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**

So today I heard that AEW are entering a partnership with DDT. Just yesterday I signed up for Wrestle Universe, DDT's streaming service (it works really well, even though I can't find the app in the google play store so I can watch on my cellphone).

I know squat about DDT except for the quirky things of years past you keep hearing about. BUT if I'm informed correctly, this means that there'll be further cooperation between Tokyo Joshi Pro Wrestling and AEW, and THAT is something I'm interested in. And honestly, I think that this is a large chunk of the reason for this partnership. Hikaru Shida showing up for Grand Princess 22 (and being a great heel. Hollywood Shida, we may call her for things concerning TJPW

) two days ago is a good sign there.

Btw, Grand Princess 22 was 60% longer and 75% bigger than I thought it would be. And it was good. Really interesting to see how they book PPVs.

**Sigur**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-tptoeJbkyc

I'm watching this interview, and it's just insane how well MJF's character is put together. Eddie Kingston is the most authentic dude out there, but MJF just may be the close second, which seems insane, but I'm almost convinced of it.

**Dysartes**

...and Triple H has announced his in-ring retirement after last year's cardiac event.

**A Town Called Malus**

Dysartes wrote:
...and Triple H has announced his in-ring retirement after last year's cardiac event.

Not surprising, unfortunately.

**Sigur**

Yeah, that sucks. :/ It really does. I mean he's been the dad of the whole thing for years. It's almost hard to believe with all these miraculous returns we've seen over the past years. But this one seems to stick. I wonder what his future in the WWE will be. Either way, he'll be OK. He's the cerebral assassin.

**A Town Called Malus**

Paul Levesque to AEW, perhaps?

Put him in charge of Ring of Honor. It would be perfect for him, I think. Basically his version of NXT 2.0.

**Sigur**

Ha, that idea tickles me on some dramatic level, but it makes so incredibly little sense from HHH's perspective.

Unless Cody and him start a little dance between territories.

Watching Stone Cold's chat with Lita. Lita seems to be a really cool lady.

**Sigur**

I'm watching the segment with Seth Rollins being called into Vince's office for his wrestlemania match. A bunch of months ago I already was a bit ....oversaturated with heel Seth Rollins (I guess I should be careful what I wish for), but now he's full-on The Mask, right?

it's weird, but I have to say that I prefer Reigns over Rollins these days.

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

They’ve definitely cracked Reigns as a character. I’ve always been a fan of his, but then his push came just as I was getting into Wrasslin’.

In hindsight it does seem the relentless push was the objection rather than the man himself (the support shown when his Leukaemia returned spoke volumes). But now they’re not pushing against the audience, he’s over as a Heel.

Rollins I can be Marmite on. I really like him as a performer, but enjoy Face Rollins more than Heel Rollins, if only because his Heel turns always feel like they last too long.

**Sigur**

Yeah, I absolutely agree on Reigns. He seems to be a cool guy, and they finally got him right as a character. It's a shame WWE are lacking in top babyfaces now, but you can see that they're working on that, pushing Damien Priest and... the other face they got. Also: Kevin Owens, bravely reminding the world of the rotten egg that is texas and the rotten egg that is Steve Austin. That horrible man!

I don't see how Rollins could ever work as a face unless he's got a very specific and very dastardly heel to work off of. His match with Roman recently was really good. But in general I think the guy's just a natural baddie.

I love heel Rollins in general, but I just can't get behind the over the top cackling cartoon figure persona. They can't really make him a chicken poo heel any more (as he was in his hayday, holding on to that MitB coffer for ever), but something slightly more serious. He's not a very naturally funny guy I think, but one heck of a wrestler.

Honestly, I'd love to see him lead a stable. But I want every top guy to lead a stable.

I like stables. Stables make everything better. The more, the better.

Aaaanyway, on the cultaholic news I just heard that AEW were interested in Toni Storm (don't know her very well.), and Athena (f.k.a. Ember Moon). And the latter got me more excited than is probably warranted, but I really like Ember Moon and I wanna see her wrestle again.

**Dysartes**

Damien Priest, the guy they turned heel, Siggy?

**bbb**

WWE has such as face problem.

Heels: Roman, Seth, KO (occasionally), Miz, Sami, AJ, Dolph, Shamus, Corbin

All the above do nice jobs as heels. But faces?

Faces: Riddle, McIntyre, Ricochet, uh...

**A Town Called Malus**

Toni Storm is great, she had some great matches on NXT UK.

**Sigur**

Dysartes wrote:
Damien Priest, the guy they turned heel, Siggy?

Oops, right you are. Well... Cody should work as a face, right? Or will they introduce him as a heel? Surely they wouldn't. Once the initial singles run ebbs off, partner him up with Austin Theory and build him up as a big, company-on-back-carrying babyface!

Yeah, I agree there, bbb. And I somehow just don't like Riddle. McIntyre slipped badly since he lost the title (hope he gets it back at some point), and Ricochet.... phew.

@A Town Called Malus: I'm sure she is. I also saw a few of these matches I'm sure, I just have to get familiar with her. Looks like she'll be well fine in AEW.

**Alpharius**

If only Vince hadn't inexplicably given up on Finn Balor as a main-eventer?

Probably soured on him as he was definitely one of HHH's favorites.

Oh well!

**Dysartes**

Sounds like the All-Mighty might've experienced a face turn while injured - should be interesting to see how that gets pulled off, especially with the generally-heel MVP as mouthpiece.

**Sigur**

I dread to see face lashley again...

**Mad Doc Grotsnik**

Lashley’s another one I struggle with, likely due to booking.

H

**Sigur**

I've been too, but put a pair of big sunglasses on him, a big suit, and book him as a big monster heel and I'm all on board.

Geez, I'm tired of Danhausen. He seems to be a great guy, I wish him all the best, but a wrestler who states his main goal a being popular on tv and 'make moneys' I can't take seriously as a babyface.Maybe it's a US thing. And yes indeed, he's got his stuff in hot topic and so on, but that's no reason for me to root for the guy at all. Being rich or good at marketing isn't why I kinda like the Young Bucks (still).

Aaaanyway, I watched Bloodsport 8 yesterday, and it was very interesting. Different. Recently I've been watching Tokyo Joshi Pro, so very different.

But it was pretty cool. Speedball Mike Bailey, Ninja Mack (who I love) in a FIGHT, without mask or flips (well, one, but that was spectacular), Johnny Bloodsport vs. Simon Gotch (bad mask, but he seems to be going to NOAH. Very, very interesting. NOAH seem to be on an interesting journey to the West, and I'm all on board with Ninja Mack and Simon Gotch). Also, Minoru Suzuki is the greatest, isn't he.

Watch that match. It's insane. Moxley and Bill Busick got all crazy. Oh, and I saw Masha Slamovich for the first time. Cool. Her opponent was great too though, the Kick Demon something Kai. There's so much wrestlikng going on this weekend; it's crazy.

**bbb**

So, Undertaker getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame was kind of emotional at times. What a career. What a deadman.

**Dysartes**

Did the Deadman manage to remain deadpan?

**Sigur**

It all went accordingly to the deadplan.

Wrestlemania Night 1

Spoiler:

**Dysartes**

Unrelated note to shows over the weekend, but I was able to make it to Wales Comic Con and meet Sammy Guevara, Tay Conti and both of reDRagon, which was pretty cool

**Sigur**

wait, what? That's pretty amazing.

**Sigur**

Wrestlemania Night 2

Spoiler:

Anyway, it was rather okay, if long. Night 2 made up for a lot, I thought. The overall build was much better than on night 1, I think.

**bbb**

Sigur wrote:
Wrestlemania Night 2

Spoiler:

I enjoyed it a whole lot more than night 1. At first I wasn't, and seriously thought I'm somehow done with WWE things. I was bored, I didn't like the people I'm supposed to like. However, it got better over time. I strongly and deeply dislike Pat McAfee for some reason, and I very muchj like Austin Theory. Yes, McAfee is very good in the ring. We knew that, right? From that Cole match. Anyway, what happened thereafter got me greatly entertained I have to say. Even that Austin (Stone Cold Steve, not Theory) segment was WAY better than the night before. The Lesnar match was great.

Now for that Jackas match thing. Sami Zayn is one of my favourite wrestlers. I've never seen a single episode of Jackass. For what it was, the match was pretty good.

All in all, I found this wrestlemania a bit underwhelming. I find lots of WWE-isms to be very grating. Like the unnecessary video packages and the HORRIBLE dialogue in the KO sement on night 1 and the constant and endless"last night..." videos on night 2. Get rid of that crap, get rid of the ads, shorten the video packages, have matches.

I also don't get cheerleading. It's very impressive how the ladies (and dudes) do things in synch, but it always feels like an archaic, local quirk to me.

Anyway, it was rather okay, if long. Night 2 made up for a lot, I thought. The overall build was much better than on night 1, I think.

In the USA the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders are supposed to be a big deal, but in reality no one actually cares about them. More of a holdover from the last millennium when the Cowboys were a force to be reckoned with.

**Sigur**

I'm fully on the Ezekiel train. He looked amazing. He's got the best hair. He looks like a wrestler. Please, WWE, don't mess him up.

Btw, Hook. Here's what's good about him: He's got pretty hair. He doesn't play video games, or D&D or with little puppets or all that geeky crap. He doesn't make jokes. All of which is very refreshing for a pro wrestler.

edit: Just heard that Austin Theory wants to be referred to as 'theory' in the future. This sucks. 80% of why I'm so much behind this guy was due to how great I thought the name sounds. I knew nowthing about the guy, but loved the name (10% is because I actually think he'll be a big name in the future, 10% I'm taking the piss because the people I watch WWE stuff with detest him almost as much as youtubers

).

edit2: I know, they want us to think of Rollins as "the joker", because we're not able to think outside of bloody comicbook figures now. But he really isn't is he. He's just Seth Rollins being told by his wife what to wear (and all the better for it. he always looks very impressive), and making the smarks sick of his witch laughter. All that being said - I like the dynamic between him and Cody Rhodes. That program could become really good. And for the first time I got a tiny little vibe of Joker vs. Batman there. Because without Batman the Joker is just one more dude in silly clothes. Cody is the perfect counter-part for "I enjoy my heel gimmick a bit too much"-Rollins, because Cody does the same in the face direction. If this was a WWE-original face it would all come down to stupid jokes and all. I think that cody's character - be he as crazy artificial as he is - could make this feud very interesting simply by how contrasting him and Rollins' presentations are.

**Dysartes**

Sigur wrote:
Btw, Hook. Here's what's good about him: He's got pretty hair. He doesn't play video games, or D&D or with little puppets or all that geeky crap. He doesn't make jokes. All of which is very refreshing for a pro wrestler.

If my choice is between pro wrestlers getting into the "geeky crap", or the sort of things that went on backstage in the 80's and 90's, I'll take the geeky crap, please.

And Hook has a passing interest, at least, given he's been on a few of Ethan PAge's Toy Hunt vlogs - though I'm not sure he's bought anything he's at least been curious.

Anyway... that Mox/Yuta match on Rampage, eh?

**Sigur**

I have to catch up on Rampage! Somehow there's been quite some Wrestling to watch last week and lots of other things to do! But I'm always up for a Moxley match, and Wheeler Yuta can do amazing things.

edit: oh yes, the Mox-Yuta match was quite something indeed.

Very nice. Entirely unrelated to things above - Somehow I always hear "Blackpool Comic Club". But it's a very interesting group there. Looking forward to what they do next.

edit2: Watching Rampage.
1.) William Regal is great.
2.) Dustin Rhodes is kinda turning into Martin Crane. During that nice backstage promo I realized how much they sound alike too.
3.) Wahey, we're getting a Saturday thing, featuring Dalton Castle! I like that guy.

**Sigur**

Kushida is out of WWE. I hope he made a ton of money. Now I'd love to see him pop up elsewhere again. I love Kushida. He can do it all, and in my perception it was a waste having him in NXT for so long. I had some high hopes when he was brought into NXT, because there was some dream matches to be had there then, but ..nothing. So I'm happy that he'll pop up elsewhere now, and it will be great..

Also, seems like Sammy Guevara is back where he belongs: being an obnoxious heel.

His face run was pretty good, but the Tay Conti stuff certainly and irreversably puts him in the heel corner. Which is ok. He's basically made for that. He's like an evil Jungle Boy. I don't care all that much for either to be honest, but once the match is on there's at least two times per match I have to go "wow, he IS good, that one".

Spoiler: