The Wrestling Thread - Part 244

[Thread Manager]

This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]529961[/split]

 

[Thread Manager]

This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]527839[/split]

 

[Warhammer]

It's be awesome if this Titus Brand gimmick essentially turned into the dominant stable the WWE is lacking now. I mean, you COULD elevate Titus into a legit contender (Jindar Mahal-style), then you have Apollo in the mid-level, a cruiserweight, throw in a Tag Team and then a women's wrestler.

Just call them "The Brand" or "The Franchise".

You could even start a "war" between Titus' Brand and "Heyman's guys".

This will honestly be a damn good idea that WWE will squander. I'd love to see the Titus Brand become something big. I always felt for the dude not getting a good push, especially after that Vince incident.

 

[nite-owl]

WWE Staff Forced To Shoot Aggressive Wrestler After Child Climbs Into Steel Cage.

INDIANAPOLIS�Saying they were left with no other choice given the imminent peril of the situation, World Wrestling Entertainment officials confirmed they were forced to kill one of their own stars Friday when a 7-year-old boy wandered into the steel cage enclosure of an aggressive wrestler.

Beloved two-time WWE champion Big Show was reportedly shot dead after the emergency response team at the Indiana Farmers Coliseum made a split-second decision to take out the nearly 400-pound dominant male wrestler, who is said to have appeared aggravated and hostile, causing those present to fear for the small child�s safety.

�Last night, after determining he posed a clear threat to a young boy who had entered the steel cage, we chose to end the life of one of our wrestlers,� said WWE spokesperson Chris Bellitti, who added that the security guards who opened fire had followed protocol, assessing the body language and vocalizations of the 45-year-old wrestler to evaluate the danger he presented. �It is a tragedy anytime something like this happens, but luckily we can say a child is alive today thanks to the swift and appropriate measures taken by our WWE staff.�

�While lethal force is always a last resort, the reality is that we were dealing with a very large adult�one of our strongest males,� Bellitti continued. �A tranquilizer could have taken five, even 10, minutes to bring down a wrestler that size, and it likely would have made him even angrier in the meantime. We simply couldn�t risk waiting any longer to act.�

Though a popular attraction for WWE since his arrival in 1999, the 7-foot, 383-pound Big Show reportedly angered easily and had a history of violent outbursts, often acting belligerently toward other wrestlers to intimidate them and, at times, even confronting officials who entered the ring with him. The wrestler is known to have exhibited erratic behavior on numerous occasions, including several altercations in which individuals required medical attention.

Despite his reputation, WWE representatives insisted the wrestler would never intentionally hurt a child, though they acknowledged he likely interpreted the shouts and flashing cameras of onlookers as a threat, which would have increased the likelihood of a deadly tantrum.

The boy�s mother, Lynn Marshall, who said she and her family had enjoyed going to see the WWE�s wrestlers for years, held back tears as she recalled seeing her defenseless son face-to-face in the steel cage with a hulking behemoth ten times his size.

�I turned my back for a second, and the next thing I knew my son was down there with that huge wrestler,� she said. �I screamed and ran toward the ring as fast as I could, just shouting and shouting for help. The wrestler was stomping around and pumping his fists, and I was completely terrified of what he might do next.�

�When it looked like he was getting ready to pick up my boy and slam him on the canvas, I completely lost it,� she added.

It was at that moment, sources said, that the wrestler was brought down with multiple rifle shots to the head and heart.

Some witnesses blamed Big Show�s death on the boy�s mother, calling her negligent for not keeping a better eye on her child while in such close proximity to dangerous wrestlers. Others reportedly criticized the facility for not having more physical barriers and stronger safety measures to prevent children from coming into contact with a wrestler as powerful and unpredictable as Big Show in the first place.

According to reports, protests soon began outside the arena where the wrestler was fatally shot. Many argued that WWE was at fault, having fostered violent behavior in Big Show and countless other wrestlers by confining them to cramped steel cages�which rarely exceed an area of 20 square feet�and allowing crowds to gawk at them for hours on end.

�An innocent wrestler has paid the ultimate price for a mistake made by someone else,� said Sam Carter, a 25-year-old protester who objected to what he called WWE�s inhumane activities. �When you look at everything these wrestlers are subjected to, it clearly amounts to cruelty. We must put an end to this immoral practice before another Big Show dies.�

Added Carter, �It�s pretty sickening when you consider the fact that they have such short lifespans as it is.�

Source: http://www.theonion.com/article/wwe...tm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing

 

[TheCommissioner]

the tournament is 32 or 36 women?

 

[Dr. Evil]

the tournament is 32 or 36 women?

32 women.

Also, PW Insider says more Southpaw Regional Wrestling is coming.

 

[nite-owl]

 

[Dr. Evil]

WWE Tryouts this week, with the most notable name being Crazzy Steve:

http://www.wwe.com/shows/wwenxt/article/wwe-performance-center-tryout-june-2017

 

[Dr. Evil]

It will never happen on UpUpDownDown.

Also, if JBL had still been an active wrestler in the WWE, he would have complained about video games ruining the WWE locker room.

 

[Hotwire]

Did anyone go to the NXT Live show in Bel Air, MD Friday night? I wanted to go but, had a tattoo appointment.

 

[MMMMM...Pancakes]

Did anyone go to the NXT Live show in Bel Air, MD Friday night? I wanted to go but, had a tattoo appointment.

Nah, I missed it.

 

[TheCommissioner]

It will never happen on UpUpDownDown.

Also, if JBL had still been an active wrestler in the WWE, he would have complained about video games ruining the WWE locker room.

JBL has talked about it before as a change in locker room culture, its not his thing but he wasn't overly critical about it

 

[Donnie Darko]

WWE Staff Forced To Shoot Aggressive Wrestler After Child Climbs Into Steel Cage.



Source: http://www.theonion.com/article/wwe...tm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing

Did it take them a year to write this? Some things are consider "too soon" to be funny. Others are not soon enough.

 

[nite-owl]

Spoiler

 

[Fallen Angel]

This news might have been posted so apologies if it's a rehash.

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/...-view-brock-lesnar-roman-reigns-a7789331.html

WWE fans in the UK have been given a huge boost in their hopes of hosting Wrestlemania on home soil with the news that London is on a list of cities being considered for the event.
Mania, which this year staged its 33rd instalment, is the company's biggest annual event, attracting crowds of up to 100,000 in arenas across the States and a global audience of millions.
This week, in a survey of fans who attended the event in Orlando back in April, WWE revealed a list of potential host cities in the future, asking fans to gauge their interest in each location - with London included alongside the likes of Toronto, New York and others.


The UK fans have clamoured to host the show ever since the 1992 edition of Summerslam, a pay per view held at the old Wembley Stadium in London in front of 80,000 fans when the legendary British Bulldog downed brother-in-law Bret Hart in the main event.
But when it comes to Wrestlemania, the company have thus far resisted - staging all of the versions of its marquee event in States with the exception of the odd foray into neighbouring Canada. Despite persistent and vocal support from British shores, WWE has always remained coy about brining the event to what is its second biggest global market, with logistical issues the main snagging point.
A rare indication that London is up for consideration is no small thing, and so while there still seems to be way to go before those plans change for sure, a glimmer of hope for the loyal British fan base is certainly not to be sniffed at.

 

[chamber-music]

London is a global hub city. The WWE could get some huge crowds if they ever do another PPV in London.

Gunner is good friends with the Revival. It might be cool to see them team up one day in the WWE.

 

[Pink Ranger]

I guess for the UK to work, they'd have to start the event at around 2 pm or 3 pm local time, so people in the Eastern US could watch it at 7-8 pm.

 

[DarthSkywalker]

I guess for the UK to work, they'd have to start the event at around 2 pm or 3 pm local time, so people in the Eastern US could watch it at 7-8 pm.

That would be 12am to 1am UK time. The UK is 5 hours ahead of the East coast.

 

[Wheels]

WrestleMania is probably going to air around 4pm eastern if it's based in London. If people can't be home by 4pm, then they'll just have to stay off social media and watch it on demand on WWE Network. It's a bit of a risk, but should the English fanbase be denied this just because people in the U.S will be inconvenienced? The English WWE fan is always inconvenienced; having to stay up all hours of the night and pay for a premium channel just to watch the weekly shows. I hope WWE gives them this.

 

[famicommander]

There is no way they should inconvenience their US fanbase for the UK fans. Give them the event if they want to, but the US base is still orders of magnitude bigger than the UK base. It would be downright stupid to start Wrestlemania at an inconvenient time for the vast majority of their fans just to appease a small but dedicated group of UK fans.

Raw and Smackdown don't even do significantly better than Impact on a weekly basis in the UK. And their weekly UK show they were planning has stalled because they couldn't find anyone to air it.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Since Southpaw Regional Wrestling is coming back soon, I wonder how they are going to do it this time. Lethal Leap Year being booked in the wrong year basically ended the company. The WWE had those "Where are they now?" videos with Eve Torres, Vladimir Kozlov, Jimmy Wang Yang, Torrie Wilson and Brutus Beefcake. I'd love to see a "WWE Where Are They Now?" about Southpaw Regional Wrestling. What happened to See Creature? Did Lance Catamaran go back to Utica? Did Big Bart get his farm back? (although according to Clint Bobsky on Talk is Jericho, he did not). Did Chad 2 Badd and Tex Ferguson have an actual match?

Looking forward to more Southpaw Regional Wrestling. Also would be good to bring "La Luchadora" back as a character on the show. She could join La Grande Barba as the power couple of Southpaw.

 

[Wheels]

@famicommander: You're right of course. I just feel bad for those people. I don't even understand why WWE has a fanbase there still. It's not like they're going well out of there way to watch peak WWE. It's 2017 when the weekly shows aren't very good.

 

[Dr. Evil]

Got several character ideas for when Southpaw Regional Wrestling returns:

- Becky Lynch as a Southern Country Girl
- Bayley as a Pat Benetar Rock and Roll Chick
- AJ Styles as a Northern Wrestler with roots in New England
- Naomi as a Tina Turner Impersonator
- Daniel Bryan as a Lumberjack
- The Miz as a character trying to audition to be on Miami Vice
- Pete Dunne, Tyler Bate and Trent Seven as Beastie Boys impersonators

 

[famicommander]

You're right of course. I just feel bad for those people. I don't even understand why WWE has a fanbase there still. It's not like they're going well out of there way to watch peak WWE. It's 2017 when the weekly shows aren't very good.

Because WWE keeps signing all the biggest stars and retaining the old ones.

 

[Dr. Evil]

WrestleMania is probably going to air around 4pm eastern if it's based in London. If people can't be home by 4pm, then they'll just have to stay off social media and watch it on demand on WWE Network. It's a bit of a risk, but should the English fanbase be denied this just because people in the U.S will be inconvenienced? The English WWE fan is always inconvenienced; having to stay up all hours of the night and pay for a premium channel just to watch the weekly shows. I hope WWE gives them this.

As an NFL fan, you should also not be surprised if sometime down the line a Super Bowl takes place in London. So which is going to be a bigger failure? WM in London, or a Super Bowl in London? Or how about an NFL team in London or WWE UK?

I'll be honest, I think the WWE will have a lot more success in the UK in the long term than the NFL. With an NFL team in London, they are going to have to win as soon as they get there. The WWE in the UK can slowly build up their fanbase. Plus, the WWE would not have many logistical problems with the UK as an NFL team would. The WWE has the talent signed (those who competed in the UK tournament) and they already have 1,000 announcers, so they can afford to lose two of them to the UK brand. The NFL would have trouble attracting free agents to their London team and would have to set up a US Base of operations. The NFL would also have to hire several different sets of broadcast teams for their London Team: a US TV crew, a British TV crew and a British radio crew on a full time basis.