I'm a lapsed fan, but I know we've got a few here who actively follow professional wrestling. Time to get a good discussion going! @foil1212, @Megatron, get to work! I want to know who's getting a push, what's the most likely heal turn, and what goes on outside the WWE side of the business.
Been a while since I watched pro wrestling. I do watch a lot of MMA these days. Once I realized that it's probably less dangerous for the participants than football I gave it a try and I found it surprisingly entertaining. It's a hell of a lot more fun to watch than boxing.
Agrree, MMA is entertaining, and from talking to a guy I know who does it as an amateur, the case is pretty strong on safety. But it lacks the storyline drama of wrestling. And for those who didn't get this from the OP (@Ancalagon), we're talking about the professional variety, categorized as sports entertainment.
But...but...this is SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT! Anyways, I'll answer Gul's questions: Pushes: All 3 of the Shield, mostly Roman Reigns. He eliminated 4 guys in a 5 on 5 at Survivor Series, and has been on a roll ever since. Also they're strongly hinting at a shield breakup. Also, all 3 had singles matches with CM Punk, and Reigns was the only one able to win. Big E Langston is getting a big push right now, too. Even though I love him, the commentary booth needs to tone it back a little. (Well, when do they not?) I am a huge fan of Big E Langston, but man, the amount of times they say "Explosive" in one match is sickening. It's probably about 15 times in a 7 or 8 minute match at LEAST. Also John Cena is never not getting pushed. Heel Turns: Well, Daniel Bryan just joined the Wyatts a week ago Monday, and that's pretty big news. The guy who has the most support from the crowd at all times who has been getting screwed over since August at every PPV just joined the creepy cultist faction so he can take down the machine. Also, I'll say this, I hope Sami Zayn gets the NXT belt soon. He's the best non-gimmick character in NXT right now and he deserves it. How someone like Xavier Woods gets pulled up in December when I could count the number of times I'd seen him on NXT since May on one hand, when Sami Zayn is consistently having better matches than anyone else including most of the WWE Roster and stays in NXT. If you haven't seen it, look up his 2/3 Falls match with Antonio Cesaro from August 25th. It's on Hulu Plus if you have it. And if you haven't heard, WWE Network just got announced last night. It's going to be Netflix for all of WWE's video collection, new content, and apparently they're going to show PPV's live on it. Starts February 24th, 10 bucks a month with a 6 month commitment. That's a heck of a deal since PPVs are 50-60 bucks a month and I think there's 13 a year.
I apologise for disappointing you gul, but honestly after the last few years of CENA THE SUPERSTAR and WWPGE, I havent actively followed wrestling. Like at all. Dont get me wrong, I do catch the PPV's then and now, but it seems WWE has lost its entertaining value. I also sound like an old crum, but these new faces of WWE (Daniel Bryan, Sheamus), they seem like they really have no personality. Think back to Hulk Hogan, Undertaker, Bret Hart, Stone Cold, Rock and Triple H (even a decade back) and these guys could not just put on a great fight show, they also had charismatic streaks on the microphone. The last great charismatic fighter was Randy Orton and Edge. Edge retired three years ago, and Randy Orton gets no push any longer. Sorry to say, but WWE needs to get its mojo back like the Attitude Era. Now THAT....was wrestling entertainment!
Dude, Randy Orton just unified the WWE and WHWC belts at TLC last month...and you're right, Cena is boring. But Daniel Bryan is the best. He's not the best talker, but he's got heart, an easy to follow catchphrase, and the fans love him. There's also plenty of great matches being had not in the main event. Antonio Cesaro is constantly impressive, and Cody Rhodes/Goldust have been amazing. It's insane how good Goldust looks in the ring. He looks better than he ever was.
Got to agree with Foil here, Ortons been getting the big push even though it seems very fake (by wrestling standards) as he's currently a heel. Thing is, 8 months ago when he was a good guy they could have really built on his war with the shield. Big surprise to see Cena not get the unified belt, but probably for the best. Hate the shield, cant stand these wyatt bro's and the spanish matadors are a joke. It was good last year, when the Punk v Rock fued was rumbling on. Probably the best two 'talkers' in the company. Bored with triple h's 'best for business' rein, and im with Foil, Daniel Bryans a good watch. * I only get to watch it if the wifes away to bed!*
I'm partial to the Wyatts and the Shield. I think the Shield are great wrestlers and they're all great, unique personalities that come together to form a dominant team that I can believe in being dominant. The Wyatts I like because of how creepy they are. Their ring work is pretty bad most of the time. Luke Harper can be okay, but Eric Rowan is awful, and Bray's never in the ring. He's actually interesting because he maintains his character very well in the ring. Daniel Bryan's aggressive side was awesome on Monday Night Raw, and it's unfortunate that they might be advancing the story too fast. What I would have liked in that 3v3 is for Daniel Bryan to look strong (well, duh, as a fan) and beat them clean with his new aggressive style. It would have gone a long way in getting his heel turn over and showing a noticeable change. It would have done a lot more than Michael Cole making up random facts about the Wyatts such as Sister Abigail being his biological sister when in a promo prior he had explained it was a religious sister. Well, that's changed forever now. Also, not knowing what a buzzard is. "Oh, I guess Bray will continue following the buzzards!" I hate Michael Cole.
I am an OLD School wrestling fan, 1st time I saw it I was 7 years old (1977) and we were on vacation in Tennessee. We couldn't go swimming because it was storming, so I turned on the TV and THERE it was. Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. Roddy Piper, Jerry Lawler, Dirty Dutch Mantel (Zeb Coulter) and Dusty Rhodes, and some NEW kid named Ric Flair.. Been a fan ever since As for the WWE today, I only watch on Monday Night. As they tape Friday Night Smackdown on Tuesday and by Wednesday I already know what happens. I got to meet Sheamus last Jan at a car show here in Cincinnati, He is a BIG guy, VERY nice. I liked him but he was better as a heel. I look for him to be back in at the Rumble coming up, maybe as a heel.Check the pic below at the link. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...07151210.49273.100000629570667&type=3&theater
Can't see the picture Larry -- probably visible only to Facebook friends. So I have two connections to professional wrestling outside of being a fan. I'm a relative of JBL (we appear on different branches of the family tree, but I've never met him). I was friends with Chavo Guerero growing up. Neither thing has given me any special access or knowledge, but I will say that Chavo (not his real name) bulked up considerably after high school.
Larry, you know that dusty rhodes has had a few cameos lately? Big Show knocked him out. When i was in vegas the first time, (2012) my last night they were doing the Monday Night RAW recording in Mandalay Bay. As it was my last night i didnt even try and raise the possibility with the wife.
Dusty was also on the PPV where his kids got their jobs back. He was general manager of NXT for a while, too, but he's not on TV anymore on that show either.
Here is the pic.. Sorry.. Yeah I know Dusty's cameo's But I watched him when he took the title, then lost it to Flair, then re-won it.. I know Goldust also wrestled in WCW as Dustin Rhodes and at one time was the US champion.. He lost it to Stunning "Steve Austin" (Now Stone cold) I have met Ric Flair and Mick Foley. Both were VERY nice. Back then Foley was known as Cactus Jack Manson.
Zeb Colter is fantastic. He knows exactly what he's doing, and is really good at it. When I saw the sign, I cracked up. Antonio Cesaro is also one of my favorite wrestlers. Just figured I'd post this image.
The best bit about watching his scenes, is seeing the red necks in the crowd absolutely lap it up. They don't seem to understand its all just a big act.
This is Dirty Dutch Mantell (Now known as Zeb Coulter in WWE) He was also Uncle Zebekiah. Here is his page.. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_Mantel
So i've not caught the wrestling for a few weeks, saw smackdown this morning and Daniel Bryans back being a good guy again. His heel turn didnt last long with the Wyatts, what was the story there?
In-story he only joined the Wyatts to take them down from the inside, got in a steel cage match with Bray/Bryan vs. the Usos. Usos won, Bryan turned on Bray. Bryan and Bray had a match at the Rumble last week. The real reason that ended so quickly is because they were embarrassed that immediately after they turned him heel he started getting mainstream attention. At the Rose Bowl there were Yes chants and I think at a basketball game, too.
^ I get the impression (rightly or wrongly) that the DB phenom wasn't planned and its grown by itself. The perfect storm of the underdog, the cool entrance music and the 'yes' chant. I think its good, i hope he's on the tour that hits glasgow in May
Yeah, that's basically it. He built himself up on the indies and his following has grown from that since he's been in WWE. By the way, have you ever watched the old NXT when it was like a reality show/game show? It had Daniel Bryan on it and the entire season he gets shit on by Michael Cole, the Miz, and Matt Striker. He loses every match. Wade Barrett looked like the guy the WWE was going to push. Heath Slater and Justin Gabriel looked good, Darren Young looked like a troll doll, and Ryback was a Cowboy. It's really interesting, but also really upsetting to see Cole shit on Daniel Bryan constantly.
"Stone Cold" Steve Austin Gives A NSFW Defense Of Gay Marriage WWE megastar "Stone Cold" Steve Austin made these comments on his podcast months ago, but they're just now making the rounds in wrestling circles, and they're more than worth highlighting. From the man who wrote his own chapter and verse, it's a very forceful and in-character stand in favor of gay marriage. "I don't give a shit if two guys, two gals, guy-gal, whatever it is, I believe that any human being in America, or any human being in the goddamn world, that wants to be married, and if it's same-sex, more power to 'em." "What also chaps my ass, some of these churches, have the high horse that they get on and say 'we as a church do not believe in that.' Which one of these motherfuckers talked to God, and God said that same-sex marriage was a no-can-do?" "OK, so two cats can't get married if they want to get married, but then a guy can go murder 14 people, molest five kids, then go to fucking prison, and accept God and He's going to let him into heaven? After the fact that he did all that shit? See that's all horseshit to me, that don't jive with me." ---------------- I'd have never guessed, watching him back in the day, that we'd have come this far this fast.
It's crazy that this is just making the rounds now. As it says in the article, he said it two months ago on his podcast!
Any one remember when Bray Wyatt was Husky Harris? Bo Dallas is his little brother and Mike Rotundo (IRS) is his father.
