CM Punk & Wrestling's Best Storyline in Years...

[BigCat8]

I think this signals a departure from the norm we're used to. They've been increasingly willing to use blood as part of angles, and to not freak out when guys accidentally get opened up.

I can't really make a strong argument for the elbow instead of the fist aside from the hardway punch being pretty common knowledge among "smart" fans. That, and Brock convincing someone he could do it safely. I don't think the kind of strike he threw carried a ton of trauma risk since it's designed to be a grazing blow... it just carried a higher degree of difficulty in terms of controlling the size of the cut.

I'll have to dig up Meltzer's report on it when I get to my computer.

EDIT: Here's a link to the reddit discussion on Meltzer's report... https://www.reddit.com/r/SquaredCircle/ ... snar_knew/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[GUCCI CONDOMS]

[tehgiftofgab]

Wow fucking fuck yes

[blastmaster]

So fucking dope! I really hope we get a heel stable of NXT guys led by HHH.

[alpha]

^yes! Bring up Joe and find a third.

[907]

So Kevin Steen and Jon Moxley are our current world champions? With Shinske as the Guy in NXT, and Prince Devitt the only other person to hold one of the major titles after beating Tyler Black?

Wrestling is fucking insane right now, and 2007 me wouldn't believe it in a million years.

[907]

So Kevin Steen and Jon Moxley are our current world champions? With Shinske as the Guy in NXT, and Prince Devitt the only other person to hold one of the major titles after beating Tyler Black?

Wrestling is fucking insane right now, and 2007 me wouldn't believe it in a million years.

It's such a goddamn shame we don't have Punk and Bryan in the mix still, or that Hero couldn't stick it out. As much as I love NXT, we need Joe, Roode, and Aires on the main ASAP, either as a unit or with the Dirty Heels reuniting as a tag team.

Fuck, Kevin goddamn Steen is a WWE world champion. I'm still in shock.

[battlecatmeowstab212]

So Kevin Steen and Jon Moxley are our current world champions? With Shinske as the Guy in NXT, and Prince Devitt the only other person to hold one of the major titles after beating Tyler Black?

Wrestling is fucking insane right now, and 2007 me wouldn't believe it in a million years.

It's such a goddamn shame we don't have Punk and Bryan in the mix still, or that Hero couldn't stick it out. As much as I love NXT, we need Joe, Roode, and Aires on the main ASAP, either as a unit or with the Dirty Heels reuniting as a tag team.

Fuck, Kevin goddamn Steen is a WWE world champion. I'm still in shock.

Hero will be back. His departure was of no fault of his own, the writers who were really up on him were sacked/left and nobody was really going to bat for him. But considering his horrifying back injury post-WWE in 2014, maybe it's best that didn't happen during roster push/SHIELD membership or anything. With how much he's been killing it on the indies, I think he'll be back before the end of 2017.

But yeah, I missed Punk, Bryan and it especially would be a whole different ball game with McGuinness on the roster.

Looking forward to seeing what the WWE machine does with Roderick Strong and Cedric Alexander too.

[battlecatmeowstab212]

So, big weekend this past weekend for PWG, CHIKARA, etc.

First Backlash in 8 years on Tuesday.

Final Deletion 2 is Thursday.

Thoughts?

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Punk's UFC fight is TONIGHT. IT'S REALLY HAPPENING!

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Also, if you've never seen it, this is Suzuki's entrance from the 2013 Tokyo Dome show, which Meltzer was tweeting about yesterday as being one of the greatest of all time:

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Also, FINAL DELETION 2: DELETE OR DECAY is here!

[Brougham33]

Welp...atleast that entrance brought back some memories and the Cena inspirational post fight promo was solid. Respect to him though for trying.

[907]

Damn, I'm surprised they took the strap off Ambrose already, seems too soon. Should have had this one end with a DQ or something, and stretch it out another cycle. Hopefully this will lead to pissed off, wanting his title back Ambrose instead of wacky funny Ambrose.

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Damn, I'm surprised they took the strap off Ambrose already, seems too soon. Should have had this one end with a DQ or something, and stretch it out another cycle. Hopefully this will lead to pissed off, wanting his title back Ambrose instead of wacky funny Ambrose.

Can you imagine Styles-Ambrose HELL IN A CELL?!

Styles in the Cell hasn't hit me until this moment and I'm pumped, and works so great for the story.

Ambrose was the lunatic eccentric who did whatever it took to get that title. Now that he's won it and defeated his Shield brethern convincingly, as well as easily dispatched of Dolph, he's got nothing left to prove and has been carrying himself as such.

AJ wants to be see as "the face that runs the place," beating Cena clean and has become insecure with the idea of absolutely anybody not thinking he's the single best in the company.

Styles' hated for Ambrose is Dean treating him the past few weeks like he's just another competitor when he's "THE FACE THAT RUNS THE PLACE."

Now that Styles has won, Ambrose knows he absolutely needs to go all out to get it back. The lunatic needs to realize he's lost some of his lunacy and needs to take it back. The place to completely unleash the depths of his madness?

HELL IN A CELL.

[Brougham33]

KO vs Reigns was outstanding last night.

[battlecatmeowstab212]

So what are you liking more: RAW, Smackdown or NXT?

[Brougham33]

Smackdown.

NXT has lost a bit of starpower, but it's still a solid show, but over the past month Smackdown is the better written show and the 2 hour runtime inherently makes it more watchable than Raw. Raw has the star talent I most look forward to seeing work (Owens/Rollins/Zayn/New Day/Jericho/3 of 4 horsewomen/cruiserweights) but they can't make feuds seem important and I can't fully understand why. A true babyface? Seth Rollins can be that man but it is too soon, it was happening naturally, but I think they may be rushing it due to the Balor injury.

Smackdown has found a way to make the 3 Ambrose programs really work, the in ring work isn't there and I hate his look, but Ambrose has been stellar on the mic from Ziggler feud to now. With much of nothing, they've made something out of the womens division, I love the heel Uso's, and the Miz is doing his best work ever.

[alpha]

I watched smack down this week. Really agree with what was said above. I watch raw for the star power yet smack down is better to actually watch.

[alpha]

Oh and the cruiser weights are amazing

[907]

Smackdown.

NXT has lost a bit of starpower, but it's still a solid show, but over the past month Smackdown is the better written show and the 2 hour runtime inherently makes it more watchable than Raw. Raw has the star talent I most look forward to seeing work (Owens/Rollins/Zayn/New Day/Jericho/3 of 4 horsewomen/cruiserweights) but they can't make feuds seem important and I can't fully understand why. A true babyface? Seth Rollins can be that man but it is too soon, it was happening naturally, but I think they may be rushing it due to the Balor injury.

Smackdown has found a way to make the 3 Ambrose programs really work, the in ring work isn't there and I hate his look, but Ambrose has been stellar on the mic from Ziggler feud to now. With much of nothing, they've made something out of the womens division, I love the heel Uso's, and the Miz is doing his best work ever.

Ambrose was on fire on Talking Smack this week, I highly suggest checking it out.

[GUCCI CONDOMS]

Smackdown.

NXT has lost a bit of starpower, but it's still a solid show, but over the past month Smackdown is the better written show and the 2 hour runtime inherently makes it more watchable than Raw. Raw has the star talent I most look forward to seeing work (Owens/Rollins/Zayn/New Day/Jericho/3 of 4 horsewomen/cruiserweights) but they can't make feuds seem important and I can't fully understand why. A true babyface? Seth Rollins can be that man but it is too soon, it was happening naturally, but I think they may be rushing it due to the Balor injury.

Smackdown has found a way to make the 3 Ambrose programs really work, the in ring work isn't there and I hate his look, but Ambrose has been stellar on the mic from Ziggler feud to now. With much of nothing, they've made something out of the womens division, I love the heel Uso's, and the Miz is doing his best work ever.

Really agree with this. In my head I think I like raw better, but when I actually sit down and watch both, I end up enjoying smackdown more. No one is touching Miz and ambrose mic work lately, and in the post-injury rollins landscape of the WWE, Styles is the absolute best WWE has to offer right now in the ring.

[battlecatmeowstab212]

This made me smile. Gorilla vs. Heenan via Super Nintendo:

[battlecatmeowstab212]

Clash of the Champions tonight: who ya got?

[Brougham33]

Fun show, I would have had the Club go over and Rusev retain though. Highlights:

-TJP 8 bit entrance
-Hoss fight to the death between Cesaro/Sheamus (Cesaro is a cyborg)
-Womens match was real solid. At what point to do we declare Charlotte GOAT moonsaulter.
-KO vs Seth delivered as expected despite the wonky finish. Extra bonus for that fade to black..get it line from KO.

I think I'm going to have to recondition myself on these PPVs/specials. Both this and Backlash were solid, but they definitely don't have that "big" important feel to em. Maybe that's the point, and the major 5 PPVs can return to being special.

[SYM]

pretty

[Brougham33]

^^^lulz

People need to go check out talking smack from yesterday. John Cena calmly ethered Dean Ambrose in front of his girl.

Also shoutout Mike Eagle, really enjoying the Tights and Fights podcast, and on it he mentioned another podcast that I'm loving with Bruce Prichard breaking down some WWF history. Episodes on the mega powers and Warreior are great.

[Smithee]

RAW has a more talented roster, their women's division is head and shoulders above, and I wouldn't argue they don't produce better matches. However, Smackdown is clearly the better overall show. D Bry >>>> Foley in 2016. Sry, Mick. :kanyeshrug:

[battlecatmeowstab212]

So today, 9/30/16, is one of those major days of weird wrestling news that I had to mark with a post here.

First, the good news. WWE has made public their invitation-only try-outs this weekend. The names include: EDDIE KINGSTON (the last most celebrated indie star to never get a tryout), 3.0 (probably the most celebrated indie tag team to never get a tryout), HEIDI LOVELACE AND KIMBER LEE (the two most celebrated women wrestlers in North America).

Tonight is ROH's All Star Extravaganza VIII pay-per-view and Christopher Daniels is going into it (as part of the three-way Ladder War 6 main event with Frankie Kazarian against The Young Bucks and the Motor City Machine Guns) having cut the promo of the year:



Chris Jericho is on Eric Andre tonight.

Now the weird news: TNA is at their zero-hour and need to sell to an investor in order to even run their Bound For Glory pay-per-view on Sunday. The competing buyers are Arloux (who are, no joke, a company whose higher-ups have Nazi SS tattoos), Smashing Pumpkins lead singer Billy Corgan, a rumored third party (presumably Hulk Hogan) and WWE, who really would most likely just want the tape library. Word leaking now is that WWE were the buyer, willing to float these last events.

This coincides with the otherwise best press for the hottest angle TNA has ever received as the Hardy Boyz did an interview with Sports Illustrated, and Broken Matt Hardy did his entirely in character. And it's brilliant.

New York has passed legislation that may kill indie wrestling. Under new law, not only are table spots banned and an ambulance is required at each show (which I'm not necessarily against) but there's now laws about antagonizing crowds. It's like NYC is trying to outlaw heeling.

[seagrams hotsauce]

Woah, any specifics about the crowd laws? Seems like a pretty blatant first amendment issue.

Any word on the TNA sale? I thought Aroluxe got involved a while ago, hadn't heard about them recently. Sidenote on DOA, it's interesting how people got up in arms about them getting involved in TNA when a decade in a half ago no one had any problem that a couple dudes with white power tats were getting a shitload of airtime by the most popular company at the peak of it's success. There's a lot of stuff I don't miss about that era.q