The Wrestling Thread

[DomDom]

I agree that Kennedy was a worthless piece of shit. But i don' think it's any coincidence that Kennedy almost injured Orton in amatch, they then had words backstage and the next day Kennedy gets fired. I'm not saying Orton was the only reason he got punted but as the companies top guy he's got to have some kind of pull woth McMahon.

I think Orton's importance made it a "last straw" thing. Both HBK and Taker have had words in the past about him. They certainly have more pull than Orton, but this one was one step too far because he was in probably the most important position of all of the people that he had almost taken out.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

I find it hard to believe that Mr.Kennedy at one point was a main eventer, especially when you think of they amount of guys with twice the amount of talent of Kennedy get "future endevoured" which of course brings up the topic of over/under rated.

[DomDom]

WWE King of the Ring 1999

This was during a real dark time for WWE as they just weren't firing on the right cylinders, whether it be in the ring or in the booking and things were downhill slightly. Thankfully, things picked up in time for Summerslam.

We're hosted by Jim Ross and Jerry Lawler obviously.

We see events from before the PPV where Steve Blackman attacked Ken Shamrock, and he bled from the mouth. Not for the first or the last time there. Right, anyways, we see him now and he hasn't changed.

Michael Cole is backstage outside the McMahons dressing room, and he says that Shane McMahon might not be able to compete in the Ladder Match later on.

Hardcore Holly vs. X-Pac - King of the Ring Qtr. Final

You know something ? Given 15 minutes and a decent story, these two guys would have had an absolute blinder of a match around this time. Unfortunately, that was never going to happen. This match was instead given 5 minutes and an awful ending. The match itself was filled with about 10 minutes worth of action though, so it was a very good way to get the tournament going as it was hot as hell. I guess the ending added to the intrigue of the Semi Finals a bit, but still, could have done with at least a semi clean win for the Pac. **

The Big Show vs. Kane - King of the Ring Qtr. Final

This is something else right here. The Big Show has never been as bad as he was around this time and Kane was still the slow and dull guy under the mask. This meant that what we were going to get here was going to be horrific on a level that you couldn't imagine. Kane was still super over here though, so I guess the real challenge was how long could these two men take to get the fans not to care about a Kane match. The ending of this match is "must see" badness and the rest of the match is slow and plodding, so that ending takes it down to the bottom of the barrel. Terrible match. DUD

Vince McMahon is backstage with Michael Cole. He says that Shane McMahon will not be wrestling tonight.

"Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn vs. Ken Shamrock - King of the Ring Qtr. Final

Lawler : "You think the McMahons made a fool out of Shamrock ? Nah, god beat them to that."

The storyline coming into this, if you haven't read the whole thing, is that Ken Shamrock has had his insides battered by Steve Blackman with a kendo stick. He's stupid though, so he beats up some EMTs and heads for the ring to wrestle. Shamrock actually looks especially psychopathic with that look in his eyes and blood coming from his mouth. This time the cheap ending makes sense as this was more of an angle than it was a wrestling match, but as long as the wrestling match was on, it was driven pretty well by the Shamrock injury. It was just too short to be anything more than it was. *1/2

Chyna vs. Road Dogg - King of the Ring Qtr. Final

Going into this tournament, the idea of Chyna winning the tournament was so far out there, that a lot of people thought it might actually happen as a result. Especially considering she'd have to go through the DX lot to get to the final and win it. First up was the mission of Road-Dogg. The idiot booking of this tournament will be subject to a rant later on, but it started with this match. The idea of the Dogg winning is fair enough depending on where they're going with the booking. The match itself was expertly booked and the crowd was nuked because of it. Because of the participants, it wasn't great, but once again, smoke and mirrors are the order of the day. Decent stuff. **3/4

Backstage and we have The Rock. He says he's been on fire since he went into the WWE. "Oohh La La, Sa Be Da, The Rock's kicking your candy ass all over god's green earth.". Fair enough.

Edge and Christian vs. The Hardy Boys

Yup, their PPV antics started here, and boy did they ever leave an impression. The Hardy Boys have really dodgy entrance music at this point. This was a mentally paced action packed match which lasted about 5 minutes, had a dead crowd at the start and the fans just were MENTAL for it most of the time. Especially the Spear out of mid air from Edge. Amazing match considering the time it was given. **3/4

Vince McMahon is now heading for the ring. He tells the crowd that they are a very rude audience. He confirms that Shane McMahon will not be competing. He says that the handicap match is now not going to happen. Shawn Michaels is now heading for the ring and he says that he decides what matches will and will not take place. Vince McMahon says he'll get a suitable replacement.

"Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn vs. Kane - King of the Ring Semi Finals

At least I can watch this match and know that the booking on this side of the draw was at least decent. It's almost as if the left hand didn't know what the right was doing and we ended up with some weird mish mash of a show. This match was as boring as sin and just not worth the time I spent watching it. It was like one of them matches where the two guys were just wasting time doing nothing untill the big ending. Smartly booked ending though and a wee bit of retribution for earlier. DUD

X-Pac vs. Road Dogg - King of the Ring Semi Finals

And here's where I get angry. Dogg going over Chyna seemed like a decent idea after a while, because Gunn could go over Dogg in a battle of the Outlaws to win the King of the Ring crown and make it mean more. Well, except that didn't happen. The booking of this half of the draw made no sense whatsoever because it made the final out to be some sort of irrelevant afterthought. The match is pretty decent back and forth stuff and it again gets kept really short. Plenty of counters and reversals and a clean win which made sense. Good stuff, terrible booking. **

The Undertaker © vs. The Rock - WWE World Heavyweight Championship

The idea behind this is that The Undertaker attacked The Rock, so Vinny Mac gives The Rock a title shot if he can go through both Triple H and The Undertaker, and this is a match which ends up putting a wedge in the Corporate Ministry. This match was so dull and plodding with Taker dominating much of the action, and it doesn't help that there were multiple ref bumps and the match never really had a chance to get going towards the end because of the booking of it. Poor match. *

Backstage, Triple H has been ejected from the building, which means Vince McMahon is left without a partner again. We see The Rock standing back there doing all of nothing. I'm sure Vinny Mac was delighted with that.

"Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn vs. X-Pac - King of the Ring Finals

So we're left with a final that nobody in their right mind has any reason to care about. The match is basically an extended squash with Gunn playing the squasher. I just couldn't bring myself to care which didn't help things either and the match was dull and that's pretty much a horrific state of affairs considering how short the match is. Poor match again. 1/2*

The McMahons vs. "Stone Cold" Steve Austin - Ladder Match

Basically, GTV caught Shane McMahon in the act of feigning injury, and then took him to the ring to take part in his match for the evening. This was very different from your usual ladder match but that had to be expected with the people involved in the match. The match still had it's big moments and nasty bumps, with Shane McMahon in particular taking a nasty spill from the structure at the top of the aisle. The match kind of tails off a bit, but this is an entertaining enough main event for this particular show. **1/2

OVERALL

********

This was a pretty bad PPV. Absolutely nothing on the show that was over the 3* mark, some horrific booking all the way through and a couple of miserably bad matches mean that this PPV is really one for the "to avoid" list.

[DomDom]

WWE RAW 11/03/1996

I'll cover episodes of RAW which look like they have a match worth watching. This time around, the opening match looks a wee bit tasty.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Savio Vega

This is the build up for their rather good Wrestlemania XII match. If their PPV efforts are anything to go by, this is going to be a very good TV match. Terrible ending, but this was an action packed match which built up very well indeed. Savio Vega looked like a star here by refusing to stay down and eventually doing a number on the opposition. **1/2

The two men brawl after the match, and Savio Vega gets the better of that exchange.

We look at things that happened earlier, and Mark Henry with a Gorilla Press Slam to Lawler. Haha.

Right, we now have the next big segment, which was supposed to be Roddy Piper, but Goldust is heading for the ring first. He doesn't have anything to say before Piper gets there though. He basically rips into Goldust. He tells Goldust that his mind games don't work. Goldust gets the microphone. He continues the homosexual mind games. It would appear that Piper DOES get taken in by the mind games. Goldust cuts a promo that is insanely good as he basically chats up Piper. Piper decides not to do anything about Goldust. Piper finally pushes Goldust and has enough. Goldust slaps Piper. Piper then slaps down Goldust. Piper accepts a fight with Goldust.

The Godwinns vs. Jobbers

It was a squash match of the old style. Nothing else to say. N/A

We now go to footage of the training of Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart. We seen this stuff constantly on the way to Wrestlemania XIV. It was boring at first and it didn't get anymore exciting.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Jobber

They announce Warrior vs. HHH before this gets going. Anyways, this is just another squash match. N/A

We Scheme Gene at the Geriatric Control Center. Ugh. The Huckster vs. The Nacho Man has been made for the Free For All at Wrestlemania, and this was basically WWE slagging the main event scene of WCW. The same main event scene that would pound WWE into the ground some time after. Billionaire Ted will be the referee. Guess who THAT is ? Ugh.

Owen Hart and The British Bulldog vs. Yokozuna and The Undertaker

This is your main event of the evening. Diesel is watching this from backstage as he has a battle with The Undertaker coming up. This match is just a build of various angles with multiple storylines running through the match because of the various interferences. The action during the match seemed decent it enough but the match wasn't even long on enough to rate as we didn't see enough of it. N/A

Vader, Ahmed and Jake Roberts join the post match brawl and the whole thing kicks off in mental order. The heels leave and think they have the upperhand.

OVERALL

********

This had more Vince Russo-esque tendencies than a Russo show ! That's fine for a TV show though so I can accept that. The opening match was decent enough but not on the standards of what they'd do later. There was a really good segment with Piper and Goldust and nothing bad. Not a show I'd go out of my way to see, but it fills the time well enough.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

WWE RAW 11/03/1996

I'll cover episodes of RAW which look like they have a match worth watching. This time around, the opening match looks a wee bit tasty.

"Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Savio Vega

This is the build up for their rather good Wrestlemania XII match. If their PPV efforts are anything to go by, this is going to be a very good TV match. Terrible ending, but this was an action packed match which built up very well indeed. Savio Vega looked like a star here by refusing to stay down and eventually doing a number on the opposition. **1/2

The two men brawl after the match, and Savio Vega gets the better of that exchange.

I loved Savio Vega back int he day, especially when he feuded with Bradshaw.

[DomDom]

Aye, Savio Vega was good untill they came up with the idea of him being in the Nation of Domination.

Then there was the really terrible faction that spelt the end of his WWE career.

It's a shame because he was clearly a very good wrestler.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

Whos else was in the stable with Vega? Los Borcias or something like that but I can't think of who was in it with him. Anyone worth mentioning?

[DomDom]

Certainly nobody that I can remember at the moment.

[YER SISTERS YER MAW]

Was thinking about taking in one of the big PPV's for the 1st time at the Sports Bar in the city cenre with a few mates. Do you get a decent view and do they have any special drinks promotions on during the event? I would probably give it the elbow if it's jam packed and impossible to see the event without people spoiling your view.

[DomDom]

Do you get a decent view and do they have any special drinks promotions on during the event?

Depends on what they use.

If they use the Team Room, it's all seated on a massive screen, so no view impeding. If they use the dancefloor, there's about 10 TVs showing it so you can see it no matter how many people are around you.

Viewing will never be an issue. Unless you're blind.

[YER SISTERS YER MAW]

Depends on what they use.

If they use the Team Room, it's all seated on a massive screen, so no view impeding. If they use the dancefloor, there's about 10 TVs showing it so you can see it no matter how many people are around you.

Viewing will never be an issue. Unless you're blind.

Cheers! Really up for this now. Going to try this for Summerslam now depending on the others.

[DomDom]

The atmosphere on the dancefloor for Mania was absolutely amazing. I ended up in the team room but I wish I stayed down there. Someone kept coming in saying that they were still going mental. Anyways.

WWE Fully Loaded 1999

We see Austin getting busted open backstage in the build up to his First Blood Match with The Undertaker.

Jeff Jarrett © vs. Edge - WWE Intercontinental Championship

Edge is the new IC Champ walking into this show having won the title the night before against JJ at a house show. This was a decent enough match, but I hate when someone starts working on a bodypart, like Jarrett on the leg right at the start of this match, only for it to be forgotten two minutes elsewhere as they go elsewhere and the opponent forgets it too. This was still a good match for both men though. ***

The glass smashes and Steve Austin hits the ring. KICK AND STUNNER FROM AUSTIN TO JJ !!! He grabs the microphone and says that he's gonna bust The Undertaker open when he finds him.

Acolytes vs. The Hardy Boys and Michael Hayes - Acolytes Rules

This is just basically a No DQ Match. Some great bumping from The Hardys as they went out there and made the APA look amazing, and they did a fantastic job for a team with limited big time experience. You also believed at some points that they had a chance of winning. Really good brawl from all five men, as Hayes even played a small and significant role. Look out for one of the best Clotheslines Bradshaw has delivered. ***1/4

2 for 2 so far. Awesome !

Mideon © vs. D'Lo Brown - WWE European Championship

D'Lo Brown says that it's all about respect, but didn't he win the title and defend it using all sorts of cheating and faking ? A bit hypocritical if you ask me ! Anyways, this will stop that run of good matches by the looks of things. Sure enough, this wasn't very good. All over the place, and Mideon was definately Kennedy levels of sloppy as he botched two major moves in the match. When the match wasn't sloppy, it was just a mess. Not good. DUD

The Big Bossman © vs. Al Snow - WWE Hardcore Champion

An intense and brutal brawl from these two guys. They left absolutely out of the ring during this match as Snow and Boss both took insane bumps and also did some pretty innovative stuff using some odd weapons. You can't really take anything away from these two guys as they put on a stellar hardcore match. ***1/4

The Big Show vs. Kane

Hardcore Holly is the referee for this match. This is one of the few matches where you're happy for his presence. This is a rematch to the worst match of 1999 which took place a month before at King of the Ring. This is even acknowledged by Jim Ross. When he acknowledges a match being shit, you need to know it was bad. This was clearly much better mapped out than the match at King of the Ring 1999. Not a great match by any stretch, but it turned out to be a decent big man match. **

The Undertaker and X-Pac join the post-match shenanigans and The Big Show and The Undertaker take control of things. The Undertaker gets backstage where Austin ambushes him. He sees that he did what he wanted and leaves.

Steve Blackman vs. Ken Shamrock - Iron Circle Match

This is just basically a Parking Lot Brawl. Iron Circle represented by cars circling the wrestlers. They still get their theme music. I hate that for a match like this. The ending makes no sense, and the match was really boring and you couldn't see much of it. Just not worth watching anways. *

"Mr. Ass" Billy Gunn and Chyna vs. X-Pac and Road Dogg

This is a battle of DX incase you never noticed. There's a lot of DUD talent in this match, so I'm preparting to be disappointed. These are not the guys to be doing the extended formula. Pac is just about the only guy who makes it work here because he has the energy to make it work. Dogg just wasn't as motivated in this match for some reason and when it comes down to it, Chyna isn't very good. Anyroads, not a great tag match here. *1/2

Triple H vs. The Rock - Leather Strap Match

Very disappointing from these two guys. What you expect from these two guys is a hell of a brawl with everything included like they did anytime they seemed to meet, but this time they just stuck with the boring WWE late 90s crowd brawling and interference, which is below these guys to be honest. That's not to say that these two guys didn't put on a good match. They did. They just didn't do what they were both capable of around this time. ***

The Undertaker © vs. Steve Austin, First Blood Match - WWE World Heavyweight Championship

This was a bit of a mess. Pre-match shenanigans meant that they couldn't really go for the head a lot meaning that they had to work around that. Would have been better as a normal match but they didn't go for that. The match was decent, as is always the case with these two guys. **

OVERALL

********

Much better than the month before, as there was a cracking series of matches on the undercard of many different types. Nothing really standout though so I guess you have to decide if you can sit through that.

[Montrose Moron]

As long as CM Punk wins ill be happy.

[YER SISTERS YER MAW]

As long as CM Punk wins ill be happy.

That's quite funny as I've always detested CM Punk as a face, but ever since he's switched to the clean living, can't do no wrong heel, i've really taken to him. He's fuckin' ace on the mike as a heel, and his promos get a superb reaction from the crowd.

[Parscelona]

As long as CM Punk wins ill be happy.

Agreed, Yer Sisters Yer Maw perfectly sums up the reasons as to why i would like him to win.

Punk was boring as a face however he's been great as a heel (not surprising considering his heel promos in ROH) and he deserves a good title reign.

Two questions for the rest of you guys, firstly does anyone know if Jeff Hardy is actually leaving the WWE?, because i heard that his contract runs out soon and also how long is Batista out injured for?

[DomDom]

The last I heard, he was upbeat about signing a new contract, so I guess that the reason he hasn't said anything else is because he is hanging around.

No idea on the Batista thing.

[KilliePie]

Agreed, Yer Sisters Yer Maw perfectly sums up the reasons as to why i would like him to win.

Punk was boring as a face however he's been great as a heel (not surprising considering his heel promos in ROH) and he deserves a good title reign.

Two questions for the rest of you guys, firstly does anyone know if Jeff Hardy is actually leaving the WWE?, because i heard that his contract runs out soon and also how long is Batista out injured for?

Agreed about Punk, never have liked him but starting to now. I think Hardy is leaving and I really hope so, I have never hated someone more. No idea about Batista though.

The Miz will be Jericho's partner tonight.

[DomDom]

Jericho proclaims his partner is, in his words, "EVIL".

It's going to be Funaki. Think about what Rhodes and Dibiase were saying to him and Jericho's reaction when they suggested that he hadn't found someone. That reaction was because he hadn't. He's gonna force some jobber to team with him and then blame him for the loss.

[Ricoh-1874]

Jericho proclaims his partner is, in his words, "EVIL".

It's going to be Funaki. Think about what Rhodes and Dibiase were saying to him and Jericho's reaction when they suggested that he hadn't found someone. That reaction was because he hadn't. He's gonna force some jobber to team with him and then blame him for the loss.

So the Big Show is his partner, pretty disappointing if you ask me I find the guy soo annoying. And also uite surprised it was him, he wasn't on my shortlist.

[MP_MFC]

Major letdown to be Show.