Promoter

pochorenella, I agree that ppv is the greatest ppv of the attitude era especially during the live broadcast. I can't explain it, but when I watch the show now it just doesn't feel the same in terms of aura with the exception of Rock/Austin. Yeah, Hogan/Andre sucked as a wrestling match, but certain spots in that match were definitely surreal. It seemed like a big time boxing match affair. When I watch WM 3 in memorex form certain things still seem surreal. Piper's "retirement" match for instance with the crowd going nuts. The six man with the Bulldogs and HF with Santana and Davis as a backstory. The upset of Jake "The Snake". I think overall WM 3 had better stories than WM 17.

I agree with cabbageboy. Justcoz makes some valid points, but if friggin Vince Mcmahon saw the light that its best to stick with either doing wrestling or staying behind the scenes then so should HHH. It just has never worked to any great degree even when Flair tore up the rings in 1989. The real problem lies in not creating new GOOD-GREAT bookers and writers for their programming and having people "try" it at the wwe level. It's just ass-backwards. Stephanie probably would have been much better if she went through the ranks. Instead she started at the top and basically isn't questioned with her crap for the most part because she's a Mcmahon. The same thing will happen with HHH. At least from the rumours I read Dibase was smart enough to go to OVW and work his way back up because he admitted to being overwhelmed by how the company runs creative in today's environment.

Man, that was damn classical stuff last night. Vintage DX HBK!

Because he's on the TEAM does not mean he has FINAL say. <{POST_SNAPBACK}> This sounds like a quote straight from Triple H on the Score network last fall

Yeah, even Test getting his foot caught in the ropes while Eddie Guerrero worried about what to do next in their match... <{POST_SNAPBACK}> Exactly!!! I mean things to REALLY stand the test of time. WM 17 will for the Austin heel turn, but as far as the greatness of the event I don't think so. I'm talking in terms of legendary status. WrestleMania 3 blows it out of the water imo with Hogan/Andre and Steamboat/Savage. WM 17 doesn't have anything on there like it. The TLC match is even outshined by the match at WM 16 because it was the first. Angle/Benoit was surpassed at the Rumble a couple of years later(one of the few things that will stand the test of time actually which just popped in my head).

Getting a little serious here, Meltzer says there are 18 writers on the staff. What the hell? He says that people rag on the wwe for not creating new top line stars, but they also haven't created any top line bookers and writers either. When Dusty Rhodes is wanted on the team and is a breath of fresh air something's seriously wrong. Someone mentioned Flair being an excellent booker. So why isn't he on the damn staff? What happened to million dollar man and Steamboat?

It's true it probably has to do with HHH, but the way Vince put pride into the "time honoured tradition" of his belt you would think nothing would stand in the way in keeping with tradition of having the wwe title the numero uno point blank. I mean they sure buried Booker T upon arrival with the big goldy didn't they?

Oh, okay. Seriously, that reads a lot better than how its come off. They've done a horrible job explaining this imo. All we need now is for the mother to show up during the match and kidnap Dominic and go to Mexico with the Mexicools.

So, I guess we are definitely going to see HHH become the greatest of all-time when he smashes Flair's record. I'm pretty sure the rumours of HHH/Hogan in the fall might have something to do with HBK/Hogan. I mean, he can't have HBK outshine him on this one after the last couple of years he's booked himself to defeat the showstopper. Some would call that retribution for all the times people called him a HBK wannabe in DX.

I think someone explained this already. Vince might have seen it as a way to kill some of Bret's appeal when he left for wcw to popularize that brand in Canada. I see why Bret would balk about this especially when there was a racist angle that everyone forgets that surrounded DX/Hart Foundation at the time. I say both Vince and Hart needed to get over themselves at that time. In hindsight, if Vince was so protective of his main title why did he have the big gold belt become the major title in the last couple of years? Probably doesn't have anything to do with it, but it sure seems Flair's belt got better treatment than the Bret belt until recently.

In my past posts I have creatively praised Austin turning heel(some aspects at least), but the truth is in terms of history I don't think it will stand the test of time. Something like Hogan's heel turn will imo. Maybe it's not really Austin's fault, but the wwe's handling of it with all the confusion with the invasion and turning him back face the way they did. It was something like Goldberg and Sting's heel turn, but on a bigger scale. The fans kind of didn't buy it for the most part or it just killed Austin's fanbase. Again, I liked the idea behind it, but for the most part I don't think it played out the way either Vince or Austin had planned and that's why it got aborted the way it did.

The mask thing I was just goofing on. I think the mask is needed to help him differentiate from everybody else. We all know what happens with cruisers and Rey would just follow that path without his mask. I didn't take it as Eddie giving up Dominic because he didn't care. It seems as though Eddie didn't come out with the "secret" because they agreed it was best for all parties to go along with the "lie" to prevent any problems for the participants. Again, it's stupid. Rey is still looking like a punk-ass who his wife cheated on with his best friend and got played by both persons and is rearing the love child. I agree the wwe could have found a better actress for that role. Better yet, just cut that whole stupid segment out.

Hell, will anyting in the last few years stand the test of time? I think that's a greater question. I honestly can't say. Not even the great WM 17 because Austin's heel turn was a flop for the most part.

Come on Benjamin had the belt for 8 months. He couldn't have jobbed that much To be fair, HHH never actually said he was a writer although Landsberg started the show stating so. HHH said he was just "helping" with creative Don't blame Vince. He's getting old and being taken advantage of by his little girl. Blame that Shane Mcmahon for allowing a wrestler to infiltrate the family and take his position

Didn't we know this already? With guys like Rey Mysterio coming up with stupid storylines as well I wonder how they stumble across entertaining segments and matches sometimes. Ironic, someone says the shows haven't been consistently good since WM 17 when the IWC was abuzz about HHH being with Steph. I swear they lucked out with WM 17 that year. It had to be the lead writer that quit who put down the basics around SummerSlam for Stephanie to be apart of WM 17. Although that show is over-rated sometimes IMO because we had crap like Jericho pissing in Regal's cup of tea and the RTC nonsense. Once the basic stuff like Austin turning heel and Undertaker retaining his streak were creatively well done it went to hell in a handbasket. At least we are getting some of the mid 90's worked shoot stuff with HBK's promos lately and not Katie Vick crap.

That's the thing. IN THE PAST. That guy(can't remember his damn name for the life of me right now) said he was a drug addict as if its in the present. I don't know I just found it irrelevant to the current story. The whole ironic thing in all of this is that Eddie is actually being the good guy here coming out with the "truth". This is just a stupid storyline. If Eddie was lying than Rey wouldn't respond the way he has. Why shouldn't Dominic know his real father? It would have to come out sometime. The whole thing is just dumb and now they added this silly stipulation. I honestly can't see how Rey thought this thing out. Now he wants to fight Eddie for the right to have Dominic call him dad? He's looking like a punk-ass imo and not to mention how this makes his wife look. Just retarded.

Well, I think if they are going to Ford Field the only possible match that can generate Hogan/Andre type heat is Hogan/Austin. They would have to slow build that from NOW just as rumblings were going around for Hogan/Andre in '85-'86 and the company waited for the SilverDome to have the match. I think they need to build John Cena up more as champion as well to help draw the newer fans. They will have to bring back The Rock and use him in a real match. This is long term thinking here, but what do many think of this? Some of this obviously won't happen, but I think this would be the only way to really upstage the legend of WM 3 in Detroit. Main Attraction REAL RETIREMENT MATCH(obvious problem is no one would by it being either man's last match) Hogan vs. Austin WWE Title John Cena finally drops the title after a 2 year reign. I can see the face cringing through the computer, but this would be the only thing similar to Hogan/Andre's title match and long term impact("15 years" undefeated against 3 year title reign). I would perhaps have Rock FINALLY win a damn title match at Mania here. OR Rock vs. Shawn Michaels They will need to build up John Cena for the newer fans and really hype the hell out of Hogan and Austin's fanbase, while bringing back The Rock's fanbase. This is the only way I can see them even coming close to WM 3's drawing power and this is being rather generous. Or perhaps they will end the brand split by then. Brock would help if he ever came back and delivered on the potential everyone sees in him. I mean Vince must have thought this guy really was the Next big thing the way he got pushed in 2002.

"Emotional distress"? Maybe he should have told his dad how to come up with a better storyline and he wouldn't have this problem. This is more ridiculous than Austin's stupid sheriff idea to creative. It's right up there with Hogan's yappapapapapapi strap match Dominic chill out. Eddie is cooler than Rey. I mean he's ashamed of his own face in public with that mask What I didn't like was that idiot hosting Experience calling Eddie a drug addict. Where the hell did that come from? 18 writers on staff and this is what they come up with?

Jim Ross has gone one record saying HOGAN SOLD MORE TICKETS, while AUSTIN MADE MORE MONEY. Make your own conclusions from that. BTW, Hulk Hogan was basically responsible for jumpstarting TWO BOOM periods. I think the question in terms of pure name value is no question.

Some good points made here about HBK being at his peak at WM 11. I've felt that the wwe tried to learn from that by putting the title on Cena at WM 21 instead of stretching it out until next year like so many critics were stating they should do. The belt should have gone on Shawn at Mania 11 imo. I think we should expect something like WM 11's match where Shawn is heel, but he does face stuff in the match to keep fans from totally turning on him. Speaking of Cena, I also think they are setting up Cena/HBK post SummerSlam. The 1995-2005 comparisons are too much to pass up.

Am I the only person who actually thinks Hassan will return, but will be tweaked in a fashion to play off all this negativity? Hassan is getting the type of reaction Vince wants. It's just that UPN threw them a curve. Vince went ahead with Slaughter/Hogan which was worse imo because they actually showed photoshopped pictures of Slaughter with Saddam for crying out loud. It didn't stop Vince then. Hell, JBL is STILL getting pushed as a damn main eventer simply because he gained some heel heat last year in Germany. I think the original poster's comments about the "scoop" could be very true. I bet Hassan returns and wins the US title. The wwe will just not have him as the main champion on the show.

Another writer getting on his high horse to write the obvious about the wwe. Seriously, he does make good points, but everyone here has said the same things many times and I'm sure casual viewers at home know it as well. If these writers haven't noticed their responses are exactly what Vince wants when he runs these angles. If they want Vince to clean up his act they should write articles on stuff like Benoit winning the damn title after years and years of busting his ass in different companies and how Eddie Guerrero fixed up his life. That stuff doesn't get written, so Vince does stupid shit to get a response in the media. The only time the media REALLY paid wrestling any mind besides the glory days of the 80's under Vince's watch was Mike Tyson's angle with Austin and Austin feuding with his boss. I bet Vince read that article and is thinking up ways to bring back Hassan to infuriate the media even more, but in a less PR disaster way. I mean, JBL says it all.

You know I love my conspiracies and everything, however on a serious note it does seem odd that the wwe had Vengence packed the way it was and then the following ppv stunk up the joint in GAB which wasn't two weeks after an ECW reunion show. I mean, it just looks too ironic. Hassan ban or not I have not seen ONE person ANYWHERE say the ppv had anything remotely entertaining besides Rey/Eddie which was also claimed to be tied up with Rey's son at ringside making their match weaker than the previous ppv match. Just to add another conspiracy here is that the wwe deliberately makes GAB stink up the joint because it's a wcw related ppv. I mean two years in a row?

I can see some of these matches happening, but Angle/HHH? WHY?

Actually, I think the epitome of wrestling for the general audience is wwe. I kind of get the points that were being made with ECW, but I think in people's heart the wwf is always wrestling. I mean, look at how the internet was rallying behind the wwe to comeback in the war against the "evil" wcw. Hell, ecw "sold out" to the wwe by going on raw, but no one complained. I think the wwe is really the epitome. Now, this doesn't mean I agree with all the crap over the years, but when the wwe really hits its stride whether in matches, storytelling, or character it has no equal.