that needs surgery, I'm not sure how he's cleared for 'Mania even if the diverticulitis is cleared by then, unless he plans to tough it out until after the show, which is obviously not advisable.

[sdp]

I was curious and watched some of the Ronda Rousey segments and man they're awful, she can't wrestle, she can't talk, she left he UFC as a fraud. What exactly does WWE want with her?

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by sdp

I was curious and watched some of the Ronda Rousey segments and man they're awful, she can't wrestle, she can't talk, she left he UFC as a fraud. What exactly does WWE want with her?

I don't know much about UFC, but "fraud" seems too strong. Regardless, she was a huge name in UFC and she loves the hell out of wrestling, which is enough for WWE, it seems. She's not quite the star she was when she was undefeated, but there's still name value there and WWE loves that. She's going to struggle, though, because she's being thrown right in the deep end thanks to her name recognition, so it'll be sink or swim in the ring. She's probably going to start rough and we'll see how fast she picks it up.

You're right about her mic work, either way. It's bad. That might be fixable - or it might not, some wrestlers just can't talk for crap, even a couple legends - but if it were me I'd see if Heyman's down for the full TV schedule as her hype man, at least until they know whether she's going to figure it out or not.

[ssjup81]

Originally Posted by dl316bh

Playing up sickness or injury to make the wrestler more sympathetic is a trick as old as time, so I wouldn't be shocked.

I said that earlier. Playing up an injury, yeah I could see that, but I couldn't see them playing up an actual serious illness that could possibly require surgery if he does indeed have diverticulitis.

[dl316bh]

Originally Posted by ssjup81

I said that earlier. Playing up an injury, yeah I could see that, but I couldn't see them playing up an actual serious illness that could possibly require surgery if he does indeed have diverticulitis.

I could swear it's happened a few times, but I can't think of any offhand. It doesn't matter anyway. I guess we'll know if he's going in the match at some point.

[sdp]

Originally Posted by dl316bh

I don't know much about UFC, but "fraud" seems too strong.

She was very popular for being undefeated but she was fed weak opponents and yet she talked trash and positioned herself as a dominant player. Many hardcore UFC fans would always crap on her abilities but not many listened because of her dominance. She had movie deals, appeared in talkshows etc.

She was given a veteran fighter as an opponent and couldn't stand a chance, you saw in the fight how easily she was dominated by someone who was actually experienced. So fraud as she was called might've been too strong but she was definitely not on the level she and the UFC tried to put her in. She recovered, trained, told everyone it was her comeback she had worked on her weaknesses and loses horribly being outmatched once again by a different opponent and therefore her UFC career. This isn't like when Lesnar came back to WWE.

Unlike Gina Carano who was the first to popularize female MMA but might not've beent he most skilled, Ronda actually believed her hype and because of it her defeats are even more damaging than Carano's and hell Carano's career pretty much ended after her hype died down.


I first got into MMA thanks to Ken Shamrock and Tank Abbot and while both had seen better days by the time they were in WWF/WCW they still felt like real threats and could wrestle decently.

[The Deadman]

She definitely wasnt fed weak opponents.

Official Document Released Stating Banned Moves By Louisiana State Commission; Will It Affect WWE?
https://www.pw-core.com/news/Officia...tlezone/134591

[ZariusTwo]

The Miz's baby girl arrived early, her name is Monroe Sky

https://twitter.com/mikethemiz/statu...513206785?s=19

[ZariusTwo]

Paul Heyman is inducting Goldberg into the HOF. He's been chosen because he worked closely with Bill during his 2016/2017 comeback and outlined most of the ideas for his feud with Lesnar

http://rajah.com/node/61369