Random Wrasslin' thoughts.....

sky88

Jr reminds me of Johnny giles near the end of his punditry at rte at the were he obviously still knows about football/wrestling but clearly doesn't know who people are and is more like a soundbook at tgis stage.

The women's tournament with him and lita is going to be a mess

Andersonisgod

sky88 wrote: »

Jr reminds me of Johnny giles near the end of his punditry at rte at the were he obviously still knows about football/wrestling but clearly doesn't know who people are and is more like a soundbook at tgis stage.

The women's tournament with him and lita is going to be a mess

Ye it could be car crash stuff. His efforts this weekend at the NJPW shows in Long Beach were really bad overall. He did well during the main events of both shows but the rest was catastrophic. Getting people mixed up, horribly dated references, bizarre comparisons to 90's acts that aren't even accurate, endless supply of JR catchphrases and really didn't sound excited or engaged by the action in front of him. Then at the close of broadcast on night 2 he burys the company just for good measure.

What makes it worse is he commentates regularly on NJPW in a format that allows him a lot of time to do research on the acts, stories they are involved in ect. so he should be someway familiar with NJPW and its mainstays. So imagine a tournament of women, most of whom he's never seen in his life. Potential for disaster.

Agent Coulson

Curt Hawkins brought back with a small bit off fanfare and lots of vignettes and has been jobbed out since his return must wonder where it all went wrong when he looks at Jinder Mahal who was brought back at the same time to no fanfare and is now the World Champ.

leggo

Agent Coulson wrote: »

Curt Hawkins brought back with a small bit off fanfare and lots of vignettes and has been jobbed out since his return must wonder where it all went wrong when he looks at Jinder Mahal who was brought back at the same time to no fanfare and is now the World Champ.

If I remember correctly, the likes of Hawkins and Mahal were only brought back to be enhancement talent and give the rosters a bit of depth with faces fans would be somewhat familiar with and talent they knew could work the main roster. Then Jinder showed up in amazing shape and it went from there. Hawkins can't really have expected more himself.

beakerjoe

leggo wrote: »

If I remember correctly, the likes of Hawkins and Mahal were only brought back to be enhancement talent and give the rosters a bit of depth with faces fans would be somewhat familiar with and talent they knew could work the main roster. Then Jinder showed up in amazing shape and it went from there. Hawkins can't really have expected more himself.

Hawkins will be more than happy with a regular paycheck, it was what he signed up for.

Mahal obviously got his head down and worked at it. Listening to Big Show on Jerichos podcast, Mahal has impressed the boys in the back and the right people in crative with his attitude since returning.

He changed his diet, got his head down and worked hard in the gym and the ring, and from what Mahal says his very vocal and enthusiastic backstage about being involved and improving his segments.

Hes over achieving for sure, but hes an example of someone doing the right things to get himself promoted. Someone like Hawkins, while content with his position, could learn a few things from Mahal.

ERG89

Andersonisgod wrote:

JR in 2017 is not good. Infact a lot of the time he's actively bad.

I remember when he first did Wrestle Kingdom & he sounded so bored I switched to the Japanese commentary.
I know he's had a very tough year in his life but he hasn't cared in a long time.
I do enjoy Josh Barnett tho.

Andersonisgod

ERG89 wrote: »

I remember when he first did Wrestle Kingdom & he sounded so bored I switched to the Japanese commentary.
I know he's had a very tough year in his life but he hasn't cared in a long time.
I do enjoy Josh Barnett tho.

Barnett is excellent, really works in the NJPW environment, knows the product well, and has some interesting insights on some of the roster having worked for NJPW. He was very quick to pick up the slack this weekend.

SureYWouldntYa

beakerjoe wrote: »

Hes over achieving for sure, but hes an example of someone doing the right things to get himself promoted. Someone like Hawkins, while content with his position, could learn a few things from Mahal.

Hawkins doesn't have the USP that Mahal has, that 99% of the reason he's in the position he's in right now

beakerjoe

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

Hawkins doesn't have the USP that Mahal has, that 99% of the reason he's in the position he's in right now

I think thats unfair on Mahal, Im sure theirs some truth to that but to lump 99 percent is just ridiculous, but his attitude surely has played a bigger part.

SureYWouldntYa

beakerjoe wrote: »

I think thats unfair on Mahal, Im sure theirs some truth to that but to lump 99 percent is just ridiculous, but his attitude surely has played a bigger part.

There's probably a dozen or so other guys doing all the right things and yet they didn't go from chump to champ in 3 weeks.

I think the point of his hard work being rewarded would make sense if he was moved up the card a bit slower with a view to him becoming champion next year at some stage, and he kept doing impressing while moving up the card. Look at the booking of Braun Strowman for how to handle moving someone up the card in a more natural way

beakerjoe

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

There's probably a dozen or so other guys doing all the right things and yet they didn't go from chump to champ in 3 weeks.

I think the point of his hard work being rewarded would make sense if he was moved up the card a bit slower with a view to him becoming champion next year at some stage, and he kept doing impressing while moving up the card. Look at the booking of Braun Strowman for how to handle moving someone up the card in a more natural way

Im not here to debate whether or not Mahal deserves to be in the spot hes in, but hes clearly improved since he returned.

Hes better in the ring (far from excellent I might add),

Hes clearly worked hard on his physique, something that will appeal to Vince, so credit him for doing the right things, working out correctly and sacrificing in order to get himself noticed.

His general attitude has improved going by what his peers are saying. Hes earning their respect, good for him.

He is in the right place at the right time and in the right mindset to make it work. Good for him.

Blue_Dabadee

Vince has always seen Curt Hawkins as a good hand/enhancement talent. He helped The Rock to shake off ring rust prior to his in-ring return.

gerrybbadd

Blue_Dabadee wrote: »

Vince has always seen Curt Hawkins as a good hand/enhancement talent. He helped The Rock to shake off ring rust prior to his in-ring return.

I think he worked with Goldberg too prior to coming back

Sirsok

Blue_Dabadee wrote: »

Vince has always seen Curt Hawkins as a good hand/enhancement talent. He helped The Rock to shake off ring rust prior to his in-ring return.

Wasnt that the reason they paired axel with heyman also, he helped get the rock into ring shape

martyos121

beakerjoe wrote: »

Im not here to debate whether or not Mahal deserves to be in the spot hes in, but hes clearly improved since he returned.

Hes better in the ring (far from excellent I might add),

Hes clearly worked hard on his physique, something that will appeal to Vince, so credit him for doing the right things, working out correctly and sacrificing in order to get himself noticed.

His general attitude has improved going by what his peers are saying. Hes earning their respect, good for him.

He is in the right place at the right time and in the right mindset to make it work. Good for him.

Agree with pretty much all of that, I don't necessarily like where he's at but he's put serious work in to get there and hopefully the pressure that's on him at the top of the card will turn him into a diamond. It's happened before with people who were thrust into the spotlight before they were seemingly ready. I don't think anyone wants him to fail either, but it can be hard to care about him either way at the minute.

PTH2009

What are the chances of the UK getting a main roster PPV in the near future ???

Thinking of heading too the Tv tapings next May in London but going by this year's tapings there they didn't seem great. The Glasgow ones i went too in November 2016 were much better

My mate is on a J1 in Texas and is heading too GBOF on Sunday

jaykhunter

PTH2009 wrote: »

What are the chances of the UK getting a main roster PPV in the near future ???

They were roundly trounced when they did the UK Championship tapings in Norwich earlier this year, as Triple H dismissed it saying 'it's only 5 hours/just get a flight, I do it all the time' - so a staunch no. However it was rumoured recently that the merchandise sales at Mania wasn't too hot, and they'd reconsider London/Wembley to capitalise on the merch-buying hardcore Euro audience.

Who knows what they actually think but hopefully their wallets would convince them to come to this side of the Atlantic. Especially with the WWE Network, people aren't buying a one-off PPV but into a service. Imagine Mania starting at 7 or 8pm!

J. Marston

Would Wembley possibly be a record attendance for them? Think it can hold 90,000 in the stands but some of that would be covered by the stage. Depends how many they could fit on the pitch.

No doubt it would sell out in minutes with UK/European fans though. I'd definitely try to get a ticket even if it was up in the nosebleeds.

jaykhunter

Announced attendance, 93,17....2! Sorry Britain! :pac::pac:

Ah man I don't want to even think of a UK WrestleMania. My hopes are already sky high!

x43r0

PTH2009 wrote: »

Thinking of heading too the Tv tapings next May in London but going by this year's tapings there they didn't seem great. The Glasgow ones i went too in November 2016 were much better

It does vary to be fair. I've been going to the tapings since I moved to London 6 years ago and there has been some great ones with appearances from the likes of Triple H, Taker, Nash etc.

I agree though - This year's was underwhelming. Maybe I'm just bitter that Kurt Angle didn't make the trip over

PTH2009

x43r0 wrote: »

It does vary to be fair. I've been going to the tapings since I moved to London 6 years ago and there has been some great ones with appearances from the likes of Triple H, Taker, Nash etc.

I agree though - This year's was underwhelming. Maybe I'm just bitter that Kurt Angle didn't make the trip over

Yeah at the Glasgow tapings we didn't get Mick Foley but we got Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon and Daniel Bryan. The most Important person for me was Chris Jericho and he was there too. Prob a reason why the November tapings are better cause there near Survior Series. The hardyz didn't even compete at the London tapings this year (I would of been so pissed off if I was there)

Id go to a UK Wrestlemania in a heartbeat

CSF

Think Cass will make a top heel if he gets booked strong. Give him the Roman Reigns treatment and people will have no issue being willing to donate an arm to see him finally get his comeuppance.

SureYWouldntYa

The best thing for Cass would be to move him to Smackdown and pair him with Carmella and Ellsworth

Have him slowly edge Ellsworth out of the picture before murdering him, that would get serious heat and Smackdown are low on proper heels

LeeJM

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

The best thing for Cass would be to move him to Smackdown and pair him with Carmella and Ellsworth

Have him slowly edge Ellsworth out of the picture before murdering him, that would get serious heat and Smackdown are low on proper heels

The last thing they need to be doing is having guys change rosters outside of an announced draft. The current brand split has been decent and guys just changing show will waterdown the split and lead to what we had back in 2011/12 with Raw Supershow etc

SureYWouldntYa

LeeJM wrote: »

The last thing they need to be doing is having guys change rosters outside of an announced draft. The current brand split has been decent and guys just changing show will waterdown the split and lead to what we had back in 2011/12 with Raw Supershow etc

It's something that could make sense though for storyline purposes, make it so Enzo and Cass can't be on the same show and Angle looks to trade Cass for someone on the SD roster, wouldn't necessarily ruin the brand split or water it down imo

LeeJM

SureYWouldntYa wrote: »

It's something that could make sense though for storyline purposes, make it so Enzo and Cass can't be on the same show and Angle looks to trade Cass for someone on the SD roster, wouldn't necessarily ruin the brand split or water it down imo

The only way that works is to do a loser leaves Raw match which Cass would have to lose. And then in kayfabe terms why would Smackdown want a guy who couldn't cut it on Raw? Just makes Smackdown look weak and like the secondary show.

Now I know I am putting way more thought into this than anybody in WWE ever would but still IMO they have done the brand split right so far so I would hate to see them chuck it out the window for Cass

SureYWouldntYa

LeeJM wrote: »

The only way that works is to do a loser leaves Raw match which Cass would have to lose. And then in kayfabe terms why would Smackdown want a guy who couldn't cut it on Raw? Just makes Smackdown look weak and like the secondary show.

Now I know I am putting way more thought into this than anybody in WWE ever would but still IMO they have done the brand split right so far so I would hate to see them chuck it out the window for Cass

It doesn't need to be a loser leaves Raw, say they do a thing where Cass and Enzo can't stop fighting each other it becomes a problem for Angle and he chooses to trade Cass because he's more valuable, you could also do a thing where Cass says to Angle that either he leaves or Enzo leaves there's ways to do this that doesn't make Cass look like a chump or devalue the brand split

CSF

Cass should be way above Carmella and Ellsworth on the card. Both Raw and Smackdown are crying out for legitimate heels. I'd say he'd have a fairly decent shout at attracting heat.

leggo

Yeah, plus both Cass and Carmellsworth are getting over just fine on their own. Put them together and you just get into an awkward situation of "Is Cass getting de-pushed or are they dropping Carmella's push? Who's supporting who here?" And there's also the factor that Cass has just got rid of someone doing the over the top NYC shtick to move forward only to go with someone who's doing a heel version of the same gimmick.

SureYWouldntYa

Don't think Cass is getting over at all, he has serious limitations on the mic and that's been seen before

Him dumping Enzo for Carmella despite them both being those loudmouth NYC/NJ people is exactly why he'll get heat. He doesn't need to be de-pushed and neither does she, let them be an actual power couple who has each others backs, all your usual "power couples" of the last few years have really just been female managers like Lana and Maryse

It's just something I'd like to see to keep Cass' momentum going post the Enzo feud because he ain't getting to the top on Raw