The Wrestling Thread

[Gamerforlife]

There's news coming out now that Punk had the flu and was jet lagged before that match.

I worked next to someone who had the flu last week. She was miserable. Props to Punk. Nothing keeps that guy down. This is also a guy who, by his own admission, barely ever sleeps.

I can't even comprehend the work ethic that some of these guys have. They are greater men than me.

[Gamerforlife]

I'm not against showing respect for your predecessors, but this is starting to feel like Monday Night Raw geriatric edition. Rolling my eyes at the segments with Flair, Slaughter, and The Honky Tonk Man.

I respect what these people have done in the past, but they don't need to be on TV. I'm sure there'll be an awful Mae Young segment at some point in tonight's show.

The Rock/Cena promo exchange was the best they've ever done. Again, Cena is really good when he's actually putting other guys over. I love him talking about how The Rock ruined his life by beating him. Rock was really good to. Unlike the first Cena/Rock fued, I feel like these two are communicating now and were both prepared for what the other guy would say in the ring tonight.

[Gamerforlife]

I'm looking forward to Punk/Taker because I know it will be an epic match that should equal or surpass his match with Cena last week, but the build up is going to be crap. Punk has ZERO reason to make anyone believe he can beat Taker. They dropped the ball by not letting him keep the title til Mania. He can TALK about his title streak all he wants, but it means nothing with him not having the title anymore. Story wise, this is a big step down from the Hunter/Taker and HBK/Taker feuds

Course WWE can make it up to me by having him BEAT the streak. Yes, I'm one of those people. I firmly believe someone should end the streak. I know some people are strongly against it because they think the streak is this sacred, holy thing

There is an evil part of me that would love to see the look on their faces if Taker got pinned by someone and laugh. I can't help it. I'm an anti-status quo kind of guy and I want to see that streak broken if for no other reason than to just see how shocked everyone would be

[retrosportsgamer]

I'm looking forward to Punk/Taker because I know it will be an epic match that should equal or surpass his match with Cena last week, but the build up is going to be crap. Punk has ZERO reason to make anyone believe he can beat Taker. They dropped the ball by not letting him keep the title til Mania. He can TALK about his title streak all he wants, but it means nothing with him not having the title anymore. Story wise, this is a big step down from the Hunter/Taker and HBK/Taker feuds

Course WWE can make it up to me by having him BEAT the streak. Yes, I'm one of those people. I firmly believe someone should end the streak. I know some people are strongly against it because they think the streak is this sacred, holy thing

There is an evil part of me that would love to see the look on their faces if Taker got pinned by someone and laugh. I can't help it. I'm an anti-status quo kind of guy and I want to see that streak broken if for no other reason than to just see how shocked everyone would be

Well, he is 20-0 so this is a good place to stop right? It would appear the Shield have their own 3-on-3 match because using them to destroy the Undertaker would be a decent false finish in the match.

I agree, the build here will be crap.

[Gamerforlife]

Damn

http://www.wwe.com/inside/paul-bearer-passes-26096670
http://allwrestling.com/news/49071/wwe- ... er-passed/

[Menegrothx]

Watching RAW from 1999. The crowd is absolutely filled with fans with signs. Normal episode, not a PPV. There's a hardcore tag team match and an I Quit match between HHH and The Rock. Oh and Rock is the heel, people are cheering HHH and he dominates the match. It's nothing new that The Rock was a heel at several occasions, but it's worth mentioning that one of the all time greats was no superman like John Cena. Oh, and the crowd reactions... Not from the same episode though. New Age Outlaws were quite big at that time, but can you imagine anyone who isn't at the absolute top (Cena/The Rock) getting a crowd reaction like that these days?
The only thing that I don't miss from those times is those damn laser pointers and people throwing thrash at the wrestlers/in the ring, but that was more of a WCW thing I guess
(still, that was a major contributor to the Droz/D'Lo Brown incident).

[BurningDoom]

Watching RAW from 1999. The crowd is absolutely filled with fans with signs. Normal episode, not a PPV. There's a hardcore tag team match and an I Quit match between HHH and The Rock. Oh and Rock is the heel, people are cheering HHH and he dominates the match. It's nothing new that The Rock was a heel at several occasions, but it's worth mentioning that one of the all time greats was no superman like John Cena. Oh, and the crowd reactions... Not from the same episode though. New Age Outlaws were quite big at that time, but can you imagine anyone who isn't at the absolute top (Cena/The Rock) getting a crowd reaction like that these days?
The only thing that I don't miss from those times is those damn laser pointers and people throwing thrash at the wrestlers/in the ring, but that was more of a WCW thing I guess
(still, that was a major contributor to the Droz/D'Lo Brown incident).

Definetly. I was recently watching WWE: The Attitude Era DVD that my wife got me for Valentine's Day (how cool of V-Day present is that?), and noticing the same exact thing. The crowd seemed to be way more into it, too. They'd react to everything, do all kinds of chants, and even respond to wrestlers on the mic as a whole at times. Nowadays the only time that seems to happen is when the "Cena Sucks!" and "Let's Go Cena!" chants are battling each other.

[Menegrothx]

0:46-0:48 just look at how much signs there are in the audience. It's like that in all of the episodes that era, capacity crowds and the audience is filled with fan signs. I love the RAW is WAR sign/slogan and the color scheme they used at the time. It gives the product that edgy counter culture/street fight feel, since attitude-era was all about copying ECW, and in ECW that whole dark lightning, tight crowds, barbed wire, graffitis, chain fence, trash cans, stop signs, chairs, ladders and tables thing was very apparent.

The crowd seemed to be way more into it, too. They'd react to everything, do all kinds of chants, and even respond to wrestlers on the mic as a whole at times. Nowadays the only time that seems to happen is when the "Cena Sucks!" and "Let's Go Cena!" chants are battling each other.

ECW One Night Stand 2005 and 2006 are quite likely the all time high in WWF/E when it comes to crowd chanting. Original ECW in general had great crowds doing all kinds of chants.

Back when Cena was the Dr of Thuganomics during the Ruthless Aggression era, he had the audience finishing off his sentences for him.

[retrosportsgamer]

I was watching the Attitude Era DVD also and it took me back to how awesome (and closer) the crowds were. Those old rails are so much better than the black barricade.

[Menegrothx]

I was watching the Attitude Era DVD also and it took me back to how awesome (and closer) the crowds were. Those old rails are so much better than the black barricade.

Yeah the current product feels more sterile and lacks feeling because the crowds aren't as tight (closer to the action). ECW was crazy with high flyers, especially Sabu diving over the ropes and the guard rail, into the audience. I remember in one match where he put RVD on top of a table in the audience, moved the guard rail a bit closer to the ring (so he wouldn't hit his head while mid-air) and did a moonsault from the second rope (on the outside), above the guard rail to the audience. Such a crazy, high risk maneuver.
The fans were often also very close to the entrance ramp in original ECW