Pro Wrestling Discussion Thread **Spoilers Possible**

[Neuqua]

CM Punk is expected to return at tomorrow night’s Raw in Chicago, Illinois, according to Dave Meltzer on today’s edition of Wrestling Observer Radio (listen here).

While Meltzer won’t say he’s 100% sure Punk will be at the show, his source, who he says is “one of the biggest stars in the industry,” said that it’s 100% certain.

Punk has been absent from WWE programming since the Raw following the Royal Rumble on Jan. 27. Meltzer reported Punk had legitimately left the event after telling Vince McMahon he was “going home.” By the following Wednesday, the official WWE website stopped advertising Punk for future events. The matter was publicly acknowledged by McMahon on Feb. 20 during a quarterly conference call to investors, with the the CEO replying to a query concerning his status: “He’s taking a sabbatical, let’s just put it that way.”

Read more: Report: CM Punk Expected To Return At Monday's WWE Raw In Chicago, Illinois | PWMania

This may be the only way left to save the WWE Title match for Mania. I love Punk, but I'm not a fan of whining your way to the title shot either. But when he's 100% into it, I don't know if there's a better all around talent in WWE.

I really wished I had gotten tickets for this tomorrow. I've been to previous RAWs in Chicago & the place goes nuts for him. If he shows up tomorrow the roof may literally blow off.

[RainMaker]

They had to do it. The main event would be booed out of the building. And without CM Punk tomorrow night, Raw would be an utter disaster.

Only unfortunate thing is this leaked because CM Punk coming out as a surprise tomorrow night would have received one hell of a pop.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by RainMaker

They had to do it. The main event would be booed out of the building. And without CM Punk tomorrow night, Raw would be an utter disaster.

Only unfortunate thing is this leaked because CM Punk coming out as a surprise tomorrow night would have received one hell of a pop.

Sure, but what happens now if he doesn't show up, since it's been leaked that he probably will be back, it could get ugly if he doesn't show up.

[Toddzilla]

AJ Styles broke a kid's neck with his stupid finisher, the one he almost crippled Roderick Strong with

hxxp://www.prowrestling.net/artman/publish/miscnews/article10036109.shtml

[dubb93]

Can someone explain the current WWE schedule to me? Figured now that I have the WWE Network I may try to get back into it.

You got RAW on Monday and Smackdown on Friday. They are both considered "A Shows," but I feel like RAW is the more important of the two. Then you have Superstars(I'm not even really sure when this airs), which is like the old B Shows. You miss it, you don't really miss much. I didn't watch the B shows back when I watched wrestling regularly, so I doubt I will go out of my way to check this out. What is NXT, when does it take place, and how does it fit in with the rest of the crap that is going on?

EDIT: And did I miss anything?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

AJ Styles broke a kid's neck with his stupid finisher, the one he almost crippled Roderick Strong with

hxxp://www.prowrestling.net/artman/publish/miscnews/article10036109.shtml

At the same time
a) the injury occurred because the recipient took the bump wrong, you can't tuck your head, you have to take it as a straight face bump

and

b) He thanked AJ Styles as well for “elevating me to look on your level in the biggest match of my career..You truly are phenomenal.”

[Toddzilla]

It's the second guy he's nearly killed in a few months - time to move on to a safer finisher

oh, and can we now call him "The Crippler"?

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Toddzilla

It's the second guy he's nearly killed in a few months - time to move on to a safer finisher

Sorry, I'm not into taking away someone's signature move because a couple of opponents aren't capable of taking a bump that has been taken safely hundreds of times by hundreds of workers.

You eliminate every move that's seriously injured a worker, there's not much left.

[molson]

Originally Posted by dubb93

Can someone explain the current WWE schedule to me? Figured now that I have the WWE Network I may try to get back into it.

You got RAW on Monday and Smackdown on Friday. They are both considered "A Shows," but I feel like RAW is the more important of the two. Then you have Superstars(I'm not even really sure when this airs), which is like the old B Shows. You miss it, you don't really miss much. I didn't watch the B shows back when I watched wrestling regularly, so I doubt I will go out of my way to check this out. What is NXT, when does it take place, and how does it fit in with the rest of the crap that is going on?

EDIT: And did I miss anything?

RAW is the A show, Smackdown is the B show. There was a time where the shows had different rosters and storylines, but now, everything's combined, and the important things happen on RAW. Smackdown is a supplement. Superstars is C show. It's wrestling-based, and there's a lot of great stuff on there if you want to see more out of the midcarders.

NXT is the developmental promotion. It's booked as a separate promotion with its own separate championships and storylines. It had been airing on Hulu Plus, I believe it will shortly air exclusively on the WWE network. I've never been a regular follower, but those who follow it seem to love it, it's a like a old-timey territory with traditional booking. WWE guys make occasional appearances, but it exists as its own separate universe outside of the WWE.

[PurdueBrad]

I'm watching on DVR about a half hour behind but the opening to RAW is certainly interesting thus far with Paul Heyman.

[RainMaker]

I know it seems inevitable in the near future, but they shouldn't breakup The Shield. They are just too much fun together.

[Mota]

I love the Shield. I'm also worried that Roman Reigns won't look as good when he's expected to talk for 15-20 minutes to open up a show, and wrestle a full match on his own. He's fantastic as part of the Shield, but I think it's also done a great job of hiding his weaknesses (as it should be). But as a human highlight reel he is amazing.

[PurdueBrad]

Agreed, I think the sum of their parts is much greater than the value of each individual part.

I do wish they had let Bray Wyatt get on the microphone tonight as I've been really impressed by his abilities.

[SirFozzie]

"Do we listen to these people?" "Why would we?"

WWE Uncomfortable Truths

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by Mota

I love the Shield. I'm also worried that Roman Reigns won't look as good when he's expected to talk for 15-20 minutes to open up a show, and wrestle a full match on his own. He's fantastic as part of the Shield, but I think it's also done a great job of hiding his weaknesses (as it should be). But as a human highlight reel he is amazing.

I just think they could use a little more time. WWE has a problem with rushing things and it feels like they'll rush Roman. They have a good thing going right now. The Shield are over as anyone. Give them another 6 months together.

[PurdueBrad]

I feel like Undertaker beating Brock at Wrestlemania is a foregone conclusion. I thought the best chance and payoff that there ever would've been was when 'Taker faced CM Punk. I just don't see how it would be worth it to have Brock win so I'm assuming the streak continues.

[PurdueBrad]

Originally Posted by PurdueBrad

I do wish they had let Bray Wyatt get on the microphone tonight as I've been really impressed by his abilities.

Ha, nevermind, got it. Another very solid mic/video performance.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by molson

NXT is the developmental promotion. It's booked as a separate promotion with its own separate championships and storylines. It had been airing on Hulu Plus, I believe it will shortly air exclusively on the WWE network. I've never been a regular follower, but those who follow it seem to love it, it's a like a old-timey territory with traditional booking. WWE guys make occasional appearances, but it exists as its own separate universe outside of the WWE.

An old-timey territory, except with women who can (and are allowed to) wrestle, a crowd that's willing to give new gimmicks a chance (take a character like Bray Wyatt - if he had just been repackaged from Husky Harris straight to that in front of a RAW crowd, he would've been crucified and the Wyatt Family gimmick would've been short-lived), and most importantly announcers who actually like and build up the product they're watching. And not that it really matters, but NXT is part of the same universe as WWE Raw etc.

[SirFozzie]

A full commercial break in overrun time. Tha Fuq?

[RainMaker]

Originally Posted by SirFozzie

A full commercial break in overrun time. Tha Fuq?

Batista needed a 5 minute break. He had wrestled a whole 2 minutes.

[dubb93]

Must be cold in there.

[RainMaker]

HHH putting himself over....well I'm shocked.

[Matthean]

So Punk was a no show?

[RainMaker]

Looks like Meltzer fucked up.

[Suicane75]

Except that he didn't. He didn't report anything, anywhere. On the radio show he said that he was told it was 99% that Punk would be there, but you could tell he still didn't believe it. Second hand sites then went batshit.

[Mota]

That Daniel Bryan / Authority segment was amazing. So much energy from the crowd. It was a big moment.

Also the Wyatt / Shield angle was fantastic. Seth Rollins finally got his moment to shine, which he usually hasn't. He is a great wrestler, he has good charisma (if used in the right role), and he could do great stuff. Hopefully he doesn't get lost in the shuffle. THat highlight moment gives me some hope.

[RainMaker]

I don't know how Seth Rollins does that stuff without breaking his ankles. Holy shit is he fun to watch.

[Neuqua]

I love Seth but I think it's because he reminds me a lot of Dolph skill-wise. Ziggler's been in the WWE doghouse for a while now and I doubt he gets renewed when his contract is over next year.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by molson

RAW is the A show, Smackdown is the B show. There was a time where the shows had different rosters and storylines, but now, everything's combined, and the important things happen on RAW. Smackdown is a supplement. Superstars is C show. It's wrestling-based, and there's a lot of great stuff on there if you want to see more out of the midcarders.

NXT is the developmental promotion. It's booked as a separate promotion with its own separate championships and storylines. It had been airing on Hulu Plus, I believe it will shortly air exclusively on the WWE network. I've never been a regular follower, but those who follow it seem to love it, it's a like a old-timey territory with traditional booking. WWE guys make occasional appearances, but it exists as its own separate universe outside of the WWE.

There is also Main Event. Main Event airs on Ion in America on Wednesday nights. It's a C show, but they usually do a couple solid matches. Sounds like the contract for it is up right before Wrestlemania, so it will be network exclusive as well. Superstars doesn't air in America on TV.

[BishopMVP]

Originally Posted by Neuqua

I love Seth but I think it's because he reminds me a lot of Dolph skill-wise. Ziggler's been in the WWE doghouse for a while now and I doubt he gets renewed when his contract is over next year.

Ehh... someone needs to job to Ryback/ADR/The Miz during their 10th push, and Dolph can sell as well as anyone. Heck, give him a tag team partner if you're actually going to push those. (And then have them turn on each other if they get over with the crowd.)

[dubb93]

Make Dolph the mouthpiece of a stable with The Usos, add a third person to The Real Americans, don't split The Shield, and build a legit six man tag division. That match on RAW was fun, and I'm guessing since it has been so long that a six man tag division would be fresh at this point.

[molson]

I've always thought dolph's biggest strength is bumping like a pinball, which isn't really conducive to being a top babyface. His offense is kind of weak. And i think the company hates that puts himself at so much risk for concussions. I think Seth Rollins is better in the long term. You need quality mid card guys who can make others look great, there's no shame in being one of those guys.

[General Mike]

Originally Posted by molson

I've always thought dolph's biggest strength is bumping like a pinball, which isn't really conducive to being a top babyface. His offense is kind of weak. And i think the company hates that puts himself at so much risk for concussions. I think Seth Rollins is better in the long term. You need quality mid card guys who can make others look great, there's no shame in being one of those guys.

I agree that the concussion issue is a big deal. Ziggler got 2 in the last 10 months and went from being the B champion to being mid card cannon fodder. There have been other guys who got concussions/ other injuries who saw their pushes discontinued as well.

[Flasch186]

So for my Fraternity event back in '95 we put on Wrestle Fest. I played the role of Jim Cornette but you'll see a halfway decent show and a couple of cameos by WWF Hall of Famers.

Pi Kappa Phi Wrestlefest 1995 - YouTube

[molson]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

So for my Fraternity event back in '95 we put on Wrestle Fest. I played the role of Jim Cornette but you'll see a halfway decent show and a couple of cameos by WWF Hall of Famers.

Pi Kappa Phi Wrestlefest 1995 - YouTube

Haha, that is so awesome. I only skimmed through it but a lot of those guys appear to be professionally trained and a lot of the comedy works. I've always kind of half-dreamed of promoting a one-off comedy/nostalgia show. And really, it's possible, it doesn't take a ton of money, especially if you're willing to take a loss.

[Flasch186]

The wrestlers were all Frat Bros however "Slick" Scoot Flair did go on to do some indy wrestling.

[Flasch186]

The HW Champ Scoot Flair match versus Sting was so great at the end. It had a Powerbomb that had Ko-Ko jump from his seat, the Intercontinental Champ storming the ring to take the place of the downed ref, controversial 3 count, a Manager getting knocked out, and finally Sgt. Slaughter taking out the champ. I think that that match was pretty darn good for a college frat event. I've watched that match like 4 times now {stupid me}

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by Flasch186

The HW Champ Scoot Flair match versus Sting was so great at the end. It had a Powerbomb that had Ko-Ko jump from his seat, the Intercontinental Champ storming the ring to take the place of the downed ref, controversial 3 count, a Manager getting knocked out, and finally Sgt. Slaughter taking out the champ.

Dusty would be proud

[dave731]

I'm opening this up on another site but hasn't gotten much of a response so I am likely going to have a Raw roster and a Smackdown roster...premise is simple. You create up to 3 wrestlers and they get plugged into the NWF when I start my WWE 2K14 dynasty. You are allowed 1 wrestler at each tier (Tier 1 (stars), tier 2 (mid card), tier 3 (opener/job squad). The signup form is below. This will be ran inside the Universe mode for the game so we'll have PPVs, storylines, etc.

Special Abilities available are Dirty Pin, Steal Finisher, Hammer Throw, Resiliency, Comeback, Outside Dive, Springboard Dive, Leverage Pin, Ring Escape. Tier 3 gets to choose 3, Tier 2 gets to choose 2, Tier 1 gets to choose 1.

Attribute point totals can total 110 for Tier 3, 98 for tier 2, and 85 for tier 1.

Name:
Hght:
Wght:
Special Abilities:
Attributes (Attribute point totals can total 110 for Tier 3, 98 for tier 2, and 85 for tier 1.)
Strike Power (0-9):
Grapple Power (0-9):
Submission (0-9):
Strike Defense (0-9):
Grapple Defense (0-9):
Speed (0-9):
Jump (0-9):
Agility (0-9):
Adrenaline (0-9):
Recovery (0-9):
Toughness (0-9):
Durability (0-9):
Charisma (0-9):
Tag Team (0-9):

Hit Point Ratio (must total 100%)
Head:
Body:
Arms:
Legs:

Base move set for superstar (which wrestler is he most like?):

Signature Move(s):

Finisher Move(s):

Description of Superstar (ring attire, bio, theme music, etc. for pics I upload during the dynasty):

Note: If you have the game for ps3, you can upload your wrestler and I will dload him for use in the dynasty...

[Matthean]

Smart move.

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal | WWE.com

[jbergey22]

And now comes the payoff at Wrestlemania. At this point in time though the only match that appears to be a coin flip is Cena vs Wyatt. I guess they have occasionally pulled a swerve or two but with the latest Daniel Bryan situation I have a hard time believing WM wont be his time.

Not a big fan of the Taker vs Lesnar match at all. Is there any possible chance they would have Lesnar(whom they cant trust) go over on taker and the biggest streak in WWE history?

[Toddzilla]

Credit where credit is due, HHH was fantastic in that segment

[Neuqua]

Agreed. I didn't have the ego to think HHH would let himself be the stepping stone for Bryan, especially at Mania.

[CU Tiger]

I'd love to see the reaction if HHH squash jobbed bryan at WM....I'm talking 90 second demolish squash job....

Im laughing just thinking about it

[JonInMiddleGA]

Originally Posted by CU Tiger

I'd love to see the reaction if HHH squash jobbed bryan at WM....I'm talking 90 second demolish squash job.... Im laughing just thinking about it

That actually crossed my mind earlier as well. I'm thinking it might be the final straw for a fair number of folks.

I also think it's no worse than a 40% chance of being what happens.

[BishopMVP]

Should've skipped sending the "security guards" and should've just sent Brock Lesnar to clear the ring. Kayfabe or not those fans would've cleared the hell out in 20 seconds.

[albionmoonlight]

This won't be anything new to most people here, but I thought I'd share.

I did like the video of guys calling shots; I had not seen that before.

5 Behind-the-Scenes Facts I Learned as a Pro Wrestler | Cracked.com

[DaddyTorgo]

The Iron Sheik's Wrestling Rise, Drug-Fueled Fall and Twitter Rebirth

[CU Tiger]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

The Iron Sheik's Wrestling Rise, Drug-Fueled Fall and Twitter Rebirth

thanks for that

[Matthean]

Razor Ramon is the last one in this year's Hall of Fame.