The General Wrestling Thread

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

Not the best career move to openly complain like this, but it sounds like he doesn't give a fuck.

I've heard for years from people that if you are an undercard guy who never works ppv, that you can actually make more if you are a top indie guy, especially of you are lucky enough to get a spot in Japan to supplement. And no ppv's means limited DVD appearances, which add up nicely and pay basically forever, and the other big thing is getting into the video game (which JTG did not get into).

So these guys work just as hard, have the same stress, same travel schedule, same diet issues, etc and then pull in a middle class salary. Its hard.

He's a curtain jerker for life. There is a point when as a curtain jerker in the E, you realize it...you realize there is no brass rings or no more ceiling to burst through...you're basically waiting to get fired.

I would be pretty sure JTG just came to that realization or came to it and is just now vocalizing about it.

A shame too, at 3 hours for RAW and an NXT brand, you'd think there was more time to get guys on...

[Warner2BruceTD]

He's a curtain jerker for life. There is a point when as a curtain jerker in the E, you realize it...you realize there is no brass rings or no more ceiling to burst through...you're basically waiting to get fired.

I would be pretty sure JTG just came to that realization or came to it and is just now vocalizing about it.

A shame too, at 3 hours for RAW and an NXT brand, you'd think there was more time to get guys on...

Somebody had me rolling on another board with this:

The Neighborhoodie, coming soon to ROH!

[LiquidLarry2GhostWF]

I'd have him pinned more for UWF...

http://www.urbanwrestlingfederation.com/

I bet his boy Shad is doing better now than he was in the E. Doing movies, working some Japan dates...he is probably doing well.

[Liquidrob]

You guys ever read the book "Shooters" about the toughest guys in pro wrestling?

Seen it at the bookstore today, had a bunch of stuff on pancrase and the UFC

[Warner2BruceTD]

You guys ever read the book "Shooters" about the toughest guys in pro wrestling?

Seen it at the bookstore today, had a bunch of stuff on pancrase and the UFC

Who was the author?

Jonathan Snowden?

[Liquidrob]

Just checked online

Yes

[IamMedellin]

- Regarding JTG and other WWE midcard talents being upset at pay, it's said that they all got paid just $500 per night on the recent tour of Central and South America. They are used to getting paid big on international tours but this one wasn't this successful.

When it comes to the WrestleMania 28 payoffs, WWE encourages the talents to bring their families in town for the whole WrestleMania week but the talent has to pay for it. The guys at the bottom of the roster only got paid $2,000 for the whole week, which wouldn't be much left after you factor in bringing the family in for a week and other costs. These low payoffs were a surprise and led to a lot of unhappiness, considering how WWE was touting the success of WrestleMania this year.

http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/wwe/More_Details_on_Midcard_WWE_Talents_Being_Upset_with_Pay.html

[Warner2BruceTD]

http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/wwe/..._with_Pay.html

Here's the full Observer story if anybody wants the details:

 

JTG (Jayson Paul, 27) pretty much not just got fed up with his situation, which isn’t uncommon for guys getting no push, but went public with it on twitter. Over the weekend, he started writing, ```Make decisions based on your worth, not your circumstance.” I wish someone told me this two years ago.” He followed with “The camels back just BROKE! I had enough of this.” Then, while at Raw, “As a pro athlete, I’m tired of me and my locker room brothers being taken advantage of. Fans have no idea what we go through.” Followed by “Yeah, I said it.” And then, “Nobody wants to speak up. Everybody’s afraid of losing their job or getting taken off TV.” What led to this appears to have been a number of things, all related to not getting a push and a lot of undercard frustration that got very strong of late. What started was when talent got paid for an international tour that went through Central and South America. They’re used to getting paid big on international tours, but the tour wasn’t that successful and the undercard talent all got $500 per night, which is a lot less than they expected. The grosses for the tour weren’t big, but at the same time, most of the shows on that tour were sold shows in that WWE itself got a guaranteed payoff of $250,000 per night from local promoters. The Brazil debut didn’t do all that well compared to debuts in most markets, but WWE sees Brazil going forward as an important market in the future because of the World Cup and Olympics bringing so much into that economy. Then came the frustration from WrestleMania. The company encourages everyone to bring their families to Mania for the whole week. However, the talent has to pay for it. The week in Miami for those with a wife and kids could run up to a lot of money. One veteran wrestler estimated to us the figure could have easily been significantly more than some of the talent earned for the week, which led to a lot of frustration. Then the guys at the bottom level only got $2,000 for the week, which coming at the same time the company was bragging about it being the biggest money producing show in pro wrestling history, was a surprise and led to a great deal of unhappiness. It should be noted that JTG and almost all the lower ranked guys didn’t wrestle on the show, as they didn’t do the usual Battle Royal to get everyone on the card, and the bottom guys who weren’t in the main matches were used to getting the level of payoff for at least being on the show. However, all the wrestlers on the roster did work during the week at Fan Axxess. This led to talk again about how the company should pay road expenses for talent given in virtually all forms of entertainment business when someone brings you on the road to work, they pay for the hotel or give you a per diem, and every sport falls into this category. I also want to make clear the payoff issue for the Latin American tour was some time back and the Mania payoffs were fairly recent, but whatever was the straw that broke the camel’s back with JTG is likely more never getting an opportunity. One story went around is that several times when O’Neil & Young were on television that Cryme Tyme started trending worldwide on twitter. Obviously WWE wouldn’t mention that on TV for a number of reasons, but with so much emphasis on twitter in the company, there were going to people saying to him that his tag team act is more over today, even though off TV for years, than the one they are pushing based on some people on twitter who were either telling jokes or don’t know the difference between he two teams, or who knows what. Much of the talent on the roster is so scared for their jobs that they aren’t going to do anything. Unless it’s a unified locker room so you don’t risk being fired for taking a stand. One person told us there was serious union talk after the Mania payoffs but for a ton of reasons, I don’t see wrestlers unionizing because the top guys aren’t going to join in and the bottom guys aren’t going to risk losing their job without another place to work for similar money in the business. At least in 1986, when Jesse Ventura was pitching the idea, and even he didn’t get very far with it, there were plenty of options for the wrestlers and the name stars carried the freight more than the brand name did. The whole dynamic is different. The only thing positive about timing, and this is something at least some talent discussed, is the Linda McMahon senate run, as if the wrestlers were in a fight with management over being unionized after the primary and before the general election, the publicity would hurt McMahon in a strong union state. But at the end of the day, I don’t see the solidarity and there are far too many guys scared for their jobs to make waves.

[JimLeavy59]

According to F4WOnline.com, WWE is considering a scenario in which CM Punk would drop the WWE Title to John Cena at SummerSlam, to setup a Title bout between Cena and The Rock at The Royal Rumble.

The Rock would go over in the match against Cena, and then go onto face CM Punk at WrestleMania 29 for the WWE Championship.

Would be really cool if they did this. Maybe thats why Punk is accepting his new role of being a bitch for a few months because he is promised a match against Dwayne.

[Warner2BruceTD]

NJPW, 8/8/12 (Samurai! TV)
Yokohama Bunka Gymnasium
5,300 Fans – No Vacancy

1. G1 Climax – Block A: Naomichi Marufuji [6] beat Karl Anderson [6] (9:14) with the Twist Donut.
2. G1 Climax – Block A: Toru Yano [4] beat Yujiro Takahashi [6] (7:34) with the Oni Koroshi.
3. G1 Climax – Block B: Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6] beat Rush [6] (9:30) with a moonsault press.
4. G1 Climax – Block B: Lance Archer [6] beat Hirooki Goto [4] (9:41) with the Blackout.
5. G1 Climax – Block B: Tetsuya Naito [6] beat MVP [4] (9:33) with the Polvo de Estrellas.
6. G1 Climax – Block A: Satoshi Kojima [4] beat Yuji Nagata [4] (13:52) with a lariat.
7. G1 Climax – Block B: Togi Makabe [4] beat Shinsuke Nakamura [6] (14:12) with a King Kong kneedrop.
8. G1 Climax – Block A: Minoru Suzuki [6] beat Hiroshi Tanahashi [6] (20:53) with a Gotch-style piledriver.

* The G1 Climax is in a confused state after today’s show in Yokohama with no runaway leaders and no one out of contention either. All 18 participants sit on either 6pts or 4pts, meaning there is everything to fight for. Today’s results only made things more muddled as several lagging behind caught up. Minoru Suzuki was one of them, the Suzuki Gun leader pulling off a big main event win over Tanahashi in a rematch from January’s Tokyo Dome show where Tanahashi broke the IWGP Heavyweight Title defense record. Local boy Makabe who has made a habit of winning on the annual Yokohama show also won big with a victory over old rival Nakamura, while in a third generation battle Satoshi Kojima continued to repair his G1 by sinking Nagata with a lariat. Naito bounced back from two losses in a row by beating MVP while Lance Archer gave Goto’s hopes of a second G1 a setback. Tenzan defeated Rush and Marufuji opened the show with a win over Karl Anderson with something called the “Twist Donut” (not “Donut Twist” even though that rolls off the tongue easier).

Block A:
1. Hiroshi Tanahashi [6]
- Karl Anderson [6]
- Yujiro Takahashi [6]
- Naomichi Marufuji [6]
- Shelton Benjamin [6]
6. Yuji Nagata [4]
- Satoshi Kojima [4]
- Minoru Suzuki [4]
- Toru Yano [4]

Block B:
1. Hiroyoshi Tenzan [6]
- Tetsuya Naito [6]
- Shinsuke Nakamura [6]
- Kazuchika Okada [6]
- Lance Archer [6]
- Rush [6]
7. Togi Makabe [4]
- Hirooki Goto [4]
- MVP [4]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

What an awful time for Japan sources to dry up. This years G1 looks awesome, and it's obviously going to be a crazy final day.

Why is it american companies can't do shit like this? Yeah, I know TNA is doing the 'Bound for Glory Series', and I like that, but it doesn't have the same feel or intensity as something like G1 or Champion Carnival or Best of the Super Juniors or *insert Japanese tournament here*. Tournaments are a great way to put over new stars and set up money matches, too. Very under utilized promotional tool imo.

[Bigpapa42]

Archer over Goto? Suzuki over Tanahashi? Uh....

I've given up trying to figure out why American promotions won't do some of the simple things that makes Japanese pro wrestling so compelling.

[EmpireWF]

Is Naito seriously hurt?

[FedEx227]

Would be really cool if they did this. Maybe thats why Punk is accepting his new role of being a bitch for a few months because he is promised a match against Dwayne.

Are they pissed at Austin or something? I'd still rather see Punk/Austin at Mania and be okay with a Cena/Rock rematch.

[JimLeavy59]

Are they pissed at Austin or something? I'd still rather see Punk/Austin at Mania and be okay with a Cena/Rock rematch.

I don't think Austin will be ready due to his knee surgery.

[EmpireWF]

WWE is getting a kids-oriented Saturday morning show on the CW beginning in two weeks. Meltzer says it's a personality profile show with one first-run match an episode. Damn, I vividly remember saturday mornings as a kid watching Superstars (& American Gladiators...) and then after they switched that to Sundays, watching Livewire on USA. lol good times