The Wrestling Thread: WWE WrestleMania 31 [NSFW]

[Dante]

Wasn't the Invasion the last really big WWE ongoing story?

It's one of things I really love about Chikara; they work on a season story line, where they have one massive story that runs through the year that is intertwined with matches and characters sides. Everything is built up to one final conclusion and with it's own mini stories and feuds within it

[KK]

Wrestling, certainly of the modern era, tends to work better with factions I find. Unfortunately, the WWE have been incompetent in this area recently. Nexus, & its reboots - if you can even call it that - haven't managed to get anybody over, outside of maybe, incredibly, the second coming of Ahmed Johnson. Whether it's The Legacy or Nexus, everyone is in the exact same position they were before. In Ted Dibiase's case, he's currently worse off.

Compare & contrast to Evolution, which made stars of both Batista & Randy Orton. Batista had help from both Triple H & Ric Flair, Orton from Mick Foley. Orton had a bit of a misstep turning face after beating Benoit, but overall the booking throughout was extremely good. The slow build towards Batista turning on Triple H was superb.

[NBK]

I think this storyline has potential to really turn into something big - but I guess it depends whether Punk is staying, & if there's any sort of deal going on with ROH, or any of its wrestlers.

Ideally you want something like the nWo or Austin/McMahon - not so much in the sense that it's a carbon copy, but in that these were storylines that continued for months & became interwoven with the fabric of the programming itself. We've had so many one or two month storylines that exist simply to get to the next poorly promoted PPV. Immortal in Impact Wrestling is the right idea. It's a load of crap, sure, but it's an ongoing plot. A grander storyline which has various offshoots.

That's what I'm hoping for, something that really changes things again. Hell, it could be exactly the same as Austin/McMahon and I'd be happy! You can definitely see Punk going the same way as a character going by the cheers he's been getting. His twitter account's brilliant to follow too. Anyone that posts:

Now buying: http://t.co/t1bDp8g

is worth following!

[Mockmaster]

New LIIZ is up:

[KK]

Now would also be a good time to change the look of the product itself. Punk mentioned on RAW about changing the WWE belt if he were to win - this is what needs to happen. Just as Austin & whatnot ushered in RAW IS WAR & the Attitude Era, things need to change again now. WWE is a very stale product that, 8 or so years later, still can't let the Attitude Era go (just like TNA can't get past WCW). It's in the logo. It's in constant references. It's just there...hovering about in the background, like a constant reminder of "Heh, remember how good we used to be?". Imagine in the 90's if they kept bringing up the 80's every 5 minutes. They didn't - it was basically, been there, done that. NEXT. But I fear Vince only did that in 1997, because it was a last ditch situation. It was either radically alter the WWF or die. They're not in that situation now...so ultimately do they have the bottle? Are they willing to tear everything up again? I damn well hope so. But then I recall 12 months ago they had Nexus...

[Dante]

So much of the company needs a shake up that i cannot see it happening. To much needs change and I feel if most the changes made for the benefit of wrestling, the core mainstream audience won't care and they'll be hit financially that Cena will win all the titles and wrestle his 5 moves in every match to grab the crowd back that makes them the money

[KK]

I'm sure the point will come, much like Hulk Hogan, where the crowd will tire of Cena to such an extent, they'll have no choice but to turn him heel, if they don't do it before then. Until they have someone that can oppose him however in the fan favourite role, they'd be stupid to do it. A strong heel is only as good as the good guy(s) out to stop him. And currently, outside of maybe the part-timer that's The Rock (even then, he in many ways represents the past), there's absolutely nobody. It'd be like the Steve Austin thing all over again.

[Dante]

Because of the demographic that Cena caters for, as long as people keep having kids, he'll always be popular with that area and his merchandise will continue to sell to them, have him heel and the people who loved him won't and the people who hated him will still continue to hate him; he's not targeting people who can think for themselves and question what Cena really is about - He's a super strong, bright color wearing superman of wrestling and the kids love that, he's like an exciting cartoon but in real life - However I really don't understand what Randy Orton brings to the table in taht respect, surely there isn't any fans out there that like him enough to buy his merch

The company does lack a really exciting and strong heel - I felt losing Jericho was a big problem for them, and even JBL, he might not have been a fantastic wrestler but he could make you really strawberry floating hate him and but the face up on that pedestal to beat him. I don't think Cena's first title win would have been as big if it wasn't against JBL at the time - Hell Edge pulled Cena through for many years by being so damn good at being a slimy prick.

Punk has been a great anti-Cena character, but he's not even a heel in all honesty, he's probably as good as a face we can hope to have Nobody can boo Punk and it's impossible to disagree with him with his views and actions.

[Jam-Master Jay]

Triple H is now in charge of Developmental, which used to be in the hands of Laurinaitis, though Laurinaitis is still involved in proceedings. While for months people have expected widespread changes, thus far nothing is all that different.

Oh and a iMPACT thing; I quite liked Borash on commentary at D-X, much better then Tazzz (who I have started to grow to hate as a commentator)

I also quite liked Borash on commentary at Destination X. He actually added something to the RVD/Lynn match and was pretty solid overall. Sounded like he actually gave a gooseberry fool about the matches too, unlike Tenay.

As for Stings WCW themes I quite liked most of them. The first in that list is rather awesome, mind.

[Balloon Sod]

Someone called into the PWTorch Livecast with a prediction of what might happen, and for once it sounds like a really good bit of fantasy booking.

Punk and Cena are both knocked down for the 10 count. McMahon comes out and says that the match could go either way, so it's a no contest. Cena keeps the belt but doesn't win the match because both Punk and Cena disrespected him and put his championship, and company, at risk for their own selfish gain. He needs a champion he can trust; so out walks Del Rio who cashes in on Cena.

I don't want to see ADR as champion, but that scenario solves pretty much everything, puts heat in the right places and sets up both a Cena/ADR w/ Vince feud, and even an eventual Punk return. Even if it's a one night deal, Punk could return in 5 months or so to team up with Cena against ADR and someone else.

I'll give up watching Chikara for an entire year if that booking happens; it's completely stinkfest if that's how it gets dealt with. Hell it gooseberry fools on all the work done thus far and makes everyone look week (Punk for being screwed, Cena for getting pinned in a match and ADR for having to let Mcmahon give him that chance)

I'll still honestly believe ADR will be the first MitB winner to NOT successively cash in.

I get your points, but I don't think that a hard-fought Cena/Punk match (where both look like equals and could win at any minute) makes either look weak. Still, there's plenty of directions they can take this in. Triple H could interfere....

For anyone that has a The Works store near them, ask at the counter to search for Countdown to Lockdown. I picked it up yesterday for £3.99. Seems much better than Hardcore Diaries, which was such a let down.

[Chocolate Jim]

Cena shouldn't turn. He just needs to go away for a bit and come back with a refreshed edge to his character

[Powers]

WWE Money in the Bank
Big Show vs. Mark Henry
Winner: Mark Henry
Kelly Kelly (c) vs. Brie Bella (WWE Divas Championship)
Winner (worth double): Kelly Kelly
MITB: Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Alex Riley vs. R-Truth vs. The Miz vs. Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger
Winner (worth three): Alberto Del Rio
MITB: Kane vs. Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Heath Slater vs. Sheamus
Winner (worth three): Cody Rhodes
Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian (For the World Heavyweight championship)
Winner (worth three): Randy Orton
Will the DQ/Ref call stipulation affect the result?
Prediction: No
John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk (For the WWE belt of shame)
Winner (worth three): CM Punk
MITB to be cashed in the same night? (valid answers are Raw, Smackdown and None)
Prediction: Raw

Going similar to my bro Zellery, only I don't think Wade will win the MITB. C'mon Cody!

[tomvek]

New LIIZ is up:

Quality

[Zellery]

WWE Money in the Bank
Big Show vs. Mark Henry
Winner: Mark Henry
Kelly Kelly (c) vs. Brie Bella (WWE Divas Championship)
Winner (worth double): Kelly Kelly
MITB: Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Alex Riley vs. R-Truth vs. The Miz vs. Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger
Winner (worth three): Alberto Del Rio
MITB: Kane vs. Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Heath Slater vs. Sheamus
Winner (worth three): Cody Rhodes
Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian (For the World Heavyweight championship)
Winner (worth three): Randy Orton
Will the DQ/Ref call stipulation affect the result?
Prediction: No
John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk (For the WWE belt of shame)
Winner (worth three): CM Punk
MITB to be cashed in the same night? (valid answers are Raw, Smackdown and None)
Prediction: Raw

Going similar to my bro Zellery, only I don't think Wade will win the MITB. C'mon Cody!

I was umming and arring about Cody or Wade. My heart won out eventually.

[captain red dog]

In many ways Punk is the traditional face. If you look at Hogan, he was the guy who was like a super power fighting evil in the era of the cold war. Then Austin came along who was the everyman fighting against the boss, and now Punk is the guy who has come along to fight against the corrupt system.

In my opinion Punk is on the cusp of a face turn as an anti hero character. My feeling is that will probably kick off at MITB. Cena seems to be on the verge of a heel turn like Bret Hart faced when Austin came along. As a heel I think he can still sell merchandise by the bucket load. DX were heel for most of their run and they were extremely popular.

We have had anti-heros, perhaps Cena could become the anti-heel by contuining as he is.

[Return_of_the_STAR]

WWE Money in the Bank
Big Show vs. Mark Henry
Winner: Mark Henry
Kelly Kelly (c) vs. Brie Bella (WWE Divas Championship)
Winner (worth double): Kelly Kelly
MITB: Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Alex Riley vs. R-Truth vs. The Miz vs. Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger
Winner (worth three): Alberto Del Rio
MITB: Kane vs. Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Heath Slater vs. Sheamus
Winner (worth three): Cody Rhodes
Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian (For the World Heavyweight championship)
Winner (worth three): Randy Orton
Will the DQ/Ref call stipulation affect the result?
Prediction: No
John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk (For the WWE belt of shame)
Winner (worth three): CM Punk
MITB to be cashed in the same night? (valid answers are Raw, Smackdown and None)
Prediction: Raw

[Jam-Master Jay]

WWE Money in the Bank
Big Show vs. Mark Henry
Winner: Mark Henry
Kelly Kelly (c) vs. Brie Bella (WWE Divas Championship)
Winner (worth double): Kelly Kelly
MITB: Rey Mysterio vs. Alberto Del Rio vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Alex Riley vs. R-Truth vs. The Miz vs. Evan Bourne vs. Jack Swagger
Winner (worth three): Alberto Del Rio
MITB: Kane vs. Sin Cara vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Justin Gabriel vs. Heath Slater vs. Sheamus
Winner (worth three): Sheamus
Randy Orton (c) vs. Christian (For the World Heavyweight championship)
Winner (worth three): Christian
Will the DQ/Ref call stipulation affect the result?
Prediction: No
John Cena (c) vs. CM Punk (For the WWE belt of shame)
Winner (worth three): CM Punk
MITB to be cashed in the same night? (valid answers are Raw, Smackdown and None)
Prediction: Raw

[Cosmo]

What's the stipulation for the Orton/Christian match? I completely missed that...

[Jam-Master Jay]

Wish I knew.

Again with going with what I want to happen. Gonna get a gooseberry fool score again.

[Skippy]

What's the stipulation for the Orton/Christian match? I completely missed that...

Christian wins the title if Orton is disqualified.

He also wins it if there's BAD OFFICIATING