Classic Wrestling Discussion: Part III & Wrestler Poll

[EpochLink]

The same sort of thing happened with Cena.

He was pretty popular among wrestling fans in general (not just "women and children") and smarks had no problem with him, but then he started winning all the damn time and became more of a kid-friendly sort of character before becoming "Super Cena" and smarks and large portions of the audience could no longer stand him.

I guess something similar happened with Reigns. I haven't watched the WWE much at all since 2013.

If only they turned Cena heel during that time, he still would’ve drawn big money but the fans/smarks would’ve accepted it that he was indeed a heel.

 

[JackSlater]

To be honest, when Heyman mocked Lawler's IRL heart attack in 2011, it was about as tasteless and insensitive as the whole Katie Vick thing. Thankfully that was only a single segment.

From what I remember, HHH was actually an IWC darling back in 2001 (seems hard to believe now). But outside of the feud with Michaels, he was nowhere close to as good in 2002 as he had been from mid-99 until his quad tear in 2001. His in-ring style wasn't as fluid, that feud with Jericho wasn't great and his face run in general was kind of bland and then he went on to be involved in such notorious things as the Katie Vick angle, that horrible feud with Steiner, Booker T's burial etc.

I've never been a big HHH fan, as I liked him best as Greenwich snob Helmsley honestly, but he was quite good around 2000. One of the best in ring performers in WWE for a short time. I don't think he's all that naturally talented though so after the quad he never really recovered in ring, plus his ego got in the way and earned him all kinds of bad will from fans. If you had 2000ish HHH somewhere around your main event, but not as the top guy, you're probably doing pretty well.

 

[KIRK]

To be honest, when Heyman mocked Lawler's IRL heart attack in 2011, it was about as tasteless and insensitive as the whole Katie Vick thing. Thankfully that was only a single segment.

I can't imagine that a real world decent guy like Heyman does that with Lawler first having given his okay, but either way, yeah, that was about as tasteless as that Katie Vick crap.

Thinking on that one made me remember when Paige referenced Reid Fliehr's death in her contract signing with Charlotte. I then found this: WWE Says Charlotte Pushed For Reid Flair Diss

A rep for WWE released a statement Thursday saying, “Subject matter this personal is only approved as a result of the strong advocacy of the talent themselves.”

 

[Sheppy]

Watched Austin vs Bishoff at No Way Out 2003. I don't think I've ever heard a crowd reaction like that. Austins music hits, JR going nuts and the building absolutely shaking.

There are "pops" and then there are "Austin pops" - Nothing really compares.

 

[sabremike]

I can't imagine that a real world decent guy like Heyman

Yeah, you might want to Google all the incredibly shitty and seedy things he's done (Like the way he screwed over just about everyone in the ECW bankruptcy or how he sold Club ECW subscriptions at the last ever ECW Arena show knowing there would never be another show at the arena and the company was done). He's literally one of the most dishonest people in wrestling history and just think about that statement for a minute.

 

[CDJ]

2002 Big Show on smackdown >>

 

[KIRK]

Yeah, you might want to Google all the incredibly shitty and seedy things he's done (Like the way he screwed over just about everyone in the ECW bankruptcy or how he sold Club ECW subscriptions at the last ever ECW Arena show knowing there would never be another show at the arena and the company was done). He's literally one of the most dishonest people in wrestling history and just think about that statement for a minute.

I know full well about the financial stuff and thought of it when I wrote 'real world decent guy'. I assumed people would see there's a difference between someone with zero clue of how to manage a business and literally mocking someone who had a heart attack. Based on your reply, I shouldn't have done that.

 

[sabremike]

I know full well about the financial stuff and thought of it when I wrote 'real world decent guy'. I assumed people would see there's a difference between someone with zero clue of how to manage a business and literally mocking someone who had a heart attack. Based on your reply, I shouldn't have done that.

He did stuff every bit as seedy and offensive in ECW (Eg: Had Joel Gertner do a monologue making fun of JFK JR dying in a plane crash.).

 

[KIRK]

He did stuff every bit as seedy and offensive in ECW (Eg: Had Joel Gertner do a monologue making fun of JFK JR dying in a plane crash.).

He didn't actually know JFK Junior. Look, I lived in Philly during ECW's heyday.

But, he knows Lawler. They're personally friendly. I don't think he would've agreed to say it without Lawler's okay. And in the link that I quoted earlier, WWE at least claims that's their policy on scripting these things.

 

[sabremike]

He didn't actually know JFK Junior. Look, I lived in Philly during ECW's heyday.

But, he knows Lawler. They're personally friendly. I don't think he would've agreed to say it without Lawler's okay. And in the link that I quoted earlier, WWE at least claims that's their policy on scripting these things.

Lawler has claimed that he was fine with it. The claim that Charlotte pushed for the line about Reid is almost certainly bullshit because there is no way she would've wanted to bring that up knowing her dad would be watching given that it so devastated him that he literally nearly drank himself to death afterwards.

But the bigger point is that companies who do these type of gutter level cheap heat things are fools because fans today are savvy enough to put the heat on the promotion and not the heel.

 

[CDJ]

Just watched them have Kidman go over Cena with a botched SSP at rebellion 2002

My oh my how things are about to change

 

[CDJ]

Currently watching Rikishi-Albert, loser has to kiss the others ass

really wish I wasn’t

 

[JackSlater]

Currently watching Rikishi-Albert, loser has to kiss the others ass

really wish I wasn’t

Even Foley in his masochistic Mankind gimmick wouldn't do that.

 

[CDJ]

The Guerreros vs Benoit/Angle feud is so god damn good

 

[JackSlater]

The Guerreros vs Benoit/Angle feud is so god damn good

Los Guerreros probably gave the most impressive house show performance I've seen back in 2003 (I believe). I wasn't a big fan of them at the time but they were great in person at a rinky dink house show. I've seen a fair number of all time greats at house shows but none were as entertaining as watching both Guerreros on the apron messing with the fans and screwing with The World's Greatest Tag Team.

 

[Unholy Diver]

Watched ECW Heatwave 95 this morning, I know they had a shoestring budget for production and stuff but its kind of tough to watch at times. The matches were mostly the typical ECW stuff, not sure if I could even pick a best match, maybe the 2 cold scorpio/Malenko vs Eddie & Taz tag match. There was actually a match that ended in a countout, I didn't think that was possible in ECW

 

[Ben Grimm]

Please post how you guys do on this, especially JS and BB. Put your knowledge to the test with the all-new 'WWE Trivia Challenge!'

 

[JackSlater]

Please post how you guys do on this, especially JS and BB. Put your knowledge to the test with the all-new 'WWE Trivia Challenge!'

I got 24/30. A few of the recent ones and the Wrestlemania 1 question eluded me.

 

[BruinDust]

Watched Austin vs Bishoff at No Way Out 2003. I don't think I've ever heard a crowd reaction like that. Austins music hits, JR going nuts and the building absolutely shaking.

There are "pops" and then there are "Austin pops" - Nothing really compares.

And here 17 years later the same holds true. There is still no one in the business who gets the pop Austin does when he makes his sporadic appearances on WWE TV. Which says a lot about the popularity of Stone Cold Steve Austin, but is also sad in a way that not one current performer can even get close to that type of crowd pop. Which to me speaks volumes about the WWEs lack of ability to create legitmate drawing wrestlers in the post-Attitude era. A guy who hasn't wrestled a match in almost 2 decades is still wildly more popular than any performer you have or have had in that time period. Kinda pathetic actually.

 

[Sheppy]

And here 17 years later the same holds true. There is still no one in the business who gets the pop Austin does when he makes his sporadic appearances on WWE TV. Which says a lot about the popularity of Stone Cold Steve Austin, but is also sad in a way that not one current performer can even get close to that type of crowd pop. Which to me speaks volumes about the WWEs lack of ability to create legitmate drawing wrestlers in the post-Attitude era. A guy who hasn't wrestled a match in almost 2 decades is still wildly more popular than any performer you have or have had in that time period. Kinda pathetic actually.

Over the last few years the biggest pops I have ever heard were from The Hardys return at WM33 & Edge at the RR, i think.

 

[BruinDust]

Over the last few years the biggest pops I have ever heard were from The Hardys return at WM33 & Edge at the RR, i think.

And all 3 guys are really Attitude era stars (although Edge made his name as a singles guy in the R-Aggression era.)

I would agree, although I wonder how big those pops would of been if their returns had been announced ahead of time as WWE loves to these days hoping to spike their ratings. and buyrates. Two of the best Austin pops in his post-retirement were WM 30 and 32 where he appeared unannounced.

 

[sabremike]

Over the last few years the biggest pops I have ever heard were from The Hardys return at WM33 & Edge at the RR, i think.

Biggest I have ever heard live was when HHH made his return from injury at MSG in 2002.

 

[CDJ]

The pop for Brocks return was wild


Also 3 minute warnings music was terrible, should’ve been way harder. Currently watching a November 2002 episode of Raw. The Dudleys and Jeff Hardy are feuding with them

The ending of the Raw before survivor series 2002 (the first elimination chamber) was incredible

 

[JackSlater]

The ending of the Raw before survivor series 2002 (the first elimination chamber) was incredible

WWE was invested in the build for the debut of Michaels' brown pants.

 

[Hextallent63]

Over the last few years the biggest pops I have ever heard were from The Hardys return at WM33 & Edge at the RR, i think.

the biggest pop ive seen lately and it was from a few years ago, was when the rhodes' defeated the shield. that was amazing. so was the match. cant remember the last time wwe did that well with a buildup to match. dusty knocking the hell out of ambrose with his belt buckle is one of my new favorite wrestling moments.