The Wrestling Thread

[Reprise]

So was Adam Copeland himself the "new era" Tony khan was going on about? Because he's a big deal, but he isn't that big of a deal

(Edit: AEW is referring to it as "the Rated R era", so yeah, it was what TK was referencing haha)

Sounds like the show was decent enough (I haven't watched yet either. It's actually on free TV here in the UK in a few days, so I'll just watch then), but I wish they would sort out their booking already. They keep booking too many matches that could frankly be on Rampage or Dynamite, if I am being kind, on PPVs. E.g. Ricky Starks vs Yuta, which just feels like a downgrade after he had a fucking death match against Bryan Danielson a couple of weeks ago on Collision.

[RCBH928]

This is a complete joke. The guy retired in 2011 , thats like 12 years ago. He is 50. He is as old as Hogan when he returned to WWF after WCW.

[Raging Justice]

This is a complete joke. The guy retired in 2011 , thats like 12 years ago. He is 50. He is as old as Hogan when he returned to WWF after WCW.

He has been wrestling in WWE for the past three years and has been in some of their most highly acclaimed matches during that time. He also started the Judgement Day faction which is one of the biggest things in WWE at the moment as it has the current women's world champion, the biggest heel in WWE in the form of Dominick Mysterio, the current tag team champions, and a future world champion in Damian Priest.

Edge has been a big deal in WWE for the past few years

[Raging Justice]

This is fucking great. Heels are the best, I would never want to be a face if I was a wrestler

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q_eyZ9zwcs

[Reprise]

This is a complete joke. The guy retired in 2011 , thats like 12 years ago. He is 50. He is as old as Hogan when he returned to WWF after WCW.

He didn't retire as such. He had a career ending injury that forced him into an early retirement. Eventually he was cleared for a return and that return was one of the biggest (if not the biggest) moments in the last few years.

Unlike guys like Jericho and RVD, and to a lesser extent Punk, He can still go, can still put on phenomenal matches and is a huge signing for AEW. As Raging Justice said, he has been in some of the biggest moments and matches over the last few years. He headlined Wrestlemania only a couple of years ago, with Daniel Bryan and Reigns.

This is fucking great. Heels are the best, I would never want to be a face if I was a wrestler

<span class="skimlinks-unlinked">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q_eyZ9zwcs</span>

Christian is one of the best heels around. I'd be a heel too. I'd never be a wrestler, but for years I have wanted a proper big in-depth story driven wrestling game that has proper wrestling gameplay mixed with deep RPG style stories and branching paths, that allow you to be a face of heel in the same way games like Mass Effect and KOTOR handled light/dark side and paragon/renegade points. I love being a dick in those games and it surprises me that no developer has really nailed a decent story mode in a wrestling game.

[Raging Justice]

This is a complete joke. The guy retired in 2011 , thats like 12 years ago. He is 50. He is as old as Hogan when he returned to WWF after WCW.

He didn't retire as such. He had a career ending injury that forced him into an early retirement. Eventually he was cleared for a return and that return was one of the biggest (if not the biggest) moments in the last few years.

Unlike guys like Jericho and RVD, and to a lesser extent Punk, He can still go, can still put on phenomenal matches and is a huge signing for AEW. As Raging Justice said, he has been in some of the biggest moments and matches over the last few years. He headlined Wrestlemania only a couple of years ago, with Daniel Bryan and Reigns.

This is fucking great. Heels are the best, I would never want to be a face if I was a wrestler

<span class="skimlinks-unlinked">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Q_eyZ9zwcs</span>

Christian is one of the best heels around. I'd be a heel too. I'd never be a wrestler, but for years I have wanted a proper big in-depth story driven wrestling game that has proper wrestling gameplay mixed with deep RPG style stories and branching paths, that allow you to be a face of heel in the same way games like Mass Effect and KOTOR handled light/dark side and paragon/renegade points. I love being a dick in those games and it surprises me that no developer has really nailed a decent story mode in a wrestling game.

Yeah I'm usually a boy scout when I play games like that the first time, because it feels like the "canon" story line. However, it's a blast being a total jerk on the second playthrough.

You know, one of the things I like about heels besides how hilarious they can be, is that heels sometimes speak the truth. Drew Mcintyre is in the midst of a heel turn right now in WWE, and none of the faces actually have a good counter argument to the reasons why he's turned. Drew is just being super honest right now and is holding on to some very valid grudges, and the faces don't like it, but they can't counter any of his points. Damian Priest once told Cody Rhodes that he was handed the Royal Rumble win by being given the number 30 spot, and Cody didn't even acknowledge what Priest said, because how do you make a come back to a completely valid point like that?

Sometimes I find myself rooting for heels because I totally understand their grievances. Plus, history shows that heels rarely suffer consequences to any of the things they do. He cheated to win the title? Oh well. It's not like anyone in charge is gonna do anything about it. With that in mind, why wouldn't someone just be a heel? It's the fastest, easiest way to get success and there's never any consequences other than some angry baby faces coming after you.

[Reprise]

Yeah I'm usually a boy scout when I play games like that the first time, because it feels like the "canon" story line. However, it's a blast being a total jerk on the second playthrough.

That's exactly what I do too. When KOTOR first came out, I completed the game by doing everything whilst sticking to the light side and then I immediately started a new game and played through again, but did everything as bad guy and got the dark side ending. I think it was more fun playing through on the dark side, but like you, I always have to be good on my first play through because it feels like the "correct" way to play.

You know, one of the things I like about heels besides how hilarious they can be, is that heels sometimes speak the truth.

Sometimes I find myself rooting for heels because I totally understand their grievances.

Yeah, I definitely feel this too.

[Raging Justice]

Yeah I'm usually a boy scout when I play games like that the first time, because it feels like the "canon" story line. However, it's a blast being a total jerk on the second playthrough.

That's exactly what I do too. When KOTOR first came out, I completed the game by doing everything whilst sticking to the light side and then I immediately started a new game and played through again, but did everything as bad guy and got the dark side ending. I think it was more fun playing through on the dark side, but like you, I always have to be good on my first play through because it feels like the "correct" way to play.

You know, one of the things I like about heels besides how hilarious they can be, is that heels sometimes speak the truth.

Sometimes I find myself rooting for heels because I totally understand their grievances.

Yeah, I definitely feel this too.

It seems like games generally give you stronger abilities when you play as the bad guy, so that's fun too.

On the subject of heels, I have to mention Drew Mcintyre again. He actually hasn't gone full heel just yet, but it's obvious that he is moving in that direction. The best part is that we are now seeing this snarky side of him now. He had an awesome moment on Raw where it felt like he was making fun of how easily wrestlers can go back and forth between being a heel and a face and how easily fans forgive them. He had a match with the Miz and used an unpadded turnbuckle to defeat him after distracting the referee, a total heel move. After the match, he grabbed the mic and said, "I'm a different man than I was 30 seconds ago. I'm sorry for my actions. Now I’m on my way to being forgiven! YEAH!” Then he left the ring and high fived fans as he made his way backstage.



That's literally one of the funniest things I've seen in wrestling and just proves once again how much fun wrestlers are when they go heel. Drew even made a joke about the "Codyverse". You can tell some of these WWE guys watch AEW.

[Reprise]

He referenced the "Codyverse"? Lmao that's hilarious. Sounds like Drew McIntire is doing great stuff right now. I was always a fan of him, so that's cool. It's smart the way he's poking fun at the whole face and heel mechanics. He's right too.

By the way, how come AEW is still selling CM Punk merch? Isn't that a bit weird? I read an article yesterday that said he's still the second biggest merch seller for the company, despite being fired a month ago, and that he's only behind the generic AEW non-wrestler merch in terms of sales. I thought that couldn't be right, but I checked their website and sure enough, CM Punk and CMFTR merch is STILL being sold.

And it's not left over stock, because all their merch is made to order.

Doesn't he get revenue from those sales?

[RCBH928]

1-I don't care what Edge is doing at WWE, at 50 years old I wouldn't consider him a big signing. Such wrestlers are brought in for the star name but realistically, how much can he give? other sport athlete retire mostly pre-40. I am not saying he can't do an addition to AEW or provide entertainment, but I wouldn't say its a big signing. The guy's debut was in 1992 , you can't tell me the current fans are excited to see a wrestler they have been seeing for the past 20-30 years. It was one of the things that killed WCW is that they put a ceiling of old superstar wrestlers that forbade new talent to rise up. I am not saying WWF was smarter, but out of necessity they had to rely on the younger talents which eventually led to Austin and Rock which ultimately saved the company.

2-As for heels, there was an interview with some pro-wrestlers of which was Scott Hall with Larry King where he asked them which is more fun to be Heel or Face and they all agreed that Heel was more fun. Few things to note though:

* Historically the face was the guy who made more money and was more popular. It was Hogan who made a ton of money and not Iron Sheikh.

* The definition of a Heel is someone who the fans hate and want to lose. The trend where the fans actually like the heel and want him to win literally makes him "the face" .

* While its pretty easy to play the nice guy, its pretty difficult to play the heel. A lot of wrestlers attempt hard to be heel but its easy to spot they are faking it. Some wrestlers really know how to play the role and probably is just their true self. To be me, one of the most genuine heel guys I have seen were Scott Hall and Kevin Nash. They really feel like they are corrupt from the inside. On the other hand, some wrestlers have the "gift" of being hated naturally for no reason by the fans. People just do not like them, of which is Alex Wright from WCW mid 90s. Btw , the rock was one of those guys. He actually has a segment where he talks in the ring that he did his best but the fans booed him. I think it was his official heel turn.