what

lol

And didn't Hogan turn against everything he stood for when he turned heel in 1996? That really drove people away from WCW, didn't it?

A change was needed in Austin's character. That's not what caused fans to tune out. Austin siding with McMahon was undoubtedly a major factor in turning off a lot of fans. That's the time I stopped watching and it had nothing to do with Austin leaving. The Austin/Vince/Angle skits were the only things I watched for. The fans were going to leave either way because the product was dick. At least they were trying something new with the Austin turn. Read what MARTYEWR just posted. Austin siding with an authority figure, the same figure whose feud against Austin pulled in a ton of new fans, was a major turn off to those fans. The very thing that drew them in was shoved in their faces as being complete bullshit. If Austin would have kept feuding with Vince, the same fans would have went away because it had been done to death by then. I don't buy that "they left because nothing truly means anything" bullshit. If the product at that time didn't blow, people would've stayed. Austin's heel turn was entertaining. The invasion angle itself was not.

A change was needed in Austin's character. That's not what caused fans to tune out. Austin siding with McMahon was undoubtedly a major factor in turning off a lot of fans. That's the time I stopped watching and it had nothing to do with Austin leaving. The Austin/Vince/Angle skits were the only things I watched for. The fans were going to leave either way because the product was dick. At least they were trying something new with the Austin turn.

A change was needed in Austin's character. That's not what caused fans to tune out.

I agree wholeheartedly. Anyone complaining about wrestlers "biting the hand that fed them" need look no further than Shawn Michaels, the poster child of selfishness. The manlove he gets all over the place seems a bit misplaced considering how often he used to put himself above the other wrestlers, and quite unprofessionally at that. I, for one, would welcome Lesnar back in a heartbeat. I guess I just miss great wrestling. Shawn Michaels didn't get a private jet with his fuel bills paid for him. Plus, Shawn has produced more memorable matches than Brock and has stayed with the company, whereas Brock produced few and left when he got bored. Shawn screwed up a planned major WM match. Brock didn't. Brock/Goldberg. Brock was originally meant to go over before he asked to get out. Not the main event, but a high profile match. And a WM is one thing, hundreds of thousands of dollars spent to appease one person is another. At least Brock v Goldberg took place. Shawn screwed up the main event because he hated Bret, Brock left because he didn't want to be demoted or repeat a feud. If Shawn was going to beat Bret at WM XIII, he'd have 'gotten past his hate'. Would you co-operate with and make yourself look worse than someone you genuinely hated? Bret lost to Michaels the year before and when it's time for Michaels to return that, he pussies out. There is no defending him. He was a bitch. He never abandoned the business though. That's what Brock did. I think he deserves another chance. I'd love to see Brock/Batista and Brock/Benoit again.

I think they should have Orton lose to Edge at Mania, switch him to SmackDown and turn him heel again.

ECW fans went apeshit over 911 and Johnny Grunge. What's so odd about them doing the same for Sid?

That's incorrect. More people watch SmackDown than they do Raw.

I think wrestling will have to be completely destroyed and then rebuilt before there's another boom from the ground up. As long as the WWE is around, there will not be another boom.

Benoit's recent title reign was booked horribly toward the end of it.

I can't see him being worth more than 100 million.

Your card sucked ass. "Set up the Angle/HBK match three days before Mania!" Just horrible. The Rock vs. Edge. Why? Horrible.

Nobody, outside of Bret and HBK, would have been better to do the nWo angle than Hall and Nash. Taker would have been worthless without the gimmick. Sid and Bulldog had been with the WCW before. Owen didn't have the personality to do it. Hall and Nash were perfect in their roles.

Agreed. Could you imagine seeing the Rock in a movie where the trailer doesn't show him walking in slo-mo before he hits someone? He can't do anything but action flicks. Something will suck, and he'll be back. Be Cool isn't an action movie.

This post sums it up nicely.

The Silverdome looked fine when I went there a few months ago for a Bush rally. They'd be smart to have it there because it'd probably be a lot of cheaper than the Ford Field. Plus nostalgia. Also, it helps that I'm 10 minutes away from the Silverdome and downtown Detroit sucks.

He's trying to use his name to get his daughter publicity. His daughter is a nobody.

Uhhh, genius. UPN and Spike TV are owned by the same company. Spike would want SmackDown because it'd get higher ratings than whatever they'd be showing instead of it. And if not, another channel (USA or FX spring to mind) would.

No. It'll just go to another channel.

How is it a ripoff? They're not much alike other than the fact that they're arabic.

I think a potential new viewer would accept JBL as champion over Benoit seeing as JBL is bigger and is much better on the mic.

Yeah, I'm sure all that free publicity is doing wonders for the WWE's business.

Nitro and or Morgan

You're in the minority. Brock was probably the best the WWE had before he left and I can't wait until he returns (and he will).