The DakkaDakka Pro Wrestling Discussion Thread

Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:

No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
Times and dates in your local timezone.
Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.

If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

**Sigur**

i love the whole story around Julia Hart's eye. It makes long-term storytelling look easy!

Other things I love: The dynamic between Hikaru Shida, Miyu Yamashita and Maki Itoh.

**Sigur**

Riho vs. Yuka Sakazaki did not disappoint. Bless Yuka for playing to the crowd rather to the hard cam like an attention starved dog.

Originally I was firmly against the idea of having Hook involved with Danhausen in any way. Honestly, I can't think of anybody I'd like to see involved with Danhausen. That being said - the idea of Hookhausen as a tag team intrigues me. They should keep Hook being a complete bastard with utter disregard for Danhausen and they should tone down the curses and hijinks on Danhausen's part, but it might work.

Regal's promo on Twitter (I think the version on Dynamite was shortened?) was really good. The BCC still are basically just hard bullies, but it really doesn't take any more.

**Sigur**

So, Wrestlemania Backlash, eh? Everybody's least favourite PPV of the year.

Here's what I think will happen:

triples-match, bloodline vs. rk-bro & mcintyre: Bloodline wins, but the Usos prove to be - once again - the weak point of the whole thing, and Roman has to fix it. Why, oh why is this for no titles what so ever?

Rhodes vs. Rollins: Rhodes, just to avoid 50/50 booking. Having a Backlash PPV and then 50/50 booking on it would be the death knell to this feud. Also, I think that Rollins having to work something out to overcome Cody is a way more interesting thing for Rollins to do than have him cackle and say something like "the thing at wrestlemania was a fluke because I wasn't prepared, but in the actual match I beat ye!" on Raw.

Charlotte vs. Rousey: It's an I Quit Match, which makes things a bit predictable, I'm afraid. My guess would be that miserable old Ronda Rousey wins this one, despite Charlotte's uncanny ability to win at PPVs, no matter the odds.

AJ Styles vs Edge: Edge, with the help of new friends. I want that thing to be a proper stable. Stables are what make things better.

Lashley vs. Omos: Omos. Otherwise I can't really see them getting anywhere with him.

Corbin vs. Madcap Moss: Moss.

Unless this PPV features a spectacular Bayley or Asuka return I have no idea how I could get excited about this. What's your take?

**Dysartes**

Well, Asuka returned on RAW a week or two ago, so I think you'll be disappointed there, Siggy.

**Sigur**

Serves me right for not keeping up with the weekly shows. Well, there's still Bayley. Or is there anybody else noteworthy who's out at the moment?

**Dysartes**

Little Miss Bliss has disappeared again, after popping back in for Elimination Chamber (I think it was).

**Sigur**

Oh yes. She's amazing (if given anything not puppet-related). Wasn't the latest news on her a few weeks ago, that 'creative had nothing for her'? Which is insane, because she's Alexy Bliss. Make her the goddess again, have her in matches, have her talk. Heck, put her together with Nikki Cross again if need be.

**Sigur**

Spoiler:

It was a house-show, wasn't it. But really well done. Good timespan, good fun.

**Sigur**

I watched RAW this week.

Here are some entirely injust and subjective observation:

Spoiler:

**Alpharius**

Even though it won't last long, I'm totally here for Hookhausen!

**Sigur**

i'm good with Hookhausen, but yeah, it shouldn't last for too long.

Just watching the Cultaholic news. An insane show seems to go down in June in Nottingham: "wrestling entertainment series".

**Sigur**

Dynamite was pretty fun.

Spoiler:

It's good to have a show not start with Adam Cole. You have to love the guy, the theme is a banger, especially to start a night, but it almost seems like AEW are a little too keen to pack all their big stars into each show every time, and that's just no good. Instead we started off with Joe vs. Johnny Elite, and that's just fun.

Kyle O'Riley vs. Rey Fenix, that's a match I'll watch any time.

Even the Chris Jericho bit was good. Surprise over surprise, William Regal's toothbrush stuff was silly. Moxley was lovely, Kingston was lovely, Matt Menard is fun (because you expect him to do silly stuff all the time, so even if he does nothing it's entertaining. He's like the unresolved jump scare.)

Hangman vs. CM Punk is going to be big. Me, I like Hangman's reign, but I'm not sure he'll retain this time. I think it's time for CM punk to hold the belt for a bit, maybe even turn heel, and we'll get what we like best: the distraught Hangman Page.

Keith Lee seems to come into his own a bit more it seems. That's nice to see. And the three-way match at Double or Nothing will be grand.

MJF is so weird. At this point 70% of his promos are excellent, 40% of his bits (like heaving when saying Houston, Texas. Is there a reference in that I don't get?) is just silly and broad. The segment was good though.

Well, what do you know. The joker in the Owen Hart women's tournament is Maki Itoh. Wish this would have gotten more time so the typical Itoh bits would have been spread out a bit more. The lie-down in the beginning was fun, because I don't see it often. Itoh's new way of countering her opponent's rolling away from the kokeshi is great. I'm a sad, sad nerd, so I've seen her do it before. The twirl is new though, I think. Fits the thing, but again, I would have liked to see it all spread out across a longer match, because Maki Itoh is getting better and better a wrestler. I can't say all that much about Britt Baker, because I still don't quite get her. And it's usually me just not 'getting' a wrestler which makes me dislike them.

Speaking of which - Toni Storm. I'm vaguely familiar with what she does. Her thing kinda was that she just wouldn't lose, right? With what she's done in AEW so far though she just comes across as a big blonde ladywrestler with not much to her (a very good theme though). I'm sure they'll do something with her in the future though.

The end bit was rather top-heavy I'd say. I get that AEW play various towns and want to deliver everything they got each time, but doesn't it feel a bit cramped sometimes?

But anyway, it was good fun, as most of the times.

**Sigur**

Okay, the Shasha/Naomi thing is a total work, right?

**bbb**

No idea. The fact that WWE is addressing it on their shows makes it seem like a work, but... maybe not?

Kind of refreshingly confusing.

In other totally not-a-work news, hope Charlotte's arm heals okay in time for her wedding.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Wait the what now?

**Dysartes**

Mad Doc Grotsnik wrote:
Wait the what now?

Short version?

In the run-up to RAW on Monday, Sasha Banks & Naomi - Women's Tag Team Champions - were presented with booking that had them in a six-way match to be No. 1 contender for Bianca Belair. Some reports indicate that Naomi was going to pin Sasha, others Nikki, but either way Naomi was going to go into a single program with Bianca for the next PPV.

Some more talk indicates that Sasha would then face Ronda Rousey for the SD Women's Championship at the same event.

Both would lose.

Prior weeks had seemed to indicate that WWE were building towards Doudrop & Nikki whatever-surname-this-week forming a tag team and challenging Sasha & Naomi for the titles. Reports indicate that the WTT champions had pushed back against the idea on RAW, trying to get focus on the tag feud for their titles rather than being used as placeholder challengers for the singles titles.

They met with Vince, discussed it, went away, got told that WWE was sticking with the original creative, and possibly got screamed at by a producer when they stood up for themselves (and their titles).

Either not long before the show started, or while it was airing, they apparently went to John Laurinitis' office, deposited the title belts, and then left the venue.

WWE flipped their wig, issuing a pretty biased statement on their website, and had Corey Graves describe them as "unprofessional" on the air*. From what I hear, Michael Cole was doing the same thing on SmackDown.

As of a news article I read earlier, they've officially been suspended, and stripped of the titles. This is apparently leading to a tournament to crown new champions, but given how few women they have on the main roster, getting to a field of four teams could be a challenge.

Interesting wrinkle - Naomi is apparently in negotiations for a new contract at present, and Sasha allegedly only has around two months left on her current deal.

* - I'm aware that Corey is probably just parroting Vince when he said that, ditto Cole on SD.

Of course, if John Lauranitis - aka Johnny Ace, aka "VP of Talent Relations" - was any good at his job, I doubt this would have happened. If he wasn't a misogynistic dinosaur (along with Pritchard and Vince), I imagine the NXT 2.0 women's division would look a bit more respectable, but that's another conversation entirely...

...

...OK, maybe that wasn't the short version.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Oh wow.

**Alpharius**

Has to be a work - and a reason to finally get Naomi into the Bloodline too.

**Dysartes**

I mean, you might be right - but if it is a work, it's already a far more effective story than anything they've run in, what, the last three or four years?

I just don't buy WWE suddenly being that competent.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Could be a bit of both? Initial walk-out genuine, since resolved and now built into an emergency angle?

**A Town Called Malus**

If it was a work, WWE wouldn't have removed their merch from sale.

**Sigur**

@bbb: I would love for Charlotte to put a wedding photo online with her wearing an arm brace.

Just for funsies.

@A Town Called Malus: I'm no expert on how the WWE shop works, but wouldn't they move the stuff to clearance first?

@Alpharius: Not a bad call at all. Make the whole thing a "bloodline vs WWE" story. They get Naomi even though she's 'suspended indefinately' into the Bloodline, it comes down to team WWE (Drew, Austin Theory, some non-RK-Bro tag team, Bianca Belair) vs. the Bloodline (then including the NXT guy who's somehow related to them. There is such a guy, right?) at Survivor Series 2023. Kinda like Team Cena vs. the Authority a bunch of years ago, but with the WWE as ...the good guys? Oh well.

@Mad Doc Grotsnik: Maybe? In my imagination Sasha Banks is a pretty eclectic person with tons of charisma. Speaking of which, I have no idea why WWE don't do more with her.

@Dysartes: You never know. Either way, I'd perfer them to be effective in doing wrestling angles about wrestlers wrestling.

**Dysartes**

You're thinking of Solo Sikoa, I think, Siggy (apologies if the spelling is wrong, working from memory).

**Sigur**

Dysartes wrote:
You're thinking of Solo Sikoa, I think, Siggy (apologies if the spelling is wrong, working from memory).

I'm sure I do.

The name sounds famliar from the NXT2.0 recaps in the cultaholic wrestling podast. That#s the only way i'm keeping up with NXT these days I'm afraid.

**bbb**

Solo Sikoa is the Usos younger brother.

**A Town Called Malus**

Sigur wrote:

@A Town Called Malus: I'm no expert on how the WWE shop works, but wouldn't they move the stuff to clearance first?

If WWE were interested in selling it, yes.

But by removing all merch for Sasha and Naomi from sale, they deny royalties to Sasha and Naomi. Sure, WWE doesn't get any money from the stuff not being sold either, but it's not the first time they have left money on the table in order to punish their employees.

**Sigur**

I'm still having a hard time believing it's not a work. Otherwise WWE wouldn't talk about it so much, even on the weekly A-show. Also - they really wouldn't wanna have either of them (mainly Banks, who can pretty much do anything, even beyond wrestling) to go anywhere else.

Automatically Appended Next Post:
Btw, if you're bored on a Sunday night, go watch Paul London/El Generico promos on youtube. I knew nothing about the guy beyond the fact that he exists, now I'm on the verge of being a fan. Talking about Paul London of course. El Generico is a saint, may he rest in peace. Or live in peace, whatever the story currently is.

**Dysartes**

Paul London - used to be in a tag team with Brian Kendrick, if I'm not mistaken, then got either released or buried for smiling in the backstage segment where Vince was on his way to get blown up in a limo.

Given everything we've seen over the last ten to fifteen years, I can't say I blame Paul for smiling if he knew that was going to be the end of the segment/show.

**bbb**

I knew the name Paul London from somewhere, but it took me a second to remember. He has a brother who runs a nerd website called Geekscape that a buddy of mine is heavily involved with.

I never saw any of his WWE stuff or promos so I'll have to check it out.

**Sigur**

Dysartes wrote:
Paul London - used to be in a tag team with Brian Kendrick, if I'm not mistaken, then got either released or buried for smiling in the backstage segment where Vince was on his way to get blown up in a limo.
...

Oh, that was him! Alrighty. I just watched El Generico stuff last night, ran across the promos (apparently filmed by Kevin Owens), and that's some first class stuff. The main goal seems to make everyone laugh and break character.

edit: Aaaargh, Will Ospreay is out again, this time with a kidney infection(!). Poor guy, he can't catch a break.