A Old School VS New School feud

[CM Steel]

Ever since the WWE debut the WWE legends deal contract for wrestling legends to re-sign to the E for a sum. We've seen on & off legends having some sort of feud with the newer generation wrestler's. The "legend killer" gimmick is what helped make Randy Orton's career. A young punk knocking off wrestlings legends and taking names. And we've even seen a match between the old school legends vs the defunct Spirit Squad which featured a young Dolph Ziggler.

The legends in the 2006 Survivor Series match featured Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Ron Simmons, and Sgt. Slaugther, with Arn Anderson on the outside as the enforcer for the legends (pun intended). And didn't later on that year that there were stories about the younger generation stars not showing the respect that they should have to those legends who help out behind the scenes in the WWE? That real issue was pushed in the feud between D Generation-X and Rated-RKO.

The match between Chris Jericho vs those three WWE legends at Wrestlemania 25 was thrown together at the last minute due to actor Mickey Rourke not being able to wrestle Chris Jericho at mania that year. And of course a storyline. With newer stars being born in the WWE every year. Should the WWE creative team bring back another Old School vs New School feud? To really settle the score.

Hardcore wrestling legend Tommy Dreamer really expose those young guys who talked down to those wrestling legends in a blog of his from around that time. In your own opinion, what do you think?

 

[LayCold]

I think those kind of feuds are great because they show the new wrestlers are big guys ... and it also make them really hated because they attack a legend. I really wish we could have more

 

[GameOver]

I love it for nostalgia purposes, tho i don't particularly care for it when you have people who clearly can barely move and are an embarrasment to there former greatness, Roddy Piper for instance (i'm still a fan don't get me wrong, he is a definate legend) the last few times he's returned he has stumbled on his words and tho i'm happy he over came cancer and numerous accidents crippling him, he shouldn't be in a ring competing like he did at Mania 25 and he needed to prepare more to what he was gonna say.

Then you have someone like a Ric Flair, Ricky Steamboat, Sgt Slaughter that tho they may be alot slower then they were they are still capable of putting on a believable attack. Thats the thing, it's great aslong as you can believe that they would have any chance against a young gun, but when said young gun has to oversell so much as to give the "legend" a chance to setup a move then it is not the same.

No question tho it's instant heat for whomever would make fun of them or try to goad them into the ring, and they certainly can learn from the legends so it's really a no lose situation unless as i said they make a complete full of themselves.

as for Tommy Dreamer's comments and the like i agree, Legends have learnt more and experienced more then anyone who's only been on the roster for the last 10yrs or so, the stars of the last 10yrs should be taking every possible opportunity to pick the brains and learn the ins and out of being a "pro wrestler" the kids can certainly teach the older guys about social media

 

[Jack-Hammer]

Such feuds can be entertaining for more hardcore & average fans alike if the legends who are brought back are both still somewhat relevant and can go inside the ring.

For instance, we've had CM Punk vs. The Rock in 2013 and it's been an entertaining feud overall. Even if Punk doesn't come out on the winning end, he's still looked like a star and his stock can only go up.

However, most of the wrestlers many online fans especially still count as legends are either: A. Simply too old & worn out to be viable opponents for modern day stars, B. Are wrestlers that really haven't attained legendary status except among their hardcore fans or C. Some combination of A & B.

I mean, let's face it, people aren't going to tune into see Roddy Piper, Paul Orndorff & Bob Orton take on The Shield. People would probably tune in initially just to see what the buzz was all about, but I think interest would vanish at warp speed once it became obvious just how outclassed these veterans are.

I'm going to keep using The Shield as example as there are a handful of legends who could potentially feud with them & generate money & sustained interest. For instance, I think it could potentially be fun to see Kevin Nash, Scott Hall & X-Pac to feud with The Shield. I don't really consider X-Pac a legend, but the fact remains he was part of two of the most celebrated factions in wrestling history. I've also never been a big Kevin Nash fan but the guy definitely qualifies as a legend. However, even with wrestlers who can still generate potential interest, like Hall & Nash, there are still problems. Nash can barely move due to age & the 20+ knee surgeries he's had. Scott Hall has battled drugs & alcohol for much of his adult life and just isn't reliable. X-Pac has had his own problems with addiction and isn't all that reliable at this time either. All it would take to derail a feud with The Shield is if Nash got injured trying to perform in the ring or Hall & X-Pac failed a drug test or otherwise fell off the wagon.

There's Stone Cold Steve Austin but, again, Austin's physical ability is in question. He still looks great and has said that he thinks he can still go, yet he's fairly recently had another major surgery.

We all know about The Undertaker's physical condition so there's no point in even discussing it.

Shawn Michaels could potentially return but from what I understand, he's content with his place in wrestling history, is enjoying his life with his family and is involved with other projects.

Ric Flair isn't a viable opponent anymore. He was scheduled to compete in a match in Japan recently but had to cancel due to health issues. Plus, the last few times Flair has wrestled, he's gotten injured. Flair can be of great uses as a manager, commentator or whatever, but not as a competing wrestler.

Mick Foley's body is too riddled with injury to really go anymore, which is something he's all but come right out and said himself.

Goldberg is someone that could still generate a buzz but he wants the moon & stars to return to WWE and it's not going to happen.

There are a boatload of ECW guys who could be used but, let's face it, very few of them can be considered legendary or relevant.

So, at the end of the day, while it sounds like fun on paper, it's something that would probably turn out to be pretty lame in practice. The old school guys or legends who possibly could return for something relevant are either focusing on other things in their lives, want far too much money, are wrestling for other companies, are too old &/or injured to compete, are unreliable or just aren't interested.

 

[George Steele's Barber]

I thought we were all still overreacting to Lawler's heart attack. I thought we were declaring that anyone over 50 should be relegated to not getting anywhere within 10 feet of a ring. Guess not?

I generally like these feuds but don't take them too seriously. It's fun to see an old guy for the first time in years. I enjoy the nostalgia. Bringing back a legend for a short run makes something fresh from something that is well past it's expiration date. One vivid memory from my childhood was seeing the "Living Legend" Bruno Sammartino knock Savage on his ass. Jericho and Steamboat was the perfect example of this. I'm not saying Steamboat stole the show at WM but he brought a huge surprise and had me really believing in the Steamboat of my youth, underdogs, and my own ability to be viable as I age. On the other hand I haven't enjoyed Lawler's feuds with The Miz and Punk. Both felt like WWE was giving the champs some time to kill with belt until WWE can figure out what to do.

Like I said, these feuds generally work. It takes the right people, a good story, and hopefully decreased use of the overused term "Old School".

 

[VictorySauce23]

Feuds like that are usually pretty good and fans enjoy seeing the legends come back. It would be awesome to see a new school vs. old school feud today and having Ziggler in that feud would make a lot of sense.

 

[mrjoe94]

I really would like to see Kevin Nash and Scott Hall (if he's successful at DDP's place) return for a couple of matches here and there, but I can't see it unless lightning strikes twice, like it seemed to have for Jake Roberts.

It's a shame Nash's knees are so screwed up because he still looks to be in fantastic condition otherwise. He could have come back in a part-time capacity even as a bodyguard like figure, he still looks intimidating.

 

[thebarber]

Nash couldnt even complete his mini feud with CM Punk, there is no way he is coming back for any further matches.
Utilising legends to get the current crop of guys over is a great idea, having them return to dominate and bury current talent is poor business.

 

[GameOver]

I really would like to see Kevin Nash and Scott Hall (if he's successful at DDP's place) return for a couple of matches here and there, but I can't see it unless lightning strikes twice, like it seemed to have for Jake Roberts.

It's a shame Nash's knees are so screwed up because he still looks to be in fantastic condition otherwise. He could have come back in a part-time capacity even as a bodyguard like figure, he still looks intimidating.

He never went to DDP's place, they called him and he said he was coming but never turned up and hasn't contacted them since, you can follow that on DDPYoga.com or youtube.

 

[Azane]

Bringing legends in for small events to hype a ppv is usually a pretty solid bet. Good examples are like when Piper does a Piper's Pit with a current star, we all know how those will end before they even start, but it's a good way to generate buzz without putting the legend in injury's way or needing them to perform a strong match.

Let's face it, the best spot for legends is talking. Some of them have excellent mic skills still (some have lost their voice, unfortunately), but just the charisma alone usually draws, having legends in a match is usually a bad idea as it either gives us a throw away garbage match (usually making a star look like crap) or a really slow paced match that isn't all that exciting. These thoughts are of course ignoring the recent legends like the Rock coming back, as he's still in shape and obviously could still wrestle fulltime if he wanted to.

The best way overall for legend feuds is to have them mentoring/coaching/managing an up and coming wrestler and feuding through them with the main superstar. Sometimes the legend overshadows their subordinate, but more often than not, they rub off on them and it can give someone a shot. Imagine if Hacksaw Jim Duggan was mentoring Jack Swagger instead of Zeb, obviously it would be a face not heel dynamic, but you could see some of Jim Duggan's charisma rubbing off on Jack Swagger.


I honestly cringe when I see an old school wrestler past 45 going into a serious match, as I'm just waiting for a tragedy.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Mick Foley's body is too riddled with injury to really go anymore, which is something he's all but come right out and said himself.

True, but even he could engage in a "feud" with someone without having to tax his body too badly. I think of Vader in his match with Heath Slater; Vader barely had to move because he had Heath to cater to whatever he was doing. If you don't get too technical about what you're seeing, the old guy can come up smelling like a rose. (Witness: after seeing Slater's series against the old pros, several people on this forum were wondering if some of the legends Heath fought would be returning to active duty)

Pro wrestling is like no other sport, primarily because it isn't a true sport. We're asked to suspend belief whenever we watch matches, so an old-timer in reasonable shape can be made to look good by a younger performer who knows how to sell. These types of feuds are possible and as long as they're kept of limited duration, they can work.

Let's not ask Mick Foley to take chair shots, true. Let's not ask him to perform drop kicks, which he never did, anyway. But I'd bet even he could engage in a two minute encounter in which he essentially stands in the middle of the ring and lets the younger opponent come to him. Hell, let Foley be the one to deliver the chair shot.

Mixing a few legends in with the current stars always seems to bring a few pops. The Royal Rumble is the best place to bring this stuff, because: (1) The old pro can make an appearance without having to work too hard and: (2)The camera isn't focused solely on him, so the fact he's not in his prime won't stick out as much.

In wrestling, anything is possible. Keep some strict limitations in place for the old guys & let 'em go at it.

 

[Lewis617]

It's an easy quick fix to get ratings, and an immediate heel turn for a young guy. But it isn't a long term solution. Obviously you bring back a legend and they are much older and not as athletic as they use to be so they can't handle the schedule full time. It's a short term fix as far as ratings and potential heel turns stand, but otherwise, they aren't that useful.

 

[mace87]

The Shield V NWO would be a great feud from a fantasy perspective but the issuses have already been highlighted by others concerning Nash, Hall & X-pac but it could work due to the fact that JBL has likened The Shield with NWO.
3MB V Too Cool & Rikishi could work as a rock V Hip Hop type feud again I'm sure there would be issuses with this.
both kinda old school new school match ups though.