The Wrestling Thread

[Matty_the_Emo_Slayer]

Regardless, the WWE Championship match was still a better watch than your average Cena match. I still think they should've let Henry have the belt for a day or 8 days, even if that meant Cena winning it back to become a 14 time champ. But despite that it's probably still the best feud either have been in and in years to come will definitely be a top pick for career retrospective DVDs for both guys.

The Sandow win was awesome because it was completely unexpected. Spot-wise he was actually the least impressive guy in the match, and him and Fandango are the only 2 of the 7 not to have held any mid-card titles so arguably he was the one of the least ready. He's phenomenal on the mic though so whatever storyline he's going to have with Cody now will rule, even if i can see a match were he has to put the briefcase on the line against Cody and Cody to win it. Anyone bar Fandango could've won that match though and I'd have still not been disappointed.

Orton winning is good because I've been saying for ages creative need to shit or get off the pot with him. That smirk at the end tells me that they've got a heel turn planned. They've done Orton vs Cena/face vs face too many times already and hopefully they know that. People are getting butthurt over it not being Bryan, but we'll have Bryan headlining the next 2 PPVs and possibly him holding the belt after anyway. Orton needs the briefcase to be relevant.

The fact that Bryan had the match won til Axel interfered as well is probably how they'll set him up for Summerslam and Night Of Champions against Cena. It also makes me think/hope that keeping him face throughout that is still going to happen. The pop he gets every night now is too huge not too- he's probably the most natural phenomenon (i.e. without having to force it down our throats) they've had since the "Foley Is God" days so they'd be idiots to ruin that. Bryan as a face with the belt vs a heel Orton will make for much better matches than with Cena as well, that's a guarantee.

Axel vs The Miz was the only disappointment of the night. I'd like to blame it on The Miz, but frankly I can't. He's finally started working over the legs from the start of the match rather than just wrestling his usual style then softening them up for the figure 4 right at the end so his ring psychology has improved massively. It was Axel's inexperience that was the problem I think. His new finisher is great, but the overall ending was sloppy. This early on he should really be with someone better in The Miz in his PPV matches, which is why i'm glad he'll be feuding with Punk now. Hats off to him for the great drama in how he played the being turned on by Heyman thing. Great acting by both guys.

I was pretty annoyed at the finish to the WHC match last night, but in fairness they needed to end AJ and Dolph eventually. They can't have her as a manipulative heel in the divas division (top stuff in her feud and match with Kaitlyn I must say) with her enforcer and him as a main event babyface together. I thought why are they continuing to delay Dolph having the belt, and for a proper run this time, but if it means Del Rio can continue having this much heat then I say it's worth it. He's had problems maintaining heat in the past so it's a good idea to milk it while they can.

[herzeleid]

Feuding with Punk? Summerslam is going to be Punk/Lesnar, surely. He'll have a few matches with Axel but that will be it i'd imagine.

[Matty_the_Emo_Slayer]

I can see them trying to give as big a build-up to Punk vs Lesnar as possible though with week after week of Heyman ducking Punk's call-outs, getting blind-sided by Lesnar, Lesnar only agreeing to a match if Punk can get through Axel first etc. Bear in mind the big rumour is Punk vs Lesnar for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania so they have to stretch this feud out for as long as they can.

[Andy Hall]

Cody Rhodes last night went from average to top draw, absolutely awesome performance and sets up a great Summer fued

Both ladder matches were brilliant, Punk got 13 stitiches, RVD 14 staples, Christian a chipped tooth

Henry should have got the title even if he lost it on RAW tonight, the guy put in a shift last night, hell his promos the past few weeks have put everyone to shame, his leaving speech should go down in promo history and the first thing they show up and coming wrestlers of how to do it

Ryback had a good 1, wasn't carried and a wrestling finish aswell, well done to Jericho aswell

Ziggler was awesome last night, should set up the rivavly between him and Big E, sad he didn't win but the next twelve months this guy is going from top guy to top of the company, he's now on a par with D Bryan in the quality of his performances for me

Kaitlyn did well and AJ was fantastic

Looks like the Cena vs D Bryan match is gone, they need to push Axel and who better to have a series of 5 star matches than have him up against D Bryan, remember the days when that belt actually meant you were probably going to be the next champ, well Axel needs some damn good matches at the moment, again he's not getting over

Not too sure I agree with Randy winning, how many losses does he have, his matches are stale and his promos are dull, I suppose this keeps him in the game, but he's not needed as a heel and I can't see his feuds being any different to how they have been the past 3 years, my honest opinion, time for a gimmick change, it's working for A J Styles, Orton hates his entrance music anyway

Well done to WWE 2 good PPV's on the bounce and some mid card guys now becoming true top starts

[herzeleid]

What else could Randy actually do though? I can't really think of anything. That whole leader of the Shield idea was neat I guess.

[Andy Hall]

What else could Randy actually do though? I can't really think of anything. That whole leader of the Shield idea was neat I guess.

Undertaker totally changed I see no reason why Randy couldn't, HHH did aswell a few months away then back with a new gimmick

[Matty_the_Emo_Slayer]

Looks like the Cena vs D Bryan match is gone

I'm pretty sure it will happen still. If it wasn't for interference Bryan would have won so the plan now probably is to have him argue that into a number one contendership and that will be the build-up to facing Cena at Summerslam.


Also, as good as Henry's fake retirement speech was I think it's the promo from the week after that will be his legendary one. "People always telling me how I should live... what defines me... they don't carry the weight of being the world's strongest man on their shoulders." That will be his legacy I think.

[Andy Hall]

I just hope that D Bryan doesn't end up being the guy they use to elevate people above them, they did that with Gail Kim

[Matty_the_Emo_Slayer]

I just found the card for the first live wrestling event I ever went to when I was 12. I remember Sting and Lex Luger vs Jeff Jarrett in the main event, but I thought I remembered Perry Saturn rather than Buff Bagwell as his partner. The only other thing I recalled was the midget hardcore match before the intermission (Teo vs Puppet The Psycho Dwarf apparently) but how I don't remember Perry Saturn vs Sabu in a hardcore match I don't know.

On the rest of the card there was some other ex-WCW mid-card guys like Mike Sanders, The Wall, Disco Inferno, Johnny Swinger, Norman Smiley and Konnan, this guy Joe Legend (who has trained the likes of Edge, Christian, Alex Shelley and Michael Elgin) and most annoyingly Shark Boy, Kazarian and Nate Webb (from CZW.) I wish I paid more attention to the actual wrestling in those days

[Kami]

Have to admit I'm fairly happy with most of the results from last night's PPV, aside from Randy winning as he bores the tits of me.

A little bit annoyed that they had Billy Gunn's son lose, but I guess they had to get him away from AJ somehow.

[Andy Hall]

Well the best PPV of the year followed by one of the best RAW's of the year, and RVD is looking as good as ever, fantastic match from him and Y2J

[Matty_the_Emo_Slayer]

Destination X special was the best Impact of the year by far. It's been a disappointing start to the BFG series compared to previous years so it was great to see such a great match between Roode and Aries. More of this sort of thing is needed.

The X Division qualifiers were great too. Nice to see that despite the recent firings (Tara and D.O.C. are gone now was well) they still have a killer roster of guys like Sonjay Dutt, Homicide (pleease tell me he's back for good), Petey Williams, Manik, Kenny King, Greg Marisciulo (AKA Trent Barretta- that was a nice surprise!) and Rubix (Jigsaw from Chikara.) All 8 of those guys would be worthy X Division champs. Can't say the same for Rockstar Spud. Nothing special about him except his size. Marty Scurll definitely should have won that reality show- his horrendous botches at Wembley aside he's a much more capable wrestler.

Also Sabin as World Champ. I really didn't see it coming, but am very glad. Good to see they're realising they have a huge roster of guys worthy of being world champs for the first time- Magnus, Hernandez, Kazarian, Daniels... Chavo and Homicide have been world champs elsewhere but they should be considered in future too. At this stage the only former TNA world champs they should ever give the belt again are Styles, Joe, Bully, Aries, Roode and maybe Hardy.

[CrappyMike]

Destination x was good but I think that hogan and aces and eights and the main event Marie had a bit too much screen time. They could have cut a lot of that and crowned a new champ on the show, or had a few more x division matches, or even just made the ultimate x qualifiers longer. It was still a good show, very interested to see who comes away with the title next week. I would have liked to see Petey Williams at least in the ultimate x match, ideally I'd love to see him as x division champ down the line. I think sonjay dutt will win it next week.

[Kanwulf]

Nah I'm predicting Suicide (I mean Manic). Would seem a bit odd given the whole Aries stealing his identity and Hogan bigging him up to Bully Ray (even if that was as TJ Perkins) for him not to win

[Andy Hall]

If Bryan loses we riot