40 replies to this topic

[Call Billy Bob]

Any fellow smarks and/or marks in the community? If so, then I'd love to banter about sports entertainment with you!

[FlemingBond]

 yes i watch

[Call Billy Bob]

Thoughts on Lesnar? Will they really put the belt back on Cena at NOC or does Brock have a long reign?

[x007AceOfSpades]

I used to follow professional religiously growing up as a kid, until I got into MMA and eventually began training in MMA for a career in it. I used to watch wrestling sporadically, but would tune in whenever CM Punk was on the screen as he's really the only professional wrestler I loved since The Rock that had charisma, the IT factor, and was just a great showman in the ring. Once he left the company, The WWE, and the sport for good, I haven't looked back. The WWE really screwed up putting John Cena and Daniel Bryan of the likes over Punk, as I believe CM Punk would've done wonders for the company and the sport if he was chosen to be the face.

 

Having said that, I can't stand John Cena, and his already decade old gimmick is just extremely tiresome now. Having Brock Lesnar as champion is a good change of pace, but It's said that he's still hard to work with and chooses what dates he will make appearances on, considering he's an active champion. It just feels cheap. 

 

I might subscribe to the WWE Network for the fact that I will be able to watch nearly all of the old Raw and Smackdown episodes, as well as old events during the attitude era and the Invasion storyline again, so it'll feel extra nostalgic to me lol. It'll probably make me get back in the sport as well with the inclusion of all the upcoming pay-per-views for no extra charge as well as unlimited access to new programming and such. I already pay $9.99 for UFC Fight Pass, which is slightly similar, or I might purchase MLB.tv which is also similar.

[Call Billy Bob]

I would strongly encourage you to get the network - I love it! I was a WCW kid, and quit watching in protest when WWE bought them out. A friend invited me to a WrestleMania party back in April and I got hooked on wrestling all over again! I mainly got the network to relive favorite moments and to catch up on the 10+ years of things I missed. All the pay per views, old Raws and Smackdowns, and now old WCW Nitros which is what I've wanted from day one! It's a great value.

 

I agree with you on Cena - stale and too boring. Lesnar is fine for now, but they need to get the strap on Roman Reigns, Cesaro or Dolph Ziggler soon... creative has been frustrating since Bryan got injured... and none of this would have happened if they hadn't drove Punk away in the first place!

[x007AceOfSpades]

Ahh, I completely forgot about there being old WCW episodes of Nitro, so that's another reason right there for me. Are there any ECW programs on the network, because if so, then I'm sold. Being able to watch it online, on my Xbox and tablet will be completely awesome.

 

Everyone is calling for it and it would be good for business, and that is making John Cena a heel. He's been face since his feud with Eddie Guerrero ended in October 2003, he needs a change of pace. It'll never happen because of the kids, unfortunately. Lesnar is just a primadonna. Unless it's to his satisfaction, he won't take part, even getting paid ridiculous amounts of money. Cesaro and Dolph are just mid carders. Dolph fell low like Punk, and Cesaro isn't getting the push he deserves. Reigns needs to be the champion, or Seth Rollins needs to cash in the breifcase. I've always like ROllins back when he was in Ring Of Honor, so I would be happy to see him as champion.

 

With Daniel Bryan, he only got the push because of his overzealous fanbase. He didn't deserve the championship at WM30. That spot would've been so much better with CM Punk, because of his prior feud with The Authority. Daniel Bryan is just another babyface. CM Punk was like good guy/bad guy, but either way, you liked him so much and he had this attitude that was so marketable, but the WWE never bothered when the practically forced him to drop the belt to The Rock.

 

I'm actually glad Punk left, because he's been focusing on his BJJ training with Renner Gracie and plus he's been hanging with Lyoto Machida who trains locally near me. Not to mention, Punk has tinkered with the idea of eventually going into MMA.

[Call Billy Bob]

Every ECW pay per view is there and the early episodes of Hardcore TV are as well, plus they add stuff weekly. I agree with the access - my PlayStation and tablet get used for WWE Network pretty evenly.

 

I've been dreaming about Cena's nWo Hogan turn as well, but he's worth so much in ticket sales and merch for that to happen.

 

I'm big on Rollins too. I'd be down for him cashing in around Survivor Series or earlier. Then again, that's another heel champion, but a more active and athletic one.

 

Everything I'm reading has Reigns winning at WM31, so Seth cashing in makes sense. Reigns can have his ultimate revenge by beating Rollins for the title.

[FlemingBond]

Roman Reigns out of Night of champions with injury and surgery.

People keep talking about a Cena heel turn, but it's not gonna happen. When hogan turned he was even more played out as a character than Cena is.

[Call Billy Bob]

Wow... I was looking forward to his match with Rollins tomorrow night... wonder how they use Seth now?

[x007AceOfSpades]

I checked online to make sure it wasn't some type of storyline, kayfabe injury, and indeed it is true. Emergency surgery for an incarcerated hernia. Feel bad for the guy, as I'm starting to like him as he is really coming into his own, post-Shield. Wish nothing but the best for him.

 

With Rollins, after reading the results of the PPV, it's clear that Rollins has his intentions on cashing in the briefcase. Cena and Lesnar will have a rematch (sigh...) at Hell In A Cell, where Cena will win and Lesnar will go AWOL again, and Rollins will cash in the briefcase, igniting a feud between the two, because well, it's good for business. 

[Call Billy Bob]

Same here. I've been hoping for great things for him, but now all I'm concerned about is his recovery and well-being.

 

And as much as I hate the fact that Cena will eventually tie and break Flair's record (Naitch is my all-time favorite wrestler), this is probably the best way to go...

[x007AceOfSpades]

I honestly wish it wasn't Cena breaking Flair's record. Cena is widely popular among young viewers, mainly children, but not with teenagers, young adults, or even older adults that still watch it. It just seems like disgrace having him break the record. I just wish it was someone else, someone you can love and hate, and that guy for me was CM Punk (I know, I know, I keep bringing him up lol). (Ultimately it's up to the WWE Brass who call the shots.

 

Cena's slowly pushing forty soon, so he's getting up there in age, and I see him wrestling for another 3-6 years before calling it a career.

[Call Billy Bob]

You're probably right about the 3-6 years, but I wish it wasn't that long!

 

And speaking of CM Punk, I was at a football game Saturday and "Cult Of Personality" came on over the loudspeakers. I couldn't help myself and yelled "It's clobberin' time!" Got a few weird looks... but one guy in my section gave me the GTS sign. Made my day

 

It's true that we have to endure Cena for a while longer, but the current product in NXT (one of the many Network perks!) has me BEYOND excited for the future: Sami Zayn, Adrian Neville, Kevin Steen, KENTA... a lot to look forward to.

[Cruiserweight]

I've been watching since 1988.

[Rik]

I've been watching since 1989 myself

[Call Billy Bob]

Glad to see we are not alone in our wrestling fandom!

 

I, myself, was a WCW kid through and through (NWO for life!) but did check out WWF every now and then. When Vince bought it out, I was furious that I had to watch the rival from then on and straight up and quit. I did keep up with rumor sheets and results to see how my boys were doing (DDP, Benoit, Hulk, Flair, etc.), but mostly stayed away until WrestleMania this year. Friends were raving about the Wyatts and the SHIELD, so I decided to jump back in a little. After becoming a Daniel Bryan fan, though, I decided to come back full time!

Edited by Call Billy Bob, 29 October 2014 - 03:00 PM.

[x007AceOfSpades]

Well this was a shocker to see. I was watching tonight's UFC 181 and incomes Joe Rogan and Phil Brooks, better known as CM Punk. I'm thinking, "Well, this is a bit funny..." And then it was announced. Phil "CM Punk" Brooks, Retired WWE/Professional wrestler signs with the UFC for a multi-fight contract, will debut and fight in 2015 at possibly middleweight (185lbs) or welterweight (170lbs). CM Punk was the only reason I stuck around with the WWE for so long. I think he's a chill guy and very knowledgeable on various topics. He's a nerd, a writer, a fan of MMA, all around loving personality. I know he pretty much can't stand Vince McMahon and that he has a background in jiu-jitsu, muay thai, and karate. But WOW, I was not expecting to see that at all any time soon. It's clear he has a lot of passion for mixed martial arts and jiu-jitsu and I think this is a good for him and for the sport of MMA. He's not in it for the money of the fame, but rather a personal best. As he said "Either I'm going in there to kick his ass, or he's gonna kick my ass", just a positive attitude. I think he's going to  go further in MMA than Brock Lenard ever did. One thing's for sure, I'm really excited to "The Best In The World" again, and fighting in the UFC. As a fan of MMA and a fellow trainee, I couldn't be filled with more joy.

[FlemingBond]

i don't know how well he's going to hold up there....

[Call Billy Bob]

Interesting indeed...

[x007AceOfSpades]

Easier said than done, I think he'll be just fine. With Brock, the only background he had was high school/collegiate wrestling. While it may have fared well for him, he really wasn't a great fighter (see UFC 121, vs. Cain Velasquez). Punk actually has been serious about this for a long time now, and with the WWE long and gone from him, he'll actually have the time to properly train and develop a good system. I don't expect the UFC matchmaker's to pair him up with a top 10 fighter. They did that with Brock and he tapped out at one of the easiest submission moves to get out of in jiu-jitsu. Punk's in this to test himself, and I think now that he'll have the proper time and resources to train, he'll do just fine. Anything can happen in the sport of MMA, so maybe in a year or two he'll be fighting for a championship there haha. Plus with all the big name fighters either retiring or injured, 2014 hasn't been a good year, so the UFC will need a star for 2015. Punk has a following and he can put people in seats, much like Brock was able to do. It's a win/win situation. Punk get's to finally accompolish his MMA goals, while the UFC gets to recuperate money and market Punk.

[Ernst Stavro BIofeld]

I've been dreaming about Cena's nWo Hogan turn as well, but he's worth so much in ticket sales and merch for that to happen.

 

 

True.

 

I also don't think a Cena heel turn would have even remotely the same impact as Hogan's heel turn. As that turn, especially in 1996, was actually shocking. The Cena heel turn, as unlikely as it is currently, has been discussed ALOT, and thus, the turn would lose alot of it's dramatic flare. It's also a switch that Cena doesn't really need for his character. Sure, he remains a polarizing figure in the WWE, but that fact really hasn't damanged his place in the industry, where with Hogan, and especially if you go off shoot interviews discussing the Hogan heel turn by Kevin Sullivan, or Eric Bischoff, a heel turn was desperately needed and essentially required to keep Hogan's value to the company.

 

Bischoff revealed in his shoot interview, that he wanted Hogan to turn heel about 6 months before Scott Hall and Kevin Nash returned to WCW as the Outsiders. Hogan was shrewed enough to hold off until just the right time, and the question of "Who's the third man?" was that opportunity.

 

Perfect timing.

[Call Billy Bob]

 Yep. I miss 90's wrestling...

[FlemingBond]

hogan's character was even more played out in 96 than Cena's is. He had been retiring and un-retiring for years and all he had been doing in WCW was wrestling guys he had wrestled years earlier. Actually they did have Hogan come out in a black shirt a couple weeks in a row several months earlier, but then he did an interview and ripped it off revealing the yellow shirt again.

[Ernst Stavro BIofeld]

According to Kevin Sullivan, who was, I believe, head booker in WCW at the time, Hogan's character was essentially "dying" and has commented that Hogan turning heel HAD to be done in order to stop the bleeding. He also spoke of Hogan's insecurities (Macho Man Randy Savage is said to have also been very insecure/paranoid), and that it was a mission in itself to make sure Hogan wouldn't relent at the last minute due to his clique trying to convince him that turning heel was a bad idea.

 

I remember when Hogan was coming out all in black though. I think that was back in 1995 when he was feuding with the Giant (Big Show). He also had a match against Sting on Nitro where Hogan was decked out in black, and though technically it was a "Babyface vs Babyface" match, you can tell the crowd was behind Sting much more so than Hogan. Go figure.

[FlemingBond]

Even after he turned heel i didn't care for him. Hall and Nash would start the interview's with " your nWo 4 life and it's just 2 sweet" and then hogan would have his turn and just repeat what they said.

[x007AceOfSpades]

Hogan turning Heel was genius. He was too much of a babyface in the WWF and he was getting stale. Turning Heel and joining the NWO was the best thing he did for his career and the best WCW did (ONE OF, lol).

[Call Billy Bob]

The best things WCW ever did:

 

1. Cruiserweight Division!

 

2. NWO 4 Life

 

3. Nitro. Was a hell of a show in its own right, but it forced Vince to step his game up. Thus, we had two great wrestling shows and fans could take their pick. Oh, to be a kid again on mid to late 90's Monday nights...

[x007AceOfSpades]

The WWF and WCW both had great talents and stars of their own, as well as interesting storylines. Ultimately, I think the WCW had more stars that were more or less the up and comers like Jericho, Guerrero, Sting, and so many more. They put on shows. WWF really relied heavily on what they had, whether it was old stars, and very few of the new stars. They had a massive star in Steve Austin. It also didn't help that WWF was taped and went on after WCW and Bischoff was giving out the results of Raw.

[Call Billy Bob]

WWF did have DX, an established star in HBK and someone coming into their own with Trips. WCW definitely had the superior talent, but when you give Hogan, Nash and others too much creative control you ultimately kill your product... which is what happened in the end. And with regards to the live vs. taped thing, "That'll put a lot of butts in seats."

 

I enjoyed and appreciated both, but I miss WCW a lot. Was a WCW kid through and through. Plus they were the ones who had Nature Boy, my favorite wrestler of all time. Woo!

[Ernst Stavro BIofeld]

Oh, to be a kid again on mid to late 90's Monday nights...

 

 

Exactly. Pro wrestling in general was at a apex as far as a business, and I sincerely doubt it will ever reach those heights again. For several reasons. The lack of true competition is a real hinderence to any true growth these days.