A few thoughts from a returning fan

[ItWasTyped.com]

Having been a massive fan of professional wrestling as a youngster and growing out of it when the drink & drugs phase kicked in, I recently found myself very nostalgic and excited to check out what had become of the old industry I used to be so happily obsessed with.

Bear in mind I had stopped watching around the time Vince McMahon bought all the competition and had started the whole Invasion angle. The last great moment I remember was Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Dean Malenko & Perry Saturn showing up on RAW and the last bad thing i remember was how spectacularly they flopped the rest of that angle - how amazing it could have been. The potential actual in ring war between the WWF/E, WCW and ECW was an epic fantasy for many, and when it actually had the chance to happen, they threw it all away for free and did it poorly, when it should have been one of the most spectacular Pay Per View events in history.

Anyway, I was disappointed, eventually stopped watching, and now 26 years old I've been catching up with the wrestling world again for the last couple months. Here are my thoughts, and sorry I didn't realise the post would already be this long:

- CM Punk, Dolph Ziggler, and a few others but mainly these two, are classic examples of what i reckon is the modern superstar. I vaguely remember the name CM Punk as an independant wrestler sort, and am shocked he's now one of the biggest stars. He is the sober Stone Cold Steve Austin and Ziggler is in that classic breed of Mr. Perfect, Jeff Jarrett and everything they wanted Billy Gunn to be. There are others that show potential like The Miz and Jack Swagger but I'm shocked to find they have apparently already held the top belts...

- I was instantly intrigued by the man in the mask, Cody Rhodes. Shame that didn't last longer because it really suited the character. He seems like the classic IC champion of the old days, that really good heel character who you know is on the cusp of greatness when his time comes. It shouldn't happen too soon as with a few others I mentioned

- I don't understand the hype around Zack Ryder. I get that he won some kind of Internet popularity contest, and he is clearly VERY popular, and I will even say that he can wrestle well from what I've seen. But the character is truly AWFUL. Two examples are his uncomfortable exchanges with Hugh Jackman and even on RAW with the Diva; the guy cant even speak properly. He's basically playing an airhead, the male blonde bimbo. I think it's stupid and embarrassing but for some reason, people seem to like it!

- John Cena, from what I understand, has been on top and so popular for so long that it's gone stale. He is quite bland, but he's capable of having great matches and his angle with Kane is interesting. I know he can't turn heel anytime soon but it will be GREAT when he does.

- Surprised to see Mark Henry at the top of his game, despite playing the same dull character he used to play back when I watched it. It seems a kind of forced effort, but the big men are generally entertaining these days... I've enjoyed Daniel Bryan's involvement and his matches with Big Show and Mark Henry. Bryan is another name I vaguely remember but I'm glad someone like him has become world champion. WHich brings me to my next point...

- This WWE/World title situation is confusing, and undermining to the championship. Which is the more prestigious? Why do we need two? I don't think it's necessary...

- The Tag Team division needs a lot of help. The TEAM essence is gone. We don't want singles wrestlers paired together, we need ACTUAL TAG TEAMS dedicated to their tag team titles. Remember Legion of Doom, Demolition, the Dudleys, the Hardyz? Good, solid teams. The Divas division is a waste of time. I skip right past it every time. Divas are nice to look at and to wrestle maybe occasionally but who really wants to see a whole division?

- I am shocked to see Kurt Angle, Ric Flair and others on TNA? What is that all about??

Anyway, just thought I'd put my thoughts down. Sorry if it's a bit long, cheers.

 

[thebromm]

You missed a lot my friend. Punk did a nice shoot promo on Raw back in June. Look it up on youtube. It skyrocketed his popularity but after the initial burst of freedom through the summer on the mic with Punk they seemingly put the chains back on him and he's suffering for it.

Dolph truly is the next big thing in pro wrestling. Miz needs to evolve his character to get back to the main event, he is a little stale. Swagger was never ready for the World title.

Cody Rhodes is one of my personal favorites. Great attitude and look and much love for bringing back the classic IC title belt which in its day, was one real work of art. Rhodes is right behind Ziggy for next big thing.

Zack Ryder.... I got mixed feelings. His youtube show is entertaining, but I think WWE is really trying to bury him. They gave him the U.S. title but that was mainly to get it off of Dolp Ziggler. They make him look lucky rather then good. That luck will run out.

John Cena is wildly popular amongst women and children. He's a good man with a lot of heart and looked up to all around the world by the kids and he should be. That said, the majority of men, including myself, can't stand him. Its the same thing week in and week out with him. He's Hulk Hogan all over again, albeit a Hogan willing to put anybody over and a Hogan willing to do whatever was neccesary. He's stale and needs a drastic change.

Mark Henry I disagree with you on. He had came on the scene with a vengeance late last summer. His mic work has been pretty good and he beat Randy Orton cleanly for the World title as a heel. He's not really the same dull character he was. You may think that now because he's injured and they still keep him on tv and he doesn't talk much. Hell, he had a damn good match with John Cena a little while back on RAW.

I am in favor of 2 world championships. Mainly because they have played hot potato so much with the straps that if there was only one strap it'd make the hot potato game even worse.

Tag team division was initially a focal point for Triple H but seems to have taken a back burner. It is a worthless division right now.

Kurt Angle is in TNA because he asked for his release from WWE to battle his demons. WWE granted the release and he wound up in TNA a few weeks later.

Ric Flair is in TNA because Shawn Michaels retired him at WrestleMania XXIV. His contract expired later that year and then Ric got another divorce. Back to the grind for ol' Ric Flair. Signed with TNA just to make a little money.

RVD is in TNA because his wife was sick and he was released from WWE to tend to that. TNA has a much lighter work load then WWE and that allows RVD to still do what he loves and be at home a lot to take care of the wifey.

Jeff Hardy was on his way to the top in WWE even after 2 Wellness Policy violations. His contract was set to expire and he chose not to re-sign. I thought he didn't want to re-sign so he could party. Even told my fiancee that and she get pissed. She was a Jeff Hardy mark. Anyway. A week after he leaves WWE he was arrested for drug posession. He went to TNA and wrestled (sort of) a ppv main event match intoxicated with booze and alcohol. Look that up on youtube also. You'll see exactly what I'm talking about.

 

[H33LTurn]

I don't believe this post for one minute.

I was thinking the same exact thing. This is a really pitiful attempt by someone who wants the stereotypical IWC ideas to be accepted by oldschool fans and it just wont be. The people who stopped watching wont start watching again to see Cena turn heel, or listen to Punk complain about not being treated fairly despise having everything but the Chairman position offered to him to stay with the company last year, or be happy about someone as bland as DB is champion when they had larger than life characters like Stone Cold, The Rock, and Taker as world champions back in the day.

 

[thebarber]

Angle was actually released by WWE for continued wellness policy violations. Vince wanted Angle to get the help he needed, Angle took it by the bit and brokered a deal with TNA Wrestling.
A s for thread maker stating he wished Cody Rhodes didnt wear the mask long enough, sorry dude but it wa sgetting to the point of annoying him wearing that for months on end well after his injury was healed. The second he lost the mask and dorned a set of kneepads and instantly Cody Rhodes meant something. He got his phyisique ripped and pitched the idea of bringing back the classicv Intercontinental title belt. Pity they havent done the same with the joke WWE Championship. With Punk supposedly all about change, this would have been a great way to set an example of change, instead of now being another rank and file roster member caught in the shuffle of elevating upper mid carders like Ziggler instead of being pushed as WWE Champion.

 

[ItWasTyped.com]

I was thinking the same exact thing. This is a really pitiful attempt by someone who wants the stereotypical IWC ideas to be accepted by oldschool fans and it just wont be. The people who stopped watching wont start watching again to see Cena turn heel, or listen to Punk complain about not being treated fairly despise having everything but the Chairman position offered to him to stay with the company last year, or be happy about someone as bland as DB is champion when they had larger than life characters like Stone Cold, The Rock, and Taker as world champions back in the day.

Where do you glean that I want other people to accept anything? Anyone who is on a wrestling forum probably watches wrestling anyway, so it would be quite silly for me to start my "Get Back Into Wrestling" campaign there, wouldn't it?

 

[TWJC: The Beginning]

If you don't get Ryder's character, you're out of touch with humanity. The "bro" is a person type. If there were a Breakfast Club re-make set in today's world, there would be a "bro" character. He's no more ridiculous than a Pimp, a pornstar, or whatever other garbage TV character was around 10-15 years ago.

 

[ItWasTyped.com]

If you don't get Ryder's character, you're out of touch with humanity. The "bro" is a person type. If there were a Breakfast Club re-make set in today's world, there would be a "bro" character. He's no more ridiculous than a Pimp, a pornstar, or whatever other garbage TV character was around 10-15 years ago.

Well no, I "get" it, I just don't like it. He is far more ridiculous than a pimp and pornstar because Kama and Val Venis could actually play those roles well. Zak Ryder can't even cut a decent promo; he stumbles all over his words and has this goofy, contrived smile on his face. I understand that the character is popular, but the man does not seem natural in the role.

 

[KnowMyRole-ShutYourMouth]

I love how the last memory "he" has is the Radicals showing up in 2000. Yet he somehow can name everyone by full name and CM Punk/Daniel Bryan are names he "vaguely remembers." Because Punk and Bryan were around in the year 2000 (prominently involved in the indies).

He's also ok with Mark Henry not going through any sort of gimmick change. Apparrently Sexual Chocolate was a fucking beast waiting 11 years to be unleashed.

 

[ItWasTyped.com]

I love how the last memory "he" has is the Radicals showing up in 2000. Yet he somehow can name everyone by full name and CM Punk/Daniel Bryan are names he "vaguely remembers." Because Punk and Bryan were around in the year 2000 (prominently involved in the indies).

He's also ok with Mark Henry not going through any sort of gimmick change. Apparrently Sexual Chocolate was a fucking beast waiting 11 years to be unleashed.

"He"? Are you suggesting I'm pretending to be male?

I do vaguely remember the names CM Punk and Daniel Bryan from before they were big names, as an avid reader of the UK wrestling mag Powerslam in which they were often featured, as they were great wrestlers though not famous. What's the problem exactly?

Finally yes you're right, my bad, I forgot all about Sexual Chocolate! Mark Henry bores me, I was never too interested in him.

 

[The_Sharpshooter]

Drinks & Drugs? Check
Stop watching around the time of the Invasion Angle? Check
26 years old? Check. Am I the OP, because this guy is talking about my life! I probably just came back before you.

I don't think we missed much. Looks like Triple H, Edge, & John Cena are the guys that took over when all the true entertaining characters left. Boo.

Punk, Dolph, & Cody are the leaders of the new generation. 3 talents who have the ability to sell their characters and keep your focus on whatever they're doing. Best thing about them is none of them have reached their prime yet. Expect great things.

Ryder has all the traits of a consistent mid card character, but the E doesn't know what to do with him. If it was up to them, he'd still be on superstars putting over Yoshi Tatsu. It boggles my brain how you make him look weak against every character except Ziggler & Swagger, yet still try to portray those two as credible talent. Bad booking for Ryder & most involved.

John Cena-Only thing stale about him are his PG jokes & the result of his PPV matches. If he didn't have so many title reigns, people hate wouldn't be as strong. But I appreciate Cena, just off the fact that you wouldn't look at guys like Punk, Orton, & Barrett as main event talent without his rub. Say thank you to Cena, IWC

Since the day of the draft when Mark Henry made his heel turn, he has been the definition of destruction. He hits production guys with chairs & throw them 30 feet, throws people through tables, and rips off cage doors and uses them as weapons. Every since his injury, they made him seem more "nicer" and "logical". Idk why, but I'm not a fan of it. But my favorite thing about Henry is what I enjoyed about Clay's debut, the talking he gives you during the ass whipping. No mic, he just screams at you & makes it feel "realer"

There's way too much talent for 1 World Champ. But at the same time, they put the more established guys on Raw. Swagger shouldn't have a US Title handed to him(which I expect they will do come Raw), he should be competing for the SD World Title. Same goes for Miz, R Truth, & other talent. All SD champions recently, except Edge, Orton, or Henry, are booked like transitional champs. So if they would get rid of what I like to call "The Flair Belt" to deepen the pursuers of the mid card & WWE belt, it wouldn't bother me.

And speaking of Swagger, I didn't mind his Title reign. Or should I say, I didn't mind them giving him a chance with the World Title. But the problem was his character change while holding up the belt. He was a Y2J clone, with suits & slow talking. Thats not Swagger and he suffered. He should've challenged Y2J straight up for the Title, made him tap, & run victory laps around the ring like he always did. Could have been a good face turn.

Miz will only be a transitiional champion at best. He only won the belt because of what he did out of the ring. His run was fun, but unless he has a lackey(Riley) or a bodyguard (lets go Nash), I can't take him seriously as a contender. I can beat that man right now!

Sorry, but the tag division sucked for much longer than people are willing to realize. If the Hardyz weren't jumping off buildings, I didn't care of them. Dudleys are the same with tables. E & C were two good mid card guys that were put together, established themselves, & flourished solo. That is what to be expected from tag wrestling for now on & I have no problem with that. If you just make the focus the glory of the championship and give low card guys a shot at the "glory" you may find another E & C. But you gotta put forth effort 1st.

that was fun, responding to my own posts. Lol

 

[ItWasTyped.com]

Haha, good to see I'm not alone there The_Sharpshooter. I think a lot of people from our generation grow out of wrestling at that point in our lives, but then when you outgrow everything else you find yourself feeling nostalgic and checking out all the things that made your childhood so memorable i.e. pro wrestling. I remember my dad telling me how wrestling would be finished by the time I was in my twenties, but it seems as popular as ever...