King Cucaracha

As AS mentioned, Brock hasn't had a PPV win for who months. He needs to go over on PPV for some credibility, and Vince just wants to feed him someone who won't be damaged by losing to Brock. Which is why Benoit isn't getting the match, because he's set to beat Brock. That's why Eddie and Cena aren't getting the match, because Vince needs to keep them strong for what they have coming up. Looking down the list, out of the rest of the roster left, Holly had an easily buildable storyline with Brock...plus Vince expected return pops for Holly, so he's going with that. And to those of you saying he's just a midcarder...remember, in the storyline...Holly is capable of anything.

What is it that makes me an anti-smark. Not having an anti-HHH-joke about his voice-sig like yourself? Read what I posted again. I said the idea was a solid one, it's execution was poor, but expected. People like you expecting a ***** classic every time Benoit or Guerrero step into a ring...heat of Iraq or not, Christmas season or not, non important show not my opinion but the opinion of the boss or not...is what I'm talking about. If I'm an anti-smark for not expecting Benoit/Angle 2 from a throwaway show in a foreign country...maybe I'm an anti-smark. Then MAYBE you're a smark for saying the show blew. I'm sure the troops liked it, that was the point of the show...thank you. Then again, don't listen to me... ...my opinion differs from yours, so I'm an anti-smark. For the record, the HHH quote in my sig is from someone in the Hardcore discussion forum who turned a Simpsons quote into a joke on HHH's YJ Stinger commercials. 'Tis funny. My main point is that some people, you know, LIKE WRESTLING, so when there isn't wrestling on a show, they don't like it. The anti-smark comment isn't based on what you say about entertaining the troops, it's about whenever someone complains about ANYTHING, people jump in with the "quit being so negative", "the match was great", "the match was fine as is", "quit looking so deep and just enjoy it", "yeah...well...you didn't like it...PURO SUCKS". 1) HHHate was bad enough last year. This year it bores the hell out of me. Sorry, but I'm quick to nitpick over that. That and SuckBagging. 2) I don't agree with the complaints. Also, I think those complaining are missing the point. If Vince wanted his guys to go out every night and put on ***** matches, he could. He doesn't. People who moan because he doesn't annoy me, because unless you've been living under a rock for years, you'll know it's more likely you'll get entertainment than wrestling from the E. If you don't like complaints and counter-complaints, you're in the wrong folder believe me. Hell, I'm only here looking to rant because I'm bored with X-Mas. And if you like wrestling, at the moment you're in the wrong folder. That is the point with most of these complaints. SD! from Iraq was never...NEVER...going to be a wrestling tour de force. And nobody should have expected more than what it was.

What? Oh boy, some people* are gonna be unhappy about that. *=the whole folder

What is it that makes me an anti-smark. Not having an anti-HHH-joke about his voice-sig like yourself? Read what I posted again. I said the idea was a solid one, it's execution was poor, but expected. People like you expecting a ***** classic every time Benoit or Guerrero step into a ring...heat of Iraq or not, Christmas season or not, non important show not my opinion but the opinion of the boss or not...is what I'm talking about. If I'm an anti-smark for not expecting Benoit/Angle 2 from a throwaway show in a foreign country...maybe I'm an anti-smark. Then MAYBE you're a smark for saying the show blew. I'm sure the troops liked it, that was the point of the show...thank you. Then again, don't listen to me... ...my opinion differs from yours, so I'm an anti-smark.

Yeah, but I'd watch porno or go to a gentlemen's club for that kind of thing. The marquee says 'Wrestling.' Yeah, but read the next word on this marquee, and it'll say 'Entertainment'. Or better yet, re-watch the past 7 years of programming and count up the amount of times they mention 'sports entertainment'. It shocks me that people either STILL don't know what to expect when they watch the WWE, or they moan when what is expected happens. I mean, come on...it was always billed as a 'show for the troops'. It was a glorified house show, an opportunity for the wrestlers to feel special(the only good thing to come out of this whole trip)...anybody who expected an awesome show because they were in a country other than America is pretty stupid to be honest. Anybody who expected Vince to put on a great show KNOWING viewing figures would probably be down on Christmas Day anyway is pretty stupid. RRR, you said 'why televise it'. I think you already know why. Vince was looking for cheap publicity. 'Let's go to Iraq, entertain the troops, throw in some cheap pop Saddam jokes and get some free publicity.' And I agree that this was a stupid idea. Like I said, Vince knew ratings would be down anyway, so decided to put on a throwaway show that might produce some publicity. And choosing which shows matter and which don't is not good business. But wrestling is still before entertainment on the marquee. Whether Vince likes to admit it or not even he knows if he went full on with the enteretainment route, he'd bomb. Just because viewership is going to be down doesn't mean it's a good idea to have a bad show. In fact, that's all the more reason to have a great show as a treat to all the hardcore WWE fans who are actually watching but I suspose they don't matter to the WWE. If that's the mindset of the WWE, I'm scared. Complacency will ruin the company. Not that the WWE can put on a good show in the first place but they can at least try to be their normal idiotic selves instead of the atrocity we got from Iraq. 1) By that logic, 'World' comes first...and from the pro-American bullshit we regularly get, you can tell what Vince thinks of that. 2) Read down below the point you picked out. I already said all you said. It wasn't a good idea to be complacent about the show. I know that. I'm just saying, Vince doesn't want to waste big happenings like Cena's US Title win when most people are busy celebrating Christmas. If people saw the Thanksgiving shows, they'd realise what was going to happen. Filler, wins for popular guys, women in festive costumes, a throwaway bout between smark darlings, and some mindless crowd popping. If people watched the show expecting a great show, I pity them. And complacency will damage the company. Ruin it? People have been predicting the WWE's death for, what, 3 years? Still looks alive to me.

Yeah, but I'd watch porno or go to a gentlemen's club for that kind of thing. The marquee says 'Wrestling.' Yeah, but read the next word on this marquee, and it'll say 'Entertainment'. Or better yet, re-watch the past 7 years of programming and count up the amount of times they mention 'sports entertainment'. It shocks me that people either STILL don't know what to expect when they watch the WWE, or they moan when what is expected happens. I mean, come on...it was always billed as a 'show for the troops'. It was a glorified house show, an opportunity for the wrestlers to feel special(the only good thing to come out of this whole trip)...anybody who expected an awesome show because they were in a country other than America is pretty stupid to be honest. Anybody who expected Vince to put on a great show KNOWING viewing figures would probably be down on Christmas Day anyway is pretty stupid. RRR, you said 'why televise it'. I think you already know why. Vince was looking for cheap publicity. 'Let's go to Iraq, entertain the troops, throw in some cheap pop Saddam jokes and get some free publicity.' And I agree that this was a stupid idea. Like I said, Vince knew ratings would be down anyway, so decided to put on a throwaway show that might produce some publicity. And choosing which shows matter and which don't is not good business.

On Boxing Day? You scoundrel! On topic, Johnson is trying way too hard not to care. And I await the awards show. Unfortunately, sitting in the SJL section means I have to put up with that damn Rando for 4 hours. Off topic...Thumbtack, the combination of your avatar and sig are really beginning to creep me out.

Sadly, I'll be surprised if Shane doesn't go over.

Oh please. Did you all not watch Smackdown last week? We all know the true Lord of the Dance is Vince.

The Smackdown were Eddie 'apologises' on Chavo's orders. He's cutting a really emotional promo and suddenly some guy in crowd shouts out "You Suck". The funny part is Eddie looks right at the guy, and uses it to his advantage. That sure shut the guy up. Eddie rules.

Agreed...by no means a great match, but underrated.

Lesnar vs Show from Judgment Day was better than the reception it got, especially considering who was in it. I enjoyed Big Show vs Undertaker from No Way Out a lot more than seemingly anyone else here for some reason. The funny thing is, rewatching it...I still enjoyed it, but I'm not too sure why. There was the three on one with Angle vs Show and TWGGT pre Vengeance(?), which is one of the few times Angle has been booked to look like a star. Guerreros/TWGGT from Backlash doesn't get as much love as it deserves. Orton/Michaels wasn't bad. Cena vs Angle from No Mercy was a very enjoyable match And Cena/Lesnar from Backlash is nowhere near as bad as most people say.

Exactly. I guess Vince heard the pop for Foley/Rock on Raw a few weeks back, and thought it'd be a good Wrestlemania treat. Then again, I wouldn't be surprised if they stick with HHH vs Orton, and make it Batista/Flair vs Rock n' Sock for the Belts.

So much for the "God Push" everybody's bitching about. Yeah, some God Push when he doesn't hold a clean win over anyone more important than Rob Van Dam, and he doesn't even have definate plans for Wrestlemania.

...bastard. *hits Rando with tennis racket*

Orton definately. Same for Cena. Dupree in a few years time. Personal pick would be Rey Mysterio...he's proved he can go against the main eventers. Doug Basham as an outside chance, if he breaks away from Danny next year.

Lists like this are always a matter of opinion. If you don't like it, fine. It always seems to be the people who refuse to listen to opinions other than their own who complain about these lists the most. I can udnerstand not agreeing with certain things. Saying the entire list automatically sucks because your favourite wrestler isn't 'high enough' is pretty short sighted. There's no need to be a whiny little bitch(*ahem* Sledgehammer) to the guy posting because he posted it. If you're that bothered, write to/e-mail the magazine and complain. I'm sure they'll change it on one person's obviously better opinion. Coffin Surfer- HBK '94 always bothered me too. '96 Michaels probably got the nod because he put on good matches which got him gradually more over and more high profile. Plus I think he got extra marks for pulling decent matches out of less-talented wrestlers like Sid. But, yeah...the list is the most controversial part with the mag. Other than that, it's usually cosher.

Yay me. Yay Clark. Yay me vs Clark when we get back. Yay to Santa for actually showing. Boo to all the many no-shows, which unfortunately is becoming more and more of a problem.

So you actually wouldn't mind seeing an unmasked Ultimo Dragon being Funaki's lackey (most likely on Velocity, and Vince would probably still act like he was off TV), wearing rap clothing, coming out to shitty rap music, doing the Bronco Buster, wearing devil horns, using some silly Japanese catchphrase, and then eating chop suey? Well, congratulations ignoring me again and twisting my point. Funaki's lackey? More likely Tajiri's. Rap Clothing? Real original man, congrats. He doesn't LOOK like a rapper anyway. Shitty Rap Music? Who is it that can't tell Rey and Ultimo apart again...Vince, or you. doing the Bronco Buster, wearing devil horns? Read above Silly Japanese Catchphrase? Likely. 1 out of 7, congrats. eating chop suey? Real funny. Thank you for insulting my view just because you don't agree with it. When those things happen, let me know I won't be holding my breath.

Exactly. I'm just surprised he hasn't started 'breathign fire' yet. Face it. Vince doesn't follow puro, so I doubt he realises that the masks are much more meant to be distinguishing factors than in America. He sees Rey with a mask, sees Ultimo with a mask and sees them as two masked men rather than two men wearing different masks. If you see what I mean. Which is another reason why Josh Matthews should be running the WWE. I doubt Vince is too clued up on the importance of the mask either. As I'm obviously not. So obviously I'm not too clued up ont he importance. I just think he might still be able to do well without the mask. I'm not saying I WANT Dragon to be unmasked, I'm just saying it may not be the end of the world if it happens, like everyone else here thinks. It doesn't HAVE to kill Dragon's career. I'm probably too positive and over-expectant of Vince I guess.

I'd prefer it if he leaves too. I understand Dragon's heritage, and I udnerstand the importance of the mask. It's just I can see how this COULD if played right be a positive for Dragon.

I can't believe how incredibly short-sighted this philosophy is. You're advocating the man piss away his legacy - and any future impact for the Dragon character - just to get what would amount to nothing more than a modest push. By your logic, EVERY shitty gimmick devised would be worth doing if it puts the worker on TV and with a decent push. I still don't get how this would be a 'shitty gimmick'. I don't see why no-one can believe Ultimo can be a successful Ultimo without his mask. Future impact for the character? Such as exactly? There's sure as hell none for him in the WWE at the moment. How many years has Asai got left in his career anyway? I doubt he'll be making much more impact with the Ultimo Dragon mask, or not. And the point is, do you think Vince cares is he has the 'legendary' mask or not? Not really. But he already has a masked high flier in Mysterio. As far as Vince is concerned, Ultimo to Rey would be like giving another another wrestler a rap gimmick, and expecting him to be bigger and better than John Cena. Forgive me for rather seeing a maskless Yoshihiro Asai on Smackdown than a masked Ultimo Dragon jobbing on Velocity.

He could do it in Japan then...

Well, I'd presume he'd do Ok without the mask, if wherever he goes works it well enough and is understanding about it. And I understand he'd probably have problems with re-masking, due to the honor and tradition...but I suppose he could re-mask. I'm sure the wrestling world would be understanding.

Knowing the E's love for perpetuating good storylines on TV, he'll lose the mask, get a whole month (wow!) of TV time and then, bam, right back to Velocity with you, Asai Oh yeah, what happened to those other guys after WCW fell anyway? ReyRey put the mask back on like it never happened, which is a big no-no in mask traditionalism I dunno about the other two guys, but I can tell you where they aren't Hmm...a month of T.V time, or no T.V time. I wonder which would be better. And sure, Juvi and Psicosis aren't in the WWE. That's not because they lost their masks. It's because Vince doesn't like their styles of wrestling, and/or attitudes. They got pushes after losing their masks in the WCW, remember?