The Wrestling Thread

[DomDom]

I'd have to say that Heyman going on board will be a long shot. He doesn't want to answer to anyone but Panda Energy which would be the final nail in the coffin for Hogan and Bischoff.

[forehead7]

The woman in the biker helmet in TNA is

the recently fired Tara

[Kris Boyd]

The woman in the biker helmet in TNA is

the recently fired Tara

I KNEW IT!

[DomDom]

ROH Supercard of Honor V

This is one of the key shows on the ROH calender. They used to have a Dragon Gate six man tag every year but they stopped flying over the DG guys.

Kenny King and Rhett Titus vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe ( *** )

Grizzly Redwood vs. Erick Stevens ( **1/2 )

Sara Del Rey vs. Amazing Kong ( ***3/4 )

Eddie Edwards vs. Christopher Daniels ( **** )

Kevin Steen vs. Colt Cabana, 34th Street Deathmatch ( ****1/4 )

The Kings of Wrestling © vs. Motor City Machine Guns - ROH World Tag Team Championships ( ****3/4 )

Tyler Black © vs. Roderick Strong - ROH World Heavyweight Championship ( ****1/4 )

Kenny King and Rhett Titus vs. Jay and Mark Briscoe

This is solid enough tag team wrestling for the most part. The "great" tag team offense of Titus and King isn't really all that great at all. King and Titus seem to be getting something of a tag team push but on this showing, I don't see why they're getting it. Kenny King is the only one of the two of them with any real talent. Titus is okay, but he doesn't stand out and there's a million guys that can do what he does better. The Briscoes have toned down quite a bit although they still sprint a bit towards the end of this one. Very solid stuff. ***

Grizzly Redwood vs. Erick Stevens

Stevens' music reminds me of Benoit's WCW music. Erick Stevens is in the Embassy ? Weird. Redwood is an awful wrestler but he's a good wee charismatic underdog. He had no chance here though. While his execution of moves is pish, his selling is stunning. **1/2

BALLS MAHONEY HITS THE RING !!! He gives the Embassy a beating and that's it.

Sara Del Rey vs. Amazing Kong

These two are probably the elite of women's wrestling in the US at the moment. Sara Del Rey has had some unreal matches while there isn't a more effective monster woman wrestler than Kong. These two ladies got the time to build a match and they went out there and showed that they were worth it. I don't like the ending so that takes a bit of shine off of this, but it's a terrific match. ***3/4

Eddie Edwards vs. Christopher Daniels

The commentators call Daniels a "founding father" of ROH. He was certainly the first major character in ROH. He's not quite the wrestler he was eight years previously though. Daniels works much better as the sympathetic babyface because he's not required to control much of the match. He just makes the comebacks and if there's two things he still does better than most, it's timing and execution. The first few minutes were poor, but from the Edwards control, the match took a good turn. Daniels has apparently been on quite a run in ROH at the moment, also having a cracker with Kenny Omega on an iPPV too. Maybe being fired from TNA has given him a resurgance. ****

Kevin Steen vs. Colt Cabana, 34th Street Deathmatch

What an insane match this is. It's basically a Last Man Standing match and as I always say, the very gimmick allows for some amazing stuff to happen. There is some unreal violence in this match and the punishment and bumps that both men take are just incredible. The final spot is absolutely sick and worthy of winning any match of this sort. Not a big fan of the overbooking but I'm willing to take the bad with the good here. ****1/4

The Kings of Wrestling © vs. The Motor City Machine Guns - ROH World Tag Team Championships - ROH Supercard of Honor V

If you want to see the Motor City Machine Guns at their absolute best, watch them outside of TNA, because every single match they have had outside of TNA together has been an absolute godsend and this was no different. Chris Hero switching to wearing just trunks was a blessing in disguise because he's now pretty much forced to stay in shape all of the time. The key to this match is timing. Unlike most MCMG matches, there's not a lot going on in the first half, but both teams time the big moves brilliantly. When they head for the final stretch they botched a couple of massive moves and the ending of the match was atrocious so I can't go the full whammy on the match in good conscience. It's still well worth your time though. ****3/4

Tyler Black © vs. Roderick Strong - ROH Supercard of Honor V

"IT WAS A FIREFIGHT !!!"

This was the match that ROH had been building to for a while, as Strong was getting sick of being the bridesmaid and wanted to be the champion after losing so many title matches in the past against pretty much every champ from CM Punk onwards. Tyler Black, the guy that ROH fans wanted as champ, gets booed now that he IS the champ. ROH fans are fucking morons. The early story of the match seems to be that Black can take everything that Strong throws at him, at least up to a point, but he can only trade for so long before the chops of Strong take over. Black starts to play the audience like fiddles, doing almost parodies of his usual antics while stalling big time. All of the ref bumps are an absolute disaster, but it does lead to a third referee falling on the way to the ring which brings the rating back up by about 1/4*. Great moment though when the original referee recovers just in time to make a two count for Strong. Take the ref bumps out and I go higher, but this is still an absolute belter of a match. ****1/4

This show is noteworthy thanks to two things. It's one of the best ROH shows in recent memory, and it also captures something of a career resurgance for Christopher Daniels who is clearly delighted to be in his element once again.

Edited July 16, 2010 by DomDom

[forehead7]

Just finished watching TNA. Loved it. A few points which I wouldn't deem spoilerish. When did Simon Diamond come down? Was it not D'lo Brown? And I found it funny that before most of the locker room came down, they sent referee Andrew Thomas. Cause he's gonna be able to stop them Quite a few notable absentees from it though: Samoa Joe, Jeff Hardy, Anderson, Beer Money, AJ, Kazarian, LAX, Motor City Machine Guns. More the first three than the others since they are supposed to be TNA's top guys.

[RussellV1]

Simon Diamond = Pat Kenny, he came down with Al Snow

[forehead7]

Simon Diamond = Pat Kenny, he came down with Al Snow

I'm a nugget, I had Simon Diamond and Simon Dean mixed up, and I didn't think that Nova was there. Nevermind.

It would also explain why I randomly, to everyone else, brought Nova up.

Edited July 17, 2010 by forehead7

[Parscelona]

Smackdown picture spoiler...

Superb stuff! :lol:

[RB-Scotland]

Apparently the editing absolutely ruined the ECW angle. Diamond and Snow came down initially on TNA's side but just questioning the ECW guys, then Kendrick apparently slapped/somehow disrespected RVD and that caused them to jump him and join the ECW guys... what's especially stupid is that they edited it to make it seem like Snow and Diamond were with ECW the whole time, then at the end when Dixie announces that she invited them, the camera cuts to Snow going "what?!".

[forehead7]

Apparently the editing absolutely ruined the ECW angle. Diamond and Snow came down initially on TNA's side but just questioning the ECW guys, then Kendrick apparently slapped/somehow disrespected RVD and that caused them to jump him and join the ECW guys... what's especially stupid is that they edited it to make it seem like Snow and Diamond were with ECW the whole time, then at the end when Dixie announces that she invited them, the camera cuts to Snow going "what?!".

Yeah I was thinking that aswell when I saw his reaction.

[forehead7]

An interesting note : "For the week ending July 4 in the UK, TNA iMPACT! drew 97,000 viewers. WWE RAW had 78,000 live and 34,000 for the replay, while NXT had 37,000 and SmackDown! had 69,000 for the first run and 37,000 on the replay"

Obviously this has no bearing on the competition, or lack of, between WWE and TNA but I thought it was worth posting.

I saw Smackdown, and I must say that I was impressed. The Cody Rhodes/Kofi Kingston and the Drew McIntyre/Christian matches were good. I did think that there were too many promos and stuff of that ilk.

Another Former ECW member

Bill Alfonso was at the TNA taping this week

Possible Hard Justice Match

They are trying to make RVD vs Jerry Lynn happen

[Kris Boyd]

that possible hard justice match would be awesome, those 2 have always put on 5 star matches!

as for the former ECW guy, he is a welcome face to be returning, a guy who calls it RIGHT DOWN THE MIDDLE DADDY! The manager of champions himself

[RB-Scotland]

My favourite Fonzie moment is Sabu .V. RVD from Guilty As Charged 2000, where Sabu and Van Dam were feuding(at last) and Alfonso was managing both - Both men call for a chair and Fonzie ends up standing in between them, not sure who to give it to... turns to Sabu, turns back to Van Dam, eats a brutal Van Daminator. Cyrus(who'd been berating Alfonso on commentary throughout) - "Yes! I've been waiting for that move for more than a year!".

Regarding the spoilery Hard Justice stuff...

Van Dam-Lynn would be a good main event. How would people feel about having some TNA guys to plug in the gaps roster-wise? There's a fair few who'd really fit in with ECW's style, and I think there's too many Originals who either aren't available or can't go at 100% to fill out a card in full.

I'm thinking they could go for this -

Super Crazy .V. Kid Kash .V. Little Guido

Sabu .V. Rhino

Unholy Alliance(Tajiri and Mikey Whipwreck) .V. MCMG

Masato Tanaka .V. Samoa Joe

New Jack and Spike Dudley .V. Team 3D(flaming tables match)

CW Anderson(with Simon Diamond and Johnny Swinger) .V. Steve Corino(with Jack Victory)

Doring and Roadkill .V. The Impact Players(though I can't imagine Lance Storm in what is still basically the TNA locker room, lol) .V. Nova and Chetti

Dreamer(with Sandman) .V. Raven(with Stevie and Blue Meanie)

RVD .V. Jerry Lynn

Thoughts? Anyone else got card ideas?

[forehead7]

Mikey Whipwreck is supposed to be going to WWE as a trainer. Tajiri is (most likely) doing stuff in Japan.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

Former ECW star Chris Hamrick reportedly attempted suicide on July 13th at his home in North Carolina. On his Facebook he wrote, “BIG announcement tonight. Stay tuned. It’s to die for!” Then later he wrote, “Hey world I just took 25 sleeping pills. Goodnight.” Hamrick also reportedly sent several strange text messages to friends before authorities were notified and sent to his home. Hamrick is reportedly getting the help he needs from friends and family.

Pretty sad news if true.

[Tam O'Banter]

Former ECW star Chris Hamrick reportedly attempted suicide on July 13th at his home in North Carolina. On his Facebook he wrote, "BIG announcement tonight. Stay tuned. It's to die for!" Then later he wrote, "Hey world I just took 25 sleeping pills. Goodnight." Hamrick also reportedly sent several strange text messages to friends before authorities were notified and sent to his home. Hamrick is reportedly getting the help he needs from friends and family.

Pretty sad news if true.

Being pals with New Jack would push me over the edge too.

[Tam O'Banter]

Former ECW star Chris Hamrick reportedly attempted suicide on July 13th at his home in North Carolina. On his Facebook he wrote, "BIG announcement tonight. Stay tuned. It's to die for!" Then later he wrote, "Hey world I just took 25 sleeping pills. Goodnight." Hamrick also reportedly sent several strange text messages to friends before authorities were notified and sent to his home. Hamrick is reportedly getting the help he needs from friends and family.

Pretty sad news if true.

Being pals with New Jack would push me over the edge too.

[djchapsticks]

If they want to push him then this is the prefect way to do it. Have him win it and over the course of the next 3/4 months build him up gradually, beating better and better opponents until he is accepted as one of the top guys.

I've not watched a lot of WWE lately, but is Bourne's push a serious one? Do they honestly think he has what it takes to be a legit World Champ and regular main eventer? I mean he is about 180 right? On what little ring time I've seen of him, it's obvious he is a very talented young fella and his finisher is a thing of beauty, but most of the time ring talent is a distant second best to how marketable an individual is.

Of course it's a moot question as they have the ridiculous situation of Rey Mysterio as a Heavyweight champ, and Bourne would be far more credible than him IMO, but Rey sells to the kiddies.

Edited July 18, 2010 by djchapsticks

[Shuggie_Murray7]

I've not watched a lot of WWE lately, but is Bourne's push a serious one? Do they honestly think he has what it takes to be a legit World Champ and regular main eventer? I mean he is about 180 right? On what little ring time I've seen of him, it's obvious he is a very talented young fella and his finisher is a thing of beauty, but most of the time ring talent is a distant second best to how marketable an individual is.

Of course it's a moot question as they have the ridiculous situation of Rey Mysterio as a Heavyweight champ, and Bourne would be far more credible than him IMO, but Rey sells to the kiddies.

As I've said before, Bourne is very good friends with Cena. Cena has reportedly had a word with Vince.....hence the push. When I watch him he certainly appears to be getting over with the live crowds. His matches he had with Jericho a few weeks ago show he certainly has what it takes to mix it with the main eventers.

[Liam.]

Of course it's a moot question as they have the ridiculous situation of Rey Mysterio as a Heavyweight champ, and Bourne would be far more credible than him IMO, but Rey sells to the kiddies.

Actually, while Rey's the champ it's known as the World Championship. Vince is a genius.

http://www.wwe.com/shows/moneyinthebank/matches/14862670/preview/