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***Official Pro Wrestling Thread*** (6 Viewers)

Was on the UT Arlington campus this weekend for my daughter's cheer competition. The building they held it in was nice, but on the smaller size for her typical comp. With the layout for a performance sport (ie cheerleading or wrestling), the seating is probably about 3000. This same building is hosting AEW on Wednesday, and I thought about going, so looked at tickets. They are only selling tickets for about a third of the seating. ROH Final Battle is down the road Friday, in a similar size building.

Wrestling is great, and I love wrestling. And competition is good, but this does not bode well for AEW staying with the WWE juggernaut.
 
Was on the UT Arlington campus this weekend for my daughter's cheer competition. The building they held it in was nice, but on the smaller size for her typical comp. With the layout for a performance sport (ie cheerleading or wrestling), the seating is probably about 3000. This same building is hosting AEW on Wednesday, and I thought about going, so looked at tickets. They are only selling tickets for about a third of the seating. ROH Final Battle is down the road Friday, in a similar size building.

Wrestling is great, and I love wrestling. And competition is good, but this does not bode well for AEW staying with the WWE juggernaut.
Going to their shows used to feel like going to a rock concert. It was a truly unique pro wrestling experience. AEW really suffered from signing way too many established WWE talents when their original base of fans just wanted to see the indie stars and new homegrown wrestlers. Miro was the one defector that I was truly excited for and the rest did nothing for me of those coming from WWE.

Said it before but you can trace the signing of CM Punk to the company's highest crest and lowest trough.

EDIT: I should add Bryan Danielson to that list. He is phenomenal no matter where he wrestles and always adds entertainment value to any card he is on. Kinda hard to just forget a GOAT but I did.
 
Was on the UT Arlington campus this weekend for my daughter's cheer competition. The building they held it in was nice, but on the smaller size for her typical comp. With the layout for a performance sport (ie cheerleading or wrestling), the seating is probably about 3000. This same building is hosting AEW on Wednesday, and I thought about going, so looked at tickets. They are only selling tickets for about a third of the seating. ROH Final Battle is down the road Friday, in a similar size building.

Wrestling is great, and I love wrestling. And competition is good, but this does not bode well for AEW staying with the WWE juggernaut.
They're irrelevant at this point and closer to Impact than WWE. Niche product that's not grown and slowly circling the drain.

It's good for talent that they've got a money mark to pay them for jobs. There's numerous reports coming out how talent is miserable backstage now and photo after photo of empty venues (everyone pushed to hard cam side).

Theyve now lost their most important talent (Cody) and their biggest (and arguably only) talent draw with Punk. Both are now thriving in WWE. Unless Tiny throws just stupid money at MJF (possible if not likely), he's gone too. MJF would be wise to leave at first chance for the long term.

And it bears repeating, the Young Bucks are the worst thing....the absolute worst thing....that's happened in the history of wrestling. And to AEW 😢
 
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Was on the UT Arlington campus this weekend for my daughter's cheer competition. The building they held it in was nice, but on the smaller size for her typical comp. With the layout for a performance sport (ie cheerleading or wrestling), the seating is probably about 3000. This same building is hosting AEW on Wednesday, and I thought about going, so looked at tickets. They are only selling tickets for about a third of the seating. ROH Final Battle is down the road Friday, in a similar size building.

Wrestling is great, and I love wrestling. And competition is good, but this does not bode well for AEW staying with the WWE juggernaut.
They're irrelevant at this point and closer to Impact than WWE. Niche product that's not grown and slowly circling the drain.

It's good for talent that they've got a money mark to pay them for jobs. There's numerous reports coming out how talent is miserable backstage now and photo after photo of empty venues (everyone pushed to hard cam side).

Theyve now lost their most important talent (Cody) and their biggest (and arguably only) talent draw with Punk. Both are now thriving in WWE. Unless Tiny throws just stupid money at MJF (possible if not likely), he's gone too. MJF would be wise to leave at first chance for the long term.

And it bears repeating, the Young Bucks are the worst thing....the absolute worst thing....that's happened in the history of wrestling. And to AEW 😢

So, it begs the question, and throwing this out to everyone not just Craig, but how would you build a company to at least be in the same ballpark as WWE? Or is it just impossible? There were always circuses when I was a kid, but really only one spectacle that was Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey.

I don't have an answer, but will think on it. AEW isn't the answer, neither is IMPACT. ROH doesn't quite have it, neither does NWA.

Personally, I still feel there is value in the NWA name and legacy. You build a company around the 10 Pounds of Gold. You partner with New Japan and AAA. Take a territory approach and let someone who gets stale "leave for awhile and learn a new hold, then come back". Which is what I think AEW kinda set out to do, but they also need adults running the business, which they don't have. Tony Khan playing fantasy booking with real life action figures doesn't cut it.
 
Was on the UT Arlington campus this weekend for my daughter's cheer competition. The building they held it in was nice, but on the smaller size for her typical comp. With the layout for a performance sport (ie cheerleading or wrestling), the seating is probably about 3000. This same building is hosting AEW on Wednesday, and I thought about going, so looked at tickets. They are only selling tickets for about a third of the seating. ROH Final Battle is down the road Friday, in a similar size building.

Wrestling is great, and I love wrestling. And competition is good, but this does not bode well for AEW staying with the WWE juggernaut.
They're irrelevant at this point and closer to Impact than WWE. Niche product that's not grown and slowly circling the drain.

It's good for talent that they've got a money mark to pay them for jobs. There's numerous reports coming out how talent is miserable backstage now and photo after photo of empty venues (everyone pushed to hard cam side).

Theyve now lost their most important talent (Cody) and their biggest (and arguably only) talent draw with Punk. Both are now thriving in WWE. Unless Tiny throws just stupid money at MJF (possible if not likely), he's gone too. MJF would be wise to leave at first chance for the long term.

And it bears repeating, the Young Bucks are the worst thing....the absolute worst thing....that's happened in the history of wrestling. And to AEW 😢

So, it begs the question, and throwing this out to everyone not just Craig, but how would you build a company to at least be in the same ballpark as WWE? Or is it just impossible? There were always circuses when I was a kid, but really only one spectacle that was Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey.

I don't have an answer, but will think on it. AEW isn't the answer, neither is IMPACT. ROH doesn't quite have it, neither does NWA.

Personally, I still feel there is value in the NWA name and legacy. You build a company around the 10 Pounds of Gold. You partner with New Japan and AAA. Take a territory approach and let someone who gets stale "leave for awhile and learn a new hold, then come back". Which is what I think AEW kinda set out to do, but they also need adults running the business, which they don't have. Tony Khan playing fantasy booking with real life action figures doesn't cut it.
I don't anyone can or will at this point. AEW had good timing as WWE product was horrible with Vince over it, talent was miserable and exited. Now it's AEW where buzz is talent is miserable backstage (and Meltzer can't spin narrative it's because of Punk now).

Even NWA had good timing and solid product pre-COVID. COVID destroyed it and all their top ring talent and Dave Lagana
wound up exiting. I think they're on life support unless they get a buyer / new capital. It's dead and awful under Corgan now.

Now WWE is as good as it's been a quite awhile. I think WWE will get the talent it wants away from AEW (MJF/Starks/Acclaimed/Gunns to name a few). Wouldn't at all be surprised if/when talent does the CM Punk way and gets themselves fired if locked into long term deal if they know WWE is interested (cough Aleister Black)

An audience doesn't want to be told over and over and over again how great a product/service is or was. LET THEM DETERMINE WHAT IS GOOD ON THEIR OWN. Or have "huge announcement" #798 that is a joke. (Guess Tiny missed that part of the Dixie Carter playbook of mistakes). AEW reminds me of when TNA under Dixie Carter started to go downhill. And IMO it's impossible to stop that train.

Edit: ROH is a dead brand and only value left is its' library. Should have never been tried to have been revived.
 
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Was on the UT Arlington campus this weekend for my daughter's cheer competition. The building they held it in was nice, but on the smaller size for her typical comp. With the layout for a performance sport (ie cheerleading or wrestling), the seating is probably about 3000. This same building is hosting AEW on Wednesday, and I thought about going, so looked at tickets. They are only selling tickets for about a third of the seating. ROH Final Battle is down the road Friday, in a similar size building.

Wrestling is great, and I love wrestling. And competition is good, but this does not bode well for AEW staying with the WWE juggernaut.
They're irrelevant at this point and closer to Impact than WWE. Niche product that's not grown and slowly circling the drain.

It's good for talent that they've got a money mark to pay them for jobs. There's numerous reports coming out how talent is miserable backstage now and photo after photo of empty venues (everyone pushed to hard cam side).

Theyve now lost their most important talent (Cody) and their biggest (and arguably only) talent draw with Punk. Both are now thriving in WWE. Unless Tiny throws just stupid money at MJF (possible if not likely), he's gone too. MJF would be wise to leave at first chance for the long term.

And it bears repeating, the Young Bucks are the worst thing....the absolute worst thing....that's happened in the history of wrestling. And to AEW 😢

So, it begs the question, and throwing this out to everyone not just Craig, but how would you build a company to at least be in the same ballpark as WWE? Or is it just impossible? There were always circuses when I was a kid, but really only one spectacle that was Ringling Bros & Barnum and Bailey.

I don't have an answer, but will think on it. AEW isn't the answer, neither is IMPACT. ROH doesn't quite have it, neither does NWA.

Personally, I still feel there is value in the NWA name and legacy. You build a company around the 10 Pounds of Gold. You partner with New Japan and AAA. Take a territory approach and let someone who gets stale "leave for awhile and learn a new hold, then come back". Which is what I think AEW kinda set out to do, but they also need adults running the business, which they don't have. Tony Khan playing fantasy booking with real life action figures doesn't cut it.
You can’t be as massive as WWE but being as big as WWE doesn’t always amount to success. WWE has had a run over recent yrs of just a crappy product but keep money flowing based on name and it’s been around forever.

WWE is better when it has somewhat of a competition. The other issue is WWE over the yrs uses slinky underhand tactics when booking venues. If you book a venue WWE had the other wrestling promotion can’t start promoting the event till 30 days prior. So even if said company could make similar sell WWE is hurting competition or making venues sign exclusive deals with them go not hold other promotions there.

I personally prefer AEW to WWE. I feel like my intelligence is insulted. I follow NJPW as well so some of the storyline interlink with one another. WWE just to me feels so over produced these days and unrealistic.
 
Ric flair supporting Colby Covington not surprising. Colby supports a certain former president who can’t be named here. MMA guy who repeats a lot of trash from the maga crowd and has made some boarder line stereotypical and racist comments about other fighters. He lost bad and complained about the judges and Flair clout chasing agrees with him and sends him a person video

 
The list of MAGA wrestlers is probably longer than the list of anti-MAGA wrestlers. (With the list of apolitical wrestlers bigger than both). This honestly shouldn't be a surprise.

Especially Flair. The guy believes almost beat by beat, regarding money management, excess, women, everything as the same as DT.
 
Fightful reports around AEW All In, AEW sources indicated there was a tentative plan for Mercedes Monè and them to work together when she was no longer injured.

At the beginning of December, it was mentioned that those plans were no longer active, and the two sides were far apart on terms.

It was not indicated what that meant. Whether it they were far apart dates, schedule, financial terms, or booking.

But it has not been said that this means the door is closed between the two sides.
 
The list of MAGA wrestlers is probably longer than the list of anti-MAGA wrestlers. (With the list of apolitical wrestlers bigger than both). This honestly shouldn't be a surprise.

Especially Flair. The guy believes almost beat by beat, regarding money management, excess, women, everything as the same as DT.
Yeah not surprised by it. I think more wrestler older are maga where the younger ones aren’t as much.
 
On Thursday, the following names will be free and clear to sign with any wrestling promotion they choose, as their 90-day no complete clause with WWE will expire:

Ali

Aliyah

Shelton Benjamin

Rick Boogs

Dana Brooke

Dabbo-Kato

Elias

Quincy Elliot

Yulissa Leon

Mace

Mansoor

Riddick Moss

Riddle

Shanky

Top Dolla

Dolph Ziggler
 
Fightful is reporting that Mercedes mine is asking for more then what Charlotte flair just got on her new WWE deal which is a record for a women in WWE.

Good lord she’s not worth that much
 
LA Knight to Receive Key to the City

The City of Hagerstown will present one of its own, and currently one of the most popular Superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment, with the key to the city on Saturday, December 23 at noon at University Plaza, 50 W. Washington St.

Now known around the globe as “LA Knight”, Shaun Ricker was born in Hagerstown on November 1, 1982 and graduated from North Hagerstown High School in 2000.

The public is invited to attend this recognition ceremony on Saturday as he returns to his hometown to receive this unique and well-deserved honor. “Yeah!”
 
LA Knight to Receive Key to the City

The City of Hagerstown will present one of its own, and currently one of the most popular Superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment, with the key to the city on Saturday, December 23 at noon at University Plaza, 50 W. Washington St.

Now known around the globe as “LA Knight”, Shaun Ricker was born in Hagerstown on November 1, 1982 and graduated from North Hagerstown High School in 2000.

The public is invited to attend this recognition ceremony on Saturday as he returns to his hometown to receive this unique and well-deserved honor. “Yeah!”
I live in Hagerstown. Might drift over just to throw out a “Yeah!” or two.
 
Went to my local MPX show on Saturday. Has been months since I had been. Was fun to see the progression of a few of the wrestlers that are still on the roster from back then. Craziest thing was there was a hardcore match. Both guys bladed, also bled from the back, one guy took a cannonball dive into a flat screen TV, both took bumps on a pile of nuts and bolts, and they both crushed a ladder set up as scaffolding from the ring to the railing.

All of this in front of less than 100 people. (and a twitch audience).

For the love of the art...

So these two are running it back this Saturday in a "Death Match". Not sure how much more they could do, but should be interesting.

Had already bought a ticket because Athena is going to be there (when your hubby owns the company, you probably can just drop in as you are home for the holiday), so should be a fun night overall.
 
LA Knight to Receive Key to the City

The City of Hagerstown will present one of its own, and currently one of the most popular Superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment, with the key to the city on Saturday, December 23 at noon at University Plaza, 50 W. Washington St.

Now known around the globe as “LA Knight”, Shaun Ricker was born in Hagerstown on November 1, 1982 and graduated from North Hagerstown High School in 2000.

The public is invited to attend this recognition ceremony on Saturday as he returns to his hometown to receive this unique and well-deserved honor. “Yeah!”
I live in Hagerstown. Might drift over just to throw out a “Yeah!” or two.
Have you ever been to John Rambo's House of Pain?
 
LA Knight to Receive Key to the City

The City of Hagerstown will present one of its own, and currently one of the most popular Superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment, with the key to the city on Saturday, December 23 at noon at University Plaza, 50 W. Washington St.

Now known around the globe as “LA Knight”, Shaun Ricker was born in Hagerstown on November 1, 1982 and graduated from North Hagerstown High School in 2000.

The public is invited to attend this recognition ceremony on Saturday as he returns to his hometown to receive this unique and well-deserved honor. “Yeah!”
I live in Hagerstown. Might drift over just to throw out a “Yeah!” or two.
Have you ever been to John Rambo's House of Pain?
No, never made it there. Looks like it is closed now?
 
LA Knight to Receive Key to the City

The City of Hagerstown will present one of its own, and currently one of the most popular Superstars in World Wrestling Entertainment, with the key to the city on Saturday, December 23 at noon at University Plaza, 50 W. Washington St.

Now known around the globe as “LA Knight”, Shaun Ricker was born in Hagerstown on November 1, 1982 and graduated from North Hagerstown High School in 2000.

The public is invited to attend this recognition ceremony on Saturday as he returns to his hometown to receive this unique and well-deserved honor. “Yeah!”
I live in Hagerstown. Might drift over just to throw out a “Yeah!” or two.
Have you ever been to John Rambo's House of Pain?
No, never made it there. Looks like it is closed now?
It may be. I haven’t really followed it since I moved back to PA in 2006. Man, I got a couple of stories from there…about the fans.
 
Saw The Iron Claw on Friday afternoon. Without spoiling anything (can you spoil it?), I think it is easily the best wrestling movie of all time (although that bar is low). Some random thoughts:
  • Zac Efron is going to get some award consideration for his role as Kevin Von Erich. Not only did he do the physical transformation that voters love, but it's by far his best acting work ever.
  • The movie absolutely NAILED the look, feel and vibe of late 70s/early 80s wrestling in Texas. I could list tons of visual Easter eggs, but the one that made me smile the most was David Von Erich's ridiculous outfit of football jersey, suit coat and cowboy hat. It's how I most remember him looking as a kid when cutting promos.
  • With all the deserved flowers to Efron, the entire cast was pretty amazing. I've seen some reviews that attack Jeremy Allen White as Kerry, but he did nail the character. Kerry wasn't smart and made bad choices, and it's portraited that way. There are about 15 seconds in the film where you wish White was taller, but it's the most minor of nitpicks. All of the other wrestlers looked amazing (you will see MJF for about 4 seconds, the Freebirds are amazing), with the exception of Ric Flair. Something was just off, but will give the movie a pass since the Flair we all know now is a character of the character of the character. (And where it falters, it could have been solved with archive footage, but choices were made)
  • The characters of Fritz and Doris Von Erich are complicated characters in real life, and they are complicated characters in the movie.
  • My biggest complaints, against not trying to spoil, is they completely mess up the timeline on Kerry's foot injury, and there is a big part of the story that is completely left out. But again, I get they only have so much time to fill.
  • Also the movie struggles with Kayfabe, the boys are dejected in the locker room after losses, Fritz spends too much time talking about "earning your shot", but then show matches being planned out before hand and Flair yucking it up with the boys after a match. Would have been better if they pull back the curtain on this a little more and focus on the business side more.
I'll post some other thoughts once more people have seen it, but I will say if you are a wrestling fan, I think you owe yourself to go see this movie.
 
The only clip I’ve seen so far that made me wince was the one of Flair cutting a promo. IMO it was bad; dude was saying the words, but didn’t seem to convey the Slick Ric mystique…then again, who could? :shrug:
 
The only clip I’ve seen so far that made me wince was the one of Flair cutting a promo. IMO it was bad; dude was saying the words, but didn’t seem to convey the Slick Ric mystique…then again, who could? :shrug:

It's not good. I need to watch it again, but it took me completely out of the movie when the actor was on the screen.


Also, they got Bruiser Brody's boots wrong. How do you #### that up??
 

Ending Bob Backland's 2135 day reign. Over 5 and a half years. Kids, Roman is just getting started...
Yep, if Roman holds on to the belt for another 108 years and keeps defending it as many times a year as he has been, he will catch Backlund's title defenses total.

Are we really counting the ones in high school gyms and Boys Clubs? Seriously, your comment made me go down a Cagematch rabbit hole and it's just fascinating how much Backland worked back then. 901 defenses counting dark matches and house shows during his reign.

How awesome would it be to have Roman Reigns roll up at your Middle School?
WWF World Heavyweight Title: Bob Backlund (c) defeats Tiger Chung Lee
WWF - Event @ Henry H. Wells Middle School Gym in Brewster, New York, USA
 

Ending Bob Backland's 2135 day reign. Over 5 and a half years. Kids, Roman is just getting started...
Yep, if Roman holds on to the belt for another 108 years and keeps defending it as many times a year as he has been, he will catch Backlund's title defenses total.
That’s the thing for me. I’m enjoying the long reign; the lack of defenses is what annoys me.

I realize it was a different era, but Flair was defending the belt nightly and twice a day on the weekends against a variety of opponents. You mean we can’t find a way to have RR defend the belt at least monthly?
 

Ending Bob Backland's 2135 day reign. Over 5 and a half years. Kids, Roman is just getting started...
Yep, if Roman holds on to the belt for another 108 years and keeps defending it as many times a year as he has been, he will catch Backlund's title defenses total.
That’s the thing for me. I’m enjoying the long reign; the lack of defenses is what annoys me.

I realize it was a different era, but Flair was defending the belt nightly and twice a day on the weekends against a variety of opponents. You mean we can’t find a way to have RR defend the belt at least monthly?
Is RR physically able to defend? He only shows up like two Fridays a month, and one PPV. With is ailments, I have to think a title change is coming soon. But then again Lesnar has the same kind of schedule and rarely defended the belt outside of top PPVs.
 
That leads to the question of, why are they keeping the belt on Reigns for so long if he cannot work more? And if he is going to leave after he drops it, which is rumored, why keep the belt on him? Just so they can say a guy in the modern era had a title reign of x-number of years (which is silly, since it is all a work)? Of course, the reality is that Reigns isn't that great and is a guy who needs the title to be relevant. Think of guys like Cena, Rock or Austin in their primes. They had runs as the champ, but none needed to be the champ to be "the man" or relevant. Reigns is JAG without the strap.
 

Ending Bob Backland's 2135 day reign. Over 5 and a half years. Kids, Roman is just getting started...
Yep, if Roman holds on to the belt for another 108 years and keeps defending it as many times a year as he has been, he will catch Backlund's title defenses total.
That’s the thing for me. I’m enjoying the long reign; the lack of defenses is what annoys me.

I realize it was a different era, but Flair was defending the belt nightly and twice a day on the weekends against a variety of opponents. You mean we can’t find a way to have RR defend the belt at least monthly?
Flair's Cagematch stats are just beyond insane.

On April 24th, 1983, Flair beat Greg Valentine by DQ in Charlotte, NC. Then they both drove 2 hours to have Flair beat Valentine by pinfall in Asheville, NC, on the same day.

I totally geek out over those days. Granted, it destroyed most of the men that did it, but man were they Kings at the time.
 

Ending Bob Backland's 2135 day reign. Over 5 and a half years. Kids, Roman is just getting started...
Yep, if Roman holds on to the belt for another 108 years and keeps defending it as many times a year as he has been, he will catch Backlund's title defenses total.
That’s the thing for me. I’m enjoying the long reign; the lack of defenses is what annoys me.

I realize it was a different era, but Flair was defending the belt nightly and twice a day on the weekends against a variety of opponents. You mean we can’t find a way to have RR defend the belt at least monthly?
Is RR physically able to defend? He only shows up like two Fridays a month, and one PPV. With is ailments, I have to think a title change is coming soon. But then again Lesnar has the same kind of schedule and rarely defended the belt outside of top PPVs.
He negotiated a light schedule into his contract. He has no injuries that I’m aware of.
 

Ending Bob Backland's 2135 day reign. Over 5 and a half years. Kids, Roman is just getting started...
Yep, if Roman holds on to the belt for another 108 years and keeps defending it as many times a year as he has been, he will catch Backlund's title defenses total.
That’s the thing for me. I’m enjoying the long reign; the lack of defenses is what annoys me.

I realize it was a different era, but Flair was defending the belt nightly and twice a day on the weekends against a variety of opponents. You mean we can’t find a way to have RR defend the belt at least monthly?
Is RR physically able to defend? He only shows up like two Fridays a month, and one PPV. With is ailments, I have to think a title change is coming soon. But then again Lesnar has the same kind of schedule and rarely defended the belt outside of top PPVs.
He negotiated a light schedule into his contract. He has no injuries that I’m aware of.
Doesn't he have leukemia? That's what I was referring to above. He's taken time off for that previously. Was thinking maybe it's hitting him hard and he's not able to maintain a "normal" schedule?
 

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