KB Answers Wrestling Questions

[Hard Hit Prince]

WWE developmental guys are going to work the WWE style and nothing more.

What in the blue hell is that "WWE Style" that people like to throw away so much? The way I see, there are a lot of guys working a lot of different styles under the WWE roof. You have those european brawlers like Sheamus and Antonio Cesaro, you have those techicians like Del Rio and Bryan. You have those WWE athletes working an american style like Randy Orton and Dolph Ziggler, and you have Sin Cara mixing mexican style, lucha-libre to the american style of wrestling.

So why not having guys developing their craft? Cesaro is a great wrestler because he worked a lot of different styles. If he had stayed in Switzerland, working his indys he would not be the wrestler he is today, and when a guy works a Japanese style, he develops that craft and can easily adapt that into his "WWE Style or wtv"... Just go look at MVP, he was a solid in-ring performer in the WWE, but I've seen him in Japan and he developed from that in a matter of months. I think that working in Japan is one of the best ways to develop in-ring wrestling skills, a lot of great wrestlers will tell you that, guys like Ted Dibiase Sr (who was fantastic and I'm sure you agree), a guy like Steve Williams and recently a guy like Albert that turned into Giant Bernard and easily one of the best big man wrestlers, I hope you see what I'm trying to get in here.

 

[klunderbunker]

What in the blue hell is that "WWE Style" that people like to throw away so much? The way I see, there are a lot of guys working a lot of different styles under the WWE roof. You have those european brawlers like Sheamus and Antonio Cesaro, you have those techicians like Del Rio and Bryan. You have those WWE athletes working an american style like Randy Orton and Dolph Ziggler, and you have Sin Cara mixing mexican style, lucha-libre to the american style of wrestling.

So why not having guys developing their craft? Cesaro is a great wrestler because he worked a lot of different styles. If he had stayed in Switzerland, working his indys he would not be the wrestler he is today, and when a guy works a Japanese style, he develops that craft and can easily adapt that into his "WWE Style or wtv"... Just go look at MVP, he was a solid in-ring performer in the WWE, but I've seen him in Japan and he developed from that in a matter of months. I think that working in Japan is one of the best ways to develop in-ring wrestling skills, a lot of great wrestlers will tell you that, guys like Ted Dibiase Sr (who was fantastic and I'm sure you agree), a guy like Steve Williams and recently a guy like Albert that turned into Giant Bernard and easily one of the best big man wrestlers, I hope you see what I'm trying to get in here.

And it all works into a style of building on drama with near falls and working the crowd: the WWE style.

 

[Blade]

I posted a thread about this, but I'm interested to hear your thoughts on the question.

Is John Cena the last of a dying breed of the big, charismatic main event babyface? Guys like Hogan, Warrior, Goldberg, Batista.

Ryback and Sheamus are never going to reach that level. And there's no other wrestler on the WWE roster of the John Cena mold who has even a hint of potential in terms of reaching that kind of level, except for perhaps Roman Reigns. The WWE roster is packed with smaller, faster guys who look to be the future.

What do you think, KB?

 

[klunderbunker]

No. Think about this for a second:

Hogan: brought in as a generic heel, made Rocky III, becomes superstar.

Rock: brought in as a smiling babyface, booed to death, turns and turns again before becoming huge star.

Austin: brought in as Ringmaster, DiBiase leaves so they say "just be yourself", finds a single catchphrase and rides it to stardom

The moral: you never know who your next star is. They could, and often do, come from out of nowhere.

 

[cult_of_icecream_bar]

What do you feel about Vince degrading Bryan on RAW each week?That's no way to push a star

 

[Alex]

I dunno about TNA, but was crazy Mickie and Trish the last big female story that didn't revolve around one or both of the females making fun of the others appearance??

 

[klunderbunker]

What do you feel about Vince degrading Bryan on RAW each week?That's no way to push a star

That it's all leading to a HHH vs. Vince match at WM XXX and that anyone crushed in the process is collateral damage.

I dunno about TNA, but was crazy Mickie and Trish the last big female story that didn't revolve around one or both of the females making fun of the others appearance??

AJ and Kaitlyn doesn't really do that both ways.

 

[Danger Burger]

That it's all leading to a HHH vs. Vince match at WM XXX and that anyone crushed in the process is collateral damage.

Surely its a pretty obvious sympathy (or sympy in steiner talk) ploy for Bryan though, right? And at the same time gets vince some heat, especially among the uncultured swine of the internet who see vince as the body guy who holds little indy darlings down?

I can't see how people take it as a legitimate knock on Bryan. It's classic story telling. Especially considering the gauntlet match on Raw. Vince is just getting heat and Bryan is flying over the moon because of it. Or am I crazy?

 

[klunderbunker]

I don't think it's a knock on Bryan. I think it's all about Vince vs. HHH and little more.

 

[Danger Burger]

I don't think it's a knock on Bryan. I think it's all about Vince vs. HHH and little more.

Ah, I hadn't considered the over-shadowing aspect that may well be inevitable. Still, a little Vince McMahon rub can go along way. Thanks, klunderbunker.

While I'm here, any clue why JoMo told John Laurenitis to get lost (can't remember what he said) on the way back from the walk-out last year? Was anything supposed to come of it?

 

[klunderbunker]

Not that I'm aware of.

 

[Mustang Sally]

Nepotism.

Regardless of what we think of Cody Rhodes wrestling ability, do you think having a famous Dad pushed him ahead of others? Might he have been one of scores of fine performers who never get a look in? Sure, there are tons of other 2nd and 3rd generation kiddies whom one could say the same thing about, but it seems WWE has pushed harder with Cody than anyone else I've ever seen, and wonder if you feel it was Dusty's influence that caused this.

How much pull does the American Dream have, anyway?

 

[klunderbunker]

It definitely had something to do with Cody's push. Orton's push was much stronger at first though.

I don't know if I'd say pull but he's respected and people will listen to him.

 

[Vega]

Is now the right time to pull the trigger on a Bryan run or would it make more sense to build him up a bit more until Mania?

Which match should main event? If Bryan wins I'd go with the WWE title, else the Heyman guys' match.

Thoughts on Simon Diamond? He's pretty much universally forgotten and didn't really do much, but I think he had a great character and quite a lot of talent.
Also, his theme music was really awesome and would be great on a calculating maniac like Ambrose (could be).

 

[klunderbunker]

Nah. Do it now.

Bryan vs. Cena should main event.

The guy was ok at best but I didn't mind his ECW stuff.

 

[Vega]

Could you rank these leagues in terms of historical importance / general greatness?

WWF/E
JCP/WCW
WCCW
AWA
ECW
TNA
ROH
SMW
E/CMLL
AAA
AJPW
NJPW
NOAH
Stampede

 

[klunderbunker]

WWE
WCW
AWA
NJPW
AJPW
TNA
NOAH
CMLL
AAA
ROH
Stampede
WCCW

 

[Coco]

You know better than I, so I ask you.

I've heard that WWE ran two house shows at least as far back as the 80s, an A-show with Hogan and a B-show with others. When did this practice start? What was the thinking behind it? Do you know a decent resource for someone looking for match cards from these shows?

Sorry for the dumb questions. I never gave this matter too much thought until just recently.

 

[klunderbunker]

Not only did they run A and B, but for awhile in the 80s there was also a C show.

It started in the mid 80s when Hulkamania was in full swing. You would have Hogan defending the world title on the A show, the IC Title headlining the B Show and the tag titles/Wendi Richter headlining the C show.

The thinking behind it was simple: you can make twice as much money if you have twice as many shows.

thehistoryofwwe.com is great.

 

[Coco]

Mostly what I already knew. Haven't seen that site before though, so thanks for that.

 

[Vega]

WWE
WCW
AWA
NJPW
AJPW
TNA
NOAH
CMLL
AAA
ROH
Stampede
WCCW

Thanks. Could you explain why is the AWA that high, surpassing both Japanese promotions?

One reason I asked was that I'm interested in how you'd rank ECW compared to TNA. Which is more important / influental and why?

 

[klunderbunker]

AWA produced a lot of talent that went elsewhere. Watch a 1982 AWA show and you'll see a lot of familiar WWF names.

TNA really hasn't innovated anything. They'er more successful and entertaining, but they really haven't added anything at all.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

Should TNA have stayed with the six side ring? I always thought it made them different...

 

[Alex]

Should TNA have stayed with the six side ring? I always thought it made them different...

It was only good for the X-Division guys (different angles to do stuff from) aside from that it was pointless. Did you see anyone bouncing off the ropes in the six sided ring, it sucked. I really don't see the big deal about ring shape. WCW nearly put WWE out of business and they used a normal four sided ring.

 

[Hard Hit Prince]

It was only good for the X-Division guys (different angles to do stuff from) aside from that it was pointless. Did you see anyone bouncing off the ropes in the six sided ring, it sucked. I really don't see the big deal about ring shape. WCW nearly put WWE out of business and they used a normal four sided ring.

Yeah, WCW wasn't on SpikeTV too and they didn't have Jeff Hardy as their most popular active wrestler. Let's not compare them by any stretch of the imagination. I think that little things can differentiate a product, it's not like that will make people tune in, but at least casuals could tell when they were zapping that what they were watching wasn't WWE, because I believe that most people that pass by SpikeTV will think that TNA is a WWE show.