The General Wrestling Thread

[BazookaJoe5]

lol @ Bret Hart saying Melina was the best wrestler out there today. Not kidding.

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

I watched TNA last night...I must say, Kevin Nash is always good for a nice one-liner...in response to Mick Foley trying to figure out who Hogan is bringing in...

"Just between us, if Hogan brings Knobbs in, I'm quitting."

Yeah, I'd quit watching that quickly too.

Nash/Hall and the Nastys hate each other passionately. He was probably atleast half serious.

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

lol @ Bret Hart saying Melina was the best wrestler out there today. Not kidding.

Perhaps they're boning?

 

[Derrville]

Amazing Red in TNA uses that as his finisher.

 

[Vinsane]

I was in a "Boarders" the other day. And came upon this work of art. Released in October, it's the "Unofficial History of Degeneration X" written by Trips, and Shawn Michaels. So I pick it up, expecting to find a detailed word version of all the pranks D Generation X pulled, and yet, it was something totally different.

I found a chair, sat down and began to read. I ended up finishing it in one sitting, because I have that sort of time. And it was really a great read. It's something I wouldn't want to have read as a kid though, it takes the mysticism out of wrestling right away. When Trips and Shawn begin the book, talking about the backstage stuff that was going on between the roster, and the "Monday Night Wars".

I recommend that you pick it up, if not rent it from a library. Basically it turns out to be a comical journey through Shawn's peak, and Trips uprising. As well as a lot of insight on the backstage life of a wrestler, that you rarely see.

 

[Derrville]

WWE is shutting down ECW IN 2010?

 

[Bigpapa42]

Yeah, heard the rumor about ECW. Not that they're going back to 2 brands, but simply that they'll create a new third brand. I'm actually okay with this idea - while I do quite enjoy what ECW is now for the WWE, it truly has very little to do with the original ECW beyond Tommy Dreamer's continued presence.

 

[BazookaJoe5]

I got the 40$ BF TNA deal, with the 12 random DVDs and a shirt and random other shit. I got a pretty decent haul on the DVDs...Best of X Division Vol1, Global Impact Japan, History of TNA Year 1, Christian Cage DVD (very happy about that one), TNA 50 Greatest Moments, Kurt Angle 2disc set, Knockouts Vol1, then some random PPVs from various years. The shirt I got is a grunge style TNA logo shirt which is pretty sweet and something I'll actually wear. Got signed 8x10s of Samoa Joe and Rhino (lol) and three signed cards, one of which is Sting which is pretty cool. The rest of the shit is mostly useless but nonetheless, the DVDs are nice.

 

[Derrville]

Id love to have the Angle, Double J and Christian set.

From what you posted you got some good stuff cept for Global Impact.

 

[Epidemik]

A must-read open letter from Jim Cornette
Posted by Aaron Rift on 12/07/2009 at 03:48 PM

Jim Cornette recently released this:

You can call this an open letter. You can call it an early New Years’ Resolution, an apology for abandoning my principles, or you can call it, as I am, a contract with the pro wrestling fans.

Over the past few years I have attended numerous fanfests and wrestling events, and spoken to hundreds, if not thousands, of true wrestling fans. In the nine months my website, jimcornette.com, has been up and running, I have received literally thousands of emails from fans around the world. The overwhelming majority has said the same thing in a variety of ways – they want their pro wrestling back. They are sick of the sports entertainment. They are tired of the sport they love being treated as a Saturday Night Live sketch. They are embarrassed to admit to their friends or family that they watch wrestling nowadays, or worse yet, they have quit watching wrestling altogether. They are confused and frustrated by the way bright young wrestling stars are passed over by the big leagues in favor of bodybuilders, bikini models and quasi-celebrities or given silly, kiss-of-death gimmicks guaranteed to fail, bestowed upon them by comedy writers who have never bought one ticket to see a wrestling match. They are disgusted by the same writers who have made the matches a meaningless backdrop for silly soap opera scripted by people who, as Bill Watts used to say, if you were to be caught in an athlete’s locker room would be whistling “Stranger in Paradise”. They are fed up with the pervasive nepotism and the arrogance of Vince McMahon thinking he invented and/or owns the entire sport. Most of all, they are confounded by seeing an answer to the biggest question of all, generally phrased as “Why in the flying **** does Vince Russo have a job?”

It’s no secret that I feel the same way, that I despise “sports entertainment” and what it has done to our sport, and have long predicted the decline and ultimate demise of our industry because of it. A point that we are closer to in 2010 than ever before.

It’s also no secret that for the past three years I abandoned my principles, and not only worked for a company that’s moved even farther towards “sports entertainment”, but went against every bit of my better judgment and coexisted with the man who has done more damage to our business than anyone else in its history, the man who Bret Hat has said should be “taken out in the parking lot and hanged’, the man who Jerry Jarrett has said “writes TV like a man on LSD”, Vince Russo.

I am ashamed by this. Sure, there were mitigating circumstances, which I will list here, then summarily dismiss and never mention again – I went to work with TNA because it was the company best poised to prevent the WWE from having a monopoly on our industry – when Russo was hired, I tried to resign but was talked out of it because of my loyalty to the Jarrett family for giving me my start, and my friendship with and respect for Dutch Mantell, one of the true great minds in our business – My wishful thinking that sooner than later Dixie Carter would have a moment of clarity and fire the man responsible for more bad gimmicks, rotten television, ruined careers, unsold tickets, illogical booking and irreparable, lost potential than any 5 other bookers in history – my desire to help the great TNA talent roster and fine TV production crew overcome the Russo handicap and succeed in spite of him – and not least the fairly good-sized check I was receiving for one of the lighter schedules I have ever worked.

But none of this holds water if I was truly committed to helping produce a good product, to making wrestling better for the fans of today and the wrestlers of tomorrow. None of this matters if I had to embarrass myself by being associated with this nonsense. Even if Dixie Carter is inexperienced in wrestling, she is a grown woman and should be able to spot a moron, especially when she’s pouring tens of millions of dollars of her father’s money down a well that same moron is digging. After 30 years, I am a whole lot closer to the end of my career than the beginning, and while I have nothing left to proves as a performer, I would still rather be remembered after I am gone as someone who helped produce good professional wrestling that was enjoyable for the fans and profitable for the wrestlers and the promotion than remembered as a former star who produced inane corporate “sports entertainment” that limped along to a bitter end, decimated by the UFC and its own inability to police itself from people who have no knowledge of or respect for the profession they were allowed into.

Even though it’s true that I never publicly praised any part of TNA’s booking or creative direction, dancing around on my interviews, grasping for something positive to say, changing the subject, my very presence in a Vince Russo-booked promotion lent my tacit approval to it. I wasted three years of my life. I worked and sweated over something that ultimately had no chance of success. I abandoned my principles. I took the check. And for that, I hereby apologize to every wrestling fan in the world. I’m sorry. I’m ashamed of myself. Most importantly, I won’t do it again. And I ask for forgiveness.

As Mama Cornette used to say, “everything happens for a reason”. My total inability to force myself to back Vince Russo’s vision of wrestling led to my release from TNA, but it also led to my return to Ring of Honor. I was there 3 years ago, and I made a mistake in leaving. ROH has made great strides since that time. It’s a promotion that respects not only the sport but its fans. It’s run by good people who care about its employees and product. It has the youngest, most athletic talent roster in the industry. It has the most competitive, serious in-ring product in the country. It has a national TV outlet and a devoted fan base. And if the balance of power in wrestling is to shift, I’d like to make sure I have my thumb on the scale.

So I make this agreement, this contract, with all the wrestling fans who want an alternative, who “want their wrestling back.” I don’t care if you’re a young fan who has never seen serious pro wrestling, or an older fan who has gone away because you gave up hope, ROH is new style with old school philosophy. I am committing myself to ROH, putting my reputation and credibility where my mouth is. I am not a “big name” taking a payoff to endorse something I don’t believe in. I will not forsake ROH if or when a better offer comes along to reenter the “sports entertainment” cesspool. I truly believe Ring of Honor IS “the wrestling of the future” – and the future is NOW!

I make this pledge as my end of the contract – in return, I ask all the fans who want an alternative, who want their wrestling back, to support ROH as well. Watch the TV on HDNet – attend live events in your area – check out the DVD’s, go to their website, ROHWrestling.com – and most importantly, spread the word to your fellow fans, current AND disenfranchised. Just as ROH is bigger and better than it was three years ago, it’s not nearly what it will be in 6 months, or a year, or two years, and you can keep track of, even be responsible for, its progress.

ROH is a company that will listen to, not scoff at, its fans’ requests. But it needs your support, because NO promotion can thrive without the fans. Want your wrestling back? We want to give it to you! That’s why I make this contract with you. I will not forsake you again. Don’t forsake Ring of Honor. If you will us your support, your attention, your dedication, I pledge to you that we will not let you down.

Sincerely,

JIM CORNETTE

Interesting read.

Do you guys agree with the "sports entertainment part"?

This is the definition from Wiki

Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience. Unlike typical athletics and games, which are conducted for competition, sportsmanship, exercise or personal recreation, the primary product of sports entertainment is performance for an audience's benefit, thus they are never practiced privately. Commonly, but not in all cases, the outcomes are predetermined (such cases are not considered to be fixed, however, as it is an open secret). Events which fall under the classification of sports entertainment are widely considered to be low brow forms of entertainment.

But, I think what made late 90's WWE, WCW watchable was the entertainment aspect which highlighted each event.

 

[BazookaJoe5]

I watched the mud wrestling match from last nights TNA, it was probably the greatest match of the year in either big promotion. Madison Rayne looked so fucking hot in that ref outfit she had on, god damn.

 

[IamMedellin]

I just wanna state that Mickie James could whoop my ass any day of the week,,,

 

[FedEx227]

Interesting read.

Do you guys agree with the "sports entertainment part"?

This is the definition from Wiki



But, I think what made late 90's WWE, WCW watchable was the entertainment aspect which highlighted each event.

I think a healthy blend of both is what you need. late 90s had that, because while you had writers looking for entertainment a majority of the talent had grown up and been groomed to be able to talk on the mic, be able to work the crowd, properly utilize their characters, etc.

There was the balance where they wrote the shows, but where the talent also had freedom. They also still sold the "sport" element of it.

 

[BazookaJoe5]

I never thought I would see this. Bolded and caps'd for the FUCKING LULZ.

WINNER AND NEW WWE CHAMPION: SHEAMUS

 

[Kuzzy Powers]

LOL.. you cant be serious?

 

[BazookaJoe5]

Oh, I am serious, LOL. Check out wwe.com.

Even more hilarious is that WWE had Sheamus lose to Goldust a month or two ago. From jobbing to Goldust to WWE Champion. Damn.

 

[IamMedellin]

Well, that's one way to get me to tune into RAW

 

[Bigpapa42]

WWE counters Hogan in TNA by presenting the pastiest white champion in history... Sheamus!

 

[EmpireWF]

Was it just me or was Vince really pissed at Dennis Miller when they were on stage together? I guess he could only take so much of Miller making fun of wrestling fans.

Oh what the fuck, RAW was awful. 3 hour show, they have maybe 15 minutes of actual wrestling. Punk gets buried and I watch Cena proclaim for the millionth freaking time how he will win the belt again. WHO GIVES A SHIT.

At least they teased Bret as a host as well as a Taker/Shawn WM rematch.

 

[Warner2BruceTD]

Id love to have the Angle, Double J and Christian set.

From what you posted you got some good stuff cept for Global Impact.

I couldnt disagree more.

The Global Impact shows are always the only TNA shows I go out of my way to find, especiually unedited. Great stuff every year.