The Fresh New Real Life Pro Wrestling Thread

[Evan H.]

Okay, so between Brock squashing Cena at SummerSlam and walking away the most credible champ WWE's had in decades and the fact WWE in one swoop hired Steen, Willie Mack, KENTA and Prince Devitt... I gotta' say I'm crushin' pretty hard on the 'E these days man.

 

[Evan H.]

WWE's "Road To SummerSlam: The Shield" doc they recently posted on the Network is quite possibly one of the best things they've ever done.

Just FYI. WWE just produced one of the best indie wrestling doc EVER. Dragon Gate, Gabe, CZW, ROH, Drake Younger just bonkers.

 

[The God-Beast]

re: tonight's LOLRAW

Forget nine-ninety-nine, WWE's job is now to sell me on not cancelling my cable.

 

[The God-Beast]

So I just started watching NXT.

Where the fuck has this been all my life?!

 

[Justin]

First it was on wwe.com, then Hulu, and now The Network.

For just NINE NINETY NINE.

 

[Evan H.]

So I just started watching NXT.

Where the fuck has this been all my life?!

It's what they should have done with the brand split all along man. It's like the spiritual successor to ECWWE in the best way, if you know what I mean. It's just this perfect laboratory, this safe space... WWE's own indie fed, if you will for young talents to find their voice without risking getting fucking fired or under booked on the main roster. The current system that started when the turned FCW into NXT, then they sign PAC, Generico, etc, then they start working with Full Sail, then the Performance Center, then the signing of Devitt, Steen and Kenta... shits gettin' real dude. NXT is my can't miss wrestling show right now. Hands down.

 

[Murrr]

I've just started watching NXT as well. I haven't watched wrestling consistently in many years, but now that I'm back in ewrestling I find myself actually making time for the sport again. Figures.

NXT's on television over here, which is good because we don't even have the Network yet . I enjoy the condensed format, but it seems like a mix of really incredible stuff peppered with goobers like Bull Dempsey. The good:bad ratio is fortunately very high: it's a pleasure watching dudes like Zayn and Breeze, and yeah, I'm looking forward to seeing Steen & co. jump into it.

 

[Evan H.]

See, I like seeing guys even guys like Dempsey or Mojo develop... for better or worse theres every flavor of wrestler down in NXT. And seeing them moosh together and develop in weird new ways just due to the variety of talent they're training with both on the trainee and trainer sides. I mean, Steamboat, Regal, Brookside, Smiley, Sara Del Rey, Mercury, Billy Gunn, Dusty Rhodes... that right there is a fucking madhouse of diverse wrestling talent guiding not only fresh meat like Mojo and Bull but can you imagine what a year or so under that line up on trainers can do even for a talented guy like Steen? So great.

Gotta say, NXT Women's division > WWE Diva's division. Even when they share talent the shared Diva gets better having been in the NXT format. Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch... the woman's division has the potential to really not suck in a few years.

 

[The God-Beast]

Sasha vs. my future ex-wife Bayley on 8/14 was just fantastic. This has to lead to her toppling Charlotte, right?

And Enzo Amore reminds me of a guidoed up DDP circa 1997 in the best way possible.

 

[Murrr]

See, I like seeing guys even guys like Dempsey or Mojo develop... for better or worse theres every flavor of wrestler down in NXT. And seeing them moosh together and develop in weird new ways just due to the variety of talent they're training with both on the trainee and trainer sides. I mean, Steamboat, Regal, Brookside, Smiley, Sara Del Rey, Mercury, Billy Gunn, Dusty Rhodes... that right there is a fucking madhouse of diverse wrestling talent guiding not only fresh meat like Mojo and Bull but can you imagine what a year or so under that line up on trainers can do even for a talented guy like Steen? So great.

Gotta say, NXT Women's division > WWE Diva's division. Even when they share talent the shared Diva gets better having been in the NXT format. Charlotte Flair, Bayley, Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch... the woman's division has the potential to really not suck in a few years.

Oh, I agree. It's very interesting watching these guys, as so many of them are at very different stages in their development. I just find it pretty hard sitting through guys like Dempsey at the moment, though. I'm sure he'll get better, given the resources at their disposal. I typically record these shows (as they air at midnight-ish here in Scotland) and skip the things I don't think I'm going to like anyway.

I'm so excited at the prospect of Steen in this thing. I'm sure they'll give him a daft name like Dennis Michael, or whatever, but I've been on a big Steen kick lately so his signing has come at the perfect time for me. Looks like he's shed some pounds too:-

 

[Evan H.]

No, he's dropped so much weight. And as of the 25th he's had the Performance Center at his disposal. I bet by the time we see him on screen in NXT he'll look like a million bucks.

 

[SenorJames]

For anyone who complains about John Cena's neverending push... or those who accuse him of politicking to stay on top, here's a bit from Meltzer. And this doesn't even cover the Public Relations side of Cena's WWE career (namely Make A Wish).

Meltzer reports that with Bryan and Punk out of the picture, Cena's merchandise out-sells the rest of the roster combined. Also, house shows with Cena average $60,000 more than those without. As such, Vince and others are adamant about keeping the spotlight on him and aren't entertaining a heel turn.

 

[Greer]

For anyone who complains about John Cena's neverending push... or those who accuse him of politicking to stay on top, here's a bit from Meltzer. And this doesn't even cover the Public Relations side of Cena's WWE career (namely Make A Wish).

I don't care if they push him until the end of time, I just don't think he needs the belt. They need to actually try and give him a storyline that is compelling without the kneejerk reaction of "Oh no, he doesn't have the belt!"

They had something going with the Wyatts, then they panicked, threw away the program and threw the belt on him. If they HAD to put the belt on him, they could have at least elevated the Wyatts with the program instead of just tossing it away.

 

[Evan H.]

http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/wwe...tt-kevin-steen-hideo-itami-interview-26641720

NEVILLE: You were coming either way.

STEEN: I was coming. And they were coming, too. My son’s 7 years old. He watches WWE and he loves John Cena. I’d take him to a WWE show in Montreal and he’d be like, “How come you’re not wrestling?” “Uh, I don’t wrestle for WWE. You get to come see me in front of 200 people.” (Laughter.) Then one day I told him, “Hey, I think I can wrestle for WWE. You want me to?” He’s like, “Yeah!” So I said, “OK, but it means moving, changing schools and not seeing Grandpa every day.” His question was, “Are you going to wrestle John Cena?” (Laughter.)


ZAYN: That was the negotiation process.

NEVILLE: Different culture.

ZAYN: Different language, different life, everything. He’s got a family. It’s a really huge thing for him in my opinion. How long have you been wrestling?


HIDEO ITAMI: Fourteen years.


NEVILLE: WWE was a big risk for you, right?


ITAMI: Yeah. Everything changed.


ZAYN: Why did you choose to leave Japan for WWE?


ITAMI: I wanted more. I wanted to be famous. I wanted to prove to myself.


STEEN: Did you always want to come to WWE? Because things are different in Japan.


ITAMI: When I started, I didn’t think about WWE, but my dream became bigger and bigger.


STEEN: Maybe you also came to WWE to take back the Go to Sleep. (Laughter.)


ITAMI: I hope! (Laughter.)

(Itami = KENTA)

STEEN: Yeah, when I came here for the camp in March, I walked over to the car rental place and there were 20 guys in line and you could just tell they were here for the tryouts. And I saw a couple of guys that looked like they were born and the first thing they did was go to the gym and start lifting weights. Huge. And I looked at them like, “I’m going to eat you alive.”

What planet is this?! lol

This sort of shit gets me so excited.

 

[SenorJames]

I don't care if they push him until the end of time, I just don't think he needs the belt. They need to actually try and give him a storyline that is compelling without the kneejerk reaction of "Oh no, he doesn't have the belt!"

They had something going with the Wyatts, then they panicked, threw away the program and threw the belt on him. If they HAD to put the belt on him, they could have at least elevated the Wyatts with the program instead of just tossing it away.

Totes agree on all of that, dude. My deal is the whiners who hate Cena to the Nth degree, which I suppose I missed the 10 years of him being stuffed down and then lodged in peoples throats, so it's not as bad for me. That also said, it might help if they wouldn't derail guys because "they don't have anything for them" or whatever bullshit reason they have.

 

[Showtime]

It comes in cycles. We felt the same way about Shawn Michaels, The Rock, Steve Austin, Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, Bruno Sammartino, Pedro Morales, Dusty Rhodes...

If nothing else, fans of wrestling are consistent.

 

[SenorJames]

http://www.gameinformer.com/games/w...s-you-take-a-wrestler-from-scrub-to-star.aspx

Might could get this.

 

[SenorJames]

http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/art-of-wrestling/e/36106222?autoplay=true

#WWElogic.

 

[PositivelyKen]

I don't want to start any conspiracy theories, but this episode isn't available anymore on Colt's website, Stitcher, or iTunes.

Listening on YouTube though. While I can.
*side eyes*

 

[Seth]

So uh... how about that Punk to UFC, huh? I trust he won't give anything less than 100% percent and even he has said that he knows he's living on borrowed time what with him already being 36, but I think he could do well.