djchapsticks

http://www.wwe.com/inside/kevin-nash-released All part of the angle it looks like. Still expecting the screwjob on Punk at the PPV. Probably involving Waltman and Michaels as well.

Goldust with electric shock induced tourettes and booker t was one of my favourite tag teams ever. Plenty of hilarity.

That was Rock about Cena quite recently, wasn't it? Also, the Nature Boy comment was obviously to Ric Flair, but I'm pretty sure it was Stone Cold saying it.

Dunno, I think folk have to Twitter in name suggestions rather than pick from a list, but one of the suggestions bandied about was Flight Club which is actually half-decent.

So clearly in fact that the WWE have decided to give them a (fan decided) team name. Which suggests that this is where they want to go with them for the longer term. This suggests, like you say, that they are finally taking the tag division seriously and forming actual tag teams rather than 'midcrader X & midcarder Y' being put together, keeping their own names, tagging until they lose the titles, then stop teaming up. Aside from Edge and Christian, most of the best tag teams in the business had a name.

Austin dominated over everything because he was hands-down the most over thing in Wrestling at the time. Nothing, not even the Rock, came close. And this was in an era where most wrestlers, even the likes of Steve Blackman, were getting over to an extent, that's how hot the crowds were. No-one touched Austin for drawing a reaction. They let Austin dominate as that's what the people wanted, no doubt about it.

Yep. Raw in early 97 was a total shitfest. But from about May onwards it was excellent. I have all the Raws from 97, 98 and 99 and most of it is brilliant. Raw in 99 especially is totally groundbreaking stuff. The problem is obviously without competition the WWE are no longer under the cosh to be innovative. I don't mean even in ring or storyline wise. I mean the general layout and format of the show. There was just so much going on and the booking of the show seemed so much more intricate than the stale A-Z format they have now. I've watched the first 6 Raws of 99 already you've had: The WWF title juggled between Rock and Mankind twice The Ministry formed taking in Big Vis, Mideon and the Brood The Hardcore title fought for in the snow outside the arena. HHH fighting rock in an I quit. Chyna turning on DX. HHH - Kane in a cage Big Show debuting Vince going to Texas to provoke Austin onto breaching his contract Val Venis and Billy Gunn trying to pump Shamrock's sister, Venis making a porno of it called Shaving Ryan's Privates. Teri Runnels losing D'lo's imaginary wean Mark Henry trying to pump a tranny and Chyna (same thing) Xpac starting what will be cracking feud with Shane McMahon. Brilliant telly all round. Hundred miles an hour. And that's me not even including Gillberg and the shite Goldust/Blue Meanie feud that has blue meanie sitting in the scud cutting a promo.

So he's been cutting those kinds of promos since 2002? I feel that 99.9% of this was made up in Big Rigg's head to be honest. Especially the claim about Dusty nearly pishing himself when he stood up to him.

I assume you mean a Cena heel turn? That's the only way they could drop Punk's title and continue to build his momentum, I reckon. In fact, Cena screwing over Punk, winning the title and becoming a heel would be an even bigger push for Punk than if Punk simply beat Cena cleanly, with the added bonus of creating an absolute monster heel in Cena. Punk winning would end the feud there and then, heel Cena winning would push the feud on for months and gather huge heat. Cena winning and remaining face would kill it all stone dead and make the last 2 months pointless.

Yeah. Someone comes along once in a while who brings something totally new and fresh to the table. Flair did it in the 70s and 80s, Hogan in the 80s, Austin and Rock in the 90s, Punk has every single thing you want in a wrestler. His ring work is outstanding, the only worker in the entire company with better ring psychology and storytelling, IMO is Daniel Bryan. His charisma though, is second to none. He's made one of the most compelling and complex characters I can remember watching in wrestling for about a decade. If anything, he's even more of an anti-hero just now than Austin ever was. Austin's character one-dimensional in that he trusted no-one and battered everyone just to make sure, it was immense fun as he was so unpredicatble and everyone loved it. The character Punk has created is unpredictable in a different way. He blurs the lines between kayfabe and reality so often that you never really know where Phil Brooks ends and CM Punk begins. If the WWE let Punk run with it they have a monster on their hands, an absolute monster. It's unreal to believe that there were people talking seriously about keeping Punk out of the ring and on commentary for good just a few months ago as well. Hard to believe that this is his 4th run with one of the big two (though his first as WWE) and it's essentially his breakout title reign now. It's like he's upped his game and the masses of people have finally opened their eyes and realised the potential this guy has. The 'shoot' two weeks ago will become Punks 'Austin 3:16' moment in years to come.

Oh yeah. I also gained a shitload of respect for Cena last night. Say what you want about him, but he's one of the most professional guys ever to set foot in the ring. The spot where he was kneed clean in the jaw would have sparked 99% of people out. The myth that he can't wrestle was also firmly put to bed. Like many others, I'm bored of the direction they constantly push him in, but a heel-turn could see new life breathed into his character and I feel we're on the verge of seeing it now in the form of him snapping somehow. Vince seems to have an able merchandise replacement strategy in the push that they are giving Punk, which is the only reason Cena ever stayed as monster face for such a long time.

I was 100% convinced Cena was in bad shape. Punk landed the cross body very awkwardly, almost pulling Cena's knee downwards. I hope beyond all hope that this is a new direction the WWE is taking. They have firmly been in the wilderness the last 3 years. Wee mentions the last few weeks or the the words 'pro-wrestling' gives me hope that they are at least trying once again to embrace the thing that it's fans love, rather than calling them 'entertainers' or whatever as if Vince is embarrassed by what they are.

A lot from around that era were genuine hard nuts. Shamrock and Severin for obvious reasons. Steve Williams as well (Dr. Death, not Stone Cold). One of the very hardest was Bart Gunn though, he won all the tough man shoot fights witihn the locker room. That's why he had a shoot boxing match with, and got KTFO by Butterbean at Mania, effectively ending his WWF career.

He triple bagelled someone in a major a few years back didn't he? I've never seen a match wrapped up in such quick time though.

People who link their twitter and facebook updates to P&B's status bar does my tits right in. I don't give a fuck what you had for dinner, what movies you watch or who you met last nigh. No-one on here does either. The majority of you don't even post on the site itself so fuck off. Get the twitter and facebook link de-activated, Div.

A bit random but something that I just read and a cracking stat. Roddy Piper never lost a match by pinfall in the WWF until he dropped the IC title to Bret Hart at WM8. 1983-92. He lost plenty by DQ and count-out but he wasn't pinned in a full 9 years, yet never held a belt until the IC title at the start of 1992.

I'm not suggesting one or the other, but the PG product of the last few years has been very dumbed down IMO. I agree with you though, if it's done properly. But the PG product that has been churned out in the last 3 years hasn't been anything like a fine balance. It's been booked terribly. The same 3 or 4 talents have hogged the top of the billing. The three who come to mind instantly, being Orton, Cena and Edge. Anyone who does seem to make the break that could be entertaining, such as Sheamus, Miz, Danielson or Swagger, is inevitably pushed back to the midcard and the status quo remains. It's like TNA who are at the other end of the demographic scale and churn out shite consistently too as they can't sseem to settle on a direction. That's why Punk has been a breath of fresh air in general and severely underused in the last few years, IMO. The possibility of him getting a monster push is a direction the WWE should have gone down right from the off, it makes him stand out from all the others in that he's a believable character.

As glorious as this sounds, it's pissing in the wind. It would genuinely bring back an older fanbase into the bargain as it's such an old school style of booking, it would be a breath of fresh air. It's all one with the PG product, and I've read DomDom saying time and again that there is nothing wrong than drawing in the future fans of wrestling early, and whilst I agree with him, they really do need to win back a large amount of the older fanbase who have either deserted the product, or simply give it a fleeting glance out of curiosity. The 18-35 demographic would go fucking apeshit for a straight-shooting, straight-edge Punk in an elevated position within the WWE. As has been said, much like Austin.

Pretty much confirms it's a work then. IMO.

McDonalds Drive Thru today. I only passed through for a simple big Mac meal. Was promptly given to me and as I drive out, the road is backed up. The parking slots have been filled up waiting for orders to be brought to the cars. The sign clearly states "2 spaces only, if further space is needed use car park" There is not 2, not 3 but fucking 4 cars trying to fit, unsuccessfully into 2 spaces, I roll window down and shout at them to shift and they didn't budge. So I had to sit and watch these 4 arseholes maneouvre their way into 2 spaces. Then some learner later cut me up as I was on a roundabout, didn't even attempt to look right, just pulled straight out and I had to slam on the anchors. Fucking stupid instructor wasn't even looking! People are fucking idiots.

Murray break again. He's looking really good here now.

The story of the life and death of Kasper Hauser has always intrigued me.

Part 1: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x80s30_wwe-wrestlemania-vii-macho-man-vs-u_sport Part 2: http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x80s3x_wwe-wrestlemania-vii-macho-man-vs-u_sport Enjoy Only 20 years on and the only major player from this match still living is Warrior, I understand everyone has to die sometime, but they all died relatively young.

Gutted, genuinely gutted. Still held out hope that one day we'd see him back in the WWE in some capacity, cutting some of the maddest promos you've ever seen. A true legend of the ring. Loved the guy to bits. His programme with Flair through 92 was simply the stuff of legends.