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Jareth Cutestory

The Rasslin' Thread

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I still watch the WWF/WWE but i'll usually just youtube it these days. The product simply isn't as good anymore. They only focus on the top guys so it's always fairly impossible for mid level talent to get over and that means we're stuck with the likes of Orton/Cena dominating and i'm not really a fan of either of them. It doesn't help that there's no competition out there. There's no drive to put out an outstanding product as all competition has been bought out and they bring in vast amounts of sponsorship thanks to the PG era, the last three weeks have been a bit of an exception. The Punk work was something different but that will fade away as they couldn't get him to resign (both kayfabe and real life) Add in the fact that Jericho isn't there, Edge has retired and Taker can only do one match a year thanks to his knees then you realise there's just no bonafide stars anymore and again that goes back to the creative team not building up lower level talent and getting them over with the crowd.

 

I'll stick with Smackdown, hopefully they will go with a Christian vs Daniel Bryan programme, they're easily the best two workers in the company currently and will be able to put on some brilliant matches together, granted Christian will have to carry the two of them on the mic but that is an IWC dream programme right there and as long as they keep working on Christians heel turn and they now start to build up Daniel Bryan then the casual fanbase will love it as well.

 

And the Punk v Cena match was not a 5 star match, they were constantly botching thoughout. 4 stars definitely. The disappointing thing is Cena showed he can actually be involved in a good match but 9 times out of 10 we get the same crap from him: beat up for 90 percent of the match, 5 moves of doom and a win. That's just not acceptable from the supposed top guy in the entire company. More of his matches should be of a standard similar to the Punk one at the last PPV. In any other era this guy would have been a midcarder and nothing more, for someone who says he bleeds WWE he really needs to start putting a show on when he's actually wrestling in the ring, not just on a mic, until he starts doing that, all he'll be remembered for is being the top guy in a below average era.

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But they weren't out of this world, bad botches. Most of the stuff was Punk not connecting to the fact with the GTS, but that's almost more realistic. You're fighting for a half hour, you're bound to not connect 100%. It's not like a Kofi botch for example, where he trips all over himself lol.

 

But I agree about the star power, which is why I was hoping Cena was going to FINALLY take some time off. They need to establish guys like Ziggs, Bourne, Ryder, etc. Ziggs can be a mega heel if he didn't get stuck working with Kofi every week. Seriously, it feels like they've wrestled eachother for the past year.

 

They also need to reestablish the IC and US titles as legitimate. Back in the day, those titles meant you were the #1 contender for the World title. It also helped push mid card guys to superstars.

 

Another thing that needs to be done is to get rid of those hideous tag titles. Then, hire a bunch of indy guys and throw them together to form some legitimate tag teams. The division is all but dead.

 

But the PG era could work, if they continue to develop storylines like the Punk one. Let it be known as the smark era, where nods to ROH and real life scenarios are brought into the storylines. I can get behind that.

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But they weren't out of this world, bad botches. Most of the stuff was Punk not connecting to the fact with the GTS, but that's almost more realistic. You're fighting for a half hour, you're bound to not connect 100%. It's not like a Kofi botch for example, where he trips all over himself lol.

 

But I agree about the star power, which is why I was hoping Cena was going to FINALLY take some time off. They need to establish guys like Ziggs, Bourne, Ryder, etc. Ziggs can be a mega heel if he didn't get stuck working with Kofi every week. Seriously, it feels like they've wrestled eachother for the past year.

 

They also need to reestablish the IC and US titles as legitimate. Back in the day, those titles meant you were the #1 contender for the World title. It also helped push mid card guys to superstars.

 

Another thing that needs to be done is to get rid of those hideous tag titles. Then, hire a bunch of indy guys and throw them together to form some legitimate tag teams. The division is all but dead.

 

But the PG era could work, if they continue to develop storylines like the Punk one. Let it be known as the smark era, where nods to ROH and real life scenarios are brought into the storylines. I can get behind that.

 

I agree that is the main flaw at the moment. The midcard belts are mere accessories and the storylines go to the upper card. The mid card seem to be stuck in random matches each week with no direction and no time to cut a promo and develop, until that is addressed there's not going to be any improvement. I think the talent is there, creative just needs to start putting in the time and developing more than one story arc.

 

As for the belts, yes the tag team one is awful. Getting rid of the womens championship and keeping the diva one was also a bad move. I'm hoping they get a new WWE title belt made in the next week to carry on the fact that Punk has taken it and also they can have one that moves away from the piece of trash that was the spinner belt. Thus bringing in a new era and direction.

 

I think making it more 'real' and less kayfabe would deffo be a good way to go. I wouldn't go as far as a smark era. We don't buy the merchandise or pay for the PPV's. The casual fans do and that's were they make their money. They would have to do it in a way that caters to the casual fan but it could definately work and it keeps it PG so they retain their sponsors. Hopefully they keep going in the right direction these next few weeks.

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Agreed. By the smark era I meant basically include more reality based storylines without pushing boundaries so you're not alienating your current fanbase (kids) yet still appealing to your older fanbase.

 

Also, 100% agree on the mid card not having a storyline to save their lives. Like I said, Ziggs/Kofi have been duking it out for both brand midcard belts for the past year. Zeke and Barrett lasted about a week, and now Zeke is just sort of going through the motions. The Divas division is just a complete mess other than it probably having the hottest divas of any era (overall).

 

And if they don't want to spend time to revamp the tag division, then atleast bring the cruiserweight title back, or run with the Internet title Ryder has been using. You need a strap to make people care about the lower tier guys. Let them duke it out and have 10-15 matches once a week on each show and get the crowd hot.

 

Also, this CM Punk viral stuff is friggin GOLD.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2NAvDqglbAE

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1. Agree completely on your guys takes on the IC/US titles.

 

2. I agree with the takes on the (lack there of) Tag Team Division but I disagree on the belts. I like the spartan belts.

 

3. I want to see feuds again. Every match at PPVs now are title matches and throw ins. We used to have feuds that didn't involve titles, first one that comes to mind for me is Shamrock/Undertaker (that was around the time I started watching).

 

4. Jareth, leave my boy Kofi out of this lol. Say "Sin Cara botches" when referring to really bad ones.

 

5. There is absolutely no way Punk isn't still with the WWE, none.

 

6. I think it's about time to drop the brand split as well. People have been wanting it for years but it was never the right time. Now with the roster watered down so much (mostly creative's fault) there's no need for separate rosters. When guys like The Miz are having WWE Title runs, your main event scene is scarce.

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1. Agree completely on your guys takes on the IC/US titles.

 

2. I agree with the takes on the (lack there of) Tag Team Division but I disagree on the belts. I like the spartan belts.

 

3. I want to see feuds again. Every match at PPVs now are title matches and throw ins. We used to have feuds that didn't involve titles, first one that comes to mind for me is Shamrock/Undertaker (that was around the time I started watching).

 

4. Jareth, leave my boy Kofi out of this lol. Say "Sin Cara botches" when referring to really bad ones.

 

5. There is absolutely no way Punk isn't still with the WWE, none.

 

6. I think it's about time to drop the brand split as well. People have been wanting it for years but it was never the right time. Now with the roster watered down so much (mostly creative's fault) there's no need for separate rosters. When guys like The Miz are having WWE Title runs, your main event scene is scarce.

 

 

See, I dig the Miz for his mic skills alone, though in the attitude era it'd be hard for him to get over with some of his catchphrases. But his charisma and his ability to work a crowd reminds me of a poor mans Jericho. Jericho never really had to be risky to insult a crowd and get a good reaction. Plus he's more a tweener in a sense that fans love to hate him. His ring work isn't bad either. His matches with American Dragon were great.

 

Fair enough Trey. Sin Cara won't even be coming back though, so Kofi is next in the pecking order lol.

 

I never doubted Punk not being resigned. No way Vince let's him build up his character to that level AND win the title and leave. It'd be like Stone Cold getting maximum popularity and then letting him go to WCW or ECW back in the Attitude Era.

 

Now, the dropping of the brand split I once supported, but then it dawned on me. If you have one brand, it's going to be tough to get everybody theres. It's already tough enough for them to establish a mid card, but with so many guys in the company right now having 1 brand even while having 2 shows will be a giant clusterf*ck.

 

I think they need to bring back ECW or even a new WCW show and have guys specifically designated for each show. No draft, no flip flopping, no joint PPV's. Vince has enough $$$ to manage two actual federations and it's about time does. This time though, let Heyman come back and run ECW his way (as tastefully as can be of course since it's the PG era), or let somebody run WCW. Throw all the cruiserweights to WCW and make that show have things WWE doesn't, while letting WWE still have the big names to make their show special as well. Just an idea.

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besides miz and punk, who else right now can even give a good promo? oh **** actually r-truth has been awesome lately, which is odd because before the whole conspiracy crap i used to think he was awful (especially back when he used to be with road dogg). . . cena is just awful at everything he does, and the guys i like watching in kofi, ziggler, morrison, daniel bryan, evan bourne, and to some extent jack swagger. . . all these guys are good in the ring in one way or another but all of them suck on the mic, which to me is huge because to me the biggest appeal were how good guys like triple h, the rock, stone cold, jericho, kurt angle, the mcmahons, hbk, ric flair, and the crowd work from DX/dudley boys, obviously the street fights and blood were also huge but in the end if those guys were terrible cutting out promos the WWE would probably not even be around anymore.

 

I don't know, unless they can find some new guys good on the mic/hire a new creative team, I think all we'll get is maybe a few good feuds every other three months and nothing more. I honestly don't care if they got the best in ring performers in the world, what gets me hooked is the hilariously corny and bad drama with entertaining story lines and above average fights, or over the top hardcore matches. . .

 

The Miz was awesome when he was feuding with Cena and The Rock, same with Punk recently. . . maybe it's time the WWE turned Cena into the whipping boy again and drop the Super Roid Raging Hero Of The Children And Mankind Cena.

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Apparently they are hiring soap opera writers to write some new real world storylines, so there may be hope. Vince, while having a huge ego and a "do it my way" approach, knows where the $$ is. He knows fans are losing interest, and he needs a boom. Punk was that boom, and it'd be silly to not pounce on it. Punk/HHH could be MONEY if done right.

 

R-Truth has been GREAT lately. I LOVE the no theme song entrance and the "little jimmy" stuff. It's entertaining as all hell and doesn't even seem forced lol. That whole "what's up" crap gave me huge douche chills.

 

I also think they need to scrap the gimmick PPVs. I dislike having a hell in the cell ppv, tlc ppv, etc. It seems they don't really allow those type of matches on a normal ppv/TV so title matches/feuds feel cheapened unless those gimmick ppvs are around the corner. Give me Orton/Christina again in a hell in the cell.

 

I do agree with you bmp on the mic work. Ziggler is getting there though, but he needs more freedom. Also, Bryan can work the mic as a heel, but I doubt he gets turned anytime soon. Swagger/Morrison (despite hit botches) are great, but yeah, no mic skills. They have charisma too which is weird, but put a mic in front of them and it falls apart.

 

Which brings me to this. BRING BACK MANAGERS. You could have guys like Bourne and Morrison do what they do, but have a talking head for them. Use the divas if you have to. Have them be *****y to the crowd and get cheap heat. It's a start. But after watching Heenan's doc on netflix, I remember how easy it was for heels to get over even without any mic skills.

 

Cena needs to turn heel. He needs a serious character revamp. I used to like him WAY back when during his Thuganomics days. Dude could cut a heel promo no problem and annoy the piss out of fans.

 

Finally, hire Colt Cabana and push Zack Ryder to the moon.

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Cena was great as a heel, as Jareth pointed out, and actually I liked Morrison on the mic during his Shaman of Sexy days. Miz is alright, but I would like him more if he stopped ripping off SNL.

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I agree that there doesn't seem to many 'top' mic workers out there at the minute but I think a lot of it is down to how heavily scripted the show is nowadays. It used to be guys had to hit a few key words and the rest they could kind of go with what they wanted and that's how wrestlers got their gimmicks, personas and catchphrases. I mean today, you would never get a stone cold steve austin coming up with the 3:16 phrase because he would never be given the chance to.

 

There are still some very good mic workers in the company though. Barrett needs to given more mic time, he was ridiculously over during the nexus angle, he needs to improve in the ring but the basis is there. They need to go back to 2005 Christian as well.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lojHV6f9MVU

 

Guy is awesome when allowed to be creative.

 

Also agree agree about R Truth, guy has been hilarious, cannot believe what a great heel he makes!P.lus I don't have to listen to his theme anymore.

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