Author Topic: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)  (Read 22841 times)

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Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #25: February 22, 2016, 08:30:44 PM »
Shane vs. Taker at WM!!!! Holy crap.

Offline BerakosVA

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #26: February 22, 2016, 08:35:06 PM »
Shane vs. Taker at WM!!!! Holy crap.
No freaking way!!!!

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #27: February 22, 2016, 08:36:34 PM »
No freaking way!!!!

Hell in a Cell at that.

I'm sure it'll be Shane and someone else versus Taker... but Vince got me again.

Offline BerakosVA

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #28: February 22, 2016, 08:40:43 PM »
Yeah. There's gotta be more to this...

Offline imref

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #29: February 22, 2016, 11:09:14 PM »
I still think they should have gone with Nakamura vs Undertaker, or even Styles vs Undertaker continuing the theme that Styles must prove himself in the WWE by beating top stars.  UT vs Shane in a replay of the Trump/McMahon storyline from years ago will get a cheap pop, but it's not going to elevate anyone, and the biggest issue they have right now is a lack of new stars.

So WM's top three matches seem pretty predictable:
Reigns vs. HHH (gotta think Reigns goes over)
Lesnar vs Ambrose (Lesnar has to win this, maybe he faces Reigns next?)
UT vs Shane (UT isn't going to lose to Shane unless it's some kind of storyline double-cross where he intentionally loses to give Shane control)

The rest of the card will be filler. 

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #30: February 22, 2016, 11:20:01 PM »
Don't care if it's wrong... yes I cheered HHH rearranging Roman's face.

Offline Vega

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #31: February 23, 2016, 08:58:16 AM »
Don't care if it's wrong... yes I cheered HHH rearranging Roman's face.
It's not just you. Everyone in the arena was going nuts for it. HHH is the biggest babyface in the company right now. This is the most poorly executed attempted babyface push in history.

Offline NJ Ave

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #32: February 23, 2016, 01:45:07 PM »
It's not just you. Everyone in the arena was going nuts for it. HHH is the biggest babyface in the company right now. This is the most poorly executed attempted babyface push in history.

I feel like there's a path forward here, given the following facts.

1. They've set up Reigns to feud with HHH.
2. HHH is popular because everyone knows what a great job he's doing with NXT.
3. They still don't seem to have a good strategy for pushing the NXT guys up to the main roster.

So what if they bring the "HHH guiding the young NXT guys" storyline to the forefront, and set it up as Reigns (the heel) vs. HHH and his NXT guys (the babyfaces)? Hell, I could even see Reigns/Owens/Rollins (when he returns) vs. Balor/Styles/HHH, with Samoa Joe and Nakamura possibly on either side?

I'd enjoy the hell out of that storyline. Let Bray Wyatt and his band of giants take care of the "giant" side of the roster.

Offline imref

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #33: February 23, 2016, 02:58:18 PM »
There are reports that Batista is being recruited to referee HHH vs Reigns

In thinking about the UT vs Shane match, why would UT want to beat Shane? That seems to be a plot hole.

I agree that Reigns needs to turn heel, maybe a dual turn where he goes heel and HHH goes face, then you've got potential programs with Reigns vs Cena, Ambrose, Lesnar, or even Rollins when he returns.  I doubt they push the NXT guys to the top that quick.

Offline NJ Ave

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #34: February 23, 2016, 06:00:29 PM »
I doubt they push the NXT guys to the top that quick.

*sigh* I know you're right, I do. I still have a glimmer of hope that Vince will realize how crappy the product has been and actually do something with all the Japan talent they've bought. Create a really good bunch of cruiserweights and just basically operate two levels within the main roster. But I'm sure we'll just get another Ryback push instead. This time with drop kicks! Blech.


Offline Vega

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #36: February 25, 2016, 10:55:39 AM »
I got a ticket to the NXT show here in April.

Offline imref

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #37: February 25, 2016, 12:14:12 PM »
I got a ticket to the NXT show here in April.

the one with Nakamura?

Offline imref

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #38: February 25, 2016, 12:17:24 PM »
*sigh* I know you're right, I do. I still have a glimmer of hope that Vince will realize how crappy the product has been and actually do something with all the Japan talent they've bought. Create a really good bunch of cruiserweights and just basically operate two levels within the main roster. But I'm sure we'll just get another Ryback push instead. This time with drop kicks! Blech.

Pollack and Bauer on their podcast were lamenting the missed opportunity to have someone like Kevin Owens act as a surrogate for Shane, and use the story to set up a "new WWE" vs "old WWE" - the scrappy, smaller, guys like Owens against the muscle heads / cartoon characters that Vince so adores.  They could have set up UT vs Owens as a proxy fight similar to the Trump/McMahon/Umaga/Lashely match from WM23.  Instead, they come out of Shane vs UT without any new star.

The backstage talk is that the writing crew and Vince didn't feel anyone on the current roster was worthy of facing UT.  That speaks volumes as to their inability to create new stars, and yet they blow every chance they get.


Offline Vega

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #39: February 25, 2016, 12:24:10 PM »
the one with Nakamura?
Not Takeover. It's one of house shows they just announced. It is a few days after Mania, so the roster will be in flux given that Bayley, Sami, Enzo, Cass, Carmella, and possibly Joe will all probably be called up on the post-Mania Raw. Probably a safe guess that Nakamura will be there.

Offline imref

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #40: February 27, 2016, 10:08:23 PM »
Balor is tweeting about "bulletproof" on Raw tomorrow.  Maybe gallows and Anderson arrive?

Offline Vega

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #41: February 28, 2016, 08:40:20 AM »
Balor is tweeting about "bulletproof" on Raw tomorrow.  Maybe gallows and Anderson arrive?
Nope. He only said Monday, not Raw. The tweet is also a picture of a Balor Club shirt that says Bulletproof on it. That's all it is. A new shirt releasing.

Offline imref

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #42: February 28, 2016, 09:46:48 PM »
Wrestling observer says that Kota ibushi is likely to be part of the wwe global cruiser tournament.  He would be a heck of a signing for them if he sticks around.

Offline Lintyfresh85

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #43: February 29, 2016, 01:25:25 AM »
I'm really interested how this cruiser tournament will work. I'm guessing Mauro is going to be calling it with Graves (?) and will it bleed into WWE/NXT storylines or is it going to be billed as a once a year standalone product?

Offline imref

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #44: February 29, 2016, 08:22:57 AM »
I'm really interested how this cruiser tournament will work. I'm guessing Mauro is going to be calling it with Graves (?) and will it bleed into WWE/NXT storylines or is it going to be billed as a once a year standalone product?

WO says it is meant to be a showcase for independent talent, giving them a chance to shine before a WWE-NXT crowd, and a possible launching pad for a WWE-NXT deal.  Ibushi would instantly be the favorite to win it.  Think of him as a younger, taller, AJ Styles.  An incredible talent.  I'm just surprised he didn't take the opportunity afforded by the NJPW departures to go there full time as a top guy.  Before his neck injury last year he was almost at the level of their big four (Tanahashi, Nakamura, Styles, and Okada).

Here's Ibushi vs Nakamura from WK 9 (with JR and Striker on commentary.) Meltzer rated this as a five star match

http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2qnx33

Offline Vega

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #45: February 29, 2016, 08:30:04 AM »
I doubt Ibushi wins it. Rumor has it that the idea is to use tournament to launch La Sombra.

Offline Minty Fresh

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #46: February 29, 2016, 03:13:24 PM »
I watched RoH last night.  There's a lot of talent there but they appear to have a "no sell" policy that runs company-wide.

Offline imref

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #47: February 29, 2016, 03:57:45 PM »
I watched RoH last night.  There's a lot of talent there but they appear to have a "no sell" policy that runs company-wide.

Did you watch the Young Bucks by any chance?  :)

The biggest problem used to be the lighting but they recently fixed that.  I don''t really buy Lethal as a credible champ.

Offline Vega

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #48: February 29, 2016, 04:52:20 PM »
Did you watch the Young Bucks by any chance?  :)

The biggest problem used to be the lighting but they recently fixed that.  I don''t really buy Lethal as a credible champ.
Jay Lethal is freaking awesome despite his dumbass finisher.

Offline imref

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Re: Pro Wrestling: Then, Now, Forever (2016)
« Reply #49: February 29, 2016, 05:08:51 PM »
Jay Lethal is freaking awesome despite his dumbass finisher.

he's a great wrestler, but I just don't see him as a credible world champion.  FWIW, they just booked a face turn for him.

Vega, if you haven't seen the time when he impersonated Ric Flair, and got into a verbal altercation with Ric Flair, do yourself a favor and do so:

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