The General Wrestling Thread

[Warner2BruceTD]

Forgot to mention the Samoa Joe/MVP pep talk on the bus in Europe. They basically did a closed door "players only" meeting with the crew and Joe supposedly fired everybody up about rallying and working hard despite all of the bad rumors. Joe & MVP are viewed as the locker room leaders and morale is at an all time high now that a lot of the older guys are gone and they drew so well in Europe without them.

[Warner2BruceTD]

So is CM Punk under the 90 day no compete clause? Would that affect him doing interviews and other media things?

No non compete. His contract is up in June, and at that point he is free and clear to do whatever he wants.

[s@ppisgod]

This week's TNA notes from the Observer...

-TNA is looking to recruit indie talent that can go in the ring, and Taz is the front man to find guys. Big John Guberick is behind the idea and he's one of the major power brokers right now. The idea is they can get guys cheap, and give the TV a fresh coat of paint.

My take on that, is about damn time. They are going to do the same 1.2-1.5 million regardless. We've all preached they should do this. Sign fresh talent on the cheap and let them GO GO GO on TV, you might back into a star. Wolves are already getting over and havent even wrestled on TV.

-Wrestle-1 asked TNA directly if Russo is coming back, and TNA gave them no answer. LOL. Russo is back, folks. So the above news won't matter, and they are going to blow a good thing they had going with Wrestle-1. You can't make it up.

-Tommy Dreamer is back as an agent. This can only be bad if you remember his stint booking OVW in between Cornette & Heyman. Dreamer is the world's worst booker/agent/finish guy. Like, worse than Russo.

Kinda funny, the WWE has mined the indies nearly dry these days. There's still talent out there, yeah. But it's not nearly as deep as it was. Maybe it never will be again. And there's guys out there who are good and know they have some chance for the WWE to pick them up. A lot of those guys won't go to TNA, thinking it'll hurt their chances with the promotion that, you know, will still be alive in 5 years.

Too little, too late.

And I'd be shocked if Russo stayed away from TNA. They're a match made in heaven. Both so blissfully ignorant.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Kinda funny, the WWE has mined the indies nearly dry these days. There's still talent out there, yeah. But it's not nearly as deep as it was. Maybe it never will be again. And there's guys out there who are good and know they have some chance for the WWE to pick them up. A lot of those guys won't go to TNA, thinking it'll hurt their chances with the promotion that, you know, will still be alive in 5 years.

Too little, too late.

And I'd be shocked if Russo stayed away from TNA. They're a match made in heaven. Both so blissfully ignorant.

To add to your first point, two of the best remaining guys, Michael Elgin & Kevin Steen, are rumored to be having WWE try outs at the next camp.

TNA should dig to that "second level", because you are right about the top tier indie guys. Many people tell me a lot of those guys avoid TNA like the plague for the reasons you stated.

[Guest]

This week's TNA notes from the Observer...

-TNA is looking to recruit indie talent that can go in the ring, and Taz is the front man to find guys. Big John Guberick is behind the idea and he's one of the major power brokers right now. The idea is they can get guys cheap, and give the TV a fresh coat of paint.

My take on that, is about damn time. They are going to do the same 1.2-1.5 million regardless. We've all preached they should do this. Sign fresh talent on the cheap and let them GO GO GO on TV, you might back into a star. Wolves are already getting over and havent even wrestled on TV.

-Wrestle-1 asked TNA directly if Russo is coming back, and TNA gave them no answer. LOL. Russo is back, folks. So the above news won't matter, and they are going to blow a good thing they had going with Wrestle-1. You can't make it up.

-Tommy Dreamer is back as an agent. This can only be bad if you remember his stint booking OVW in between Cornette & Heyman. Dreamer is the world's worst booker/agent/finish guy. Like, worse than Russo.

If that's the case, Wrestle-1 is going to find any way to get out of that deal with TNA. The Asian wrestling community has no love lost for Russo for apparent racist comments he made years ago. Russo should be lucky that's the only reason that group doesn't like him.

Bob Carter looks like such a clown for passing up Jarrett and Urban's offer, only to appease Dixie Carter and allowing her to bring back Russo and Dreamer.

[s@ppisgod]

To add to your first point, two of the best remaining guys, Michael Elgin & Kevin Steen, are rumored to be having WWE try outs at the next camp.

TNA should dig to that "second level", because you are right about the top tier indie guys. Many people tell me a lot of those guys avoid TNA like the plague for the reasons you stated.

Elgin should be gone already. Steen is probably going to get Cabana'd for some reason or another. Bennett and Cole probably have shots at WWE. Gargano may be in the Aries range where TNA could become a viable option only because WWE doesn't show interest forever. Who else is a top indy? Sami Callahan, but I know how you feel about him. I don't think he'd go to TNA.

[FedEx227]

Callahan is already in WWE developmental as Solomon Crowe.

One of the top names is one they actually had in for a tryout a few weeks back and that's Ricochet. What they didn't see in this guy, I'll never know. Superstar look, best high-flyer in the world (sorry Kota) and sure he can't talk but he's not the dirt worst.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Ricochet is the perfect guy you bring in with another high flier and form a tag team with him and let them run. The only improvements he has to make are ones he will sort out as he goes from the smaller stages to the big ones and finds his character and voice more.

[JimLeavy59]

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Elgin should be gone already. Steen is probably going to get Cabana'd for some reason or another. Bennett and Cole probably have shots at WWE. Gargano may be in the Aries range where TNA could become a viable option only because WWE doesn't show interest forever. Who else is a top indy? Sami Callahan, but I know how you feel about him. I don't think he'd go to TNA.

Steen himself says they have looked at him - very seriously - TWICE and both times they straight up told him he needs to lose weight before they bring him in and he hasn't exactly gone on a diet. Steen's worst enemy getting to the WWE is himself, sadly.

They've also looked at Cabana for well over what...a year and a half at this point as a commentator. Cabana seemingly is cool doing what he is doing at this point.

I've oft-said, TNA should pick up the guys the WWE has no interest in...the Wolves were a really good signing. WWE straight up said no, they went to TNA. They should do the same with Steen. They should go after Kyle O'Reilly, Mike Bennett, The Briscoes, Mr. Touchdown, Willie Mack...whoever...anyone the WWE hasn't sniffed around or has openly said no to, should have TNA on their nuts.

TNA should embrace themselves as the land of misfit toys.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Steen himself says they have looked at him - very seriously - TWICE and both times they straight up told him he needs to lose weight before they bring him in and he hasn't exactly gone on a diet. Steen's worst enemy getting to the WWE is himself, sadly.

They've also looked at Cabana for well over what...a year and a half at this point as a commentator. Cabana seemingly is cool doing what he is doing at this point.

I've oft-said, TNA should pick up the guys the WWE has no interest in...the Wolves were a really good signing. WWE straight up said no, they went to TNA. They should do the same with Steen. They should go after Kyle O'Reilly, Mike Bennett, The Briscoes, Mr. Touchdown, Willie Mack...whoever...anyone the WWE hasn't sniffed around or has openly said no to, should have TNA on their nuts.

TNA should embrace themselves as the land of misfit toys.

...and if they had done that years ago, they may have landed some of these guys that WWE eventually came around on who are tearing shit up every week on TV and headlining PPV's.

It's a good plan, and i'm glad they're embracing it.

RE: Steen. Funny how he's too out of shape, but yet they signed that tub of goo Smith James, who looks like shit and isn't one tenth as talented as Steen.

[Warner2BruceTD]

Serious question.

WWE keeps pushing this idea that Cena/Orton is this great rivalry of historical proportions.

Would it crack a list of Top 100 All Time Wrestling Rivalries? I don't think it would. They've wrestled a million times and to me they've had one memorable match (Extreme Rules unification deal this past year).

[FedEx227]

I'm running statistics on them right now, expect an article tomorrow.

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Serious question.

WWE keeps pushing this idea that Cena/Orton is this great rivalry of historical proportions.

Would it crack a list of Top 100 All Time Wrestling Rivalries? I don't think it would. They've wrestled a million times and to me they've had one memorable match (Extreme Rules unification deal this past year).

Cena-Punk is much higher on the all-time scale.

[EmpireWF]

I'd always heard of the rule of thumb for wrestlers about working on the right side of the body. Never really thought about it much because I rarely saw guys working on the left (even lefties)...UNTIL I just saw a GWF match (ESPN Classic) between Booker T and Alex Porteau.

Booker was giving him these armdrags on the left side and they totally looked bad, plus Booker had to adjust to the right side when they were on the ground for the resthold.

Didn't realize how obvious something like that stood out.