Professional Wrestling (WWE, TNA, ROH, etc)

[deihatein]

How come the Smackdown logo on the WWE website has an X on it? and I wish Goldberg is still wrestling

[buzzy]

The X is representing the decade Smackdown has been on the air. They made it their official logo some time late last year-

[Murat]

How come the Smackdown logo on the WWE website has an X on it? and I wish Goldberg is still wrestling

No...

[J@3]

Their website is becoming the biggest dirtsheet.

That's hilarious

Edit: Wait, isn't that Dos Caras Jr??? If they're going to push anyone that's the guy I'd go for, he's pretty good.

Edit 2: Just saw his Mysterio match, his gimmick is fucking stupid. He's just a Mexican JBL. The WWE are terrible at this stuff.

[Andrew]

Remember, this is the company that suggested "Chilly McFreeze" as a moniker for Stone Cold Steve Austin pre-Stone Cold days, because he wanted a gimmick change and suggested his character have a cold personality.

[buzzy]

This is just an assumption, but I think they do wanna make him a big deal fairly quickly, because once Mysterio retires (which can't be that far away) they would want a a new star for their latino fanbase.
They would probably turn him face relatively soon too, so maybe a better gimmick comes with that.

Unrelated: the more submission finishers there are, the better. imo.

[JaoSming]

TNA has really started to become more a trainwreck in my eyes but I still want to watch to see how bad they can continue to mess up.

Sandman evidently no-showed the tapings and here are some bouts for the next PPV


Douglas Williams versus Sabu for the TNA X Division Title

A.J. Styles versus Tommy Dreamer in an I Quit Match for the TNA Television Title

Abyss versus Rhino in a Falls Count Anywhere Match.

So I foresee the X-Division becoming the hardcore title, um, 2.0
I dont see Dreamer saying I Quit.....so new TV Champ
and yay for Rhino....next person to get murdered by Janus

[deihatein]

Seeing Cena or Edge in a title match in a PPV makes me facepalm a little

[Andrew]

Apparently the homegrown TNA talent is pretty miffed at the current state of affairs. Low locker room morale, questionable booking, talent being held back, declining ratings after a temporary boom, self-righteous and delusional anti-WWE rants, company losing money...yep, sounds like a Bischoff/Hogan production.

[koberulz]

Apparently the homegrown TNA talent is pretty miffed at the current state of affairs. Low locker room morale, questionable booking, talent being held back, declining ratings after a temporary boom, self-righteous and delusional anti-WWE rants, company losing money...yep, sounds like TNA post-2007.

Corrected.

[Andrew]

That too, but they're all hallmarks of Bischoff's rise and fall in WCW.

[koberulz]

And yet someone thought combining the two would make a difference...

[Andrew]

Well, as passionate as she seems to be about TNA, I wouldn't say Dixie Carter has a great wrestling mind or the greatest knowledge of wrestling history. Eric Bischoff is not an idiot but he believes a lot of his own hype and hangs his hat on almost putting McMahon out of business, which if you've read The Death of WCW seems almost a fluke or at the very least an opportunity that was ultimately bungled. We can say what we like about Vince McMahon and he's had some awful ideas, but the guy's still in business and exceedingly wealthy.

The way Bischoff brags about almost putting McMahon out of business is kind of like if Patrick Ewing bragged about how his Knicks almost beat Jordan's Bulls. Sure, it's nothing to be sneezed at, but you don't have bragging rights over the winner when you've come up short. Bischoff almost put the WWF out of business; McMahon did put WCW out of business. Give it time and the same thing could happen to TNA.

But getting back to why anyone would think it would make a difference...well, Bischoff did have some success and has people believing in the "controversy creates cash" mantra, though TNA is reportedly finding out first hand that it does not. TNA needed to do something big and bringing in big names isn't a completely stupid idea, but they've handled it poorly which has alienated not only their homegrown talent but also their hardcore fanbase, without the trade off of bringing in enough new fans to compensate.

They set a new record when they went head-to-head with RAW on January 4th and Hogan coming in created a buzz but the thing about Hogan is that...

a) He's not the draw he used to (but believes he is)
b) Thrives on backstage politics, nepotism and sycophancy
c) Draws interest initially but then everyone remembers they're tired of him

TNA hasn't accounted for that. They've thrown heaps of money at names that were built elsewhere while promising them easier schedules (Sound familiar? It should, WCW did the same thing in the mid 90s) and wouldn't you know it, it's led to subpar work ethic, unhappy talent and burdensome contracts. Bischoff and Hogan claimed they'd learned from their past mistakes. They haven't. They tasted a little success earlier this year, got giddy and reverted back to the old ways.

Bischoff even posted a scathing blog aimed at the WWE's ratings and PPV buyrates when TNA's numbers in that regard have been very ordinary (and in terms of PPV buyrates, frankly pathetic). They talk tough, but their success is nowhere near a point where WWE even has to acknowledge them. They talked about Monday Night Wars and bringing down the WWE, promising that David didn't slay Goliath overnight. Then when it became clear that going head to head with RAW was killing their ratings, they backpedaled and claimed they never were trying to compete. Uh huh. Except for all that stuff about competing and giving WWE a run for their money, Hogan bragging that the ratings would triple and that David would eventually slay Goliath.

I think TNA's blown it and unlike WCW, they don't have Ted Turner's chequebook, control of the network and patience to bail them out. They might continue to have modest success but could very well spend and book themselves into ruin. If that comes to pass, it'll be interesting to see what bridges have been burned and what kind of humbling people will have to go through should they be forced to once again seek employment from the WWE.

[koberulz]

b) Thrives on backstage politics, nepotism and sycophancy

You've been watching too many Chris Jericho promos.

[Andrew]

No such thing.

[Andrew]

RIP Luna Vachon. Another former wrestler/wrestling personality dead before the age of 50, which I'm sure will be pinned upon the WWE even though she hasn't worked for them for years.

[Murat]

R.I.P. Luna Vachon.





From WWE Raw video game (Sega Genesis). First woman to compete at a video game.

[shadowgrin]

At least post a decent quality pic.

[Murat]

Why? Qualitied pic is ugly. This is better. Taken from Genesis.

[shadowgrin]

Touche Badger.

[Andrew]

She may not have been your typical "Diva" style of woman's wrestler but she definitely was talented both in the ring and as a valet/manager.

[Andrew]

According to TMZ (via WNW), crushed up Oxycodone pills and a snorting straw were discovered along with Luna Vachon's body so it sounds like another former wrestler falling victim to a drug habit.

WWE have also signed a 6'9" women's wrestler to a developmental deal:

[JaoSming]

does anyone remember the really tall "diva" that was around in WWE in the 2000 - 2003 era? I keep trying to figure out who that was but all I find is Stacy Keibler as the tallest....which is BS.

[Andrew]

Nicole Bass?

[JaoSming]

*shutter* yep thanks