Wrestling 2005

[Stingray]

It scares me....but Thief & I actually agree on this one....you HAVE to have one of two things to make it big (if ya got both, you make it REAL big):

Strong Mic Skills
Superior PURE Technical Wrestling Talent

Austin, HHH...they have both (though Austin didn't show much of it post-Ringmaster gimmick), HBK & Angle are two more good examples.

Then ya got guys like Benoit or Bret Hart or Arn Anderson or Dean Melenko, who don't have much for mic skills, but have/had some of the best technical ability in the business, and it has/did pay off.

Then ya got guys like the Rock, Rikishi, Luger, Piper, Hogan, etc...who practically lived on their mic skills...especially the last three, because they never could wrestler for shit...

Or...you could be like Maven, have a really kickass dropkick (or other singular move of choice here) and have a lengthy career, yet not really accomplish much....

 

[Chuck67]

i agree- strong mic skills do work wonders for a wrestler but timing and/or
management support is key as well. Austin was great on the mic but was
held down at first with that crappy Ringmaster gimmick. Rock sucked till
he got some tips from management(and Austin) on how to loosen up on
the mic. Mick Foley (who gave the BEST PROMOS in ECW!!) didn't do so
well in his first year as Mankind but got more support from Vince later on.

There's potential in a guy like Carlito so i wouldn't be so quick to count him
out. Same with alot of the younger guys coming up on the rosters of RAW
and SMACKDOWN.

PS- Can't wait for ECW's One Night Stand PPV!!!!

-C

 

[Stingray]

Austin was great on the mic but was held down at first with that crappy Ringmaster gimmick.

You can't fault the management for that call though. They hired a guy with a good look, but CHRONIC health problems....they're not gonna push him into big money matches immediately, without testing his skills a while beforehand. Especially in Austin's case, where his Ringmaster work was some of his earliest work post-shoulder surgery...

 

[bobobill]

speaking of the draft who do you think will be the first drafted my vote goes for Carlito that way he could feud Jericho over wich segment is better Carlito's cabana or the Highlight Reel

 

[Chuck67]

You can't fault the management for that call though. They hired a guy with a good look, but CHRONIC health problems....they're not gonna push him into big money matches immediately, without testing his skills a while beforehand. Especially in Austin's case, where his Ringmaster work was some of his earliest work post-shoulder surgery...

I doubt they hired Austin for his look being that he was going thru
a transitional faze in that sense. His health problems were no real
issue yet; from what i remember he was pretty consistent in WCW
as part of the Hollywood Blondes and as a singles wrestler till he
suffered his shoulder injury. His mic skills were strong in his brief
stay in ECW but WWE should've seen the potential from that point.

It was only the luck of Ted DeBiase leaving the company that led
to Austin getting more mic time and evolving into the Stone Cold
character we all know now. His work in the ring wasn't even in
question and he certainly had some great matches early in his
WWE career.

-C

 

[Stingray]

True...but potential isn't always the best guage, particularly in cases where you're judging potential based on someone's work in a smaller company. WCW tried that a LOT late in the run, hiring guys like Raven, Sandman, Mikey Whipwreck, and Mike Awesome...and Raven's the only one that really paid off. WWE's taken a FEW risks along the same lines, but very few without a lengthy testing of someone before giving them some time to evolve, which is just smart. It's similar to the Benoit situation...I had an argument with a buddy o'mine about this. He felt Benoit should be main eventing in the WWE based on his preformance in WCW against guys like Page & Booker T. While his point that Benoit was a strong competitor was valid, in the eyes of the WWE fans (and even a lotta WCW fans that I've debated this with), Benoit's success there was against (about 50% of the time at least, I'd say as high as 80%, but that's a matter of opinion) inferior opponents, in a smaller arena (literally, WWE rings are about a foot or more wider, squared, than WCW's were), and in a smaller company that put shows together based on different things. Of COURSE the WWE wasn't gonna push him that hard right off the bat, it would've been an insanely stupid call. So they worked him slower, bounced him in & out of the main event scene, and Benoit wound up regarded as one of the better guys in the company. Had he gone all out from day one and flopped (which was a high chance, considering the main guys at the time were HUGE favorites like Austin, the Rock, the Undertaker, and Foley), he'd probably be working TNA right now with Jeff Jarrett, or vanished off to Japan.

 

[The_Thief]

Damn that was long post, LOL! All I saw was Mike Awesome, damn that dude was Awesome. If only he could carry a mic. Character adjustment, he just couldn't find it.

 

[Chuck67]

True...but potential isn't always the best guage, particularly in cases where you're judging potential based on someone's work in a smaller company.

Steve Austin had a pretty good history by the time he'd reached WWE;
his work in WCW was pretty impressive to me. i don't think it's fair to
compare Austin to Benoit's situation (which i agree with you on!) but
i see what you mean.

Altimately, when there were two competing companies the likelihood
of a breakout star (like Austin or The Rock) was much more possible
that it is right now. Everyone seemed more 'hungry'...

-C

 

[IHateHonda]

Just look at Goldberg.. He was WcWs main guy, they him go 1 million and 0 when he comes to the WWE he loses practically as much as he wins

Your right Chuck, the to companys forced each other to bring thier best every night. Wrestling was a better all around show when there was actual competition ( not like tonight when Carlito gets knocked around By Cena :lol: )

 

[junkmail41a]

when there were two competing companies the likelihood
of a breakout star (like Austin or The Rock) was much more possible
that it is right now. Everyone seemed more 'hungry'...

-C

That's the key right there. There was a much higher motivation to put out a better product and take bigger risks during the Monday Night Wars. When is the last time you saw the World Championship change hands on Raw or Smackdown. I'll tell you when: the last night Nitro beat Raw in the ratings. Now that there is no competition, Raw and Smackdown have become nothing more than 2 hour commercials for the next PPV. They are practically announcing the main event for the next PPV the Monday night after they just had one on Sunday.

Here is the formula for a typical main event story line on Raw or Smackdown:
Week 1 - Heel will call out Face either on Titantron or during Face's speech in the ring.
Week 2 - Heel will interfere with Face's match, putting Face in an "underdog" situation
Week 3 - Face will get revenge by costing Heel to lose match vs an opponent unrelated to the storyline
Week 4 - Face and Heel will face off in a tag match where only one of the two will be involved in the decision (Face will never pin/submit Heel during this match and vice virsa)
Then its on to the PPV and the formula starts over.

 

[bobobill]

I LOVE VICTORIA! Did anybody notice the great crowd reaction Victoria got when she kicked the shit out of the other divas. I haven't heard a WWE diva get a response like that in a long time. It's too bad Big Vis took Lillian, I was really looking forward to seeing her shake her stuff. Does anybody else tink that the widows peek is the most devistating finisher in the WWE or is it just me?

 

[Stingray]

In the WWE? Nah....in any women's division, ever, absolutely. And yeah, Victoria's great....I just wish her features weren't so...pointed.

Vis abducting Lillian kinda ruined the whole thing for me though....Candice was lookin' hot, as usual...but I'd have rather seen Lillian....

 

[IHateHonda]

At first They booed victoria, then at the end the crowd cheered. It was a good reaction she deserves it. They need another girl to carry the division now that trish isnt in the picture for awhile

By The way, It was beautiful watching cena FU Carlito :headbang:

 

[Zinista]

Has TNA gotten a new TV deal yet???? Rumours were circulating they may have acquired a monday night slot which would be very interesting!!!

 

[bobobill]

First I read that they got a deal with WGN set to start Monday June 20th then I read it fell through because they company that was going to buy TNA backed out. Not sure what to make of it but we'll just have to wait a couple weeks to find out.

 

[bobobill]

Sheck it out 101 reasons not to be a wrestler dvd
http://www.hollymoodentertainment.com/

I'm gonna try to order it next week

 

[Chuck67]

Rob Van Dam announced on The LAW radio show that Joey Styles has agreed to be the play-by-play announcer for the ECW One Night Stand PPV. Styles was the lead announcer on ECW TV for the vast majority of its TV shows from 1993 through its closing. He has written and said many negative things about WWE over the years in the context of ECW's TV show and since then on websites, but WWE wanted to have an authentic a feeling as possible on Sunday, and Styles definitely adds to it. He will be doing commentary with Tazz.

-C

 

[Zinista]

Damn... I wanna see the Human Suplex Machine (Taz) do his shit in the ring!! Would be awesome to see him go around again..

 

[Zinista]

In my best JR Voice: "Cena's been drafted to RAW, Cena's been drafted to RAW!!!"

 

[Stingray]

The show's closing was the best part, by far, of the entire broadcast. Well....that & Lita's top.....