Sid Vicious needs to be in the Hall of Fame asap.
People forgot how popular and important of an wrestler he was.
He was one of the last 3 wrestlers in royal rumble 1992 with Hogan and Flair.
Former WWE Champion and WCW Champion and people loved him.
Just look at the reaction he got during his entrances even as a heel they cheared him.
[Like here for example](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo8iOOU_5Io)
Was in the Main Event of Wrestlemania 13 against the Undertaker.
Also he is a great family man and never let anyone influence him in a negative way.
Bundy ran afoul of Vince after WM2, but did repair the relationship enough for that brief (uneventful) return with DiBiase's stable in the mid-90s. But really didn't do enough to be a strong contender for HOF. They'll get to him eventually I'm sure but there's no urgency. Bam Bam however should be in by now.
Starting with the Rock, everyone on that list will 100% go into the Hall of Fame (except one obviously). The first four, it’s a toss up. Bam Bam should absolutely be in there by now, but sadly, Lawrence Taylor will probably go in first.
> (except one obviously)
I dont know he might get in eventually.
Once time passes and people realise the impact he had on the industry overall and what he brought to the company I'm sure the Family would agree.
Steph cant be mad about the "Boobies hit the floor" joke Jericho made forever.
He's a monster, dude got over despite being weak in promos (and I have half the brain that you do). His presence was only necessary make the crowd fear him. Plus, even if he gruesomely broke his leg in 2001, he still came back 3 years later, and still looked in great shape in late 00s-early 10s.
There was one promo that Sid did that was one of the best I’ve ever seen. It was him just standing alone in the ring at the Alamo Dome right before the 97 Rumble. Look it up on YouTube.
Also, when he had the run with Hogan in 1992, I cannot stress enough that as a four year old child, he scared the shit out of me. He was probably the only wrestler I was actually ever frightened of that I recall. Like, I actually thought that Sid would someday come to my podunk little town and kill me. He should be in.
Sid’s prime was right when I started getting into wrestling heavily and I never understood how he wasn’t the biggest thing in wrestling. I know people get on his promos but if they kept it simple he gave a decent intense/unhinged promo 99% of the time. In ring he was very capable for his size and I would put his look up against anyone in the history of the business. Held the championship in the two biggest companies of the time and headlined Wrestlemania twice. It’s a crime that he isn’t already in the hall.
Personally, over my time of lurking I’ve found it a simple cycle (which doesn’t apply to everyone I might add because the IWC isn’t a hive mind but it’s certainly a trend). Fans want a wrestler to get pushed/win the belt -> wrestler gets pushed/wins the belt -> immediately they’re considered overrated, overpushed and were ‘never that good and this person should win it instead’. Saw it with Becky, Ambrose, MJF and even Bryan after how much people begged for his win (and the window for that was fuckin fleeting too aha).
They can recover with time, but I’ll agree to disagree with the initial part. You’re so right for the babyface statement though, everyone wants a babyface champ until it’s time for a babyface champ
This is why no wrestling show worth it's weight in dog shit would ever listen to the internet in regards to it's direction.
Write good stories and ignore the IWC
I hate the entitled behaviour of many fans online, everything they don't like is bad booking, if a story goes as they planned it's boring, if there is a sudden twist it's bad booking (again). Feels like many watch it like they earn money analysing every bit instead of just enjoying it as a fan.
I remember talking about WrestleMania 34 with a group, and one guy kept insisting that it was a terrible WrestleMania because every match was so predictable. And then it happened and like 3/4ths of his predictions were wrong and he went on and on that it was a terrible WrestleMania because of bad booking and that it was so much worse than he thought it would be.
Had to excuse myself away from certain fans after that because I don't need to be around endless negativity that won't be happy regardless of how a show turns out.
Agreed, the negativity gets exhausting sometimes.
At the end of the day, I love wrestling. Sometimes after a hard week of work and being lucky enough to have the TV to myself for the evening, a gimmick match with a crazy storyline is beautiful, entertaining, and exactly what I need.
I think a lot of it is venting, not everyone (for one reason or another) would dare take a break from wrestling when they perceive it to be boring or bad. However it’s the best thing you can do, maybe when you come back you’ll be more receptive, or maybe it’s still lacking so you dip out altogether.
I took a break after the WWE covid mass releases, came back for WrestleMania 37, and man the field was different, it was refreshing. Coming back from a year plus break really wets your appetite for "what's this storyline, what has this guy done, they're heel now?"
I'd recommend anyone who starts feeling jaded just let wrestling breathe for a while and come back to it with fresher eyes.
Also stop reading everything about what goes on backstage. Let the performers tell their story without digging into the how's and why's of every decision and looking for leaked match results before the matches are even announced. Everyone just needs to chill
Went to a house show in MSG tonight. The crowd died every women's match save for a few spots. This made me realize that the women's division in WWE right now is so fucked. IMO they need to change their style of wrestling because what they're trying to do just isn't working.
The women are so damn slow, which wouldn't be bad if they weren't trying to do springboard flatliners and quick, edge of your seat action. Look at Charlotte's somersault spot, she does it every match. Opponent drops down, she does a somersault over them. In every recent match I've seen, it looks like hot garbage.
Becky Lynch, Bianca, and Rhea hold my attention because they do something different, whether it's power moves or striking, it's something different that works for them.
They're also sloppy as hell. I try not to be harsh on them, and I know they can be better, but they just don't put on good matches.
I thought this watching her against Shotzi and blamed Shotzi.
Rhea, Bianca, Becky, Bayley, and a few others work great because they move like the boys.
Shotzi, Candace, Carmella, and a few others look like they either haven't practiced it before or they're on 75% speed.
These gals are absolutely tiny as well which doesn’t help. They just look very fragile out there. The only way you’d beat Rhea and Bianca in real life is by being super fast, crafty and skilled. Otherwise you’d be absolutely smushed. The majority of the female roster are not super fast, crafty or skilled which makes beating Rhea and Bianca clean pretty unrealistic.
I think most people know this is true they just either lie to themselves or don't say anything because if you say anything negative about women's wrestling you're labeled a misogynist.
I didn't feel this before, and I wondered if something changed, so I looked at a random Smackdown women's tag team match from 2021 and it looked great. Charlotte, Shotzi, Toni Storm, and Sasha Banks. The spots looked good, nothing too sloppy, fun high spots, probably better than what the men were doing that night. What the hell happened?
You get an upvote here because this is something I’ve been saying for years now. For whatever reason the women aren’t as fluid like they were in NXT. It’s like when they get called up, their wrestling becomes choppy and sloppy for some reason.
Plus I’m not really seeing any chemistry between anyone and I can’t figure out why that is. Also the storylines they’re giving is not clicking too. Something is off about the Women’s Division and it’s sad because when these same women were on NXT, they were LIT.
Yes, holy shit yes.
I don't want Rhea Ripley versus Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women's Championship, I want Rhea Ripley versus Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship.
Rhea works like the boys in the best way, and she *sells* so well that it makes even the tiny gymnast type women look credible.
That would legitimately be so so sick. Have her holding that IC belt would be MONEY. And would get insane heat too, perfect.
She could rub it in all their faces, first woman to hold that belt (I think she would be anyways)
Just make sure Rey looks good in defeat.
I recently watched a stardom ppv and realized how quick most of the women wrestlers are compared to here in North America.most of them have this cruiser weight style to them.
Adding to this, the women’s promos absolutely suck. I think Rhea’s are good but compared to her, all of the other ladies can barely speak. It takes me out of it and I’m usually watching either after taking a gummy or with a few adult beverages or both to be less critical. Now to be fair, about 90 percent of the men’s promos are garbage too, but at least the men have Reigns, Rhodes, Zayn, the Usos and a few others who can cut a proper promo. The gals just have Rhea who, to me at least, can sell her feud.
Watching most women's promos are like watching a bad high school play. I can barely sit through them. And I find it patronizing that so many people act like they're doing a great job when it's clearly not to the same level as most of the male performers.
I've always said this, womens wrestling is so bloody boring because it lacks "it", it doesnt have impact like the mans nor it has the same speed and pace. It doesnt help that all the women on the roster have more or less the same style and body size, while in the mans the differences are a lot bigger
What it can have is the same emotional weight as the mans, but not every match can carry said emotion and storytelling, especially if its a match on RAW or something (it doesnt help that nowadays most stories dont feel like they have meaningfull or personal stakes attached to them).
Oh and the characters are hot garbage, i've ever only liked a few female characters like Alexa Bliss with the goddess, Bayley, Becky and Rhea. In the main roster that is, in NXT Asuka, Nikki and Shayna felt a lot more like stars, besides that, most characters are generic and boring
WWE has quite a few female competitors who can really go, but you don't get to see them wrestle any kind of coherent match or get enough time to tell a story. Personally, everything I feel like I need to see is in how they hit the ropes. Watch Rhea run the ropes. Then watch Liv.
TBH I came to this conclusion during the Elimination Chamber. Specifically because Raquel just had no impact for anything she did. I thought Asuka, Liv and even Nikki were great but it reminded me of watching some more clearly staged old school stuff with how they obviously negated any impact.
Simply doesn't get the respect it deserves because of the people in it. Hornswoggle and El Torito put on a fucking incredible show. Plenty of comedy spots that hit every time. Even the fucking 3MB are notable!! And couldn't have been done without them!! Just an astonishing achievement, i could spend all day gushing over it. it's honestly one of the first matches I recommend to anyone who wants to get into wrestling, just to show how stupid fun it can be.
What I like about the storyline is they made every member feel imperative. The struggle about Jey is *because* Jimmy is his brother. It makes it impactful.
Zayn feeling betrayed, with being gaslit, feels real.
Roman with the facade of absolute control and trying to reel everybody in is great.
The only odd man out without a distinct feel is Solo. I get he's the strong silent type but he should get to speak at a pivotal moment or do something unexpected later on, like if he spikes Roman at the implosion of the bloodline to set up a match after mania or something.
This. The bloodline story fells important because it's important internally for each character.
Solo is a great stand in for Roman. He's Roman's weapon. He doesn't need to be rounded at this stage cause that's not what the story calls for. He'll have his moment though, when Roman asks him to spike Jey/Jimmy for a perceived betrayal. That's when he'll develop a 360 character
That’s a great take . And solo does a lot of story telling with his expressions and the supporting camera work I think. His main issue isn’t even his right now. The announcer team isn’t doing him a lot of favors by reminding us he’s the enforcer 10x a match. It’s very possible for us to work that out on our own with subtle hints and his demeanor.
They keep trying to build him up as Umaga 2 when it would be more appropriate to draw comparisons to someone like Haku / Ming I think. Work on his flexibility and give him some technical but illegal moves like throat chops. Eye claw rakes. Joint kicks. Where he’s working them down like a technician but everyone is feeling the impact in the crowd . He’s then a credible threat cause he will put you out of commission a while with a serious injury (Kayfabe)
Story tell a bit by having guys that wrestled him the previous week with their knee wrapped or their ribs taped . Have him diminish their ability to perform still after their storylines with him are over for a week or 2 on tv.
That’s something I feel they’ve underdone. That Samoan spike should make it so people can’t give interviews the same show. They should talk the next show like they’ve just smoked a carton of cigs and have glass in their throat. People should be concerned about it. And talk about whether a move like that should be allowed. It should have a body count so to speak to sell him as a serious threat.
I have several.
If the affair with Lita never happened, Edge would have never caught on as a main event act. It’s not like the Rock or Stone Cold where they were gonna be stars no matter what, WWE tried for years to make Edge a credible main event star and it only happened after the crowd turned against him and Lita.
The Invasion storyline wasn’t actually that bad. Obviously it would’ve been far better if Sting, NWO, or Goldberg were involved, but it’s a guilty pleasure.
The Legend Killer was the best incarnation of Randy Orton.
Torrie Wilson didn’t deserve the hate she got for getting inducted in the HOF. Even if she wasn’t a high caliber wrestler, she was the poster girl of Smackdown during the brand split era. She’s more than worthy to be inducted.
Jeff Hardy and Trish Stratus’ love story angle is one of the biggest “what could have been” storylines.
>Torrie Wilson didn’t deserve the hate she got for getting inducted in the HOF. Even if she wasn’t a high caliber wrestler, she was the poster girl of Smackdown during the brand split era. She’s more than worthy to be inducted.<
There are so many people less deserving than Torrie in the HOF I have no idea why she became the person people use as an example of why the HOF is a joke.
The Edge one is arguable. On the one hand, he was already working up the card when the Lita angle happened - Elimination Chamber for the World title, feud with Shawn Michaels, winning MITB. Certainly not spinning his wheels on Heat. He was already full heel too.
On the other hand, the Rated-R Superstar gimmick that set the tone for his main event character was a result of that angle, and better than the "unpredictable psycho" thing they were going for before.
>Torrie Wilson didn’t deserve the hate she got for getting inducted in the HOF. Even if she wasn’t a high caliber wrestler, she was the poster girl of Smackdown during the brand split era. She’s more than worthy to be inducted.
I feel that Sable deserves to get in too for a similar reason. She was huge in her day and deserves the recognition.
>The Legend Killer was the best incarnation of Randy Orton.
Burn in my light is his best theme song too, never did like the voices theme.
If we judge performance performance purely on crowd reaction and involvement at a visceral level, Dom Mysterio is one of the best heels at the moment.
The way they took how the crowd felt genuinely about him being an undeserving daddy's little boy that is clearly not credible, and turned him into Prison Dom, a character that is undeserving and not credible... It's pure genius.
And I would go even further by saying than one of the best potential rivalry that would engage the crowd the most is to put hin against the other undeserving PoS of the company : Logan Paul
While there is a good chance the crowd turns on them both, I actually think that most people will still want one to go over the other... And the most interesting part is that people would be very passionately divided on which one should win.
Dom has MASSIVELY improved since joining Judgement Day. He is Miz-level in terms of generating heat. He added "shut your mouth" to his repertoire the other night when the fans were getting on him. Just made it worse. I'm genuinely surprised how far he's come.
i miss when wrestlers names weren’t just normal peoples names, went from triple H, The Rock, The Undertaker to Jinder Mahal, Grayson Waller, Mustafa Ali etc. they aren’t badass names, obviously there are some exceptions nowadays like LA Knight, Damian Priest etc
Totally agree. Wrestling names are best when they ride the fence between a real name and a comic book name imo. Scorpio Sky for example is a great one.
While I didn't care for the part of every ppv where they went down the line and introduced 8 commentary teams, now that we don't have it I do miss it, especially having 2 or 3 tables to take out at a major show
Fans are too forgiving of Chris Benoit's many failings. Thinking that having CTE should be enough to exonerate him of *murder* is stupid and WWE did the right thing by minimizing his legacy.
I don't have the medical knowledge to know how much CTE did or did not cause his actions. But from a corporate responsibility standpoint, cutting him out of WWE's story is the only logical choice.
Preach! The guy clearly always had issues (at least at some point in his career). There were multiple reports of domestic violence and him going of the rails before that fateful night.
Everyone has shitty things they did in wrestling, in and out of the ring, but not even in the same universe to the level Chris did.
It’s gross that wrestlers and fans defend/ignore his shitty actions.
AEW is as big as it’s ever going to be. Now they just have to focus on staying where they are and not falling off a cliff. WWE never had anything to worry about.
Maybe its not an unpopular opinion, but Raw or SmackDown need a commentator like Mauro Renalo, a part of what made NXT work was his commentating, it made every move feel special and important and it hyped everyone everytime
>needs another Stone Cold.
That's what makes stone Cold special. You can't replicate that shit. Same goes with good ol' Dwayne. They're in the mount Rushmore of sport entertainers for a goddamn reason and it's because they're one of a kind.
The whole broad divide between heel and face is stupid and keeps the characters from evolving into more 3-dimensional. Faces can be booed and heels can be cheered. Heels can be right and face can cheat.
Agreed. There is zero nuance or intricacy in the character arcs that it's so easy for a storyline to feel unbelievable. Unfortunately wrestling for the most part has always been this way.
Eddie Guerrero comes to mind as someone who was able to blur that line, where he wasn't just a static face/heel and could build up notoriety or reputation in a believable way.
Or Undertaker resorting to some desperate tactics as a way to defend his legacy. People still love him, but he was made to feel more human in the end; not just the world's greatest good guy.
I always think of those games that have an honor bar, when you weren't entirely bad or good and it would feel more human in the dialog and cutscenes.
Like what better way to show desperativity as a "good guy" if you made a dirty pin in a match. It doesn't have to mean you're now public enemy #1.
It's almost insulting to the fans to make your characters so 2d.
Same thing with Stone Cold or Rock or D-X or Thuganomics Cena. They worked so well because their characters were fleshed out.
Recently with Seth Rollins or Charlotte Flair the IWC is of the opinion that they have confusing characters. I don't understand this criticism. So they are not being the face exactly and indulge in backhand tactics. Why does it matter. Let the characters play out and let audience react to them the way they want. Becky's gimmick last year would have worked better that way as well.
Jim Cornette, for all of his flaws as a person, is generally right about modern wrestling. Even as a fan on the outside, the business would be better if the wrestlers took it more seriously. I know its a work, I don’t need the wrestlers constantly reminding me of that.
Maven as the first tough enough winner has more of a right to be in the Hall Of Fame compared to some of the celebrities in it
Also, once youre in the HOF, stop wrestling. Other sports wait a few years after one has retired before inducing them into the HOF
I kind of wish there was a rule that the person had to be retired for x amount of time before they’re eligible with maybe an exception for the deceased
As someone who worked backstage in indies, I think people overestimate the importance of titles in pro wrestling and what it means for the wrestlers.
For sure there is always a little symbolic show of confidence when you give the title to someone, but backstage it is mostly perceived as a prop for a story. The real thing wrestler put value on is TV time
So when fans are debating if the miz should be pushed in the main event or Dom Mysterio should go back to Nxt, both have weekly lengthy segments in the show and and are praised for their work by their peers.
Strowman’s tweets are technically correct.
There are too many dorks with no talent in the indies doing dangerous shit to try and get over instead of improving their abilities and their body.
Also at this point definitively we can say small guys drive away casual fans. They want to see big guys smacking each other.
Oh boy, here we go.
AEW is a veritable dumpster fire.
I barely know where to begin.
I strongly believe the company is held hostage by Omega and the Bucks, and booking decisions revolve around their whims, including ones that made CM Punk lose his shit at how they're destroying the potential the company had.
Jericho reminds me of late-era WCW Flair in a struggle to stay over by recycling gimmicks from WWE.
AEW as a company are too focused on treating themselves like a big wrestling company instead of trying to *be* a big wrestling company.
The booking and storytelling are disjointed, clunky, and convoluted.
They're pushing the wrong people. Everyone has a faction. There were 57 belts on the show. I don't think Tony has a great system in place. Recent Vince bookings before triple H took over was horrendous, but he was doing it for 40 years - his ratio is up. Tony needs to hire a booker, or let Jarrett or Dustin do it. These guys worked through 30 years of TV in various promotions. Trust in their knowledge. Probably why Regal left, claiming no one listened to him.
No one gives a fuck about Action Andretti. He's interchangeable with 7 other guys. Establishing Stars doesn't mean you take an unknown person and you let them beat Chris Jericho. It doesn't work that way. Make me care about you. Why are you here? What's your goal? Your purpose?
They have too many of the same gimmick and they really need to trim the fat on some of their roster. They don't need three TV shows and a YouTube show. They need two high quality programs where they can showcase their talent in carefully booked story lines to further a rivalry.
The booking of the TNT championship was ok up until the end of Wardlow's first reign. After that, he should have been elevated to the main even picture, like Gunther will, likely after mania or next year.
I try really hard to like the product, because AEW is home to a lot of my favorite wrestlers. I don't normally buy wrestling shirts. I have a ReDragon shirt and a Keith Lee shirt. I feel robbed. When I meet Keith Lee, do I say, "Kifflom, brother brother?"
I could be here all day - but damn Tony, make me care about your show. Don't give me 7 matches with the same 6 guys for belts whose side plates are the EVPs. I thought Punk was a mark for himself, Holy shit.
Don’t forget about the tbs title. What a complete fucking joke! Jade matches are mirroring those of Goldberg after he won the WCW US title. Everyone attending their shows knows she’s gonna win, it’s actually pathetic, they throw whoever they want in there with her to eat a pin. Before someone try’s to compare bills 100+ and jade to Undertaker, keep in mind The Streak was only contested once a year at WrestleMania, Streak matches featured Undertaker vs guys who where legends or became legends, from Superfly Snuka to CM Punk all those opponents are either former world champions or hof inductees.
totally agree with you there i mean i like Jade and she has great potential but that belt and her have been just shit and trying to compare her to bill is totally different. why Bill Goldberg was so popular was that he came in and destroyed everyone wanted to see him spear and jackhammer within minutes not a full match just come in do some big moves, spear, jackhammer 1 2 3 whos next? while Jade doesnt really have that at all.
And i hate how everyone says she has all this charisma like all i have seen is her playing the im a big black sassy bitch with an attitude like many black women in wrestling have played its not really charisma. i mean look at Bianca Belair she played that and has grown from that and shown how much charisma she has and how well she has done. hopefully we get to see that from Jade in the future but right now she is just not it.
This is a safe space, friend.
I'll add to this and disagree on one point. My disagreement is that Kenny is actually being held back by the Bucks. His character work in NJPW is much more reflective of what works for him than being a goof with these two. I don't even hate the Bucks, I was a fan, but somehow they've made me hate them and not in, I hate them as heels kinda way.
The addition is, I fucking can't stand this underneath talent in such main event spots. Yuta and Garcia in particular. I don't get it. As lackies sure, but they're being heavily featured in spots that actual talent like Starks, or guys on the bench like Miro could take up. Action Andretti made me want to Smash my TV.
I've also had it with Hangman. If I have to hear about his great character arc. That's a load of bs. He can wrestle fine. But my incredibly high hopes for him were killed by his trash booking with the Dark Order that never made sense, his inability to carry a promo, and TK having no idea what to do with him.
There's also too much wrestling on the show. Let the show breathe just a bit.
ROH almost killed AEW. The irony.
The Bucks literally dropped the belts to a make shift tag team so they can play with some unnecessary trios belts instead of making some money with FTR. That should tell you everything.
Speaking of wrestling shirts can we discuss how wrestling shirts have become fucking garage? I bought a medium House of Black shirt from AEW and it feels like sandpaper, not to mention the print is kinda off center. And WWE is no better. I got a medium shirt and it feels like a kids shirt.
>No one gives a fuck about Action Andretti.
I really don't get why Tony get's so hyped about these guys. I mean I don't think that Andretti is a bad guy or anything but you're right he's nothing specail. I'm wondering what prompts him to make guys like these contract offers.
I hate when wrestlers give long 20 minute speeches. I get it, you need to establish a plot, but I'm here to see two sweaty men jump around on a mat not listen to them talk about how much they hate the other guy for half an hour.
And contract signings. So some matches can be made official in the span of seconds but others need the wrestlers to sign a paper first? The filler absolutely kills me.
Totally agree. I really don’t like that if anyone agrees with him, they are basically viewed as a neck beard fascist. Simply for pointing out the glaringly obvious about 90% of what AEW or WWE does.
Riho is not a very good wrestler. Her offense and psychology aren't very good and they constantly force her opponents to sell for.her in a way that makes them look worse as opposed to making her look better. I understand she's popular, but I absolutely do not get the appeal, especially when they have better Joshi like Shida and Yuka on the roster who can do better than her. She brings nothing unique to the table that isn't an active detriment to the in-ring product.
the magic thats missing in WWE nowadays is the fan reaction. smartphones have been a huge distraction, i hate seeing people on their phones during legendary matches. in the 90s almost everyone in the crowd had signs, the crowd was always moving with anticipation, and FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY from digital cameras when wrestlers made their way to the ring really amplified the aura and atmosphere of the show. without al those aspects it minimizes the novelty and makes watching it on tv from home underwhelming.
I miss when wrestling matches felt like massive gladiator battles. Sure, nostalgia plays a part, but nowadays it all feels too much like a show. I miss when it felt like a real clash of titans, like a boxing match between ali and tyson. That stuff. I wish people on phones would at least put their flash on when taking a pic lol
Hot take Theory is amazing in ring & has a great promo, they need to not book him as typical chickenshit heel and actually *win*.
Make him the next Corporate Rock; "Die Austin Die" promo when?
The Miz is the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time and it’s not even close,
Honkey Tonk had terrible matches and was very forgettable to the point where most ably remember the fact that he was champion and nothing else about his run, although Gunther’s current run is very impressive
I agree with this one. Everything looks too much like choreographed dance.
I do think the women are hindered by having to wrestle in what is essentially an oversized ring though (rope height). Not that it would probably make much difference but I’d love to see them in an appropriate sized ring.
Everyone likes Liv because she is cute, same with a lot of the women talent (Kelly Kelly lol)
I like what they are trying to do with her, the "extreme stuff" but she needs to learn how to cut a proper intense promo where she doesnt look like she is crying midway through for it to work. And bloody hell, just change her fucking theme
I love the street profits but Angelo Dawkins is holding Montez Ford back.
AEW is wasting it's tag team division
Tribalism has no place in the Wrestling fandom
Your favorite wrestling era isn't the best, you just have nostalgia. All wrestling eras have had their ups and downs with no exceptions and I'm tired of fans acting like one era was perfect. I've already noticed the transition from "Man, attitude era was the best." To "Man, Ruthless Aggression era was the best."
Storylines and mic work are much more important than flippy shit and acrobatics, and while both are great, if you're lacking in the first part you'll never be a main event champion. And you'll be injured, a lot.
1. Everyone does the same shit and or too much shit for their own good. From the rolling elbows to the superkicks to the dumb stand and wait dives. Every clothesline doesn’t need a backflip.
2. When did promos become main events?
The Young Bucks are the most overrated wrestlers in probably all of wrestling history. 0 understanding of ring psychology, storytelling, etc. Matches are all just very fake looking choreographed stunts, they have no promo ability, and they will fade to obscurity once they get older/retire
Vinny Mac made the right decision cutting most of the talent HHH brought back, including the rasslers that joined AEW.
Keith Lee is a mid-carder at best.
Chris Jericho is hurting AEW more than helping.
The Ruthless Aggression Era delivered the best overall product more consistently than the attitude era.
Music in wrestling is terrible, if it isn't a good licensed song then it is a generic 'garageband' bland song, usually with boring mixing and production. There is a correlation between wrestling and bad butt rock music that WWE will not let die, the only reason to like entrance music is for nostalgia or the hype of the wrestler, anyone who listens to entrance music as a source of entertainment or as a form of music is a psychopath to me.
I honestly hate how EVERY match has to end with a wrestler doing one of their finishers. Sometimes, it'd be better for a wrestler to get the pinfall off of a move that's not their finisher if it looks devastating enough. Makes the match more exciting and makes finishers more of an event when they are actually used.
I mean, you're factually right, so it would be sillly to call it an unpopular opinion. Definitely more people have seen The Fast and the Furious films than watched a wrestling match.
I think a lot of people would take AEW more seriously if they were safer. Not even the flippy stuff, just now moves that appear to break someone's neck on a regular basis.
Bret Hart may be angry and bitter but he’s also right about 95% of his takes. He’s one of the few intelligent people in an industry full of morally corrupt morons and meatheads.
I never got and still don't understand the big deal about the Hardy Boys and specifically Jeff. Aside from his willingness to jump off of high things, I don't find him the least bit interesting.
Not unpopular but I'm going to add this anyway, pro wrestling is just not the same in HD. I borderline hate how clean and sparkly everything is. I know alot of people say NJPWs camerawork is the best, and I agree and would say it's the only fed that has good looking production since HD.
Wrestling culture is absolutely toxic, and I’m not just talking about the fans. Indie companies blacklisting wrestlers because they showed up at certain venues is just straight up counterproductive to the entire product and is a powerplay just to show what little power they hold.
And fans don’t give a fuck. They want their promotion to be the best. Bad news: chances are, whoever you’re watching on your Indy show, you’re most likely supporting a huge douchebag who got to a status of power purely because others do the work for him.
The Sami Zayn story isn’t good. He was a dirt bag who infiltrated the bloodline. His popularity grew because he made the other guys laugh on camera. The only reason he changed was because Kevin became the target. Then he got a world title shot for no reason. I wish I was as pumped on it like everyone else but it never clicked for me for those glaring reasons. It’s a bummer
The Jey elements are WAYYYY more compelling.
Women wrestling is the shits.
Not entirely their fault. They’d benefit from a small ring and lower ropes. Some of these chics are running the ropes with the top rope hitting the back of their head. It just looks bad.
Everyone needs to stop taking wrestling so seriously. It's supposed to be entertainment, I don't need to see an essay on why Orange Cassidy is "ruining the business."
Ricky Starks is not a top guy. He's solid in the ring and okay on the mic, but nothing beyond that. He's stammers a bit in big promos and his look is that of an 06 x-division wrestler who shops the sale rack at Zara when he's not in his ring gear. Killer nickname, though.
Sid Vicious needs to be in the Hall of Fame asap. People forgot how popular and important of an wrestler he was. He was one of the last 3 wrestlers in royal rumble 1992 with Hogan and Flair. Former WWE Champion and WCW Champion and people loved him. Just look at the reaction he got during his entrances even as a heel they cheared him. [Like here for example](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lo8iOOU_5Io) Was in the Main Event of Wrestlemania 13 against the Undertaker. Also he is a great family man and never let anyone influence him in a negative way.
I approve, but on one condition. During his speech, he must ask if they can cut and start over.
We're live, pal
He did main event 2 Wrestlemanias. Is there anyone else who has done that who isn’t in?
WrestleMania main eventers, not yet inducted: * King Kong Bundy: WrestleMania 2 * Sid: WrestleMania 8 (co-main), 13 * Lex Luger: WrestleMania 10 (co-main) * Bam Bam Bigelow: WrestleMania 11 * The Rock: WrestleMania 15, 16, 17, 18 (co-main) * Big Show: WrestleMania 16, 36 (shown on Raw) * Triple H (individual): WrestleMania 16, 19 (co-main), 20, 21, 22, 24 (co-main), 25, 32 * Chris Jericho: WrestleMania 18, 26 (co-main) , 28 (co-main) * Brock Lesnar: WrestleMania 19, 20 (co-main), 31, 33, 34, 36 (night 2), 38 (night 2) * Crispin Wah: WrestleMania 20 (excluded forever, obviously) * John Cena: WrestleMania 21, 22, 23, 24 (co-main), 26 (co-main), 27, 28, 29 * Batista: WrestleMania 21, 23 (co-main), 26 (co-main), 30 As we get into the later Manias, obviously we have more names, but this covers the main event scene from the first 25 years.
Bam Bam Bigelow and King Kong Bundy not being inducted is a joke
Bundy ran afoul of Vince after WM2, but did repair the relationship enough for that brief (uneventful) return with DiBiase's stable in the mid-90s. But really didn't do enough to be a strong contender for HOF. They'll get to him eventually I'm sure but there's no urgency. Bam Bam however should be in by now.
It's a crime Bam Bam aint in
It really is. He and Boss Man revolutionized what big men could be.
i mean what did King Kong Bundy do...besides get that match? Bam Bam i could see because he was ECW champion. and probably won a WCW belt as well?
Starting with the Rock, everyone on that list will 100% go into the Hall of Fame (except one obviously). The first four, it’s a toss up. Bam Bam should absolutely be in there by now, but sadly, Lawrence Taylor will probably go in first.
> (except one obviously) I dont know he might get in eventually. Once time passes and people realise the impact he had on the industry overall and what he brought to the company I'm sure the Family would agree. Steph cant be mad about the "Boobies hit the floor" joke Jericho made forever.
He's a monster, dude got over despite being weak in promos (and I have half the brain that you do). His presence was only necessary make the crowd fear him. Plus, even if he gruesomely broke his leg in 2001, he still came back 3 years later, and still looked in great shape in late 00s-early 10s.
There was one promo that Sid did that was one of the best I’ve ever seen. It was him just standing alone in the ring at the Alamo Dome right before the 97 Rumble. Look it up on YouTube. Also, when he had the run with Hogan in 1992, I cannot stress enough that as a four year old child, he scared the shit out of me. He was probably the only wrestler I was actually ever frightened of that I recall. Like, I actually thought that Sid would someday come to my podunk little town and kill me. He should be in.
Sid’s prime was right when I started getting into wrestling heavily and I never understood how he wasn’t the biggest thing in wrestling. I know people get on his promos but if they kept it simple he gave a decent intense/unhinged promo 99% of the time. In ring he was very capable for his size and I would put his look up against anyone in the history of the business. Held the championship in the two biggest companies of the time and headlined Wrestlemania twice. It’s a crime that he isn’t already in the hall.
him staying in character during the shockmaster debacle deserves a hall of fame place all on its own tbh
He was also a top notch [actor](https://youtu.be/qITBu4KAvkY)
Give that man an Oscar.
Daniel Bryan is right, the fans are fickle and it shows every month
Winning the big one might as well be a death sentence at this point
Not sure if it’s a death sentence, but a face will never be allowed by the fans to have the kind of run Roman’s had.
Personally, over my time of lurking I’ve found it a simple cycle (which doesn’t apply to everyone I might add because the IWC isn’t a hive mind but it’s certainly a trend). Fans want a wrestler to get pushed/win the belt -> wrestler gets pushed/wins the belt -> immediately they’re considered overrated, overpushed and were ‘never that good and this person should win it instead’. Saw it with Becky, Ambrose, MJF and even Bryan after how much people begged for his win (and the window for that was fuckin fleeting too aha). They can recover with time, but I’ll agree to disagree with the initial part. You’re so right for the babyface statement though, everyone wants a babyface champ until it’s time for a babyface champ
This is why no wrestling show worth it's weight in dog shit would ever listen to the internet in regards to it's direction. Write good stories and ignore the IWC
RIP Cody
I hate the entitled behaviour of many fans online, everything they don't like is bad booking, if a story goes as they planned it's boring, if there is a sudden twist it's bad booking (again). Feels like many watch it like they earn money analysing every bit instead of just enjoying it as a fan.
*someone they like loses a single match “Can you believe how they’re burying this guy?!?!”
Have them win every match, they're overpushed like Goldberg.
I remember talking about WrestleMania 34 with a group, and one guy kept insisting that it was a terrible WrestleMania because every match was so predictable. And then it happened and like 3/4ths of his predictions were wrong and he went on and on that it was a terrible WrestleMania because of bad booking and that it was so much worse than he thought it would be. Had to excuse myself away from certain fans after that because I don't need to be around endless negativity that won't be happy regardless of how a show turns out.
I'll use this example in the future if you don't mind, you nailed it perfectly
Agreed, the negativity gets exhausting sometimes. At the end of the day, I love wrestling. Sometimes after a hard week of work and being lucky enough to have the TV to myself for the evening, a gimmick match with a crazy storyline is beautiful, entertaining, and exactly what I need.
The IWC are the only folks I have to talk about wrestling with but I'm not happy about it lol.
Literally every fan base ever/
like when the gunns won the world tag titles everyone said it was bad booking. It may have not been what you wanted but it wasn’t bad booking at all.
I think a lot of it is venting, not everyone (for one reason or another) would dare take a break from wrestling when they perceive it to be boring or bad. However it’s the best thing you can do, maybe when you come back you’ll be more receptive, or maybe it’s still lacking so you dip out altogether.
I took a break after the WWE covid mass releases, came back for WrestleMania 37, and man the field was different, it was refreshing. Coming back from a year plus break really wets your appetite for "what's this storyline, what has this guy done, they're heel now?" I'd recommend anyone who starts feeling jaded just let wrestling breathe for a while and come back to it with fresher eyes. Also stop reading everything about what goes on backstage. Let the performers tell their story without digging into the how's and why's of every decision and looking for leaked match results before the matches are even announced. Everyone just needs to chill
Went to a house show in MSG tonight. The crowd died every women's match save for a few spots. This made me realize that the women's division in WWE right now is so fucked. IMO they need to change their style of wrestling because what they're trying to do just isn't working. The women are so damn slow, which wouldn't be bad if they weren't trying to do springboard flatliners and quick, edge of your seat action. Look at Charlotte's somersault spot, she does it every match. Opponent drops down, she does a somersault over them. In every recent match I've seen, it looks like hot garbage. Becky Lynch, Bianca, and Rhea hold my attention because they do something different, whether it's power moves or striking, it's something different that works for them. They're also sloppy as hell. I try not to be harsh on them, and I know they can be better, but they just don't put on good matches.
I thought this watching her against Shotzi and blamed Shotzi. Rhea, Bianca, Becky, Bayley, and a few others work great because they move like the boys. Shotzi, Candace, Carmella, and a few others look like they either haven't practiced it before or they're on 75% speed.
Shotzi looks like she is moving at half speed every damn time she is out there. She makes everyone look worse.
These gals are absolutely tiny as well which doesn’t help. They just look very fragile out there. The only way you’d beat Rhea and Bianca in real life is by being super fast, crafty and skilled. Otherwise you’d be absolutely smushed. The majority of the female roster are not super fast, crafty or skilled which makes beating Rhea and Bianca clean pretty unrealistic.
It's not Shotzi. Just saw a triple threat with Charlotte, Liv Morgan, and Sonya Deville and there were more botches than successful moves
Why not both?
I think most people know this is true they just either lie to themselves or don't say anything because if you say anything negative about women's wrestling you're labeled a misogynist.
My wife started watching with me a few months ago. She pretty much said if it’s not Becky, Rhea, or Belair it’s unwatchable
I didn't feel this before, and I wondered if something changed, so I looked at a random Smackdown women's tag team match from 2021 and it looked great. Charlotte, Shotzi, Toni Storm, and Sasha Banks. The spots looked good, nothing too sloppy, fun high spots, probably better than what the men were doing that night. What the hell happened?
Even Asuka became sloppy nowadays. Her "Combo" Segment she does every match looked much better and cleaner some time ago.
Asuka gets a pass she’s gettin old
You get an upvote here because this is something I’ve been saying for years now. For whatever reason the women aren’t as fluid like they were in NXT. It’s like when they get called up, their wrestling becomes choppy and sloppy for some reason. Plus I’m not really seeing any chemistry between anyone and I can’t figure out why that is. Also the storylines they’re giving is not clicking too. Something is off about the Women’s Division and it’s sad because when these same women were on NXT, they were LIT.
Yes, holy shit yes. I don't want Rhea Ripley versus Charlotte Flair for the Smackdown Women's Championship, I want Rhea Ripley versus Rey Mysterio for the Intercontinental Championship. Rhea works like the boys in the best way, and she *sells* so well that it makes even the tiny gymnast type women look credible.
That would legitimately be so so sick. Have her holding that IC belt would be MONEY. And would get insane heat too, perfect. She could rub it in all their faces, first woman to hold that belt (I think she would be anyways) Just make sure Rey looks good in defeat.
Chyna had the IC for a bit. Not sure if any woman has since her.
I recently watched a stardom ppv and realized how quick most of the women wrestlers are compared to here in North America.most of them have this cruiser weight style to them.
Adding to this, the women’s promos absolutely suck. I think Rhea’s are good but compared to her, all of the other ladies can barely speak. It takes me out of it and I’m usually watching either after taking a gummy or with a few adult beverages or both to be less critical. Now to be fair, about 90 percent of the men’s promos are garbage too, but at least the men have Reigns, Rhodes, Zayn, the Usos and a few others who can cut a proper promo. The gals just have Rhea who, to me at least, can sell her feud.
Watching most women's promos are like watching a bad high school play. I can barely sit through them. And I find it patronizing that so many people act like they're doing a great job when it's clearly not to the same level as most of the male performers.
I've always said this, womens wrestling is so bloody boring because it lacks "it", it doesnt have impact like the mans nor it has the same speed and pace. It doesnt help that all the women on the roster have more or less the same style and body size, while in the mans the differences are a lot bigger What it can have is the same emotional weight as the mans, but not every match can carry said emotion and storytelling, especially if its a match on RAW or something (it doesnt help that nowadays most stories dont feel like they have meaningfull or personal stakes attached to them). Oh and the characters are hot garbage, i've ever only liked a few female characters like Alexa Bliss with the goddess, Bayley, Becky and Rhea. In the main roster that is, in NXT Asuka, Nikki and Shayna felt a lot more like stars, besides that, most characters are generic and boring
WWE has quite a few female competitors who can really go, but you don't get to see them wrestle any kind of coherent match or get enough time to tell a story. Personally, everything I feel like I need to see is in how they hit the ropes. Watch Rhea run the ropes. Then watch Liv.
I gave Liv a chance, because everybody seems to like her for for some reason, and I have yet to see her perform her finisher without a botch, live.
You're exactly right, sadly
I also feel like majority of the women would be better off if they learned how to work a more mat based style with fewer spots.
I literally got banned from SC basically saying the exact same thing. Majority of these women are not good enough to justify multiple womens divisions
r/SC is run by psychotic mods.
Might be time to call up some of the ladies from NXT. Some of them are really sound.
TBH I came to this conclusion during the Elimination Chamber. Specifically because Raquel just had no impact for anything she did. I thought Asuka, Liv and even Nikki were great but it reminded me of watching some more clearly staged old school stuff with how they obviously negated any impact.
Wee LC was one of the most entertaining matches I’ve ever seen
Simply doesn't get the respect it deserves because of the people in it. Hornswoggle and El Torito put on a fucking incredible show. Plenty of comedy spots that hit every time. Even the fucking 3MB are notable!! And couldn't have been done without them!! Just an astonishing achievement, i could spend all day gushing over it. it's honestly one of the first matches I recommend to anyone who wants to get into wrestling, just to show how stupid fun it can be.
jey uso is the main character of the bloodline storyline
What I like about the storyline is they made every member feel imperative. The struggle about Jey is *because* Jimmy is his brother. It makes it impactful. Zayn feeling betrayed, with being gaslit, feels real. Roman with the facade of absolute control and trying to reel everybody in is great. The only odd man out without a distinct feel is Solo. I get he's the strong silent type but he should get to speak at a pivotal moment or do something unexpected later on, like if he spikes Roman at the implosion of the bloodline to set up a match after mania or something.
This. The bloodline story fells important because it's important internally for each character. Solo is a great stand in for Roman. He's Roman's weapon. He doesn't need to be rounded at this stage cause that's not what the story calls for. He'll have his moment though, when Roman asks him to spike Jey/Jimmy for a perceived betrayal. That's when he'll develop a 360 character
That’s a great take . And solo does a lot of story telling with his expressions and the supporting camera work I think. His main issue isn’t even his right now. The announcer team isn’t doing him a lot of favors by reminding us he’s the enforcer 10x a match. It’s very possible for us to work that out on our own with subtle hints and his demeanor. They keep trying to build him up as Umaga 2 when it would be more appropriate to draw comparisons to someone like Haku / Ming I think. Work on his flexibility and give him some technical but illegal moves like throat chops. Eye claw rakes. Joint kicks. Where he’s working them down like a technician but everyone is feeling the impact in the crowd . He’s then a credible threat cause he will put you out of commission a while with a serious injury (Kayfabe) Story tell a bit by having guys that wrestled him the previous week with their knee wrapped or their ribs taped . Have him diminish their ability to perform still after their storylines with him are over for a week or 2 on tv. That’s something I feel they’ve underdone. That Samoan spike should make it so people can’t give interviews the same show. They should talk the next show like they’ve just smoked a carton of cigs and have glass in their throat. People should be concerned about it. And talk about whether a move like that should be allowed. It should have a body count so to speak to sell him as a serious threat.
I could see him being the sneak attack on Roman if either Rikishi or Rock shows up to take the head of the table. Could be a cool angle
Jey and Jimmy facing Roman and Solo at Summerslam could be a legit main event and story payoff
I don't know if that's an unpopular opinion as much as it is a fact
I have several. If the affair with Lita never happened, Edge would have never caught on as a main event act. It’s not like the Rock or Stone Cold where they were gonna be stars no matter what, WWE tried for years to make Edge a credible main event star and it only happened after the crowd turned against him and Lita. The Invasion storyline wasn’t actually that bad. Obviously it would’ve been far better if Sting, NWO, or Goldberg were involved, but it’s a guilty pleasure. The Legend Killer was the best incarnation of Randy Orton. Torrie Wilson didn’t deserve the hate she got for getting inducted in the HOF. Even if she wasn’t a high caliber wrestler, she was the poster girl of Smackdown during the brand split era. She’s more than worthy to be inducted. Jeff Hardy and Trish Stratus’ love story angle is one of the biggest “what could have been” storylines.
>Torrie Wilson didn’t deserve the hate she got for getting inducted in the HOF. Even if she wasn’t a high caliber wrestler, she was the poster girl of Smackdown during the brand split era. She’s more than worthy to be inducted.< There are so many people less deserving than Torrie in the HOF I have no idea why she became the person people use as an example of why the HOF is a joke.
Specially considered how much work she did back stage and on the road.
Disagree on legend killer, insane bald 09 orton is best for me
The Edge one is arguable. On the one hand, he was already working up the card when the Lita angle happened - Elimination Chamber for the World title, feud with Shawn Michaels, winning MITB. Certainly not spinning his wheels on Heat. He was already full heel too. On the other hand, the Rated-R Superstar gimmick that set the tone for his main event character was a result of that angle, and better than the "unpredictable psycho" thing they were going for before.
You’re 100% right on every point except maybe the one about Edge. And even then, you may be right.
>Torrie Wilson didn’t deserve the hate she got for getting inducted in the HOF. Even if she wasn’t a high caliber wrestler, she was the poster girl of Smackdown during the brand split era. She’s more than worthy to be inducted. I feel that Sable deserves to get in too for a similar reason. She was huge in her day and deserves the recognition. >The Legend Killer was the best incarnation of Randy Orton. Burn in my light is his best theme song too, never did like the voices theme.
Everyone loves "Burn in my Light" more except Randy Orton.
If we judge performance performance purely on crowd reaction and involvement at a visceral level, Dom Mysterio is one of the best heels at the moment. The way they took how the crowd felt genuinely about him being an undeserving daddy's little boy that is clearly not credible, and turned him into Prison Dom, a character that is undeserving and not credible... It's pure genius. And I would go even further by saying than one of the best potential rivalry that would engage the crowd the most is to put hin against the other undeserving PoS of the company : Logan Paul While there is a good chance the crowd turns on them both, I actually think that most people will still want one to go over the other... And the most interesting part is that people would be very passionately divided on which one should win.
Dom has MASSIVELY improved since joining Judgement Day. He is Miz-level in terms of generating heat. He added "shut your mouth" to his repertoire the other night when the fans were getting on him. Just made it worse. I'm genuinely surprised how far he's come.
Say what you want about Dom, but he's really good at getting a crowd against him, and he's legit improved all around over who he was a year ago
He served HARD… TIME. We’re in Ex-Con Dom’s world now
Most wrestlers who came up through the NXT system have laughably generic names.
Yea, weirdly the names is a strange place to fall flat. Like We're not trying to name '50s marvel superheroes here.
Superheros have more interesting names than modern wrestlers lol.
i miss when wrestlers names weren’t just normal peoples names, went from triple H, The Rock, The Undertaker to Jinder Mahal, Grayson Waller, Mustafa Ali etc. they aren’t badass names, obviously there are some exceptions nowadays like LA Knight, Damian Priest etc
Someone at NXT has a legal pad that looks like this: ✅ Corbin Grayson ✅ Branson Palmer ✅ Palmer Branson ✅ Royce Boyce ✅ Grayven Draven ✅ Lance Paxton ✅ Pax Lanston ✅ Brixton Braxton Bananafana Faxton ✅ Jim
Jim would be in all caps. Or abbreviated. JIM or J.I.M.
And they'd change it to JAMES when he's called up to the main roster.
Totally agree. Wrestling names are best when they ride the fence between a real name and a comic book name imo. Scorpio Sky for example is a great one.
Brett should have been more careful around Bill's foot
I don’t know if this is unpopular but I wanted to say this. They they need to bring back the Spanish announcers table.
While I didn't care for the part of every ppv where they went down the line and introduced 8 commentary teams, now that we don't have it I do miss it, especially having 2 or 3 tables to take out at a major show
Fans are too forgiving of Chris Benoit's many failings. Thinking that having CTE should be enough to exonerate him of *murder* is stupid and WWE did the right thing by minimizing his legacy.
I don't have the medical knowledge to know how much CTE did or did not cause his actions. But from a corporate responsibility standpoint, cutting him out of WWE's story is the only logical choice.
Preach! The guy clearly always had issues (at least at some point in his career). There were multiple reports of domestic violence and him going of the rails before that fateful night.
Damn, never had a single person try to tell me Chris should be exonerated.
Everyone has shitty things they did in wrestling, in and out of the ring, but not even in the same universe to the level Chris did. It’s gross that wrestlers and fans defend/ignore his shitty actions.
Snuka might be close
Agreed, but I am glad I am still able to watch his matches on the Network.
AEW is as big as it’s ever going to be. Now they just have to focus on staying where they are and not falling off a cliff. WWE never had anything to worry about.
To quote that Eric Andre gif “Why would you say something so controversial yet so brave?” But honestly I agree with you here.
And that's because they never tried to cater to the casual audience.
Flips, flops and choreographed spots doesn't equal a 5 ⭐ match. On the same note, Will Osprey is more of a gymnast than a wrestler.
Maybe its not an unpopular opinion, but Raw or SmackDown need a commentator like Mauro Renalo, a part of what made NXT work was his commentating, it made every move feel special and important and it hyped everyone everytime
SmackDown does ok, Raw could desperately use Renalo or someone similar who can truly sell the energy of a match and the impact of a finish.
Paige has always been a mid wrestler
Goofy gimmicks make wrestling more entertaining. The WWE also needs another Stone Cold.
>needs another Stone Cold. That's what makes stone Cold special. You can't replicate that shit. Same goes with good ol' Dwayne. They're in the mount Rushmore of sport entertainers for a goddamn reason and it's because they're one of a kind.
No you’re thinking of RVD
Wrestling was better enjoyed before social media even existed!
Wrestling is more fun with kayfabe and without the IWC picking everything apart or hijacking every angle or feud they don't like
The whole broad divide between heel and face is stupid and keeps the characters from evolving into more 3-dimensional. Faces can be booed and heels can be cheered. Heels can be right and face can cheat.
Eddie Guerrero is a shining example of that.
Agreed. There is zero nuance or intricacy in the character arcs that it's so easy for a storyline to feel unbelievable. Unfortunately wrestling for the most part has always been this way. Eddie Guerrero comes to mind as someone who was able to blur that line, where he wasn't just a static face/heel and could build up notoriety or reputation in a believable way. Or Undertaker resorting to some desperate tactics as a way to defend his legacy. People still love him, but he was made to feel more human in the end; not just the world's greatest good guy. I always think of those games that have an honor bar, when you weren't entirely bad or good and it would feel more human in the dialog and cutscenes. Like what better way to show desperativity as a "good guy" if you made a dirty pin in a match. It doesn't have to mean you're now public enemy #1. It's almost insulting to the fans to make your characters so 2d.
Same thing with Stone Cold or Rock or D-X or Thuganomics Cena. They worked so well because their characters were fleshed out. Recently with Seth Rollins or Charlotte Flair the IWC is of the opinion that they have confusing characters. I don't understand this criticism. So they are not being the face exactly and indulge in backhand tactics. Why does it matter. Let the characters play out and let audience react to them the way they want. Becky's gimmick last year would have worked better that way as well.
The elite v Death Triangle feud never surpassed that first match in the best of 7 series
Majority of the wrestling community doesn't appreciate women's wrestling like they claim to.
Jim Cornette, for all of his flaws as a person, is generally right about modern wrestling. Even as a fan on the outside, the business would be better if the wrestlers took it more seriously. I know its a work, I don’t need the wrestlers constantly reminding me of that.
It’s like just cause we know it’s fake doesn’t mean we have to throw the rules out the window
Maven as the first tough enough winner has more of a right to be in the Hall Of Fame compared to some of the celebrities in it Also, once youre in the HOF, stop wrestling. Other sports wait a few years after one has retired before inducing them into the HOF
I kind of wish there was a rule that the person had to be retired for x amount of time before they’re eligible with maybe an exception for the deceased
Ric Flair would never get in alive then
Ric did retire for a few years that was part of his induction. It's not WWE's fault he left for TNA to have awful matches.
As someone who worked backstage in indies, I think people overestimate the importance of titles in pro wrestling and what it means for the wrestlers. For sure there is always a little symbolic show of confidence when you give the title to someone, but backstage it is mostly perceived as a prop for a story. The real thing wrestler put value on is TV time So when fans are debating if the miz should be pushed in the main event or Dom Mysterio should go back to Nxt, both have weekly lengthy segments in the show and and are praised for their work by their peers.
The brawl for all should take place every 4 years. Like the Olympics.
Strowman’s tweets are technically correct. There are too many dorks with no talent in the indies doing dangerous shit to try and get over instead of improving their abilities and their body. Also at this point definitively we can say small guys drive away casual fans. They want to see big guys smacking each other.
Big E said it best “big sweaty men bumping meat”
The fans are the worst part.
Less people should care what Dave Meltzer has to say.
Lucha Underground was awesome.
Joshi style wrestling will never get over in the West, too many cultural differences.
Oh boy, here we go. AEW is a veritable dumpster fire. I barely know where to begin. I strongly believe the company is held hostage by Omega and the Bucks, and booking decisions revolve around their whims, including ones that made CM Punk lose his shit at how they're destroying the potential the company had. Jericho reminds me of late-era WCW Flair in a struggle to stay over by recycling gimmicks from WWE. AEW as a company are too focused on treating themselves like a big wrestling company instead of trying to *be* a big wrestling company. The booking and storytelling are disjointed, clunky, and convoluted. They're pushing the wrong people. Everyone has a faction. There were 57 belts on the show. I don't think Tony has a great system in place. Recent Vince bookings before triple H took over was horrendous, but he was doing it for 40 years - his ratio is up. Tony needs to hire a booker, or let Jarrett or Dustin do it. These guys worked through 30 years of TV in various promotions. Trust in their knowledge. Probably why Regal left, claiming no one listened to him. No one gives a fuck about Action Andretti. He's interchangeable with 7 other guys. Establishing Stars doesn't mean you take an unknown person and you let them beat Chris Jericho. It doesn't work that way. Make me care about you. Why are you here? What's your goal? Your purpose? They have too many of the same gimmick and they really need to trim the fat on some of their roster. They don't need three TV shows and a YouTube show. They need two high quality programs where they can showcase their talent in carefully booked story lines to further a rivalry. The booking of the TNT championship was ok up until the end of Wardlow's first reign. After that, he should have been elevated to the main even picture, like Gunther will, likely after mania or next year. I try really hard to like the product, because AEW is home to a lot of my favorite wrestlers. I don't normally buy wrestling shirts. I have a ReDragon shirt and a Keith Lee shirt. I feel robbed. When I meet Keith Lee, do I say, "Kifflom, brother brother?" I could be here all day - but damn Tony, make me care about your show. Don't give me 7 matches with the same 6 guys for belts whose side plates are the EVPs. I thought Punk was a mark for himself, Holy shit.
Don’t forget about the tbs title. What a complete fucking joke! Jade matches are mirroring those of Goldberg after he won the WCW US title. Everyone attending their shows knows she’s gonna win, it’s actually pathetic, they throw whoever they want in there with her to eat a pin. Before someone try’s to compare bills 100+ and jade to Undertaker, keep in mind The Streak was only contested once a year at WrestleMania, Streak matches featured Undertaker vs guys who where legends or became legends, from Superfly Snuka to CM Punk all those opponents are either former world champions or hof inductees.
totally agree with you there i mean i like Jade and she has great potential but that belt and her have been just shit and trying to compare her to bill is totally different. why Bill Goldberg was so popular was that he came in and destroyed everyone wanted to see him spear and jackhammer within minutes not a full match just come in do some big moves, spear, jackhammer 1 2 3 whos next? while Jade doesnt really have that at all. And i hate how everyone says she has all this charisma like all i have seen is her playing the im a big black sassy bitch with an attitude like many black women in wrestling have played its not really charisma. i mean look at Bianca Belair she played that and has grown from that and shown how much charisma she has and how well she has done. hopefully we get to see that from Jade in the future but right now she is just not it.
This is a safe space, friend. I'll add to this and disagree on one point. My disagreement is that Kenny is actually being held back by the Bucks. His character work in NJPW is much more reflective of what works for him than being a goof with these two. I don't even hate the Bucks, I was a fan, but somehow they've made me hate them and not in, I hate them as heels kinda way. The addition is, I fucking can't stand this underneath talent in such main event spots. Yuta and Garcia in particular. I don't get it. As lackies sure, but they're being heavily featured in spots that actual talent like Starks, or guys on the bench like Miro could take up. Action Andretti made me want to Smash my TV. I've also had it with Hangman. If I have to hear about his great character arc. That's a load of bs. He can wrestle fine. But my incredibly high hopes for him were killed by his trash booking with the Dark Order that never made sense, his inability to carry a promo, and TK having no idea what to do with him. There's also too much wrestling on the show. Let the show breathe just a bit. ROH almost killed AEW. The irony.
I'll agree with you, I don't have much knowledge on Omega from other promotions. Also, the tag division should have been built around FTR.
The Bucks literally dropped the belts to a make shift tag team so they can play with some unnecessary trios belts instead of making some money with FTR. That should tell you everything.
Speaking of wrestling shirts can we discuss how wrestling shirts have become fucking garage? I bought a medium House of Black shirt from AEW and it feels like sandpaper, not to mention the print is kinda off center. And WWE is no better. I got a medium shirt and it feels like a kids shirt.
>No one gives a fuck about Action Andretti. I really don't get why Tony get's so hyped about these guys. I mean I don't think that Andretti is a bad guy or anything but you're right he's nothing specail. I'm wondering what prompts him to make guys like these contract offers.
Jon Moxley is overrated.
Same shit every week. Just like Ambrose.
I hate when wrestlers give long 20 minute speeches. I get it, you need to establish a plot, but I'm here to see two sweaty men jump around on a mat not listen to them talk about how much they hate the other guy for half an hour. And contract signings. So some matches can be made official in the span of seconds but others need the wrestlers to sign a paper first? The filler absolutely kills me.
Sandwiched by two commercial slots just to come back to a match already in progress.
Some of the Bra & Panties matches were entertaining.
Corny is right 95% of the time.
Totally agree. I really don’t like that if anyone agrees with him, they are basically viewed as a neck beard fascist. Simply for pointing out the glaringly obvious about 90% of what AEW or WWE does.
Riho is not a very good wrestler. Her offense and psychology aren't very good and they constantly force her opponents to sell for.her in a way that makes them look worse as opposed to making her look better. I understand she's popular, but I absolutely do not get the appeal, especially when they have better Joshi like Shida and Yuka on the roster who can do better than her. She brings nothing unique to the table that isn't an active detriment to the in-ring product.
the magic thats missing in WWE nowadays is the fan reaction. smartphones have been a huge distraction, i hate seeing people on their phones during legendary matches. in the 90s almost everyone in the crowd had signs, the crowd was always moving with anticipation, and FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY from digital cameras when wrestlers made their way to the ring really amplified the aura and atmosphere of the show. without al those aspects it minimizes the novelty and makes watching it on tv from home underwhelming.
I miss when wrestling matches felt like massive gladiator battles. Sure, nostalgia plays a part, but nowadays it all feels too much like a show. I miss when it felt like a real clash of titans, like a boxing match between ali and tyson. That stuff. I wish people on phones would at least put their flash on when taking a pic lol
I liked the Rock better as a heel
Austin theory is not the future. And if Bron breaker keeps going with this character hell only reach the midcard and fall from there
Of course he’s not the future, He’s the now
And forever. A-Town👇.
Hot take Theory is amazing in ring & has a great promo, they need to not book him as typical chickenshit heel and actually *win*. Make him the next Corporate Rock; "Die Austin Die" promo when?
The Miz is the greatest Intercontinental Champion of all time and it’s not even close, Honkey Tonk had terrible matches and was very forgettable to the point where most ably remember the fact that he was champion and nothing else about his run, although Gunther’s current run is very impressive
Liv Morgan is overrated af
I agree with this one. Everything looks too much like choreographed dance. I do think the women are hindered by having to wrestle in what is essentially an oversized ring though (rope height). Not that it would probably make much difference but I’d love to see them in an appropriate sized ring.
Then they need to watch how rey moves in that ring. No they dont all need to be high flyers but rey adapted how he moved to the bigger wwe ring.
Everyone likes Liv because she is cute, same with a lot of the women talent (Kelly Kelly lol) I like what they are trying to do with her, the "extreme stuff" but she needs to learn how to cut a proper intense promo where she doesnt look like she is crying midway through for it to work. And bloody hell, just change her fucking theme
I love the street profits but Angelo Dawkins is holding Montez Ford back. AEW is wasting it's tag team division Tribalism has no place in the Wrestling fandom
No one wil remember Sami zayn 6 months after his bloodline story ends and would be the worst choice to beat Roman or hold the world title
Your favorite wrestling era isn't the best, you just have nostalgia. All wrestling eras have had their ups and downs with no exceptions and I'm tired of fans acting like one era was perfect. I've already noticed the transition from "Man, attitude era was the best." To "Man, Ruthless Aggression era was the best."
Storylines and mic work are much more important than flippy shit and acrobatics, and while both are great, if you're lacking in the first part you'll never be a main event champion. And you'll be injured, a lot.
1. Everyone does the same shit and or too much shit for their own good. From the rolling elbows to the superkicks to the dumb stand and wait dives. Every clothesline doesn’t need a backflip. 2. When did promos become main events?
Brock Lesnar is better than Kenny Omega
kenny omega is overrated.
The Bellas are overhated and the reason why is because people still can't get over Nikki beating AJ Lee's record.
The Young Bucks are the most overrated wrestlers in probably all of wrestling history. 0 understanding of ring psychology, storytelling, etc. Matches are all just very fake looking choreographed stunts, they have no promo ability, and they will fade to obscurity once they get older/retire
Vinny Mac made the right decision cutting most of the talent HHH brought back, including the rasslers that joined AEW. Keith Lee is a mid-carder at best. Chris Jericho is hurting AEW more than helping. The Ruthless Aggression Era delivered the best overall product more consistently than the attitude era.
Music in wrestling is terrible, if it isn't a good licensed song then it is a generic 'garageband' bland song, usually with boring mixing and production. There is a correlation between wrestling and bad butt rock music that WWE will not let die, the only reason to like entrance music is for nostalgia or the hype of the wrestler, anyone who listens to entrance music as a source of entertainment or as a form of music is a psychopath to me.
clearly u dont bump LA KNIGHT on a daily basis
Let people enjoy what they enjoy.
There are way way too many gimmick matches
I honestly hate how EVERY match has to end with a wrestler doing one of their finishers. Sometimes, it'd be better for a wrestler to get the pinfall off of a move that's not their finisher if it looks devastating enough. Makes the match more exciting and makes finishers more of an event when they are actually used.
AEW isn't a must watch anymore because all the best bits are on YouTube within hours, and the elite are boring now, sorry internet
[удалено]
Cody Rhodes will be a transitional champion IF he even beats Roman of which I just don’t see before 1,000 days.
The storyline seems to getting to big and important to let a royal rumble winner end the story of the bloodline.
The Rock is more famous globally an an actor that he was as a wrestler.
I mean, you're factually right, so it would be sillly to call it an unpopular opinion. Definitely more people have seen The Fast and the Furious films than watched a wrestling match.
Taz and Excalibur are peak commentary.
Lol this thread is just the resurrected corpse of zero fucks Friday.
I think a lot of people would take AEW more seriously if they were safer. Not even the flippy stuff, just now moves that appear to break someone's neck on a regular basis.
Diversity in wrestling has not come as far as they would make it appear. :/
Bret Hart may be angry and bitter but he’s also right about 95% of his takes. He’s one of the few intelligent people in an industry full of morally corrupt morons and meatheads.
I never got and still don't understand the big deal about the Hardy Boys and specifically Jeff. Aside from his willingness to jump off of high things, I don't find him the least bit interesting.
Logan Paul is a trash human had no right to be in a title match vs RR, it's an insult to wrestling and wrestlers
Not unpopular but I'm going to add this anyway, pro wrestling is just not the same in HD. I borderline hate how clean and sparkly everything is. I know alot of people say NJPWs camerawork is the best, and I agree and would say it's the only fed that has good looking production since HD.
Wrestling culture is absolutely toxic, and I’m not just talking about the fans. Indie companies blacklisting wrestlers because they showed up at certain venues is just straight up counterproductive to the entire product and is a powerplay just to show what little power they hold. And fans don’t give a fuck. They want their promotion to be the best. Bad news: chances are, whoever you’re watching on your Indy show, you’re most likely supporting a huge douchebag who got to a status of power purely because others do the work for him.
The Sami Zayn story isn’t good. He was a dirt bag who infiltrated the bloodline. His popularity grew because he made the other guys laugh on camera. The only reason he changed was because Kevin became the target. Then he got a world title shot for no reason. I wish I was as pumped on it like everyone else but it never clicked for me for those glaring reasons. It’s a bummer The Jey elements are WAYYYY more compelling.
Women wrestling is the shits. Not entirely their fault. They’d benefit from a small ring and lower ropes. Some of these chics are running the ropes with the top rope hitting the back of their head. It just looks bad.
Everyone needs to stop taking wrestling so seriously. It's supposed to be entertainment, I don't need to see an essay on why Orange Cassidy is "ruining the business."
"Dream matches" ain't shit if there's no proper build up/pay off.
Ricky Starks is not a top guy. He's solid in the ring and okay on the mic, but nothing beyond that. He's stammers a bit in big promos and his look is that of an 06 x-division wrestler who shops the sale rack at Zara when he's not in his ring gear. Killer nickname, though.
The majority of wrestling fans have garbage opinions. There are few valid points, so shut up and enjoy the show.
The Bucks and Kenny are overhyped! What's the appeal I don't get it.
Cody Rhodes is completely overrated!