The Wrestling Thread

[forehead7]

I watched Final Resolution too.

Beer Money and Ink Inc was pretty poor for the majority I thought.

Tara and Mickie James was shite until the bathroom stuff. I can't believe they're going to continue with this stuff.

Robbie E and Jay Lethal was pish. Marked for Shark Boy a little, but why does he get cheered for stunnering a woman?

RVD and Rhyno just seemed to be going through the motions. From one camera angle you could see Rhyno had bladed before the van terminator.

Doug Williams and AJ was decent but it wasn't as good as the reports I'd read made me think it would be. The finish was good if a little stupid (why would AJ try and beat the countout to come in and be pinned near enough instantly when he could retain his title via countout?)

I loved the Guns vs Gen Me. It was a spotfest but I love spotfests. The finish probably looked better in planning than it turned out to be.

Abyss Pope was shockingly bad. Abyss is terrible and I'm still not 100% sure on Pope. In ring he isn't great.

JJ and Joe was reasonable, it was a decent concept and they didn't make Joe look weak.

Hardy and Morgan was booked horrendously. The Twist of Fate is no longer a credible finisher, they've ruined it in recent months. Anderson got taken out for a few minutes by Bischoff?!? Morgan looked like shite after that.

Pretty much on the money.

Shark Boy got cheered because she's a bitch. Doug Williams and AJ was good. You're right on Abyss and Pope, neither of them are upper carders IMO. The Anderson was a joke, if Hardy had hit him or if he'd been hit by a chair then it woulda been fine but it was stupid that he got knocked out by a slight push into the ring post.

[Marshmallo]

Impact was a very mixed bag this week.

The Knockouts tag match was absolutely abysmal, truly horrendous stuff.

I have no interest in seeing the Dudleys wrestle each other. They were a solid enough team who they should be using to try and get other teams over, and they would be a dependable enough feud if the champions needed one too.

Abyss is beyond hope, Williams actually looked quite good against him but Abyss was shockingly bad as always. The guy can't work and he is starting to really piss me off.

The Pope segment with the coffin was cringeworthy, I was sitting watching it praying that no-one would come in and see me viewing such embarrassing nonsense.

Jarrett's MMA thing was good, pretty obvious that this will continue for a couple of weeks till Angle comes out the crowd with a mask on or something.

The main event was really good. I think that was because they let them wrestle each other rather than one of those shitty "brawls" they've been trying to push. Having said that they've faced each other enough recently so hopefully they can move on.

[Shuggie_Murray7]

I work every Saturday and always get in half way through iMPACT. I got in last night and I'm not sure if I caught it right but was a womens match the main event?

I mentioned a few weeks ago but they haven't got a fucking clue how to keep the audience hooked. A few weeks ago they opened their weekly show with a 10 minute womans brawl. Not only did nobody give a f**k but the women are so bad that I looked fake as f**k.

Then last night they use their main event for their weekly TV show to show a fucking womens match.

The booking of their shows really is horrendous.

[forehead7]

I work every Saturday and always get in half way through iMPACT. I got in last night and I'm not sure if I caught it right but was a womens match the main event?

I mentioned a few weeks ago but they haven't got a fucking clue how to keep the audience hooked. A few weeks ago they opened their weekly show with a 10 minute womans brawl. Not only did nobody give a f**k but the women are so bad that I looked fake as f**k.

Then last night they use their main event for their weekly TV show to show a fucking womens match.

The booking of their shows really is horrendous.

They've done it before, a women's match main eventing. I don't mind, it was a good match. Only AJ-Williams and The Guns-Gen Me have been better in the past month's TNA-ing. The final spot was good, although I don't like cage matches because you can pin, submit or leave through the cage door now. I think it takes away from the stipulation.

[DomDom]

I've always thought the escape rule was daft. Win a match by basically running away from it?

[DA Baracus]

I've always thought the escape rule was daft. Win a match by basically running away from it?

Indeed. The original point of the cage was to ensure that exactly that couldn't happen and that no one else could get in so that it would be the finisher in a feud. Now they've completely fucked the concept up with people being able to get in whenever they want and the escape rule.

And that's the fishin' line.

[forehead7]

And that's the fishin' line.

[forehead7]

British wrestler Johnny Moss has aparently signed for TNA, DomDom you know him?

[DomDom]

British wrestler Johnny Moss has aparently signed for TNA, DomDom you know him?

Brilliant physique. The guy can go in the ring too. Was amazing on two ICW shows where he stole the show with his freakish strength and mental attitude.

[forehead7]

Brilliant physique. The guy can go in the ring too. Was amazing on two ICW shows where he stole the show with his freakish strength and mental attitude.

In ICW, was he a heel or a face?

[DomDom]

In ICW, was he a heel or a face?

A face.

[DomDom]

I did give Survivor Series and Armageddon 2000 a good going over to see what additions could be made to my archive. Turns out there were none, although Hell in a Cell came close. My top WWE PPV matches of 2000 were...

#1 - Triple H vs. The Rock, Iron Man Match - WWE Judgement Day

This fued was absolutely amazing and this match was the tip of the iceberg. Given that those two guys were out there for an hour, it's a great credit to both the fued and the guys involved that they didn't even have a second of a dead spot in the match. The match was perfectly booked, as was the timing of the falls. The ending with The Undertaker tipped it over the edge. Probably a contender for best match ever.

#2 - Triple H vs. Cactus Jack, Street Fight - WWE Royal Rumble 2000

It wasn't a PBP I did for this. It was a description. So...

Triple H was already an established main eventer by the time this match came around, but this fued pretty much cemented Triple H in the main event scene forever, as Foley made him look like an absolute god. This match was super because of HHH's gradual adapting to the type of match he was in, to the point that he was actually beyond sick and fighting survive. You had the gradual intensity building and while the spots didn't get bigger, even if the final spot was fucking mental, they got more meaningful and there was a sense of chaos that is sadly lacking in hardcore matches in WWE these days. In the end, both men took almost everything that the other man had, and this war means that it's one of the best matches of the decade.

#3 - Triple H vs. The Rock - WWE Backlash 2000

Again, an old recap...

It's the year 2000, so of course, you're going to see an absolute classic of a match. This time it's the turn of The Rock and Triple H, with Triple H pulling out his third amazing main event of the year. They paid off storyline after storyline in one foul swoop in what has to be seen as a masterclass of wrestling overbooking and storytelling. Just get the popcorn, grab a beer, sit back and enjoy this one.

#4 - Edge and Christian vs. The Dudley Boys vs. The Hardy Boys, Ladder Match - WWE Wrestlemania 2000

Later in the year, there was a TLC Match which, for some reason, overshadowed this. That match was a mess, albeit a very entertaining mess. This match was terrific though and everything that a ladder match should be. Almost every spot stands up well on repeat viewing. They didn't throw spot after spot out there. They just timed everything to absolute perfection as the madness built and build. Criminally under-rated match.

#5 - Chris Benoit vs. The Rock - WWE Fully Loaded 2000

A match was overshadowed by a match which took place on the same show, THIS one was another Rock match which just threw every bit of sports entertainment it could at ya. Benoit was in ruthless mode, just hitting The Rock as hard as he could, but one thing that The Rock always had was a great survival mode, and when you knock him down, he just keeps bouncing back up and landing those big right hands. It always made for a fun match no matter who was on the other side of the ring, so when it was Benoit on the other side, you KNEW it had to be good.

#6 - Triple H vs. Cactus Jack, Hell in a Cell Match - WWE No Way Out 2000

Nowhere near the quality of their match at Royal Rumble the month before, but it didn't really matter. Triple H came into this one much more confident, almost over confident, and that allowed Cactus Jack to be the man in control for much of the match yet again. That created the bulk of the story, as Triple H was forced once again to survive the match, let alone win it, and he came up with some unbelievable acts of desperation, the most notable one being the Back Body Drop through the cell and ring.

#7 - Chris Benoit vs. Chris Jericho, Submissions Match - WWE Judgement Day 2000

This was probably the best match of their 2000 series of which they had a few matches. The only match which didn't 1) have a stupid stipulation or 2) have a stupid ending. So they were able to go out and just wrestle each other. They did use the No DQ rules of the match, but they didn't do too much of it. The odd chair shot and step move, but the focus was on the wrestling.

#8 - Triple H vs. Chris Jericho, Last Man Standing Match - WWE Fully Loaded 2000

This used to be my favourite match ever. Now it has reached #8 in a poll of the PPV matches of 2000 and is unlikely to even hit my top 50 matches ever when I finally do that list. The focus here was on the drama. This was Jericho's first real foray into the main event scene so he as the underdog against Triple H. Add his rib injury and amazing selling of it and you have some real storytelling. Jericho's comeback was amazing too, but it all goes south soon after. With a better final stretch, this remains an all time great, but it was sorely lacking near the end.

#9 - Edge and Christian vs. The Dudley Boys vs. The Hardy Boys, TLC Match - WWE Summerslam 2000

What this match lacked in storytelling and psychology, it made up for in pace and spots. They didn't waste time with no weapons. They just threw the chairs about and then did some more crazy stuff. Disappointing that they didn't make more of the stipulations, but not to worry. They'd do better...

#10 - Triple H vs. Chris Benoit - WWE No Mercy 2000

Triple H thought he was better than Benoit and tried to wrestle every step of the way with him. With HHH being the babyface, he wasn't going to be taking any shortcuts and stuck to that all of the way through. He did wind up having the help of Stephanie but he didn't call for it. Benoit outwrestled HHH from start to finish but came up short because HHH still had the tools, or tool, that made him champion.

[DA Baracus]

#3 - Triple H vs. The Rock - WWE Backlash 2000

Ah, outstanding! Vince's 'big gulp of fear' after the double Rock Bottom through the table still makes me laugh to this day. I used to be able to recite the Rock's promo from before the match from memory. I can still remember a suprisingly large amount of it! The build to this match was also amazing. Holding off Rock/HHH from Mania turned out to be a stroke a genius. The cage match on Raw the night after Mania, the deck stacked against the Rock with the McMahon's and HHH joining ranks, and of course the return of Austin just made it all the better. Plus the crowd reaction for the match was incredible. I'm not sure what got the bigger pop, when the glass hits or when Rock gets the pin.

[RussellV1]

David Arquette

[Meatwad]

Arquette

[Shuggie_Murray7]

British wrestler Johnny Moss has aparently signed for TNA, DomDom you know him?

Johnny Moss!~~.....tank of a man, wee as long as he wears his Mr.Perfect-esque gear

[Marshmallo]

There's an old episode of Impact on just now where Booker T has a comedy African accent, what's that all about?

[RB-Scotland]

Johnny Moss is quite good... pretty Kurt Angle-esque, with more emphasis on stiffness and slightly less on grappling and submissions.

Booker went through a spell in TNA where he'd have a different accent every week(apparently trying to get himself an acting gig), plus he also had a brief period where he mixed up the King Booker gimmick to be like Last King of Scotland. Both were pretty stupid but mildly amusing.

[DomDom]

Johnny Moss is quite good... pretty Kurt Angle-esque, with more emphasis on stiffness and slightly less on grappling and submissions.

He's toned down the stiffness big time. He's more of a power moves guy than anything else. His strikes actually look pretty bad these days. TNA are going to need to work on that.

tank of a man, wee as long as he wears his Mr.Perfect-esque gear

I'd imagine he'll be in the black trunks. I actually think he suits them better!

[Shuggie_Murray7]

I'd imagine he'll be in the black trunks. I actually think he suits them better!

All big bald guys do, I want the Mr.Perfect gear for shits and giggles.