The Wrestling Thread

[chadrtc]

Cena v Rusev?

They need to get the Dudleys back for a match.

Not to excited by that card to be honest.

Yeah - forgot Cena v Rusev.

Didn't I read something about Bubba and Devon having fallen out?

I'm not entirely enamoured with anything they've done since Survivor Series really. I enjoy NXT far more than the main roster, which I'm rapidly losing interest in yet again.

[Jayesh87]

Currently the Wrestlemania card looks something like this in my opinion...

Lesnar v Reigns
Sting v HHH
Bray v Taker
Bryan v Ziggler
Ambrose v Bad News
Andre Memorial BR
Ascension v Usos

Plus one of Goldust v Stardust or Miz v Mizdow.

Cena v Rusev?

They need to get the Dudleys back for a match.

Not to excited by that card to be honest.

[MrMichael]

NXT is basically a glorified indie fed working in the wwe style now, what with PAC (Adrian Neville), KENTA (Hideo Itami), El Generico (Sami Zayn), Kevin Steen (Owens) et al in there. Great roster, not sure how many of them will do well when called up though.

You do know that you really don't need the wwe network to watch all that though?

http://www.desirulez.net/forums/2325-Wrestle

As for 'Mania, honestly that possible card has me rather worried.

Sting is proper old now and gets gassed pretty fast in the ring, him v HHH will not be a classic by any means. Bray v Taker is a booking nightmare (if Taker makes it, I wouldn't be surprised if it's Kane instead), Bray has to go over there but doing so in the next match after the streak was broken destroys the impact of that. Lesnar v Reigns will just be ugly, I remember Lesnar v Goldberg and it was not pretty.... better than Lesnar v Bryan though which just isn't believable. They'll have to turn Reigns for that too as Lesnar will get cheered. Ascension just outright suck and should not be at WM. In wrestling terms only Ambrose v BNB and Bryan v Ziggler sound at all good to me out of those.

[Alex]

Since getting the WWE Network Ive watched a bit more of NXT. It reminds me loads of wrestling a few years back. Seems good fun.

[chadrtc]

Currently the Wrestlemania card looks something like this in my opinion...

Lesnar v Reigns
Sting v HHH
Bray v Taker
Bryan v Ziggler
Ambrose v Bad News
Andre Memorial BR
Ascension v Usos

Plus one of Goldust v Stardust or Miz v Mizdow.

[Jayesh87]

Rollins v Orton?

Wyatt v Undertaker seemed to be confirmed with Bray's promo.

[chadrtc]

Looks like they've hit the reset button on Reigns. It's Reigns v Bryan at Fastlane for the Number 1 Contendership. I have to think Bryan wins this surely? Otherwise it gets Reigns even more heat leading into Mania, even though he will be de facto heel against Lesnar.

At least they've added some intrigue to what was going to be a dud PPV.

Free February for NJPW World, which is their Network. Worth checking out, some cool matches from recent years.

Lucha Underground keeps producing consistent TV, much like NXT and NJPW on AXS TV.

I'd be very surprised if Reigns doesnt go over Bryan... but they have given themselves a get out clause now.

I see the Reigns heel turn happening at Fast Lane.

[MrShawnMichaels]

Looks like they've hit the reset button on Reigns. It's Reigns v Bryan at Fastlane for the Number 1 Contendership. I have to think Bryan wins this surely? Otherwise it gets Reigns even more heat leading into Mania, even though he will be de facto heel against Lesnar.

At least they've added some intrigue to what was going to be a dud PPV.

Free February for NJPW World, which is their Network. Worth checking out, some cool matches from recent years.

Lucha Underground keeps producing consistent TV, much like NXT and NJPW on AXS TV.

[MrShawnMichaels]

There's talk they have scrapped it and are going for Bryan vs Ziggler, if so then that will be your show stealer right there.

Don't think they have a plan for either of them.

If they decide for these two, do you think they'd really give them a 15 min match? I can see Triple H taking just that bit longer for his entrance and their time is cut to a 5 min time filler.

[MrShawnMichaels]

The kick to the back on Brock's head? Was that a botch? I'm not sure how he could have done that without hurting Brock

That was a good spot. I think Jay is referring to the Pheonix Splash.

[refugee]

Rollins move of the top rope was unreal.

Cash in on RAW to take advantage of Lesnar's 'broken rib'

The kick to the back on Brock's head? Was that a botch? I'm not sure how he could have done that without hurting Brock

[chadrtc]

Sheamus v Bryan will be epic

There's talk they have scrapped it and are going for Bryan vs Ziggler, if so then that will be your show stealer right there.

[Jayesh87]

Reigns is unfortunate. The booing is more so directed at Vince and Triple H and Reigns is the product of that. The audience want Bryan on top because a) he has never been given a proper crack at it, b) he got injured and has never been given a rematch c) he was injured and usually you're white hot after injury and d) he's ****ing brilliant.

The Rumble was booked awfully and the above is correct. I don't want to see Kane and the Big Show, two men who have been in the WWE for a good 15 years, who probably weigh around 700lbs struggle to lift one guy over the top rope. This is Vince at his awful 80s best. Goofy giants lifting his big baby face whilst the big scary Russian is waiting to be eliminated.

There were no emerging themes, break out stars or stories developed in the Rumble, which we have seen in the past. It's ONE HOUR ffs, you can tell a lot and build for Mania. I would liked to have seen Rusev, the next big heel after Rollins at least have a to and fro with Reigns. It's not like they were short of time. Instead, Reigns just tossed him out like he was garbage. Which he shouldn't be considering he's feuding with CENA!

You almost get the idea that Vince and Triple H sat down and wrote: OK, Reigns is winning, Wyatt's staying in the longest to build for Taker (potentially), get Ziggler and Bryan out quick so we can showcase Reigns and Rock will get the crowd happy.

It's all down to Vince being so out of touch with the audience and having tunnel vision. WWE, more than most promotions, are so caught up in looks and what they want a champion and top babyface to look like. Big, 6'3", muscular and reasonably good looking. He wants his babyface to appeal to a mainstream audience whereas Bryan is a 'goat face' or a 'troll'.

Rather than building Reigns up, using Bryan as a top babyface for the next 12-18 months, giving the fans what they want, let them tire off Bryan then bringing Reigns in, WWE have decided instantly to bring Reigns in and hotshot him to the top. That would create TWO "new" stars at the top, which is surely better than potentially one.

Fans don't want a guy who hasn't paid his dues. His feuded with Orton and Big Show as a babyface. That's not good enough. As Mr Michael has rightly said, he needs long 15-20 main event quality matches, good solid PPV buying promos and a couple of good feuds.

But you also have the issue that the roster is so wafer thin, how many people can Reigns realistically feud with? No one is allowed to get over (see Ziggler and Cesaro), that it's problematic in the long term booking for the promotion.

Looking at the potential matches at Mania, nothing is really grabbing from the current roster (discarding HHH v Sting). And that's their own fault.

Sheamus v Bryan will be epic

[MrShawnMichaels]

Well that was the problem, it was the same old **** - Kane and Big Show are jokes who haven't worked good matches in a decade, having them eliminate Wyatt, Ziggler, Ambrose etc so easily at the end was poor and purely done to shove the new superman Reigns down everyone's throats.

Reigns is not remotely ready, his promo's of late have been laughably bad and he is nowhere near good enough in the ring, solo, to headline WM. And that doesn't even get to how they eliminated the most over guy in the company, Daniel Bryan, way too early (in the hope Reigns would get his following - ha!). Even the Rock couldn't save him; that sort of heat can only lead to one thing, a heel turn and pretty quick too I'd imagine.

Reigns is unfortunate. The booing is more so directed at Vince and Triple H and Reigns is the product of that. The audience want Bryan on top because a) he has never been given a proper crack at it, b) he got injured and has never been given a rematch c) he was injured and usually you're white hot after injury and d) he's ****ing brilliant.

The Rumble was booked awfully and the above is correct. I don't want to see Kane and the Big Show, two men who have been in the WWE for a good 15 years, who probably weigh around 700lbs struggle to lift one guy over the top rope. This is Vince at his awful 80s best. Goofy giants lifting his big baby face whilst the big scary Russian is waiting to be eliminated.

There were no emerging themes, break out stars or stories developed in the Rumble, which we have seen in the past. It's ONE HOUR ffs, you can tell a lot and build for Mania. I would liked to have seen Rusev, the next big heel after Rollins at least have a to and fro with Reigns. It's not like they were short of time. Instead, Reigns just tossed him out like he was garbage. Which he shouldn't be considering he's feuding with CENA!

You almost get the idea that Vince and Triple H sat down and wrote: OK, Reigns is winning, Wyatt's staying in the longest to build for Taker (potentially), get Ziggler and Bryan out quick so we can showcase Reigns and Rock will get the crowd happy.

It's all down to Vince being so out of touch with the audience and having tunnel vision. WWE, more than most promotions, are so caught up in looks and what they want a champion and top babyface to look like. Big, 6'3", muscular and reasonably good looking. He wants his babyface to appeal to a mainstream audience whereas Bryan is a 'goat face' or a 'troll'.

Rather than building Reigns up, using Bryan as a top babyface for the next 12-18 months, giving the fans what they want, let them tire off Bryan then bringing Reigns in, WWE have decided instantly to bring Reigns in and hotshot him to the top. That would create TWO "new" stars at the top, which is surely better than potentially one.

Fans don't want a guy who hasn't paid his dues. His feuded with Orton and Big Show as a babyface. That's not good enough. As Mr Michael has rightly said, he needs long 15-20 main event quality matches, good solid PPV buying promos and a couple of good feuds.

But you also have the issue that the roster is so wafer thin, how many people can Reigns realistically feud with? No one is allowed to get over (see Ziggler and Cesaro), that it's problematic in the long term booking for the promotion.

Looking at the potential matches at Mania, nothing is really grabbing from the current roster (discarding HHH v Sting). And that's their own fault.

[chadrtc]

Well that was the problem, it was the same old **** - Kane and Big Show are jokes who haven't worked good matches in a decade, having them eliminate Wyatt, Ziggler, Ambrose etc so easily at the end was poor and purely done to shove the new superman Reigns down everyone's throats.

Reigns is not remotely ready, his promo's of late have been laughably bad and he is nowhere near good enough in the ring, solo, to headline WM. And that doesn't even get to how they eliminated the most over guy in the company, Daniel Bryan, way too early (in the hope Reigns would get his following - ha!). Even the Rock couldn't save him; that sort of heat can only lead to one thing, a heel turn and pretty quick too I'd imagine.